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

[nothingsodivine]

[What Des pulls up in is this. It's in good condition for a '73, although there's some nicks and scratches to the paint job. You wouldn't have guessed Des has been driving it since he bought it new, but... There you go.

He's leaning back in the seat when Jade gets in. A second later, he produces a Zippo from the glove box just across her lap and flicks it open for her.] Although, I guess my answer should've been, "no, and those things'll kill you." But you look like you've had a rough time of things.

[borrowedheaven]

[ She leans her cigarette into the flame, taking one long draw, and then leaning back again, eyes closing as she exhales in visible relief. Her shoulders slump a bit. ]

I think I have more immediate death threats to be concerned about. Though the good doctor gave the all clear. [ She snorts a bit, glancing back over at him, and then around the interior ] Nice ride.

[nothingsodivine]

It's my baby. Had her since '73. [And, of course, given that Des looks about 36, he would have been a fetus in '73 if anyone does their math, but that's neither here nor there.] So the chances of anyone jumping my car to kidnap you, and turning this into a bad action movie better be slim. [He peers behind him and takes the car out of park.]

[borrowedheaven]

[The look she fixes him with says she's doing the math. But it doesn't seem to throw her off in the least.]

Do you do this sort of thing often, then? Cart strange women around, keep them safe from psychotic cultists? [She rolls her window down, resting her elbow on the ledge.]

[nothingsodivine]

[That's because there are elves and shit running around. It's totally natural for some dude to be flawless and ageless even if he doesn't look like Legolas.

Des is, like, off-brand white trash mythical creature.]

Oh yeah. Just another Tuesday for me. [Backing the car out of the parking lot.] Sorry if you wanted to be special. Just know I remember all their names and sometimes I even call after.

[borrowedheaven]

[ BRUCE CAMPBELL DOESN'T LOOK LIKE LEGOLAS??? /mind blown ]

Think I've had it up to here with being someone's idea of "special" some days. [ It's said with wry humor, but her words are quieter, and she turns her gaze to the view out her window. She takes another idle drag.]

Not all it's cracked up to be.

[nothingsodivine]

[SORRY, BUT IT'S TRUE. THIS WAS A PART OF YOUR WORLDVIEW THAT NEEDED TO BE SHATTERED VIOLENTLY.]

I can imagine. [Yeah, he most certainly can...] Has to suck, all these people expecting something out of you, you're not sure you can even give.

[And they're out of the parking lot and headed down the road.]

[borrowedheaven]

[ She releases a breathy sharp laugh at that ]

Yeah.

Yeah, it does suck.

[ She twists her fingers, rolling the cigarette from side to side slightly ]

What's extra ironic is just how much I'd love to be able to give them answers, if it meant I might actually remember what they wanted me to know. But I don't. [ She says it very matter of factly, and then flicks the cigarette out the window decisively. ] Do you know what's that like?

[nothingsodivine]

Yep. I can't remember half of being in your club. In fact, you being here right now is the only thing that keeps me from thinking I had a really trippy dream. And even then I'm not sure. [And there's a lot of things he doesn't remember. Like his real name, his actual age, who he was before his curse... but yeah. Not good conversation fodder, that.] You think that's why?

[borrowedheaven]

♬ Out From Under - Joanna Pacitti

That's because you took the hallway into the club. Memory magic - powerful stuff.

[Her fingers move to twine through the chain of the necklace where that big pendant hangs.] Think that's why what?

[nothingsodivine]

Why you don't remember. Maybe it's not just the hallway. Look, I know it's your club and you kinda have pull there, but a lot of nasty people can pretend to be your friend for as long as it keeps them happy. If that means keeping you from thinking too much about who or what you really are and doing something about it... [He shrugs.] Daily dose of paranoia on the house.

[borrowedheaven]

[ The stare she fixes him with out of the corner of her eye speaks volumes along with her silence, and it becomes clear that either a) she really hadn't thought about this ever for some reason or b) she had, but had managed to reason herself out of it or dismiss it without anyone else backing it up. There's a long beat before she drags her eyes straight ahead again. ]


Last summer. That was when I came here. From the Shadow World, I mean.

It's been like this the whole time.

[nothingsodivine]

That'd do it. I hear people from the Shadow World get pretty rattled when they cross over.

[He swallows and glances over at her.] If you don't mind me asking, why the memory spells anyway?

[borrowedheaven]

[ There's another pause, long enough to make doubt creep in as to whether she's going to answer or not. But finally: ]

Because it's a dream.

[ She seems to realize that's not a real explanation, after it hangs in the air, and tacks on the rest. ] A waking dream, one you can walk into and share with someone else, hundreds of someones, but the idea is the same. While you're in a dream, absolutely nothing outside of it can hold you back: not the constraints of reality, your everyday life, your responsibilities, or other commitments. They don't matter, because it's not real in the same way the outside world is real, and you're free, like nowhere else in your life.

