cross_and_bow: (checkout)
Author: cross_and_bow
There's a new high school librarian. The old "high school librarian" was a cash-strapped student aide of sorts; apparently it's hard to keep staff working on the Hell Orifice. His name is Mr. Giles. He is British. And sort of old. And sort of crusty. And when Bella takes out certain books he looks at her with certain scrutiny.

"Is my new librarian a Watcher?" she asks Sherlock the day after Mr. Giles joins the faculty.
eversomuchfun: Smiling slightly. (!= merely an abomination of nature)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Probably. Would you like me to find out?"
cross_and_bow: (eyeroll)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Yes please. I think asking would probably draw more attention to me than the books on witchcraft I took out already did. As-is he may just think I'm a budding Wicca."
eversomuchfun: Looking ceilingward. (<= hardly very sensitive of you)
Author: eversomuchfun
"I will do that, then. And I will avoid contact in case it interferes with diplomatic relations later."
cross_and_bow: (smirk)
Author: cross_and_bow
"He seems fairly nice, from what little I've seen," remarks Bella. "I could easily have done worse. But I'm obviously not sure yet that I want to introduce myself. Well, except in the sense that I already handed him my student ID to check out books, and it has my name on it."
eversomuchfun: Side-on in the dark; expression not visible. (== a degree of humanity)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Then I will investigate him thoroughly," Sherlock promises.
cross_and_bow: (pleased)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Thanks! You are handy. Tonight's neighborhood is farther away. You want in the truck or do you want to show off again?"
eversomuchfun: Hands. (== I think that's sorted)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Truck," he decides. "May as well."
cross_and_bow: (meh)
Author: cross_and_bow
She gets in the cab and unlocks the passenger door for him.
eversomuchfun: Grinning or laughing. (!= all the way to the kettle)
Author: eversomuchfun
In he hops! He even does up his seatbelt.
cross_and_bow: (smug)
Author: cross_and_bow
Off Bella drives. She is a lawful and cautious driver, even in the deserted Sunnydale night.

The crossing of the neighborhood proceeds without incident. It's really very quiet around here since she started her daily morgue visits. The morgue is getting less and less crowded; some days there aren't even bodies to mini-stake.
eversomuchfun: Smiling, perhaps falsely. (!= oh yes—hilarious)
Author: eversomuchfun
That suits Sherlock just fine.

Well, for now. Endless nights of following her around while she paints crosses on things uneventfully might get tedious.
cross_and_bow: (smirk)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Five more neighborhoods to go, the way I have it blocked out," Bella says, "and then I figure out something else constructive to do, possibly learn martial arts."

(She's kind of bored with this too, really.)
eversomuchfun: Side-on in the dark; expression not visible. (== a degree of humanity)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Definitely learn martial arts," he says. "I expect that to be reasonably engaging."
cross_and_bow: (smug)
Author: cross_and_bow
"I expect so too. I dreaded anything resembling exercise before I activated, but it's definitely on this side of fun now that it comes easier and less... well. Clumsily."
eversomuchfun: Looking ceilingward. (<= hardly very sensitive of you)
Author: eversomuchfun
"I was a killing machine even before I became a soulless bloodsucking fiend, so I have no comparable experience."
cross_and_bow: (checkout)
Author: cross_and_bow
"...I am uncertain whether to congratulate you or pity you," muses Bella. "Say. Is there anyone in town you talk to besides me? ...Kitten poker buddies?" she asks, recalling something along those lines, as they pass the alley he identified as leading to the demon bar.
eversomuchfun: Hands. (== I think that's sorted)
Author: eversomuchfun
He snorts. "Not really."
cross_and_bow: (meh)
Author: cross_and_bow
"That sounds lonesome." Bella hasn't exactly made friends at school, but she's made people-she-can-sit-with-at-lunch.
eversomuchfun: Side-on in the dark; expression not visible. (== a degree of humanity)
Author: eversomuchfun
"People frequently bore me, and then I am usually tempted to eat them, and I have been refraining," he says with a shrug.
cross_and_bow: (scrutiny)
Author: cross_and_bow
"And now I feel like I ought to ask for a public service announcement of some kind on what bores you."
eversomuchfun: Looking ceilingward. (<= hardly very sensitive of you)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Unlikely to help. 'Dull', in my experience, is a personality trait rather than a set of behaviours."
cross_and_bow: (checkout)
Author: cross_and_bow
"And one that people stably do or do not have?"
eversomuchfun: Mocking. (<= it must have burned)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Stably do, more often than any kind of don't."
cross_and_bow: (eyeroll)
Author: cross_and_bow
"I think you will take my meaning when I say that's not quite the information I was fishing for."
eversomuchfun: Speaking, perhaps impatiently. (>= do I make myself understood?)
Author: eversomuchfun
"If you would like me to tell you whether or not you will one day suddenly become boring, believe me, so would I. I don't expect it, at any rate."
cross_and_bow: (business)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Well. If I do suddenly become boring, can I have a head start?"
eversomuchfun: Looking ceilingward. (<= hardly very sensitive of you)
Author: eversomuchfun
"If you suddenly become boring," he says, "I will not eat you, I will leave. Which probably still works out to killing you, but at least not actively."
cross_and_bow: (perhaps)
Author: cross_and_bow
"I do appreciate the distinction," Bella says dryly. "Maybe I can manage to take long enough about it that I'll know how to handle myself in close quarters by then. And then I can aspire to live to the ripe old age of twenty-six. Or I suppose I can move to Renée's and pretend not to be the Slayer and let somewhat more people die."
eversomuchfun: Smiling slightly. (!= merely an abomination of nature)
Author: eversomuchfun
"As you please," he says cheerfully. "In this hypothetical scenario I won't care a bit."
cross_and_bow: (eyeroll)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Understood. Just thinking aloud. I do that, especially when I'm driving and can't think into a notebook instead," Bella snorts.
eversomuchfun: Smiling, perhaps falsely. (!= oh yes—hilarious)
Author: eversomuchfun
"In the likelier event that you retain your natural tendency to be interesting, I expect we can set a new record for Slayer lifespan. Thirty, perhaps," he jokes.
cross_and_bow: (okay)
Author: cross_and_bow
"I want to live forever," says Bella, hands tightening on the wheel.
eversomuchfun: Looking ceilingward. (<= hardly very sensitive of you)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Slightly more troublesome. I know of only one method, and apart from its many other problems it only prevents you from dying of some things. True immortality is beyond my means."
cross_and_bow: (business)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Yeah, and it has that inconvenient personality revision problem. I want me to live forever, I don't want some superficially similar creature to live forever."
eversomuchfun: Side-on in the dark; expression not visible. (== a degree of humanity)
Author: eversomuchfun
"I consider myself to have continuity with the person I was, but I know not all vampires do. The objection is fair."
cross_and_bow: (checkout)
Author: cross_and_bow
"What exactly do souls... do? I mean, I know what usually happens when the soul is removed. But it's apparently not consistent, I don't know the psychological mechanisms involved, and I'm wondering what function precisely they tend to serve."
eversomuchfun: Hands. (== I think that's sorted)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Interesting question," he says. "I could tell you what mine did for me, I suppose. Or try to. I've never exactly thought of it in those terms."
cross_and_bow: (meh)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Please do." She parks in the driveway at her house but doesn't get out of the car.
eversomuchfun: Looking ceilingward. (<= hardly very sensitive of you)
Author: eversomuchfun




"...When I had a soul," he says, "I cared about abstract ethical concerns like when precisely murder is wrong and whether or not I counted as a real person. They meant something to me in an immediate way. There were emotional consequences to violence that now do not exist. My repertoire of available actions is expanded; I can choose to steal or eat people or torture someone to death with no consequences except the practical."
cross_and_bow: (distress)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Were you actually concerned that you might not count as a 'real' person?" Bella asks.

(She does not sound impressed.)
eversomuchfun: Side-on in the dark; expression not visible. (== a degree of humanity)
Author: eversomuchfun
"It was a source of some distress on lonely nights, yes."
cross_and_bow: (perhaps)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Your working definition of 'real person' having been what?"
eversomuchfun: Mocking. (<= it must have burned)
Author: eversomuchfun
"'Not me'. If it were a rational worry I would still be having it."
cross_and_bow: (smirk)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Yeah, that makes less sense than half the things they tell me in my Government class, and let me assure you, many things they tell me in Government are nonsensical."
eversomuchfun: Smiling contentedly, eyes closed. (<= contains no moving parts)
Author: eversomuchfun
He snorts.
cross_and_bow: (Default)
Author: cross_and_bow
"What's the... shift in ethical feeling... like? I have a rudimentary understanding of what it might be like to be that way, but less of what it would be like to become so - to wake up and find one's brain rearranged."
eversomuchfun: Hands. (== I think that's sorted)
Author: eversomuchfun
"I hardly noticed at first," he says. "I was ocupied by other concerns. It did occur to me while waiting for Obadiah that while I would have thought about torturing him to death before the change, I probably would have left out the torture in the end."
cross_and_bow: (meh)
Author: cross_and_bow
"But you would've killed him either way?"
eversomuchfun: Mocking. (<= it must have burned)
Author: eversomuchfun
"I reiterate that he had my entire family murdered. Yes, I would have killed him. I'm fairly sure he assassinated Tony's parents, for that matter."
cross_and_bow: (business)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Oh, yes, I understand completely. Under the circumstances I can barely manage to blame you for the torture, let alone the killing. Just wanted to confirm. Tony's parents? They'd be genetically yours too, whether or not you ever met them. I confess I am quite ignorant about how clones slot into their creator's families."
eversomuchfun: Smiling, perhaps falsely. (!= oh yes—hilarious)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Poorly," he says. "Tony's parents were not particularly close to him, but at least they had met."
cross_and_bow: (perhaps)
Author: cross_and_bow
"You would've had to pretend to be twins with Tony regardless - was he like your brother, or what?" Her next guess is 'parent'.
eversomuchfun: Side-on in the dark; expression not visible. (== a degree of humanity)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Not remotely," he says. "Nor my father, before you ask. He was... Tony. I loved him. Further labeling did not seem productive."
cross_and_bow: (okay)
Author: cross_and_bow
That makes sense. Bella nods.
eversomuchfun: Smiling slightly. (!= merely an abomination of nature)
Author: eversomuchfun
He smiles faintly.
cross_and_bow: (business)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Do Watchers tend to know much about magic?" Bella asks in a complete topic change. "I'm still not accomplishing anything with what supposedly simple spells I've attempted and unless Slayers just fundamentally can't do magic, I'm missing something obvious that someone who knows magic would be able to tell me. It might be worth exposing myself to lots of crustiness just to get that figured out. Of course, maybe there are less crusty freelance witches who can take students and wouldn't need to know I'm the Slayer to find me worth their time."
eversomuchfun: Looking ceilingward. (<= hardly very sensitive of you)
Author: eversomuchfun
"...I have no concrete data to support this," he says, "but my feeling is that the Watcher's Council is not an organization you want in your life. Even if they can teach you about magic, and I don't know if they can, or would."
cross_and_bow: (smirk)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Freelance witches are probably a better first choice," agrees Bella. "Don't suppose you can find out if there are any of those lying around who take students? In addition to checking out the librarian?"
eversomuchfun: Smiling, perhaps falsely. (!= oh yes—hilarious)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Such a busy life I am acquiring. By all means," he says cheerfully.
cross_and_bow: (smug)
Author: cross_and_bow
"I like to be busy, don't you?" Bella inquires innocently.
eversomuchfun: Mocking. (<= it must have burned)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Beats the alternative," he snorts.
cross_and_bow: (pleased)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Exactly."
eversomuchfun: Smiling slightly. (!= merely an abomination of nature)
Author: eversomuchfun
"I ought to get on with it, then. Farewell, dear Juliet," he says teasingly.
cross_and_bow: (perhaps)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Until tomorrow," she returns, and she hops out of her side of the truck and goes inside only when she's sure he's out of range of the porch lights.
eversomuchfun: Leaning casually against a wall. (Default)
Author: eversomuchfun
Off he goes.





