XLIII--voice--private to Howie;

[breakmychest]

If you don't do something soon, there's going to be a war. One you started. I'd like to get this thing finished with as little blood spilled as possible, but we're past the point where anyone'll fix this by talking.

End this.

Comments

[kingfor-aday.livejournal.com]

I am doing something.

I'm goddamn trying. I'm trying until I fall over dead right now.

I didn't start a thing. You are the ones wanting to form a fucking [yeah, he said it, he regrets it, ssh.] lynch mob or baying for her blood, just... there is another solution. I am doing my best.

Do you know how damn hard it is to persuade someone that this place isn't so shitting bad when you know there's a good amount of people wanting someone who made a damn mistake dead?

I am trying. Please, let me keep trying. Don't. Please, don't. Death is never a solution. No. It isn't. [someone's sounding more and more desperate.]

[bigbad]

I don't want to kill her. I never wanted to kill her. I just don't know what else might work.

Look, has anyone tried putting her in Zero or getting some other magic practitioner to try and lift it? Sounds obvious, but...

[kingfor-aday.livejournal.com]

I'll try and get her to go to zero.

But... the more I talk to her about it, the more I think it's... unleashed. Stopping her powers might not put it back. It might only limit her ability to stop it.

I've been busy... but talking to another wizard might help.

[pause]

I got the impression she was more powerful than any other wizard in her world. It was a wizard, a trained wizard who talked her down, without using magic, last time.

Please, don't let them kill her. I love her, she can't die. [okay, so that was flaky and desperate, but he's losing it a bit.]

[bigbad]

...bugger.

[It might be flaky and desperate, but it's also exactly the guy you want to tell you love someone in order to get his help. Spike has always been love's bitch. If it were Buffy causing all of this somehow and everyone out for her blood, he'd be defending her every bit as fiercely as Howie's defending Sveta. Though he likes to think he'd have been a bit smarter about it and hidden her away or something. The point being, how can he begrudge a man making foolish decisions to protect the woman he loves? Losing her would hurt worse than all Spike's burns and scrapes and bruises. Even if it'd be temporary.]

Fine, I'll help.

They're gearing up to attack now. Narvin and at least three others.

[kingfor-aday.livejournal.com]

...Thank you.

What can you do, though, apart from what I've done?

Trust Narvin. I'll... I'll keep her safe.

[bigbad]

Research, I suppose. You've probably been too busy playing white knight to figure out any real solutions.

[An unhappy pause.]

Don't suppose you want to switch jobs?

[kingfor-aday.livejournal.com]

I'm not playing at anything. I'm using the solution that was used last time and... [okay, calm down.]

Sorry.

And I appreciate the offer, but never. I can't. I put my life on the line, I wouldn't ask anyone else to do it for me.

[bigbad]

Sort of figured. I'd just rather put my life on the line than risk research. [A sigh.] Good luck, mate.

[kingfor-aday.livejournal.com]

You too.

Tell them before me if you find anything.