The Park: Evening Patrol

[cantjossme.livejournal.com]

Despite the warmer clothing and the two thermoses of hot beverages she has with her, Mel is still cold. There's something to be said for 200 years worth of global warming.

"I've got hot chocolate or coffee," Mel said to her fellow patrolee buddy. "Whatcha want?"

[For willbedone but otherwise open]

Comments

[willbedone.livejournal.com]

"Hot chocolate, please," Willow said. She held out a crinkly bag that she'd brought with her. "Chips? Or, as some might say, crisps?"

[cantjossme.livejournal.com]

"Thanks," Mel said taking a chip/crisp and popping it in her mouth before pouring hot chocolate in a travel mug for Willow. "Why are they called two different things?"

[willbedone.livejournal.com]

"It's a British vs. American thing," Willow said. "Kind of like how they enjoy taking care of otherwise homeless U's."

[cantjossme.livejournal.com]

"So... what? There's a war going on between Americans and British? Over homeless letters?" Mel asked looking slightly confused.

[willbedone.livejournal.com]

"Occasionally," Willow said. "There are also the not infrequent skirmishes over pronunciation, and the issue of how we bloody colonials keep doing things that make them polish their glasses."

[cantjossme.livejournal.com]

"Wow. That's something I didn't pick up in the journals. I thought there was just wars over land, politics and religion. Not over language," Mel said looking mystified. "How bloody are the colonials? Has the war been going on long?"

[willbedone.livejournal.com]

"Over 200 years," Willow said. "The Brits are very cranky about it. Though I think Spike's like that with anyone he meets."

[cantjossme.livejournal.com]

"Spike?" Mel asked. "Wait. That's the railroad spike vampire. Right?"

[willbedone.livejournal.com]

"The one with the chip in his head now, right," Willow nodded.

[cantjossme.livejournal.com]

Mel blinked. "How did he get a potato chip in his head?"

[willbedone.livejournal.com]

"Oh, this one's not a potato chip. It's a computer chip. It keeps him from hurting humans." Willow punctuated this comment by eating a fistful of potato chips.

[cantjossme.livejournal.com]

"Huh," Mel said thoughfully as they approached the pond. "Um. I've got a question for you. Do you know anything about Angel? That vampire guy? Angela was telling me about him at the party last week."

[willbedone.livejournal.com]

"Yes," Willow said. "We don't stake him. We like him. He's got a soul. A whole buncha non-chatty personal issues and an overfondness for the broody, not to mention how he deserves to be kicked in the shin for what he considers a good way to handle a relationship. Plus I never really got his hairstyle. But we like him."

[cantjossme.livejournal.com]

"Yeah," Mel said trying to take that all in and maybe looking a little tense. "That soul thing. How did that happen?"

[willbedone.livejournal.com]

"Gypsy curse," Willow said. "First time around it was because his mean, nasty, unsouled, admittedly kinda hot in the leather pants but not that we'd ever repeat me saying that around Buffy, self chewed on the wrong gypsy girl. Which no offense to Ms. Calendar or anything but I always wondered how the other girls in that clan felt knowing that they weren't the ones the clan elders cared about enough to do curses for if they died.

"Anyway, Angelus got cursed, soul goes in, brood goes on, and he stays that way until he experiences a moment of perfect happiness. At which point I get my orbs and curse him again."

[cantjossme.livejournal.com]

"You know the spell?" Mel asked slowly. "And it makes them good again?"

[willbedone.livejournal.com]

"I am spell girl," Willow said, drawing herself up proudly. "Gimme an orb and some stinky herbs and there can be souling lickety split. Only without actually licking the orb or the herbs because that's kind of gross. Plus it messes up the mojo."

[cantjossme.livejournal.com]

That drew a small smile from Mel. "Would it work on any vampire?" she asked with a small catch in her throat.

[willbedone.livejournal.com]

"I've only ever tried it on Angel but I don't see why not," Willow said. "It's not like the curse has his name all over it. Well it does on all those message boards and Wikis I posted it too but that's mostly due to me understanding how important it is to have multiple backups. Oh and my ingredients are labeled now. Which reminds me that I brought you something."

[cantjossme.livejournal.com]

Mel seemed to be looking at the ducks pretty thoughtfully before she realized what Willow had said. "Oh? What's that?"

[willbedone.livejournal.com]

"These," Willow said. She reached into her pocket and pulled out multi-colored labels which read things like 'MEL'S STAKE' and 'MEL'S KNIFE' and 'MEL'S AXE-LOOKING THING.'

[cantjossme.livejournal.com]

Mel died laughing. "These are great. Now I'll never mix up my stakes with my axe thing."

[willbedone.livejournal.com]

"Also?" Willow said. "This way when you're in a big vampy fight? You can throw your stakes at their heart and not have to worry that somebody else is going to try to lay claim to your Mr. Pointys."

[cantjossme.livejournal.com]

"I still find that name a little disturbing," Mel replied. "Isn't there something less... I dunno. Weird? There has to be a non-weird name you could call a stake."

[willbedone.livejournal.com]

"...Cuddles?"

[cantjossme.livejournal.com]

"Not really with the striking of fear," Mel pointed out. "How about Peirce?"

[willbedone.livejournal.com]

"Mr. Stabs-A-Lot?"

[cantjossme.livejournal.com]

"Lance?"

[willbedone.livejournal.com]

"Justin?"

[cantjossme.livejournal.com]

"Justin?"

[willbedone.livejournal.com]

"I thought we were going for a boyband theme," Willow explained. "Though it does kind of work. It's Just - " Willow mimed a staking motion " - in!"

[cantjossme.livejournal.com]

And the rest of the evening was spent thinking up names for stakes (possibly Clyde being a favorite) which eventually led to a discussion on whether ducks could be evil or just plain sinister at times and whether or not they deserved to be slain.

It was quite a clever conversationb but because it is evening it's just going to fade to black.