It is indeed a busy night.
cross_and_bow: (Default)
Author: cross_and_bow
Bella avoids taking out any more suspicious books the next day, although she does return the ones she's read - he can probably look up her borrowing history anyway, and he's more likely to do that if she's overdue with something. She gets no more than a raised eyebrow when she dumps her items into the bookdrop and scurries home.
eversomuchfun: Side-on in the dark; expression not visible. (== a degree of humanity)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Yes," is the first thing he says to her, "your new librarian is a Watcher."
cross_and_bow: (business)
Author: cross_and_bow
"D'you know if he suspects anything?"
eversomuchfun: Looking sideways. (== you will ever lie to me)
Author: eversomuchfun
"I do not."
cross_and_bow: (perhaps)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Okay. Did that take all night or do you know about local witches, too?" She hops in the truck and unlocks the other side for him once he's finished his blood and she can stop holding her nose.
eversomuchfun: Looking ceilingward. (<= hardly very sensitive of you)
Author: eversomuchfun
"What I know about local witches is that there are a lot of dead ends," he says. "Competence and friendliness seem to be mutually exclusive qualities. But I have not exhausted my resources yet."
cross_and_bow: (Default)
Author: cross_and_bow
"I'd take a friendly incompetent if it came to a choice between the options, at least to try - I'm happy to do self-study once I know what I haven't been able to make anything work yet."
eversomuchfun: Hands. (== I think that's sorted)
Author: eversomuchfun
"The friendly incompetents I have looked up would be no use to you."
cross_and_bow: (meh)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Are they so incompetent that they only imagine they're doing magic?" she inquires.
eversomuchfun: Mocking. (<= it must have burned)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Correct."
cross_and_bow: (okay)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Wow. That's serious incompetence. I wonder if some people just can't? It would suck if I were someone who just couldn't," muses Bella.
eversomuchfun: Side-on in the dark; expression not visible. (== a degree of humanity)
Author: eversomuchfun
"I suspect the fault lies somewhere between mindset and methods, but I have not made a concerted study of the matter."
cross_and_bow: (level)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Mm. What are the unfriendly competent witches like?"
eversomuchfun: Leaning casually against a wall. (== night on the town)
Author: eversomuchfun
"The example that stands out the most has switched bodies with her daughter, without the daughter's consent," he says mildly. "I would not go to her for occult instruction if I were you."
cross_and_bow: (distress)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Ah. No, that doesn't sound like a good teacher. Why did she do that? Just to be younger?"
eversomuchfun: Looking ceilingward. (<= hardly very sensitive of you)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Her reasons are opaque to me; that is as good a theory as any."
cross_and_bow: (suspicion)
Author: cross_and_bow
"I want to fix that but without knowing any magic I don't have the first idea what I'd do. Dammit."
eversomuchfun: Looking sideways. (== you will ever lie to me)
Author: eversomuchfun
"I'll look into it," says Sherlock.
cross_and_bow: (pleased)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Thanks!"

She pulls over at the next neighborhood and begins laying her traps.
eversomuchfun: Side-on in the dark; expression not visible. (== a degree of humanity)
Author: eversomuchfun
Sherlock accompanies her with his customary unobtrusiveness.
cross_and_bow: (meh)
Author: cross_and_bow
They are not attacked on this night either.

Nor, in fact, are they attacked on any of the remaining neighborhood-crossing nights.

When he arrives for his blood on the subsequent evening, Bella says: "I think practicing martial arts in the backyard would attract neighborly attention if we make a habit of it, and it'd disconcert Charlie. Have you got a better idea?"
eversomuchfun: Looking ceilingward. (<= hardly very sensitive of you)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Well, there's this charming crypt I've been staying in recently," he says. "It's quite comfortable if you don't mind the cobwebs."
cross_and_bow: (eyeroll)
Author: cross_and_bow
"I'll fetch a featherduster, shall I?" Bella says dryly.
eversomuchfun: Smiling slightly. (!= merely an abomination of nature)
Author: eversomuchfun
"If you must."
cross_and_bow: (smirk)
Author: cross_and_bow
She must, apparently. "Walking distance?" she asks when she's emerged with the implement tucked into her messenger bag with everything else she carries on nighttime excursions.
eversomuchfun: Smiling, perhaps falsely. (!= oh yes—hilarious)
Author: eversomuchfun
"For me, certainly."
cross_and_bow: (eyeroll)
Author: cross_and_bow
"More or less than two miles?" Bella tries.
eversomuchfun: Grinning or laughing. (!= all the way to the kettle)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Oh, less."
cross_and_bow: (smirk)
Author: cross_and_bow
"All right then, lead the way. Slayer's First Crypt. Should be a pop-up book."
eversomuchfun: Smiling slightly. (!= merely an abomination of nature)
Author: eversomuchfun
Sherlock giggles.

Off they go!



The crypt proves to be a little less cobwebby than advertised, but not by much. It has a ground level with a prominent, currently empty stone coffin, and a below-ground level with a mattress, a blanket, a kettle, a box of tea, and a lot of empty space.
cross_and_bow: (checkout)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Why is a crypt wired for electricity?" Bella asks, eyeing the kettle and the lights while attacking the cobwebs surrounding the largest open space that will suit for combat practice.
eversomuchfun: Smiling, perhaps falsely. (!= oh yes—hilarious)
Author: eversomuchfun
"I don't know, but I do know I am not its first ambulatory occupant," he says. "Perhaps the previous one could answer that question, if they are not a pile of dust by now."
cross_and_bow: (okay)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Did you have to evict them or was it unoccupied when you found it?" Dust dust dust. Her duster is getting quite repulsive; she peels off a layer of spiderweb and chucks it into a corner where at least it will be out of the way and makes another pass.
eversomuchfun: Looking ceilingward. (<= hardly very sensitive of you)
Author: eversomuchfun
"The latter. A broom might have done you more good," he says.
cross_and_bow: (level)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Less pleasant to carry all this way," she says. "I think I've interrupted local vampire reproduction sufficiently that a broom's potential value as an impromptu stake is not a significant factor." She deems the second pass sufficient, cleans off her duster again, and says, "So. Where do we start?"
eversomuchfun: Hands. (== I think that's sorted)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Not sure," he says. "I have never tried to teach this sort of thing before. And to complicate matters, I have no idea how much you already know, or can access because you are the Slayer and have been loaded up with all sorts of interesting muscle memory."
cross_and_bow: (okay)
Author: cross_and_bow
"I've watched a few hours' worth of aikido tutorials on the Internet," says Bella, shadowboxing a throw with a Japanese name she can't remember. "And about fifteen minutes of parkour."
eversomuchfun: Mocking. (<= it must have burned)
Author: eversomuchfun
"It seems I have some work ahead of me, then," he says. "Has any of this valuable research taught you how to properly throw a punch?"
cross_and_bow: (meh)
Author: cross_and_bow
"No. Aikido seems to be more of a throwing art. I do know that the thumb goes outside the fist?" she offers.
eversomuchfun: Side-on in the dark; expression not visible. (== a degree of humanity)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Well, that's a start. Observe," he says, and stands beside her to demonstrate in slow motion.
cross_and_bow: (business)
Author: cross_and_bow
She follows along promptly. "Is this all going to be shadowboxing or at some point do we hit each other and be glad we have super-regeneration?"
eversomuchfun: Smiling, perhaps falsely. (!= oh yes—hilarious)
Author: eversomuchfun
"For lack of better targets, yes," he says. "Unless you manage to accidentally knock my head off, the worst that will happen to me is I might start giggling and quoting Shakespeare."
cross_and_bow: (meh)
Author: cross_and_bow
"And this doesn't bother you? I don't think anyone I've read has remarked, however unreliably, on the relationship between turning and pain tolerance."
eversomuchfun: Hands. (== I think that's sorted)
Author: eversomuchfun
"There isn't much of one. I was nearly as unbothered beforehand."
cross_and_bow: (smirk)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Did it make you quote Shakespeare then too?"
eversomuchfun: Smiling contentedly, eyes closed. (<= contains no moving parts)
Author: eversomuchfun
"You could say that," he muses, with a slight smile.
cross_and_bow: (checkout)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Am I treading on personal territory?" asks Bella. Convinced that the shape of her fist matches his, she throws an experimental series of punches at the air.
eversomuchfun: Side-on in the dark; expression not visible. (== a degree of humanity)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Oh, very good," he says, reaching to correct the position of her elbow slightly. Deadpan: "And no, not at all, the subject of my sex life is open for discussion."
cross_and_bow: (eyeroll)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Technically I didn't ask if I was treading on forbidden territory," she points out, adjusting her elbow on the other side to match and having at the air a bit more.
eversomuchfun: Grinning or laughing. (!= all the way to the kettle)
Author: eversomuchfun
"My mistake." He observes another few punches. "You can go much faster than that, I'm sure," is his commentary.
cross_and_bow: (pleased)
Author: cross_and_bow
She tries. She's never pushed herself to top speed before - but -

Why yes. Yes she can go faster than that.

She ramps up for rather a while before discovering how fast, and she grins at the blur of her hands.

