[Accidental Voice -> Deliberate Voice]

[flickerflash]

[And this early evening, the journal will pick up the sound of one small British girl muttering to herself.]

Well, this is very rude. It didn't snow last autumn, you know. I think I ought to complain.

[Huff. Followed by a small ow, barely heard. And silence. Then finally:]

Oh!  [And the journal is picked up finally.  Because you, the townsfolk, should know the answer to this question.  Clearly.]  Did we get visited by aliens in the night? I think I've been experimented on. [Okay, that is totally the best thing ever.] I hope they looked like Elvis clones.

Has anyone seen my cat?

Comments

[herotypical]

The wrong people.

[ not a question. ]

[flickerflash]

You know. Bugbears and bogeymen. And Rumpelstiltskin. And lawyers.

[herotypical]

Lawyers are walking, incarnated evil. I can't fault you there.

[flickerflash]

[Nodding seriously.] My dad says some lawyers are even vampires, only they suck all the money out of you instead.

[herotypical]

Hey. He's right. Only some lawyers are literal vampires and will go for both the blood and the money and...wow. I probably shouldn't be saying this. To you.

Have you talked to Jack yet? How did he react?

[ because he's been so weird about kids. she's investigating this. ]

[flickerflash]

[Oh. Hopefully Buffy realises, but she speaks cautiously.] He was very upset and said he never wanted to see me again. He also told me he wasn't a pirate anymore.

[herotypical]

[ honestly? given jack's recent behaviour around children -- a horrifying, cruel behaviour, she thought -- that first part wasn't so unbelievable.

even the second assertion smacked of some of jack's actual concerns.

she clears her throat. ] N-nice try.

[flickerflash]

I'll try harder next time. [Head tilt.] I think he missed having a cabin girl

[herotypical]

The day you left...

[ no. she shouldn't dump this on a kid. that's not fair. so buffy pushes through with a smile. ]

Ever have a peanut butter milkshake?

[flickerflash]

[Luckily Katie is easily distracted by subject changes. Especially when they touch on two of her favourite things.]

Hundreds of them. Why, what are they like?

[herotypical]

I was kinda thinking about making one -- but with bananas in it.

But I could just as easily make two?

[flickerflash]

O-oh, really? Well, that would only be a good idea if you had someone to drink them with. I could help.

[herotypical]

That'd be a heroic act of charity, if you did.

[flickerflash]

Well, I always wanted to be a hero. Where are you?

[herotypical]

Do you remember the way to Seven?

[flickerflash]

...between six and eight?

[Sort of. Maybe.]

[herotypical]

A-actually? Between nine and eight. The Malnosso's little urban planners never learned how to count, clearly.

[flickerflash]

Well, that's very silly. Maybe seven just decided it wanted to be different, and moved in the night.

[herotypical]

I wouldn't put it past it...or here.

But -- yeah. Head on over when it suits you. I promise I'll do better than porridge, this time.

[flickerflash]

[That would be a terrible promise to be caught out in, really. Katie grins. Luckily there's not much chance of that one being broken.]

All right.

[And she'll certainly head that way after stopping past Katara to get her wrist fixed, even knocking politely on the door.]

[herotypical]

[ and buffy answers the door with a smile and a wave of her hand. ] Get in here. It's freezing out.

[flickerflash]

[Katie doesn't need to be told twice, hurrying over the threshold with a puff of cold air.] Thank you.

[herotypical]

[ she nudges the door shut with a toe. ] I guess it's a little backwards -- milkshakes in the winter. But you can't argue with a craving, you know?

[flickerflash]

I would think all the best milkshakes should be drunk all year round.

[herotypical]

That's what I'm talking about.

[ buffy leads the way deeper into the house. ]