[Spike, now healed enough to not be dying but still be wounded, is accompanied by Alisaie to the Ice Bar.
It appears they're the only ones here. Huh. Spike wanted to go find more people to curfew with, but this works, he supposes. He drops into one of the seats with little more than a grimace.]
Have I mentioned that Thursdays suck? I feel like I should by this point. Ugh.
[Well, this way they can at least talk? Alisaie's absolutely grabbed a few of the furs from the lobby for them on the way, so it won't be as frigid at least. ...Though come to think of it, does that bother Spike at all? Is it a "this isn't great but I can deal" thing or is it a "I don't even notice" thing?
Also, she's going to get them both alcohol. Because this is apparently going to be their tradition I guess???? What does he want, she's got it; she's got cash to buy the drinks and everything tonight.
Regardless.]
I agree. Even knowing people will be coming back injured, it's always a shock.
[He just wants uh..... bloody mary. It's got a complicated texture and he likes that.]
And then, you know, we all get locked away at night and wake up to find one of us dead. [Sigh.]
...Went into Power's memory. Got thrown into Hell. Each of us got a bite of our own personalized hells, and then we met Power's... ex boss.
Who she's deathly afraid of, mind. [Somehow, he slumps back even more.] Told her I was going to make her pay for whatever she did to Power, and the bitch threw a sword at me. I did get a lamp from a shopping mall, though, so I'd say it was all worth it.
[Bloody mary it is for Spike! Alisaie's getting wine for herself; apparently in spite of her height she's got enough presence to convince them of her age. Maybe.]
...oh. [That sounds awful? And she can only imagine what Spike's sort of personalized Hell would be like, with his past...]
Those ventures sound particularly rough. To have the darkest parts of our worlds drawn out and shown to everybody else... I can't say I'm glad you were there, but mayhap you would understand Power's feelings about that place better than most.
What's so special about this lamp? Did you simply decide you liked the look of it?
[...It's probably not what she's expecting by a long shot. Or at least Spike doesn't think she'd guess it for what it was.] Yeah, well, I mean I've never went to hell but... my ex did. Buffy and I sent him there, it was funny.
[He smiles. All that Catholic guilt, Angel would be right at home. He can laugh but his own dip into it was agonizing. Not physically, though his bloodied fists didn't come from fighting, but emotionally.] ...I don't know what Power's experience with it was. But for me... it was desolate. Hopeless as anything. Like sucking out all the colour of the world, freezing it and leaving you there all alone.
Don't know what Sche's personal hell was but she spent the entire fight with Power's boss just sort of sitting down and crying instead of doing anything.
[He just grimaces.]
I dunno why I dragged the lamp with me. Guess I just wanted a memento. Sort of a matter of pride. The big bad devil bitch that stabbed me also tore apart this pillow I picked up, and I'm real fucked off about that, but at least I got the lamp. And I did later get a plushie that looks like the pillow, so I think I ultimately won out in our little exchange.
[Alisaie winces a little bit when he mentions Sche's personal hell. She may not know for certain, based on some of the stuff Sche's told her, she can take a little bit of a guess.
But wow!!! All of that sounds terrible!!!]
I think I understand. 'Tis similar to my pride in spilling the Lord Regent's dust, even though he disabled me but a moment later. We so often come out of these ventures on our last legs that to score even a minor victory against these foes feels significant. For me it was injuring him. For you, it was robbing her of aught she might miss.
[It's stupid and reckless and petty and so incredibly Spike that she can't help the smile that comes to her face. What an idiot.]
How did you escape from those hells? I can't imagine it were easy to find the ability to move in such a place.
Yeah, that's it. Spite's a powerful thing. Gives us lamps and dust and a warm gooey feeling unrelated to the sword that went through me or the deep slash across your shoulder.
[He raises his Bloody Mary to clink against her wine glass.]
You mean hell itself or my personal one? We got out of hell 'cuz a giant chainsaw devil came and made a mess of things. Think that's Power's friend, but I'll need to have a chat with her about it.
[His smile wavers just a bit, and he takes another sip. He looks down at her, and his expression's got a bit of a softer tilt to it. Oh boy, time for trauma.]
...Faith got me through it. That's the word the devil used. Faith and loyalty to the people I held dear. That includes you, love. [Affectionate nudge.]
The domain was "Abandonment" I think. Don't really want to talk about what it was specifically, but that's how I found my way out, reminding myself that no matter what I have or don't have, it's never about me.
[He's so lucky she can't see his smile waver. But she'll smile back at him, returning the nudge.]
There will always be those who care about you, Spike. You simply need to find the people who will give you their faith and loyalty in return.
[Yes, she absolutely means her and she's not even being tsun about it. Fight her. But after a minute she'll take a sip of her wine, demeanor shifting slightly.]
Much and more happened while you were gone, however. I scarce know where to begin.
[But she'll start with the gossip, because this is Spike and she knows he enjoys that.]
[Thank god for Alisaie's blindness.... He smiles in response to what she says. It's... nice to hear. It's not what's important to him, whether it's returned, because he found the way to put into words that when he cares about someone it doesn't have to be about him needing something from them, because then he'll just take and take and take until there's nothing left.