"Cool," she says.
eversomuchfun: Smiling slightly. (!= merely an abomination of nature)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Much better," he says. "You'll find that while plenty of nasty bitey sorts have superhuman speed, very few of them put it to good use."
cross_and_bow: (business)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Fail to put it to good use how?" she asks, throwing in a kick to break up the rhythm of the punches. The air would be tripped, if it were not air.
eversomuchfun: Side-on in the dark; expression not visible. (== a degree of humanity)
Author: eversomuchfun
"As simple as that: they don't use it," he says. "I don't believe I have any special physical advantage over other vampires, but I move and react faster than they do because I pay attention and I know my own abilities. They don't push themselves. Perhaps because they don't usually have to."
cross_and_bow: (level)
Author: cross_and_bow
Bella pushes for a little extra burst of speed, which she can achieve but not sustain, and then she starts adding more kicks to the pattern, and then she spins once to make the front kick a roundhouse. "Don't vampires sometimes get into fights with each other? I'd think that would incentivize pushing even if most of them are never going to run into me or one of my predecessors. Or successors."
eversomuchfun: Side-on in the dark; expression not visible. (== a degree of humanity)
Author: eversomuchfun
"They do, yes," he says. "But judging by how easily I kill them, they don't do it often enough. Try making that more level," he says of the roundhouse.
cross_and_bow: (Default)
Author: cross_and_bow
She adjusts the angle and tries again. "Some of them manage to live for hundreds of years. Have you tangled with many of those?"
eversomuchfun: Hands. (== I think that's sorted)
Author: eversomuchfun
"I think one or two of the gang who turned me had a few centuries behind them."
cross_and_bow: (business)
Author: cross_and_bow
"What makes you think that?" Punchpunchpunchpunchpunchkickpunchkickkickpunchpunch -
eversomuchfun: Leaning casually against a wall. (== night on the town)
Author: eversomuchfun
"How they spoke, how they moved. It is sometimes possible to estimate."
cross_and_bow: (smug)
Author: cross_and_bow
"On the other hand," (she throws in a backflip that would snap any neck attached to a chin caught in her foot's path, then resumes her flurry of blows at the air from farther back) "hearing you talk I'd figure you for English. And you also fail to look six or seven years old."
eversomuchfun: Side-on in the dark; expression not visible. (== a degree of humanity)
Author: eversomuchfun
"I said estimate, not pinpoint," he says mildly.
cross_and_bow: (pleased)
Author: cross_and_bow
She snickers. "Opinions on the backflip? I was so pleased when I discovered I could do that."
eversomuchfun: Grinning or laughing. (!= all the way to the kettle)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Flashy, but potentially useful."
cross_and_bow: (smirk)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Is it ever useful to be flashy solely for the purpose of being flashy? Does it scare people, or anything?"
eversomuchfun: Looking ceilingward. (<= hardly very sensitive of you)
Author: eversomuchfun
"It can scare them, or make them underestimate you, or distract them. All very useful, under the right circumstances."
cross_and_bow: (Default)
Author: cross_and_bow
"The backflip would make someone underestimate me because...?" Her onslaught against the vile villain, The Air, is unslowing.
eversomuchfun: Side-on in the dark; expression not visible. (== a degree of humanity)
Author: eversomuchfun
"It's flashy," he repeats. "If you consistently display unnecessary theatricality, you look inexperienced, or arrogant."
cross_and_bow: (business)
Author: cross_and_bow
"I am inexperienced. I'm not arrogant about this." Pause. "Yet."
eversomuchfun: Hands. (== I think that's sorted)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Personally," he says, "I tend toward maximum economy of movement unless there is some reason to act otherwise. And yet I am probably among the most arrogant vampires on the planet about my fighting abilities—granted, not without cause."
cross_and_bow: (checkout)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Yeah, I saw you, you're very good," Bella agrees. "Do you have any more notes about how I'm doing at beating up all this nitrogen-and-whatnot?"
eversomuchfun: Looking ceilingward. (<= hardly very sensitive of you)
Author: eversomuchfun
"My comment is that you are good enough at beating up the atmosphere that you might benefit from a more substantial opponent."
cross_and_bow: (business)
Author: cross_and_bow
Bella decides to see if she can obtain any value from whatever limited element of surprise she can get against Sherlock, and aims a kick at the back of his knees.
eversomuchfun: Side-on in the dark; expression not visible. (== a degree of humanity)
Author: eversomuchfun
He turns to meet it, not with that deceptive casualness he used to dodge her arrows when they first met, but very fast and focused like he was when he killed those demons in front of her.

"Well done," he compliments, and counterattacks. Not at full speed. The point is to teach her, not to kill her.
cross_and_bow: (Default)
Author: cross_and_bow
Bella is going as fast as she can, and she needs to, to compensate for his skill and her lack thereof. Most of the aikido she watched involved working from someone attacking - she remembers this one throw - she tries it.
eversomuchfun: Hands. (== I think that's sorted)
Author: eversomuchfun
It works.

He bounces to his feet and attacks again without pause.
cross_and_bow: (okay)
Author: cross_and_bow
Half aikido and half making things up, she tries something else. The sooner she can convey her repertoire the sooner he'll know what else to teach her.
eversomuchfun: Smiling, perhaps falsely. (!= oh yes—hilarious)
Author: eversomuchfun
That works, too, but Sherlock comes up again like one of those toys with the round weighted base.

He still retains enough control that whenever she fails to block or dodge, he adjusts for minimal impact at the last moment.
cross_and_bow: (level)
Author: cross_and_bow
Bella hisses the first time he connects but doesn't produce a protest or back away. She just tries something else.

Something else.

Something else.

She runs out of knowhow and starts improvising.

This way.

That way.

Little of this little of that.
eversomuchfun: Grinning or laughing. (!= all the way to the kettle)
Author: eversomuchfun
"You're definitely a Slayer," he remarks—naturally, not out of breath. "Your instincts are good. Listen to them. But instinct can be improved upon."
cross_and_bow: (checkout)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Yeah, how?" She's using her lungs differently than he is, but she's not tired - not yet.
eversomuchfun: Smiling contentedly, eyes closed. (<= contains no moving parts)
Author: eversomuchfun
"It is always better to analyze than to react," he says. "Observe."

And smoothly, seamlessly, he brings himself up to full speed and starts answering her every move before she makes it. Still with enough control to avoid hitting her full-strength. It seems almost choreographed, like they have been practicing this exact sequence for months and she just somehow forgot.
cross_and_bow: (level)
Author: cross_and_bow
Oh, now this is fun.

"If I can -" duck roll sweep-kick kip-up punch - "figure out -" feint uppercut grab throw - "what the instincts' moving parts are -" dodge block swat dodge - "would that help?"
eversomuchfun: Smiling slightly. (!= merely an abomination of nature)
Author: eversomuchfun
Sherlock laughs.

"Yes."
cross_and_bow: (smirk)
Author: cross_and_bow
"I can probably do that." (attack, attack, whoa duck dodge roll regroup jump kick) "Figuring out what's going on in my brain is a hobby of sorts for me."
eversomuchfun: Grinning or laughing. (!= all the way to the kettle)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Good hobby," he says cheerfully.
cross_and_bow: (smug)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Passes the time."

(She is getting tired enough to notice, now, although not tired enough to slow her down.)
eversomuchfun: Side-on in the dark; expression not visible. (== a degree of humanity)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Feel free, then," he adds.

And what better way to help than to keep pushing those instincts into corners where their reactions are predictable to him?
cross_and_bow: (level)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Well, usually," (duck spin swat) "it involves me sitting alone in a room" (sweep-kick block catch throw) "with a notebook, first" (ouch back up and punch) "but this'll be valuable material for it when we're through."
eversomuchfun: Smiling slightly. (!= merely an abomination of nature)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Pleased to hear it," he says, evading a punch and then catching her hand to draw her forward and off balance. "It is also," stepping back out of the way of her counterattack, "quite a lot of fun."
cross_and_bow: (smirk)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Yeah, I can see the appeal. I wonder if I'm going to be sore in the morning or if I'll just fix up overnight?" she says, still interrupted by the occasional wind-knocking-out or roll or that one time when she goes ahead and bites his sleeve but overall getting the hang of carrying on a conversation while in whirling violent motion. "I know I heal a lot faster but I don't know how it holds up against the kinda muscle tearing vigorous exercise causes."
eversomuchfun: Smiling, perhaps falsely. (!= oh yes—hilarious)
Author: eversomuchfun
"No predictions," he says cheerfully. "Do let me know."
cross_and_bow: (checkout)
Author: cross_and_bow
"You'll be able to tell by whether I wince or not when you come by and it is time to do this again."
eversomuchfun: Grinning or laughing. (!= all the way to the kettle)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Of course I will. But that does not make your observations worthless."
cross_and_bow: (business)
Author: cross_and_bow
"I suppose I'll have more precision available. I am starting to get tired but I'm not actually sure if that's physical exhaustion or it being late. There's no clock in here. Hang on a sec while I get my phone?" she asks, executing a throw that, if allowed to land, ought to send him flying into a wall and give her the leisure to do that regardless of permission.
eversomuchfun: Hands. (== I think that's sorted)
Author: eversomuchfun
Sherlock politely allows her to fling him into the wall.

"By all means," he says, remaining where he is.
cross_and_bow: (meh)
Author: cross_and_bow
She consults her phone. "Not quite bedtime, but close enough that it's probably a good place to stop and head home," she says. "You escorting me?"
eversomuchfun: Smiling slightly. (!= merely an abomination of nature)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Of course."
cross_and_bow: (smirk)
Author: cross_and_bow
They are not attacked on their way to her house. "See you tomorrow," Bella says cheerfully as she parks the truck and hops out.
eversomuchfun: Grinning or laughing. (!= all the way to the kettle)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Au revoir, Juliet."
cross_and_bow: (smug)
Author: cross_and_bow
The next day, Bella uses much of her lunch and study hall, and about half of her afternoon, to notebook through her instincts. They are weird to take apart - not hard to see, but hard to write about, and she winds up inventing just shy of thirty new portmanteaus and onomatopoeias to be able to write coherently about everything that turns out to be installed.

She picks her Slayer skills apart. She finds things that do not make sense in among the good reflexes, the killer instinct, the subtle drop in self-preservation that she imagines was installed to match her regen. (She is not, happily, sore in the morning.)

And - like they are just waiting to be edited, like they know they are thousands of years old and must yield to training or more deliberate revision when asked in response to new contexts and techniques - they rearrange to suit her.

