Starring:
Summary: After getting turned in the right direction from Ezekiel Penny finds herself still lost in this topsy turvy town well after midnight. As fate would have it she has a bit of de ja vous.
Date It Happened: February 07, 2002
Log Title Drunken Robin Hoods Wear Black
Santa Monica Pier
The iconic Santa Monica Pier is a fine vacation and relaxation spot. Nestled against, and extending out into, the Pacific Ocean, it offers fairly mild weather year-round and is almost always busy with visitors drawn here by the sandy beach, the fishing off the pier itself, and various other attractions. This place has a little something for everyone: movie screenings during the summer months, an arcade, restaurants, shops, an aquarium, a carousel, and last but not least, Pacific Park — an amusement park with a Ferris wheel offering a stunning view of the ocean.
"You've GOT to be kidding me!" the exasperated female voice can be heard in the darkness of the Pier. "Seriously? Twice in one frickin night?" Penny knows she should be too scared to be flippant but it seems to be her natural defense mechanism. The low growl and grin of the vampire to her right is only slightly more horrifying than the one on her left. Her hand is slipping toward her messenger bag that hangs over her hip, the strap criss crossing her torso as the strap to her soft guitar case crosses the other way, said guitar resting against her back. "Really boys er… I'm all tough and stringy.. I'd be no good at all." she tries to stall and find a likely place to run to or at least be able to get her weapon out of her bag.
One of them laughs and moves to circle around to the back of her as she looks to the the other one. "That's okay.. we're eating light these days. Hollywood. Land of the beautiful and forever young." The one in front reaches out, her backwards egress having come to a halt suddenly. He curls a strand of her multi colored hair around a finger and laughs "I bet you taste like cotton candy.. just like your hair looks." he says as his partner graps her by the upper arms and causes a scream to leave her throat.
Angel has been following this pair of vampires for a while now and, admittedly, he probably let them wander for too long. After all, it isn't that much fun if he puts the sharp, pointy stuff through their hearts the second they crawl out of their ratholes. They're harassing the public now, however, and that is where he has to draw the line and spring into action. He reaches into the inside pocket of his coat, producing a sharp length of oak. Sure, it was once a chair leg. Big deal.
Slipping the stake into his sleeve to conceal it from view, he practically staggers out of the shadows all of a sudden. Ah, the old fake drunk act to get them to lower his guard. He almost trips over his own feet before he starts speaking, speech expertly slurred.
"H-heeeey, you guys know which way the ferris wheel is?"
Penny's heart thunders in her chest as the one behind her tilts her head to one side as he looks over at his partner. "You first this time" he says. Her hand is in that bag by now and her fingers try to move carefully but not too big of movements as she searches for it.
The one that stands before her in full game face looks toward Angel and growls "Beat it loser.Before you end up fish chow too." he threatens boldly. The one holding the girl with the blonde, blue, and pink hair laughs. "Let him run. I always did like fast food."
"Ugh.. don't they like issue you guys a sense of humor with the fangs?" the girl grouses, trying to sound brave despite the tremor in her tone. Feeling something wooden touch her fingertips she wraps her hand around it and pulls it out of the bag quickly trying to stab it toward the one in front of her's chest while he's distracted by Angel's sudden appearance. "Ah HA!" she says but the look on her face is confused as is that of the vampire before when the thing in her hands turns out to be a little wooden fairy wand that was given to her by one of her old friends, glittery and with streamers on the that holds a star at the tip that's silver and again.. pink sparkly.
"No reason to talk like that," Angel slurs as he stumbles a little towards the pair of vampires, apparently not noticing their warnings or their demonic appearances, "I'm only tryin' to ask a qwessin'." Maybe a little too heavy on the fake drunk talk. Note to self, tone it down next time.
"'Sides, I got to tell you something."
He whispers the last part, leaning close towards the nearest vampire only to send the stake sliding free of his sleeve and into his hand. Without a second thought, he puts all that undead strength to good use in an effort to drive it into his heart.
Penny frowns a bit and looks from the little fairy wand to the vampire "Shit." she mutters under her breath wishing she had the taser ole fox boy talked about. Not like it'd do much good with two of them. The vampire in front of her looks at her and then suddenly laughs. She looks worriedly over at the 'drunk' lurching towards them and even as the vampire in front of her is in mid belly shaking laughter he suddenly stops and his eyes go wide just seconds before his skin turns grey and ashy and then explodes in a hiss of air.