And part of the reason you can be is that the dream exists only inside itself. It doesn't belong with the waking world, and it would only hold your waking self back, burden it with desires it can't quench, or with guilt. You have to forget, or the dream loses all meaning. Maybe you remember that you had one, how it made you feel, but the details belong to the nightscape. And it keeps its secrets well.

[ She seems to realize she's gone off on a tangent, zoning back in abruptly with an apologetic little smile in his direction. ] At least, that's what it says on the brochure.

But you have to admit. Every one of us has a dream we'd love to live, even just for one night.

[nothingsodivine]

The way Liam talked, it sounded like you guys were harvesting souls. I trust the guy, inasmuch as I trust anyone, but I also don't think you're the type to bullshit anyone, least of all the guy who's driving.

[He turns towards her.] But the club was never the biggest part of it. It was you. If you were just a girl, then it wouldn't matter. We'd have left the whole thing alone except for maybe the occasional thought of what was going on over there we weren't in on.

[He half-laughs.] Or maybe I've got dreams of my own and I can identify with the concept. Who knows anymore?

[borrowedheaven]

He's got the wrong idea. [ It's said firmly, and there's a flash of indignation in her eyes at the mention of the idea, even if it's not directed at him. ] We're not taking anything from anybody. I understand how it might look, I suppose, but that's never been --

[ She shakes her head, and then after a beat, says: ] Take a left here.

[ She waits until he's made the turn before she turns partway in her seat, examining him for a long moment ]

So what are they? Or are they dreams you don't wanna share with the class?

[nothingsodivine]

[He takes the FUCK out of that left.] He's paranoid and British. And, honestly, he probably would've told me anything if it would've gotten me into that club. Or maybe he really believes it- if he does now, he's more of an asshole than I thought.

[He cants his head to the side.] They're not for the faint of heart.

[borrowedheaven]

[ The edge of her lip tugs up, as she shifts her weight a bit, so that she can more comfortably sit on her side. ]

Good thing there aren't any of those in the car, then.

[nothingsodivine]

[He snorts and looks wistfully out the windshield, like he's looking at something far away.] I dream of dying.

[borrowedheaven]

[ The smile on her face lingers but then melts into something else as she watches him, registering that he's serious, and considering the implications. ]



So do a lot of poetry-writing teenage goth girls. But I get the feeling your case is a little different. [ There's nothing malicious sounding in the touch of sarcasm: she seems to be taking his pronouncement with the same ease as everything else about him thus far, healing included. In fact, there's almost a glint of empathy in her expression as she adds: ]

How long have you been holding onto that particular dream?

[nothingsodivine]

Let me think on that. [He counts on his fingers, keeping one hand firmly on the steering wheel.] What is it? April? [A little more counting.] Four thousand years.

[He gives her a wry smile.] You're not the only one who's a relic in this car.

[borrowedheaven]

[ Jade continues staring for a long moment... and then abruptly a large smile breaks across her face and she laughs, tilting her head back and looking up towards the roof of the car. ]

What are the odds?

I bet the car appreciates being the new kid on the block, at least. [ Still laughing, she turns to lean her cheek against her hand that's still propped against the window, and looks over at him again. ] You look good for four thousand. Though I suppose you hear that all the time.

[ She seems so caught up in the surprise of the revelation that she almost forgets to warn him of the next turn, and jerks her head up at the last moment. ] Oh! A right here. This is the road.

[nothingsodivine]

Yep. And I'm not even Shadowkind. [He glances her way.] And now you know why I've got this vested interest in that talisman. For one thing, I know full-well the kinds of things people can accomplish in that much time. I also know I'm too damn lazy and stubborn to do any of them myself, but someone with ambition... [Eyeroll. And then he pulls on his brakes abruptly and then turns with the kind of mishandling that would make most car enthusiasts cry for his poor brakes and wheel alignment.]

Funny how reminiscing'll kill your road trip.

[borrowedheaven]

[ Jade grabs a hold of the dash, so that she doesn't go flying forward, because lol seatbelt who does that. She nods at an empty parallel parking spot across the road from the large office building. ]

You can park on that side.

[ And then her attention immediately returns to him, eyes narrowed slightly with curiosity now. ] Don't get me wrong. I'm dying to ask 'how is that possible' and all the other questions I suppose anyone would have for someone who's seen four millennium.

But I also know just how tired the whole 20 questions spiel gets. So I'll cut you a break for now.

Especially considering it's clearly not something you're happy about being saddled with.

[nothingsodivine]

Not really, no. [He turns to smile at her before focusing on actually parking and not wrecking his pretty car.] I appreciate it. And for that, I hope you forgive me for askin' you twenty questions about... You. [He waves a hand and then puts the car in park.] Okay, all ashore who's going ashore. Want me to walk you in?