The Lobby Of The Hyperion Hotel, Los Angeles, CA | Friday Evening Fandom Time

[wesleynotponcy]

Generally speaking this summer, evenings at the Hyperion were fairly noisy. After all the demonic activity had been dealt with for the day, dinner had been brought up to Fred's room for her to pick at and leave outside the door when she was done, and any slime from the aforementioned demon encounters had been washed off, Wes, Cordelia and Gunn would collapse in the chairs in the lobby with take-out containers and just talk at each other until they were too tired to stay up. Then, more often than not, Cordy and Gunn found themselves claiming rooms upstairs for the night -- driving on LA freeways after a day of demon-fighting was hard -- and Wes retired to his usual room, and sleep came really, really quicky.

It was a good system.

Tonight, though, it was quiet. There hadn't really been much demonic activity today, and as a result Cordelia and Gunn had gone home at a reasonable hour. Fred was... doing whatever she did on nights like these, and Wesley was left sitting by the desk with Chinese take-out and one hand halfway to the phone in case any calls came in.

Look, after a while the quiet just got eerie.

[[open for phone calls!]]

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[brat_inslayage]

Meanwhile, a dimension or two over and a couple of years in the future, things were not so quiet.

Nothing to do with demonic activity, though; Kennedy would've preferred that. Literal noise might have been preferable to the more metaphorical, actually-just-chaos kind going on in her apartment.

You know. What of it she could actually see through all the boxes and meticulously arranged but still huge piles of things. Moving was hard work, and she needed a break.

So hey, Wes, that'd be your phone ringing.

[wesleynotponcy.livejournal.com]

See, that hand-halfway-to-the-phone thing meant that Wes was totally answering the hotel landline, and got out a slightly rushed "Angel Investi--" before his cell phone started up a second round of ringing and he realized that he had not done that right.

So.

"Kennedy," he said, totally trying to sound like the kind of cool person who knew how to answer phones correctly. "Hello."

[brat_inslayage]

"Smooth, Wes," teased Kennedy. "Really smooth."

Willow, leaning against her on the couch, raised both eyebrows and projected: He's just lucky I don't have anything to yell at him about.

Kennedy snickered into the phone (partly because it was funny and partly because it still kind of tickled when Willow did that), which probably didn't do much to assure Wesley about that smooth phone-answering thing.

"What's up?"

[wesleynotponcy.livejournal.com]

Yes, being yelled at by Willow once was enough, thank you. Okay, several times, because there had been a few occasions with his own Willow, but all in all they only served to make him want to incur her wrath even less. So.

"Bit of a quiet summer," he answered. "Standard-issue demons most of the time. Not a demonic religious sect hell-bent on enslaving humans to be found." SAD, THAT. "And yourself?"

[brat_inslayage]

"Seriously?" Kennedy asked, totally sympathetic. What? It was tragic. "Better watch out when fall rolls around. You're gonna be rolling in 'em then."

She stretched, bit her lip in concentration as she tried to send a Aww, poor Wes. He's bored to Willow, and took it as a sign of success when she got an exaggerated sympathy-face in response.

"Me? Taking a break at the moment. Packing is a pain in the ass, you know that?"

Hey, Kennedy, context maybe? No? Okay then.

[wesleynotponcy.livejournal.com]

"Packing?" Yes, elaboration would be nice. "Oh, have you been staying on the island while you've been teaching?"

[brat_inslayage]

"What? Tchah," Kennedy scoffed. "Like I was really gonna spend the summer away from my kickass apartment and my smokin' hot girlfriend?"

...man, she loved how easy it was to get Willow to blush.

"Nah. We're actually heading out of the country for a while. Like... a long while, once summer's over."

[wesleynotponcy.livejournal.com]

Hey, look, Wes was blushing too! Because he never needed to hear Willow described as 'smoking hot' ever again, thanks. Even though in his universe they were basically the same age, or if anything she was a year or two older than him. STILL.

