Owner	Pose
Captain Britain	The fluorescent lights bothered Brian. The community of Caernarvon had opted for more expensive bulbs, which gave better light, but it was just too bright in his estimation. The contract was so great it bothered him enough that he wiped those baby blues, and shook his head, as he worked out the logistics in his head. He didn't mean to see the world that way, but he just did. He was a scientist at heart, if not in action. Tugging on his sleeveless jumper, making sure it looked nice against his waist. It was teal and wool, more than warm enough for this time of year in New Jersey. As if by magic, when he turned a corner, he found himself down a street he had never visited before. The lighting seemed to be much softer there. He found it welcoming. As he walked along the streets, he passed a gun shop that made him chuckle aloud. "Pink doilies on a gun shop? Only in America." He shook his head in the negative, chuckling some more at the absurdity of it.
Buffy Summers	This wasn't her usual territory but Buffy had been trailing a demon and it had last been seen in Avalon. Thus she had passed on her usual patrol in Bludhaven and come here right after nightfall. Two hours later, she still had no leads on the beast. She was going to have to head back to her usual city and see if Constantine or Willow could come up with a tracking spell. She turned down a street she hadn't seen before, noting the lighting seemed different. So did the shops. All sorts of mens shops but they were all decorated with stereotypically feminine decor. Frowning, she paused at one of the shops and stared in the window. The hair on the back of her neck was standing up. Something was really off here. She was dressed in her usual patrol clothes, consisting of a pair of black leather pants and a gray top. Over the top was a lightwight, black leather jacket. As always, her worn messenger bag was slung across her torso. She had one hand inside the bag already, causing her to glance down. "Hand, maybe you know something I don't. I'm going to trust you." She tightened her grip on something within as she started up the street again.
Captain Britain	Brian turned at the sound of the young woman's voice, and upon seeing the petite girl, who looked to him like she might be still in high school, or possibly college, he offered, "miss, may I call you a cab, or walk you to the nearest bus stop. It is not safe to walk the streets at night." He was being condescending to her, but then, he was trying to be chivalrous, and he certainly didn't look like he was worried about the danger from his fellow man, or woman, as the case may be. In the interests of hoping to set her at ease, he offered, "my name is Brian Braddock." It could theoretically be a false name, but he was hoping he sounded as intended, just a man showing concern for a petite young girl, late at night, and on a street he had never seen before.
Buffy Summers	When she hears the voice, Buffy glances over. And up. And up a bit more. She's gotten used to people assuming she needed protecting by her appearance alone. The fact this guy was more than a foot taller than her? Wasn't a shock at all. What was a shock was just how pretty he wasy. Sure, men aren't supposed to be pretty but there was no doubting that this man was handsome by most standards. He looked like the stereotypical perfect man. Which immediately made Buffy suspicious even though she was enjoying the view. A lot. "And here I figured it would be Adonis. Or Narcissus." Giles would be so proud she'd been reading up on her Greek mythology. Or was it Roman? Who cares, it's all Greek. She giggled at her own mental joke, not letting him in on it, so he might be thinking it was at the names she had chosen for him. "I appreciate the concern but I can take care of myself. Took a couple of classes down at the 'Y'."
Captain Britain	"I was always personally fond of Achilles, though that might be as much from the film from my youth. There aren't many blonde haired, blue eyed heroes, if you can call him that, for a young boy to look up to." The giggle did give him cause for concern. He looked her over, wondering if it was a private joke, or something he had said, or done. Did he have a broccoli leaf on his lips, or between his teeth? "I'm glad to hear it, it's important to never stop learning, though my concern is still genuine. I would hate to later learn that harm had come to you miss." She never introduced herself, so he referred to her as miss.
Buffy Summers	"Buffy," she said by way of introduction. The followed up quickly. "Not Miss Buffy. Miss Summers. Cause Miss Buffy would be weird." She was doing it again. She focused. "Buffy Summers. Nice to meet you. And I promise, I'll be fine. I'm more worried about you out here in this weirdness." She waved a hand at the street. They were near one a sporting goods shop with pink polka dotted curtains and doilies under most of the merchandise inside. "I have to admit, this isn't a street I've seen before and I was pretty sure I'd walked all of theme. I mean walked on them. Travelled them, not like /walked/ them." Because that was entirely different profession. "This is one I've never seen and this is not anything like the shops I'm used to seeing."
Captain Britain	It's good at that she explained that Buffy was her given name, as Brian's first instinct was to believe that it was her surname. In fact, if she hadn't clarified precisely, he might have considered that her name might be Summers Buffy. Unorthodox as it is, he was pretty sure that Summer was a more popular given name than Buffy. Smiling at her concern for his safety, he saw it as an opportunity to protect her. "Ah yes, it is rather scary, now that you mention it. Perhaps I could depend on your greater familiarity, to see me to safety?" He was asking to tag along, as a means for him to protect her. Andh e burst out laughing at her turn of phrase. "Oh my goodness, you really are wonderful, aren't you?" He shook his head and laughed some more.
