✿6 [Accidental Voice / Action]

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[Voice]

*The journal starts picking up the sounds of a fight in progress, as if someone had dropped their journal accidentally.*  Noel, get back!

*Then, odd whooshes of air and the sound of metal striking metal - but they're interrupted by a crack of thunder. There's silence for a few moments, and then a second, louder clap of thunder, followed shortly by the sound of furniture breaking and another voice - some might recognize it as Noel Vermillion - shouting.*  Rachel! Ahh...

*Silence, interrupted only by the sound of metal footsteps. But then the first voice speaks again, though it seems slightly weaker.* You dare...?! Do... not turn your backs... on me...!

Baden Baden Lil--

*The speaker is suddenly cut off, and the journal is splattered by little crimson droplets, as though someone was writing in it. There's a thump and the sound of something - or someone - being dragged away, and then silence. The feed cuts out.*

[Action]

*Where are you? What are you doing? It doesn't matter, because there's a young girl dressed in a frilly gothic lolita dress teleporting near to you with a shower of roses. She looks rather beaten-up, and is clutching a bleeding wound at her stomach.

Needless to say, Rachel does not look happy. This wasn't where she wanted to end up.*

***

((OOC: So, Rachel tried to get some revenge on the Malnosso by attacking the droids coming to kidnap Noel. She failed spectacularly. So she's wounded, unable to focus on her teleportation, and she's taken a heavy blow to her pride. This won't end well.))

Comments

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*From behind her he can probably see that her back is bleeding, too. Whoever did this to her went all the way through. Meanwhile, Rachel is desperately trying to straighten up.* I do not ... need your help. As I said, I shall... I will be fine.

[steadfastest.livejournal.com]

[Well, THAT'S disturbing. In fact, it reminds him of the time Cordelia...His blood runs cold. Forget her damned sensibilities for once. Xander reaches out to support the vampire. When he speaks, his voice shakes slightly because now his headspace is occupied by that vision from his past.] Like hell you don't. You need a doctor.

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*She tries to wrench herself out of his grip; in her current state it doesn't do so well. She hides a grimace of pain.* Let go of-- Xander Harris, do not forget... what I am. I have... survived worse alone, and do-- and do not need the aid... of some quack physician!

[steadfastest.livejournal.com]

Well you don't have to survive it alone this time, all right? Just--what happened, anyway? Who did this to you?

[He tries to keep hold of her in spite of the wrenching.]

And what can I do?

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*She's still struggling, but even with her strength, with her wounds it's more... well, like the struggling of a little girl.* Those damned Malnosso droids. Does that satisfy you?

*She pauses* ...water. I am... thirsty.

/godmodes---smack me if this is too much so.

[steadfastest.livejournal.com]

[Little girl struggling is only slightly a match for Xander strength! Being the good guy that he is, and deciding that there's only so much "leave me alone" that he's going to take from her at this point, he scoops her up and carries her toward the living room sofa. Since when did blood on the upholstery faze him?] You got it. Water. Coming up in a sec.

Nah XD

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*It might actually be striking, despite her attitude/demeanor, that she is so very...small, really.* Let me-- unhand me this instant! *She's going to struggle and probably kick a bit, and probably bleed on you a bit, Xander, but in the end it's not going to amount to much.*

Okay good---If I had AIM right now I could have asked ahead. But I do not. : (

[steadfastest.livejournal.com]

No, I will not unhand you. I am going to damn well hand you until I get you onto that sofa. Then I'm getting you water. And some kind of bandages. And maybe--MAYBE--if you're NICE--a fluffy blanket. Here you go. [He gently places her on the sofa. Yes, his shirt's all bloody, but he doesn't notice so much as he goes to get her some water. Maybe he should have left the apron on.]

If there is a post where godmoding Rachel is okay, it's this one XD

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*And now, Rachel is just going to fume to herself on the couch. Because she is feeling very, very embarrassed.* You insolent... how dare you! I specifically told you-- *And she cuts off as a particular flash of pain makes her wince.*

Hurrah!

