want_take_have | 001 - Every time that I wake it's like I only wake into a dream

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001 - Every time that I wake it's like I only wake into a dream

[she dreamt of a picnic.

Mayor Wilkins was there. Happy. Whole. Cracking his stupid, corny jokes that should have made her roll her eyes...except they didn't. There was a nagging sense of deja vu, like she'd seen this before and it hadn't ended well, but they finished their meal and he talked with her and...nothing happened. It was perfect.

She was content enough that she laid back on the grass and closed her eyes, just enjoying the breeze against her face and the fact that, for once, she didn't have to be on edge.

When she woke, she could still feel the hint of that breeze. An illusion, of course. Something left over from her imagination, because you didn't get wind in prison cells. She kept her eyes closed though, trying to pretend, because she wasn't quite ready to let it go...except there was a dull ache between her shoulder blades that wouldn't let her fully relax. Finally, she swore, grit her teeth, and opened her eyes-

...And stared.

It takes a few minutes of quietly freaking out before she finds the journal, and a few more before she gets ahold of herself enough to attempt to use it. She was from Sunnydale...She could handle screwed up. She'd figure it out as she went. Right?

When she actually speaks, she sounds pretty chill, especially to anyone who doesn't know what she sounds like when she's wigged.]

So...not saying I totally buy the whole "this is real" thing, 'cause this is all kinds of messed up...but pretending I did...where's a girl gotta go to get a hard drink around here?

[because she really, really needed one]

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Another evening of browsing the journals, and another face new to town. I managed to catch her pretty quick after she asked, even.

She didn't ping my celebrity radar. Still, anybody who gets stuck in this hole deserves directions to the freaking bar, if nothing else.

"It's a nice little place called Good Spirits. If you can find the plaza, it's just a little ways from there, near the fork in the road."

I paused.

"And I'm sorry to tell you this, ma'am, but that thing where you pretend it's a dream never works for long."

[ma'am? Definitely not someone who knew her. But her real focus was on the Good Spirits suggestion] Damn...are you all gettin' paid to advertise for it or something? Or is that really all there is to do around here.

[if she didn't know Buffy was there, she'd have been fine with it. But ignorance wasn't really a possibility at this point]

[All there is. Yeah, she wasn't going to do well here, was she?]

"S'pretty small town, ma'am. There's also a restaurant with a bar and an upstairs nightclub across the way, but half of the entertainment in this town is in finding some way to entertain yourself."

[Shifts and kidnappings notwithstanding, that was.]

Faith.

[she's not really one for exchanging pleasantries, but the "ma'am" grates at her. It doesn't fit, and when she's already feeling out of place, she can't really handle another reason]

[of course, it might help if she bothered to clarify that it was her name, rather than just a slightly abrasive oath]

"... No offense intended, ma'am, but I was never much for prayer as a form of entertainment."

[... And most of the folks he knew who were didn't drink much, actually.]

....Huh?

[She does a double take, staring at the page as if he was nuts, before she realizes what he was responding to. And she rolls her eyes]

God...no. That's my name. So you'll lay off this ma'am bullshit.

[...a picture of politeness, she ain't.]

[... Oh, hell's bells. A++, Harry. Would ask for help again. Idiot.]

"Oh, right. Right. Harry Dresden. Pleased to meet you. And sorry about the 'Ma'am' thing. Upbringing, I guess."

Whatever. [there was an awkward pause where she realized she should probably attempt to be a bit nicer.] It's cool.

Guess I kinda missed out on all that.

[Don't feel bad, he has that problem himself sometimes. Besides, he's constitutionally incapable of being snippy with a woman he doesn't know.]

"Old-fashioned upbringing? That's alright, it has disadvantages. Have you already read the Cliffs Notes on this place?"

[she shrugs off the comment about upbringings, focusing on his actual question] Near enough. Prison. Freak guards with a thing for dressing people up in new clothes. Don't remove the wings. And everybody drinks at the same, damn bar.

[Not just the clothes that they liked to mess with. He still half-remembers the life of a Rifleman who never existed.]

"Well, hey, if the lack of variety bugs you, you could try opening your own bar. Might attract people just for the novelty. No money, though, so you'd have to get pretty damn bored."

[that got a snort...and even half a smile, though there was an edge to it]

B would just love that.

[steal her boyfriends. Steal her job. That'd definitely convince her that Faith was on her side]

[... Oof, there was definitely a touch of bitterness there. Just a hint. The faintest shades.]

"B who now?"

[...oops]

...Buffy. She and me...we go back.

"You know Buffy?"

[Hmm. Must have missed that episode. Then again, he really missed most of the episodes.]

"Seen her around, haven't spoken to her much. Seems nice. Friend of yours?"

Yeah. She's a peach.

[she didn't answer the question about being friends. In her mind, that was a lose-lose situation. Call her a friend, and Buffy could easily call her a liar. Say she wasn't and...well...that didn't seem to be a path towards anyone's good side]

[Hey, he's not friendly enough with Buffy to take a side.]

"Willow's here too, by the way. Don't know if you know her at all."

[... Now her, on the other hand, he's on pretty good terms with.

He drifts off into a little contemplative noise.]

"Can't think of anybody else you're likely to know, off the top of my head. Sorry."

She said hello.

[But the rest actually was good news. He didn't know of anyone else.

Good. Maybe she'd only have to work at avoiding the two of them. Like that'd be possible. Except...]

You know a guy named Angel, at all?

[He knows the face from TV. Somehow he doesn't think that counts.]

"... haven't seen him around here, no. Heard he used to be, but it was before I showed up... Sorry."

[that made her stomach churn. Here and then gone again. Of course. That was just her luck. But she tried to play it off with a shrug]

Whatever. I'm not really a class reunion kinda gal.

"Yeah, two faces from home isn't so bad. I lucked out, a close friend from home showed up just a week or so after I did, but a lot of folks are totally alone around here."

[It kind of hurt, actually, thinking of how isolated Richard was. He wasn't even from the same century as most of the village.]

Right. Guess I should count myself lucky.

[she really does nearly laugh at that. It's so ridiculous that she almost can't help it]

So what's the deal with the neighborhood relocations? This a Pringles kind of thing, where one just ain't enough?

[Sorry, you've delved too deep into the buffyspeak for Harry to follow.]

"Which Neighborhood relocations would those be?"

The whole Who's Who of kidnappees. Don't people getting snatched from their homes usually do it without bringing along their nearest and dearest. [and all their favorite enemies?]

"Oh, like, coming here? Far as I know, it's totally random. I don't think even our gracious hosts have any control of when we come and go, they just sort of grab us on the way in. If people get stuck here together, it's probably just a massive coincidence."

001 - Every time that I wake it's like I only wake into a dream

[Voice/Let me know if the first-person prose is a problem]

Re: [Voice/ It's a bit confusing,but whatever you're most comfortable with is cool]

[Voice/ Nah, it's just a nod to the canon, I'd be cool with brackets if you'd prefer.]

[Voice | So long as you don't mind!]

[Voice | Totally cool!]

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