#officer avoidy

[theno1joelhater]

here is this souper cool officer avoidy + misty ree art i made

and also the associated lore:

After several missing person reports, a policeman and detective go to investigate their main suspect.

basically they’re going to investigate Justin Case’s house for the hostages and !!!! things happen !!

[sezja]

First Kisses, Part 2

Previously

Thaffe will be heading home from the mine soon, Jeryk muses, chewing on his bottom lip. There's a book open in his hands - a technical manual on the assembly and maintenance of the current model of Talos being used in the Hills of Amber - but for once, he can't seem to make his mind focus on it. It's not just that he's already read it; when has that ever stopped him before? No, it's just that his thoughts are wandering, relentless.

If he hurries home now, maybe he'll catch Thaffe before he settles in for the night.

Stop that, he scolds himself, thumping his heels hard against the old desk he's sitting on. Give him space!

But it's been a whole week, he thinks, plaintive; he can't remember ever going so long without speaking to Thaffe in his entire life. The effort to find leonine has to take priority, he knows. They can't restore the Talos without finding proper hearts, after all, and without the Talos, there can be no trolley! Agna's taken the best miners deep into the old mines, seeking out good-sized chunks of leonine that might've been missed by previous generations. That's why Thaffe's been gone lately. That's all.

And of course all that digging tires him out, so it's only reasonable that he heads straight home... and heads right out again in the early hours, before Jeryk's so much as thought about stirring. The miners aren't supposed to be spending the entire day down there, but Thaffe's hardly the only one; he's just as determined to find leonine and get the Talos mended as Agna is.

That's all.

Jeryk's chewing his lip again, and the words on the page might as well be written in some ancient Ronkan alphabet, for all the sense he's able to make of them.

It's just a coincidence that Thaffe's been making himself scarce since...

Was it that bad?

Such a little thing, really, in the end. Maybe that's the problem; maybe they should've made a bigger thing out of it - first kisses are supposed to be world-changing, aren't they? Gods know Jeryk's been daydreaming about kissing Thaffe since he was fourteen, and maybe he ought to be disappointed that the real thing turned out to be so short, so brief: just the softest brush of Thaffe's lips on his own, and then it was over. It's just not in him, though, to feel slighted. Not when the kiss itself had been Thaffe's idea, Thaffe's suggestion! He hadn't even been bold enough to dare suggesting it himself...

Why's he avoiding me, then?

He's not. Surely not. Would Thaffe do that, just kiss him and then refuse to ever talk to him again? No.

Maybe they should've talked about it, Jeryk reasons, frowning at a diagram of a Talos's heart-chamber. Maybe they ought to have sat there in the aftermath of the kiss and had a proper talk about it, about what it was and what it wasn't; about what it meant and what it didn't mean - maybe he's gone and spooked Thaffe, that's the problem; maybe he'd put a little too much want into a tiny kiss that wasn't supposed to be anything more than a first kiss for two boys who might otherwise never get one.

He heaves an unsteady sigh, thinking about it. Small as it was, it's kept him warm at night - Thaffe's breath on his lips, the way Thaffe's cheeks turned as red as his hair, the way Jeryk's lips tingled for bells...

If he hurries home now, maybe he can catch Thaffe before he settles in for the night. Maybe it isn't too late to talk about it.

Give him space, he scolds himself, again. He'll come 'round when he's ready.

The door to the old offices opens. Strange; everyone else left a while ago-

"Thaffe!" There, see? He's not avoiding me. "I haven't seen you all week! Have you and Agna found any leonine?"

There's a look on the man's face Jeryk doesn't quite recognize, and his heart sinks. That's not the look of a man who's simply come to visit his best friend after work on a whim. Either something terrible happened in the mines... or this is about something more personal, more immediate.

This is about the kiss. Thaffe has been avoiding him.

But surely if the kiss was that bad, Thaffe would choose to keep some distance between them, the better to make it clear no such thing would ever happen again... but instead he closes the distance, coming to stand right in front of Jeryk. So close, Jeryk's sure Thaffe must hear the way his pulse speeds up; if Thaffe is about to tell him off for the kiss, the man very well might hear the moment Jeryk's heart shatters just as thoroughly as all those Talos' out there-

Thaffe tugs Jeryk's hat off, setting it aside with the book he doesn't remember putting down, and rests their foreheads together. They'd done this when they were children - giggling conspiratorially in the private space between them - but it's different now; charged. This close, Jeryk feels all but surrounded by Thaffe - by the warmth of him; by the scent of sweat and the hot earth of the mines; the whisper of his breath. Jeryk could drown in it, he thinks; he could die right here, and be content.

Until Thaffe says he'd like to kiss him again, and Jeryk realizes he needs to live.

Thaffe's hands are tough and calloused against his face, but gentle, so gentle. You'd never hurt me.

"Yes," he breathes, drawing Thaffe in close, needing to answer in the only way he can: with more kisses. And this time they'll be better. "Oh, yes!"

[wrightfamilyagency]

Just as I got back into writing, I got distracted by, of all questions, "Hey, are there any canon clues to exactly where in London Gressenheller is so I can pick out the closest tube station?", and the answer to that is YES but it's maybe a little inconsistent possibly, and I doubt I'm the first person to do this but hey, I also discovered along the way another massive mistake I made in past chapters based on a misunderstanding of canon evidence, SO LET'S GO.

The Layton games in general are very careful to be vague with giving their major locations exact addresses, but twice in the series they give hints to Gressenheller's. The one in Pandora's/Diabolical Box is the most blatant by far, though:

I drew a little L where the icon is that marks your location for this brief prologue before going to Dr Schrader's home. And of course I had to see if I could find this layout on a London streetmap, especially since we know it's near the Thames, so I found an online map to have a look and, oh hey, I found this exact bend of the Thames with the three visible bridges and even that park with its distinctive lake in the middle!

At first I was disappointed because I couldn't see any kind of match between the streets, until I overlaid the PDB map over the street map and...

Oh my gosh, they DID trace a real map to make this! And then simplified the roads and altered the dimensions so an exact overlay is impossible, but enough of the actual streets are left that you can make out where they came from!

So, based on that, Gressenheller is located somewhere in here:

And if we zoom in on that specific block:

So, there you go. Gressenheller is somewhere in this section of Soho in London, between the bounds of Oxford Street, Tottenham Court Road, Old Compton Street, and Wardour Street. Who knows how accurate to the IRL Soho the idea of a big university like Gressenheller being there is, but that's apparently where it's located. xD And all I needed from this endeavour was the nearest tube station, which is clearly Tottenham Court Road, so that's my question answered!

The only other game that gives us a hint as to Gressenheller's location is actually PLvsAA, and again in the prologue. Hershel and Luke start the game in Hershel's office in Gressenheller, then Espella comes by and is immediately kidnapped, and Hershel declares that kidnapper+kidnappee are "headed for the Thames". We then cut to our first playable area of the game:

Again, it's simplified and altered, but the use of Tower Bridge means it's easy to find on a real map.

I was actually surprised there's an IRL park on the south bank by Tower Bridge, though I can't confirm the existence of any little overlook like the game location. Besides, the game cut off a lot of the park for buildings here, as well as disappearing the Tower of London on the north bank (y'know, the thing Tower Bridge is named after)... But this map is more stylised than the other so it's gonna be less accurate to real life.

So if Gressenheller Uni is in Soho as established, what is with the route Hershel and Luke apparently took to end up south of Tower Bridge?

On the far right, Tower Bridge. On the far left, Tottenham Court Road station and the square I outlined above. The distance on foot between them seems to be at minimum 5.1km (around 3.1 miles for you imperial-users), and requires not only crossing the river but following it for a significant distance. I'm sure Hershel and Luke could easily manage it physically (unlike me xD), but it seems weird to follow a flying woman into the open air above the Thames (plus crossing the river at some point for whatever reason), keep track of her up to Tower Bridge... and only then lose sight of her, and not have any idea where she was headed? It very much implies to me that Shu Takumi - or whoever wrote that specific part of the prologue - mentally placed Gressenheller as south of the Thames, and if not directly south then south-east of Tower Bridge, so that Hershel and Luke (avoiding the park and its police presence) arrived at the river and lost track of said flying woman immediately.

However this inconsistency even came about, I guess it doesn't really matter, because we have what we have, and little things like this are open to individual interpretation. It's not like this is the only weird location-related inconsistency in these games.

