beatsthebadguys | Inbox for labyrinthum

Angel, I think you and I need to talk. I'd rather do it face to face.

God, that's such a cliché line...

I... just.... I need someone I can trust to talk to about some things.

[Please respond or she will just send you a bunch of rambling texts that are progressively awkward.]

[You have to nudge Angel to check his Oracle on the best of days... but Buffy's message he spots immediately. Somehow he just knew it was her, and if it was her then it was most likely serious. And sure enough, once he sees just what she asked, he completely agrees with her sentiment. He doesn't even bother sending a text reply.

Within five minutes, there's a knock at her door.]

[Buffy was sort of hoping that he'd just text her back. Notes are really convenient and if you add in the whole getting it through this weird phone, she's a huge fan of that. (Watch out. Buffy will be a huge texter later in life, maybe.)

However, she's not really surprised at the knock at her door. She gets up from the couch and answers it after checking the little panes of glass at the side to make sure it's him. And it's weird that he's out in the daylight still, since she's seen the kind of damage that the sun can do to vampires back home.]

Hey, Angel. Thanks for coming over.

[She doesn't invite him in. She's not sure if that rule still applies, but she needs the barrier of that ritual for right now. Instead, she comes out, taking a seat at one of the chairs that are on the treehouse's little porch. They are barely stable, but she'll replace them sooner or later.]

I, uh, kept meaning to reach out to you, but things have been weird since I got here.

Of course.

[She said face to face! Much easier on him anyway, the luddite. Definitely not because he can better base his responses off her body language, no siree bob.

Having said that, he completely understands not letting him in. What happened six years ago for him is still fresh for her, and he doesn't expect her to just "get over" that any time soon. It's not like he ever did. So he follows her and carefully sits in another chair, keeping just enough distance between them to not make himself too imposing.]

It's okay. I'm still getting used to it myself. You think you're ready for anything after you've seen hell, then suddenly... they throw tea parties.

[He's saying it to lighten the mood, but there's also actual perturbation in his voice.]

[And yet, despite saying face-to-face, she was hoping for a bit more time to really get herself used to seeing him. It feels like a punch to the gut when she sees him because she knows exactly how she feels and it's not like she can just make herself stop loving him, even after everything that's happened to them.

When he sits down in the other chair, she gives him a wan smile before pulling her legs up and wrapping her arms around them. Easiest way to protect herself, right?]

Right? You'd think living on the Hellmouth would make this place seem like a piece of cake, but I would have killed for the tea party over fun time with a Jabberwocky and only a stick.

[And a kid that she's absolutely terrified of, but, uh, that's sort of why she's called him over. Well, one of the reasons.]

H-Hello? Um... Hello, sir... We... we don't properly know one another but... but I attacked you and... I'm just... I'm so sorry. I didn't... I- that is, if there is anything I can do to make up for what I did, please tell me but... if you rather... we never speak again... I would understand that, too.

[At first he almost doesn't recognize her, since her behavior's so different from when she was enthralled... but her words remove any doubt from Angel's mind, and his heart sinks. Even if no blood was shed, this is heartwrenching for anyone to find out, much less a child.

He struggles at first to put on his own video - and even once he does, the camera mostly just captures his forehead - but once he's sure she will hear, he wastes no time replying to her message.]

Hey. It's okay, it wasn't your fault. You weren't in control, and, believe it or not, I've handled worse. You don't owe me anything, but if you really want to do anything for me... tell me what I can do, to ease your mind.

I don't know that anything can really ease my mind that isn't just... not being possessed again. It keeps happening to me. Brainwashing or possession... so if you have some way to stop all of that, certainly, but otherwise, I just live with uneasiness, I suppose. It would have been better if I hadn't learned to fight or got my plant powers. You can't hurt anyone when you can barely heal anything.

[This poor kid... why target her? Just how common is possession in Visium?

He adjusts his phone so his eyes are now visible, though he's hardly looking at Alice or the camera.]

You don't need powers or self-reliance to hurt others. Before I came here, I hurt a lot of people. I didn't even have to be brainwashed or possessed half the time, I chose to do it. Many of the people I hurt are very close to me, and I regret everything I did.

But they still forgave me. I probably don't deserve it, but they did. I try every day to not let that forgiveness be for nothing.

So the fact that you came to me, to apologize for something out of your control, tells me that your loved ones will forgive you, too. And that they would rather fight you with powers than you be helpless.

((Continued from here.))

Dracula! [SCOFF.] That bozo's nothing but party tricks!

[Mercifully, his face finally relaxes to its normal expression as he turns back to Puck.]

Oh, just looking around. People are acting weird today.

You've met him?

[A bit of a joke, but also Puck is glad Angel's back to looking normal. "I've eaten a lot of lemons and salt licorice" is rarely a nice look on anybody, himself included.]

They have been strange- what else have you noticed besides the increased abilities? I've been seeing cracks in the sky myself.

You kidding? Of course we know the jerk who got our weaknesses published!

[A shake of his wrists before he shoves them into his pockets, heading back into town with his companion.]

Cracks in the sky, giant buzzards, those guys- [He gestures back to the goblins they just fought.] It's no Wonderland, but I wouldn't call it a typical Tuesday.

((Continued from here.))

Doesn't mean I'm not interested. We all have our infamy.

[As if to prove this point, he knocks out another goblin and turns back to her, revealing... that same weird face he's been doing this whole time.]

So what, you summon birds of prey, or...?

You doin' ok there, guy? I used to have some potions for a bunch of stuff. Well, not on me.

[But she shakes her head.]

Cool as that would be, no. But it's a long story that, one of these days, will look super great when I get some stuff back from this Vaeros chump.

Never been better.

[That's a lie, but he's not acting like it. He hangs his mouth open, as if his teeth should be sticking out, then kicks aside the remaining goblin.]

I bet it will. He gave me mine after the whole Green Knight thing - not that you can't tell, of course.

[Stiiiill just a weird grimace on his face, but he's pointing to it anyway as if it means anything.]

Oooook. Take your word for it there, bucko.

[And with the downed goblins, she's checking for pockets to pick. Always practical in that way.]

Green Knight? Sounds like something fun that I got to miss.

((Continued from here.))

[The Skeksis drops a couple of feet in front of Angel.]

What, two hits too much for you? How about another?

[He jumps forward to deliver a punch, but he doesn't get far enough before the bird hops out of the way. He's about to hit the wall when...

He's back at the other end of the street, with the suddenly-healed Skeksis throwing a talon into his face. Again.]

Ow!

[He's in the middle of locking up when he hears the Oh, for god's sake-]

Stop fighting it, Angel, it's clearly not helping!

Inbox for labyrinthum

text | un: B.Summers

Action actually (sorry not sorry)

Not at all surprised

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Video; UN: Liddellest - Shortly After the Green Knight

Video; UN: angel

Video;

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Intense Event #5, Part 1 Overflow

For Puck (@justdontgiveame)

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For Eda (@uncoventional)

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For Wesley (@hard_decisions)

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