Sixteenth Spool of Thread-[Voice]

[so_shik]

Um...guys? Just a heads-up that All Passions will be temporarily closed for a little while. I'll still take orders and make things, but I won't physically be at the shop for a long time, not until I can be mobile again anyway. Sorry for that.

Buffy, looks like we're going to have to postpone the lake-date for a while, but how about you drop by House #10 for dinner sometime this week to make up for it?

...actually I think it might be okay if anybody who needed something made or just wanted to talk to me can drop by House #10 during the day, so there's that too. Such an inconvenience, sorry again.

Comments

[herotypical]

How is reconstruction going on the shop, by the way?

[so_shik]

Oh it's completely rebuilt, but while I was rebuilding it I sort of realized it was a little too small. I need room to expand and grow, you know? I'm thinking about maybe finding a bigger building.

[herotypical]

Good! Expansion is good news. Well, usually. Starbucks--a spot in my world?--probably could have stopped expanding a few years ago and we'd all be better for it.

Got a bigger building in mind yet?

[so_shik]

The coffee place? We've got one of those in Shibuya over by the station. Weird...

Anyway, I was thinking about maybe asking whoever runs the normal clothing store if they'd be interested in letting me take over, just to combine the two businesses and have a bigger building to work out of. Thoughts?

[herotypical]

[Despite the deep-seated worry over why Starbucks has apparently jumped dimensions--she knew demons had to be behind that devilishly good coffee!--Buffy moves on to less creepy concepts.]

Oh, a merger? My thoughts are that it's a good idea. A great idea. Who runs that, anyway? I remember briefly going in there when I first arrived--Angel took me--but once I had my clothes? I was out of there. You could bring some real class to the place.

[so_shik]

Yeah I've only been over there once or twice too and you know, I don't have a clue who runs it. I'm thinking once I can be up and moving again I'll head over and just ask until I find somebody. It'd benefit everybody really.

[herotypical]

[She chews the side of her lip, considering.]

Hey, Shiki? I don't suppose you could teach me how to sew or whatever? Nothing really tough, but just like buttons and hems and stuff? I never did learn anything like that. If something got torn? It basically got sent to garbageville.

[so_shik]

[blinks a bit, kind of surprised that a.) Buffy never learned and b.) she's asking her to teach her] Sure, I wouldn't mind at all. The basics are pretty easy to pick up so that shouldn't be a problem at all. Plus it'd be useful for you to know if you rip anything while fighting the forces of evil or anything.

[herotypical]

Exactly! I mean, you have no idea how many sweaters I've torn while jumping over headstones. I used to tell my mom that I was just clumsy and kept getting them caught in locker doors--she used to patch them up for me.

[so_shik]

And how long did she believe that story?

[herotypical]

For about two years, actually. It was the first time Angel lost his soul. Well, the first time after the initial turning-into-a-vampire time. I'd made a deal with Spike--who was still evil at the time, by the way--to try and get rid of Angelus because Spike's ego was hurting from not being top baddie, anymore. Spike ran his mouth off in my home, I had to come clean to mom. She...didn't really handle it very well, at first.

[so_shik]

I wouldn't think so with something like that. What changed her mind?

[herotypical]

Seeing a vampire for yourself can be pretty convincing. I mean, with the bumpy faces and--well, have you seen Angel's vamp face? Or Spike's, while he was here? Angel keeps it pretty secretive, but Spike...well, he's not really the subtle type.

[so_shik]

As vampires? No, never. They always looked pretty human to me when I saw them, but hen again I've only seen them once or twice each. Why?

[herotypical]

When a vampire is drawing on his full strength, or feeding on someone--or, just being creepy? They get these scrunched up foreheads and beady yellow eyes. Oh, and the fangs. It's a sight to see.

[so_shik]

Are you kidding me!? That sounds completely gross.

[herotypical]

Yeah, it's not pleasant. I've only met one vamp who could do the fang thing without the alarming facial features. Otherwise, it seems to be a package deal.

Oh, also? If the face thing isn't going on, it's not too difficult to spot a vamp by his fashion sense. Just keep an eye on the ones who look like they've been living underground for the last few decades. They never quite get trends.

[so_shik]

See that might make me assume a lot of people are vampires though with the way some people dress...but that's a good thing to be aware of.

So...like in Angel's case, he's not really dangerous unless he's going all Angelus on us, is he?

[herotypical]

Right now, he has all the same abilities as Angelus--super strength, super hearing, super healing, super smell, super lots of things. But he's not actually a threat to anyone good so long as he has his soul. He fights evil, though. So, I guess he's still dangerous to evil types?

[so_shik]

Well considering I'm not an evil type, I guess that's okay.

[herotypical]

But there is a less-than-good vamp hanging around these parts. I can't remember if I've mentioned her before, or maybe you've met her? Only, I hope you haven't met her. She's this terrifying mix of evil and absolutely insane. Her name is Drusilla--back when Angel was still Angelus, he turned her into a vampire.

She's cruising for a bruising, if you ask me. If I could just actually find her, I'd stake her myself. But if you run into her, please run the other way. She's kookier than a bus full of monkeys.

[so_shik]

On the bright side, I haven't met her. I generally try to stay away from the crazy ones. What's wrong with her, exactly?

[herotypical]

Besides the nasty vampirism? Well, back when he was pre-soul, Angel--or, Angelus, rather--sorta maybe kinda applied enough emotional torture to the girl, before turning her, to send even the soberest judge to crazyville.

[She shakes her head.] It's not really the nicest story.

[so_shik]

...and how exactly did somebody like you get sucked into all of this?

[herotypical]

[Honesty time! It had to come, sooner or later.]

I'm a vampire slayer. Previously the vampire slayer. As in, one and only. But now, there's more than one of us. Long story, really.