Alisaie's equal parts kind and fierce, clever and brave, and that's why Spike cares for her. And it's because of that that he knows she won't throw him to the wolves too. Even if she could.]
Oh yeah? What specifically? We floated a couple theories if you'll remember.
[And to her, the returning is important, even if it isn't to him. He doesn't deserve to be taken advantage of, to have his trust and his loyalty used to drive him toward destinations yet unknown. He deserves the chance to make his own decisions about what matters now and what he'll do to protect that. Even having seen so much cruelty in her own world and here, she believes that.]
This stays between the two of us, of course, but... Susato was indeed the culprit behind Rex's death. I know not whether she had an accomplice, but that she killed him is without question.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Week 5, Thursday, Curfew.
It appears they're the only ones here. Huh. Spike wanted to go find more people to curfew with, but this works, he supposes. He drops into one of the seats with little more than a grimace.]
Have I mentioned that Thursdays suck? I feel like I should by this point. Ugh.
no subject
Also, she's going to get them both alcohol. Because this is apparently going to be their tradition I guess???? What does he want, she's got it; she's got cash to buy the drinks and everything tonight.
Regardless.]
I agree. Even knowing people will be coming back injured, it's always a shock.
What happened to the four of you?
no subject
And then, you know, we all get locked away at night and wake up to find one of us dead. [Sigh.]
...Went into Power's memory. Got thrown into Hell. Each of us got a bite of our own personalized hells, and then we met Power's... ex boss.
Who she's deathly afraid of, mind. [Somehow, he slumps back even more.] Told her I was going to make her pay for whatever she did to Power, and the bitch threw a sword at me. I did get a lamp from a shopping mall, though, so I'd say it was all worth it.
no subject
...oh. [That sounds awful? And she can only imagine what Spike's sort of personalized Hell would be like, with his past...]
Those ventures sound particularly rough. To have the darkest parts of our worlds drawn out and shown to everybody else... I can't say I'm glad you were there, but mayhap you would understand Power's feelings about that place better than most.
What's so special about this lamp? Did you simply decide you liked the look of it?
no subject
[He smiles. All that Catholic guilt, Angel would be right at home. He can laugh but his own dip into it was agonizing. Not physically, though his bloodied fists didn't come from fighting, but emotionally.] ...I don't know what Power's experience with it was. But for me... it was desolate. Hopeless as anything. Like sucking out all the colour of the world, freezing it and leaving you there all alone.
Don't know what Sche's personal hell was but she spent the entire fight with Power's boss just sort of sitting down and crying instead of doing anything.
[He just grimaces.]
I dunno why I dragged the lamp with me. Guess I just wanted a memento. Sort of a matter of pride. The big bad devil bitch that stabbed me also tore apart this pillow I picked up, and I'm real fucked off about that, but at least I got the lamp. And I did later get a plushie that looks like the pillow, so I think I ultimately won out in our little exchange.
no subject
But wow!!! All of that sounds terrible!!!]
I think I understand. 'Tis similar to my pride in spilling the Lord Regent's dust, even though he disabled me but a moment later. We so often come out of these ventures on our last legs that to score even a minor victory against these foes feels significant. For me it was injuring him. For you, it was robbing her of aught she might miss.
[It's stupid and reckless and petty and so incredibly Spike that she can't help the smile that comes to her face. What an idiot.]
How did you escape from those hells? I can't imagine it were easy to find the ability to move in such a place.
no subject
Yeah, that's it. Spite's a powerful thing. Gives us lamps and dust and a warm gooey feeling unrelated to the sword that went through me or the deep slash across your shoulder.
[He raises his Bloody Mary to clink against her wine glass.]
You mean hell itself or my personal one? We got out of hell 'cuz a giant chainsaw devil came and made a mess of things. Think that's Power's friend, but I'll need to have a chat with her about it.
no subject
I meant your personal one, though if you wish not to speak of it I'll understand.
cw for soft
...Faith got me through it. That's the word the devil used. Faith and loyalty to the people I held dear. That includes you, love. [Affectionate nudge.]
The domain was "Abandonment" I think. Don't really want to talk about what it was specifically, but that's how I found my way out, reminding myself that no matter what I have or don't have, it's never about me.
lies down
There will always be those who care about you, Spike. You simply need to find the people who will give you their faith and loyalty in return.
[Yes, she absolutely means her and she's not even being tsun about it. Fight her. But after a minute she'll take a sip of her wine, demeanor shifting slightly.]
Much and more happened while you were gone, however. I scarce know where to begin.
[But she'll start with the gossip, because this is Spike and she knows he enjoys that.]
We were correct in our suspicions about Susato.
no subject
Alisaie's equal parts kind and fierce, clever and brave, and that's why Spike cares for her. And it's because of that that he knows she won't throw him to the wolves too. Even if she could.]
Oh yeah? What specifically? We floated a couple theories if you'll remember.
no subject
This stays between the two of us, of course, but... Susato was indeed the culprit behind Rex's death. I know not whether she had an accomplice, but that she killed him is without question.