The Universe's Mixer

Angel stood over The City, looking down from the edge of a tall building staring over and ever changing skyline. He learned forward with his hands on the ledge, face molded into a perpetual frown. To his right was a large, black bird perched next to him. Angel had been talking incessantly for about twenty minutes. It felt good to babble. Not that he didn't occasionally babble to his co-workers, but this was the sort of thing he liked to keep to himself.

The former vampire's brows knitted together in thought as he continued to speak: "I just feel like I've been phoning it in. I mean sure, most the gang is back together and all of them seem okay, but that just makes it feel more like a trick somehow. I mean, just like that, everything we ever accomplished doesn't mean anything anymore? Everything we've sacrificed is wiped clean? New City, no hell dimensions? There's got to be a catch.

"And then there's that Sam kid. I mean, he seems like a smart, perfectly capable guy. And Fred just shoves him on me like she wanted me to mentor him or something. Not that wouldn't want to, but I don't even know if he really needs it and even if he did that's kind of a big responsibility, demon heritage or not. You don't have to have demon in you to turn into an asshole. Sure we might have some things in common, being a former vampire and all but that doesn't automatically make me the right person.

"Then there's Buffy. I can't just walk back into her life and say Hey, I'm human now! Can I take you out to dinner? Our relationship was based more on being in constant danger together. What if I'm not exciting enough anymore? I'd probably just get in the way. Anita seemed alright, but it's kind of the same story."

Angel frowned.


ooc note: This is a space holder for when Nat is no longer on hiatus.

Dr. Jones opened the appointment book on his desk and scratched the top of his head. He didn't want to be sitting behind his desk right now, but apparently his secretary had scheduled something for now.

His fedora sat next to him. The Grail Diary sat beside it. Indy wanted to be investigating leads. He wanted to find his father, and a way out of the City.

Barring that, he wanted to find someone who could help him. But he didn't know who that was.

The door to his office swung open, and as it did, Indy looked at the name in his book. INARA SERRA.

Indy's jaw was almost on the floor when he saw her. And he had no idea what his secretary was planning, but suddenly he wanted to kiss her for it.

Mel was leaning on a gravestone, the scythe in her hand, one boot touching the stone.

Supposedly there was going to be some lurk action here tonight, but it wasn't doing yet. And Mel was bored. She sort of missed the zombies. Because that? NOT boring.

The hair on the back of her neck stood up, and the slayer turned her head toward the feeling. She didn't say 'hello' or 'who's there?' or any of that. She just got ready to swing if she had to.

Who hung out at a graveyard after dark, anyway?

River didn't like thinking, lately. Because thinking made her remember about the zombies, and it made her remember everyone running around like they were drunk because of Cupid.

She wanted reality back.

River sat with her legs curled under her and her head tilted, watching a little girl jump rope an counting the sounds the jumps made on the pavement. She in the park, sitting in the sun even though it was a little bit cold, and she had a notebook next to her.

It was getting more full by the minute.