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This vampire nest was supposed to have six vampires in it. This trip to L.A. was supposed to involve this nest as the first stop of several. This time Sherlock's information is imperfect.
[Fuck,] says Bella, after having burst through the door, masked and armed with her stake, [they're having all their friends over today - help -]
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cross_and_bow
"I'm not doing it," he says flatly. "The test is pointless and cruel. She'll never trust us again, and she'll be right not to, and all to find out information that I already know. So you can take your, your foul concoction, and get the hell out of my library."
cross_and_bow
"Oh, Rupert," sighs Arthur. And he begins to turn around and then he spins and strikes Giles in the back of the head with the briefcase containing his foul concoction.
He doesn't even have time to warn her.
cross_and_bow
Bella arrives to find the library devoid of Giles, but with another man present. "...Where's Giles?" she asks. She tries the brainphone, and he's unresponsive, although he didn't put up a busy message; maybe he's distracted.
"He's not feeling well today," says the man behind the counter. "Are you Isabella?"
"I prefer Bella. You're a... substitute librarian?"
"Of sorts," says the man. "But I'm actually a... colleague of Mr. Giles. Another Watcher. And I believe it's your birthday, Slayer Bella, am I right?"
"You're right - oh, wow, did Giles get me a magic teacher for my birthday instead of just a book, that would be the best thing -"
The man looks amused. "I'll pass on a report of your delight when he's well enough to answer the phone, you may be assured. You seem very keen. Do you want to begin right away? This library doesn't appear to get much traffic."
"Oh, it never does, I learn about demons and stuff in here all the time," says Bella, putting down her messenger bag and sitting at a table raptly. "Where do we start?"
"A simple exercise," says the Watcher, and he gets up and produces a clear white crystal and sets it on the table in front of her. "If you will peer into the center of this crystal, and concentrate very absolutely - no matter what distractions I concoct for you - and look for the small flaw inside of it - you will find the resulting mental state invaluable later on."
"Okay," says Bella, and she sets her chin on her arms and stares into the crystal intently.
Arthur circles her, and she ignores the footsteps. There's some sort of clicking noise, which she ignores. Sherlock won't be awake now, but she can tell Jarvis, the teacher won't be able to chide her for distraction he can't see: [Hey Jarvis, Giles got me a magic teacher for my birthd-]
In goes the needle. Out like a light goes Bella.
Initial unconsciousness is an occasional, known symptom of the suppressants. Arthur is unconcerned. He has his car ready to transport her to the field of battle. And no one comes into the library after school.
"He's not feeling well today," says the man behind the counter. "Are you Isabella?"
"I prefer Bella. You're a... substitute librarian?"
"Of sorts," says the man. "But I'm actually a... colleague of Mr. Giles. Another Watcher. And I believe it's your birthday, Slayer Bella, am I right?"
"You're right - oh, wow, did Giles get me a magic teacher for my birthday instead of just a book, that would be the best thing -"
The man looks amused. "I'll pass on a report of your delight when he's well enough to answer the phone, you may be assured. You seem very keen. Do you want to begin right away? This library doesn't appear to get much traffic."
"Oh, it never does, I learn about demons and stuff in here all the time," says Bella, putting down her messenger bag and sitting at a table raptly. "Where do we start?"
"A simple exercise," says the Watcher, and he gets up and produces a clear white crystal and sets it on the table in front of her. "If you will peer into the center of this crystal, and concentrate very absolutely - no matter what distractions I concoct for you - and look for the small flaw inside of it - you will find the resulting mental state invaluable later on."
"Okay," says Bella, and she sets her chin on her arms and stares into the crystal intently.
Arthur circles her, and she ignores the footsteps. There's some sort of clicking noise, which she ignores. Sherlock won't be awake now, but she can tell Jarvis, the teacher won't be able to chide her for distraction he can't see: [Hey Jarvis, Giles got me a magic teacher for my birthd-]
In goes the needle. Out like a light goes Bella.
Initial unconsciousness is an occasional, known symptom of the suppressants. Arthur is unconcerned. He has his car ready to transport her to the field of battle. And no one comes into the library after school.
poeticterms
[...Congratulations?] he tries after a moment.
Then, [Giles?]
