Part 27
Summary: Certain books have found their way to Sunnydale, pre-Buffy.
Disclaimer: I dun' own nuttin'!
Feedback, it makes me write faster. (You know you want to do the feedback thing.)
Pre-Fic Comments:
I can be motivated to write more of this by striking deals with people. Hint, hint.
Elizabeth smiled demurely from where she was sitting. A small, delicate cup of jasmine tea hid her mouth.
"You've done most well, Ms Tendo," she said. "The strides made by your company in the field of neurology and medical science has been simply amazing."
The Japanese business woman smiled back. "I was fortunate enough that the lead researcher, Saotome Ranma, is a friend and agreed to work for me so quickly."
"Are you sure that the deal with my corporation is satisfactory," Elizabeth asked, referring to the business that Lasombra and herself had set up recently. Together, the two of them had managed to 'convince' many independant businessmen to sell to them. "We can renegotiate if it is not."
"Tendo Enterprises is happy to work with Ventrue Corporation as a partner," Nabiki Tendo rebutted gently.
"Would it be alright if I stayed to observe your wonderful company for a week," Elizabeth asked.
"Perfectly," Nabiki nodded. "I insist you stay at my family's house -- my sister will be glad to see another face at the table."
Lasombra looked up from a page of figures he was studying. "Robert!"
The thin vampire before him grinned. "Lassie!"
"Don't call me that," the grim vampire at the desk growled. He gestured at the pair of wolf ears perched on top of Robert's head. "What's up with the lug holes?"
"These," Robert asked, reaching to touch one. "I slipped up using Shape of the Beast."
Lasombra sighed deeply, expressing dismay. He pulled out a sheet of paper, slipping it across to his friend. It was an intelligence report. "In your absence, I've had a lesser vampire called Billy doing the info thing. He's basically useless, but not quite as useless as the rest."
Robert nodded. "I'll take him as... an apprentice, of sorts."
Lasombra pulled out a cigarette, and lit it. He gestured at Robert's new ears with the lit cigarette. "Figured out a way of hiding those?"
Robert nodded again, taking a widebrimmed hat from a coatrack hanging on the wall.
"It works, but you need to do something about the empty skin where your ears used to be," Lasombra said thoughtfully. "It's a shame that Tzimisce skipped town."
"She didn't like this place to begin with," Robert shrugged. "Probably went to Los Angeles, possibly back to Paris."
Someone knocked on the door, then opened it without ceremony and entered. It was Billy, aforementioned would-be spy.
"Billy," Lasombra grinned.
Billy gulped. Grinning vampires didn't really look that inspiring. "Uh, yeah, boss?"
"This here is Robert," Lasombra said, gesturing again with the cigarette. He tapped it absently on the ashtray on his desk. "He'll be taking back his position of Spymaster, and you'll be working under him."
"You'll be going to Vice City," Robert spoke up. "Tim Smith refuses to send his report by post, wants a courier."
Amanda smirked as she swept into the Red Room.
"You," the masked vampire snarled, rising to her feet. Her long white dress swirled around her legs, and her black and white jacket remained smooth.
"I am, indeed, Amanda of the Tzimisce," the woman said, pronouncing it zhi-mee-see. "And you are?"
"I am Despair," the masked woman's companion said, rising to her feet as well, "and this is my friend Jessica."
Amanda looked at the unscarred Toreador inquisitively. "Despair?"
The vampiress sighed, long-suffering echoing in the sound. "Mother had a Catholic upbringing, and was in a rebellious phase when she chose to name me. Please, call me Des for the time being."
Yes, Despair was trying to ingratiate herself. But Amanda didn't seem to notice.
"What can I do for the two of you," she asked.
Jessica ripped her mask off, revealing a face that Erik would have been proud to have. "You can start with fixing this!"
"Well," Amanda began, a smile growing, "Terry does need a hand or four with a small job I have for him..."
Xander looked over the book Giles had handed him. The Watcher had found a possible perp for the organ thefts over the last few days -- a group of demons who needed them to assume a human appearance.
"So Morgan could still be the guy, only demon Morgan instead of crazy Morgan," Willow summed up.
"It's said that these demons are, are, are preternaturally strong," Giles read, "and Morgan is, is... Well, he seems to be getting weaker every day."
After school, Xander stole Morgan's dummy from Mrs Jackson's cupboard, taking it to the Library. Something was off about that puppet, something was definitely strange...
"Where did you get that," the Slayer demanded.
"Oh, I took it out of Mrs. Jackson's cupboard," Xander said easily. "I thought you said you wanted to be able to speak to Morgan alone, and well, Morgan's alone, and, uh... Sid's with me."
Buffy looked at the puppet uncomfortably. It looked like a little dead person, to her.
"Hi, Buffy! Hi, Willow," Xander said in a squeaky voice, manipulating the dummy. "Would you like to hear some off-color jokes?"
And he had a ton, from sleepovers with Jesse and Wills.
"I really don't think you should be doing that," Buffy said.
"What? C'mon...," Xander complained. He assumed a squeaky voice again. "I'm not real!"
"Xander, quit it," Buffy demanded again, unsettled. She began to walk off in search of Morgan, when a thumping sound from behind rattled her. Buffy turned to find Xander thumping the puppet's head into the table.
"He's... not... real," Xander said forcefully, picking Sid back up. "I think our demonstration proves that, uh, Sid is wood. Now, why don't you go and find Morgan and prove he's... whatever he is?"
"I imagine he's looking for his puppet," Giles interrupted, unamused.
"I'll go find Morgan," Buffy sighed. Xander was in a peculiar mood, and she couldn't see how to get him out. "You watch the dummy."
Xander assumed the squeaky voice again, manipulating Sid. "Bye-bye, now. I'm completely inanimate."
Buffy gave Xander another look, then left in search of a possibly demonic Morgan.
"Redrum! Redruuum," Xander said in that squeaky voice.
"What do we do with him," Willow asked, meaning Xander.
"Eh, I'll keep him company," Xander shrugged, assuming she meant Sid.
"Xander, Willow, we have some hunting of our own to do," Giles said.
"Once again we're banished to the demon section of the card catalog," the redhead said philosophically.
"You concentrate on re-animation theory," Giles directed. "I'll peck about in organ harvesting. Unless, of course, you prefer..."
"That's okay, you can have the organs," Willow said quickly.
Part 28
Summary: Certain books have found their way to Sunnydale, pre-Buffy.
Disclaimer: I dun' own nuttin'!
Feedback, it makes me write faster. (You know you want to do the feedback thing.)
Pre-Fic Comments:
Ah, Esoteric. Of all my fics, I like this one the most.
A beautiful woman appeared in a restroom, stepping out of it into Sunnydale's premier country club. Her hair was long, black, and tied into a ponytail. She appeared roughly sixteen or seventeen years of age, and her dark green clothes accentuated her jade eyes. She moved over to a table that hosted five women of varying age, and stopped once she had reached it.
"Hello, I don't believe we've met before," the eldest woman, a Mrs Skinner, said.
"We're old friends, even though we've never met," the newcomer said, smiling. She produced a large gem from an unseen pocket, and held it up to the light.
"How beautiful," Mrs Chase gasped.
The woman set it down in the exact centre of the table. "For the prettiest of you all. But I must be off, I fear."
Xander looked up from the book he was reading through. "Hey, I found something. It basically says that Pinnochio-like things try to become human by harvesting organs."
"Pinnochio-like things," Willow asked.
"Emily's heart," Giles realised.
"Morgan's dummy," Willow added, realising what Xander was driving at.
"Say, where'd it go," Xander asked. "It was right here by me a second ago, bad jokes and all..."
"Don't remind me," Willow groaned. The last time she'd heard that many bad jokes, she had been six.
"Right," Xander said, pulling off one of his black gloves. "I'm gonna fireball it if I see it again."
"Don't be so hasty," a voice unfamiliar to both Giles and Willow called out from the Library doors. "You're chasing the wrong rabbit."
Everyone looked at the door, to see a girl with dark green clothes, green eyes, and black hair standing at the door. Amusement danced in her eyes.
"Eris," Xander said, grinning. "Great to see you again!"
"Lexy," the girl smirked, slinking over to the table and sitting on Xander's lap. "I've got a good way of showing you just how great it is for me to see you again..."
With that, she started making out with him in the middle of the Library.
"Hey," Willow complained. "You can't do that! Giles, they can't do that, right?"
The Watcher was decidedly pale at the moment. "Willow, she could turn this place into a warzone if she called on her brother. Be nice to Discordia."
Willow went as pale as the Watcher. She fell to her knees before the Goddess making out with her best friend. "Goddess!"
Eris disengaged from liplock. She smirked down at the redhead. "It's always nice to find one of your worshippers, isn't it, Namekeeper?"
