lexiwilson (lexiwilson) wrote in btvsal, @ 2009-11-12 19:00:00 |
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Current mood: | indescribable |
Conversations with dead people
WHO: Lexi, a crazed fan and a mysterious stranger ...
WHEN: About a half hour after this post
WHERE: Outside Avarice
Lexi was on her way to the car from Avarice, still feeling a little weird about her encounter with Gwen ... but somehow, feeling good at the same time. It was like noticing that a wound was healing better than expected.
"Hey.... hey!" A male voice called out from behind her. "Lexi, hold up! Mind if I get an autograph?" A tall, lanky man waved to her as he approached. He was cute, if a little too pale. Long black bangs hung in front of his eyes, and he wore a denim hoodie and a backwards ball cap.
Lexi put on her best PR smile. "Yeah, no worries! How're you doing tonight?" She turned to face him, her left hand wrapped around a roll of quarters in the pocket of her black hoodie.
"Great! I've wanted to meet you since back when you were in Suicide Messiah... I'm a HUGE fan..." he said excitedly, searching through his pockets as if for something for her to sign.
"Messiah ... heh ... those were the days! You checked out Broken Sunrise yet? I think I have a copy in my car ... "
"Yeah... I have everything you've done, even a few bootlegs from shows." He moved a little closer. "I was so glad when you cleaned up... I even made a vow, when you were in rehab... that if I ever met you, I'd make sure nothing could EVER hurt you again..."
Lexi kept her expression friendly as he said this, but she backed up a step. This was going to a bad place, fast. "It's surprising how little anything hurts me anymore," she said, "so I'm covered there, thanks." She had her right hand on her car door ... which, damn it, was locked.
"No, Lexi... you're too talented. You need to be around forever." As he walked toward her, his face shifted. The forehead ridged, the teeth elongated... yep. Looks like someone had a vampiric psycho-fan!
"The rockstar-vampire thing got totally played out with Lestat," Lexi said. "Sorry, I appreciate the offer, but I'm going to have to -- " And she turned and ran like hell back towards Avarice.
With that blinding speed, somehow he was in front of her again, his eyes looking empty, deranged. "I don't wanna hurt you... but this is the only way..."
"This ain't gonna happen," Lexi said. "Anything you try to stick into me gets broken off." Her fists wer clenched, the roll of quarters wrapped tightly in her left, still. "You need to let me pass." Even so, her heart was pounding so hard and so fast that she felt light-headed. She wondered wildly where she could get a coffin on the cheap ...
As he went in for the kill, though... he made a yelping noise, as he was yanked off of her by a curvy female in tight black leather pants, and a matching tanktop, with a black skull-print ski-mask covering her head and face. "You won't be hurting her, shithead. She's under my protection now."And then? Her fingertips grew into long, knife-like talons...which she shoved directly into his head, shredding him into dust with one vicious swipe.
Lexi didn't stick around to see how this came out. She stumbled and ran for her car, looking back over her shoulder as the crazed fan bit the dust.
"Don't worry... you're safe now." The figure said to Lexi, walking to her. The voice was familiar, yet somehow too calm to be be one she knew. The being calling herself Justice sighed, hoping this could turn out all right.
Lexi frowned, paused. "I know you," she said.
"No matter... I'm not the person you knew anymore anyway." She kept that mask on, and walked toward her, keeping enough distance to keep her calm. "If I wanted to hurt you, don't you think I would have already?"
"Or you could have just walked away, and let him do his worst."
"Exactly. If I take this mask off... can you promise to not freak out?" This had the potential to end very well.. or VERY badly.
"I'll do what I can," Lexi said.
Sighing, she reached up, pulling the mask off of her head, her long, wavy black hair falling around her face. A face that Lexi had once punched with every bit of strength in her. It was Paige Bennett. "Hey, Wilson. Long time, no see."
"No ... fucking ... way," Lexi managed, breathless.
"You know as well as anyone that things can change. I'm... not even a vampire anymore. Meredith took care of that. But whatever the hell I am now... I have something I never had before: a real conscience. And it makes me sick to think of what I put you through."