She grins. She doesn't think she can beat Sherlock when they fight again, but she thinks she can surprise him.
eversomuchfun: Looking ceilingward. (<= hardly very sensitive of you)
Author: eversomuchfun
"You look pleased with yourself," he comments when next he sees her.
cross_and_bow: (smug)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Slayer instincts want to be patched," she reports. "Once I made up enough vocabulary to write about them, it was easier than not being mad when people interrupt me."
eversomuchfun: Smiling slightly. (!= merely an abomination of nature)
Author: eversomuchfun
"I am delighted," he says. "Let's go and give your revisions the smoke test, shall we?"
cross_and_bow: (smirk)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Do let's." She practically traipses to the crypt. Once there, she divests herself of excess baggage and attacks without further warning.
eversomuchfun: Grinning or laughing. (!= all the way to the kettle)
Author: eversomuchfun


Sherlock grins.

He still keeps ahead of her, but now he has to work at it. Half speed will no longer do the trick.
cross_and_bow: (Default)
Author: cross_and_bow
Bella's shunted enough of her intelligence into her handy new autopilot that she can focus her immediate consciousness almost entirely on reading his body language and his attacks to tell it which patterns to pull out. She feels like nothing so much as a conduit between sense and motion: she sees this, and her seeing directly causes her weight to shift, her hand to strike, her foot to jut out just so and force him to dance away. All she's doing is keeping her eyes open, keeping her attention laser-focused on the fight, and feeling the feedback from every sense she's got.
eversomuchfun: Smiling, perhaps falsely. (!= oh yes—hilarious)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Brilliant," he compliments.
cross_and_bow: (smirk)
Author: cross_and_bow
"This is just what I was able to patch without knowing what I was doing. Feel like learning about thirty new vocabulary words and trying to read my notes-to-self?" she asks casually.
eversomuchfun: Smiling slightly. (!= merely an abomination of nature)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Yes," he says immediately.
cross_and_bow: (smug)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Now, or after we've run through more of the new improved Slayerness as-is?"
eversomuchfun: Grinning or laughing. (!= all the way to the kettle)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Not yet," he decides. "I do want to see what you've come up with on your own."
cross_and_bow: (level)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Mostly just - well, for one thing, did you know that my self-preservation instinct was cut down to size for some reason? I didn't start wanting to throw myself in front of a train or at a demon nest, probably because I already wanted to be immortal and the change wasn't big enough to get me to regular, let alone sucidal, but it was there, which was... well. Interesting design choice. I left it mostly the way it was in the short term because I really don't need to be as concerned about injuries as I used to be - except brain damage, that's still a big deal - but I did not want that long term deathwish."
eversomuchfun: Looking ceilingward. (<= hardly very sensitive of you)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Interesting design choice indeed," he says.
cross_and_bow: (meh)
Author: cross_and_bow
"I suppose they don't want their Slayers deciding that, no, fighting nasty bitey nightlife is scary and they'd rather take up knitting," says Bella. "This is, after all, a system that was deemed preferable to any option involving volunteers."
eversomuchfun: Mocking. (<= it must have burned)
Author: eversomuchfun
Sherlock snorts.
cross_and_bow: (eyeroll)
Author: cross_and_bow
"I mean seriously. I'm not complaining - no crusty people have located me, I have not been maimed or killed, I pretty much just got gift-wrapped superpowers and a visit from a possibly divine being of some sort to tell me what was going on and this strictly beats the alternative especially as I was living in Sunnydale anyway - but I do not know what those people were thinking. Is magic just that constrained, that they didn't have a better option? Or did they like throwing teenage girls to the metaphorical wolves for some reason that appears in the DSM? Or did it seem like a really good idea at the time -" she plants a solid kick right in his chest where her previous instincts would have had her aiming a punch for his ear - "to hang the entire globe's hopes for a defender against what have to be millions of not billions of nasty bitey threats on one less than willing individual who they have additionally saddled with a deathwish?"
eversomuchfun: Grinning or laughing. (!= all the way to the kettle)
Author: eversomuchfun
The kick sends him all the way across the room; he hits the wall laughing.

"I have no idea," he says. "Perhaps you should ask Rupert."
cross_and_bow: (smirk)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Is that Mr. Giles's first name? Have you decided that I might want to introduce myself after all?" she asks, dropping into a ready stance to counter him when he comes at her again.
eversomuchfun: Smiling slightly. (!= merely an abomination of nature)
Author: eversomuchfun
"I found out he has some knowledge of the occult and left him an anonymous note about the body-stealing witch, just to see what would happen. If he deals with the situation in a reasonable way, it may be worth an overture of friendship. I suggest you leave me out of it at first, however."
cross_and_bow: (pleased)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Nicely handled," says Bella. "That is a good test for a potential Watcher. I can leave you out and explain how I know anything about what I'm doing solely by lies of omission and reference to the Internet and my self-hacking, that's probably a good idea."
eversomuchfun: Side-on in the dark; expression not visible. (== a degree of humanity)
Author: eversomuchfun
He takes a slight bow, and then attacks again.
cross_and_bow: (level)
Author: cross_and_bow
After about fifteen minutes, Bella says, "I think you've seen at least one instance of all the changes I've made in action. Although obviously if you had six legs or poison stingers or something they'd be manifesting differently, I don't think we should spend any time attempting to outfit you with same for a more thorough picture."
eversomuchfun: Smiling, perhaps falsely. (!= oh yes—hilarious)
Author: eversomuchfun
Sherlock snorts.

"All right," he says, "let's see the pieces."
cross_and_bow: (okay)
Author: cross_and_bow
Bella indulges in a backflip to disengage, and then fusses briefly with the wisps escaping from her practical ponytailed hair and fetches her notebook from her messenger bag. She started a fresh one for this project on the expectation that she'd be handing it over. "Behold," she says grandly.
eversomuchfun: Side-on in the dark; expression not visible. (== a degree of humanity)
Author: eversomuchfun
Sherlock beholds.

"Poetry," he says after examining it for a moment. "Your capacity for analysis delights my missing soul."
cross_and_bow: (eyeroll)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Seriously?" laughs Bella. "I tried to tidy it up a little, since I figured I'd be showing it to you, but I generally expect the contents of my notebooks to be at least half opaque, and this one is mostly made-up words to boot."
eversomuchfun: Grinning or laughing. (!= all the way to the kettle)
Author: eversomuchfun
"I also have an extensive capacity for analysis."
cross_and_bow: (pleased)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Fair enough, I am likewise impressed. So. What obvious low-hanging Slayer-instinct-revision fruit did I fail to pick?" she asks, stretching this way and that in idle reaches and lunges to loosen up the tension accumulated in the fight.
eversomuchfun: Looking sideways. (== you will ever lie to me)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Hmm," he says, flipping through the notes. "The word that comes to mind is straightforward. Aggressive. Direct. Good for efficiently defeating anyone who is less skilled than you, or has fewer advantages; less good for an extended fight against an opponent of equal or greater ability. As you may have noticed."
cross_and_bow: (checkout)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Okay." Bella flips over and balances on her hands for variety. "So I want some subtler subroutines, but that doesn't tell me what they ought to be."
eversomuchfun: Side-on in the dark; expression not visible. (== a degree of humanity)
Author: eversomuchfun
"No, it doesn't," he agrees. "Do you think it would be helpful if I demonstrated what I mean?"
cross_and_bow: (checkout)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Maybe." She flips onto her feet again. "Am I still defending like before or am I just letting you show me something?"
eversomuchfun: Smiling slightly. (!= merely an abomination of nature)
Author: eversomuchfun
"For the purposes of this demonstration, you are a vampire who is trying very hard to kill me and I am a Slayer who is disinclined to let you."
cross_and_bow: (eyeroll)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Trying very hard like you or trying very hard like a vampire who has already given herself away and cannot try the no-I'm-just-a-club-girl-who-wants-to-kiss-your-neck gambit?"
eversomuchfun: Smiling, perhaps falsely. (!= oh yes—hilarious)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Either."
cross_and_bow: (level)
Author: cross_and_bow
"All right."

Vampire wants her target disabled but with a beating heart; vampire wants to avoid breakage but doesn't care about bruising; vampire is motivated by hunger and will break off if her target is too dangerous to be worth eating. With this in mind, Bella launches herself.
eversomuchfun: Hands. (== I think that's sorted)
Author: eversomuchfun
Sherlock fights nothing like he usually does. He is defensive, deceptive, fractionally slower than he is really capable of. He fights as though he is nearly outmatched and has to use every trick in the book to keep her off him.

There are a lot of tricks in his book.
cross_and_bow: (Default)
Author: cross_and_bow
Isabella lets autopilot do its job with the goalset she gave it, and watches carefully.
eversomuchfun: Smiling slightly. (!= merely an abomination of nature)
Author: eversomuchfun
Eventually he asks, with a flash of a smile, "Learning anything?"
cross_and_bow: (meh)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Nothing I can articulate yet. I'm certainly paying attention and this is certainly different."
eversomuchfun: Grinning or laughing. (!= all the way to the kettle)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Splendid."

In that case, onward.
cross_and_bow: (business)
Author: cross_and_bow
Onward indeed. "I'm not really seeing how to translate this into modifications," she says after a few minutes.
eversomuchfun: Side-on in the dark; expression not visible. (== a degree of humanity)
Author: eversomuchfun
"No? What would be more helpful?"
cross_and_bow: (eyeroll)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Well, you seemed to be able to understand the format I wrote my notes in. You could just tell me."
eversomuchfun: Looking ceilingward. (<= hardly very sensitive of you)
Author: eversomuchfun
"I don't expect that to work. But if you insist."
cross_and_bow: (okay)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Maybe not, but worth a shot," she says, disengaging and plucking the notebook from the floor to hand it over. She also has a pen in her messenger bag. (And a pencil, but that seems like it might be a vaguely threatening thing to offer a vampire.)
eversomuchfun: Hands. (== I think that's sorted)
Author: eversomuchfun
He spends a minute or so staring thoughtfully at the page, and then writes a proposed subroutine and hands her back the notebook.
cross_and_bow: (perhaps)
Author: cross_and_bow
She looks at it. She consults her glossary.

"Yeaaaah I could install that but I think it's ugly and do not want it in my brain," she says, tossing the notebook back where she got it. "Maybe if I ever need to leap into an uncomfortable form of expertise overnight for an emergency we can try that. Okay, there's got to be some other way for me to figure out what goes in, hm." She begins to pace.
eversomuchfun: Smiling slightly. (!= merely an abomination of nature)
Author: eversomuchfun
Sherlock spreads his hands in an understated told-you-so gesture, and lets her think.
cross_and_bow: (business)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Can you be - repetitive? Can I try a dozen things against the same attack pattern - a serious one, not one you're dumbing down for me, although please don't take my arm off or anything - and then see what works best, what feels right, and then figure out a higher level of abstraction that would've generated that without knowing what was coming?"
eversomuchfun: Side-on in the dark; expression not visible. (== a degree of humanity)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Absolutely," he says.
cross_and_bow: (level)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Excellent. Sequence of about thirty seconds to start, we can step it up as I get better at this and have more complicated basics to build on. Autopilot engaged, hit me," she says, dropping into stance.
eversomuchfun: Grinning or laughing. (!= all the way to the kettle)
Author: eversomuchfun
He attacks at full speed.
cross_and_bow: (Default)
Author: cross_and_bow
Bella watches what the autopilot does. It's not good enough. What would be good enough?

