Office hours [all day]

[sith_happened]

Anakin was going to wear a path across his floor if he kept up his pacing.

And the sun wasn't going to set any faster, no matter how many times he checked out the window.

...why yes, Anakin was taking the news on the radio as a personal insult.

His friendship alpha-male off rivalry thing with Angel had always been...complicated. And his hatred for Angelus had never really gone away. Angelus'd nearly killed Rory, after all. Anakin wasn't the kind to just let that sort of thing go.

You know, ever.

So pacing. He figured it was a step up from lifting every rock on the island to figure out which one Angelus had slithered under.

The door was open.

Comments

[sith_happened]

"It turns out that if you stuff a soul into him, he turns into a pretty decent guy," Anakin said. "He was John's best man at the wedding. It's...complicated."

[solo_sword]

"Him?" She hadn't talked to him, but she'd seen him around, heard the speech. "So... why is it hard to stuff a soul into him?"

[sith_happened]

"I wasn't involved in the first resouling," Anakin said quietly, "but it seems to involve a powerful witch. He can't just be operated on."

He began ticking off points. "He's incredibly fast--his reflexes are as good as ours--and he doesn't breathe because he's not alive, so gut punches are kind of pointless. Lightsaber through the heart or across the neck will solve the problem, but there are a few people who'd miss the souled version."

The conflicted look in Anakin's eyes made it clear he still hadn't made up his mind about that particular problem.

[solo_sword]

She did get that. She really did, considering how quickly Zekk flashed into her mind there. Her view on Vader was more than a little skewed, but she did have personal experience with this sort of thing.

"But if he's really that bad, something still has to be done, right?" she said after a long moment.

[sith_happened]

Anakin nodded. "I made a promise to kill him if he came back, and I'll keep it if I have to. He doesn't get to hurt Rory again."

There was a little more edge to his voice than he'd normally allow around Jaina.

At this particular moment, it wasn't hard to see where Vader had come from. Anakin could be terrifying when focused.

[solo_sword]

"Is she at risk?" Jaina asked, frowning more at his reaction than Rory's safety. It wasn't that she didn't care, it was just that she figured that would already be covered, you know, considering his reaction.

[sith_happened]

"She wasn't supposed to survive," he said quietly. "Most psychopaths don't take their plans not going exactly right with much grace. He could be interested in finishing the job. He won't get the chance."

[solo_sword]

"So it's good for her that he's still here then," she said, not mentioning that it was probably bad for everyone else that he was still here.

[sith_happened]

"In that he hasn't managed to find a way into her dimension and up to Yale, yes," Anakin said. "But listen to the clinic report tonight. I doubt he's been sitting around knitting all day."

[solo_sword]

"So what's the plan? I mean, I'm sure I'm not the first to ask that."

[sith_happened]

"Finding him would be a good start," Anakin said. "I'll be out tonight looking."

The unspoken part of the sentence was "and you won't be."

[solo_sword]

She was ignoring the unspoken part for now. "Do I need to replay your voicemail, directed at you this time?"

[sith_happened]

"I've fought him before," Anakin said, "so I know what I'm doing. And I'm the teacher. I'm supposed to be out there protecting you."

[solo_sword]

Considering some of the reactions her blindness had caused in others, she was a little on the prickly side when it came to being taken care of. "Are you sure you don't want to rephrase that last part?" she asked slowly.

[sith_happened]

Anakin's mouth set in a stubborn line. "I'm not going to put you in a plastic ball and roll you around the dorm hallways," he said, "but if you think I'm going to give you an okay to chase down a killer who has a body count that almost rivals mine, you're insane."

[solo_sword]

"Like I'd wait for an okay," she said bluntly.

[sith_happened]

"Like I'd blink about dragging you bodily back to the dorms," Anakin countered. "Angelus takes pleasure in hurting people, and would take especial pleasure in hurting friends--or relatives--of Angel's friends. I'm not asking you not to do this."

[solo_sword]

"Good," she said, taking it exactly as she wanted to. "I'm not saying I'm going to hunt him down, but I'm hardly helpless."

[sith_happened]

Anakin refrained himself--just barely--from beating his head against his desk. "If I end up visiting you in the clinic, I'm going to be beyond upset."

[solo_sword]

"I'm also not stupid," Jaina said. "I've had my fill of clinics and injuries, trust me. Actually, if you could trust me on this, that would be great."

[sith_happened]

"Neither were the rest of us when we went out vampire hunting and we still ended up pretty banged up," Anakin countered sulkily, but he managed to ratchet down his ridiculousness to about a 95 rather than the full hundred. "I do trust you," he said. "I don't trust him."

[solo_sword]

"And from the sounds of it, you shouldn't. But dealing with and being prepared for the bad guys is part of the job, too. Emphasis on 'being prepared for.'"

[sith_happened]

"Read up on vampires," Anakin commanded, "before you even think about forming up a search party."

[solo_sword]

She wasn't going to mention that she wasn't exactly 100% for reading yet. She just didn't want to bring that into it. "I wasn't even thinking of doing anything," she assured him, half-sighing.

[sith_happened]

Anakin didn't look entirely convinced. "Very well," he said. "It's okay to let the occasional battle pass you by, after all."

Not that he ever had. He didn't think that was particularly relevant.