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

[cross_and_bow]

"How come your plans for your field trip, anyway?" Bella asks Miles.

[thisvorlunatic]

"I was actually looking for you to ask if you could drive me to an airport," he says. "Perhaps after we've dealt with whoever kidnapped you, drugged you, and locked you in a house with a vampire."

[cross_and_bow]

"Yeah, that's rather antisocial behavior. It was some dude lurking in the library in place of Giles, pretended he was there to be a magic teacher for my birthday - I can't get magic to work out of books and it's dreadfully frustrating - and next thing I know here I am. I don't know where Giles is or what his involvement was."

[thisvorlunatic]

"Giles?"

[cross_and_bow]

"My Watcher. Slayers get assigned a crusty elderly Brit to Watch us, which can take the form of 'stalking' or of 'research support'. For some reason this is a large organization and ten of them don't work ordinary jobs and tithe to give me a stipend; I think they are as a group very poorly thought out. Giles is okay, though, unless he sent that asshole."

[thisvorlunatic]

"...Yeah," says Miles, glancing at Mark. "You being me would be an efficient use of resources."

[unmarred]

"I'm not sure I can avoid the crying and hugging you part, come to think. Maybe we should get Bella to an appropriate primitive comm device first."

[cross_and_bow]

"They're called phones."

[unmarred]

Shrug.

[cross_and_bow]

"By all means let's find me a phone."

[unmarred]

"Yes," says Mark. "I don't know what to look for, but Miles and I can guard you on your way and if we are in a location unfamiliar to you I am sure Miles can navigate."

[cross_and_bow]

"I'm not sure where we are but if we hit civilization I can figure it out, I just never did get my wilderness survival girl scout badge."

[thisvorlunatic]

"I walked here from the school. Finding civilization won't be a problem. Ready to go, then?"

[cross_and_bow]

"I think I can walk, and if you didn't find anything hostile on the way here it probably doesn't matter if I can also do a few dozen backflips."

[thisvorlunatic]

"We have a stunner, a nerve disruptor, and Mark. I think we're set for any combat situation not involving literal armies."

[cross_and_bow]

"My heroes."

[thisvorlunatic]

"Rescue missions were always my favourite."

He reopens the door and leads the way out.

[cross_and_bow]

And back to civilization she goes, getting a bit more surefooted as they proceed.

[thisvorlunatic]

Walk walk walk.

"I don't know what that is but it looks plausibly relevant," says Miles, pointing out a payphone.

[cross_and_bow]

"Yep, that's a phone." She pats herself down for her wallet: she at least has not been robbed. She puts quarters in the pay phone. She talks to her dad. "Charlie's going to come pick me up. Thank you both."

[thisvorlunatic]

"No problem," says Miles.

[unmarred]

"If you'd like my assistance in finding and assassinating the person who put us in that house, you shall have it," says Mark.

[cross_and_bow]

"And how do I look you up?"

[unmarred]

"I don't know yet."

[thisvorlunatic]

"I'm staying with a friend right now but he doesn't want Bella knowing where he lives because she scares him," says Miles. "And none of us has a phone."