No response from either direction.
He wakes up Sherlock and reports these facts.
Then, [Giles?]
No response from either direction.
He wakes up Sherlock and reports these facts.
cross_and_bow
It is well before sunset, and the chosen building has windows. She'll have plenty of time to wake up before the time-release locks on the test vampire's container set it free.
And the fact that she's still unconscious means that Arthur can divest her of those items that glow so oddly to his witchsight. This wand, this bracelet with the mother-of-pearl square bead on it, and - the rest of the magic seems to be coming from her directly, in spite of the fact that she fell for an utterly fictitious magical exercise; what has Giles been doing to his Slayer? Trying to extend the natural lifespan of the breed with excess magic? She did find it plausible that Arthur was a teacher of magic.
Well. He's got the still-unconscious Giles handcuffed to a chair in his hotel room. He can ask him a few questions when he wakes up.
Arthur carefully locks the Slayer in the building and leaves her be.
And the fact that she's still unconscious means that Arthur can divest her of those items that glow so oddly to his witchsight. This wand, this bracelet with the mother-of-pearl square bead on it, and - the rest of the magic seems to be coming from her directly, in spite of the fact that she fell for an utterly fictitious magical exercise; what has Giles been doing to his Slayer? Trying to extend the natural lifespan of the breed with excess magic? She did find it plausible that Arthur was a teacher of magic.
Well. He's got the still-unconscious Giles handcuffed to a chair in his hotel room. He can ask him a few questions when he wakes up.
Arthur carefully locks the Slayer in the building and leaves her be.
eversomuchfun
Sherlock, meanwhile, lets fifteen minutes go by with thirty-second checks on both Bella and Giles.
That's quite enough for him.
At the end of those fifteen minutes, with sunset still an hour away, he calls Charlie Swan.
That's quite enough for him.
At the end of those fifteen minutes, with sunset still an hour away, he calls Charlie Swan.
cross_and_bow
Charlie's cell phone says:
"You have reached the cell number of Charlie Swan. I can't pick up the phone right now. If this is an emergency police matter, please call 911. If this is a personal matter, please leave a message on my home answering machine, at 555-6701. If this is a non-emergency police matter, please call the Sunnydale Police Department at 555-2199."
Beep.
"You have reached the cell number of Charlie Swan. I can't pick up the phone right now. If this is an emergency police matter, please call 911. If this is a personal matter, please leave a message on my home answering machine, at 555-6701. If this is a non-emergency police matter, please call the Sunnydale Police Department at 555-2199."
Beep.
eversomuchfun
Oh, joy. No option for 'emergency personal matter', he notes. And advising people to call 911 in Sunnydale is rather like advising them to carry umbrellas on a deep-sea dive. But the chief of police is bound to have a slanted view of the matter.
He calls the police department.
He calls the police department.
eversomuchfun
"I need to speak with Charlie Swan," he says pleasantly. "It's about his daughter. Is he available?"
cross_and_bow
"No, he's tangled up in some business right now and can't come to the phone, sorry. Can I take a message?"
eversomuchfun
"You can give him my name and phone number," he says, and provides both. "And tell him that it is moderately urgent."
cross_and_bow
"...'Sherlock'," says the secretary. "Literary parents? What's the last name?"
eversomuchfun
"Literary parents with a deeply annoying sense of humour," he says. "If I told you my last name you would only think I was joking, and then you might not deliver my message, and then all three of Bella and Charlie and I would be greatly inconvenienced."
cross_and_bow
"I'll tell Chief Swan that Sherlock called about Bella and give him your number, when he's back, but it could be a few hours," says the secretary.
eversomuchfun
Purely on the off-chance, he also calls Charlie's home number and leaves a message stating that he called his cellphone and the police department looking for him, that it's about Bella and is moderately urgent, and his own name and number.
And then he goes back to those thirty-second checks.
And then he goes back to those thirty-second checks.
cross_and_bow
Bella wakes up just a few minutes before sunset.
[shrlok?] she says, sounding slurred and groggy.
[shrlok?] she says, sounding slurred and groggy.
cross_and_bow
[was a man - 'nstead 'f giles - a watcher - 'n the libry - 'm all weak 'n shaky -]