As for my interpretation, I prefer the idea of the Soho location because it's actually very close to the IRL British Museum, and in-game closer to wherever the hell Kensington High Street (along with the fictional London Museum) has been rerouted to put it so close to Scotland Yard (which is south of Soho irl, closer to the Thames, while Kensington and its high street are way off west of both). For PLvsAA, I prefer to think of the 'office' we see there actually being Hershel's home, to explain both the new area and why he has Luke still hanging out with him so late at night.

Also, all my research informed me that Hershel is supposed to somehow have a home with a front door right on street level as opposed to the apartment I've given him in this AU, but in my defence... how is he affording a full house of his own in the middle of London long before taking in Flora, and PLvsAA confused me because it's a lot less clear they're supposed to be in Gressenheller in that prologue when its your introduction to two series at once, and that shot in Eternal Diva where OT-Luke is collecting Hershel's mail goes by so fast of course I almost immediately forgot it, and the only other time we see that door in LS/SC, Rosa is sweeping the front steps for some reason despite telling Emmy later on she works at Gressenheller which implies the random front door she was sweeping was part of the university and not a house belonging to someone else (it certainly doesn't appear to be part of the university building based on what we see of it!), and she seems to immediately appear afterwards in Hershel's office anyway talking about Dean Delmona looking for him which implies she's been at the university the whole time and not off sweeping random house fronts, so it looks like the game developers just put her on Hershel's doorstep purely so she could get his letter from Luke even though that doesn't make any sense-!

cough cough

I can't justify the Laytons having moved to a smaller place but also I've consistently written them as being in an apartment so now I have to just go with what I've written I guess. SIGH.

[watermelonolemretaw]

Willie Katchup: Confrontational Cop

ok but actually Willie Katchup needs to exist in the cgcu and maybe he's Officer Avoidy's partner or smth? could be a fun dynamic

math tb ftw yall

[ifeveristoday]

Buffy Summers’s Diary (X)

So my follower count jumped up by a lot since I posted about the Boom!verse, so I’d like to say hey. I will keep thinking and posting about the Boom!verse because I really enjoy it. Hopefully, my recaps/reactions continue to be amusing/useful to you guys.

That said, this side blog is mainly for me to post first drafts of fic and reblog all! the! gif sets! about Buffy and co. And she’s my favorite so I will not tolerate Buffy Summers slander. But I also won’t shit over the other characters, even the ones I’m not as fond of, because again - they’re someone’s favorite. I’m just here to be snarky and occasionally thoughtful.

On with the latest installment of my pastiche!

 Eating dinner at Tara’s was always an experience. Candles lit, the warm scent of sandalwood in the air – I missed those nights when I was invited over for dinner at her and Willow’s place. Tara had a way of making any place feel like a home – lived in and cozy.

I didn’t want to arrive empty handed, especially after such a long time of not seeing her. It was mostly out of guilt – it was hard to reconcile the idea of Willow, my best friend versus the woman who had recklessly lied and imploded her relationship with Tara. Dawn hadn’t been right when she accused me of choosing sides, but I hadn’t exactly done the best job of supporting Tara, either.

After mindlessly wandering the aisles of the specialty grocery store -ugh, I know. So LA. I found a jar of a locally farmed honey. It was packed in a pretty glass jar and there was a handwritten label pasted on it. I remembered the fully stocked cabinet of tea in Tara’s home – the honey would go perfectly with it.

 Dawn opened the door when I knocked. ‘You came,’ she said, with some surprise.

‘I said I would.’

I handed her the jar. ‘Where’s Tara?’

‘In the kitchen. She’s finishing the last dish.’

It smelled delicious, garlic and buttery and rich. I went into the kitchen, where Tara was frowning at something on the stove.

‘Can I help?’

She jumped slightly. ‘Oh hey, Buffy.’ She smiled, and every worry I had that she would resent me faded away. ‘I’m just steaming this broccoli. I’m doing vegetarian tonight, is that okay? I could make you some chicken – I would just have to defrost it.’

‘No, it’s fine. Vegetarian actually sounds really good. I’ve been eating nothing but junk at work this whole week. It’s like we’re sponsored by Big Carb.’

She grinned. ‘Well, I made eggplant lasagna and tofu salad. The broccoli is just extra veggies. Dawnie took care of dessert.’

‘She did?’

Tara laughed. ‘She bought it from the bakery down the street. It’s safe.’

‘Oh, thank God.’

‘I heard that,’ Dawn called from the living room. ‘You’re just not ready for my flavor combinations.’

‘You have the palate of a six-year-old.’

‘I wouldn’t say that. I would say at least eight,’ Tara mused.

‘Tara,’ Dawn protested.

‘Dawnie,’ she teased back. ‘And Buffy, you can just sit, I’m all good here.’

‘So how’s everything going at the studio?’ I stirred around my salad, picking up crunchy noodles.

Tara brightened. ‘Really good. I’m doing a workshop for a women’s shelter – it’s open to the general public too. It’s about surviving a fundamentalist cult.’

‘Really? That sounds cool. I wonder if Kendra would be interested in that – I’ll email her tonight.’

‘That would be great publicity. I’ll let Lily know – poor thing is running that shelter all by herself, I’m sure extra attention would bring in extra money.’

‘I can’t promise anything,’ I said, ‘but I’ll do my best to pitch the idea.’

‘Oh, I know. I still appreciate it, though. I’m also doing a freelance job, so I’ll have some funds to pass on to the shelter.’

‘What’s the freelance gig?’ Dawn asked.

‘I’m doing a decorating job – it’s only one office, so it’s not too complicated. It’s for a law firm.’

Small bells began to sound in my head.

‘Which law firm?’

‘That big one downtown. Wolfe, Ram and Hurt.’

The bells became a noisy choir. I swallowed, not tasting the sesame dressing.

‘For who?’

‘Uh, let me think. Ah, a Mr. Delaney?’

Dawn whipped her head around to stare at me. ‘Delaney? Isn’t that..’

‘Angel. You’re decorating Liam Delaney’s office?’

‘That’s it,’ Tara said. ‘Yes. He set up the appointment last week. Actually, his assistant did, then he called to confirm.’

‘Angel’s our old neighbor. And Buffy had a big crush on him,’ Dawn announced.

‘Thanks, Dawn.’ I gritted my teeth. ‘And for the record, it was not a big crush. He was my best friend’s older brother.’

Tara nodded in understanding. ‘Well, while he’s not my preference, he sounded pretty hot on the phone.’

‘Eh,’ Dawn shrugged. ‘He’s all right if you like tall, brooding guys. And jocks.’

‘Angel’s not a jock.’

‘Yeah he was. He was on the football team!’

‘For one season. He quit and joined the art club.’

‘He did? Didn’t see that on a plaque at Hemery. Anyway, Buffy’s type is a jock.’

‘No it isn’t.’

Dawn rolled her eyes. ‘Okay, with the exception of Billy, every boyfriend you had in high school was a jock. Then there was Riley,’ her mouth twisted with distaste. ‘I guess that was more work-related, though.’

‘They had other interests. I have other interests. This is a slander against athletes. You’re an athlete.’

‘Touche. So have you talked to him?’

‘We met for coffee. Tara, this lasagna is awesome.’

‘I can give you the recipe after,’ Tara offered. ‘It’s pretty easy to make.’

‘Real smooth, Buffy. Way to be all avoidy.’ Dawn snorted.

‘Liam’s fine,’ I stressed. ‘He’s dating my co-worker. We’re acquaintances. Anyway, it’s none of your business.’

‘He’s dating? Oh. That’s a surprise. I heard from Mom he was kind of a wreck the last time she saw him.’

‘Yes, he’s dating. And not interested in me, because I am also not interested in him.’

‘Sure,’ Dawn said, unconvinced. ‘So the blushing is just a side effect.’

Tara stepped in before I threw my water at Dawn’s head. ‘I believe you, Buffy. And there is nothing wrong with enjoying your own company. Dating can be rough.’

‘There was another guy,’ I said. ‘Something is going on with him – but he’ll probably have to leave soon. He mentioned he had to renew his work visa.’

‘What? You didn’t tell me this!’

‘I didn’t know I had to, seeing how you’re a regular Harriet the spy,’ I said. ‘Like I said, it’s something, but I’m not sure. He was interested, but Liam kind of ruined it.’

Dawn shook his head. ‘It’s so weird hearing you call him that. I think I was twelve when I found out his real first name.’

‘It’s not like it was my personal nickname for him – his family called him that. Kathy would only use his full name when she was mad at him.’