Totaly in shock, her 'wand' still held out before her she looks form the ash to the drunk with comicaly wide eyes. Not waiting to ask any questions she ducks down fast, leaving the stunned vampire behind her exposed from the waist up, his grip having loosened on her when his partner went ashy.
Angel is no longer Angel the Drunk but Angel the Kicker of Vampire Ass. Even before the first vampire has completely disappeared into the air, Angel is heaving the stake through the swirling cloud of former-vampire towards the second bad guy's heart. For the time being he's paying very little attention to the would-be victim, more intent on getting rid of the vampires.
Penny's arms are squeezed tightly likely leaving bruises in the morning as the vampire behind her bellows in anger just moments before the stake finds it's way deep in it's heart. And then there's nothing but ash and dust floating around her and she coughing and sputtering, trying to get the icky taste of ash out of her mouth and spitting. "Ugh! That is so repulsive!" she protests and staggers away a little waving at the air and blinking as she looks over at her would-be hero. "Dude! You almost got me with that thing." she says. No screaming and questions of 'what was that?' or 'what happened' or tears and throwing herself into his arms. No…not really. It's rather ridiculous as she continues to hold the fairy wand and squints over at the man. "What are there like Robin Hoods everywhere in this town or what? Not that I'm sayin that it don't need it cause Dude.. I haven't seen this much frickin Fang Gang activitity since Vegas and that was just…" she seems to realize she's rattling on, babbling really. A bad habit of fear and nervousness. Shutting up a second she looks at him and gets a good look for the first time "You okay man?"
Angel nudges one of the dusty piles on the ground with a boot as he moves to take a brief look around the area for anymore vampires that might be lurking. Spotting none, he seems contented. He gives Penny a brief look over his shoulder when she speaks, brow furrowing before he murmurs a reply.
"Fine. You should get home."
Penny makes a sound something like "pshhha" and nods "Yeah.. kinda what I was tryin ta do but this town keeps gettin me all topsy turvy ya know. I knew I shouldn't have given that map back to Foxy." she says more to herself and starts dusting vampy dust off her clothes. "Hey tall , dark, and broody.. I got any ash on my back or…" the horrific thought comes to her and she shudders "Oh god.. is it in my hair? Please tell me it's not in my hair cause.. ohm'god… ew." It is only now that she seems to freak out a little. Vampires? Not a big deal. Dusty vampire in her hair? End. Of. The. World.
Angel, his back turned to Penny for the moment, has an expression akin to 'Why me?' on his face. It quickly melts back to stern and a little angry as he turns around to look at her. In truth, he is ready to take off but - what the hell? He looks her over for a second before he shakes his head.
"Dust free."
Penny has a bit of the shivers at the mere thought of having dead people stuck in her 'do. As the proclimation of being dust free is made she lets out a long, slow breath, readjusting the guitar strap over her shoulder a bit. "Phew… cause.. ugh." Finally getting a good look at the man she tilts her head "I mean cause I -know- you'd understand. Look at that hair. Ya don't take time to make it fly if ya don't care. Right?" She walks toward Angel, apparently not bothered by his grumpy scowl too much. Hey at least it's safer. "So what's up with the whole Dark Knight vibe I'm getting here dude? You're like the second person tonight that I have run across that has staked one of these suckers. Is there like a club or somethin?"
No, the quirky gal with the brightly colored hair doesn't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. Like a bratty little sister in a way.
Well, it is sort of like a club. Then again, Angel isn't all that interested in letting on exactly what he's up to the first time he's asked about it. What kind of secret, dark avenger would he be if he spent all his time explaining exactly who he was and why he does what he does? Not a very good one, thats what.
"Look, you should go home. Now."
