004 - If you say you want a player, then I'll be good to go

[want_take_have]

[For a few weeks, Luceti had seemed almost...promising.

The draft had been more than a little horrific, but that was oddly comforting, really. Felt like home, monsters and hellmouths and all...though she could have done without the power drainage. And finding out that there were folks in the enclosure who weren't aiming for puritanical denial had given her hope for finally making a go of it. But the draft was quickly done (and lost). She was avoiding Ivan, determined to keep it at a one-night-stand. And then everyone started talking holidays.

Thanksgiving. Right. 'Cause they had all sorts of things to be grateful for, being kidnapped and locked up.

Training at the Battle Dome wasn't taking the edge off, and there weren't any missions active enough for her liking and, without Drusilla around, patrolling was weak sauce. All of which meant she was in a worse mood than usual. But she never was a dwelling and moping kind of girl. No...much better to keep moving. And if she couldn't skip town, well...she'd deal with it in other ways.

So, tonight, she'd ditched her usual jean jacket and t-shirt and dressed for a night on the town as she heads into Cloud Nine. Tonight, she wants a drink, a dance, and a distraction.

Late in the night, after a few drinks and when she slips outside for a cigarette, she flips open her journal to actually address anyone who is still awake]

Y'know...there's something creepy about a place with no crime. I mean, hey...the warm and fuzzies are great, so long's there's no experiments going on. But c'mon. Someone around here's gotta want to act out, sometimes. Punch things. Curse. Screw someone. [she paused to take a slow drag and blow the smoke out, watching it billow and curl before it disappeared in the night air.]

Being here, sometimes, is like getting dropped into a purgatory full of boyscouts. [from her tone, that isn't a compliment. On the road to righteousness or not, someone is bored.]

Comments

[want_take_have]

One eyebrow quirked upwards as she took in his outfit, slowly sucking on the cigarette so that the end glowed red. She'd seen him inside, of course. There weren't that many people who frequented Cloud Nine and his stature was pretty impressive. But this was the first real close look she'd gotten. She blew the smoke out with a huff before answering. "Somethin' like that. I'm more of an action sort of girl."

[dragmire]

There was a distinct look of displeasure as he regarded the smoke. The practice was not unknown to him, but he found it distasteful.

"Indeed? There seem far too few in this place."

[want_take_have]

It wasn't exactly a habit she'd been looking to gather, either. But cigarettes were currency in prison, and that had been another place where there was more time than there were things to do.

She couldn't even begrudge him the look, when she noticed it. Instead, she took one last drag before dropping the cigarette to the ground and crushing it under her boot.

"Not like there'd be anything for us to do, even if there were more. This place is about as exciting as watching paint dry. In the rain."

[dragmire]

The metaphor was a new one to him, but one easily understood. It earned a small and amused smirk.

"Such a stifling place, is it not? To cage such warriors for months on end, like famished beasts ravenous for flesh. Yet it remains peaceful. The fools entertain themselves with childish sport."

He had arrived during the little dodgeball game. He found it rather irritating.

[want_take_have]

The archaic way of speaking was...strange. A little too stiff and formal for her taste. But the sentiment was welcome, especially tonight. "There's this whole war thing they got goin' on, too...but that's sort of hit or miss. Not really something you can sign up for."

She'd been on the last one, at least, but she still remembered getting left behind that first time, while Buffy was sent off and nearly killed by the General.

[dragmire]

"I have fought their battle. But I have returned too late for the most recent of battles."

He didn't really regret that. He had gathered it had been a lost battle. While he was confident he could have changed the outcome, he rather preferred to see the Malnosso losing battles. It made them weaker, which served his own purposes quite well.

[want_take_have]

"Huh... kinda figured you for a newbie."

Not from lack of confidence, maybe...but, well...he sort of stood out in a crowd.

[dragmire]

"I am recently returned." Indeed, he had only been back for a week. Only long enough to get reacquainted. "It was midwinter when I was released from this place."

[want_take_have]

"Damn." She shook her head. "Gotta say...that's a pretty shitty lottery to win. What'd you do to make 'em like you so much?"

[dragmire]

"That I do not know. Perhaps I simply impressed them."

Indeed, he made quite a showing on the ocean voyage when he made an impressive display of his own powers.

[want_take_have]

"Maybe you oughta lay off the Wheaties."

Because damn, son. She wasn't as short as Buffy, but she knew just how misleading size could be in terms of power...but that didn't make him stand out any less.

[dragmire]

"I have done nothing to any of these 'Wheaties' you speak of."