16036/Beating the odds again

Beating the odds again
Date of Scene:	06 February 2024
Location:	Brendan Cemetery, Sunnydale
Synopsis:	Dracula toys with Buffy again. One might think he has a death wish.
Cast of Characters:	Dracula, Buffy Summers

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Dracula has posed:
Cemetary. Where else would a beautiful California girl hang out? Tonight, this particular cemetary seems to be deserted. There is very little around except wild life and even that is sparse.

The cemetary has all the stereo typical trappings, right down to a thin layer of fog just above the ground. No graves appear to be moving at first glance. Just a cemetary by all appearances.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy has a routine. Yet not a routine. She does patrol every single night. But she never takes the same path as the night before. Or even the week before. It's always random. Some nights, she might even completely skip a particular location. Because if you had a routine, the bad guys could learn it and set traps for you.

Not that lack of knowing her routine ever stopped them from setting traps.

Tonight, Buffy's mind was wandering a bit. There was a lot on her mind. Strange dreams. Basilisks. Magical MacGuffin weapons. THE Lord of Vampires. And her double shift tomorrow at the Magic Box. Eight A.M. was going to come really early when she would be out much of the night. The difficulties of being a Slayer.

Yet, she was still on high alert, despite the spaghetti tangle of thoughts inside her brain.

Dracula has posed:
As she passes through the cemetary, some of the fog rises behind her. Some touches her back like a chill up her spine. That's twice he's done something like that. Not that it is nearly as...invasive this time.

The mist floats back out of her arm's reach and starts to form into the Lord of the Vampires,"You hunt like my own. The same drive and edge. It is a pity that one such as you could not be one of us."

Has anyone ever told Buffy that? She has had a lot of people in her life, but anyone say siring her would be impossible? There is, of course, another possiblity. He's just playing her. That voice is unsettling and magnetic as usual and he remains where he stands to see how she responds.

Buffy Summers has posed:
"Would you really want me without a conscience though?"

Don't think about it. Don't dwell on the fact he was /right there/ when she was walking through the fog. She was going to develop a hatred of fog. Higher than her dislike of it from it lowering visibility when she was fighting.

"I might kill you and take your title. Lady of the Vampires." She pursed her lips and immediately shook her head. "Not intimidating enough. Queen? Yeah, Queen of the Vampires. Or of the Damned. But that was a movie, wasn't it? And it sucked. No pun intended," she added hastily.

Then she folded her arms as she eyed him. "Good thing whoever set up this curse kept us from being able to be turned into what we hunt." At least vampires. She suspected she couldn't become a werewolf either but she wasn't positive on that and she wasn't intending to test the theory anytime in the near future.

"What do you want now? To try to tempt me into something? I thought that was the devil's area." Oh if she only knew.

Dracula has posed:
"Absolutely." he replies,"One of such power without the pesky conscience. So many things that we could do. So many nights spent just..."

He stops and smiles slowly,"Whatever you chose, there would be none like you. You would be queen. While your powers would differ, your experience and knowledge would come with you. Empress of Tomorrow would not be a stretch. If you were able to destroy me, you would take the title of Lord of the Vampires...perhaps Lady of the Vampires. There was, of course, a Lord before me." Oh, something new to haunt her nightmares.

He smirks and admits,"It is fortunate for all of us perhaps. I like my place in society and there is only one way for me to lose my title.

He laughs and it is unsettling,"I know the devil you know. Lucifer. There aren't many that are more manipulative than me and that is saying a great deal. Let's say I bring temptation to specific people. Grant them power and gain for my own purposes."

Buffy Summers has posed:
The only reason that might not give her nightmares is he used the term Was. There was someone before him. Since he was now calling himself Lord, she was going to guess that whoever that was no longer existed. It was really for the best to think that way.

"Lucifer?" And there was actual confusion in her tone. "I don't know anyone by that name. And if I did, I'd just have to ask him if his parents hated him or something cause you /know/ that kid got bullied in school. Take it from a Buffy." Since her name wasn't exactly something that was normal and children could be cruel. She quickly moved on to the more important part, dismissing that as unimportant. Cause he couldn't mean The Lucifer. That would just bring a whole new set of nightmares to her life to think about.

"Right, you wanted me to embrace my dark side, let the hate flow, all that stuff." She had Xander as a best friend. She knew some Star Wars as a result. "Then I will be worthy of fighting you. Right? Or are you coming in with a new angle this time cause really, not in the mood tonight."