Penny arches an eyebrow a bit and grins "Wow.. sensing the shut down there." she says and laughs a little. You really should try to at least have a little fun in life ya know. Be happy once in a while. Specially if you're gonna go around risking your hide like that." She pauses as she hooks a thumb in the shoulder sling and frowns a little before looking back to Angel and narrowing her eyes. "Wait.. you aren't like part fox demon too are ya? This isn't some kind of pack thing is it?" No mention of heading home is made. For all her bravado and false, carefree front she's shaken and in her mind staying close to the dude that just dusted two vamps makes her feel a bit safer. She's in no hurry to scamper off on her own and risk it. "I must be like a demon magnet or something. I'm tellin ya. Oh wait hey.. you do this stuff and you seem to know what you're doin.. can I get a second opinion on somethin?" She begins to dig around in her messenger's bag, trying to find something.
Angel, his back again turned, rolls his eyes to himself before he gestures for Penny to follow after him. If she's that apprehensive about rushing off on her own, then he'll take her home himself. Helping the helpless and all that. As for what he is, well, he doesn't answer that - it wouldn't really be a good idea considering what just happened.
"Fine. Explain on the way. My cars in the parking garage."
Penny smiles, letting out a little sigh of relief that she tries to keep quiet. Her hands only shake a little as she pulls a stake and… a small wooden cross out of that bag. She doesn't stand 'too' close too him. He is still a stranger after all. "Now someone else told me that this…" she kinda gestures with the cross "…was useless. Which if that's true it's kinda a bummer considering that it makes good jewelry and all too so fashion and function. And this…" she shakes the stake a bit "well he said I'd be better off with this and taser." There's a shrug and she looks at the man with the trench coat fluttering so dramaticaly behind him.
Angel takes a sidelong look at the cross for a moment, brow furrowing just a little bit. He begins to lead the way towards the parking garage where the Angel Mobile is parked, talking as he goes.
"The cross'll work but only if you touch them with it. Burns them. Stake'll dust them but only if you hit them in the heart. So you'd better be certain you're gonna hit your mark or you've just got a ticked off vampire with a bit of wood in his shoulder."
Penny frowns a bit as she looks at the stake in one hand and the cross in the other. "Well I'm not lookin ta go all Van Helsing on them but good to know that the cross'll at least burn 'em. I mean.. it could be the difference between being soup d'jour and being able to run away. I mean I know the general area of the heart an all but my luck?" she shrugs and slips the two into her bag again. "My luck I'd just you know.. hit the opposite side and then it'd be all pin cushion time." There's a bit of nervous laughter that follows this as the parking garage looms closer. "Wish there was like all purpose supernatural mace ya know? I work nights.. so I kinda have to be out in the dark most times. "
"I'd suggest," Angel begins, making his way into the parking garage without a glance over his shoulder, "Learning to drive and getting a car. Go straight from work to home. This sort of thing happens more often than not."
He isn't checking to make sure that she's following him. If she wants to go off on her own, thats her choice.
Penny laughs a bit but the sound is a little on this side of bitter instead of humorous. "Ya do that, stop living, … and they win ya know?" she says quietly, something in her tone changed a bit, more somber. But in an instant it's gone, the brave mask back in place as she smiles brightly. "Besides.. I got a car. It just happens to be where I live at the moment and I can't exactly go drivin it around." Her voice grows a little quieter as she adds "Besides, I get more lost when I drive around here."
Follow she does but with some distance between them. For her brashness she isn't exactly stupid. Growing up hard'll do that to a person. "Just got a gig so I'm lookin into more stable roofage but just haven't found it yet." she says, not wanting to sound like some kind of charity case.
"Uh huh," Angel murmurs. He's apparently heard all kinds of stories and his heart doesn't bleed so much as it once did. It doesn't really beat at much as it once did, either. When it comes right down to it, he can't exactly spare money so the best he can do is turn up to dust the vampires who try to eat the helpless. He nears the convertible Angel Mobile before too long, hopping into it over the driver's side door.
Penny stops as they near the car and lets out a long, low whistle as she looks it over. "Now -that's- a car." she says impressed. She hadn't really intended to get in the car. That could be a recipe for disaster. Not all the monsters in this world were demons after all. Some were as human as she was or as , she thought, he was. But her good sense is a little swayed at the sight of the convertable and she looks it over, sliding a hand over it's hood and side as she nears the passenger's side door.
