yeah that happens if you turn into a vampire

[cross_and_bow]

(prologue)

Bella slips into the school by a side door; she just saw a thing and she thinks she's seen it in a book before and thinks it's supposed to be mostly harmless but before she wakes Giles up over probably nothing or kills a likely neutral demon she wants to check.

And she pushes into the library.

Comments

[thisvorlunatic]

...

[cross_and_bow]

Bella, meanwhile, is waking up on a truly unpleasant floor, even as floors go.

[pythbox]

Gosh, it's so unpleasant!

[cross_and_bow]

It's not really improved by the headache or the fact that she can barely lever herself up from prone, either.

She manages it eventually.

[pythbox]

The unpleasant floor belongs to an unpleasant house, and the unpleasant house is perfectly still and silent, quite as though unoccupied.

[cross_and_bow]

She tries the door. Locked. She tries to stand. No such luck. She tries a window. Painted shut.

[unmarred]

A familiar figure emerges from the shadows. Although he's wearing different clothes, blander and less crisply military than the grey-and-white Dendarii uniform.

[cross_and_bow]

"Miles," she says in relieved confusion. "Where the fuck are we?"

[unmarred]

"You've got to be kidding me," says the familiar figure in a decidedly un-Miles-like accent and cadence.

[cross_and_bow]

"Huh?"

[unmarred]

"Sorry. Mark," he says, with an ironic little bow. "Miles's twin. He may not have mentioned me. I represent a particularly awkward and private chapter in the family history."

[cross_and_bow]

"You... didn't come up."

[unmarred]

"Yeah, I'm not surprised. So, who are you and why are you sitting on the floor of this horrible little house drugged into near-paralysis?"

[cross_and_bow]

"Uh, my name's Bella and I am not entirely sure but I don't like it. Why are you lurking in this horrible little house?"

[unmarred]

"I was kidnapped and dumped in the basement."

[cross_and_bow]

"Well, that's antisocial. Can you open the door or should we make small talk till I shake off whatever's wrong with me?"

[unmarred]

"I anticipate having no trouble opening the door. There remains the question of what we will find on the other side."

[cross_and_bow]

"Good question. I suppose we can park until I'm to my usual standard of dealing with questionable things beyond doors."

[unmarred]

"Sounds like a plan. What is your usual standard?"

[cross_and_bow]

"Pretty good. Yours?"

[unmarred]

"If the solution to our problem involves murder, I can accomplish it."

[cross_and_bow]

"...Okay. Well, I have not decided whether or not the guy who drugged me should be murdered, but it's nice to know that if he should this would present no obstacle."

[unmarred]

He smiles slightly.

[cross_and_bow]

She decides not to ask if he's a vampire too, because the range of answers on that is not necessarily to her favor.

[unmarred]

Mark stands still and stares meditatively out a painted-shut window.