...And even though in some completely different universe, people who looked like the two of them might make a ridiculously cute couple.

"Oh?" Knowing Kennedy, that sounded... ominous. And expensive. Also. "Tell me you're at least staying in your home dimension." BECAUSE THE MULTIVERSE WAS SCARY, YO.

[brat_inslayage]

Yeah, Kennedy and the multiverse were not friends lately. Also she'd been hoping she'd get him to flail, too.

"Yes, Dad," she sighed exaggeratedly, and she would've done a better job of sounded appropriately long-suffering if she hadn't started laughing. "Come on, it is the one I'm supposed to be helping protect, right? Different hemisphere, though; we're gonna be living in Brazil for a while."

[wesleynotponcy.livejournal.com]

"Brazil?" Well, okay, so he could see how Kennedy would be up for the beachy environment, but still it seemed a bit of a strange choice. "That's a unique choice." Except for all the millions of other people who lived there. "Any particular reason?"

[brat_inslayage]

"Giles wanted someone to keep an eye on things in the area, it sounded like fun, and it was a long way from Sunnydale," Kennedy reeled off casually. "Hey, the assignment was open, and I--"

She got elbowed lightly in the ribs.

"We decided to go for it," she corrected herself with an affectionate eyeroll.

Watch it, Wes. The schmoop might ooze through the phone.

[wesleynotponcy.livejournal.com]

Yeaaah, that schmoop was something special, all right.

"Oh, would you mind," Wesley protested, but there was a note of fondness... somewhere in there. Very deep down. "But that sounds nice enough, at any rate. Just you and Willow?"

Huh. Picturing Willow voluntarily going somewhere away from Buffy and Xander was... difficult.

[brat_inslayage]

"I would, actually," Kennedy shot back cheekily. "And yeah, just us."

Which was cause for a few freakouts all on its own, but she wasn't about to say so. She liked sleeping in her own bed, thanks.

"It's gonna be... new. Totally different. I've been looking up stuff on the night life there, and did you know there's these funky indoor cemeteries?"

Okay, she had been looking into the party scene, too, but there'd been work-related research too, see? Was it a sign of another apocalypse when she actually sounded kind of mature and responsible?

[wesleynotponcy.livejournal.com]

"...Indoor cemeteries?" THOSE DID NOT SOUND TERRIBLY LEGIT, KEN. "That's also a... very loose definition of nightlife."

Well. She'd just spent a year in Sunnydale. So not really. All Brazil needed was a badly-lit teen club and it'd be all set!

[brat_inslayage]

Oh, there were probably more than a few of those in Rio.

"Duh, Wes, Slayer here," she told him. Listen to that long-suffering sigh. Honestly, Wes. "And what? I'm totally looking forward to patrolling there."

[wesleynotponcy.livejournal.com]

But were they frequently targets of vampire attacks? That was the most important criteria to a teen club's success, you know. Well, that and weird unnecessary balconies all over the place.

"I have absolutely no trouble believing that," Wes informed her. "And it does sound like a nice fit for you. I'd ask Angel if he has any sightseeing recommendations for while you're there, but..."

...He was still off playing with monks to get over his dead ex. SO.

[brat_inslayage]

Give her a few weeks and she'd find out for you.

"It's cool. Will's pretty much memorized, like, three tour guides already." She got another poke to the ribs for that, and a mental nudge. "Oh, hey-- how's Fred doing?"

[wesleynotponcy.livejournal.com]

"Er." That depended on whether drawing all over her walls was considered a sign of mental health. "I think she might be doing a bit better?" he ventured hopefully. "There's much less talking to herself, at least."

Also quite a bit more hiding under tables. And squeaking. And tiptoeing downstairs for tacos at two in the morning and winding up hyperventilating somewhere halfway down the stairs.

So he added a little more somberly, "But there's still a ways to go."