Buffy Summers	"Yeah, I am pretty amazing," Buffy said with an unapologetic smirk. She motioned to the street and started walking. "Let's get out of here. I think I want to find a normal street with regular shops and trash in the gutters. It's so...clean. I mean, it's like we're in Canada or something." She felt a little shudder go up her spine. Not at Canada, but the eeriness of this particular Street. "You don't sound like you're from around these parts. See? I'm smart too," she says with a smile as she falls into step beside his taller frame. She had to take two steps for each one he did.
Captain Britain	The curious thing was as they walked up the street, there seemed to be more trash than before. It wasn't seen, it was almost as if when she looked at him, and he at her, or at a store, during that briefest of instant, the street re-arranged and became more mundane. It was the kind of thing few would notice, but then, Buffy was no ordinary girl. "No, I don't believe I do." He sounded like Giles, just, he didn't look like Giles. He was definitely English, upper class to, or trying to be, as he spoke in what is called a Received Pronunciation accent, which was especially popular in the south of England. He made a point of not walking too quickly, so she could more easily keep up. He also walked with him towards the street, and her towards the buildings, as was proper for a gentleman. "I'm originally from a place called Maldon, which is in Essex... England, or Britain if you prefer."
Buffy Summers	He most certainly did not look like Giles. If Giles looked like him, she might have been less reluctant for her training and study sessions with him. "England works for me," Buffy said as she glanced in a window at a mens clothing store. It seemed to be filled mostly with flannel. Yet, there were still those feminine touches that seems so at odds with the masculine goods. She looked back toward the street and stopped dead in her tracks. That was such a stupid phrase. Considering what she did, she'd preferred never to be dead in her tracks. "That cup wasn't there before. That can either." She frowned and walked over toward the gutter, nudging the debris with the toe of her boot. Nothing seemed odd. It was just trash. Yet, she was positive it wasn't there before. "Y'know what would be nice? If one of these shops carried pink crossbows. I've always wanted one." She had never wanted one but this was testing a theory.
Captain Britain	Danny the Street was sentient, but not just sentient, but understanding, and able to pick up on sarcasm, tone of voice, and he 'saw' if that is the word, right through Buffy. But he also had a certain sense of humour. In one of the stores coming up, there would be a prominent crossbow display, except it was missing the crossbow. The sign did reference a pink crossbow, but it had a big 'sold out' sticker on it. "This has been an unusually clean street, by American standards, though I cannot say for certain whether I saw them or not." He wasn't really on alert, paying attention to debris. He was far more interested in his companion, and ensuring that she was safe. The minute a trash monster attacked, then he would take an interest, but not before. Walking over, he picked up the can, and the cup, and deposited them in a nearby recycling bin... which hadn't been there before either. "Problem solved," he tried to reassure her.
Buffy Summers	"Did you just pick up the trash and put it in the can?" Buffy asks, pretty sure she had to have imagined that. The trash was gone. She moved to the can and looked in. THere it was. He had done it. "You aren't human are you? Or is it more that your English and thus you clean up stuff? I am pretty sure that a man who picks up after himself is a keeper in most books. In my book, takes a lot more. Like doing dishes. And mowing." And accepting that she was The Slayer. Good luck with that one outside of monsters. Angel. Spike. Sure. Normal people? Not a chance. As they reached that display, she stopped and stared at the sold out sign. "Okay. Someone is listening to everything we are saying and messing with us." She raises her voice. "Whoever you are, show yourself! This isn't funny and, while I appreciate that the manly stores could use a woman's touch, it's not normal for around here."
Captain Britain	"I... picked up the rubbish and put it in the bin?" Brian admitted, not sure why that was so unusual. "I'm human, yes... are you quite all right?" She was such an oddity to him. But he did offer, "I know how to use a dishwasher, and how complicated could a lawnmower be?" He had never had to do it, as they had landscapers do it, but he was fairly certain he could operate one. "You do have a cynical mind, don't you. Are you certain it could not be simply a relatively clean street, with an unusual decor theme? Presumably whomever owns this block may have included it as part of the rental agreements?"
Buffy Summers	"Cynical. Yeah, that's fitting. Don't let the age fool ya, I've seen a lot, Achilles," Buffy says with a shrug. Since nothing happened on the street, she's pretty sure whoever it is won't show themselves. "Let's get out of here." After all, the monster sense isn't going off. Whatever it is may not mean any harm. She just hated mysteries. "Maybe you're right but that," she points at the sign for the sold-out pink crossbows. "Tell me that something is going on here. C'mon." She hastens toward the end of the street at a faster pace, not quite running but walking rapidly. Which means Brian probably can stroll at a normal pace instead of slowing down for her to keep up.
Captain Britain	"As you wish," he offered, politely and coincidentally quoting the Princess Bride. "Where to?" He asked, since he would like to remain with her, to ensure that she is protected, or that she protects him, whichever story is apt. "Perhaps we should return in the day. It may look differently in the sun. Things usually do. Though the paleness of my skin might be blinding," he added in self-depreciating humour. "We do not get much sunshine in Britain. It's far too cloudy. I think perhaps that was why we built such a large empire. We needed vacation homes."