‘Sounds like we’ve got a lot of catching up to do,’ Tara said. She stood up. ‘Help me clear up the plates? And Dawnie, if you can go get the dessert? It’s in the fridge.’

‘Thanks for the save,’ I murmured so Dawn couldn’t hear. ‘Dawn’s super intense with secrets, especially when she thinks I’m keeping something from her.’

Tara smiled gently. ‘I get it. My cousin and I used to be that close too. I kind of envy that bond you two have.’

I shook my head. ‘You’ve been a better older sister to her than I have – the last couple of years….’ I trailed off. ‘Tara, I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you. It wasn’t right.’

She reached over and squeezed my shoulder. ‘I’m not mad at you, Buffy. I never was. I’m happy you’re here tonight. Don’t be a stranger, you can come around anytime.’

Her eyes sparkled. ‘Do you want me to run recon on Mr. Delaney?’

I laughed. ‘That’s sweet of you to offer, but I think the less I know about him, the better off I’ll be. He’s moved on with his life and I’m trying to do that too. It just kind of threw me – like, I was seventeen again and hearing about him eloping. It wasn’t anything then, and it’s not anything now.’

‘If you’re sure.’ Tara looked at me solemnly.

‘One hundred percent. Besides, there’s the matter of William,’ I said. ‘He’s pretty charming. In an annoying, cocky way.’

Tara raised an eyebrow. ‘William? Do tell.’

‘What about William?’ Dawn entered with a plate of cookies, each one dusted with powdered sugar. ‘Also, who’s William?’

‘The other guy. William Pratt. Also known as –’

‘Spike Pratt?’ Dawn interrupted excitedly. ‘The author?’

‘You know him?’

‘Yeah, his novels are the best to read on long flights. I can’t believe you’re dating him.’

‘We’re not. We’re just getting to know each other, but he’s cooled off. Liam told me to stay away from him, said he was a womanizing playboy.’

‘Oh right, because Angel was a saint,’ Dawn said dismissively. ‘There were always girls going in and out of his house.’

‘Yes, but I know-knew him better than I do William. And people should have second chances. He’s been very respectful with me.’

‘Pe-people can change,’ Tara said. She bit her lip. ‘Sometimes not for the better.’

‘Right,’ Dawn said quickly. ‘Once a cheater, always a cheater, I say.’ She looked at me sharply. ‘Maybe you should stay away from him.’

‘The Summers’s curse is in full effect, nothing is going to happen. And not everyone is going to turn out like Riley. He seems to be happily married now.’

‘Yeah, well if karma was real,’ Dawn said. ‘I just don’t want you to get hurt again.’

I couldn’t help it. I pulled her into a hug. ‘I know. And I love you for that. But I’m a big girl and …I do what I want.’

She patted my back. ‘Yeah, but I call dibs on I told you so later.’

‘I expect nothing less.’

‘Boys are dumb,’ Tara said lightly. ‘That doesn’t really change with age.’ She plucked a cookie off the plate and offered it to me.

‘They really are,’ I sighed. I bit into the crumbly softness, the sugar dusting my mouth. ‘But I’m tired of talking about me. What else is going on in your life?’

Tara looked down bashfully. ‘Well, I think I’m going to adopt a cat, and I finally finished all the seasons of the X-Files, work is going great, Dawnie is helping me with the apps…’

‘What apps?’

‘Dating apps,’ Dawn said. ‘I let Tara see my profile and then set her up with her own account.’

‘You’re on dating apps?’

‘Uh yeah. Everyone is on dating apps, no one meets in the wild anymore,’ Dawn said. ‘Besides, it’s fun.’

‘But – they’re strangers. They could be anyone. Dangerous anyones.’

‘I’m not stupid, I have filters in place. You’re just paranoid because of what happened with Xander.’

‘Yes,’ I said. ‘Because Xander got codfished. Multiple times. One of them turned out to be an escaped convict.’

‘Catfished,’ Dawn said exasperatedly. ‘And he met Anya on an app. She was nice. Sort of.’

‘I’ve gone on a few dates,’ Tara said. ‘All very nice women. No serial killers in the lot.’

‘It’s perfectly safe, Buffy. Look, I just bypass all the men who have lots of gym pictures, hiking pictures, and golfing pictures. Oh, and if they quote Borat.’

‘That’s like a third of LA. Who’s even left?’

‘Nice guys, I swear. And sometimes,’ Dawn shifted in her seat, ‘it’s not about the dates.’

Tara coughed. ‘I have a book club you could join, Buffy. If you want to meet nice people.’

Objectively, I knew I shouldn’t have been surprised. Dawn was twenty-four years old, I didn’t think she was at home knitting tea cozies. But still. She was my baby sister.

‘I think I need to see your feed.’

‘No way. You have judgment face. You’re just going to say mean stuff about all of them.’

‘I will not,’ I lied. ‘If they’re as nice as you say.’

‘Not in a million years. You can make your own profile.’

‘Ugh. No thank you. I have to have a social media presence for work and it makes me want to burn down the internet.’

‘It’s okay as long as you don’t read the comments. Or check the grammar,’ Tara said helpfully. ‘People generally mean well.’

‘That hasn’t really been my experience. I’ll just have to live vicariously through you two.’

‘Here’s what I’m thinking – if this something doesn’t work out with Spike – you could try the app. Maybe find a nice Joe Normal.’ Dawn shrugged. ‘It’s really not a big deal.’

‘I’ll have to get back to you on that. Can you email me the lasagna recipe, Tara?’

‘Of course. Take some cookies home, there’s too much for me to eat by myself.’

She walked us to her hallway and hugged us both. ‘I’ll see you in the morning, Dawnie. And you,’ she punched my shoulder playfully. ‘You are always welcome to stop by. You’re family.’

I was overwhelmed. ‘Thanks, Tara. I’ll let you know about that article about the shelter. I could volunteer at the very least.’

‘I’d like that. Lily would like it too, I’m sure.’

  ‘Tara’s doing really well, isn’t she?’ 

Dawn nodded. ‘She is. I think she’s moved on.’

‘That’s good. I’m happy for her.’

‘But…’ Dawn said. ‘You have that look on your face.’

‘I thought she and Willow would have made it. After Xander and Anya broke up, they were supposed to be the rock solid couple. I guess that was selfish of me.’

‘Well, you know what I think about Willow. Tara might have forgiven her, but I haven’t. And I don’t like Kennedy.’

‘She’s an acquired taste. And it doesn’t matter what we think – Willow loves her. She sees something in her that is valuable.’

‘She calls you a gringa idiota behind your back, you know.’

‘What?’

‘Yeah. She doesn’t know that I know Spanish.’

‘I just have to remember that Willow loves her. That’s all that matters.’ I clenched my fist. ‘She’s a valuable, worthy person.’

‘If you say so,’ Dawn said doubtfully. ‘I think she’s a rebound and both of them deserve better.’

‘Yeah, but I can’t tell Will that. It’s her life.’

‘Maybe you could just hint at it? Are you still doing those weekend brunches?’

‘Yeah. We have to schedule one soon, she’s been really busy with wedding planning. Do you want to come?’

‘I’ll pass. I have plans for the weekend.’

‘Do they involve sketchy app guys?’

‘Maybe.’

‘You’re being safe right? Mom gave you the talk?’

Dawn grimaced. ‘Yes, and the book and the PowerPoint. Relax, Buffy. I know what I’m doing.’

‘Will you text me when you leave at least? And when you’re on your way home?’

‘Okay. Anything else, Mom?’

‘Mom would have given you Mace to put in your purse – she did, didn’t she?’

‘Yep. It’s millennial pink.’

‘Then we’re good.’

previous entry | next entry

#Buffy Summer’s Diary

[parkbearum]

Love On Top

Wow Zyx ruining my life just like that

CEO!Yixing,Sugar Daddy!Yixing

Yixing X Reader

Part 2

“Was it real?..All this hustle and the emotions inside of her...”

It was a hard day for you.Having to complete more than 3 assignments and work more for a mechanics class was hard enough without a huge essay from art history.Stuffing your locker with a thousand books and papers from nowhere,you sighed with frustration.It was the first week back in the school and it was already killing you.

You holiday was a warm and cozy one.Yixing was absent for a week while you used that week for doing work and studying,trying to fill the empty gaps in your mind about certain topics.When he came back one morning,you found him sleeping with his jacket on,tones of gifts in front of the bed while he snored deeply.