Dracula has posed:
He doesn't have to breathe, but he still sighs,"You wear the accursed symbol of his father around your neck Slayer. Do not play ignorant. It doesn't suit you. You are far more primal than that."

He meets her gaze, power creeping from him towards her. Not an over power, more the pesky itch that won't be scratched,"I am sure your name caused you trouble among the mortals. If it hadn't been your name it would have been you clothing or your hair or your speech pattern." Now she gets to decide. Is he trying to make a point about bully children or trying to take apart her appearance. Is she sure he isn't the devil?

A light in his eyes and he raises a brow,"You are worthy of many things Slayer. A fight to the death with me being one. I just wish to see the Slayer that took down the Master and Kakistos. I haven't seen her yet, merely a shell of a killer that needs the fire and darkness to defeat me. There are worse things in the world than me you know. Some day one of them will begin to devour the world from below."

Buffy Summers has posed:
"Well, Duh." Said in a mocking tone. "Of course Lucifer would be the son of the devil. it's why a kid would be bullied." Because she has met Lucifer. Twice. Only, she doesn't remember him since it is during the time of her memory that is missing. And no one has bothered to inform her that the devil himself is running a club in New York City. At least, not since her memory loss.

She wasn't really feeling the power in a negative way and thus, was not reacting to it. Which was probably something that was working in Dracula's favor. For she always felt that oddness, that discomfort, when she was around monsters. So she didn't think this was anything more than the norm. Well, Slayer Norm. Which was nothing like normal norm for normal norm people.

"Taken down a good many monsters. Will continue to do so. You included. And anything that might come from below." Since she knew she was on a Hellmouth, she had no doubt there were lots of things that she didn't know about yet. To be honest, she'd rather never know about them.

But such was never the luck for a Slayer.

"Not sure what fire and darkness you keep going on about."

Dracula has posed:
"Slayer. Lucifer is a fallen angel. That makes him a son of God." he replies. The last word all but spat out as it is said.

Trying to read her is difficult. Prying into her mind slowly takes time, but time well spent. There are monsters and there are monsters and there is no monster like this one.

He bows slowly, still reaching for her mind,"Well then. I present a danger to those around you. I have tasted the blood of the other. You are certain you will destroy me. By all means. Why wait?"

He can help her touch some just by annoying her,"The scars on your neck say I wouldn't be the first to taste your blood. The fool let you live."

Buffy Summers has posed:
"You are getting really testy over this Lucifer thing. Yes, Lucifer is the fallen angel guy. And I have been told angels are real." After all, she knew Sam and Dean and they had an angel friend, though she hadn't met the angel. At least she didn't remember meeting him. "Are you saying that Lucifer is like real real and on Earth?" And there it was. She had no idea that Lucifer was around on the earthly plane. "I thought he was locked in Hell."

Now that complicated things a lot. Though, perhaps he was lying. She could only hope he was.

"Anyway!" Because that was off topic. "Yeah, The Master bit me. But they should be gone soon. They're almost faded now." Because she did heal rapidly thankfully. So she wasn't having to deal with scars that would probably be all over her with the life she led. "And don't worry, he killed me. I just came back. Something you might want to remember. Though you're right. I've been being polite to you when I should just be staking you. But you supposedly were going to help with something, from our last talk. Guessing that was a lie too?"

And his probing into her mind was working. SHe did have those unconscious blocks there but they weren't insurmountable as they were not something she even knew to concentrate on strengthening.

Dracula has posed:
"When an intelligent person feigns ignorance or worse remains ignorant...that bothers me." he replies simply,"Look in that book. Search in the book of Job, he's asked where he's been. His answer might...disturb you."

He continues to press his will to hers. This is a cat and mouse game where the mouse still thinks she is the cat. In his mind anyway,"The Master was a fool then. To taste of you and leave you. Death is a fickle mistress who I know better than most."

"I told you I would help you, but you have to be willing to accept the help. Your conscience and your morals still have you resisting. I offered a taste of my blood, to show you the true nature of the Slayer and her power. Who would know better than the one the Slayers seek to destroy."

Buffy Summers has posed:
And that got a huge negative shake of the head. "Nope. Seen all those movies, remember. I figure I drink your blood, it's that whole thrall thing and your thrall people always seem to develop a taste for bugs." She had a little shudder go through her, though it was more mock than real. Things like bugs didn't really stress her anymore after so many years hunting monsters in every place that bugs seemed to thrive.