Xander, who had been somewhat zoned out until now, blinked as his eyes regained focus. "Who, what? Hey, I'm just Xander!"
"'Just Xander's don't have enough power or chutzpah to tell Father off," Eris smiled. "Word is beginning to spread of your new status, and my followers begin to tell of you as well."
"You're... you're... the Namekeeper," Willow asked Xander weakly. "But... but... but..."
With that, the hackeress fainted dead away.
The amusement in Eris' eyes had grown.
The sounds of yelling and argueing grew as people passed outside the Library.
"I'M the MVP! NOT YOU!"
"You're NUTS, man! That plaque is MINE!"
Xander looked at Eris, annoyed. "You didn't!"
Eris looked at Xander, and started grinding her hips into his. "But it's so much fun... and it makes me so hot..."
Amanda glared at her fellow Toreador. "I can't believe you did that!"
Despair looked at her flatly. "If you'd been polite to her in the first place, we wouldn't be doing this."
The two vampires looked vastly different to their normal appearance. Amanda's face resembled that of one of the more notorious criminals of Los Angeles, and Despair's face was that of the man's partner. By no coincidence, the two whose faces they wore did not work for Lady Tzimisce.
"I look like a guy," Amanda hissed.
"Shut up," Despair roared. Her vocal cords were also altered, so her voice was a tenor rather than it's usual soprano. "We're in this to get the painting, then get out. So shut up and work!"
Terry smirked from behind the two. His face had been altered too.
Post-fic Comments:
I had a lot of fun writing this part. Please, do comment on it!
Part 29
Summary: Certain books have found their way to Sunnydale, pre-Buffy.
Crossover: V:tM
Disclaimer: I dun' own nuttin'!
Feedback, it makes me write faster. (You know you want to do the feedback thing.)
Pre-Fic Comments:
You can thank Luis for this part... he is quite good at prodding me to write something.
Eris frowned. "Not another interruption."
"What is it now," Giles sighed, exasperated. It was getting obvious that no more work would get done until Eris left.
"You might as well come out," Xander said.
A rangy figure emerged from the dusty Stacks. He had a wide brimmed hat on, and a long brown coat. His shaggy hair went down to his shoulders.
"What can we do for you," Giles asked, politely. There was precious little that he could do against the figure if it was what he suspected it was, but he was sure that Xander and Eris could hold their own. "Cigarettes? Blood? Witty banter?"
"I'm just here to give you something," the figure shrugged. "I'm Robert, I work under Lasombra. There is some information you might want to have."
"Hit us with it," Xander said. "But not in the literal sense, please."
"You're aware of the werewolves created in the same spell that created my kind," Robert asked.
"Yes, they were of the White Wolf Publishing kind, were they not," Giles asked. "Have they decided to act as fiction dictates?"
"Not... quite," Robert said. "The Wyrm here has not been corrupted. They've gone tribal."
"Tribal," Xander asked. "So the Bronze is gonna get one hell of a drum act next Thursday?"
"Insular, xenophobic," Robert elaborated. "Vigilantes. I would be dust in the wind right now, if it weren't for... well, you don't need to know that."
"Would they be a threat to normal people," Giles asked.
"Their gang was running drugs and illegal weapons before the spell," Robert snorted. "It was one of the worst kept secrets around."
"Ouch," Xander observed. "Say, what's wrong with your ears?"
"Nothing," Robert said defensively.
"Come, show us," Eris commanded.
"Not gonna," the Gangrel said sullenly.
Xander pulled off a glove to show black metal inlaid lines on his hand, and flicked a finger towards the coated figure. The hat flew off to reveal a pair of wolven ears atop his head.
"Shape of the Beast," Giles asked, fascinated.
"Yeah," Robert scowled, crouching to pick up his hat. "None ya damned business."
"Wasn't there some Tzimisce chick created by the spell," Xander asked. "Why don't you get her to fix it with her Fleshcrafting?"
"She split for Los Angeles, and I'm too damn busy to go find her," Robert said, tucking his ears under his hat again. "Don't do that again, or you'll have problems with vampire wolves as well as were type wolves."
"Would it be too much to ask for a nice, quiet year," Giles asked plaintively. "First organ stealing demons, now werewolves, what next!"
"That'd be too easy, G-man," Xander scolded playfully.
"How is Lasombra," Eris asked, getting up off Xander.
"He's doing okay," Robert said noncommittedly. "Some problems, but everyone's got them."
"Still smoking a pack a day," Eris asked.
"How'd you know about that," Robert asked harshly.
"My family is a pack of busybodies," Eris said.
"And her dad is a pain in the ass," Xander added.
"Is there anything else you wish to tell us," Giles asked Robert, trying to drag the conversation back on topic.
"Lasombra has given out standing orders that any murders for blood will be met with a trial," Robert shrugged. "Other than that, no."
"Coolness," Xander said. "Keep in touch."
The three's eyes followed the wolfish vampire as he left through the stacks, a faint thump announcing that he'd departed through Angel's trapdoor.
"That's one less headache," Xander said. "Vampires who actually behave."
"True," Giles sighed. "The Council will still be very put out over the whole affair."
"What'd I miss," Willow asked as she woke up from where she had been lying on Giles' comfortable chair in his office.
"You just missed the good vampire," Xander called back.
"Oh. Vampires. Yay," Willow said unenergetically. Her eyes widened as she recalled what had caused her to faint as she spotted Eris. "Oh my Goddess! Discordia!"
She moved out of the office, stepping towards Xander.
"And you," Willow said, turning on the safe target of Xander. Eris... Willow didn't for a nanosecond consider scolding Goddess. "Why did YOU not tell me you're the Namekeeper!"
"Hey, it's no big," Xander said nervously. "I don't even get paid for it."
"No big," Willow said incredulously. "No big! You're the biggest news since Malaclypse the Younger, and you say it's no big!"
Eris stifled a snigger as the bell rang.
"Omigod," Willow said, grabbing her bag. "Class! But don't you think for a second that this discussion is over, Xander Harris!"
"You were helpful," Xander said sourly to Eris.
Giles cleaned his glasses, looking fixedly at them.
"You're not mad with me, are you," Eris asked.
"I might be," Xander said. Getting told off by Willow sucked.
Eris grabbed his head, and pulled his lips to hers in a deep kiss. As it intensified, Xander's hands moved forwards to hold her waist. Eventually, they paused for air.
"I bet you're not mad with me now," she said slyly.
Part 30
Summary: Certain books have found their way to Sunnydale, pre-Buffy.
Crossover: V:tM
Disclaimer: I dun' own nuttin'!
Feedback, it makes me write faster. (You know you want to do the feedback thing.)
AlbumThisWasWrittenTo: 'Reise Reise', by Rammstein
Pre-Fic Comments:
We've gotten far enough into S1E9 that I can see how it's gonna work out, rather than write purely how the characters would act. God, this fic is ancient in terms of canon.
If I get any names wrong, tell me. I'm not sure about some names WRT surname and family name.
"Definitely not mad," Xander agreed after he and Eris came up for air. "Maybe Kurt Wagner prank victim annoyed, but not Hulk enraged."
"Don't you have class," Eris asked Xander.
"Indeed," Xander nodded, pulling his glove back on to cover the designs on his hands. "And I need you to help me with enscribing tonight."
"Oooo, I love doing that," Eris grinned as they went down the corridor. "Where? Where?"
"Eh," Xander shrugged, entering the classroom.
"Seat, Harris," Mrs Kerbopple said. "And who's your friend?"
"A higher authority said I could sit in on the classes," Eris said. "To... ensure proper education is taking place. It seems your superiors don't think you're capable of teaching to a satisfactory level."
"What did you say," Kerbopple said flatly.
"Hey, don't shoot the messenger," Eris said, holding up her hands as she moved to a desk.
Yeah, as a God Ares could be thought of as a superior (who thought that Kerbopple didn't teach enough about warfare to suit him), but the woman didn't need to know that.
All lesson long, a black scowl covered Kerbopple's face, and as they left she could be heard muttering, "Ten years I've been teaching here! The nerve!"
As Xander left, he looked at Eris indulgently. "Hot again, are we?"
"You bet," Eris agreed, wrapping herself around Xander, more biting his mouth than kissing it.
"Hey, touch but don't bite," Xander chastised, gently pushing her away slightly.
"God, what a slut," Harmony said as the Cordettes left the classroom. "I can't believe someone like that got a job that didn't involve their knees."
Eris' eyes flashed angrily, as she turned her head to regard Harmony. "Ah. Kendall. It's a shame, really..."
"What are you on about," Harmony demanded.
"Oh, just that Sunday was the IRS nark for that bust," Eris said easily. "But you knew that, seeing as she's your friend."
Xander decided to leave (taking Eris with him), before things really got heated and people remembered that he was there.