When the thirty seconds are up and she's sprawled on the floor, she thinks. If she'd seen that coming and countered thusly -

Autopilot off, up on her feet, and - "Again."
eversomuchfun: Hands. (== I think that's sorted)
Author: eversomuchfun
Again. Precisely the same, to start, although when she deviates from the original script he adjusts to match.
cross_and_bow: (level)
Author: cross_and_bow
Okay. That was all right as far as it went, but it left her in an awkward position for what followed and cost her a split second to reposition. If she dodged instead of blocking, she could be poised for -

"Again."
eversomuchfun: Side-on in the dark; expression not visible. (== a degree of humanity)
Author: eversomuchfun
Sherlock repeats himself one more time.
cross_and_bow: (smug)
Author: cross_and_bow
And so they go until they have gone through the sequence fifteen times and Bella has what is, if she does say so herself, a beautiful counter for it.

She picks up her notebook, scribbles out what she was doing, and seeks a pattern.

This takes her about ten minutes of writing, drawing arrows, referring back to earlier notes, and tapping her pen on the page. Sherlock is welcome to read over her shoulder.

When she's done, she writes the abstracted adjustment with all the triumph of a math professor chalking a theorem onto a blackboard. She closes her eyes, thinks it into place - it's so much easier to work with the Slayer stuff than it is to handle anything else, it's like she's got root access, like the instinct package has handed her a scalpel and begged for surgery - and gets up.

"Surprise me," she says, grinning.
eversomuchfun: Mocking. (<= it must have burned)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Gladly," he says, and attacks again.
cross_and_bow: (smug)
Author: cross_and_bow
Yes. This works better. Much better.

He's still better. But she's approaching him.

Half a dozen thirty-second-sequences worked through, abstracted, and turned into heuristics for installation later, she is able to fight him to a standstill on the first try at a new one.

It's not perfect - she catches one blow across her shoulder and has to do something inelegant to get away from a kick - but they wind up with her sitting on his back and both his arms pinned in place.
eversomuchfun: Looking ceilingward. (<= hardly very sensitive of you)
Author: eversomuchfun




"Well done," he says lightly.
cross_and_bow: (smug)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Yeah," she says, grinning and releasing his hand to prod her shoulder. "This is good stuff. Hell yes revision-friendly Slayer powers."

She comes up with solutions to the rough patches, repeats the sequence, and winds up in a different but still victorious position on the second try. She makes and installs another high-level revision. "I feel like I'm doing computer programming on my brain," she says. "I mean, I've always described it kind of like that, saying 'hack' and stuff, but this is a whole 'nother thing. Call it a night? Shoulder's being annoying."
eversomuchfun: Grinning or laughing. (!= all the way to the kettle)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Certainly, dear Juliet," he says with a laughing smile.
cross_and_bow: (pleased)
Author: cross_and_bow
She rolls her shoulder and laughs and collects her things with her better arm. (Not that it's perfect. One of those middle bits had her landing on her elbow funny. She'll be fine in the morning.)

And home she goes. "Thanks," she says when they get close enough that if she steps any nearer the house the porch light will come on. "You're really helpful - I would not be at all pleased about having to work on this with live ammunition, so to speak."
eversomuchfun: Smiling slightly. (!= merely an abomination of nature)
Author: eversomuchfun
"It has been a pleasure," he assures her.
cross_and_bow: (smirk)
Author: cross_and_bow
"See you tomorrow," she grins, and she shoos him away before she lets the light come on.

She likes him, she wouldn't want him cooked.
eversomuchfun: Leaning casually against a wall. (Default)
Author: eversomuchfun
There is a minor commotion at school the next day. Something to do with cheerleaders.
cross_and_bow: (meh)
Author: cross_and_bow
Bella doesn't really pay attention to cheerleading. (Although she could probably be awesome at it now, if it didn't strike her as utterly inane.) She goes about her day as usual, using her study hall to catch up on delinquent homework though she'd rather be working on exciting new subroutines.

At dusk she goes outside with Sherlock's jar of blood and the usual clothespin on her nose.
eversomuchfun: Smiling, perhaps falsely. (!= oh yes—hilarious)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Ah, breakfast," he greets cheerfully.

Slurrrrrrp.

"Any word about Mr. Giles and the errant witch?"
cross_and_bow: (business)
Author: cross_and_bow
"I didn't notice anything that was definitely that. The only notable event at school today was something about one of the cheerleaders quitting abruptly." Pause. "Was the evil body-switching mother being a cheerleader under her daughter's identity, by any chance?"
eversomuchfun: Mocking. (<= it must have burned)
Author: eversomuchfun
"She was, yes."
cross_and_bow: (eyeroll)
Author: cross_and_bow
"That sounds promising, then. Most people aren't going to be able to tell what I am just by how I walk, are they? I could ask Mr. Giles about magic lessons without letting on and see how he is in that capacity, if he's up for it at all. I don't suppose a Watcher who doesn't know he's got a Slayer under his nose has a lot to do in his spare time."
eversomuchfun: Smiling slightly. (!= merely an abomination of nature)
Author: eversomuchfun
"No, most people are not. Not even most vampires. And given everything we know about Mr. Giles, I think that would be a very wise plan."
cross_and_bow: (smirk)
Author: cross_and_bow
"I shall go conspicuously take out more books on magic at school tomorrow and then approach him about it if he gives me the least reaction to work off of," Bella decides. "But for tonight, let's carry on with what worked last night, that was fun and productive."
eversomuchfun: Grinning or laughing. (!= all the way to the kettle)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Extremely productive," Sherlock agrees. "And extremely fun. If you keep pinning me to things I am going to become very attracted to you."
cross_and_bow: (Default)
Author: cross_and_bow
This startles Bella enough that she stops walking cryptward.
eversomuchfun: Smiling contentedly, eyes closed. (<= contains no moving parts)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Sorry," he says, not sounding sorry at all.
cross_and_bow: (suspicion)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Shall I be optimizing for arranging to fling you into walls or something instead, or does it not matter either way? Is that going to be - awkward?" she asks. Slowly. Awkwardly.
eversomuchfun: Smiling, perhaps falsely. (!= oh yes—hilarious)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Will it be awkward," he muses. "Between the two of us I'm not sure I am the one best equipped to answer that question. If you would rather not make it your business at all, you needn't."
cross_and_bow: (okay)
Author: cross_and_bow
"So you're not going to make a big deal about it and you're just letting me know FYI," says Bella. "...Okay. That is a reasonable behavior." She resumes walking. "You didn't answer about the flinging-you-into-walls alternative."
eversomuchfun: Smiling slightly. (!= merely an abomination of nature)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Successfully flinging me into walls is also an attractive behaviour, yes."
cross_and_bow: (checkout)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Ah-huh. You are wired funny," she reports.
eversomuchfun: Grinning or laughing. (!= all the way to the kettle)
Author: eversomuchfun
"I certainly am," he says cheerfully.
cross_and_bow: (meh)
Author: cross_and_bow
It occurs to Bella to ask as they approach the crypt, "Would anything meaningfully improve about the practicing if I took off the crucifix? I don't know how much of your attention not reacting to it takes, and there's always some possibility it'll pop out of my shirt and hit you in the face or something."
eversomuchfun: Leaning casually against a wall. (== night on the town)
Author: eversomuchfun
"...It could make a slight difference," he allows. "It doesn't take up very much of my conscious attention, but I am always aware of it."
cross_and_bow: (level)
Author: cross_and_bow
"So it's probably not hampering your ability to challenge me yet but it could do so in a few days if I keep improving at this rate, which is admittedly optimistic because low-hanging fruit is called that for a reason," Bella concludes. "Okay. I can take it off for this purpose after making reasonably sure that no one has tried to move into your crypt or anything."
eversomuchfun: Hands. (== I think that's sorted)
Author: eversomuchfun
"All right," Sherlock says agreeably.
cross_and_bow: (level)
Author: cross_and_bow
Bella makes reasonably sure that no one has tried to move into Sherlock's crypt in the minutes he has recently been out of it. No one has.

She unhooks the clasp of the crucifix and puts it with her messenger bag.

"Surprise me," she says.
eversomuchfun: Grinning or laughing. (!= all the way to the kettle)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Delighted to oblige."

And he does.
cross_and_bow: (business)
Author: cross_and_bow
Practice proceeds much as the previous night, except that halfway through Bella announces that she wants to go on to longer sequences - full minutes instead of half-minutes. She's not as well adapted for these yet and is thoroughly trounced on each until she's had a few go-throughs.

Until they've done nine of them and then on the tenth, full of new edits, she does slam him into a wall. (She's also bleeding in two places and she's got a ringing headache, but Sherlock violently encounters that there wall.)
eversomuchfun: Side-on in the dark; expression not visible. (== a degree of humanity)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Well done, fair Juliet," he says with a laugh.
cross_and_bow: (distress)
Author: cross_and_bow
"My head hurts. I need to start bringing ibuprofen with me," she says, sitting down heavily. "Aaah. Thanks though."
eversomuchfun: Smiling slightly. (!= merely an abomination of nature)
Author: eversomuchfun
He sits down against the wall she threw him into.

"A pleasure, I assure you."
cross_and_bow: (eyeroll)
Author: cross_and_bow
"I'm going to start taking everything you say as innuendo," observes Bella.
eversomuchfun: Grinning or laughing. (!= all the way to the kettle)
Author: eversomuchfun
"You may be right to. Is it not to your liking?"
cross_and_bow: (distress)
Author: cross_and_bow
"It's - flattering? Unprecedentedly flattering. I mean, random people utter innuendo all the time, but it's not based in any genuine regard, whereas I'm pretty sure yours is." She pokes at her scalp gently, wincing when she reaches the point of impact and maps its borders.
eversomuchfun: Smiling, perhaps falsely. (!= oh yes—hilarious)
Author: eversomuchfun
"I have a genuine regard for you on a number of levels. The fact that you can throw me into walls is only one among many."
cross_and_bow: (level)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Many? Okay, at the risk of sounding - completely accurately - like I am fishing for compliments, I count throwing you into walls and my talent for analysis. That's not many."
eversomuchfun: Side-on in the dark; expression not visible. (== a degree of humanity)
Author: eversomuchfun
"These things are not unrelated," he says. "You can beat me in a fight once in a while. You can do that because you are capable of disassembling and upgrading your Slayer battle instincts with amazing speed and thoroughness, which is because of that talent for analysis you mention and also because you are one of the most self-aware people I have ever met. I am also delighted by your sense of humour, and believe you me, while there are many people in this world who make me laugh, very few of them do it on purpose."

