mission ♔ and the rest is history

[borrowedheaven]

♬ Firefly - Over the Rhine

WHO || Des, Jade & later: Gar, Kat, Spike, Buffy, Myri [Closed]
WHAT || Des takes Jade home; the Knights attempt to unlock the mystery of the stone Gar discovered...
WHERE || The Hoffman Institute > Nightscape
WHEN || Backdated to Thurs, March 22nd
HOW || Actionspam

[ She lets herself out when Des pulls up, shoving open the front doors of the Institute with a certain degree of attitude that makes it clear how fed up she is with all this. But there's something much more subdued in her demeanor too, and a strange pallor to her cheeks that makes her skin look almost gray as she moves closer, taking the steps two at a time. Someone must have provided her with new clothes, as she's not dressed like a hooker today, but rather wears a dark green loose Bohemian looking shirt that's slightly ruffled, with two ties dangling in the front, and a pair of khakis with a number of funky pockets all over them. She wears less makeup than she had on the other night, but she looks no less striking for it - maybe even more so given that so much of her strange beauty is apparently all natural.

She tosses open the passenger door and sits down hard, hardly seeming concerned with being graceful as she digs a cigarette out of a pack. ]

Please tell me you brought a light.

Comments

[slay]

[ Oh my god please explode into a big ball of fire anytime now, Des. Buffy is trying really hard to make you do so with her brain. ]

Yeah, I'm sure the rest of the team will love him just as much as this half of it does.

[bigbad]

[Spike would bite him. Except it would give him a headache. And Buffy would probably bitch about it. So instead he just scowls darkly.] So long as he doesn't waltz over to give the enemy precisely what they want this time. That too much to ask?

[borrowedheaven]

[She's going to ignore your griping, kiddos.]

I want to know.

[shootfirst]

If he so much as blinks funny, we'll make sure he doesn't get back to them. [ Kat squints one eye closed and narrows a finger gun at the direction of his knee caps ]

[nothingsodivine]

You do that, princess. [He gives Jade a grin that has all the elements of "we know something they don't in it."] Stay safe. [And he turns back to the others.] Hope you all didn't walk, 'cause, uh, you're not all fitting in my car. Although if one of you has to stay with me to make sure I don't run off with the shiny, I vote her. [He points to Buffy.

People should feel free to WTF at this all they want. He has his reasons.]

[slays]

[ No, but really. She fixes him with a withering look. ] I don't think anyone but you and Jade will fit in your car. Maybe she should go back with Gar and the others. [ Making. Sacrifices. Greater. Good. Not going to tear him apart with her bare hands, not going to tear him apart with her bare hands. ]

[borrowedheaven]

Actually, this is my stop. [Jade slings her legs out, pulling herself out of the car and throwing Buffy a small smirk] It's all yours.

[nothingsodivine]

[He grins at Buffy over the roof.] It doesn't even have a back seat. Don't be a priss.

[bigbad]

[Spike glowers, stepping forward a bit. NOT THAT BUFFY NEEDS PROTECTING OR PROBABLY EVEN WANTS HIS PROTECTION... but he's not... really thinking about that.] Doesn't seem like she wants to go, now, does it? Leave her alone.

[witchwoman]

[Myri slips up next to Buffy and lowers her voice.]

You don't have to go with him. I'm sure we can find a way back...

[Yes, your tiny mouse of a friend is concerned for your safety, Buffy. No, it doesn't make sense.]

[slay]

[ Okay, see, Myri's concern? Sweet and cute. Spike's concern? Creepy, overbearing with a side of possessive. Buffy shoots Spike a glare of indignation because GOTDAMN SHE CAN TAKE CARE OF HERSELF AND DEFEND HERSELF AND YOU CAN JUST SHUT UP, but when Myri speaks up, she turns toward her and smiles, resting a hand on her shoulder. ] It's okay. Like he said, no backseat. Besides, someone's gotta direct him. [ She lowers her hand, sighing exaggeratedly. ] Fine. Let's just get this over with? Because if you find time to call me a priss again, I might just throttle you.

[rationalizes]

[ /OBLIVIOUS GAR ROLLED A 6 WIS CHECK and has no idea Des is warning Buffy about... not getting raped. So she is still smiling] Then we'll all meet back shortly at the hotel!