Ventrue smiled over her cup of tea. She was in Japan, and had been invited by one of her contacts to a meal.
"This is really most exquisite," she murmured.
"Thank you," her host Kasumi Tofu said, kneeling beside her husband Ono.
"Where is your friend Ranma Saotome," she asked Nabiki Tendo, who had invited her to her family's home.
"Please do not mention that name here," the girls' father said, firmly yet politely. Soun Tendo's long hair was streaked with grey, and so was his mustache. "He broke a solemn oath with us, and is honourless."
Ventrue inclined her head slightly, to indicate understanding. "I see. I apologise for bringing up unpleasant memories."
Soun's hand flicked dismissively. "It is of no matter. I understand that you are brokering a deal with Nabiki?"
"Indeed," Ventrue said. "My corporation is most excited about the business possibilities, so I endure the parting from my fiance."
"You are engaged to be married," Kasumi asked. She turned her head, smiling at her husband. "How wonderful!"
Ono nodded, regarding Ventrue steadily. Something seemed off to him.
Billy closed his eyes. This was no place for a Blood Demon, even if he was of extremely junior rank.
He stood before Tim Smith, who was firmly enthroned behind a cafe table in a smoky little bar. An old man sat beside him, and two more muscular men sat at the table.
"Uh... I'm here from Lasombra," Billy said uncertainly.
"Sunnydale," Tim asked.
"Yeah, uh, Robert the werewolf vamp guy is back, and told me to come get your report."
"I see," Tim said. "Angelo, Nunzio, Paul, I'll be back in a moment."
"We've done your job," Jessica snarled at the Tzimisce. "Fix my face!"
"She really is stupid, isn't she," Amanda sighed at Jessica's companion, Despair.
"She always did get passionate about things," Despair shrugged.
"Come here," Amanda commanded Jessica.
As the Toreador vampire approached her, Amanda's hands reached into the flesh composing her face, molding it like playdough. As the muscle, bone, fat, and skin were forced to change, Jessica screamed in agony. It had hurt just as much the previous two times.
Once she had finished, Jessica fell to the floor, slack. With her vampiric pallor and lack of breathing, she appeared a dead corpse.
"If you aren't too tired, could you change my face back," Despair asked Amanda politely. You caught more flies with honey than vinegar, after all.
That night, Xander sat on a chair in his room. Eris held a wooden stylus, tip sharpened to a fine point. Smoke rose from Xander's face as she drew it along his skin, leaving black lines of char behind.
"I'm surprised that you don't cry out," Eris said absently, drawing the design on Xander's head exactly as he had drawn it on paper.
"If I do," Xander said, being careful to only move his lower jaw, "the lines will be bad."
"True," Eris said. "Okay, now this part will really hurt."
Part 31
Summary: Certain books have found their way to Sunnydale, pre-Buffy.
Crossover: V:tM, R1/2, Mafia, GTAVC
Disclaimer: I dun' own nuttin'!
Feedback, it makes me write faster. (You know you want to do the feedback thing.)
Pre-Fic Comments:
Jessara, here's that part.
Other folks, I've put up the first part to a Naruto/Recca/SI fic I've been thinking about on my account. The link to my profile is at the bottom of the email.
"Right, lads, I've just had a great idea."
"Why'd you have to have it right in the middle of a soddin' mission? Why not until after we've seen the new breed of vamps?"
"Well, it's more of a just in case type plan, mates."
"Let's 'ear it, then."
"If it turns out that these ain't Mum Teresa vamps like Ripper claims, we find out if 'e's still Ripperly."
"Okay, now that's an idea I can get behind."
"Who's got the book?"
"Still can't believe that we're reduced to carrying around bloody dungeons and shitty dragons bloody books..."
"Good grief, Xander, what pray tell have you done to yourself now," Giles asked, spotting a large, obnoxious pair of cheap sunglasses perched on Xander's face.
"Why does something have to have happened," Xander hedged. "I might just want to wear sunglasses."
"This is Sunnydale," Buffy pointed out from where she was sitting on the counter. "The sunglasses here are probably possessed."
"I don't take roomies after the hyena," Xander said.
"How would you do that," Willow asked. "Possess sunglasses, I mean. And why? Ooo, I know, then you'd possess mainly sun worshippers, which means that on average you'd probably be possessing fit people, so--"
"They're demon free, okay," Xander scowled.
"But the question of the day seems to be, what is behind them," Giles asked.
Xander ripped off his sunnies as Eris hugged him from behind, a slow smile on her face. Around his eyes was a thick tracery of sooty lines, charcoal delineations that mildly contrasted with the flexible black metal lines inlaid on the rest of his body.
"Xander! I can't believe you did more body art," Willow exploded. "Oooo, mister, you are so in trouble! You're beginning to look like a reject from a... a... Black Sabbath concert!"
"No I'm not," Xander said, hurt. "Then I'd have crosses and guns and daggers and I'd be wearing Deadboy's wardrobe."
"No, that's Type O Negative," Eris contributed. "Angelus, I mean."
"Hey," Buffy interrupted. "Angel's a sweet person, and... and..."
"Dead," Xander provided.
"Yes! No! My point is, you leave him alone!"
Xander paused, realising what was going on. He turned his head to look at his girlfriend, who had a lazy smile on her face. "No."
"What," Eris asked innocently.
"Stop playing with their minds," Xander commanded. "We'll go and stir up the gridiron players later."
"What about the rugby players?"
"Nah, they're actually nice to me. Leave them alone."
"The cheerleaders?"
"No," Xander said, then paused. "Hold on. What am I saying? Play with Queen C and the Cordettes minds all you like."
"Oooh, you're going to annoy Cordelia," Willow asked eagerly. "Can I join in?"
"Me too, that's something I can get behind," Buffy contributed.
Giles sighed, taking off his glasses. "People, I do believe we're here to stop the organ stealing demon intent on murder."
"Oh, yeah," Xander said. "Run outta gas, you'll have to refuel me with Twinkies and Hoho's to get answers."
Giles, knowing he needed Xander's input (and library of rare books) tossed the teenager a cardboard box wordlessly.
"Okay, now we're cooking with oil," Xander said jubilantly. "My fiance, if you'd do the honours...?"
Eris traced a line on the bridge of Xander's nose, and the brunette fell to the floor, clutching at his eyes in agony for a moment as she held his hands away from clawing his eyes out.
"Xander," Buffy screamed, launching herself off the counter towards her friend.
Eris held him up as he went slack, and Buffy stared at him intently.
"Xander," Willow asked plaintively.
"Is... is he alright," Giles asked.
"I'm okay," Xander said hoarsely. "Give me a moment."
As Xander slowly opened his eyes, now outlined by black lines of inlaid metal, the others gasped.
Lasombra rubbed his eyes. While his vampiric regeneration meant that they didn't actually begin to hurt, and he didn't get headaches, they were reassuring in a psychosomatic way.
"Why can't these knuckleheads make appointments," he asked plaintively.
"Well, I didn't make an appointment to see their Watcher," Robert contributed.
Lasombra straightened up behind his desk, throwing a few books on top to hide papers scattered on it.
"Okay, show 'em in."
He sighed as four somewhat greasy Englishman walked in, trying to act polite despite the bandoliers of stakes, bottles of holy water, and the pistols.
"What can I do for you gentlemen," Lasombra asked.
"Beggin' yer pardon, yer Lordship, but we're 'ere to ask if yer would be willin' to open in discourse wiv the Watchers Council of England," the lead man said. "Th' Watchers Council feels it'd be benevolent like to both of our organisations to discuss terms of agreement, so's we don't waste time going after fellers what 'tain't killin' or sinnin'."
"You can tell them that I'm willing to talk to their representative," Lasombra said, leaning back on his chair. "Well? The sooner you leave, the sooner you can report."
"And get outta here, amen," one of the men at the back muttered.
After a brief glare backwards, the lead man bowed slightly. "Okay, we'll talk to y' later about th' dates, yer Lordship."
Part 32
Summary: Certain books have found their way to Sunnydale, pre-Buffy.
Crossover: V:tM, R1/2, Mafia, GTAVC
Disclaimer: I dun' own nuttin'!
Feedback, it makes me write faster. (You know you want to do the feedback thing.)
Pre-Fic Comments:
Jessara, here's that part.
One of the reasons I loathe writing Esoteric these days is because I have to read a good few parts before the part I'm writing, to try and not miss plot points or people. Pain, annoyance, and work.
As for the eyes, imagine the Sharingan from Naruto. Take away the funky commas, add a few more concentric circles, and change most of them to multi-side-agons.
"That... is just creep city," Buffy said eventually.
Xander's eyes, previously brown and perfectly mundane in appearance, were now purple, with geometric shapes slowly turning around on his iris.
"You think it looks weird from where you're sitting," Xander said. "I see dead people."
Everyone groaned at that one, including Eris.