He shrugs.

"And what with all of this bodyguarding and martial instruction, I am becoming somewhat attached to you."
cross_and_bow: (pleased)
Author: cross_and_bow
"A successful fishing expedition," says Bella, ineffectually hiding her faint blush with her hair. "Charlie would be so proud."
eversomuchfun: Mocking. (<= it must have burned)
Author: eversomuchfun
"I can just imagine that conversation," snorts Sherlock.

He puts on a perfect imitation of Bella's voice and accent and tilts his head up slightly, with a wide-eyed, excessively innocent look. "Hi, Dad! Tonight a vampire flirted with me, and I encouraged him shamelessly!"

Now in Charlie's voice, with a sterner expression cut by a hint of wistfulness: "Sure I can't shoot him again?"
cross_and_bow: (pleased)
Author: cross_and_bow
...Bella laughs.

"Should I not encourage you shamelessly? I could stop. Or induce shame. I don't want to be mean or anything."
eversomuchfun: Smiling slightly. (!= merely an abomination of nature)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Oh, no," he says cheerfully, "encourage away. It's delightful."
cross_and_bow: (smirk)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Good, I always hate it when I wind up feeling ethically obliged to self-hack." Her head isn't ringing any more; the spot is still tender but she's got plenty of tender spots. "I think I'm good for one more sequence played through till I have it down and then it's time to go home, ice various anatomy, and get in some sleep."
eversomuchfun: Looking ceilingward. (<= hardly very sensitive of you)
Author: eversomuchfun
Sherlock gets to his feet.

"Happy to be of service."
cross_and_bow: (business)
Author: cross_and_bow
She doesn't win this one until she's seen it four times. She does use it to teach herself not to favor that knee or this wrist. She doesn't need to favor them. Anything she will fight that isn't Sherlock will probably want her dead. Any injury that is less than life-threatening will heal. As long as her hurty bits aren't actually weaker her best bet is to learn to push through the discomfort.

Finally she concludes the sequence with a graceful kick to his head, and calculates her edit, and implements it, and sniffs the air distastefully. "I really don't like the smell of blood," she says, packing her notebook away. "But I think it's bothering me less since I activated. I don't like it but I don't feel like I'm going to pass out at all."
eversomuchfun: Smiling, perhaps falsely. (!= oh yes—hilarious)
Author: eversomuchfun
Sherlock looks like he is about to say something, and then doesn't.
cross_and_bow: (checkout)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Well, now I have to know what you were going to say," Bella says. She puts her crucifix back on.
eversomuchfun: Smiling slightly. (!= merely an abomination of nature)
Author: eversomuchfun
"It's very flirty," he says. "And possibly alarming. Are you sure?"
cross_and_bow: (eyeroll)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Were you going to say that you vant to suck my blahd?"
eversomuchfun: Mocking. (<= it must have burned)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Well, since you're not fond of the smell and I drink the stuff, there does seem to be an obvious efficient way to get rid of the excess. It does no one any good dribbling off you like that."
cross_and_bow: (perhaps)
Author: cross_and_bow
"You're not like unto a shark in any relevant way, are you?" Bella asks consideringly. "But I can't think of a way to make the transfer that doesn't involve you licking me."
eversomuchfun: Grinning or laughing. (!= all the way to the kettle)
Author: eversomuchfun
"That would be the flirty part."
cross_and_bow: (smirk)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Yes, I suppose so. I do not wish to be licked at this time except in the metaphorical, educational sense, and even in that sense I'm done for the night. Oh, I suppose I could dab at the cuts with a teabag? Is it Tea Sacrilege to combine with blood?" Bella asks speculatively. "...And please answer the thing about the shark characteristics, I am not actually sure."
eversomuchfun: Smiling slightly. (!= merely an abomination of nature)
Author: eversomuchfun
Sherlock laughs.

"I honestly don't know how you mean to compare me with a shark. You've been bleeding for two hours and I haven't leapt for your throat yet, except in the educational sense. And you've been watching me eat breakfast every day for a month. My habits are as you see them. As for the tea, you know, I am almost tempted to try it. But perhaps if you don't want me licking you, you also don't want your bodily fluids in my tea."
cross_and_bow: (checkout)
Author: cross_and_bow
"It really isn't doing anyone any good, as you point out, and my objections to licking have approximately nothing to do with the resulting ingestion. Besides, for some reason I didn't think to bring, like, gauze or cottonballs. Let's have a teabag, if you want a bloody teabag." She holds out a hand.
eversomuchfun: Mocking. (<= it must have burned)
Author: eversomuchfun
He extracts a teabag from the box and tosses it to her.

"For curiosity's sake, what are your objections to licking?"
cross_and_bow: (perhaps)
Author: cross_and_bow
"I'm flirting with you, not awkwardly traversing the baseball metaphor with you," she says. She catches the bag and applies it to the scrape on her forehead.
eversomuchfun: Grinning or laughing. (!= all the way to the kettle)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Fair enough," he says. "In that case, should I mention that it is widely rumored in the vampire community that Slayer blood is an aphrodisiac?"
cross_and_bow: (eyeroll)
Author: cross_and_bow
"I do hope you aren't a shark in that respect either," she says, rolling her eyes. "Besides, I suspect that for the typical case in which a vampire gets to drink Slayer blood, they're hopped up on every hormone necessary to make them quote Shakespeare; maybe they attribute that to the blood." She dabs the teabag on her elbow and her ankle and her arm and hands it over.
eversomuchfun: Smiling slightly. (!= merely an abomination of nature)
Author: eversomuchfun
Grinning, he takes it, and deposits it in his singular mug.

His tongue touches the resulting smear of blood on his fingers.

Mischievously: "Be not her maid, since she is envious; her vestal livery is but sick and green, and none but fools do wear it. Cast it off."
cross_and_bow: (pleased)
Author: cross_and_bow
Bella giggles. (She is pretty sure this is Shakespeare for "take off your clothes", at least on one level of interpretation. Her clothes stay where they are. But she does laugh.)
eversomuchfun: Looking ceilingward. (<= hardly very sensitive of you)
Author: eversomuchfun
Sherlock giggles, too.

That is certainly one of many available interpretations!
cross_and_bow: (smirk)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Is there a lot of flavor variation from person to person?" Bella inquires.
eversomuchfun: Smiling, perhaps falsely. (!= oh yes—hilarious)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Some," he says as he puts the kettle on. "Enough that I can tell individuals apart if I'm paying attention, which I always am. You are unusually tasty, but I'm not sure whether that's the Slayer thing or a personal quirk."
cross_and_bow: (eyeroll)
Author: cross_and_bow
"How odd," laughs Bella. "Why would that be a Slayer thing - wouldn't they have to do it on purpose? - I guess it could be a side effect of the mechanism behind the superpowers, depending on how those work. Or they could've just factored it in along with the deathwish to induce regular turnover, maybe. Pity I have no prior samples to compare against."
eversomuchfun: Side-on in the dark; expression not visible. (== a degree of humanity)
Author: eversomuchfun
"And we are unlikely to find another Slayer to compare you with in future, given the conditions for activation. Although I suppose death is not such a binary proposition as people like to think."
cross_and_bow: (meh)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Do you know if any Slayers have been turned into vampires before?"
eversomuchfun: Looking ceilingward. (<= hardly very sensitive of you)
Author: eversomuchfun
"I do not."
cross_and_bow: (okay)
Author: cross_and_bow
"It seems likely, just based on the disproportionate vampire attention we get," she muses. "But I feel like an ex-Slayer who was still walking around would be pretty well-known such that you'd have heard of her."
eversomuchfun: Hands. (== I think that's sorted)
Author: eversomuchfun
"I begin to suspect that we may have stumbled on one of the lesser-known duties of the Watcher's Council," he says. "Just because I think that if any such thing occurred, none of them would rest a moment until she had been set on fire."
cross_and_bow: (business)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Oof. So you think - or you think they think - she'd retain the power boost even after redeeming her soul for valuable prizes?"
eversomuchfun: Leaning casually against a wall. (== night on the town)
Author: eversomuchfun
"I think they wouldn't take the chance. I think even if she didn't they'd get after her."
cross_and_bow: (Default)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Do Slayers tend to be privy to fascinating secrets - or just lots of training, which they'd hang onto regardless of the superpowers - or is it just terrible PR?"
eversomuchfun: Side-on in the dark; expression not visible. (== a degree of humanity)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Secrets no, training yes. And of course the PR. And of course the insult to their personal and institutional dignity."
cross_and_bow: (eyeroll)
Author: cross_and_bow
"So their job is to supervise girls with artificial suicidal impulses, send them against creatures with parasitic reproductive habits, and then be sensitive about it when one gets bit and bites back."
eversomuchfun: Grinning or laughing. (!= all the way to the kettle)
Author: eversomuchfun
"In essence, yes."
cross_and_bow: (okay)
Author: cross_and_bow
"I'm actually really confused about how that second part's supposed to work. I don't think human natural responses to being attacked tend to include blood-drinking. Does that usually happen as force-feeding while unconscious, or what?"
eversomuchfun: Looking ceilingward. (<= hardly very sensitive of you)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Force-feeding, yes; while unconscious, no. In my experience. And in theory it is sometimes consensual."
cross_and_bow: (checkout)
Author: cross_and_bow
"...Among people who are deceived about the side effects, or just don't care?"
eversomuchfun: Side-on in the dark; expression not visible. (== a degree of humanity)
Author: eversomuchfun
He shrugs. "Either, I suppose."
cross_and_bow: (Default)
Author: cross_and_bow
"What are the usual motivations for turning someone, anyway?"
eversomuchfun: Looking ceilingward. (<= hardly very sensitive of you)
Author: eversomuchfun
The kettle is finally done. Sherlock pours his teabomination.