[brat_inslayage]

"Yeah. It's probably going to take a while." And she knew Fred would get better; if it was cheating to use that knowledge to back up her confident tone, fine, she'd cheat. "What she went through was some serious stuff. And it's gonna be rough on you guys for a while. But..."

With a knowing smile, Kennedy reached over and squeezed Willow's hand, lacing their fingers together.

"Promise, it'll totally be worth it if you just stick it out."

[wesleynotponcy.livejournal.com]

Oh, they were such dorks.

"I'll keep that in mind," Wesley said sincerely, recognizing it as the cheating that it was but not wanting to press it. "Thank you. And Willow."

What, Kennedy wasn't that good at keeping the lovey-doviness out of her tone. Which was fair. The Willow schmoop field was a powerful thing indeed.

"So," he said, clearing his throat. "Other than the packing, how's everyone on your end doing?"

[brat_inslayage]

They were dorks, but completely adorable, thank you very much.

"She says you're welcome," Kennedy informed him. "She's looking at the phone funny while she says it, th-- ow!"

She was laughing, so injury wasn't a real concern.

"We're good. All of us," she continued. "Everybody on your end too?"

[wesleynotponcy.livejournal.com]

And that would be Wes trying to hide his snickering. Okay, so maybe they were a little adorable. Shut up.

"For the most part, yes," he confirmed. "Angel's still off in... I believe it's Tibet. But the rest of us are all alright. Anything interesting in Fandom?"

[brat_inslayage]

Only a little? Oh, fine.

"Nrgh," Kennedy said in response to the question. "There was a thing the other week. You're lucky you missed it."

Vague Kennedy was vague.

"There was a whole... alternate universe thing where I was kind of messed up. Everybody was. It was not fun."

Hey, at least she didn't sound completely miserable about it any more, because--

"We told her that means she's definitely a Scooby now," Willow piped up for Wesley's benefit.

"...but there's that," Kennedy concluded.

[wesleynotponcy.livejournal.com]

"Oh, well, congratulations," Wes said with heavy sarcasm. "Though really, one would think you'd've been qualified for years if all it takes is a bit of island idiosyncrasy." Then, softening a little, "Everything's all right now, though?"

[brat_inslayage]

"Everyone who had powers and wasn't into using them to help the psycho pink-wearing bitch of a bizarroverse principal keep everybody under control got locked up," Kennedy told him. "Or, if they were lucky like me, got mind-whammied into being her goon squad."

Which may not have been entirely accurate, but see above re: mind-whammy.

"So, like, all those weird weekends where we're someone else and we remember it all, minus the 'end' in weekend. It's all good now, though, yeah."

[wesleynotponcy.livejournal.com]

...Huh.

"That... is certainly a new one from Fandom," Wes concluded after a moment. "I can't say I'm sorry I missed it. I can see how it might be appealing to get a nice safe distance from Fandom after that."

While he clung to the fact that at least Los Angeles had yet to plunge him into an AU. That he knew of, anyway.

"I was mind-controlled once," he offered helpfully. "Briefly, anyway. Not so pleasant. But one does get better at, er, resisting it."

[brat_inslayage]

"I've got lessons in that lined up," Kennedy assured him. "But yeah, not really loving the island so much afterward."

She squeezed Willow's hand lightly.

"And a change of scenery seemed like a good idea for both of us."

[wesleynotponcy.livejournal.com]

"Yes, I'd say you've earned it," Wes agreed. "A whole summer of commuting to teach while also slaying demons in New York as well as on our excursion to Pylea, and contending with temporary mind-control and Fandom being Fandom? I'd say that warrants a trip to Brazil."

Meanwhile he got to babysit. LIFE WAS UNFAIR.

[brat_inslayage]

See, this sort of thing was exactly why people hated Kennedy, the stupidly lucky little jerk.

"Hey. It's work, not vacation--" never mind how she was already plotting out the fastest routes to and from Rio-- "and I'm going to school, too," she pointed out, vaguely in her own defense.