Buffy Summers	"Is that what it was for? How'd that whole 'set up in the Americas' go for ya?" Buffy asks more as a joke than wanting an answer. She glances around the street as they are coming up on the cross avenue. "Maybe you're right. Have to check it out in daylight, after class." Since she has to attend her courses during the day. The whole college thing? It didn't seem any better than high school. Well, maybe less demonic principals. Although she hadn't really spoken to the dean so she might be dismissing too early. "Seriously, is that what brought you to the U.S. this time? Vacation?" The concept of him being a resident in her city when she has never seem him? Preposterous.
Captain Britain	"Anguilla, Antigua, Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Caymen Islands, Dominica, Falkland Islands, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Helena, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, South Georgia and the Sandwich Islands, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos, oh, and there's that little place up north, Canada, I think it's called. Not bad." Okay, so Brian was a nerd too. He even quoted them in alphabetical order. She might not have wanted an answer, but she got one. "Oh, no, I'm attending Empire State University, and Blüdhaven seemed like a nice place, close enough to the city, without actually being in the city." He didn't want to admit that his father had left him a castle there.
Buffy Summers	When he quotes all the locations in alphabetical order, she looks at him a bit owlishly and says nothing. She's too stunned. That was unusual and said this guy was too smart for his own good. That or he had studied up for jeopardy. Hot and smart? Yeah, too much to be real. "I don't think I've ever heard Bludhaven and 'nice place' in the same sentence before," Buffy mutters as they leave the Street behind and start down a much more normal location. Still no sign of the demon though. That tracking spell was going to be a must. "Unless it was "If you want a nice place to live, don't pick Bludhaven." Then they can be in the same one."
Captain Britain	"Oh, it can't be all bad. It has Buffy Summers." He replied, quietly and confidently. It wasn't even spoken as a line, but more a matter of fact statement. "Besides, I uh, kind of inherited a... place here. It's nice, lovely garden." One of the former residents was something of a botanist.
Buffy Summers	"Slick," Buffy says, taking it as a line despite the delivery. "Good looking, domesticated, smart and doesn't live in Mom's basement. You are too good to be true, y'know?" She leads the way down the street, pausing at the next corner and glancing around the region. Nothing. No warning pains. "You garden too?"
Captain Britain	"I'm actually a double from a parallel universe, but don't tell anyone." He meant that as a joke, though from his experience, such things were eminently possible. "We didn't even have pretzels in my world, and you have them coated in chocolate. It came as quite a shock. I still don't think I've recovered. If you'd like, you're welcome to visit and take in the gardens."
Buffy Summers	"I don't just go to the garden of every pretty face I come along," Buffy scoffs although there is no venom to the words. She's teasing. Yet the double from a parallel universe makes her pause. It's a joke, right? Because these days, she wouldn't put anything to the side as impossible. After all, her sister was some sort of Key so who was she to judge someone from an alternate universe. "So is there at least chocolate there even if there aren't pretzels?"
Captain Britain	Brian, continuing the charade, says, "chocolate, what's that?" Of course, he just mentioned chocolate covered pretzels, so it was even clearer that he was joking, or perhaps he had horrible short term memory. "As to the garden, remember, I need your protection from whatever's out there, like whoever placed that rubbish along the side of the road. I don't believe it was just litter any more than you do." He was being faux forceful there, smiling throughout.
Buffy Summers	"Don't make fun of me, Big Man," Buffy warns as she stays there on that corner to converse with him. With no luck hunting the demon, she needs to head over to her usual circuit of cemetaries. And to do that, she needs to not have him along for the ride. "There really are dangerous things out here at night. You should head to your place, enjoy your garden. It's probably safe." Probably. "Chocolate is the stuff that covers pretzels," she reminds him with another smirk. "Go to the corner market and buy yourself a candy bar. You won't regret it." She looks him over critically. "I'm betting you have never eaten a candy bar. Or potato chips. Or anything else that isn't healthy with that physique."
Captain Britain	"It was not my intention to make fun of you, Buffy Summers," repeating her name to show he had remembered it. "If I came across that way, I am sorry for giving you that impression. And I've tried chocolate bars, crisps, and what Englishman hasn't enjoyed a plate of chips?" He uses the British terms for candy bars, chips, and French fries there. "Now, if it's true about the danger, I must insist that I see you to safety." There was a firmness to his tone there, and a look of concern in his eyes.
Buffy Summers	That earns a roll of the eyes. Buffy isn't exactly the delicate flower type. She was once upon a time. It seemed so long ago that all she cared about was popularity and her looks. Here she was hunting the things that go bump in the night. "Brian," she says, proving she was listening too despite all the nicknames. "I'm a lot scarier than I look. I'll be fine. I'll just head over to the nearest bus stop and catch a ride back to campus. Gotham U," she adds so he doesn't wonder where she might be headed. Actually, she'll get on a bus and get off at the next stop, once she has left him behnd.