"Even if I'm a Slayer and maybe can resist it, I prefer not to try it. So you got any other bright ideas how to show me the true nature of the Slayer and her power? Maybe a nice PowerPoint presentation? Willow used to do those back in high school for us when the computer teacher had her handling the class."

Dracula has posed:
"Movies? You have thousands of years history at your finger tips and you refer to ludicrous talking pictures?" he asks looking astonished,"I can enthrall people without the use of my blood. Make no mistake. The blood could stengthen my will against yours perhaps, but also forge yours to indominable aginst others of my kind."

The fickle attitude and light demeanor is enough to make him push a little harder and creep into her deeper thought. Those are some good defenses that she has,"There are ways to show your nature to you, they are less pleasant."

Buffy Summers has posed:
Her thoughts are scattered. There is a lot of confusion there. But it is backed by a resolve that few others in the world have. In truth, she probably would've been one helluva Green Lantern with that sort of willpower. But she was worried, so much on her mind.

First was him. Dracula. In her town. A threat to everyone and he was more powerful than The Master. The Master killed her. She'd had nightmare about it for months after. Even years. But she had finally moved beyond that, it now being something that only snuck into her dreams rarely.

Behind him was Lothos, the first master vampire she had ever faced along with his minions. The confrontation that had led to her being shipped off to Sunnydale. At the time, she thought it was random. She had learned since that nothing in her life was random. The job her mother got here she was positive had been arranged by the Watchers Council.

There was her mother and sister. Her family who she had to watch over. She had recently been spending more time at home because her mother hadn't been feeling very well, suffering a lot of headaches. Joyce just needed to stop pushing herself and she'd be fine, or so Buffy was telling herself.

There was the problems facing the Scoobies. Though, not really the Scoobies. This monster basilisk thing and whatever might have loosed it on the world. If anyone or thing. Though that was more something Faith was handling, with her friends. People that Buffy didn't remember.

And there it was. Hidden in those dark recesses of her mind. Something that troubled her but other things were far more important. She didn't remember three years of her life. At all. If he pushed he would see that she had never met Lucifer. Thus him being upset at her pretending not to know he was on Earth wasn't warranted. She literally didn't know. She didn't know a good many things. She didn't know people that remembered her, didn't know things that had happened. It was as though she was at a point in her freshman year in college. Willow had started the same time as her and Willow was about to graduate with her master's degree. Buffy had lost so much from that and many allies she once had were gone. Not in her brain. She knew some of them or knew of some of them. And it wasn't as though her memory had been tampered with. It was simply blank. She went from point A of fighting vampires to suddenly being in 2031.

"I saw lots of movies before I met a vampire. Sue me." Buffy sounded a little petulant over that.

"And only a vampire would think that drinking blood from someone was pleasant. Because EW! Tell you what. Let's just stop with this whole dance and get this over with. I'll show you my dark side."

And she drew a stake out of her jacket.

Dracula has posed:
He continues to pry at her defenses. It is a lot to keep up. Working her mentally and mystically. A frown creases his brow as he runs upon the place where the trouble starts and stops. His voice is detached and he mutters,"What has happened to you?" There is no malice, curious sure, but not the I want to drink you dry so I ask questions. Something he sees caught even the Lord of Vampires off guard.

He shakes it off after a moment and smiles,"Never once did I say it would be pleasant. For me yes, for you...you aren't one of us. Why would it be pleasant." Still prying behind the scenes and looking for the way to render her aggressions null. More than one way,"Are you sure you 'remember' how?" Accent on remember. Not a blind spot there too?" He does set for an attack, but waits to see."

Buffy Summers has posed:
There is that flash in her brain. She remembers. Remembers becoming the Slayer, remembers her first kill. Her first Watcher before he was killed. She even remembers being tested by the council when she was 18 and passing that. She remembered going to college. Probably one year. Maybe half? But then there is nothing there. Until about a year ago when it all started up again with her confused and people talking to her about stuff she didn't know. Like having a boyfriend who was a man she didn't even remember having ever met. It was quite the conundrum.

"Pretty sure I remember it just fine. Let's test the theory."

And with that, Buffy did what Buffy always did. She just leapt into the fight, even if she really wasn't prepared for it. She made a leap toward him, trying to close the distance between them quickly in the hopes of bring this fight into staking range.