"I've been through worse," Lexi said cautiously. "I thought you were ... gone. Permanently."
"I probably deserve to be. But I'm not. And I'm not the type to feel bad about that." She sighed and leaned against the wall, at least convinced Lexi wasn't going to run. "I was brought back because I died with enough regrets, enough self-hatred, to be a good fit for..." she motioned to her body "this justice demon thing. My true form now ain't pretty, but at least it gets the job done. And I can still make myself look like this."
"And it ain't a bad look," Lexi said, still cautious, wondering who was going to pop up next. Janis Joplin? Abe Lincoln?
"Just... look. I don't expect you to forgive me. Or to ever see me coming and be all 'WOOHOO, HERE COMES PAIGE!', but... I'd like it if I could do something, anything, to make you at least not hate me anymore." Her voice was still a sexy purr, but somehow, it sounded far less predatory than it used to. Maybe it was the sound of sincerity. "Not just with you, but... I want to make amends. For everyone I ever hurt."
"That might be ... not easy," Lexi said. "If you're serious about this, then I can understand, but how do you plan to do that?"
"Protecting people that can't protect themselves. And killing the people that try to kill others." No need to lie, right? "I'm not asking you to be my friend. I don't deserve that, no would I insult your intelligence by thinking as much. But I do wish for your forgiveness."
"Me, you didn't hurt so bad," Lexi said. "Ginny, though? She counted you as a friend, and you turned on her. I forgive you for what you did to me, but setting things right with Ginny might be harder."
"I'm more worried about Lilly than Ginny. Ginny is a strong woman. I'm sure I hurt her, but I know her enough to know she's alright." She grumbled again, partially hating this still-new feeling of remorse inside her. "But Lilly... I was her best friend. And really all she had."
"She's finding her way," Lexi said. "She found someone to love. Always a good start, right?"
"She did?" Yep, even this new Paige could be shocked. "Get the hell out."
Lexi grinned. "Wonders never cease, huh?"
"I always thought she'd be a robot forever..." The demon girl said with a somewhat relieved smile.
"She warmed right up to this one, it was a little shocking. But understandable."
"Well good for her. Keep an eye on her for me? I.... don't think she would exactly respond as well as you have. I don't want her to hurt more than she already does." She knew Lilly well, and knew she'd freak the hell OUT if she saw her now.
Lexi nodded. "Yeah, I'll keep this to myself, mostly. And yeah, I'll keep an eye out for her."
"Seriously though, Wilson: I'm sorry. And do me a favor, please. My old apartment is still untouched. Ginny can give you the address. I want you to go there, ok? Under my bed is my favorite guitar: a 12-string BC Rich Warlock I had customized. I want you to pick someone you think is a good player, and give it to them." She smiled, knowing her own career was over. Not only because of the demon thing, but because she didn't feel she deserved one anymore. "And tell them to never give up."
"I think I know someone worthy," Lexi said, "though I may be a little biased."
"Then you know what to do. Make someone happy with it, ok? And tell Ginny I'm sorry?" Paige gave a sad smile as she started to pull the mask back over her head.
"I will," Lexi said. "Be seeing you around, again?"
"I guess that depends on if you want to." Paige said with total honesty. "As I said... I don't exactly expect you to be waiting with baited breath to chill with me or anything. But if you ever want to talk to me... just concentrate and think to me." She grumbled at how lame that sounded. "I know, I know. It's part of this whole justice demon thing. I end up with a mental link to anyone I save. From that point on, anytime they need me, I can feel it."
"That's freaky," Lexi said. "I just gained a guardian demon?"
"I guess so... just don't be a shithead and start using because like, it's 3am and you're craving Chinese food, ok?" She was trying to joke around a little, show that she was still at least partially human.
"Okay. No Chinese. But you'll be available for Taco Bell runs, right?"
"Ok, I deserved that." She admitted with a laugh, amazed that Lexi wasn't already trying to find someone to kill her AGAIN. "Only if I can eat that stupid dog."
"A little hot sauce and I'm sure he'd be fine. Good luck, and ... yeah ... we'll see each other again."