"In my case it seemed to be nothing more than sadistic whim. I have also heard loneliness."
cross_and_bow: (okay)
Author: cross_and_bow
"I suppose most people aren't as patient as you were with people trying to shoot them while they attempt to make friends, but a careful vampire could pass long enough to find someone who'd tolerate the revelation. I guess that's not sociopathically hedonistic enough."
eversomuchfun: Hands. (== I think that's sorted)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Well, the problem with making friends with a human is that it is much harder to pretend they are not going to die," he says lightly.
cross_and_bow: (solemn)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Yeah. I could see that being a problem." She chews her lip. "Isn't there any other method of immortality? All these demons and all this magic flailing around everywhere - that's really the only game in town?"
eversomuchfun: Side-on in the dark; expression not visible. (== a degree of humanity)
Author: eversomuchfun
"There are rumours. Judging by the tone of the discourse, it seems every method has its tradeoffs, and vampirism is by far the most readily available. I don't know details of any others."
cross_and_bow: (business)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Hmm." She beholds a wall contemplatively.
eversomuchfun: Looking ceilingward. (<= hardly very sensitive of you)
Author: eversomuchfun
Sherlock lets her think.
cross_and_bow: (level)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Well," she says. "I will see what Mr. Giles is like starting tomorrow. Maybe he knows something. Or maybe he can get me far enough that I can invent my own spells. An immortality one with acceptable drawbacks if any is a priority."
eversomuchfun: Hands. (== I think that's sorted)
Author: eversomuchfun
"I advise you to be very cautious about that," he says.
cross_and_bow: (meh)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Absolutely. If all the options in circulation have serious problems with them, there's probably a reason. Caution is the order of the project. That doesn't mean it's not worth looking into."
eversomuchfun: Leaning casually against a wall. (Default)
Author: eversomuchfun
"True enough," he agrees.
cross_and_bow: (checkout)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Is the median vampire lifespan that much to brag about, anyway? I mean, the upside potential is sweet, but the violence and the inconvenient catching fire if struck by sunlight parts have got to cut the average something awful."
eversomuchfun: Side-on in the dark; expression not visible. (== a degree of humanity)
Author: eversomuchfun
"I haven't gathered statistics," he says.
cross_and_bow: (smirk)
Author: cross_and_bow
"I don't see why not," says Bella. "I suppose you have enough reason to believe yourself an outlier that they wouldn't be especially predictive for you, but they'd be interesting."
eversomuchfun: Mocking. (<= it must have burned)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Yes, but the reward is not commensurate with the effort."
cross_and_bow: (smirk)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Asking vampires you meet how old they are and taking down the information and then doing some statistical work to find out how your likelihood of meeting them interacts with their age?" Bella says. "I guess you'd have to like math or compensate for less math with more data-gathering. I don't like math much myself."
eversomuchfun: Leaning casually against a wall. (== night on the town)
Author: eversomuchfun
"And there is also the matter of meeting all those vampires."
cross_and_bow: (meh)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Yes. It might take a while, or a shorter while moving in more hazardous circles. So I suppose I can see after all why you wouldn't want to take on the project if it didn't hold much intrinsic interest."
eversomuchfun: Smiling slightly. (!= merely an abomination of nature)
Author: eversomuchfun
He lifts his mug in an ironic salute.
cross_and_bow: (checkout)
Author: cross_and_bow
"So does tea go with blood after all?"
eversomuchfun: Looking ceilingward. (<= hardly very sensitive of you)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Astonishingly well, yes."
cross_and_bow: (smug)
Author: cross_and_bow
"I'm sure this information will come in handy later, probably in act four in some ironic manner," says Bella.
eversomuchfun: Grinning or laughing. (!= all the way to the kettle)
Author: eversomuchfun
He cracks up.
cross_and_bow: (smirk)
Author: cross_and_bow
Bella grins and lets him finish his tea so he needn't let it get cold or try to drink it while walking her home. And then she gets up with all her possessions and they depart the crypt.

As they pass a fire hydrant she knows she scratched, she says, "What do they feel like? The crosses."
eversomuchfun: Side-on in the dark; expression not visible. (== a degree of humanity)
Author: eversomuchfun
"I'm not sure," he says. "I would describe it almost like... pressure. Like they exert a very slight outward force to push me away. Except that they don't, and it is in fact all in my head."
cross_and_bow: (business)
Author: cross_and_bow
"The way I've seen other vampires react to them it looks like it's value-laden. Aversive. Not just neutral pushiness like an air current."
eversomuchfun: Hands. (== I think that's sorted)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Yes," he says. "But the pressure metaphor is the one that springs to mind. The original emotional content has been worn away by months of stubbornness."
cross_and_bow: (meh)
Author: cross_and_bow
"What kind of emotional content was it?"
eversomuchfun: Smiling slightly. (!= merely an abomination of nature)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Unpleasant," he says cheerfully.
cross_and_bow: (checkout)
Author: cross_and_bow
"That's not very specific. Do you not want to talk about it?"
eversomuchfun: Side-on in the dark; expression not visible. (== a degree of humanity)
Author: eversomuchfun
"It's difficult to analyze something I reject so thoroughly," he says.
cross_and_bow: (okay)
Author: cross_and_bow
"I guess not everyone is me. I have to know what I'm getting rid of before I can make it go away."
eversomuchfun: Looking ceilingward. (<= hardly very sensitive of you)
Author: eversomuchfun
"The actual experience of encountering a cross, before the aforementioned erosion, was very much like watching someone sidle up to my basic emotional processing and say 'I'm going to make you feel like shit now', and watching my basic emotional processing reply 'The fuck you will', and being a bystander to the ensuing argument."
cross_and_bow: (business)
Author: cross_and_bow
"That sounds very uncomfortable indeed."
eversomuchfun: Smiling, perhaps falsely. (!= oh yes—hilarious)
Author: eversomuchfun
"I suppose so, yes."
cross_and_bow: (perhaps)
Author: cross_and_bow
"I am glad you have gotten it to go away. I do not harbor a desire to drive you out of town in the course of shooing the bitier ones."
eversomuchfun: Side-on in the dark; expression not visible. (== a degree of humanity)
Author: eversomuchfun
"I only find them mildly annoying now, and usually not even that."
cross_and_bow: (perhaps)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Good. I would miss you if I'd wallpapered the town with something too aversive and you moved away."
eversomuchfun: Leaning casually against a wall. (== night on the town)
Author: eversomuchfun
"Yes," he says. "I would miss you too."
cross_and_bow: (pleased)
Author: cross_and_bow
She smiles.

There's her house. "I'll see you tomorrow," she says.

Pause. A quick check to see if this impulse has any pointy bits. Nope.

Impulse hug!
eversomuchfun: Smiling slightly. (!= merely an abomination of nature)
Author: eversomuchfun
...Sherlock hugs back.

"You're just full of surprises, dear Juliet," he says. "Goodnight."
cross_and_bow: (pleased)
Author: cross_and_bow
"G'night!"

And in she trots.

She is a happy Bella.

Now she has to write in her notebook for at least an hour about that before she will be able to sleep, but that is okay.



The next day, Bella spends study hall at the library, and she finds some books on witchcraft, and she sidles in the most attention-attracting way she knows how to pretend to not want attention with them up to the checkout desk. "Um, hi, Mr. Giles."
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"Hello," he says, looking at her with mild curiosity from behind his glasses.
cross_and_bow: (meh)
Author: cross_and_bow
"There's a lot of books like this here," she remarks as he stamps them for her, just this side of audibly. "I don't think my old school had any..."
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"Yes, well, this is Sunnydale," he says wryly.
cross_and_bow: (meh)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Yeah. It's a weird town. I found these in the nonfiction section. And that thing with that cheerleader yesterday - I heard peculiar rumors. Not to mention all the weird stories my dad tells about stuff he sees at work." (Charlie has been a little more forthcoming about this, lately.)

The persona she is attempting to wear does already know about magic and vampires and the like (by observation and rumor, not by Power visitation), and is trying to find out if Mr. Giles does too.
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
He pushes his glasses up and gives her a measuring look.
cross_and_bow: (okay)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Do you believe in magic?" she blurts. "I think I do - I didn't before I moved here - but I think it might be real, at least some of it, even if I can't make anything in the books work and can't find anyone else who can either -"
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox


He sighs.

"Yes," he says, "unfortunately, I do."
cross_and_bow: (business)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Unfortunately? But - isn't it a good thing? There are healing spells in these books, if nothing else."

(She would like him to determine that she is good-hearted and naive and in need of a decent teacher before she finds an indecent one.)
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"The occult can be a dangerous subject to learn," he says slowly. "For you and for those around you. But since you live in Sunnydale and you're willing to accept evidence of the supernatural, I should really recommend some other reading."

And he reaches under the counter to pull out a stack of dusty-looking old books with extremely similar cover designs.
cross_and_bow: (perhaps)
Author: cross_and_bow
Bella takes them eagerly and looks for indices. "Do these have some kind of - introductory material - I haven't been able to get anything to work," she says. "I think I'm missing something very basic."
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"Not quite," he says.

The books are not about magic; they are about various species of demon and other supernatural hazards, including vampires.
cross_and_bow: (checkout)
Author: cross_and_bow
She peers at the indices.

"Well," she says. "This explains all the suspicious barbecue fork deaths after sunset much better than drugged gangs who use cooking implements as weapons."
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"Yes," says Mr. Giles. "And my advice would be to focus your attention there first."
cross_and_bow: (pleased)
Author: cross_and_bow
"I... actually already guessed," Bella says sheepishly. "If you look at my borrowing history... I didn't get these books exactly but I've gotten others that mention vampires and I didn't think it was smart to take chances, given all the funny statistics. I replaced my porch lights with those sunshine bulbs and know not to invite anyone into the house." If he agrees to teach her anything she'll also tell him about covering the town in crosses and her key to the morgue.
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
...He gives her another of those measuring looks.

"Vampires, I'm afraid, are only the tip of the iceberg."
cross_and_bow: (perhaps)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Yeah. My dad and some other cops had a standoff with some folks who had oddly colored blood, a while ago. And Sunnydale has a pretty bad rate of unusual occurrences even when the sun is up. But I haven't found anything so straightfoward about how to deal with those. Have these books got instructions? Stars of David and maple syrup instead of crosses and holy water?" She flips through one of the books, treating the pages gently. "Because otherwise I think it comes back to magic."
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"In my experience," he says, "magic has a tendency to hurt more than it helps."
cross_and_bow: (business)
Author: cross_and_bow
"How?"
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"Let's just say that you're very lucky the worst way you've had a spell go wrong is by not working at all. And that's leaving aside the fact that magic users are specifically targeted by several kinds of demon and, of course, other magic users. And the risk of addiction."

He's sounding crustier by the second.
cross_and_bow: (okay)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Magic is addictive?" Bella asks skeptically. "Literally, or is that a metaphor for it being useful or fun to the point where using it leads to using more by some mechanism that is not, literally, addiction?"
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"Magic addiction is fairly rare, but it does happen," he says. "In a very literal, devastating sense."
cross_and_bow: (business)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Oh dear. Thank you for telling me."

(If he were bullshitting her he probably wouldn't have said it was rare, so she's going to take this as likely accurate, and something she needs to find out about before attempting to learn anything.)