You knew he overworked himself,especially at times when he should not.You always caught him in his office,looking over some papers and doing work on his computer at 5 in the morning,the sun yet to rise.You did your best to relax him,especially after what he said the last time.

After telling you to be his girlfriend for real,you felt amazed at his expressions.He was bold and telling you to be his,for a long time.You took your time to decide,trying to hear your heart’s voice instead of your brain’s that was telling you to stop.

Opening the door after a few tries,you took off your shoes,too uncomfortable after the long day.Throwing your heavy body onto the couch,you sighed.Your face was covered with paint just like your hands,and at this point,you were too tired to care.

“Welcome home”you heard a voice say.

Getting up and fixing your hair quickly,you glanced at his side,anxious to find why he was home so early.

“Hi”you said tiredly.He could see your given up attitude despite the day being monday.He laughed and went to the fridge after kissing your temple and giving you a tight hug.

You laid on the couch again,sighing as your eyelids got heavier.He was humming to a song you remembered he played on the car one night when he took you out for a ride.

“You’re home early”you breathed out,trying to sound as loud as possible.

“Yeah.I felt like I could work from home since the office is packed...”He said,opening the yogurt slowly.

“Hmmm”you said,turning your body around on the couch,still dressed in your coat.

“My office is under construction anyways”he said as he sat on the couch next to your slow body.He caressed your hair for some time until you felt your body get heavier by the passing second.

Opening your eyes slowly,you turned in the huge bed.Your breath was shallow as you woke up.You felt a heaviness to your presence after sleeping deeply.He must’ve carried you here,you thought.He also seemed tired but he was not asleep nor on the bed with you.Getting up quickly and wearing your long socks under his hoodie,you walked to the kitchen.

While the kettle boiled the water for you,you sat on the counter,swinging your feet while you heard the sound of the water.Opening the curtains to see the black sky,you sighed.As the soft smell of the caramel coffee filled the room,you breathed slowly.He was probably working as always.

Walking with steady steps to his office on the second floor,you opened the door slowly after knocking it.He was wearing his glasses and was still in his white shirt.He looked absolutely ethereal but also,super tired.You could feel the pressure in the room while his eyes searched for something on the paper he was holding.

“There you go”you said softly as you put the coffee on his table.He gave you a small smile and turned to work once again.You brought your papers and work to his office from downstairs,wanting to spend more time with him while he worked.Putting all of your papers and paints on the desk in front of his,which was smaller and lower,you stared to calculate the questions.

Humming to a song slowly and bobbing your head,you continued to work as he watched you with a smile,small chuckles escaping his lips at certain times.When you started to solve more advanced questions,you attitude changed.The small hums stopped and you sat up,eyebrows furrowed.Your legs were parted now and you whole body was awake.

And it did not go unnoticed by him.

While you kept your position and tried to solve the question,his gaze was on you.Eyeing your distracting position,he sat there and watched you for some time.You smiled to yourself after finding the answer,a good twenty minutes passed after your first try.

“Babygirl,cross your legs”he said with a stern voice.Your eyes widened at his expression and you immediately blushed.You were not aware of the fact that he was actually watching you the whole time so when his harsh voice found your ears,all you did was to look at him with avoidy eyes.

“Sorry”you said like a small child who had been discovered while she was doing something naughty.You knew he was working now,which meant he was focused but as he watched you with his brown marble eyes,you could not help but think otherwise.

“No need to apologize”he said while he looked at the papers in front of him,rater confused by something.“You know there’s no escape from a punishment anyways”he said while smirking.You looked up to him to see a rather focused Yixing rather than a cocky one but what you just heard kept echoing in your mind.

You sat there,trying to focus but all you could do was to feel the wetness between your legs.After pressing your thighs together for the hundredth time,you knew he was watching.He was pretending to be a innocent one while you struggled to find the answer to your question.

It had been a goof ten minutes when he stood up from his chair,walking towards you with much control.You had not realized it as you were working on a project your professor ha given to you.When his cold hand touched your wrist,you jumped.You saw his smirk an hit him playfully.

“Weren’t you working?”you asked with anger and excitement.

“Babe...”he said with a hoarse voice,making you even wetter.

“I can see how wet you are”

he breathed out and all you could do was to gulp.He was probably watching you the whole time when your hands found your underwear and felt how wet it actually was.He laughed at your wide eyes and dragged you to the bed.

When your back hit the mattress every thing was a blur.You could feel him anywhere,everywhere.The small grunts coming out of his mouth made it all harder for you to resist him as he sucked your neck with much lust.

This was going to be different.

You knew the sex was different each time,depending on how he felt.However,it was mostly soft,relaxing and lovely.He made sure you were feeling good each time and asked you how you were with every move he made.He would not leave marks unless he was stressed or rip your pants apart.

But he was doing it now.

You could feel his large hands on your ass,squeezing and pinching with anticipation.It was not like the Yixing you used to know,but you could not say you hated it.Your mind went blank when you heard the sound of fabric being ripped apart.While your wide eyes looked at the source of the sound,he was growling once again.

“Ahhh...Really Yixing?”you said,sounding quite disappointed.

“I do not think you are in the position to complain,darling”He said when his teeth found your underwear,he was going way too fast.

Your back arched when a pair of hands found your core,making you gasp as he smirked to your reaction.All you could do was to open your mouth,but no sound.Any sound would not be able to describe how good this whole thing felt.Despite him being pretty quick on hovering above you and removing your half-existent clothes,you remained silent. 

When his hands found your waist and grasped it tightly,you could feel his sweaty skin against yours.His shallow breaths increased when he found your core,positioning himself so fast like he was in so much rush.You gasped when he slid into your center in just a second.

“Fuck babe,you feel so good”he grunted,holding you tight against his chest.

As he sped up,you could see stars.Your nails were digging into his back as he grunted.The mattress hitting the wall was all too much when he kissed your temple.The amount of moans got more and more,his small whimpers turning into animalistic sounds.

“Y-Yixing.....I c-can’t...”you managed to say between breaths while he pounded into you.

All he did was to nod and pick up his pace once again while your sweaty bodies became one.His shallow breaths hit your face as you smiled.The passionate kiss you both enjoyed before your climax took over made your insides tingle.

And believe that there was something more to this.

When the gray sheets covered your bodies and you stared at the ceiling,you could feel his eyes on you.You did not know what to say.You liked him,really.Not like towards an older person but liking somebody for the person they were.You were utterly confused when he caressed your hair.

“What’s up baby?”he said in a sweet tone while you kept looking at the walls.

“W-Well”you said,making eye contact while he smiled gently.“I need to say something.”you breathed out heavily,sitting up on the bed with him so that he could take you seriously.After following his gaze,you covered your bare chest and started speaking.

“Okay”he said,fixing your hair so it did not cover your face anymore.

“I.....”staring into your hands while he kept breathing did not work.“I like you....In a way I shouldn’t”you blinked while he kept staring at you,mouth apart.

“You like me?”he said,you could see a small frown.“Baby,I need you to be honest”he said,shaking his head while you stared in confusion.

“I love you....”you whispered,eyes locked into your lap while he caressed your hair to see you better.

You felt his nose brush yours while he smiled.“I love you too....”he chuckled at your shocked expression.

“I’ve been meaning to tell you that...”

[quietasasanctuarymouse]

Season 1 Episode 4 ~ Folding Man

9.21:

Magnus: Henry?

Henry: Got a rock solid match on the fingerprint. Belongs to a career lowlife named Malcolm Dawkins.

Magnus: Is there a last known address?

Henry: Nothing recent. Lago Vista, Texas, about four years ago.

Will: Lago Vista, that’s right outside of Austin. I might be able to get the bank robbery case file from my old partner at the agency.

At the door to Magnus’s study, Will continued down the hall to set up the meeting, and Henry followed Magnus inside. As she settled herself into the chair behind her desk, he continued with his report, “I’ve been scouring the surveillance footage from the area, trying to get a bead on where the other suspect went, but so far- nada. I could-”

“What are you working on?” Rowan floated into the office and hopped up on Helen’s desk, crossing her knees as she leaned across to look at the file she was holding.

“Actually, we think we’ve got a Folding Man,” Helen smiled at her, turning the file to give her a better look.

“A Folder? Fascinating.”

“Indeed. I thought so,” they smiled at each other, mutually enamored by the enigma.

“Uh, Doc?” Henry’s tone full of confusion.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Rowan, this is Henry Foss. He’s-”

“Ah, yes,” she turned her attention to the nervous man standing in front of her. “Techno genius extraordinaire.” She held out her hand, “Pleasure.”