"And that's why he gets on so well with Vulcan," she muttered. "Bad Jokes R Us."
"Okay, I also see magical essence and other weird things now, too," Xander admitted.
"Well, it will certainly stir up controversy in school," Giles said. "Are you sure that that is safe?"
"Not really," Xander admitted.
"Mister, you are not going out of here without your glasses," Willow said firmly.
"Say, where's Jesse," Willow asked.
"He wanted to work on the illusion that me and him are gonna do for the Talentless Show," Xander said.
"That, and he's sulking that he doesn't have a significant other yet," Eris said with a catty smile.
Xander pulled out his cheap sunglasses, putting them on. They hid the black metal lines around his eyes, somewhat.
"Okay, let's roll," Xander said. "We have vampires to slay, cheerleaders to mock, and gridiron players to piss off!"
Half an hour later, they had reconvened hurriedly at the back of the hall.
"Well, Xander," Buffy hissed.
"Morgan checks out as human," Xander said. "There is something majorly whacked going on with his third head, though, and that guy Marc is the real weirdo of the bunch. I don't think he's human at all."
"I see," Giles said. "One moment, and we shall sort this sordid matter out. Marc! Could I have a private word with you in the Library?"
"Sure thing, Mr Giles!"
Once they were in the Library, Xander slid a few meter rulers through the doorhandles, so no one could get in or out.
"Hey, what's with the whole inquisition," Marc asked, starting to look nervous.
"We have reason to believe that you are, in fact, responsible for the deaths which have occured recently," Giles said gravely.
Marc managed to look faintly sick. "No way. There is no way I did that... god, you people are sick!"
Xander turned from the doors. "Oh, we know that you're not human, Marc."
"You've been reading your books too long," Marc joked -- Xander was infamous for his 'hobby'.
"Nah, I don't think I've read them enough, although I have been getting kinda famous," Xander said. He pulled his glasses off, to reveal purple eyes with metal outlines. "You mighta heard of me -- I'm the Namekeeper, and I Know you. Ge'yabu."
"No," Marc said, paling so much his skin started to turn green. "You can't stop me... you don't know my whole name!"
"I'm the Namekeeper, appointed by the Father Himself," Xander said mildly. "Begone, Ge'yabu'jkretw!"
And with that, the rapidly un-human-appearing Marc vanished in a puff of smoke.
"Impressive," Buffy allowed. "Wanna come on patrol with me tonight?"
Xander opened his mouth, but Eris beat him to the punch. "Sorry, he's going to be too busy to deal with bottle blondes tonight."
Buffy's mouth opened in indignation, before she responded.
"Excellent," Ventrue said, bowing slightly as was the custom in the country. "I must leave, but I look forward to continuing business with you, Tendo-dono."
Tendo Nabiki smiled back, also bowing slightly. "Thank you."
"I shall leave you with some words to think over," Ventrue said, a pace before leaving the office. "It is a shame to work so hard for power and wealth, only to lose it and your loved ones when you die, is it not?"
Amanda and Despair gasped as they looked at a fine painting of Via Veneto in Italy.
"Beautiful," Amanda said. "So detailed..."
Despair made noises of agreement.
"If you wish to work for me, I could possibly pay you with works like this," Tzimisce said, with a slight evil smirk. "I have made... arrangements with several antiquities and art dealers."
"Yes, it's wonderful," Despair said, still gazing at the painting.
"Excellent," Tzimisce said, clapping her hands together. "Terry, have the gang bosses reported to you yet?"
Part 33
Summary: Certain books have found their way to Sunnydale, pre-Buffy.
Crossover: V:tM, R1/2, Mafia, GTAVC
Disclaimer: I dun' own nuttin'!
Feedback, it makes me write faster. (You know you want to do the feedback thing.)
Pre-Fic Comments:
Jessara, here's that part.
If anyone hasn't heard it, then I HIGHLY recommend 'Wanderlust' by Megadeth. Think gunslinger, heavy rock, extremely well done.
"As for me, I hocked my brains and headed west!" - Megadeth, 'Train of Consequences'
Xander looked grumpy, coming out of the hall. "That never happened."
"Amen, brother," Jesse said, coming right behind him.
"W-well, your skit was amazingly lifelike," Giles said. "But then again, that was the problem I guess."
Xander's eyes went wide behind his sunnies. "G-man, they were so scared of the illusion that most of them had to make a break for the loo!"
"Think of it as... admiration for your skills," Giles offered.
"Hey, maybe we can use it to scare the cheerleaders with frogs," Jesse offered.
"Yeah, but great big toads, and rattlesnakes," Xander grinned. "C'mon, I think the Tome of Grey has an incantation for an aura of fear."
"Hello? Doofus," Cordelia snapped. The other student, Wendell, looked at her. "You're in my light."
"Wendell, what is wrong with you," Xander asked rhetorically, and also mockingly. "Don't you know that she is the center of the universe, and the rest of us merely revolve around her?"
"Why don't you revolve yourselves out of my light," Cordelia retorted.
The bell then rang, so Xander and Wendell sat down on their seats.
"Snakes," Xander said, as Buffy and Willow walked in.
"Frogs," Jesse said.
"Snakes!"
"Frogs!"
"Guys," Willow interrupted. "N-no frogs!"
Both guys looked highly disappointed at this announcement.
"Hey, guys, was there any homework," Xander asked.
"We're doing active listening today," Willow offered.
"Active what," Jesse said.
"That would be the homework."
"Chapter five? Active listening," Buffy said, producing her textbook. "Where you put on your big ears and really focus on the other person?"
"Ms. Tishler demonstrated it yesterday," Wendell said.
"With you," Willow added.
"She was wearing that tight sweater," Buffy the fashion guru offered.
"Oh, the midnight blue angora! See, I was listening," Xander said.
"How'd you know about feminine crap like 'angora'," Jesse asked. "Next you'll be reading Women's Weekly or something."
"Knock knock," Xander said.
"Who's there," Jesse asked.
"Shut the hell up."
Willow gave him a look.
"Alright, take your seats," the teacher, Ms Tishler, said. "In a moment we will choose partners and practice what we read about in chapter five."
"Whut," Xander croaked, cupping an ear with a hand and pretending to be exceedingly ancient.
"Before we do, let's review," the teacher said. "Isaacson's research led him to conclude that one of our most fundamental needs after food and shelter is to be heard."
--
A\N: And to receive response, otherwise your speech is as the meaningless chirping of insects. Hint hint.
--
"Wendell," the teacher asked, "would you read the first two paragraphs on page seventy-eight where Isaacson describes the rapid improvement active listening brought to some special needs clients."
The student opened his book, then screamed as he dropped it. The reason became clear, very quickly as a mob of tarantula spiders crawled out of it somehow. The teacher screamed, as did the students near him, all running from him.
"Gross," Xander said. He began to pull off a glove, then Jesse stopped him.
"Not here," Jesse said. "If he gets into real trouble, then you can."
"Wow," Buffy said. "You guys do mature?"
"We should totally do spiders, not snakes or frogs," Jesse grinned.
"Please! Get 'em off of me! Help! Help! Get 'em off of me! Help me! Oh, please help me! Please!"
"Hey, G-man," Xander called out. "You'll never believe what happened today."
"Pray tell, then?"
"A huge mob of spiders appeared out of our psych textbook and crawled all over this guy," Jesse reported. "It was so gross, you should have been there!"
"Of course," Giles said dismissively. "Er, was there anything peculiar about the book or student?"
"Nah, I couldn't see any magic in it or him," Xander said, letting his shades slip down his nose to reveal his purple eyes.
"So there is someone summoning them, then," Giles said.
"Trying to see fuzzy magic like long range summoning is impossible, with all the backwash from our very own Mouth o' Bliss," Xander grumped.
"Clearly, more samples are needed to see if this is an isolated incident," Giles muttered.
"So, ignore and report any more spiderage," Jesse asked.
"Yes, yes. Go to class."
"Hey, I got a photocopy of that book you wanted."
"You did? Marvellous! Er, was it through that infernal machine?"
"Yeah, Wills got it for us from de Intahweb."
Part 34
Summary: Certain books have found their way to Sunnydale, pre-Buffy.
Crossover: V:tM, R1/2, Mafia, GTAVC
Disclaimer: I dun' own nuttin'!
Feedback, it makes me write faster. (You know you want to do the feedback thing.)
Pre-Fic Comments:
Thanks, Luis. Your reviews are helping me keep track of what to cover in this fic.
Sorry if this part is somewhat OT for the XZ. I'm covering events away from the central Scooby gang.
"Okay, I got that report from Tim Smith in Vice City for you," Billy said nervously.
Lasombra smiled, drawing another cigarette from his pocket. "Good. What's he got done?"
