Oz (0z) wrote in change_channels, @ 2017-11-05 12:53:00 |
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The moon was full, and while he would have considered that a concern in the past, tonight it didn’t worry him at all. He was more intrigued by his surroundings. This definitely wasn’t Paradise, though he knew the location well, Sunnydale Cemetery, the largest in the town. With it’s familiar foreboding crypts and large trees, it almost felt like home to be winding his way through the gravestones. But he couldn’t help but wonder why his mind had conjured this particular place for that night’s dreamscape. It wasn’t as if he’d been longing for home recently, or fancied patrolling all of a sudden. So why was he there now, and why was it full moon? The landscape went hazy for a moment, as was the way with dreams, and he was suddenly on the road again. His hands closed around the familiar steering wheel and a glance in the rearview mirror showed Sunnydale’s silhouette getting smaller and smaller. Another memory, only this one had been altered. The first time around he hadn’t had a passenger and it hadn’t been a full moon, almost comically large in the otherwise pitch black sky. “No. Before you ask.” Oz glanced sidelong at the man occupying his passenger seat. He could guess who his hitchhiker was, evidently it was his turn to be visited by Satan. “But I have some questions for you.” Lucifer knew it was a long shot getting a werewolf to say yes to him. But hey, it was worth a shot. He really was scraping the bottom of the barrell here. Although, truth be told, he was kind of glad the kid said no straight of the bat. He was about to abandon ship when Oz continued the conversation and curiosity had the Devil sticking around. “Now why should I answer your questions, Daniel?” Of course Lucifer knew Oz’s full name. He was in his head, after all. “Sure, you’d get enlightenment or whatever. But how does that help me? What do I get out of our little chat, hmm?” Turning his head to look at the car’s driver, Lucifer waited around for a response. Outside the vehicle a few street signs popped up with exit numbers and pictures of the fast food places one would find just off the off ramp. Lucifer paid them no attention but he knew that the exit number had remain the same for the last six turn offs. Almost like they were driving in circles. Pulling the van over, Oz put the vehicle into park and shifted to look at Lucifer properly. “Well, you get nothing. But you also get to talk about yourself, which I’m guessing you like to do.” The werewolf arched one eyebrow, black lacquered nails tapping against the steering wheel. “The full moon was a nice touch, but it’s not scary to me anymore.” Apparently in his dreams, Oz was slightly less laconic than in reality. “I can control the pull from the lunar cycle, but negative stimulation can make me change. Anger, Pain… which you seem to be full of. So unless you wanted to be four legged and furry the whole time, I’m actually surprised you even bothered with me. So why did you?” Opening the door, he hopped out of the van, glancing over his shoulder, “I’m walking now, you don’t have to follow. But if you do, that’s cool.” The kid did have a point, Lucifer did like to talk about himself. Perhaps he could play this to his advantage, get a sympathetic ear to his side of the story. It was worth a shot and he was running out of people to ask. So why not indulge Oz for a few moments? “Kid, your furry little issue is of no consequence to me. I can change the very molecules that make up your body in a snap.” And with a snap of his fingers the moon disappeared. “Is that all you wanted to ask? I have others to see, you know.” He made no move to get out of the van until after Oz turned back away from him, appearing right in front of him nanoseconds after Oz’s eyes turned away from looking at him sitting in the van. “Why do I get the feeling you really want to ask something? Not just the ‘why me?’ but something different. Something bigger. Something that I could perhaps help you with.” A wry smile came to his face as his lycanthropy was called a furry little issue. He kind of liked that. Maybe he would use it in future. “By all means continue on your way if your schedule is tight.” The moon’s disappearance made the stars seem brighter and Oz’s attention was drawn to them momentarily, then Lucifer materialised in front of him. “You teleport. That's cool.” Oz shrugged in response to the question, hands sliding into the pockets of his jacket. “In my world, I lived on the Hellmouth. All kinds of bad were drawn there. We had loads of demons running around the place. Why would you or our version of you make all those demons if his whole thing was not wanting to get along with God's other creations?” Lucifer just gave a nonchalant little shrug at the teleport comment. He didn’t technically teleport but his flight was that quick it appeared to be that way. It was quite interesting how he was just so… relaxed about it. A Hellmouth. Now that was interesting. “All the better to eat you with.” Lucifer shrugged again, his tone casual as they walked along. “Have you ever loved someone so much that you would do anything for them? How about have that someone used that affection against you? Ordering you to do things because they know you can’t deny them anything?” He continued walking, trying to look beyond the stars that a human could see but only seeing the fog of the edge of the dream. “How about to have that someone throw all that love and affection in your face and give everything you ever wanted to someone else?” Oz listened as Lucifer spoke, not saying a word, just letting the other speak. He wondered for a moment if anyone had given the former Archangel the time of day to talk so frankly before. It was obvious that he was hurt, upset by what had happened between him and his family. “I can't say that I know what that feels like,” Oz mused, wondering if what the Scoobies did for Buffy would fall into the same box. No. They chose to help. Buffy was the one stuck in the job. “I think you’re lonely. Or our version of you is. So he made his own demon family.” A frown came to the werewolf’s face, “they're not friendly, they always try and kill us.” Slipping one hand free of his pocket, he gestured back the way they had driven. Paradise now appeared where Sunnydale had been. “Your brother made all this. I think he's lonely too. Maybe you should keep him company.” “Lonely,” Lucifer scoffed, he wasn’t lonely. This kid had it all wrong. Lonely, ha. He shook his head, trying to rid himself of that ridiculous thought. “Demons are not family. They are employees. Nothing more.” His reply was flippant as if he was growing bored of the conversation. Lucifer wasn’t going to allow Oz’s opinions about him get under his skin. Although, in truth, they already had. Watching as the scene changed and listening to what Oz had to say, Lucifer sighed. “Look, Daniel, this little heart to heart you think we’ve got going on. It ain’t going to work. Gabriel loves you humans too much. That’s why he surrounds himself in your company.” Turning away from the city, Lucifer saw the first few glimpses of the sun’s golden rays peeking over the top of the mountain. “Maybe, though, you’re onto something.” And with that, he vanished. |