video ↯ the third ⇒ here comes the night time

[allbloodyhail]

[ spike is bustling around his kitchen, tea and toast in the making. he pulls a slice out of the toaster and starts smearing jam on. ]

It's been a little while, you lot. Or, well, guess I saw most of you on the train home. But now there's new folks and old folks coming back and the like. Par for the beginning of the month, or whatever frame of time it is they use here.

[ now starting in on the second and a thoughtful look crosses over his features. ] I would say this place gets less agonizing the longer I'm here, but I think I know better than to jynx it by now...

[ the kettle goes off, startling him into spinning too quick and knocking the toast off the counter - jam side down. ] Oh come on!

Bloody hell. Where was I? Oh, yeah.

Sober two days, you bunch of bastards. Hope you're happy.

[ the feed is about to go out but a few muffled words make it through as he's cleaning up the jam: ] How did hair get in this? Ugh. Crooks.

[ - and zamo. ]

Comments

[allbloodyhail]

Anyone I know? Like who?

[daddyissues]

Anyone. I'm just making conversation.

[allbloodyhail]

You know any of those Doctor guys?

[daddyissues]

Not personally. Sophie's close with one of them.

[allbloodyhail]

We keep getting more of 'em, seems like. They're time travelers.

[daddyissues]

Okay...? [ He's not sure where Spike is going with this. Are they his friends or does he just think the time traveling is cool? ]

[allbloodyhail]

Yeah, don't know where I was going with that either. Just making conversation.

Why, anyone you know show up, bro?

[daddyissues]

No, not that I know about. [ he shrugs, and admits: ] Every few weeks I check the list on the network for dad.

[allbloodyhail]

[ spike swallows and nods, looking away. ] So do I.

...You know, just so I can avoid him if he does show up.

[ a light smile, he's not expecting connor to believe that. ]

[daddyissues]

[ ...and that will probably never stop being really weird. ]

You still haven't told me how you went from "barely able to tolerate being in the same room" to "dad."

[allbloodyhail]

I only call him that to boil his blood, you know how it is. [ no, spike, he doesn't. ] ...Still, we've made our peace. After the whole champion debacle, and after he came by to drag me by my hair out of hell.

You know a guy a couple hundred years, familiar's better than family.

[daddyissues]

[ He doesn't, because his life is literally the opposite scenario... all Angel wanted was to be "dad," and Connor would call him Angelus to hurt him. Not something he's proud of. ]

Familiar's better..? Why?

[allbloodyhail]

Well. Can't choose our family, can we?

[ he does miss angel though, even if he wouldn't say it in so many words. ] Besides, I've gotten used to that old sod over the years, for better or worse.

[daddyissues]

You can't choose your blood. You can choose your family.

[allbloodyhail]

[ blood. ] That's what I've been saying all along.

[daddyissues]

Not exactly... [ he shrugs, letting their differences in vocabulary go for now ] How does it feel now that the world's stopped spinning?

[allbloodyhail]

Lousy.

[daddyissues]

[ his eyebrow quirks ]

How'd it feel when the world was spinning?

[allbloodyhail]

Not much better. [ maybe better wasn't the right word. number, definitely. ]

[daddyissues]

Sobriety gets better, I hear.

[allbloodyhail]

Only one way to find out if the rumors are true.