green_empathy (green_empathy) wrote in colligo_threads, @ 2011-08-19 16:23:00 |
|
|||
Entry tags: | leo wyatt, lorne |
WHO: Lorne and Leo Wyatt
WHAT: Two (mostly)pacifists meet.
WHERE: A bar.
WHEN: BACKDATED: To the Land Before Time To (just) after the power swap
STATUS: CLOSED
Rating: PG-13ish.
It was easier to go out and get drinks the natural way than Lorne had originally thought. It was a realization that had struck him full force in the size of a redheaded tornado that had squealed at him and demanded his autograph. It had certainly been quite a way to discover that he was one of the “fictional” in this dimensional chaos that he was coming to call ‘away from home’ that called itself Colligo; however, it had done it’s job. After that night, he had stopped sneaking into his apartment. Not that he didn’t keep on with glamours, just to be safe, or keep to going out at night - however, it was more frequent for him to feel comfortable going out just how he was. It got him free drinks at times. And he certainly loved the attention. The autographs, if those went away, he could do without. He mostly just loved the adorable cutiepatooties that babbled on about how much they adored his sense of style or what he did with Caritas (those were some of his favorite talks with his “fans”). One of them had even died parts of her hair the same shade of green as his skin! Now if that wasn’t the most sincerest form of flattery then he didn’t know what was. What Lorne adored the most of the attention, were the requests. Sure he got a few Britney requests but a lot of them were showtunes, a lot of Whitney and Diana. A little thirteen year old named Mindy had requested the lovely Ms. Holiday herself as well as Mr. Crosby. That he had a part in, no matter how small, encouraging this young generation to take an interest in the oldies but goodies touched Lorne more than he could ever say. So, yes. It was easier for him to go out.
He tended to frequent the karaoke bars but this particular bar made seabreeze like it was something out of his dreams. It had been a long few weeks during the powerswap. Lorne had never managed to find out who had his abilities and while it had been nice to have a little quiet in his head … oh, who was he kidding? It had near killed him. He had had to keep his stereo on 24/7. The lack of headache had been nice. For all of a few seconds. It was as if someone had killed the music. His abilities were a connection for him. A way to reach out and help people. Losing them brought him with a new and strong appreciation for them.
Getting them back brought him to this bar to celebrate. He would have called his friends but he felt that they might be needing a little “hug” their powers moment as well. As crazy as those abilities were they were there for a purpose and Lorne knew not many understood that as well as the ones he was proud to call family.
Leo had calmly dealt with his loss of powers although it had felt odd to be completely mortal again. Except for those few weeks on suspension, Leo had been a Whitelighter and then Elder since 1942. In that time, he had come to rely on his powers as if they were something that he had his entire life, as if they were as natural to him as breathing was. Spending the last few weeks without had been a reminder that he could trust his powers but it probably wasn’t as good an idea to rely on them so heavily in case the day came where not having them was a permanent thing.
Still, it was a relief to have them back, like finding that old t-shirt that Piper had tried to get rid of once because it was so worn. It was comfortable and reassuring, something that was undeniably him. After a family celebration for the return of their powers, Leo had gone out to run a few errands, picking up a few things that had been on the list on the fridge for nearly a week. For a quick celebration of his own, he ducked into a bar on the way back. Elders were supposed to steer clear of alcohol but he knew that one beer wasn’t going to hurt. In another dimension entirely, it was unlikely he would face disapproving looks for it either.
What he wasn’t expecting was the man - the green man - who came in after him and sat down a few seats from him. One that seemed to have a few adoring fans. His knowledge of pop culture was a little on the pathetic side as had been pointed out to him by the sisters on more than one occasion. Spending his time in the heavens and keeping an eye on the charges didn’t leave him with a lot of time to sit and watch TV but if he was to guess, this guy was one of those “fictional” people that he kept hearing about. He hadn’t even bothered to check if he was in the same boat, happily oblivious for the moment.
After taking a drink, he glanced over at the other man. “Celebrating?” he asked, keeping it vague for the sake of the other people milling around.