Dracula has posed:
Fight commenced, that he usderstands better than most. He waits for her to get within range and then shifts to mist as the stake comes down. He laughs...the monster laughs as he floats to a mausoleum and reforms at the door. His shape shifts again and she is looking at a wolf. A big wolf. The size of wolf that would give Dresden's dog a fight.

He growls darkly and stalks towards her. Time for talk past, so be it. She has his attention now and he intends to make this memorable at least.

The growl is such that she can feel it inside her chest. The head cocks to the side and his eyes seem to tell her,"You're move."

Buffy Summers has posed:
"Aw c'mon...that's not right. You can't go turning into a doggie."

Yes, she just referred to the giant wolf form of the Lord of Vampires as a 'doggie'.

"Being mean to animals is just wrong. Switch back and fight like a man. Y'know, if you remember how. Maybe you can't fight without all your fancy mist and shapeshifting? Is that it? Cause all I want to do when you are in that form is just rub your belly and give you a doggie treat."

The sad thing is, in her mind, she actually is feeling that way. Not that she thinks he's a dog. He is obviously not a dog and she knows that. But he is an animal and to her, animals are innocent. They are what they are and harming them is just wrong.

If she were going to have a long lifespan, she'd probably be one of those people with a half a dozen pets in the house. Sadly, she was the Slayer. Not only was her lifespan going to be short, as she had already outlived a lot of her kind having just turned 25 last month. But she also didn't need anything that bad guys could use against her that she didn't already have in her life.

He wasn't the first to mention using her friends and family against her. He wouldn't be the last.

Dracula has posed:
Hesitation is bad. The wolf lunges at her and leaps at her throat. Teeth bared. The speed is unnatural and unholy at once. The only thing worse than the fact that the big doggie is coming at her is the fact that just before impact, the wolf bursts into a flight of bats. They scratch her and otherwise give her a new nightmare fuel as the touch her head and face in their flight.

He laughs softly when he takes his human form and asks,"Do you think you can tempt me to fight a fair fight slayer. You are naive...you're not stupid. Neither am I." Meeting her gaze again he waits for her to move his direction again,"Who has been in that head?" he asks curiously, since he's getting a good look,"Who took that from you?" He's being helpful, he just doesn't know it or he'd shut up.

Buffy Summers has posed:
She moved to roll to the side to dodge and she would've succeeded, tapping into some power she didn't even know she had. Only to find herself surrounded by bats that were able to change direction and follow her through her movement. Then they were gone and she could feel the sting on her skin where they had scratched her flesh. Nothing deep but it was unpleasant and there were a few droplets of blood sliding down toward her jawline.

Just because he was talking didn't mean the fight was over and she was rolling to her feet, preparing to leap at him again.

Those words caught her off guard. Her brow furrowed in confusion. "What? What are you talking about?" Then she thought about it even as she tightened her grip on the stake.

And there was no answer but since he was in her mind already, she did think about her lost memories. She had presumed someone took them from her at some point. But a witch she had met had told her it was just blank, not like modified memories. Then she had gone away and Buffy never got to find out what that meant really.

Dracula has posed:
He is wary and curious at once. Beating through her defenses isn't likely and so he pokes on both sides. His eyes narrow,"Someone took something from you. You know, but you don't know. Curious."

Instead of pressing the advantage, he withdraws. He didn't come looking for it, but he found something. He nods slowly and tells her,"Maybe you should speak to your witch about such things. Like it was never there."

Once more he touches her will with his, to stroke her towards his thoughts, but something has him distracted and she can tell he's hesitant, wanting more information. She might get a shot...he might be baiting her.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Perhaps those pushes and nudges worked. Or perhaps he has hit on a tender spot for her. Because though she has that moment--that instant--Buffy doesn't take it. THen he would feel that resistance in her mind, starting to push him out, as she became aware of him.

Not because she felt it. Simply because of his words. He either magicked the answer or he was in her head and saw it. Thus she unconsciously was trying to protect those thoughts.

"Keep out of my head," she snapped and only then did she try to take that opportunity he had presented her with. Likely far too late.

Dracula has posed:
He is curious, but older than most. Waiting for her to come at him, he doesn't meet her head on. Instead while she comes in swinging, he tells her,"Ask the witch, seek the wizard, or if your pride can stand it, meet me here in two nights time."

He poofs into the mist and she stumbles through it as he floats up and away again. Once out of reach he bursts into bats and flies out into the night.