Billy relaxed as he saw that he wasn't going to be dismembered. "He's got all the crimebosses in the city ghouled, and since he's got them he's also got their organisations as well. Mosta the politicians are in his pocket, but not ghouled per se."
"I see," Lasombra said. "Anything else?"
The demonic vampire shivered as he remembered something. "Yeah. He turned this way, way creepy goth witch chick."
"Most... interesting," Lasombra said. "Did he say anything about her?"
"Not really, but I think he's tapping her," Billy said, emboldened by the lack of hurt coming his way.
Lasombra snorted. "Tim always was a pervert."
"Damn perverts," Billy muttered under his breath.
"I wouldn't talk if I were you," Lasombra said. "You're a corpse -- if you have sex, there's no way it ain't necrophilia."
"Goddammit," Billy swore.
"Send Robert in on your way out," Lasombra commanded.
The Gangrel smiled as he entered.
"I like that smile," Lasombra said. "That's a promising smile."
"You know those werewolf bikers," Robert asked.
"Yeah, they were the ones going feral, weren't they?"
"Yep. As part of our new agreement with the Watcher's Council, they have initiated action against this new 'lycanthropic threat'," Robert smiled widely. He had never liked the garou, ever since they had left him in a pit for the sun.
"Right," Lasombra said, tapping the ash from the end of his cigarette into the ashtray. "How likely are they to actually get them?"
"Well, the werewolves are all bikers, fairly clannish, so not very," Robert admitted. "It will distract both of them, though, leaving us a lot more leeway."
"Speaking of us, how's that childe you mentioned working out?"
"Pretty good. I sent her to San Fran for a couple weeks to check things out there."
"Don't tell me, let me guess," Lasombra said wearily. "You're tapping her."
Nabiki Tendo gazed at her father's koi pond, watching the fish in it.
What point was there to life?
You got born, lived, amassed wealth, and then lost it all when you died.
According to what she remembered from the Buddhist priests, you then got reincarnated to go through that all again.
So much work.
But...
What if you could live forever in a single life?
Nabiki was sure that she could maintain and increase her level of wealth, then.
She pulled out her cellphone and dialled.
"Elizabeth Ventrue speaking."
"Hello, this is Nabiki Tendo. You mentioned something about losing it all when you die when you left me."
"Death isn't always permanent... if you want, you could come to visit me in our American branch to discuss this further."
"I might take you up on that."
The next morning found Xander being thwapped by Willow.
"Xaaaandeeeeeeer," she yelled, chasing him down the hallway. "Get back here!"
"You mean you didn't like my illusions," Xander asked, mock hurt. "I even added touch to them."
Willow involuntarily shuddered, stopping for a moment.
"You have to admit, it was pretty funny," Jesse added.
He regretted speaking, as Willow began wailing on him with her Textbook +4 Of Doom.
"Shouldn't you be more worried, Xander?" Buffy asked, approaching the trio.
"Worried?" Xander asked.
"Yeah, about the spiders," clarified Buffy.
"Nah, not really," Xander said thoughtfully. "I mean, if there's something bad then we find it, it gets nuked, then we party."
"Little blase there," Buffy observed.
"Not really," Willow said. "If something really, really bad comes, then the Goddess will help us."
"You mean that Eris chick who kept stirring up trouble?"
"That's not all she stirred," Jesse said, a perverted grin on his face.
Xander rolled his eyes, but didn't bother to comment. Eris would have no problem defending herself from romantic overtures from Jesse.
"Hey, G-man," Xander called out as the four of them entered the Library. "Find anything?"
"What," a familiar voice asked from the depths of the stacks. Giles emerged from them, looking faintly confused. "Er, no, I'm afraid."
"Me neither," Xander said. "Well, except from your standard 'summon a horde of spider' spells."
"Might I suggest interrogating Wendell himself for further clues," Giles suggested.
"Sure thing," Buffy said cheerfully.
Post-fic Comments:
Sorry it's so short.
Part 35
Summary: Certain books have found their way to Sunnydale, pre-Buffy.
Crossover: V:tM, R1/2, Mafia, GTAVC
Disclaimer: I dun' own nuttin'!
Feedback, it makes me write faster. (You know you want to do the feedback thing.)
Pre-Fic Comments:
Yes, I'm sleepy.
There was this British guy at the LAN party I went to. He was building a box for someone, and I found that British people have the foulest mouths on Earth, bar none.
Ranma sighed as his father lectured him.
Man, didn't he ever get a break?
Sure, he'd broken the Tendo engagement, so old man Tendo was pissed at him twenty four seven. But when something went wrong, did Soun ever try and fix it himself? Noooo, Ranma got saddled with it.
"...and so you must follow Nabiki to America, and convince her to return to this noble land," Genma finished up.
"Hai, hai," Ranma sighed.
To be honest, he could probably do with a break from work.
Xander winced, almost imperceptibly, as they entered the Quad.
"What's up," Buffy asked, spotting the wince.
"Nothing," Xander said. "Just these eyes take getting used to, you know?"
"You can't turn 'em off," Willow asked.
"Nope," Xander said, as they approached Spider-boy. "Hey, Wendell. How are you?"
"Huh," Wendell asked, looking up at the four.
"You okay," Willow asked.
"Good talking to ya, man," Jesse offered.
Xander slapped him across the back of the head, Three Stooges style.
"Do you guys want something," Wendell frowned. "I... I don't think I have any books for you."
"We just thought you might wanna talk about what happened," Buffy said.
"You know, yesterday? With the spiders," Willow offered, shuddering.
"I don't know what to say about that," Wendell said thoughtfully. The affair had creeped him out, badly.
"There's nothing to say," Xander offered. "You saw two hundred insects, you Gonzoed, anybody would have."
Anyone who hadn't seen Shuggoths, Xander appended mentally. He noted a shudder from Jesse, indicating that he was thinking the same thing.
"They're not insects," Wendell frowned, appearing offended. "They're arachnids."
"They're from the Middle East," Buffy asked, with her excellent American-style geography knowledge.
"Spiders are arachnids," Wendell insisted. "They have eight legs. Insects only have six. Why does everyone make that mistake?"
"If I ever see things with eight legs, something's gone majorly wrong," Xander muttered.
"Don't know why," Buffy said out loud. "Has anything like this ever happened before?"
Spiderboy nodded.
"When," the Slayer demanded.
"Lots of times," Wendell smiled.
"Ew! You must hate spiders more than I do," Willow said, horror showing.
"I don't hate spiders. I love 'em," Wendell laughed. "They hate me."
A familiar cheerleader paused as she walked past.
"I hope you studied for the history test," she said to Buffy.
"What history test?"
"The one we're having in fourth period right now," Cordelia offered.
"There's a history test? Nobody told me there was a history test! I haven't... I... Okay, I will catch up with you guys later."
"What do you mean, you love spiders," Willow asked, sitting down next to him.
"It is platonic, right," Xander laughed.
"I had the best collection in the tri-county area," Wendell said proudly. "Browns and tarantulas and black widows... Then my folks shipped me off to wilderness camp. All my brother had to do was maintain their habitats. Instead he left their heat lamp on for a week. When I came home they were all dead. That's when the nightmares started."
Xander groaned. What a weirdo, even by his standards. He didn't have bottles with essences stacked on his shelves, did he?
"The nightmares," Willow asked.
"It's always the same," Wendell said, appearing genuinely sad. "I'm sitting in the classroom, teacher asks me to read something, I open up my book and then there they are. They're comin' after me. God, can you blame them after what I did?"
"And I thought clowns were bad," Jesse muttered.
"And that's how it happens? Every time," Xander asked.
"Yesterday in class I thought I'd just nodded off again. But then everyone else started screaming, too," Wendell said.
Ranma looked down at his map.
"Venturue," he muttered.
"Where you from, boy," a voice asked, as a leatherclad biker swaggered out from the alleyway. "Kinda outta place, aincha?"
As more bikers came out of the alleyway into the pool of light cast by the streetlight in the night, Ranma smiled.
Just what he'd been looking for. Stress relief.
Part 36
Summary: Certain books have found their way to Sunnydale, pre-Buffy.
Crossover: V:tM, R1/2, Mafia, GTAVC
Disclaimer: I dun' own nuttin'!
Feedback, it makes me write faster. (You know you want to do the feedback thing.)
Pre-Fic Comments:
Mum is a pain. Push, push, push, push. "Go to the gym, Alan," when she doesn't even go walking any more.
Rumours had began to spread, of a group of people taking control of numerous street gangs in America and forging them into one whole. So far, they hadn't been seen anywhere other than in North America, but gangs in Europe and Asia had become paranoid, checking the backgrounds of the new prospects with a greater intensity than before.
Possible links to terrorist organisations were theorised by police organisations, as well as James Bond-esque scenarios behind the consolidation of the gangs under one group.
