...Unfortunately, it is seeming we're headed down that pattern, yes.
[He frowns.]
Though now, one wonders what the motive might be. Perhaps Qi Ring's actions were not simply just because it was just what he wished to do. There likely was something more behind it.
Baraqiel mentioned they've got a set of motives to keep their people cooperating with what the watchers ask of them. I imagine when they told me that they didn't quite realise exactly what kind of game we were playing.
I imagine all of them have caught up to that now. Divide and conquer. I pulled a similar strategy about a year and a half ago. Probably means they want us all to be at eachother's throats too.
[He just hums in contemplation and flicks his cigarette down into the street below after he pulled it one last time.]
My, uh... [He frowns before crossing his arms and leaning against the balcony somwhat stiffly.] "friends" and I didn't always get along. Used to be enemies, then strictly an alliance of circumstance, with a mutual understanding that given the chance I'd escape and bite the lot of them.
There was this one pretentious poetry spouting twit named Adam, and he offered to give me that chance. I was pretty desperate at the time, so I took it. Had a friendly chat with all of them, subtly attacked their insecurities and the things they secretly resented one another for, all so Adam could roll them over. [He smiles, like this is just an old funny story.] You'd think they'd kill me afterward but I saved 'em at the last minute so they kept me around. Now, uh... I'm bound to them by a lot more than circumstance.
If you got the power to bring these people here, you got the power to profile them first, you know? So it's as simple as dividing them up between people who are naturally inclined to trust one another enough to form an Us Vs Them mentality with the other side, but not enough that they won't save their skin when the time comes.
So in your case, you were able to get under their skins, pi them against each other, and get them in a state where they were vulnerable enough to be manipulated. A most insidious strategy, but one that I can't say wouldn't work.
[And he tilts his head.]
It sounds like you got close with them, though. A rather happy ending to your story.
[This is actually a different group. The polycule are all on kill-on-sight terms with one another, except Spike and Angel who simply just hate eachother and want to kill eachother.]
That was the idea. Obviously they figured me out eventually after Adam kept making more demands of me.
["Close."]
Yeah, well. I wouldn't go that far. They keep me around because I'm useful, mostly. And because the bit would be upset if they staked me, I'm guessing.
[He likes some of them well enough, and even the ones he doesn't like there's some level of comeradery there. But he's not stupid. He's a monster to them and they'll never see him as anything else, because he can never be anything else.]
[He's not the only one glad that he's alive. It's part of why he's still around anyway, because he promised Buffy that he'd protect Dawn and if Dawn got upset he'd be breaking that promise and he'd...
He doesn't want to hurt Dawn. He's already failed both of them enough.]
Thanks. I guess. This place isn't so bad, though, honestly. Not for me, anyway. Not that I want to stay, I got a promise to keep but... yeah, I'm not exactly struggling.
There's a... kid. Girl by the name of Dawn, about fifteen now. I promised her sister I'd look out for her and I can't exactly do that from here, can I?
[He's not going to go into the whole key business so, Sholmes you get to just imagine Dawn as a regular 15 year old girl and not an immortal blob of energy.]
Well, her sister's the Slayer. I realize you don't got a lot of context for that but it's a bit of a big deal for all of demon-kind. Given that she, you know, slays us by the thousands.
[He blinks at Sholmes for a full two seconds before bursting out into laughter.]
God, no. I've already killed two Slayers. One in the early 1900s and one in the 1980s. Come damn close to killing this one too, on a couple occasions. We teamed up a few years ago against our mutual ex, Angel, when he was all evil again.
I help them because they pay me. And because it's fun, fighting demons, they're a challenge. And because... [The smile fades there and he just stares into the empty city.]
[He chuckles.] Of course not. She was pretty adamant about that much.
[He's still not sure he believes her. The way she is when they fight, he knows she can feel the electricity. But it doesn't matter if she loves him or not. Only she matters.]
But she understood that I loved her. That's more important.
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[He frowns.]
Though now, one wonders what the motive might be. Perhaps Qi Ring's actions were not simply just because it was just what he wished to do. There likely was something more behind it.
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I imagine all of them have caught up to that now. Divide and conquer. I pulled a similar strategy about a year and a half ago. Probably means they want us all to be at eachother's throats too.