"Dude…" she says with a wide smile on her face as she slips her guitar off her back and holds it by the neck and opens the door to slip in. "Your wardrobe may need a little work but you got sweet taste in cars." It's meant to be a compliment, not realizing the backhanded nature of it. The door closed behind her and guitar on her lap she smiles. "I need to go up towards the Chinese place over on Pasadena." she says "But you aint gotta hurry."
Despite the fact that he doesn't need to hurry, Angel does. He doesn't really want to become known as a taxi service. He pulls out of the garage without a word, staying within the speed limits as he makes his way out onto the main road and in the direction Penny instructed him.
"I'm Penny by the way. AKA.. damsel is distress." A glance is given over to the sullen guy and she grins a bit "Course that's only cause you know…I lack the ass-kicking gene or something. I mean..I can hold my own when I have ta… take a punch like a pro but.. those things.. well.." She shrugs and inhales deeply of the night air that wafts over them in the convertable, still smiling from ear to ear and cannot help but to raise her hands a bit up and over her head to let he wind race through her fingers. "…I'm just glad you showed up dude.. I was worried there for a second that you were gonna get wasted too. I really thought you were some ignorant drunk which is sayin somethng. Very believable."
"Thanks," Angel murmurs, turning off the main road to head towards their destination. He's keeping his attention fixed on the road and he doesn't seem to be much into the whole conversation line of things. He doesn't give his name either. Why? Because his name is pretty much a bright, neon sign that would let anybody with the patience to do the resarch know just who he is.
Before too long the sight of an old multitoned yellow AMC Gremlin comes into view on the side of the street. "Right up there man." She points out and shifts her things to try to gather them as best she can. "Just pull over anywhere." she tells him. She never asks his name, knowing herself the benefit of staying low key. The name she uses not being one that is her true name. As the car begins to slow she says to him. "Hey.. don't know if it's your cup of tea or anything cause I totally get it if you know.. you bat for the other team and all.." she pauses and thinks about that, raising her brows a bit "Actually that would make a lot of sense come to think of it. " her voice trails off a bit before she remembers herself. "Anyway… if you wanna catch some good tunes you should come by the J-O-B…. I'm down at Caritatas" she says and quickly adds "As the DJ." just to clear that up. "Let me buy ya a drink to say thanks."
Angel is quiet for a moment, lifting his eyebrows a little at the mention of the girl working at Caritatas. Oh, as the DJ. Well, thats alright. He glances over at the car as well and cannot help but actually half-smile, obviously amused by the look of it.
"I can see why you walk everywhere. But … yeah, alright, I might come by." Or he might not. But theres no reason to say that and seem ungrateful for the offer.
Penny smirks a bit as she looks over from the car to the man and covers her heart as she gasps a bit, a bit melodramatic as she teases the man. "Oh my god!! He almost smiled.. and he didn't shatter!" There's a good natureed wink from the colorful chick to show she's joking. "You know.. you should do that more often…. you know.. the smiling thing? Looks good on ya." Stepping out of the car she breaks into a wide smile again and looks at the Pen-Cruiser as she called it. "What? My ride.. are you kiddin? That sweet man.. vintage." Again it's clear that she jests, being fluent in sarcasm. "See ya around dudemeister. Thanks again. I'll be lookin for ya at the club." She raises a hand and looks both ways as she darts between cars and heads to her own. Keys produced she unlocks the car and gets in, turning the ignition over and after a few sputtering starts and coughs it finally catches and grumbles loud and obnoxiously to life.
Angel remains parked in the car just to make sure that Penny is actually getting in her car and driving off. Once he's checked, however, he shifts gears and pulls out of the parking spot and into traffic.
Caritatas, huh? Interesting.
As he disappears off into the Los Angeles nightscape, he silently wonders just how he could justify visiting a strip club to the rest of the team.
If he were to look in the rear view window he'd see the roiling plumes of thick blackish exhaust that rolls from the tailpipe fo gthe Gremlin as it chugs slowly out of it's parking space in stops and starts, jerkily. Yeah Penny -can- drive, sort of. Is she licensed to drive? Well that's another story. Eventually she manages to get the car out onto the road and begins driving off in the opposite direction. Can't stay parked where anyone knows. Better to move it around anyway. Less likely to get towed or draw the attention of the bacon patrol. She hums a tune to herself as she drives, looking around for a likely place, thinking the beach just might be a good place to wake up.