[shootfirst]

[Kat leannnns into the car to fix Des with a sickly sweet smile] Any damage that comes outta our girl? I'll take right out of your paint job. [She pats the outside of the car and rights herself, gesturing for Buffy to get in]

[nothingsodivine]

What do you people take me for? [Des doesn't need to roll a wisdom check to see that everyone but Gar hates him. He's used to it. He just starts the motor and the radio blares to life.]

[slay]

... A backwoods hick? [ Buffy makes a visible cringe as the radio starts up, the remark dry in her mouth. She gives Kat a "save me" look (because she knows Kat is the only one besides the oblivious Gar who WON'T ACTUALLY TRY TO SAVE HER, but will just be sympathetic maybe), and climbs into the passenger seat. ] Later. [ She pulls the door shut, sitting back in the seat and mourning her fate. ]

[nothingsodivine]

I'm from New Orleans, so I'm more of a back-bayou kinda hick. [Which is a lie, but whatever.] You see where I kinda have a stake in this case- multiple stakes, really.

[slay]

Keep talking and I might be inclined to have a stake in you. [ She slowly turns her head in a kind of rolled, fluid motion to look at him, gaze narrow. The less talking happens on this car ride, the less painful it'll be. She turns and fixes her gaze out the window, pulling on her seatbelt because fuck if she trusts him to drive safely or well or at all. Never mind that she kind of wants to ask about New Orleans. She's too stubborn to actually ask now that she ... aggressively pushed silence. ]

[nothingsodivine]

[Des starts the car and pulls out, rolling his eyes, and clearly not taking the hint.] Oh come on, what have I done to you lately, besides endear myself to Ms. Jade back there? It's not healthy to hold a grudge like that, buttercup. Gives you age lines.

[slay]

You took her right out from under us and handed her over to the Hoffman Institute! You didn't know what they were going to do to her! [ Yeah, you just ... opened up Pandora's box and all that's inside is bitchiness. ] They could have tortured her, done experiments, they could have hurt her! Did you even think of that, or were you busy thinking of your paycheck? [ She huffs. ]

How you manage to endear yourself to anyone is beyond me.

[nothingsodivine]

Okay. Here's how. I didn't take the damn money. [He shoots her a dark look] I was paid to deliver an artifact, not a girl. I all but told Hoffman that if he hurt her, I'd find out about it and told him to shove the cash.

That's how I endear myself to people.

[slays]

[ Oh. That shuts her up. And the baffled look on her face makes it clear that she ... doesn't even know what to say to that, because it's so opposite of everything she was expecting. She stares at him for a moment, stunned, then turns away, looking moderately ashamed. ]

What happens when you mess with the Talisman? [ She recalls what he said after a moment's silence. Her tone is thoughtful. ]

[nothingsodivine]

[A shrug. He's still got his eyes on the road.] Monsters. Shadowkind don't like humans touching their shit, especially not the kind of shit they have no idea how to use.

[slays]

I don't understand. [ A beat. ] Not the monsters and possessiveness. Very understandable. I mean, how do you know all of this? Have you seen it before?

[nothingsodivine]

Yeah. [He huffs.] I did a lot of work out of New Orleans. Got involved as a liaison to two private investigators. I knew a lot about Shadowkind and they needed more cases, so I helped them branch out into paranormal investigating.

We catch wind of someone selling fake Lazarus Talismans and go to put an end to it, but I guess whoever the hell wants the damn thing so bad got pissy, 'cause it brought down hell. And those were just fakes. I got a warrant for my arrest when they couldn't explain the bodies and finally just a demand to leave town when they finally could explain the bodies and realized having someone around like me was too much for 'em. They leave that shit to the hoodoo priestesses these days.

[slays]

And now you're going back. Guess this stuff has a way of following you. [ God knows it's followed her, and she doesn't even remember how. But that's ... other supernatural shit. /overidentifies. She glances back over at him. ]

... Why didn't you tell the others that you didn't let them pay you? [ Her tone is almost accusatory, but really just pressing. She can't let it go. ] I mean, what are you getting out of this? Some twisted sense of closure? [ She can't get a bead on him and it bothers her. ]