Fans. Ya had to love them. Even if they were exhausting at times, just a bit. He had only wanted a little quiet time with a drink - in his own skin, not at all wanting to enjoy this night with a glamour - it wasn’t that he hadn’t know that a few would appear. He had just wanted a few seconds. Nevertheless, he had barely ordered the drink before some started showing up. Lorne had bit back a sigh and placed on a smile and began to sign. His fans were, generally, good about leaving him to his seabreeze. He knew the moment it appeared they would dissperse. They were generally pretty good about a lot of things. He was lucky to have them heavy on the quirky but light on the wacky, or to be a little less nice .. the full on space cadet, ranging on psycho, crazy. Heavily light on that. Thank goodness.
He had just finished a signature when he heard the man sitting a few seats away from him addressing him. As there wasn’t anyone sitting between them it had to be him. “Something like that.” He stated with a very light chuckle, his tone friendly. “Let’s just say it’s be a very long last week/” And then some.
A long last week could mean just about anything coming from anyone he didn’t know but Leo had a feeling that he knew exactly what the other man - creature? - was talking about. When the bartender returned and set the opened bottle of beer in front of him, he picked it up and raised it slightly in a toast. “It has been a very long last week,” he replied after taking a drink and setting it back down on the bartop. Wanting to make certain before he said anything out loud, he added, “Lost something but thankfully it came back. That seems to be a pattern around here sometimes.”
He was used to things being wonky. Being the Whitelighter to witches had given him many interesting experiences over the years, especially when it came to the Charmed Ones. They had been the most interesting but there had been other moments. Spells and potions gone wrong in the hands of a new witch with little training that required creative solutions, demons and warlocks that knew how to think outside the box. But there was something different to Colligo, knowing that they were all at the mercy of some outside force with little to no care for their wellbeing.
Lorne gave the man a considering look before smiling, “My week could be summarized with that. It does but let me tell you understatement is not to the word use when I say that crazy things were pretty much the norm back where I’m from.” Both L.A. and - L.A. He might have made some sort of peace with his blood kin but L.A. was home. “Nothing quite like this but once you’ve lived through a few different shades of crazy, you can pretty much deal with them all, I say.” And he meant it. It was one of his favorite things about humans. How resilient they were. And the people here, in general, seemed to be made of the extreme sort.
“I’m Lorne, by the way.” He said, holding out his hand. It had been a debate on whether on using his name when he first arrived here. One that had been all shot to hell by his friends here choosing to call him by his name and it catching on - it also didn’t help with the fans who knew who he was and, well, … the door plaque. He was just happy that the door plaque didn’t say his full name. He had lost a battle that he’d barely entered and now it was just Lorne to everybody. No introducing himself as ‘the Host’. And as with most things involving his friends, he reluctantly went with it (whether he liked the idea or not was optional - though he didn’t mind this; Angel was right fifteen years on the air really meant nothing to people).
The man looked completely different from anyone he’d ever seen but beyond that, with that one statement, Leo felt a slight amicability towards him. He understood all too well when insanity was the normal par for the course. “Your week sounds like my week,” he said with a small laugh. “Our week, I should say. My family is very familiar with crazy.” It was in their job description as the Charmed Ones and had been in his as their Whitelighter, still as as husband, father, brother-in-law, and he still considered himself to be one of their guardians. That would never change. He’d fought for that assignment and had never regreted a moment.
“I think it gives us what we need to adapt to the insanity as i t comes. You’ve been through enough situations that even if it’s one you haven’t seen before, you know there’s a way to come out in the end.” Or at least that was his theory. Old tactics had come in handy in a completely different situation in the past, something learned at another time helping the women conquer again and again. Leo moved down a stool seat so he could reach out and take Lorne’s hand, giving it a firm shake. “It’s nice to meet you, Lorne,” he replied with a small, friendly smile. “I’m Leo. Leo Wyatt.”
“I don’t know if it’s a good or a bad thing that you didn’t have to go it alone.” Lorne said with a sympathetic smile, then he elaborated. “It’s always good to have family around but I’d be lying if I said that a part of me didn’t wish that my own were all back home.” Because they might be humans and there might not be an ounce of blood between them but they were his family, were slowly becoming such (despite his initial and often time still current reluctance to become involved), as much as L.A. was home. Home. A place where Lorne didn’t know about how he ended up betraying an acquaintance or he looked at Cordelia and wondered how he hadn’t seen it, hadn’t been in formed of it, coming. “However, that’s exactly how I feel about the situation.” Lorne agreed. “If they have to be here at least I know that they’re better prepared to handle weird, otherworldly, your typical man’s crazy situations.” Were they ever. He chuckled slightly. “Pair that with their resiliency and stubbornness … that is one group of people who can accomplish the seemingly impossible when they put their minds to it.” Cordelia, Gunn, and Wes take on demons double their size and triple their strength because they had to. Fred had survived being ‘cattle’ and living in the wilds of Pylea all on her own. If ever there was a group that had strength of will it was that group of humans that he found himself placed with more often than not. They made him proud to know them (never mind, a little more certain that they’d survive this place) even when they were destroying his hard earned work.
