(Grave Yard)well, on the upside...

[Jessy Jackson]

"Just stop it guys. Just stop." I felt horribly tired, exausted with worry. I just wanted to go home and curl up on my bed and lie there forever. But i couldn't do that.

With Mai gone everyone would have to be stronger. News of her departure was probably sweeping the demon underworld and the big baddies of LA were not going to pull any punches because we were on Slayer down. We had to fight.




Then get blind drunk later worrying.

[Jackson ''Doc'' Ellison]

"And the fights begin," I whispered.

"Talk to them."

"I..."

"They need you now more than ever. It's time to do what you do best. Make them laugh."

"At least you didn't say 'make them try and kill me," I muttered as I walked up to join them. "'Cause I'm good at that too."

"You like to talk to yourself, don't you?" Tucker asked. I shrugged.

"Inteligent conversation?" I tried. "Either that, or I'm the only one psychotic enough to understand what I'm saying."

[tucker]

'Well I know what you mean about intelligent conversation'

I gave Nicki a sly look and Jessy wearily made as it to slap me

'Tucker I'm warning you. If it comes to it I could be a panther and just eat you'

'Okay okay! And I know that everyone is upset, grouchy, annoyed you name it we got it, but I don't think that's going to help defeat the evil creatures of the night do you? If people don't buck up then there might not be people left to buck up'

Spoken like a true fighter, well someone who'll get in a fight but if losing will run away. Or if I have a weapon just smack em with it. Always works.

[Aredhel]

I shook my head. "Alright children that's enough!" I said darkly. I was sick of the bickering. "Tucker's right: moping wont do us any good, and running wont help the people who can't fight. Either we all sit down and have a civilized conversation about how worried we are, or whatever else you want to talk about, or you get the hell away from my mausoleum. Are we clear?"

"Clear," they deadpanned.

"Good." My mood changed instantly, and I tried a smile for Doc - it still looked like a smirk. Damn. "Hey Doc."

((I figure, prehistorically old elf, she's gonna exercise some control, right? ))

[Avalon]

I watched from about a mile away and commented aloud to my own Soul Sword, "So this is the group of friends that banded together through crisis after crisis, which saved the entire population of Los Angeles at least three times over from a Space/Time natural disaster, the Netherworld, and an insane Chaos god lost on Earth? The group of friends who make the original Slayerettes over the Hellmouth look like a bunch of neurotic strangers spending time together and researching while trying to support the single supernatural entity in their midst?"

<They're under a lot of stress right now. They aren't in their best light at the moment. And you could go over to them. You know, talk, help them to understand. Maybe even help them in the fighting?>

I looked from the group to the struggling Fyarl demon in my hand. With a simple pressure I crushed it's neck and it's struggles immediately stopped. I tossed it back onto the pile of other demons that had attacked me this night.

"Maybe," I admitted. "But as you would say, I am having much more fun doing things on my own right now."

<Meaning you're scared shitless that they'll tell you to leave them alone and basically fuck off.> he summed it up rather too well.

I ignored him and turned around, disappearing into the shadows as I had been trained for other things to hunt.

(((Oh, slight idea, unless somebody has an absolute vendetta against it; Avalon is super sneaky, so absolutel NONE of the demons in LA, not even what remains of Wolfram&Hart know who or what she is. They only know that some 'shadow figure' has been taking out massive amounts of hostile demons and leaving no trace behind.)))

[Aredhel]

((*shock horror* You swore! and it didn't censor you!! shit fuck ass!!))

I looked over slowly, sensing... something. It was hidden. But when I looked, I saw absolutely nothing. Interesting. Whatever it was, it was gone now. Apparently it didn't want to join our little group. Too bad for it. I just wasn't in the mood to kill hordes of demons tonight. Someone else could do it.

I sighed. "I need a drink."

[Nicola Next]

((Wahey! Uncensored swearing... Lovely))

'I would kill for a drink right now, and in a really inventive way. Real slasher teen horror type crap.'

I paused for a second to look over to the shadows and after a few seconds I gave a small sigh and leaned forwards

'You can come out Avalon. We don't bite. Much'

[Avalon]

I smirked to myself from behind the oak I was standing in. 'In' as in among the branches.

"Gotta love a werewolf's nose," I muttered. "Remind me to do something about that in the future.

<You could have stood down wind of her. I always did when I was sneaking up on her and Mai in the graveyard.> Joshua pointed out.

With an easy smile, I revealed myself.

Which surprisingly made everyone jump in surprise. I mean, yeah, I did it quietly, but I did only jump out of the tree . . . and off of three crypts, a gravestone, and falling from almost straight above and landing without causing any vibrations that even the earthworms could feel or detect in any way.

"How the HELL[/b] did you do that!!" Tucker shouted at me. Of course I only knew his name from hearing him called that. He might have been at the funeral, but I did not . . .

<He's the owner of the Training Center,> Joshua informed me.

Oh.

I just shrugged and smiled mutely at him.

"Did you need something Nicki?" I asked the purple-haired girl.

[Jackson ''Doc'' Ellison]

"She just doesn't like people watching in the shadows," I explained. "When just about every demon in the city wants to kill you, you get paranoid."

[Aredhel]

"It's a natural reaction," I put in, continuing Doc's statement. We were all on edge and I couldn't help the sarcasm from slipping into my voice. I just hoped she wasn't too offended. "Living is a bit important to these people, they try to hold onto it."

I rubbed my temples, trying to get a grip. She wasn't used to these people, I reminded myself. She didn't understand some things. But if she really wanted to be here, she'd have to learn a few things, and the first was not to lurk in the shadows.

[Avalon]

"I think I understand that Aredhel," I replied carefully. "Very well then. I will do my best to ensure that you are no longer hunted by the demons of this city."

With that, I stepped back into the shadows, becoming one with my surroundings, becoming one with the very nature surrounding us.

To everyone else, I stepped back and then disappeared entirely. And this time I made sure to stay downwind of any noses.

Then I made my impact, for the rest of the night, on the demon community. The hostiles anyway.

[Nicola Next]

Whether she meant to or not, her last comment really got to me and my already fragile state of mind and I let out a small growl. Tucker and Aredhel who were closest must've heard it but I more than made up for it in words

'And who said we need a protector? I think I'm pretty alright at making sure no demons hunt me thank you very much Avalon'

But it was too little too late and she had already done her little disappearing trick making me just as annoyed. I know it was mean when I hardly knew her but my mood had more than decreased since this whole thing had kicked off

'You alright Nix?'

'Do I look alright Tucker?'

He held up his hands defensively

'Sorry for caring'

'No I'm sorry. I'm sorry I'm in such a crappy mood' I directed my comment to the others as well 'If I snap at you just smack me or something'

[Aredhel]

I raised a hand. "I claim duty as official Nicki-beater," I replied, trying (and probably failing, but trying nonetheless) to inject some humour into the situation. We were a sorry lot right now, and something, anything had to change that.

"Ok guys, Maya's not dead, she's just somewhere else. Like a vacation or something. And we can't mope about Josh dying, cause he's back.... in a really weird and twisted way, but he's back. So really, we have no reason to be all "oh woe is me" right?" There was a pause. "Right?"

[Avalon]

((( <cue bad guy> )))

[Jackson ''Doc'' Ellison]

"Del's right," I said, balancing my Soul Sabre on my finger. "Get your heads on straight people, or some girly demon'll come and take it off."

((I figured for levity, a balancing trick wouldwork.))