012 [ accidental video | location: hyperion hotel ] a kick in the teeth is good for some

[bigbad]

Spike is sitting on the floor in the Hyperion lobby hunched over and concentrating hard. He's holding a deck of cards, and several other piles are in front of him on a foot stool in the solitaire set-up. He moves an ace up and stares at the cards for a little while before flipping three down. Then he moves the cards around again. This continues for a while until finally, he shifts into his vampire face. His forehead wrinkles up and his eyes turn yellow, teeth lengthening.

He growls and knocks over the table, sending cards flying. He smiles for a minute. It's vaguely satisfying, but it doesn't really help anything.

Spike sighs and lets his features go back to being human, then turns to the tablet. He notices it's already recording, but at this point it's really too late to do anything about it. He picks it up and speaks into it.

"Anyone want to fight? I'm this close to seeing if I can hatch a demon to kill, I am so bloody bored."

Comments

[ voice ]

[skort]

How much fight can you handle?

[ voice ]

[bigbad]

Anything you can dish out, love.

[ voice ]

[skort]

Spike, I have super-strength. I could probably crush your internal organs with one punch.

[ voice ]

[bigbad]

Yeah? So could my girlfriend. I'm not saying I could win, I'm saying I could take it. Besides, it's not like I use most of them.

[ visual ]

[virtued.livejournal.com]

...well, that was interesting. Stefan will never complain again about his eyes going bloodshot when the blood rush hits him. At least his face doesn't do that. He'd already caught wind of there being a significant vampire population in Taxon, but a vampire presence doesn't mean he's about to shed his seventeen-year-old kid from Virginia act. It was default, instinctive to hide and blend in to the best of one's abilities. Outing yourself meant outing others; it was taboo. Stefan liked rules and abided by them. (Most of the time, anyway.) So, although his interest with this accidental video feed lies in how curious he is as to just how different this vampire is from the kind he and Damon are, he feigns the simple wonder of a normal kid getting yet another dose of something that's supposed to be strictly fictional.

"Whoa."

[ visual ]

[bigbad]

Oh, fantastic. Now he gets to deal with someone who's new to Taxon and from the looks of it, new to vampires in general. At least he's not screaming in terror. Spike's not great at comforting strangers. He scowls at the tablet.

"Yes, I'm a vampire. A real one. But I don't eat humans seeing as how I've got a soul and it's really not worth the mind-numbing guilt. Name's Spike. Did I miss anything? And who're you?"

[ visual ]

[virtued.livejournal.com]

In the back of Stefan's mind, he's laughing at the irony while outwardly doing well at keeping a straight face. ...or was. He breaks into a chuckle, then waves a hand at the screen to quickly cover that up. "Sorry, sorry. I just... This is all still a bit too trippy for me. It's like being trapped in Universal Studios with actors who are stuck in character."

The soul thing, now that was a little odd. Other vampires didn't have them? He could turn his emotions off if he wanted to, but just because he was capable of acting soulless didn't mean he was in the literal sense. 'Soulless creatures' was another one of those vampire myths that didn't line up with reality where he was from, like crosses and no reflections.

"I think that's it. Maybe? I wouldn't really know. I'm Stefan."

[ visual ]

[bigbad]

"Well, this isn't Hollywood, and I'm no actor." Spike crosses his arms and leans against the front desk, slowly relaxing. It's hardly Stefan's fault he doesn't know about vampires, and talking to someone is a hell of a lot more interesting than solitaire, so growling at the kid is probably counterproductive.

"Anyway, I generally keep my fangs in cause they're not all that attractive. They only come out when I'm..." he gestures at the wreckage. "Killing playing cards, apparently."

[ voice ]

[revivedqueen.livejournal.com]

You would lose.

[ voice ]

[bigbad]

Just cause I have in the past doesn't mean I would this time.

[ voice ]

[revivedqueen.livejournal.com]

Your arrogance has always been entertaining.

[ voice ]

[bigbad]

Yeah, mutual.

[ voice ]

[likeajoan.livejournal.com]

[Buffy does not approve of this treatment of tables, even if they're not strictly speaking (or at all) hers.]

Spike, don't take it out on the furniture.

[ voice ]

[bigbad]

The table survived, love. I don't suppose I could take you up on that sparring offer now, could I?

[ voice ]

[likeajoan.livejournal.com]

[This is a thoughtful pause for all of two seconds. Buffy's been feeling equally restless lately, after all.]

Well, I did have a productive nail-painting session planned, but I guess I can change it up. Want me to fly over to the hotel?

[ voice ]

[bigbad]

Yeah, that sounds good. Though we probably shouldn't do it in here. Apparently, Angel's opposed to holes in the wall.

[ voice ]

[undoing.livejournal.com]

[ angel's not at the hotel, presently. he's over at wolfram & hart, down in the file room, digging through the firm's records. ]

Hey! You maybe want to not destroy my hotel? I'd rather not have to rebuild another wall.

[ voice ]

[bigbad]

[You can't see it, Angel, but Spike is rolling his eyes and righting the table. He also gathers the cards back up.]

Get a grip. I didn't go anywhere near your walls. And I'm sure the table'll survive.

[ voice ]

[undoing.livejournal.com]

[ if you weren't rolling your eyes, spike, it would be cause for concern. ]

As long as you keep the destruction to a minimum. [ pause. ] Restless?

voice;private

[syncopath]

[The tone here is utter disdain]

Oh. Now I see. You're a vampire, too.

voice;private

[bigbad]

[And the tone on this end is snarly.]

Got a problem with that?

voice;private

[syncopath]

Not at all. Now I know who you are, what you are, and what you look like.

[ voice ]

[allthefunever.livejournal.com]

What's with the ugly looking ridges?

[ stefan would be the subtle brother. for the record. ]

[ voice ]

[bigbad]

I'm part dinosaur.

[Sarcasm is never unhelpful!]

[ voice ]

[allthefunever.livejournal.com]

We're in magic hamster land, you might want to try that one a little more pointed.

So, you're what. A mutant... vampire?