Caritas, Sat afternoon

[karaoke-lizard.livejournal.com]

The club was quiet.

Then, as though the stage had simply been waiting for it, there was a wooshing noise and an explosion of light. A portal opened and out of it was thrown a well-dressed green figure.

A few moments later, a cocktail glass, sadly empty, was thrown after him.

The portal closed in on itself, leaving the club quiet once more save for napkins and papers that fluttered through the air as the wind settled down.

"Oh fine," Lorne said, shaking his fist at where the portal had been. "See if I try to teach you how to sing a high E an octave above middle C again!"

Lorne brushed down his clothes, retrieved his glass, and looked out at the club. "Ahh, home sweet home. Still standing, too. Which beats out LA by a long distance and why on earth am I talking to myself? Tino! I need a drink and an audience. In that order."

[ooc: He's baaaaaaaack. Caritas itself isn't open but anybody who wants to swing by and welcome the Pylean home can come on in.]

Comments

[marsheadtilt.livejournal.com]

After helping Jake with his revenge plot, Veronica had gone back to her own room, managing somehow to avoid running into anyone in the halls.

She took a shower, got dressed and then saw she had a voicemail message on her phone.

From Lorne.

She grabbed her coat and headed into town.

She breezed into the club, huge grin on her face. "You're back!"

[karaoke-lizard.livejournal.com]

"Rhonda!" Lorne opened his arms for her. "C'mere and give your Uncle Lorne a hug! How's every little thing? Spill. I want all details, big and small."

[marsheadtilt.livejournal.com]

She hugged him tight. "Everything is great," she said, her grin still firmly in place. "Even better now that you're back." She gave him a curious look. "You're not leaving again, are you?"

[karaoke-lizard.livejournal.com]

"They'd have to drag me out of here by my horns," Lorne said. He went behind the bar to get Veronica her usual diet coke. "Which, incidentally, happened to me two nights ago. Long story. Involves a priest, his second cousin twice removed, and my Pylean accent not being what it used to be."

[marsheadtilt.livejournal.com]

She grinned and hopped up on one of the bar stools.

"A few months ago, I'd have probably asked you to explain that. But if I've learned nothing else since coming to Fandom, I've learned that some things are better left unexplained."

[karaoke-lizard.livejournal.com]

"Many things in life are, sugarplum," Lorne agreed. He sipped his drink. "How they make laws, sausages, and just what is in the filling of an Oreo cookie to name a few."

[marsheadtilt.livejournal.com]

She laughed.

"So last night my boyfriend took me to New York for dinner and we saw Wicked," she told him. Her expression probably told him a lot more than her words did.

[karaoke-lizard.livejournal.com]

"I'm sensing there was some Wicked goings-on in places other than the stage," Lorne said. "So spill. Who is the lucky Romeo?"

[marsheadtilt.livejournal.com]

Veronica blushed.

"Logan. We got back together right around the time you left."

[karaoke-lizard.livejournal.com]

"So we picked the prince and not the pauper," Lorne said. He pointed at her, giving her a sly and teasing look. "But still the bad boy, admit it."

[marsheadtilt.livejournal.com]

"I suppose I have a thing for them," she admitted. "But I'm not as bad as one of my friends," she added, thinking of Phoebe.

[karaoke-lizard.livejournal.com]

"Well who doesn't?" Lorne replied. "Leather coats, hot rides and, let's admit, well-filled out jeans. But more importantly: are you happy?"

[marsheadtilt.livejournal.com]

"I am," she said, a schmoopy look gracing her face.

Then she remembered that there was other stuff going on besides her and Logan. "Well, I'm happy with Logan," she clarified. "But there's some other stuff going on that's not so happy. We might need to bother you to do a soul check on Angel again," she explained.

[karaoke-lizard.livejournal.com]

Lorne grew more serious. "Don't tell me he's back in the land of leather pants and unfiltered Camels?"

[marsheadtilt.livejournal.com]

"No," she said. "But there's someone trying to make that happen."

[karaoke-lizard.livejournal.com]

"The shower of blood and bodies wasn't fun enough the first time?" Lorne asked. "Let me guess, the name starts with B."

[marsheadtilt.livejournal.com]

"Got it in one," she said grimly. "And apparently he doesn't give a damn about anyone but himself. He'd be putting the woman he loves in danger and that doesn't seem to matter to him."

[karaoke-lizard.livejournal.com]

"My mama always said 'evil is as evil does'," Lorne sighed. "Actually she always said I'd never amount to anything and that she ate the wrong son, but that's neither here nor there. How's the cavalry coming?"

[marsheadtilt.livejournal.com]

"Well, we have some advance warning this time, so we're trying to find out what he's up to. We think it has something to do with a Zen Master or an earthquake in Japan."

[karaoke-lizard.livejournal.com]

"I'll strike sushi off the menu," Lorne said. "Not that I've had any since that nasty little incident with - never mind. What's being done to stop him?"

[marsheadtilt.livejournal.com]

"Information gathering at this point."

[karaoke-lizard.livejournal.com]

"Anything I can do to help, you just holler your little lungs out," Lorne said. "For instance, I'm very good at staying out of the way."

[marsheadtilt.livejournal.com]

Veronica smiled. "I'll keep that in mind,' she said. "And I'll be staying out of the way, too. I had to promise Logan I wouldn't put myself in any more dangerous situations."

[karaoke-lizard.livejournal.com]

"Good for you," Lorne said. "You can sit with me in the 'lover not a fighter' corner. It's cozy. We'll drink mimosas and practice our sympathy faces for when the worst should occur."

[marsheadtilt.livejournal.com]

Veronica swallowed hard. "I don't think I'll be drinking much of anything if the worst occurs," she said haltingly.

[karaoke-lizard.livejournal.com]

"Bah," Lorne waved a hand. "Don't listen to me. Though the youthful face belies it inside is the heart of a battle-weary and oft times bitter demon. Though in my case all that bitterness is located in my behind. Still, good place for it when you think about it."

[marsheadtilt.livejournal.com]

"I suppose," she said with a shrug.

"So where'd you go anyway?" she asked to try to change the subject.

[karaoke-lizard.livejournal.com]

"Home not so sweet home," Lorne said. He made another drink for himself. "Requests from royalty, family reunions - it's as horrifying as it sounds."

[marsheadtilt.livejournal.com]

"Well, you're back now, that's all that matters," she said, grinning again.