“Nice to meet you too, Leo.” Lorne said with a smile of his own.
“I feel the same way. I wish my family was back home, on familiar ground, but there’s comfort in them being here where I can see them and help them when they get into trouble. It’s both a blessing and a curse,” he said, staring at the condensation ring the bottle made on the dark wood counter of the bar. He shifted the bottle, starting a new ring. “If there’s another comfort, it’s that we both know from the insanity back home that those we know here will be able to handle it as it comes. Most of it.” His arrival had been too late to save his son a second time. The city had brought him back but it was the principal of it. Chris had died again, at the hands - or whatever the machines had for hands - of those Troclofane.
“Maybe we should introduce them to each other. I think we’d have a group of very like minded individuals,” Leo said with a laugh. Lorne’s description of his friends was one that Leo could have just as easily given for his own family and friends. Resilient, stubborn, the ability to handle what was thrown at them, normal and the strange, a will to live, and he loved them for it. It was what made them strong, capable, and a family that anyone could be proud of.
Lorne’s laughter mixed with Leo as he shook his head amused, “You know that’s not a bad idea. Though I’d certainly feel bad for our oh, so generous Collector if he or she ever decides to show their face around here.” The laughter died down slightly, though Lorne let out a chuckle as he grabbed another napkin. Angel’s Investigations: Laugh or else you’ll end up crying. That wily group had a firm place in his heart but it would be a lie that some of their antics didn’t having him cringing. “My bunch are the kind of people that make giving lip an art form. They’ve got more sass and soul than Aretha Franklin, Patti LeBelle, and Pat Benatar combined - and believe me when I say that I don’t take the name of Aretha lightly. If ever there was a group who’d pull the tail of the dragon just to give it a piece of their mind - usually only after the dragon blows smoke their way first,” Lorne clarified, completely into his comparison, and feeling the need to clear up that while his friends were crazy and often perhaps suicidal with some of the feats they planned and accomplished, they weren’t all THAT bad. Some of the time. “it’s that gang of mine from L.A.” And from what Lorne gathered what would happen in his future, not only was the tail pulled, they walked willing into the proverbial mouth of it, and slayed everything standing in the way. Oh, Angel and his merry band of champions - because they were just that in Lorne’s opinion - you had to love them … and really wish that you could get drunk when dealing with their crazy, sure-to-bring-sudden-or-very-possibly-to
Leo nodded slowly. His family would be right at home with Lorne’s friends, right down to having to get in the last word with whatever was challenging them at the moment. “That sounds like the girls,” he said. “They’ve never been the kind of person to let an enemy get off easily. If they can’t attack them right away, they let them know exactly how they feel about them.” It was that honesty that Leo found refreshing and brave. Maybe it wasn’t smart to taunt something with the potential to be more powerful than them, but it was about standing up and not backing down when they were called out. He loved each one of them for dealing with it in her - and in the case of his children’s future selves - and his own way.
After decades of demons being nothing but evil and a hindrance, it was nice to meet one that was the exact opposite. He could tell that Lorne honestly cared about the people he worked with. It was in his tone as he spoke, the expression on his face. The more they talked, the more Leo relaxed around him, every instinct telling him that this was someone he could trust despite his conditioning otherwise. He smiled. “I’d imagine extremely creative ones given the minds being put together.” He shook his head in loving exasperation. “They’ve rubbed off on me too. I’ve made a few comments without thinking about since I’ve gotten to know them.” And he wouldn’t trade it for anything. If anything, letting loose a few insults of his own helped.
“I think the Collector will deserve most of what he gets from them if he ever decides to show. He’s probably smart enough to know that too, so he won’t.” Which had led to the question more than once of how they would get out of there. All of them, not just those randomly sent home.