Henry sputtered and stammered, Helen smiled. Rowan always could reduce the boys to babbling.

“Rowan’s an old friend of mine and she’ll be staying with us for a while. I’ve given her use of the tower room and carte blanche to alter anything she might wish. I trust you’ll assist her with whatever she may need?”

“Uh, yeah, Boss. Of course. What- what- whatever you need. I- I, uh…”

Magnus stifled a smile, “That will be all, Henry, thank you.” She clucked her tongue as he left the room. “What am I ever to do with you? You’ll have my whole staff a stuttering mess by end of day.”

“Just the staff?”

“Cheeky.”

“So, what makes you think it's a Folder?”

20.05

Will: Hey, what about the police?

Ashley: What about them?

Will: Well, I mean, this guy’s an accessory to murder, maybe more…

Magnus: And what would you have us tell them? That their man’s addicted to gold and that he slithers like a python?

Will: That’s a good point.

“I’d love to see the look on the face of the person who answers that call,” Rowan was smiling broadly as she stepped into the room.

“So would I,” Helen smiled back.

Ashley quickly stood from the couch, “Uh, Mom?”

Rowan’s focus turned, her eyes wide, and she gave a small gasp.

“Ashley, darling,” Helen stepped up beside her daughter, placing an arm around her shoulders, “this is Rowan Llewellyn. We’re old friends and I’ve invited her to stay with us for a while. Rowan, this is my daughter.”

Rowan gave a slight bow and a warm smile. Eyes transfixed, like she was looking at a ghost. “She’s beautiful, Helen,” she breathed quietly, almost as if she were talking to someone else, someone very far away. As she straightened, her eyes flicked momentarily to Helen who gave her an almost imperceptible shake of the head. “Well, it's my great pleasure to make your acquaintance, Ashley. Your mother and I have known each other for quite a long time, and I very much look forward to the opportunity to get to know you as well.”

Ashley looked at her mom with eyes that clearly said Is this chick for real? “Yeah, you have no idea what ‘quite a long time’ is,” she scoffed. A sharp look from her mother put a noncommittal smile on her face. “Uh, sorry. Yeah, it’s nice to meet you, too. Um, how long did you say you’re staying?”

“I guess that would depend on your mother,” the corners of her mouth twitched, fighting back the smile that wanted to laugh out loud at the assumption of her age.

“Right, well, mi casa and all that. Mom, I’m, uh, I’m gonna go look into this whole gold drug shipment thing. Somewhere else.”

“Let me know what you find.”

“You got it,” she flashed an uncertain look at Rowan as she left the room.

As soon as she was gone, both women fell to giggles, “I have no idea about quite a long time?”

“I’m sorry, Ashley’s always had a bit of a bite in her tongue, even in the best of circumstances.”

“She’s got her mother’s fire,” Rowan smiled. Her eyes took on a questioning quality as she opened her mouth to speak again.

Helen shook her head with finality, “Not now.”

Rowan nodded assent and smiled broadly at her again, “Motherhood sits well on you.”

23.54:

Magnus: It's pretty much what I expected.

Will: I can get him to talk. I just need more time.

Magnus: There’s an expression amongst creature hunters. If you could teach a lion English, you still wouldn’t understand him.

Will: We’re not talking about a wild animal here.

Ashley: Oh, Will, that’s exactly what we’re talking about, only this guy’s way more intelligent than most.

Magnus: And as a consequence, more dangerous.

Ashley: I’m late.

Magnus: Going out?

Ashley: Yeah. I owe it to Mr Jones to tell him what we’ve learned.

Magnus: Stay safe.

No sooner had Ashley closed the door behind her than there came a knock. At Magnus’s raised eyebrows, Will stood from the arm of the chair and opened the door.

Rowan bobbed her head at Will and turned her glittering green eyes to Helen. “May I join you?”

“I, uh, I have some work to do,” Will said. “Elsewhere.” He stepped out the door, pulling it closed behind him.

Helen held out her hand to the vacant cushion, and Rowan crossed to the sofa and sat down.

“How have you been, Helen? Oxford was a long time ago,” she smiled warmly at her oldest friend.

“How much time do you have?” Helen smiled back, making light of the situation and the gravity with which the question was asked.

“Forever,” Rowan was all seriousness. “Really, Helen, don’t gloss over it. You are dearest to my heart and I would hear your life, if you’d share it. I’d say I’m in a rather unique position to understand what it must be for you, so far removed from the era you were born to as you are.”

“Yes, well, not many know what it is to live as we do. What would you know?”

“I would know it all, in time. For now, whatever you wish to tell.”

Helen smiled into the attentive face of one of her oldest friends, the piercing eyes that observed far more than she ever let on, peering into her core just as they always had, searching for all the things she hid from the rest of the world. “It has been a long life, and in the later years a rather lonely one. Much of the time I don’t know how I get out of bed in the mornings, sometimes I don’t. I don’t know how you do it, truly. Almost half a millenia. It’s easier to bear these days than it once was, now that I have Ashley.”

“She’s John’s,” it wasn’t a question.

“Yes,” Helen nodded. “How did you know?”

“Back in the autumn of ‘88, you were pregnant. Then, everything that happened with John… After that, you weren’t pregnant anymore. I knew you wouldn’t have ended it, even under the circumstances. I always assumed you had found a way to preserve it. Postpone it. Until you were ready.”

“But,” Helen’s eyes were incredulous. She knew Rowan often knew things she shouldn’t know, but this…. “I never told anyone. Not even John knew.”

“It’s one of our gifts, Helen. We can see life force. You had two. There were other, subtle clues. The sort of thing any keen observer could have noticed and put together eventually. But I could see her, even then.

“She doesn’t know.” Also not a question.

“No.”

“How much does she know of your past? How much have you told her?”

“She knows quite a good deal. Though more about recent past than the early days.”

“Because, if she knew much about long history there would be questions,” she held Helen firmly in her steady gaze. “Ones you have no intention nor desire to provide with answers.”

Helen gazed steadily back. “Even after all this time, you still know me so well.” She smiled wanly. “Tell me, oh great oracle of my heart, what else do you know?”

The corner of Rowan’s mouth twitched a small smile. “There are two reasons you hide from your daughter the truth about her father, though only one was consciously part of your decision to keep this secret from her.” Helen raised a questioning eyebrow. “The first, obviously, was your desire to protect her. Given John’s history, there’s an awful lot of opportunity for pain.”

Helen nodded solemnly, “And the other?”

Rowan gave her a sad, knowing smile. “Your relationship with John was private. Even those of us who were there are shut out of what happened between the two of you. Your memories of that time are yours alone and you have no wish to share them with anyone, even your own child. If you told her about her father you’d also have to tell her about you and her father. That’s something you can’t bear to do. It feels too much like an intrusion. An invasion of your heart, which you keep on constant close guard.”

Expression startled, Helen opened her mouth to make a rebuttal.

Rowan held up a silencing hand. “It’s all right, Helen. You are entitled to keep your memories to yourself, and I’m not asking you to share them. Perhaps to ask you to do so would steal some of their magic from you, and that truly would be a shame. Nor am I asking you to justify your relationship to me or anyone else. I was there, you know. Yes, I saw how much pain he caused you, but I saw how much joy he brought as well- how happy he made you. I also saw how madly in love with him you were. You love him still, in fact. In spite of all you went through. Hold on to that love, for your daughter’s sake. One day she might need it, and you’re the only one who can offer it to her.”

Helen’s beautiful blue eyes were bright with tears. “Thank you,” she whispered, “for understanding.” Rowan bowed her head. Helen cleared her throat, pulling back the tears before they could fall. “I noticed something earlier today that perplexes me,” she ventured. Rowan’s cocked head signaled for her to continue. “When I introduced you to Ashley and again just now when you came in. It seems like you’re avoiding being in the same room with her- almost as if, well-” she paused.

“Almost as if, what?”

“Are you nervous around my daughter?”

Rowan laughed, “It is simply that I like her mother, and I fear that she may notice before you do.” Her eyes watched Helen’s expectantly, her breath imperceptibly held.

Helen’s lips spread into a wry smile, crinkling her nose, and she gave Rowan’s arm a playful smack. “Oh, cheeky you.”

Rowan forced a grin, mirroring Helen’s joking tone, her heart sinking in her chest. For all of Helen’s charms, her wit, her mind of unmatched brilliance, she still had no idea. On the matter of Rowan’s feelings for her she was still completely blind.