"Is there anything else you can tell me besides recommending the books? Are these even..." She looks at the spines. "They're not library books. Can I borrow them anyway?"
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"They're mine," he says, "and yes, you can."
cross_and_bow: (meh)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Thanks."

This is probably all she's going to get out of Mr. Giles. At least this time. What a pity. (And he knows some magic, too, if he fixed the cheerleader, as seems likely. Frustrating.)

She takes the books. She spends the rest of her study hall reading through the first chapter of one, taking notes, and then she goes to the rest of her classes and hangs out in the library to continue.
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
Mr. Giles mostly tries to ignore her.

He doesn't do a very good job.
cross_and_bow: (checkout)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Is something wrong?" she asks, eventually, when the place is clear of other students within hearing distance. "Would you rather I read these someplace more private or something?"
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"No, no," he says. "Don't mind me."
cross_and_bow: (checkout)
Author: cross_and_bow
She goes on reading and notetaking (this notebook is clear of incriminating Slayer-related content), but she does pay peripheral attention to how he's observing her.
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
In a word, confusedly.
cross_and_bow: (eyeroll)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Are you sure there isn't something wrong?" Bella asks. "Is it that surprising for the chief of police's daughter to move here and notice enough stuff to figure out that this town has peculiar and bitey contents? I mean, I've been here before, but only in the summertime, so his insistence on a sunset curfew wasn't nearly as suspicious back then."
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"Well," he says, "it's just you're the first person I've met here who acknowledged the paranormal and was not evil in some way." He adjusts his glasses. "You're not evil in some way, are you?"
cross_and_bow: (smirk)
Author: cross_and_bow
"I don't think I'm evil in some way. Is there a test for that?" Bella asks. "My dad isn't evil in some way either, and I'm pretty sure he knows something's up, although he hasn't tended to acknowledge it in so many words."
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"Yes, you keep mentioning him," Mr. Giles recalls.
cross_and_bow: (level)
Author: cross_and_bow
"He keeps being relevant. But yeah, I don't think I'm evil in some way. I cut a guy off in traffic the other day?" she offers dubiously.
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"I think I can let that slide," he says dryly.
cross_and_bow: (checkout)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Oh, good. So is there a big correlation here? Should I be worrying about you being evil in some way, since you acknowledge the same fact that makes me suspect?" she asks with a winning smile.
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
He takes off his glasses and cleans them. Disapprovingly.
cross_and_bow: (Default)
Author: cross_and_bow
"I don't think you're evil in some way," says Bella. "But seriously, how much of a correlation is this, is the world going to be forever mostly divided into people I can't be fully open with and people who might try to..." She glances at her book. "Sacrifice me to the Nameless Nine-Faced God?"
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"...Not... quite that drastically, perhaps," he says. "But yes."
cross_and_bow: (smirk)
Author: cross_and_bow
"That sucks," says Bella. "We should be friends so it sucks less."
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
He opens his mouth.

He closes his mouth.

He cleans his glasses again.

"...I can't fault your logic," he says at last.
cross_and_bow: (smug)
Author: cross_and_bow
"I am pretty good at logic," she says, adding a period to the end of a sentence in her notes that she'd earlier paused in writing. "Also, I can't help but thinking that even if they're really that dirty, your glasses would still do more net vision correction if they spent more time on your face."
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox






He laughs.
cross_and_bow: (level)
Author: cross_and_bow
She grins.

"Is suspecting that I'm evil in some way why you didn't give me anything on magic, or is it really just that dangerous? Why is it so dangerous? How does it work? I'm just asking theory, not practice," she adds before he can answer.
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
He comes out of the little area behind the counter and leans against a railing near the table where she sits.

"It really is just that dangerous," he confirms. "It can open you up to all sorts of unpleasant influences."
cross_and_bow: (eyeroll)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Influences," she repeats. "Like... okay, now I'm imagining shoulder-devils whispering bad ideas in witches' ears. That's probably not what you meant."
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"No, but attracting the attention of powerful demons is not unheard-of. And some of them do have the power to corrupt an unwary mind."
cross_and_bow: (solemn)
Author: cross_and_bow
...Bella does not wish to explain to him why she thinks she'd be just fine against that particular threat.

"Yuck," she says. "It seems really counterintuitive for defenselessness to be a better idea, though. Like, what am I, a sardine? Schooling with a lot of other sardines trying not to be special and hoping the barracuda goes for the other sardines instead of me because I don't stand out?"
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"Well... yes," he says. "Although when you put it like that, I can see why you don't like the idea."
cross_and_bow: (meh)
Author: cross_and_bow
"I don't really want the barracudas to get the other sardines either," Bella says. "I'd take a somewhat worse chance of getting eaten if it meant that life became unpleasant for local barracudas and my sardine friends were safer."
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox


"That's very noble," says Mr. Giles.
cross_and_bow: (level)
Author: cross_and_bow
"I'm selfish. I'm just not that selfish."
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"...Do you really want to learn magic?" he asks, taking off his glasses so he can rub the bridge of his nose.
cross_and_bow: (smug)
Author: cross_and_bow
"I really want to learn magic insofar as it will not eat my brain or otherwise have drastic consequences. I acknowledge that you are an expert at least relative to me at this time," Bella replies at once.
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"It could very well eat your brain," he says, putting his glasses back on. "But it might not. And I am definitely not the best teacher you could ask for, but I might be the best you can find."
cross_and_bow: (business)
Author: cross_and_bow
"What precautions exist against brain-eating?" Bella asks. "I'd like to get the risk somewhere down to car-accident-in-the-rain levels, although I'd settle for worse, since not being a sardine is slightly more important than being all out of milk and really wanting pancakes and running out to the convenience store."
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
He spreads his hands.

"If there are any precautions besides 'don't do magic if you can avoid it', I don't know about them."
cross_and_bow: (checkout)
Author: cross_and_bow
"But you do magic," she says. "Or at least you've done magic."
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"When there is a problem that can't be solved any other way, yes."
cross_and_bow: (meh)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Were you involved in the thing with the cheerleader?"
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
He nods.
cross_and_bow: (level)
Author: cross_and_bow
"What was that about?"
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"The girl's mother was a witch. She stole her daughter's body. I reversed that; the witch came after me; she cast a curse and the curse rebounded on her."
cross_and_bow: (business)
Author: cross_and_bow
"How do you make curses rebound? That sounds useful."
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"Luck and a handy mirror. But mostly luck," he admits.
cross_and_bow: (pleased)
Author: cross_and_bow
"...A mirror? Heck, that's useful against magic and it's not even magic. What other tricks are there like that? I'll start carrying a compact," says Bella, grinning. "Low risk high return, I'm sold."
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"Tricks like that don't always work," he cautions.
cross_and_bow: (Default)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Do they work better than standing there being a sardine? Because that's the baseline they're competing with, please remember."
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
He sighs.

"I'll bring you some more books."
cross_and_bow: (level)
Author: cross_and_bow
"I like books," says Bella, smiling. "Thanks."

She peers at the sun, and sets her phone timer to remind her to leave in fifteen minutes. It wouldn't do to blatantly flout her curfew - never explicitly rescinded - while she is pretending not to be the Slayer.
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
Mr. Giles smiles tentatively back.
cross_and_bow: (business)
Author: cross_and_bow
"There sure are a lotta kinds of demons," Bella remarks, returning to the book she's working through and resuming notetaking. "There might be more kinds of demons than there are kinds of beetles. Haven't they got any psychological diversity or will they really all try to eat me?"
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"There are plenty who won't," he admits, "but I have fewer books about those."
cross_and_bow: (meh)
Author: cross_and_bow
"Why not? Mightn't they be friendly and have interesting, helpful abilities? I could rely on magic less if I had demon friends who could do anything on the order of - make force fields or send their scary guardian spirits after people who attack them or even just grow scales that are made of diamond and occasionally shed one so I could annoy the DeBeers cartel and buy a house with a really good security system." These abilities all in fact belong to unfriendly demons that she has just read about.
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"Unfortunately," he says a little sharply, "the world is not divided into creatures who want to kill you and people who want to be your friends. Researchers, especially several centuries ago when most of these books were published, tend to think that the best thing to do with neutral demon species is leave them alone."
cross_and_bow: (Default)
Author: cross_and_bow
Bella sighs. "Look, I know you deal with idiot fourteen-year-olds all day. But can you be a little more charitable with me? I know not all non-face-eating individual demons would want to hang out with me and braid each other's hair and protect each other from the forces of darkness. Not all humans want to be my friend and a billion of them I'd have to learn Chinese first to even get to know and I assume the situation with demons is even worse. But you're sufficiently down on magic as a solution to sardinehood that I'm asking about other options. If the non-face-eating demons are in a careful balance of politics such that not leaving them alone turns Demon Switzerland into Demon Cold War Russia or Demon Space Invaders, you can just tell me that, and I will not bother the demons you have ruled out. If the non-face-eating demons are non-face-eating because they have a religious prohibition and faces aren't kosher, you can tell me that, and I will, if I encounter any such demon, be very careful if the discussion should turn to theology. If the non-face-eating demons are presumed to be non-face-eating only because the grand total of four people to ever visit them were wearing the color red, then you can tell me that only four people have ever visited them and I am perfectly capable of deciding not to be a demonic early adopter. I am not stupid."
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox


He cleans his glasses again.
cross_and_bow: (level)
Author: cross_and_bow
Bella turns back to her book, huffing a small sigh.
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"I'm sorry," he says as he puts them back on. "The truth is, there are not as many books on neutral species, and I can only speculate on why that is. My speculation is that demonologists have been historically wary of finding out too late that the reason for someone's apparent neutrality was along the lines of your examples. But I can't know for sure, because it's just not in the literature."
cross_and_bow: (meh)
Author: cross_and_bow
"And there are only neutral species as far as you and your books know? Not Species We Invite To Our Christmas Parties or anything, just Species That Don't Seem To Eat Faces But Don't Object That Much When Others Do?"
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"'Neutral species' is the term. For all I know, there could be several of them who would behave themselves perfectly well at my Christmas parties if I had any. But I'm not willing to bet on it, and apparently neither is anyone else."
cross_and_bow: (okay)
Author: cross_and_bow
"That is extremely disappointing," sighs Bella.
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
He shrugs helplessly.
cross_and_bow: (business)
Author: cross_and_bow
Bella's phone beeps. She packs up everything at once. "Home I go," she says. "See you tomorrow - I probably won't be done with more than a third of this stack, though, this thing is huge."
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"See you tomorrow," he says.
cross_and_bow: (meh)
Author: cross_and_bow
Bella drives home. She works through Mr. Giles's books diligently. And as dusk falls, she heats up a jar of blood for Sherlock.