"I mean, did you think I was planning on spending the whole time trying to convince Will that we wouldn't get in trouble for public nu--"

Slayer reflexes were not fast enough to dodge the girlfriendly hand-over-mouth of embarrassment.

[wesleynotponcy.livejournal.com]

And Wesley was just going to have a little coughing fit, right there. Thanks ever so for that visual, Kennedy.

When he recovered, he lied politely, "I'm afraid I didn't catch that last part." Suuuuure, Wes.

Ahem.

"But school, that's exciting! Any idea what you're going to be studying?"

[[wow how did i not get to this yesterday? SORRY.]]

[brat_inslayage]

When Willow finally let Kennedy talk again, after a mild glare and a lot of blushing?

"What last part?" Kennedy asked innocently, meanwhile concentrating to think at Willow: Oh, you know I'm not actually joking about that.

Right, the actual question.

"Linguistics," she told him, in a tone that clearly indicated that she didn't actually mean it. "That way I can officially be a cunning--"

"KENNEDY!"

SORRY, WORLD. IT WAS JUST TOO MUCH FUN.

[wesleynotponcy.livejournal.com]

Kennedy, you were a horrible person. Horrible.

"Right then," Wesley said after clearing his throat. He thought he might as well do both himself and Willow a favor and prevent this from continuing. "Well, I ought to go check on Fred, so, ah. You two can... I'll just leave you to... yes."

[brat_inslayage]

Like she was getting any now, after that...

"Say hey to her for me, will you?" asked Kennedy, all business as if she hadn't been an incorrigible, filthy-minded pain in the ass about 1.2 seconds ago. "Actually say hey to everybody."

[wesleynotponcy.livejournal.com]

"I will," he promised. "And the same to you. Though you're welcome to skip anyone who might decide to call me to, ah, shout at me." Willow.

[brat_inslayage]

It's okay, Wes. Kennedy was in more trouble from her right now than you were.

"Not gonna happen," she told him. "I mean, not gonna let them yell at you."

[wesleynotponcy.livejournal.com]

"That's all I ask," Wesley informed her. Because really now. "Well. Best of luck with the move and everything, and I'll, ah, talk to you soon."

[brat_inslayage]

"Thanks," Kennedy replied. "We'll check in when we get there, promise. Good luck with the boredom?"

[wesleynotponcy.livejournal.com]

"Oh, well now I'm sure tomorrow we'll have snake demons," Wesley teased. "Which I suppose wouldn't be so bad, actually."

Unless you, like, had a particular thing about snake demons or something.

[brat_inslayage]

Only in some bizarroverse.

"Yeah, I think we'll leave that fun to you," Kennedy decided. "We're gonna be too busy trying to vanquish the packing of the books tomorrow."

This was not going to be a small task. Because books. And Willow.

Kennedy groaned.

"Wish us luck."

[wesleynotponcy.livejournal.com]

"Good luck," he sing-songed. Then possibly loud enough for Willow to hear, "It's probably best to ensure they're organized by subject matter as well as alphabetically!"

Look, Kennedy deserved that.

[brat_inslayage]

"You say that like I haven't already," protested an insulted Willow.

Kennedy groaned and slouched down further into the couch cushions. "I'm getting you back for this, Wes. I am."

[wesleynotponcy.livejournal.com]

"Just do it without getting sucked into a demon dimension, if you don't mind," he advised. "And ideally without any more... imagery."

His poor brain could only take so much of it.

[brat_inslayage]

"So, no sending you the video, then. Check."

There wasn't actually any video. But she said she was going to get him back.

[wesleynotponcy.livejournal.com]

Another choking noise! So... two thumbs up for torture, there.

"Goodbye, Kennedy," Wesley said loudly.

[brat_inslayage]

She was a terrible person. She really was. Which in fact Willow was telling her right now.

"Yeah, yeah," Kennedy said with a laugh. "Later, Wes."