“You’ve changed, Helen,” she absently stroked her fingertips along the smooth skin of the hand Helen rested on the back of the couch.

They stared at each other in the dying firelight for a long time. “A lot has happened since you knew me once, long ago,” she said at last. “I had to.”

42.03

Ashley: Actually, on a scale from zero to hero, you’re more like-

Magnus: Ashley….

Ashley: Almost respectable.

Helen settled into the chair at her desk to finish up the temporary intake paperwork for the clan of Folding Men detoxing downstairs. Her delicate fingers tucked a swath of chocolate curls behind her ear, her other hand holding the end of her pen between her teeth, deep in concentration.

Enraptured, Rowan, propped against the doorframe, silently stood and watched her, simply soaking up the everyday beauty of this phenomenal woman who had stolen her heart over a century ago. She still couldn’t believe how stunningly beautiful Helen was and it always amazed her how, even now, the mere sight of her always took her breath away. She would never get used to the flutter in her stomach, the quickening of her heart, the lump in her throat. Though with each passing year it became more and more clear- Helen hadn’t stolen her heart at all, she had given it away free of will and of strings. She had never even asked for Helen’s in return.

“Your new protege seems to be coming along quite nicely,” she said finally.

Helen looked up with a start. “He just might well do,” she smiled.

“Oh, please,” Rowan straightened and stepped into the room. “You knew he was the one long before you ever even introduced yourself to him.”

“Did I now?” Helen asked with a sly smile. “How long have you been standing there, anyway?”

“Oh, not long,” she said dismissively. Not for the first time since she arrived, Helen wondered just how much Rowan wasn’t telling her.

[lilbreck]

Title: Chapter 4: Twenty-Five to Life Characters: Angel, Anya Jenkins, Charles Gunn, Cordelia Chase, Faith Lehane, Fred Burkle, Rupert Giles, Spike, Tara Maclay, Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, Willow Rosenberg, Xander Harris Rating/Warning: FRT Word Count: 4,178 A/N: Though I list a lot of characters, and some of them actually do get dialog, some of them just pass through.

Read Elsewhere: Personal Archive \ LiveJournal \ InsaneJournal \ Dreamwidth \ AO3 \ FF.net

"I just want to make sure we're all on the same page here. The one with the insane writing that tells us bringing a convicted murderer back into town is a good idea."

As much as she loved Xander, he really did not know when to quit. Giles, unlike most times, was doing nothing to dissuade his ranting. Willow listened with only half her attention as Tara explained –for the third time that night alone—why they needed to bring Faith back to Sunnydale. The rest of her attention was focused on the bag she was packing. Granted, she wouldn't need much in the way of clothes since she was only planning on being gone for a few days at most. The rest of her bag was full of various spell ingredients she might need.

When Anya had protested taking the items, Willow had tried to explain that she might not be able to find them in Los Angeles. That hadn't worked either, but before Willow could even draw a breath to argue even more, Spike had thrown down a wad of cash on the counter which put a smile on Anya's face and silenced her. Willow didn't even bother to ask where he'd gotten the money –she probably wouldn't like the answer—and only sent him a silent thank you.

As she zipped up her bag, she could hear Xander's condescending reply, "Perhaps you missed the part where she killed a man and is now in prison."

She could see Tara ready to once again explain something that should have been unnecessary to explain in the first place while Giles continued to stand silently by, staring at the floor. Something in her just snapped. She barely recognized her own voice.

"Enough. Buffy is gone. Bringing her back would be too cruel. We need a slayer for the Hellmouth. The spell I put on the town yesterday will only hold for a little bit. After that it would have to be redone."

When Xander made to argue some more, Willow interrupted, already knowing what he would say, "The spell may keep demons peaceful, but it would only take someone vaguely interested in magic to find out what the spell is and they could break it. We need the Slayer. We need Faith."

He stared at her mulishly, so Willow tried softening her tone, "I understand why you wouldn't want to be around her, Xander. I get that it can be hard being around someone who tried to kill you…"

Xander didn't look mollified at all when he said, "Maybe you forgot, but she tried to kill you, too."

Willow had managed to downplay any danger that Faith would pose to her from Tara until now. By the nasty expression Xander wasn't trying to hide from her, he realized it and was all too happy to change that.

"Honey, are you sure you should be going to get her? I mean, if she's tried to kill you before…"

Willow faced Tara with her best reassuring smile. "Faith turned herself in. She's not the same girl who accidentally killed a man." The last was said with a pointed look at Xander who looked unrepentant.

"Besides, Red won't be going alone."

Willow glanced at the door to her room where Spike stood, a small bag of his own at his feet. She wasn't sure if she was relieved or upset that he had joined in the conversation. Tara's expression said she was more than sure she didn't like the situation.

"If Faith really isn't a threat, maybe I should go with you."

As much as Willow would love to spend time with Tara –they really hadn't had a lot of quality time lately—this just wasn't the right time for it.

"I'm not sure we'll get back before the spell needs redone. If we can't, I need you and Giles here to cast it. Besides, Spike isn't going because of Faith. There are demons in LA"

Tara –and Xander—had nothing to say to that, and followed her and Spike to the front door. As she stepped off the porch, Willow turned back to face her girlfriend.

"While we're in LA, you should start packing up your stuff."

While Tara seemed to know exactly what was going on, Xander seemed lost. With a sad smile, she explained, "With Buffybot gone, we're going to have to report Buffy missing. After a while, her dad is going to probably want to sell the house."

She could see the same grief on Xander's face that she had experienced when she had realized that Buffy's home wasn't really Buffy's home now. Perhaps sensing that she didn't want to talk about it anymore, Giles chose then to walk up to her and wrap her in a warm and much-needed hug.

His voice was soft and understanding when he whispered, "Take care of yourself, Willow."

Without saying anything more, she turned and walked to the curb where Spike was waiting by her by her parent's car. He held his hands out for the keys, but she shook her head, causing him to roll his eyes and make his way to the passenger seat. Her parents may have left the car for her use while they were out of town, but she was sure they wouldn't want her driving to LA with it. No need to add the offense of letting someone they didn't know behind the wheel as well.

Willow made it a point to pay close attention to her driving until the house on Revello Drive was out of sight so she had an excuse not to see Tara staring after her. More and more, she was getting the feeling that her girlfriend was not happy with their situation. She just didn't know how to fix it. And, so, she was being avoidy girl.

Spike, for his part, was more than ready to let the ride go by in silence. Though he would kill for a smoke. It's not that he was afraid of seeing Angel, he just really wasn't too keen on the notion that the gelled wonder would find out about his little electronic leash. Theoretically, he could have stayed in Sunnydale –Willow was damn well capable of taking care of herself— but he just couldn't pass up the opportunity to spend some time with just the two of them.

Unfortunately, he had already agreed to go before he dawned on him that their time alone would be spent with Angel and his hapless band of do-gooders. He held his peace for the whole two-hour drive, right up until they pulled in behind the hotel where his absentee grandsire was making his home.

"Angelus always did have a taste for the dramatically gothic. Right then, Red, here's the plan… we roll in, throw a jab or two at Angelkins, then nab the slayer. No need to go bringing up my pesky little chip."

Willow just looked at him for a moment in obvious confusion before he could see understanding slowly come to her. Shaking her head, she tried to reassure him.

"I'm sure Angel's friends wouldn't…" She quickly lost steam as his eyebrow raised. As she looked toward the hotel, he could see the moment when she gave up. Her shoulders dropped along with her expression and she gave a resigned sigh.

"Maybe we should just avoid talking about all things Initiative and their experiments."

When he only hummed in agreement, she nodded her head and climbed out of the car. Knowing he didn't really have a choice since he'd foolishly agreed to come, he climbed out after her. For Willow's sake, he really hoped Angel didn't make things difficult. Though, he would love to see her put the old man in his place.

While he was aware that Willow knew exactly where she was going –she'd been there before after all – she still looked nervous and unsure. However, just before they got to the doors where any of Angel's little merry band could see them, she squared her shoulders and took a deep breath. He could still hear her slightly elevated heart rate, but she could probably fool someone who wasn't paying attention. Maybe.

When they walked into the lobby – leave it to Angelus to decide he needed an entire hotel to live in – the four people at the front desk off to the right didn't notice them at first. While he only knew three of them through Willow's detailed babblings from the other night, he easily recognized the cheerleader and couldn't resist the urge to rattle her a bit.