[He just hums in contemplation and flicks his cigarette down into the street below after he pulled it one last time.]
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[He's raising an eyebrow at that.]
I wouldn't be surprised. The name of the game is "conflict", is it not? Then fighting and death would come part and parcel of that.
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There was this one pretentious poetry spouting twit named Adam, and he offered to give me that chance. I was pretty desperate at the time, so I took it. Had a friendly chat with all of them, subtly attacked their insecurities and the things they secretly resented one another for, all so Adam could roll them over. [He smiles, like this is just an old funny story.] You'd think they'd kill me afterward but I saved 'em at the last minute so they kept me around. Now, uh... I'm bound to them by a lot more than circumstance.
If you got the power to bring these people here, you got the power to profile them first, you know? So it's as simple as dividing them up between people who are naturally inclined to trust one another enough to form an Us Vs Them mentality with the other side, but not enough that they won't save their skin when the time comes.
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I...see.
[What a story.]
So in your case, you were able to get under their skins, pi them against each other, and get them in a state where they were vulnerable enough to be manipulated. A most insidious strategy, but one that I can't say wouldn't work.
[And he tilts his head.]
It sounds like you got close with them, though. A rather happy ending to your story.
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That was the idea. Obviously they figured me out eventually after Adam kept making more demands of me.
["Close."]
Yeah, well. I wouldn't go that far. They keep me around because I'm useful, mostly. And because the bit would be upset if they staked me, I'm guessing.
[He likes some of them well enough, and even the ones he doesn't like there's some level of comeradery there. But he's not stupid. He's a monster to them and they'll never see him as anything else, because he can never be anything else.]
I'd also say happy ending's a stretch.
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[He's thoughtful for a moment.]
If you had the choice, would you want to stick around? Or find a new group to stay with?
cw for suicide
[If it were up to him... would he have fallen for Buffy? Would he have broken up with Drusilla? Would Angel and Darla have left them behind?
Would he have succeeded at the top of that tower?]
...
If it were up to me, I'd have died six months ago.
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[His eye widen in surprise for a moment, and then his expression softens to concern.]
Well, for whatever it's worth...I'm glad you're here now, Mr. Spike. Not here here, given the circumstances, but...you know.
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He doesn't want to hurt Dawn. He's already failed both of them enough.]
Thanks. I guess. This place isn't so bad, though, honestly. Not for me, anyway. Not that I want to stay, I got a promise to keep but... yeah, I'm not exactly struggling.
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[A shrug, before he puts the pipe to his mouth again.]
Someone at home waiting for you? With that "promise to keep".
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[He's not going to go into the whole key business so, Sholmes you get to just imagine Dawn as a regular 15 year old girl and not an immortal blob of energy.]
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...
[Sorry, he's just going to look...soft? SPIKE...LOOKING AFTER A GIRL....CUTE.....]
A rather nice favor to do for such an evil vampire, isn't it?
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[Said without any negative tone whatsoever.] Kid's alright. I mean, complete brat, but... she's alright.
But it's not a favor, it's a promise. And a necessary one considering how often she's in mortal peril.
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[A laugh.]
Mortal peril? Dear me. That sounds like quite the exciting babysitting job. They're going after her, specifically?
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[scary and cool??]
So if she poses a danger to you, this Slayer, are you simply helping her as to not become a target yourself?
1/2
God, no. I've already killed two Slayers. One in the early 1900s and one in the 1980s. Come damn close to killing this one too, on a couple occasions. We teamed up a few years ago against our mutual ex, Angel, when he was all evil again.
I help them because they pay me. And because it's fun, fighting demons, they're a challenge. And because... [The smile fades there and he just stares into the empty city.]
2/2
[There's a hint of melancholy there, maybe a bit of bitterness or resentment, but mainly it's just guilt and self loathing.]
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[Ah.]
[Love, was it?]
[There's something...almost a little bittersweet in his look? But he just nods, understanding.]
...Does she love you back, my dear fellow? I suppose that is the question, here.
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[He's still not sure he believes her. The way she is when they fight, he knows she can feel the electricity. But it doesn't matter if she loves him or not. Only she matters.]
But she understood that I loved her. That's more important.