XLVI - video;

[breakmychest]

[GUESS WHO'S SMIRKING VISAGE IS ONCE AGAIN GRACING THE BARGE? That's right, it's Spike! He's back! And he's...actually not wearing black. Well, there's still the coat, of course, but his shirt's brown. His room's changed too. It's got pipes and metal all around, like it's something off of some awesome steampunk spaceship. Which, to be fair, it is.

He gives the Barge a lazy wave.]

So. What'd I miss?

[Filtered to Fred.]

You still here, pet? How've you been? And how long was I gone?

[Filtered to Buffy]

Told you I'd be back.

[Please still be here.]

Comments

[sharpememory.livejournal.com]

Yeah, of course. How many of your cohorts are there on the barge? Half a dozen or so?

[doctor-j-crane.livejournal.com]

I'm assuming that you came back for your deal.

[bigbad]

I got my deal. Now I'm here for seconds.

[bigbad]

If by cohorts, you mean other vampires, you really haven't been paying attention to who I get along with.

Anyway, I wouldn't know, I've been away for a year.

[bigbad]

Oh. Yeah, I did. Wouldn't have known I'd gotten my deal, otherwise.

[19centconstable.livejournal.com]

That's interesting to know: I've heard some people don't.

STEAMPUNK FOR THE WIN!

[some-kinda-hero.livejournal.com]

People left. [Bites her lip, shrugs.]

RIGHT? I LOVE THE COMICS.

[bigbad]

So nothing new, then.

[sharpememory.livejournal.com]

A year? [Pause.] Weird. I thought I knew someone who looked like you. And had the same name?

[doctor-j-crane.livejournal.com]

And what kind of seconds would that be?

Re: [Fred]

[http://users.livejournal.com/_fredless/]

[There is a small tilt of her mouth. Not quite a smile, but something. Still, the quiet is strained]

I'm still here.

[She missed you, you know]

[bigbad]

The kind that's not really any of your business.

[Spike]

[bigbad]

[He smiles back.]

Still have the same room and everything?

[bigbad]

...what?

\o/ Joss is love endlessly.

[some-kinda-hero.livejournal.com]

[Dry laugh.] Yeah, nothing beyond the usual. I'm not sure if you were close to them, but it was Bruce, Stephanie, and Wally this time.

[bigbad]

Yeah, I didn't know any of them well. [He's not too broken up to hear about Bruce being gone, though. He didn't like how close he and Buffy were getting. But then he realizes Buffy will be really upset about that and feels worse about it.]

[Spike]

[http://users.livejournal.com/_fredless/]

[Fred nods. She feels herself missing him more now than when he was gone]

...same room and everything.

[some-kinda-hero.livejournal.com]

Well, I guess that's good?

[sharpememory.livejournal.com]

What do you remember from being here? What happened? Floods and ports?

[Fred]

[bigbad]

I'll be right over.

[bigbad]

Pretty much everything. I've got a long memory.

[sharpememory.livejournal.com]

Could you tell me the last flood you were in?

[doctor-j-crane.livejournal.com]

The personal kind, I take it.

Action

[http://users.livejournal.com/_fredless/]

[They've done this before. More than once. But that doesn't keep this time from feeling different]

[bigbad]

For me. I'm sure there are others who're more upset.