"Cordelia! Still as smashing as ever."

Cordelia looked tense but not ready to go for a weapon, so he could only assume that she at least knew he had been working with the Sunnydale chapter of the white hat brigade. The other three only looked mildly curious. Honestly, how people with such shoddy instincts managed to not only survive but also slay a few demons was beyond him.

"Spike, still trying to bring back the Billy Idol look, I see."

He could see Wesley's panic clearly written in the man's eyes and he looked on the verge of scrambling for a weapon when he heard Spike's name. Gunn, though he tensed up, looked far more calm and ready for a fight if it should come to that. Angel at least had one good fighter on his team. Fred looked relaxed though extremely curious. It could be she had never heard of him or those years in the demon world that Willow had told him about made a vampire seem like a small threat.

While he was assessing her crew, Cordelia seemed to finally notice that Willow was standing there with him.

"Willow. Oh, no, who died this time? Is it Xander?"

He could hear Willow's heartbeat beat just a bit faster as she hurried to reassure Cordelia, "No, no. No one's dead."

Spike tuned out Willow's explanation and focused on Angel who had come out of what looked to be the hotel's office. Angel, in turn, was focused on him. There was a strong urge in him to simply attack the vampire he'd both hated and… liked on and off for nearly as long as he could remember. However, he'd made a promise to Will, and he was going to stick by it. Angel's expression was unreadable which irritated Spike to no end.

Both vampires were broken from their silent staring contest by the sound of Cordelia's less than dulcet question.

"Why the hell would you want to get her out of prison? What kind of brain damage do you have that makes getting Psycho Slayer out of jail sound like a good idea?"

Her little tirade seemed to help the baby watcher grow a spine and he pipped in with a condescending, "We simply cannot allow you…"

There was a sense of dread that started to well up in the pit of Spike's stomach and he took a step closer to Willow, ready to try and calm her down if necessary. Her voice was cold and hard when she answered and it didn't put him the slightest bit at ease.

"We didn't come here to ask permission, Wesley. We were simply paying you the courtesy of letting you know that Faith would no longer be in jail. Now, if we're through here, I need to find a place to stay so I can get some rest before I talk to Faith tomorrow."

Before she could turn to leave, however, Angel tried to salvage the situation. His voice was soft and in no way confrontational. If Spike didn't hate the bastard so much, he'd almost be grateful. Dealing with a cranky Willow was not how he wanted to spend his night.

"Just, hold on a minute, Willow. We're all just in a bit of a shock. How bad is it?"

Like she so often did when no longer feeling attacked, Willow reverted to her sweet and accommodating self. Though, she didn't bother to sugar-coat what had happened.

"Hellions attacked the other night. They had us all cornered. We lost the Buffybot and we almost lost everyone."

Angel, of course, latched onto the one part of Willow's explanation that Spike didn't want him to. His brow furrowed and Spike could see the question before he asked it, so he interrupted, hoping to quickly move past it.

"Three geeks, good with electronics, long and boring story."

Nodding his head, Angel let it go and turned his attention back to Willow.

"There's no reason you have to go somewhere else for the night. We've got over sixty rooms here, we can spare a couple."

He could barely tell what Wesley and Cordelia were trying to say as they spoke over each other. He could only tell they didn't like the idea of him staying there.

Angel's voice was brooked no arguments when he said, "Cordy, Wes, Gunn, you guys go ahead and take off for the night. Maybe take tomorrow off as well."

While both Cordelia and Wes stalked off the way he and Will had come in, they still gave him wide berth. He had to admit, it did his ego good. It had been a while since any humans he encountered were afraid of him. Gunn held back, giving Angel a serious look.

"You sure about this, Angel."

When Angel simply nodded, Gunn turned and left the same way his friends had, though he didn't go out of his way to go around Spike and even tipped his head to Willow, giving a little wave. Honestly, he could start to like the bloke.

When it was just the four of them left, Angel gave some ridiculously cheesy smile and told Willow she could pick any room she wanted. Spike was only half listening as he prattled on about making sure it had a bed and wasn't falling apart. He rolled his eyes and followed Willow when she turned back and headed up one of the sets of stairs by the door they entered. Before he could set foot on the first step, however, he felt his arm grabbed.

The better part of a year living with a chip in his head had trained Spike to not randomly strike out before knowing who he was he was attacking. Instead, he turned and found Angel, though the older vampire was watching Willow continue up the stairs with a serious look. Before he could ask what the bloody wanker wanted, he heard Willow's asking, "You're not planning on starting a fight with him, are you?"

He recognized that tone in her voice. It was the same one she used when she had lost all patience with Xander's picking and Anya's whining. Apparently, Angel was smart enough to know that tone wasn't one to be messed with.

"No fighting, Willow. Promise."

When Willow was out of sight, instead of the fight he expected –he didn't put any weight in his sire's promises – Angel only asked, "How bad is it?"

Spike didn't bother to hide his disbelieving huff when he answered, "Bloody Hellions showed up. Did you miss that conversation, Peaches?"

Angel didn't rise to his bait, only said, "No. I mean, how bad is it with Willow?"

As much as Spike wanted to tell him to fuck off and that they didn't need him to come riding into save the day or any such nonsense… he was tired. He was damn well tired of being the only one who saw how close Willow was to cracking.

"I caught them about to go against any sort of natural order and bring Buffy back from the dead. I managed to convince Willow to at least check that the Slayer was in some sort of Hell and that they wouldn't be yanking her out of paradise or some nonsense.

"She's drowning, Angel, and she's desperate for any sort of lifeline. Her useless friends and dishrag of a girlfriend keep expecting her to have all the answers and barely even raise an eyebrow at all the red flags she's sending up."

Angel looked troubled. Or maybe hungry. It really was hard to tell with this souled version of the vampire he knew. Either way, seemed to reach some sort of decision, if the firmly nodded head was any indication.

"If Faith turns her down tomorrow, I'll have a talk with her. Maybe she'll listen to me."

Angel opened his mouth to say something probably pathetic and sappy by Spike's estimation. However, he was interrupted by a soft and solemn voice.

"It's a good thing she has you to look after her. It's hard enough to try and lead a normal life, I mean if she's still going to college and all like she said the last time she was here. If you add on fighting off demons, and vampires, and whatever Hellions are, I can't imagine anyone being able to handle that all on their own. And the way you tell it, the rest of her friends aren't really the best at supporting her either."

Spike could only stare at her wide-eyed for a beat or two. It was more than possible she could give Willow a run for her money in the babble department. Though, unlike his witch, she was apparently as silent as any vampire when she wanted to be. Perhaps it was too much time spent with white hats, but he couldn't bring himself to snip at her, instead just replying, "I try my best, pet."

When he turned a questioning look on Angel, he only gave a small smile and said, "She's Fred. She does that."

Not bothering to wish them goodnight, he walked up the stairs and followed Willow's scent. He was stopped in his tracks halfway down the hall however, when he heard Fred ask Angel, "So how long has your friend been in love with Willow?"

He didn't bother to stick around to hear whatever Angel would say after he got past his shocked stuttering. He heard Willow moving around behind one of the doors as he came upon it. He knew that she'd want to go over tomorrow's plan just one more time. Part of him hesitated out of some irrational fear that she'd take one look at him and somehow be aware of what Angel's newest little pet had said. Bollocks. If she hadn't bloody well figured it already, she wasn't going to do so now. Making up his mind, he knocked on her door.

Willow was grateful that Spike was there to listen to her go over her plan for the millionth time without complaint. Granted, it's possible he tuned out whatever she was saying, but he made it so she could think out loud and not have anyone look at her strange. People really overlooked how important that could be. In the pre-dawn hours, as she made the roughly five-hour drive to the prison in Stockton, she found herself wishing Spike was there with her so she could go over the plan at least one more time.

Not that she was nervous.

She kept telling herself that as she parked in the visitor's lot at the prison. She almost believed it by the time she had convinced the staff there that, not only was she Faith's lawyer, but that she actually had an appointment to see her. Willow was sure that Tara wouldn't approve of the bit of magic she used to do so, nor would she approve of her plan to use magic to alter people's memories to get Faith released.

Honestly, though, it was either that or a jail-break with Faith hiding out as a wanted fugitive. That wouldn't really work for their plans seeing as Sunnydale would probably be one of the places they'd look for a runaway Faith. If Tara asked, she would calming explain. Willow was sure her girlfriend would eventually see that it was necessary.