Already, a strike team of somewhat dubious legality (as well as cast iron deniability) was being assembled, to raid one of the identified safe houses where one of the ruling members had been seen.
"You don't think that a dream demon and a shapeshifter are working together, do you," Jesse asked Xander.
"I dunno," Xander said. "I mean, they'd make a lot more money making porno's or something."
"Hey, I'm pretty sure it happened somewhere in X-men."
"Maybe, but I don't think Mystique ever turned into a horde of spiders," Xander said doubtfully.
"You just don't want to admit I'm right for once," Jesse said smugly.
"You, right," Xander demanded. "You can't even get my phone number right! I'm right!"
"Okay, mister," Willow said, coming up behind them. "If you're right, what is your theory? That you're right about, I mean."
"Just a dream demon working on a broad scale and feeding off the terror produced," Xander said promptly.
"Hey," Willow said. "It might not be a demon! Laura was in the boiler room when she was attacked -- it could be hallucinations. But they don't leave scars and bruises. Um, so just go back to talking and forget I said that, please? Because I was wrong..."
"Hahaha," Jesse laughed, pointing at a guy with a neon mohawk and nappy pins through his nose who was being fussed over by his mother. "Look at that!"
"Nice one," grinned Xander, opening the door to the classroom.
Everyone in the room started laughing.
"What's going on," Willow asked, looking back to see... "EWWWW!"
"Jess, where the hell did your clothes go," Xander asked, face twisted in disgust.
"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH," Jesse screamed, running with his hands over his private parts.
"This is boring," an increasingly familiar voice complained.
"Goddess," Willow said, a look of awe coming on her face.
"I thought you'd be all for it," Xander said.
"This is terror, not discord," Eris complained. "Hell, everyone's so busy being afraid they aren't fighting with each other!"
"What's going on," Xander asked. "It's like all... of our worst... dreams..."
"Are coming true," gasped Willow. "Omigod, Xander, you're a genius!"
"So why aren't we being affected," Xander asked Eris.
She shrugged. "Comes with being appointed by Father. Plus, my personal nightmare is everyone being sweet to each other, which isn't really compatible with everyone elses' nightmare."
"Next order of business, why aren't I really picking up... on... anything," Xander said slowly, eyes coming to rest on the other end of the corridor.
"Xander, there's nothing there," Willow said, confused.
"Oh yes there is," Xander said, sunglasses coming off to show his engraved purple irises.
"Really," Jesse asked, sounding terribly impressed. "I told you it was a dream demon."
"Hey kiddo, wassup?"
Ranma groaned. What was this terrible thirst?
It was worse than when they pulled into town after pops had eaten all their rations for a ten day journey on the second day.
Something liquid poured into his mouth, and he drank greedily. Recognising the liquid as blood, he started to wonder what the hell was going on. Enjoying blood was highly abnormal, even for him and the wackos that he seemed to collect like bad habits.
"Welcome to unlife, man," a rough, American voice said. "Hey, boys, now we got our very own Jackie Chan."
Ranma's rage flared. He hadn't cancelled the engagements and cut all ties to his clan to serve some gaijin asshole.
An inner beast rose, curling around his anger and possessing him as he systematically began to rip apart the undead bikers.
Post-fic Comments:
Yes, Ranma failed a Rage check.
Part 37
Summary: Certain books have found their way to Sunnydale, pre-Buffy.
Crossover: V:tM, R1/2, Mafia, GTAVC
Disclaimer: I dun' own nuttin'!
BandThisWasWrittenTo: Chemical Brothers
Feedback, it makes me write faster. (You know you want to do the feedback thing.)
"H-hi," the kid said. "I'm Billy."
"How come you can see him and we all can't," Willow asked Xander.
"Speak for yourself," Eris said, rolling her eyes.
Xander pointed at his eyes, surrounded by inlaid black metal with purple irises. "I gots better. Hey, Billy. I'm Xander. Whatcha doin'?"
"I-I don't remember," Billy whispered.
"Well, where's your body," Xander asked. "You're kinda all ghosty at the moment, and that's never a good thing."
"In the hospital," Billy said.
"Why're you in the hospital," Xander asked. "Hey, ask the duty nurse for Karen. She gives two bowls of icecream if you smile at her right."
"Thanks, mister," Billy said, brightening up. "You'd better run, though, or the Ugly Man will get you."
"Who's he," Eris asked, brightening up at the thought of something interesting happening.
"Lucky Nineteen," a voice roared.
"Call it a hunch, but I think he is," Xander said, pointing at a deformed man who had an insane grin on.
Nabiki kept a cool expression on her face as she looked across her tea cup at Ventrue.
"Eternal life... a shame about the blood and the sunlight," Nabiki said. "What benefits do you offer, beside the textbook western vampire?"
"An... alliance, with our growing network of informants and like minded people," Ventrue said, sipping her jasmine tea.
Nabiki set down her tea cup. "I am very sorry, Ventrue-dono, but I'm afraid I must decline your generous offer."
Ventrue's expression didn't change, as she picked up a little bell and rang it. Two men in suits arrived.
"Lady," one of them asked.
"Our friend Miss Tendo here feels faint -- please take her to her room and ensure she stays there," Ventrue said.
"You're imprisoning me," Nabiki said. "Me?"
"I'm afraid you know too much, Tendo," Ventrue said, rising to her feet. "I had honestly hoped that you would join our little group, but it would seem that it is not to be."
Ranma frowned, as he looked across the street.
Everything he'd been told had led him here. Apparently some Ventrue chick was holding Nabs prisoner, or something.
He frowned, then shook a moment. If he hadn't found those muggers, he wasn't sure what he'd be doing right now. Akane'd probably say he'd be eating rats, but he respected himself too much for that. Which was why there was a guy in front of the local police station, woozy and disorientated from blood loss.
Thank God his techniques still worked, no matter what weird-ass thing those gaijin had done to him. He still had no idea what'd happened.
"DON'T MOVE," Ranma roared, as he attacked the wall of the building holding Nabs.
Fierce Tiger Opening Gates Blow!
Tzimisce's brow creased slightly. Something strange was happening -- either one of the gang leaders under her thumb was about to mutiny, or someone else had taken a disliking to her.
"Terry," she called out. "Assemble the men, please?"
"Yes, ma'am," her loyal servant said. "Should I ready the... Things, as well?"
"No, but keep them ready, just in case," Tzimisce decided. "Go. Despair! Jessica!"
"We're not your lapdogs," Jessica hissed.
"What is it, Amanda," Despair asked civilly.
"We seem to have a surfeit of hostile entities outside," Amanda Tzimisce said. "Assist Terry, please?"
"God bless stupid people," Xander said happily, staring at the ashes.
"I can't believe he burnt up so fast," Billy's astral image said, staring where the Ugly Man used to be before Xander fireballed him.
"Okay, kiddo, let's go reacquaint you with your body," Eris said. "The sooner we do, the sooner everyone else goes back to infighting and argueing."
"What," Billy asked.
"Um... you don't want to know," Xander said. "Ask your parents."
"Okay," Billy said, still confused. "Um, I don't know what room I'm in, but I can show you where it is."
A week later found a particularly unusual headline in the Sunnydale Chronicle.
"Baseball Coach Missing," it proclaimed, even as the highschool janitor swept along the dusty corridor.
"Damn kids make more mess every week," the old man muttered.
Part 38
Summary: Certain books have found their way to Sunnydale, pre-Buffy.
Crossover: V:tM, R1/2, Mafia, GTAVC
Disclaimer: I dun' own nuttin'!
BandThisWasWrittenTo: Chemical Brothers
Feedback, it makes me write faster. (You know you want to do the feedback thing.)
Pre-fic Comments:
Time zones, how I love thee. With the whole GMT+12 thing I have going, I've got till noon the next day to get parts done. So... technically, Jessara, it's monday -- in Britain :)
There was a thing on the news, awhile back, about the gangs here having some conferences. Scary thought. A consultant on gangs from America said he was scared most by NZ gangs, due to their moko (full facial tattoos.) For some reason, that gives me warm fuzzies.
"Ranma," Nabiki exclaimed. "Boy, am I glad to see you!"
"Yer gettin' worse 'n Akane," Ranma shot back, as he kept running with the businesswoman carried in his arms. "So, what was the deal with those whackjobs?"
"Eh, the usual," Nabiki sniffed. "Western vampire idiots, this time."
"Vampire," Ranma asked, confused. "The hell is that?"
Tzimisce stalked back and forth.
Who would have the temerity to attack her? Her!
Well, a lot of people, she admitted to herself. She hadn't exactly been subtle.
What to do, what to do... well, the first was to repair the damage to the restaurant, obviously.
"Pierre!"
"Madam?"
"See to the repairs to the restaurant."
"We have no way to pay for these repairs, madam!"
"I'll organise it. See to it."
