thebastion | [185 and 186] The miles are getting longer, it seems, the closer I get to you [OPEN]

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[Armed with a sword, a small satchel of wooden stakes, and whatever meat-shields she could get her hands on, Anya leads the way to what remains of her shop. Not having come directly from her world to the Bastion, she isn't completely sure what to expect. Was the Magic Box taken from the midst of the same battle she died in, or from a Sunnydale that survived it? Odd to think of her shop as outliving her. Is her beloved money still hers? She doesn't think she willed it to anyone, and they'd all be dead now anyway.

Well, time to clue in her support.]

If this place is crawling with the same bad guys as when I died, we might be coming up against some of the ugliest vampires that ever walked the Earth. You're safe in the sunlight, but if you actually try to take them on, go for beheading. Staking these guys is like trying to drive a stick of butter through concrete.

[Well if there's a need for battle, Rin is certainly going to be up to the challenge. She's seen Anya around but hasn't spoken with the woman much aside from casual greetings in day to day passing, but she figures now is as good of a time as any to tag along with her to the Skyway.

The comment certainly gets an eyebrow raise.]

Wait, actual vampires?

[Colin glances between Anya and Rin, and he smirks.]

Are you disbelieving in the existence of vampires? Or are you just surprised to be bumping into one?

[Colin isn't terribly worried. The biggest concern he has is WHICH types of vampires these are. There are far too many, all with different suites of abilities. He nods to Anya then.]

If stakes are difficult, fire is another good solution. You probably know, but fire is one of those all purpose supernatural killers.

If only we had some fire...

[Have a smirk, Rin.]

[LINEFACE]

Yeah yeah I get it. And I never said I didn't believe it, I'm just surprised.

I'm sure she's only surprised that I come from a world that has vampires, considering what a normal, well-adjusted human being I am.

[She looks Rin over appraisingly.]

Oh, are you a fire demon? That should work out nicely. Fire kills all sorts of things.

Just checking. Much as I wish I was, I'm not a mind-reader, so I can't predict what some reactions are.

[Colin checks his grenades, just to be sure he's not going to reach for anything that will be useless. Incendiary? Good, that'll be the go to. Frag grenades won't do much at all. Flash bangs are always useful, especially if it's got the typically heightened senses of a vampire...]

So, Anya... we expecting any good toys left behind?

[Rin has a momentary "deer in headlights" look at the comment, and while she doesn't respond, it's pretty obvious Anya is right on that.

She'll just stand there, tail twitching while Colin asks questions.]

My money should be there. [What, that isn't exciting for anyone else?] Plus, you know, spell components, maybe some axes--oh, and the vaulting horse was a lot of fun.

[At this point she realizes Rin still has that stricken look on her face.]

Is she broken? She'll be less helpful this way.

Ah, I see. That does make sense, sentimental value is important. Between the three of us, we should be able to carry all of that back, no problem. Maybe even a little furniture, if we're lucky.

[Colin just won't point out the fact that old world money is completely worthless here. Especially not if it was a sign of her success. These things can have useful morale benefits on top of everything else. With that, he looks at Rin, and he smiles slightly.]

No need to talk around her, she's a big girl. You okay, Rin? Anya take you by surprise?

[That swaying tail turns in to a twitching one rather quickly.]

I'm fine.

[But yes, Colin, Anya did take her by surprised. Not that she's admitting that.]

[Good call, Colin. Never tell her her money is worthless. She will get offended on behalf of the money.

Anya still isn't sure why Rin reacted that way. Does she really not know?]

Sweetie, I spent over a thousand years as a vengeance demon. I've seen worse attempts at passing, but you're not fooling anyone.

[Humans don't have tails, Rin. This is an important detail to remember.]

[Colin smirks slightly, and nods to each of them.]

You two probably have a bunch you can catch up on while we're at work. Anya, you wanna lead the way, since this is your territory? I'll keep on bloodsucker watch.

[Rin lets out an irritated noise, tail lashing even more. She's still going to go, but she won't be in the best of moods starting out now.

She won't say anything, either, not until they're already out on the skyway and heading for that location.]

I'm not "passing", I'm not tryin' to fool anyone. Most people here just don't know what a demon is so I was surprised you did.

... and I'm not full, I'm half.

Most people are also very stupid. And of course you are, full-blooded demons are much larger.

[Now that that's been established... Time to get going.]

Follow me. But I'd like you both to be prepared to jump in front of me should we encounter any danger.

You really don't want that, Anya.

Predators will always go after the ones that try to hide. Remember, "Don't attack me, attack them" means "I'm weak and an easier meal than the big mother lovers who're trying to protect me."

Body language is important. "Mess with me, please" gets people in less trouble than "Don't mess with me, I'm fragile."

Weird, I know, but true just the same.

Oh, also, if I throw something... don't chase it. It's going to explode and do horrible things to anyone nearby.

[Yep, there's Colin, letting those two sort out their own affairs.]

Edited 2014-05-11 22:10 (UTC)

[Rin mutters "not in my world" under her breath because really, demons from Gehenna come in all shapes and sizes. Being full doesn't matter so much as classification, element and which demon king they fall under.

But she's not about to get in to a debate over that when they have something else to focus on.]

If she wants us to cover her, we'll cover her. Maybe you shouldn't argue with every person you come across, Colin.

[Aw, no demonology discussions? People are never interested unless some demon is trying to kill them and they need to know its weakness.

At least the demon girl is agreeing with her now, because she's right.]

Yes. Having meat shields can also say, "Don't mess with me, I have meat shields who will kill you if you try." That's more the message I hope to convey.

Besides, any vampires will know I'm weaker from my scent.

Rein it in, Rin.

[His tone is suddenly less friendly and more business. And that's all he's going to say there.]

I'm happy to cover you, Anya. But scent will be misleading with Rin and me. We can't count on any of that to work. Especially not if this is a vampire that's had nature harden its resistances.

[Enjoy your glare, Colin.]

I think I know my own demons better than you do.

[Her tone is also less friendly. Her plan of having other people get hurt instead of her is flawless, okay.]

Anyway if I still were one, I wouldn't have had to ask either of you along.

[...not that she even asked Rin, she just came along for some reason. Lady demons unite? She hasn't had any lady demon bonding since Halfrek was annihilated.]

[Colin shrugs, smiles, and lets it drop. His confidence in this expedition is dropping, and he's revising his estimates in several instances in ways he doesn't like. But for now, he'll go along with it.]

[That doesn't mean he's letting it drop, however. There's likely to be a long talk with people in the future.]

Lead the way.

[She came along because it seemed like a good idea to have more people with some sort of weapon skills on one where danger was going to be more obvious than an unruly Hobgoblin like her place had.

And because she realized recently there's a lot of her fellow survivors she hasn't gotten to know.

But mostly that first thing.

She'll just clam up and follow along, too.]

[Now that Anya has done one of the things she does best and... actually lowered morale instead of raised it...

Eventually they come in sight of it, the little fragment of downtown Sunnydale. Of course, it only really qualifies as "downtown" for suburbia, being bisected by the remains of a two-lane road that doesn't even appear to have had a stoplight.

But forget that, because on the corner of that intersection sits a blue building with the sign "Magic Box" on its front. At least from the outside, it looks in decent shape. The windows might be smashed but its walls are in tact, unlike the dress shop beside it which looks like it was hit by a wrecking ball.]

There it is! My store!

[And when the area comes into sight, you better believe that Colin's wasting no time in scanning and mapping the area.]

Not too bad of shape, given the end of the world and everything.

Anything we need to be on the look out for? Besides butt ugly bitch vamps?

Day 185 : The Magic Box

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