As she saw Faith walking toward her through the prison bars, she suddenly realized that, in all her planning, she had never actually come up with a conversation. She looked confused but not angry, which Willow took as a good sign. She picked up the phone on her side as the slayer sat down across from her on the other side of the glass. Once she had picked up the phone, Faith didn't bother with small talk.

"They told me my lawyer was here to see me. I don't remember hiring you."

Her voice, while still a bit husky and sarcastic, lacked the anger that Willowed remembered from their last encounter. Well, the last encounter when it had been Faith in her own body. Oh, and look, there she was just staring through the glass, waiting for Willow to say something.

"Well, uh, Faith…"

Apparently, her time in prison had not given her infinite patience. Looking for all the world like this was a conversation she didn't want to have, she interrupted, "Look, Red, if this is about Buffy, you're about five months too late. Angel already filled me in."

While Faith may have been wrong about why Willow was there, it still provided just the opening she needed.

Keeping her voice relatively quiet, she began, "No, actually, this isn't about Buffy. It's about Sunnydale. Without a slayer, the demons are getting out of control. We need a slayer, Faith. We need you."

Looking less than moved, Faith leaned back in her chair and shot back, "Well, I'm about one year in, so why don't you check back with me in twenty-four years. A little less if I'm a really good girl."

As she had been doing a lot recently, Willow lost her calm. There went her Zen right out the window. It also might have been the more than likely bullet or shatter proof glass between them giving her a bit of courage.

"You know, Faith, coming in here I knew you were a lot of things. A probable boyfriend stealer, a best friend stealer, and a murderer. I just figured you'd gotten past that whole 'running with your tail between your legs' phase after Kakistos. Guess I was wrong."

Suddenly Willow could see a bit of the old anger in Faith. Maybe that's what they really needed. At least, she hoped that's what they needed and not just a sign that she'd chosen the wrong tact.

"You wanna run that by me again, Willow?"

Since she had already started, Willow couldn't really find it in her to even want to stop. She might have a bit of resentment still built up from when Faith had tried to kill her that one time. Two, if you count graduation.

"I was more than happy to let you sit in your little cell and hide away while you did what you needed to pay for your sins or whatever. But you're the slayer, and now you're the only slayer. Me and you don't have the luxury of you sitting pretty while the world burns."

Fight back tears and struggling to keep her voice lowered, Willow leaned in and continued, "Hellions rode into town, Faith. They had all my friends chained up and we were all going to die. It's a miracle I managed to throw enough magic to get them to run. I don't know what's gonna happen the next time. Just… We need you, Faith."

Faith looked very uncomfortable as she looked everywhere but at Willow. Finally, eyeing up the glass between them, she asked, "So, what's the plan then? I just bust through here and we take a dive through the window and make a run for it?"

Willow could feel her eyes go wide and she held up her hands almost as if that could prevent Faith from doing just what she'd said.

"N-no, no! Tonight, I'll do a little work on the computer and a little spell, and tomorrow we'll come to pick you up. You can walk out of here free and clear because, as far as anyone will know, tomorrow will be your release day for a far lesser charge."

She could actually see Faith physically relax before she said, "Cool, 'cause I wasn't looking forward to going full on fugitive."

Willow could see her mentally struggling with something before she leaned in closer and looked Willow in the eyes.

"You doin' okay, Will? Like, really."

It was on the tip of her tongue to give the standard 'right as rain' type of answer, or maybe even shoot Faith's own 'five by five' at her. What came out, however, was the truth. And possibly a few tears.

"Not really, no. I think I'll get there, but right now it's hard."

Faith appeared as emotionally drained from their visit as she was, so Willow told her she'd be back to get her tomorrow and quietly said goodbye. She could only hope she'd been telling the truth when she'd said that she'd get there because, right about now, she would really love to be doing okay again.

[theno1joelhater]

good morrow, you. time for a gus lighter rant because he is such an interesting little dude. there are sources/links at the bottom

Gus Lighter my love, my light, the center of my galaxy, i love you so very much but YOU. WHAT ARE YOUR MOTIVES ???? what is the point of all the (max) harm you cause ?? what the hell are you doing you damn character ??? are you just fucking with them? is this for your own personal enjoyment? is this some kind of kink? WHY

firstly, i dont think his title does him justice. he’s not some human therapist who needs therapy—gus lighter isn’t a human at all. either that or at least implied to be some kind of non-human eldritch creature. just look at his video with gabriel (1). he does weird things !!!! things that people can’t do !! also, in his vid w officer avoidy (2) he says that avoidy’s in purgatory. makes you think !!!

now, i get that gus’ whole thing is that he lies and is a lier man but !!! what if that was true. what if avoidy is in purgatory. what if gus lighter was some kind of demon sent out to…idk mess with the cgcu? judge them? i still dont get his motives. this has been entirely unproductive!! the only thing we got was his potential species.

then again, the purgatory demon theory is sorta not great. the whole thing with purgatory is that it’s any empty void where souls await judgement. this leads me into my next theory: gus could be the being judging whether they get into heaven or hell. however, this theory would imply that everyone is already dead. and they’d all be unaware of it too, based off the fact that the justin case storyline exists (sorry, just had to mention it). justin’s whole plan is to convert everyone to him so that he wouldn’t die, but that would be completely thrown out the window if they were all already dead. also bjorn yesterday’s death wouldn’t make sense if was canon (there also might be more to prove they’re all alive, but i can’t be bothered). so cool au, most likely not canon. gus being a demon that judges the souls of the cgcu? that’s sick broski!

well, i don’t think i can decipher his goals and aspirations (at least not now), but i can try and figure out his abilities!

so good boy gus clearly has some kind of mind manipulation powers (source? just look at all the other gus lighter videos!). i’d assume his powers start off weak but quickly get stronger the longer he stays with the person he’s trying to manipulate until they fully submit to whatever he says. this is because at the beginning of his videos, the victims (clients) seem to retain their rational thinking but in the end they fully believe whatever gus says. an example of this’d be in the tim iddboy video (3) tim thinks gus is jumping to conclusions by calling him insane but eventually believes that there is something horribly wrong with him. i’ll admit this example isn’t great, so we’ll look at a different one: freddy frugal. (or should i say freddy financier?) in his video (4) we get a much better example of this. freddy comes in with no issues. gus convinces freddy that he has amnesia and is actually freddy financier. freddy rejects the idea at first but accepts it. again, this just goes to show how powerful his mind powers are (and that he has them!!).

also, a lesser power he has is teleportation. in his vid with gabriel (1) he’s seen behind a door, even though the last time we saw him he was in his chair. when gabriel rubbed his eyes, gus was gone. he did a teleportation !!!!

something i find interesting is that he can’t retain control of all of his clients. in his video with gabriel (1) he says he has some very sick individuals here. i’ll discuss this in depth later. originally, i assumed that was all the characters that have seen him before, since we haven’t seen most of them after their initial video with gus. however, this is disproven by gabriel appearing in a new video (5) and freddy frugal’s video one month after his visit with gus (6). there might also be others but i can’t be bothered to find them. what im trying to say is that you can escape from gus lighter’s influence. he can lose control. that means he can be defeated.

another thing is that he seems to have limits, or something like that. i don’t know how to describe it, but he can be put off by things. he can feel emotions. in the freddy frugal vid, gus said “thats a lot to unpack” (or something of the sort) when freddy says why he showed up to therapy (4). so he has human emotions. that means he can be vulnerable. that means he can be defeated.

well, time for me to talk about my second crack theory of: gus lighter works at a mental hospital! or he has a ward for his more “insane” patients. this can be proven by his video with gabriel (1), where he LITERALLY says that!!! maybe gus could have a mental ward, and characters that we see later on managed to escape him. you can escape gus lighter. he has weaknesses. that means he can be defeated.

so overall? i don’t know SHIT about his motives but he’s got mind manipulation and teleportation. and he has weaknesses. that means he can be defeated.

oh, and just some delicious food for thought: he has basically the same outfit as hugh mann, but inverted.

1. https://youtube.com/shorts/ZNGCVOywZGw?si=vo_bNC4EKx0wEzup

2. https://youtube.com/shorts/Lb0Th4pgDYw?si=TeE8SArB7Tn6muEX

3. https://youtu.be/JoqhpW4Kp_8?si=5D7h_75cvv1JHe8l

4. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4LMHTVOGNOE

5. https://m.youtube.com/shorts/1u-lVcuM2Us?si=D_P0ZLkqRa98F-3_

6. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PosGzDXvjA0