"At once, madam!"
"Terry!"
"Yeah, ma'am?"
"See to it that the gang leaders are brought here to me, for a council."
"Sure thing."
She stopped for a moment. Times like this she wished she still got headaches or something, so she'd have some psychosomatic action to perform.
Ah well.
Tzimisce picked up the phone. This was the really sucky part.
"Lasombra?"
"Hey, Giles, what's the what," Xander called out as he entered the library, the standard entourage behind him.
Giles looked up from the library computer. "Ah, excellent! Willow, could you...?"
"Sure thing," the redhead sighed. "But you have to learn how to do this yourself sometime, you know."
"Yes, well, I try and do what you showed me, but it winds up looking like the cover to an early Pink Floyd album," Giles sighed.
Everyone American looked at him blankly.
"Yes, I suppose that was rather prehistoric, from your point of view," Giles shrugged.
"Okay, I've got it working again," Willow chirped. "Hey, you've got some email!"
"Really," Giles said. "Who from?"
"From your large social circle of candy ravers and clubbers," Xander joked.
"The Watchers, who else? Something about some new faction attacking allies, or something. Um, do you want to read the rest?"
"Jessica, Despair, I have a job for you."
"What is it now," Jessica glared.
"You may even enjoy this one," Amanda smiled, as she leant back on her sofa.
"Do tell," Despair asked, one eyebrow arched.
"I've recently had a problem with two legged pests."
"Do I look like the exterminator?"
"And I take it you want us to find their sponsors," Despair asked.
"Quite. I have here two invitations to the annual tech industry ball," Amanda Tzimisce said, handing Despair an envelope encrusted with slogans.
"I don't want to go visit a pack of geeks," Jessica protested. "They'll look down my dress all evening!"
"Multibillionaire geeks," Despair pointed out. "Some of whom have government contracts."
"Oh," Jessica said. A thought struck her. "Say, do you think any of them have shares in art galleries?"
"To allow for presentation, I've also allowed a certain amount for clothing and the like," Amanda continued, handing Despair a far more elegant envelope containing several bank notes.
"I see."
"I do, of course, expect a return on this investment," Tzimisce said.
"Sure, sure," Jessica said dismissively. "I'm going to go get something to drink."
As the blonde left, Despair looked at Amanda evenly.
"I'd like to renegotiate our deal."
Part 39
Summary: Certain books have found their way to Sunnydale, pre-Buffy.
Crossover: V:tM, R1/2, Mafia, GTAVC
Disclaimer: I dun' own nuttin'!
BandThisWasWrittenTo: Powerman 5000
Feedback, it makes me write faster. (You know you want to do the feedback thing.)
Pre-fic Comments:
The new characters are no relation (at the moment, anyway. This could change.) Looked at my bookshelf and 'Thomas Harris' was the first author my eyes fell on. Weiss was the second -- 'Silence of the Lambs' and 'Data Structures & Problem Solving using Java', what a weird combination.
Just so I remember when writing the next part, we're between S1E10 and S1E11.
"Commander, most of our... raids were unsuccessful," a man in a black uniform reported.
His superior turned. He was... unique in appearance. "Most? Which of them were successful, then?"
The man looked down at his clipboard. "The mission to retrieve the DJ vampire -- Carl."
"Did we find any intel on him?"
"Yes, Commander Harris. Orphan, loner, psych indicates a strong reliance on music for emotional support."
"Good. Have the volunteer report to Doctor Lecter for his duties."
"Yes, sir. I really must protest against this course of action, though.
The skin around commander's remaining eye crinkled, as he smiled almost imperceptibly. "You of all people should know that death isn't forever, Weiss."
Weiss shuffled his feet slightly. Go to one night out (Carl was relatively well known as a DJ), indulging one's passion for Dungeons and Dragons, and look at what happens. "That's different."
"Of course it is," Harris said sarcastically. "Everyone can raise skeletons."
Lasombra sighed deeply, staring at the mirror. An empty seat at a desk covered with paper appeared in the image. The door next to the mirror opened, as Robert walked in.
"I sure hope you've got good news," Lasombra said.
"Nope," the Gangrel said. "Tremere's safehouse was attacked last night by blackclad assailants."
"Wonderful," Lasombra said. "I really needed that, on top of Tzimisce being attacked, and Ventrue's prospective childer throwing a panic attack."
"I think I've got just the thing to cheer you up, then," Robert said, holding up a purple envelope.
"What's this," Lasombra said, opening it. "Ah, the annual tech industry ball. I used to dream of going to this when I was studying, you know."
"Sounds like the thing to cheer you up, then," Robert said. He had a vested interest in keeping Lasombra on top of the game -- he knew that he himself had no head for organisation, as Lasombra did, and he was quite happy in his current position. "Ventrue, too."
"Sponsored by Xanatos Industries, Advanced Micro Devices, and Gigabyte Technology," Lasombra read on. He smiled, slightly.
His Dominate, Elizabeth's Presence and Dominate, and their combined charisma, and the ball had quite a few possibilities for them.
"Wow, someone's having a massive hate-on," Xander said, reading from over Giles' shoulder. "Why would anyone attack the Kindred, though?"
"Uh, because they're vampires," Willow hazarded.
"Wills, Wills, did you really miss their cake stall at the church on Sunday," Xander asked rhetorically.
"Church? But I'm Jewish."
"Uh, never mind."
"Obviously, it's time to have a little talk with the, um, Prince. Isn't that what they call themselves," Giles said.
"Sounds like," Xander agreed. "Me, you, Buff... who else?"
"Me! Me," Jesse said, waving his arms in the air.
"I don't know," Giles said, his eyes twinkling. "I couldn't possibly imagine anyone else who needs to go."
"Me," Jesse yelled. "Or I'ma plant a boot in yo' asses!"
"Ha," Xander laughed. "The only ass you're interested in is--"
He stopped talking abruptly as Jesse wrapped a hand over his mouth. "Shhh!"
"Uh, Jesse," Willow said. "That is so not a secret -- I mean, everyone knows you like Cordelia."
"Everyone," Jesse asked, deflating.
Willow nodded.
"Including Cordelia?"
"Afraid so," Xander confirmed.
"If we might get on topic," Giles asked, exasperated. "We need to chat with these neo vampires, remember?"
The sound of Mussorgsky's "Night on Bald Mountain" drifted through the medical complex, emanating from a cell.
Kurt looked through the grill. "I thought music was against regulations?"
Doctor Lecter looked faintly amused. "His mental state was bad enough, without taking away some of his security blanket, so to speak."
Indeed, the tall, blue eyed, black haired vampire looked positively catatonic, depressed beyond words.
"Is he capable of participating in the experiment," Kurt asked.
"Of course -- do you wish to back out, volunteer," Lecter asked in return.
The tall, powerfully built blonde shook his head. "No, not at all, but if the other subject can't perform..."
"Oh, I'm sure he will," Lecter reassured the experiment subject.
"We still haven't found out what type of vampire he is, have we," Kurt asked, taking up time while he gathered his nerves.
Lecter seemed to know what the other man was doing, as he indulged him. "No, I'm afraid not. The only indication we've had is the subject's bipolar personality, which doesn't really mesh with any of the known vampire 'myths'. All his other unnormal physical characteristics are as per the vampire legend."
"Well, time to put my life on the line for Uncle Sam," Kurt said, stepping up to the door.
"Don't you mean prospective unlife," Lecter chuckled. "Don't forget -- the cell door will remain locked until we're satisfied as to the condition of both of you."
Post-fic Comments:
So far, no plans on what Weiss went as. I can be convinced, though. Suggestions?
Part 40
Summary: Certain books have found their way to Sunnydale, pre-Buffy.
Crossover: V:tM, R1/2, Mafia, GTAVC
Disclaimer: I dun' own nuttin'!
BandThisWasWrittenTo: Depressing bands.
Feedback, it makes me write faster. (You know you want to do the feedback thing.)
Pre-fic Comments:
When VtM says fire is aggravated damage, they ain't kiddin', boyo. Just got out of Grout's mansion. Just.
"Where's Pookie," the blonde moaned, as he woke up. "Where's my Pookie!"
"His... Pookie," the doctor repeated, in a dry tone of voice.
The man's sergeant looked through the grill into the cell. "Has he been supplied with the test items?"
"Of course," Lecter said, an insulted look flashing across his visage. "Do I look like someone to deny a man... er, vampire... his sustenance?"
The sergeant nodded.
"Now," Lecter repeated. "What is this... Pookie?"
"His teddy bear," the sergeant said.
"A soldier of the United States of American still has his teddy," Lecter asked, one eyebrow raised.
"He's more than six foot and in perfect shape. You gonna make fun of it!"
"Very well. Go get his... Pookie."
Xander wandered into the small office building, looking around. "Nice digs."