[steadfastest.livejournal.com]

[Xander quickly returns with a glass of water and a warm blanket; he hands her the water.] And I did--water for you. Now I was going to ask you where you wanted me to put this blanket, but I'm pretty sure I already know what your answer would be, so instead I'm just going to wrap it around you like THIS. [And around her it goes! That taken care of, he kneels on the floor beside her and tries to size up the wound.]

Now: I need to know--do you heal up like Buffy? Because Giles is way better at the field dressing stuff than I am, but I bet I could rig something up, at least to get that bleeding stopped.

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*Her face would almost be flushed in mortification if she weren't too busy glaring at him as he physically wraps her in the blanket. She takes the water anyway.* It will stop on its own. I will heal. This is... hardly the worst that I've survived...

[steadfastest.livejournal.com]

Does it heal by the power of your hatred for me? Because if that's the case you should be running around giggling happily any minute now.

[He WANTS to ask her what could be worse, but now is probably not the time to have that conversation.] Be right back. [Xander pushes to his feet and heads toward the bathroom. All he can think to do is to get towels that he can somehow secure to that wound.]

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*As much as she wants to get up, as much as her pride demands that she gets up, Rachel finds herself very, very exhausted from the whole thing. Has this place truly taken so much from her?

She's going to sit back and humph.*

[steadfastest.livejournal.com]

[Xander soon returns with his first aid kit and some fresh towels. One of the benefits of working for a Slayer is that you learn to be prepared for stuff like this. Mostly. He kneels down beside her again and wonders where to begin.]

So the droid things---I can't believe you escaped them. Normally they drag people off no matter what, or so I heard.

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*She just looks down at him with irritation unmasked on her face, whether it's at his persistence or her failure - or both.* ...I was not their target. It was... an opportunity.

[steadfastest.livejournal.com]

[He nods.]

Uh...can I see what I'm dealing with here?

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You are not dealing with anything, and if you believe I am about to expose myself to you, you have quite the vulgar little mind.

[steadfastest.livejournal.com]

So what's my job, to just let you bleed all over the couch? [He offers her a towel.] I don't want to get all up in your space, Rachel. Really. Just---take this.

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...the wound is already beginning to close. *Wounded pride is wounded. She'll take the towel anyway.*

[steadfastest.livejournal.com]

Wow, so you ARE like Buffy. With the healing, I mean. She'd never wear her hair like that. And she's, you know, not a vampire.

Listen, uh---you can't---please don't tell anyone about this, okay?

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...I assure you, I have absolutely no intention of doing so.

What is it that you fear, anyway?

[steadfastest.livejournal.com]

[How to answer that? "I need to look like I hate all vampires?" "I'll lose face with my friends?" "Because I'll get thrown right off my high horse when it comes to Spike?"

The rift he'd felt with Buffy and the rest of his friends was still there, no matter how hard he tried to pretend it wasn't. They had expectations of him. He'd already happened, for them. Whoever he is--On the Road, setting out, trying to become--that doesn't matter to the gang. This Xander is over. Ended. Then, suddenly, there's the smell of smoke and burning food somehow conspires to rescue him, at least briefly, as he dashes back to the kitchen.]

MY WAFFLES!

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*Rachel exhales.

He's going to blame her for that, isn't he.*

[steadfastest.livejournal.com]

[Xander is busy putting out a small fire, and when he does return to the living room he kneels down by Rachel's side and speaks in hurried tones.]

You can't tell them because it wouldn't look right. [This is the closest he'll get to sharing any fears with Rachel right now.]

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*And then, comprehension - though she'd had a feeling it was something like this.* You don't wish them to know you were aiding a vampire, for then they would see you as a hypocrite.

You needn't worry. If you believe that I would crow about receiving even the slightest aid from an impulsive and hardly-cultured teen-aged male human, then you clearly know nothing about me.