"Thanks," Robert, his Gangrel guide, said.
"I especially like the tinted, anti-UV windows," Xander continued. "Hey, where the heck is Lasombra?"
"Through here," Robert said, adjusting the cowboy-esque hat covering his wolven ears. Slipping up with Shape of the Beast was a bitch. "Sir, Alexander Harris here to see you."
"Good, good," Lasombra said, looking up. "Good to see you again, Xander."
"I'd say the same, if it wasn't for all these little birdies telling me you been a baaad widdle boy," Xander said.
"What can you do," Lasombra asked, shrugging. "Some people just see unusual and call it the boogeyman without thinking."
"Well, seeing as it's the Watchers' Council, they usually know something about what's going on," Xander said. "So there has to be a grain of truth in there somewhere."
The shadow vampire sighed, deeply. "Carl's gone missing. I think it was this Government group I've been hearing about."
"Why would the Gummint be interested in you guys," Xander asked, incredulous. "Stake, fire, sunlight. All they need to know."
Lasombra's brow creased, slightly. Maybe he could get someone else to help deal with this problem. "My contacts all say the same thing -- weapons research."
"Weapons," Xander demanded. "Bush with nukes is bad enough -- Bush with Shuggoths and the Haunter of the Dark is enough to give me nightmares."
"That's what I've been hearing, nonetheless. You might want to get your Watcher buddies to look into it."
"I will, believe me," Xander said. "Dammit."
"Aren't you the Namekeeper, now?"
"Yeah," Xander admitted, "but unless they're personally powerful, as in Class A or Class S, they don't have Names, per se."
"Do I have a Name, yet," Lasombra asked, genuinely interested now.
"You're well on your way to getting one," Xander said. "Eris has a bet going with Nuitari on when you get it."
"Nuitari," Lasombra asked. "Isn't he another pantheon?"
Xander waved a finger at the vampire. "Naughty, naughty, you're not allowed to know about that kinda stuff. Not till you're... well, you're already dead. Gone, I guess."
"You're supposed to be on our side," Lasombra muttered.
Xander rolled his eyes. "I'm on humanity's side in general, not on Terry's side."
"I thought you said I didn't have a Name," Lasombra asked, curious.
"That's your name, with a lowercase 'N'," Xander explained. "No power behind it, save what normal people have in names."
"Oh," Terry, AKA Lasombra said. "Well, I'll have my people talk to the Council more about this issue."
"And Carl," Xander asked, worried. Carl was crazy, but Xander kind of liked him.
"Anyone who took him'd kick him out after a week," Lasombra muttered.
The five foot nothing Sergeant stepped cautiously through the open cell door, holding an old yellow teddy in front of him.
"Kurt," he called. "I've got your Pookie here for you."
The tall, blonde fledgeling rushed his superior, picking him up bodily and hugging him. "Pookie! Bad, bad Pookie for running away like that!"
"Kurt," Lecter asked cautiously. "Why are you treating the Sergeant like that!"
"Sergeant," Kurt asked rhetorically. He ruffled the older man's hair, completely ignoring the teddy bear. "This isn't Sergeant -- this is Pookie!"
"If that's his Pookie, I'd hate to see what he'll do to the CO," Lecter muttered. "Tasers out, men. Kurt, we're moving you to a different cell. Put him down."
"NO," the fledge roared. "You're not taking Pookie away from me!"
The sergeant's face began to pale, as the new Malkavian began to crush him unknowingly.
"Uh... Kurt," one of the soldiers hazarded. "You're crushing Pookie."
Lecter gave the man an evil look. "Don't feed his illusions, dolt!"
Kurt held the sergeant out at arms length. "Bad, bad Pookie! You're supposed to tell me when you need something!"
Post-fic Comments:
I never, ever, ever want to hear the following bands or singers again:
Jack Johnson Kelly Clarkson Akon Destiny's Child The Black Eyed Peas Gwen Stefani.
This includes doing my damndest to make sure that everyone I know doesn't give them a single damn cent. I'm SICK of their goddamn "music"! I'm also sick of fanboy (and fangirl) DJ's who never, ever play decent music on the work radio.
Part 41
Summary: Certain books have found their way to Sunnydale, pre-Buffy.
Crossover: V:tM, R1/2, Mafia, GTAVC
Disclaimer: I dun' own nuttin'!
BandThisWasWrittenTo: Depressing bands.
Feedback, it makes me write faster. (You know you want to do the feedback thing.)
Pre-fic Comments:
I find myself constantly referring to the VtM sourcebook for this fic...
No plans to write my other fics right now, except for Preknowledge once some manga arrives and I've read through it. (Berserk rocks.) Guilt tripping me through making a fic-for-a-fic deal works, though.
Ranma stared at Nabiki, as the jet travelled from America to Japan.
"Okay, Nabsy, what's up with that lot? And why've all my vitals gone funny," he asked.
Nabiki sighed. "For Tendo Corporation's leading medical researcher, you sure can be stupid at times. You're a vampire, Ranma."
"What the hell's a vampire," Ranma asked.
"You know, like in those American horror movies."
"Why I want to watch that gaijin crap? I get enough trouble in life as it is."
"You have no idea," Nabiki said. "You're a corpse, Ranma. You need to drink blood to survive, and sunlight will kill you. A stake through the heart will kill you, and you're allergic to garlic, and..."
"Dammit," Ranma complained. "Why I get all this crap?"
"Must've been a past life," Nabiki shrugged. "Either that, or the kami hate you."
"What did I do, piss on a shrine?"
Nabiki giggled. "Maybe your father engaged you to a goddess, and she's annoyed that you ran out on her."
"Not funny!"
A few female deities sneezed.
A few demonesses got the oddest feeling that they should be sneezing, too.
The base CO walked down the corridor, wincing. In his opinion, no one should be subjected to Tangerine Dream. But, here it was.
"Why is there music playing," he asked.
"Test Subject One needs it," Lecter said. "Tests indicate a bipolar personality. He's currently in an 'up' phase."
"Great," the CO muttered. "A loony. Where's our man, then?"
"Through here," Lecter said, stopping at a door with a grill in it.
"On your feet, soldier," Harris barked.
"Sir, yes, sir," Kurt said, snapping to attention. The poor Sergeant in the cell with him ran to the corner, shooting nervous glances at the neo-vampire.
"The doctor here indicates you've been abusing your immediate superior," Harris said. "You're liable to court martial for this, soldier."
"Sir, the sergeant hasn't spoken to me at all since before the operation, sir!"
Harris looked confused. "Then why is he in your cell, dammit!"
"Sir, that's my teddy bear Pookie, not the Sergeant, sir," Kurt said, his face displaying open confusion at how the CO was mistaking his teddy bear for a United States soldier.
"We've got another loony here," Harris muttered to Lecter. His voice rose again. "As you were."
"Sir," Kurt said, returning to his bed.
The sergeant gibbered a bit, shooting a terrified glance at Kurt.
"How are preparations for Test Subject Two coming along," he asked Lecter.
"The engineers have installed infrared cameras along the corridors," Lecter reported, "but the goggles have yet to come in."
"Excellent."
"Okay, he claims that the Gummit are shanghai'ing his vamps for weapons research," Xander announced as he walked into the library.
"Er, he," Giles asked.
"Lasombra," Xander expanded. "The local head honcho of el fango gango."
Giles winced. "Don't ever do that again."
"What, make bad jokes," Xander asked. "Why not?"
"That last one was almost physically painful."
"Hey," Xander said. "I've seen British comedy. You haven't even got a leg to hop around on."
Giles paused, then realised what Xander was referring to -- 'You haven't got a leg to stand on in court!'.
He winced again.
"And... that looks like my cue to leave," Xander said, adjusting the sunglasses as he backed out the door. "Willow! Jesse, my man! Buffinator! So, what's Cordelia up to?"
"Bribery," Buffy said, appearing slightly peeved. "She's desperate to be May Queen."
"Cordelia, man, she does love titles," Xander grinned.
Willow began to laugh. "Oh, God! Remember in sixth grade with the field trip?"
"Right! Right! The guy with the antlers on his belt," Xander nodded.
"HEY! She's just enthusiastic," Jesse said, defending his lady love.
"Be my Deputy," Willow said, in a mock deep voice.
"And remember the, the hat," Xander asked.
"Oh God! The hat," Willow laughed.
"Guys, Cordelia's a nice person," Jesse said.
"Really," Xander asked, tone of voice making his skepticism plain.
Jesse shifted his weight from foot to foot.
"Gee, it's fun that we're speaking in tongues," Buffy cut in.
"I'm sorry," Willow apologised.
"It's just that we had this, uh... You had to be there."
"It's not even funny," Willow added.
Post-fic Comments:
Ran out of be-botheredness at that point, sorry. I'm over my 4K minimum, so I'm happy.