whattingawhat | For antikaiju

Entry tags:

raleigh beckett,
rp

For antikaiju

[ Vampire slaying ought to be core knowledge for everyone living in Sunnydale, California, even if that someone happens to be a former (future?) Kaiju killer. However, when that someone happens to be dating the slayer, knowing how to slay a vampire is basic survival 101. As much as Buffy would like to tell herself that he's safe with her, past experience tells her that's a lie.

The fact that Raleigh wants to learn how to kill vampires, and wants to help her out, makes him all the more amazing. Of course, there's that little part of her that recalls Owen, and the adrenaline rush that he got from going out with her, but Raleigh is definitely not Owen. He's also really capable on his own. She likes that about him. He just needs the crash course on vampires and he'll be fully integrated into the slayer lifestyle, which kind of scares her because Buffy and relationships have been traditionally non-mixy things. She's never been entirely sure if that's because of her life and the way her boyfriends invariably get drawn into her life, or if there's something wrong with her. She wants it to be the former and is afraid it's the latter. The real problem with this entire scenario is that she likes Raleigh. A lot. Perhaps more than she's liked anyone in a very long time. Without her permission, her heart has tumbled head over heels in love with him and the only reason her head hasn't followed is because of her laundry list of fears, past experiences and other 'shouldn'ts'.

You know, like that eventually they're going to have to send him back to his time. That's going to hurt and Buffy knows that it's only a matter of time before Willow figures out the how of it all.

And she's definitely not going to think about that now. Not today anyway when she's supposed to be giving Raleigh the low down on vampires. She's in the training room at the back of the magic box wearing a pair of yoga pants and a tank top, waiting for Raleigh to get off work. She knows without looking at the clock that he'll be here soon and that sends a little shiver racing up her spine along with a goofy grin that she can't quite smother no matter how hard she tries. Raleigh turns Buffy into the teenage girl that she never got to be for very long. It's possibly one of her favorite things about him.

That and his abs. ]

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[He takes a simple job at a construction company. It's easy enough, though he can't really cite his work experience given that the Antikaiju Wall would mean explaining the Kaiju. Lucky they can forge enough papers for him to get by. He gets to stay physical, do something. And now he feels a little more acclimated to Buffy's life. So Willow is a witch. He at least understands more of this now, and it makes more sense that she could get him back home. Eventually.

It's an odd feeling. The more he stays here, the more he likes it. He knows he's falling hard for Buffy, and he thinks it's at least mutual. She's strong, and there was nothing more attractive than a woman like that. He couldn't not worry for her, but he was glad to learn that she's been gifted with some abilities that make her able to take on all these big bads, as she called them. If he's going to be in her life, he doesn't want to be a burden. And if it means getting a little physical with her, well that's not such a bad thing either.

It makes him think about the capability tests to be drift partners. On one hand it makes him think of Mako, and he can't deny that bond. But he knows he also might never see her again. If they had something more concrete, if they had time to delve into what could have been, then he would hold onto what they had. But talking about relationship in the midst of trying to save the world wasn't possible, and now he's here in the past, in this world? He doesn't know. He just knows what his heart is telling him, and he's going to follow it.

So he dumps his bag on the floor, a new set of shorts on as he's forgone his shirt, and he makes his way to the back.]

Buffy?

[ Buffy is in the middle of a stretch, mind a million miles away (on Raleigh) as she tries to organize what she's going to teach him and in what sort of order. She'd never taught anyone like this. They'd either already had an idea or it had been an in the moment learning experience. She turns when he says her name then stops. Okay. Yeah. She's going to stare a little. And a little more. Finally, her eyes meet his and it's probably comical how much she looks like she's been caught red-handed doing something she shouldn't. ]

I--Hi? [ She'll just go ahead and blush bright red.] I was just--[ staring at him and his shirtlessness. Really, he ought to expect it if he's going to walk around looking like that. ] That's me. Buffy. Hi.

[There's a quick look down at himself, expecting to see a stain or something on him by her reaction. But his smile crinkles a little when he realizes it's just him. He's not entirely oblivious to how he looks, though he isn't egotistical about it.]

So you wanted to meet? To train or something?

[ She goes even redder when he looks down, noticing that she's noticing the shirtlessness. She's incredibly grateful when he moves on. ]

Yup. Your first official training session. I mean...if you still want to learn how to do the vampire slayage thing.

Yeah, of course. I wouldn't be here if I didn't. [He wanted to help in anyway. If it meant being prepared and making sure she didn't have to worry about him, then it was something he felt he should do, being a part of her world now.]

So where do we start?

[ It's not a common request: teach me how to kill vampires. Most people would rather bury their head in their pillows, content to let Buffy deal with it. She nods and walks up to him, close enough that she has to tilt her head up to look at him. She's not worried about this part of the lesson. Raleigh doesn't have an ego. It'll help him pick things up faster.]

With a mini lesson. Before you ever even think about fighting a vampire, you have to realize they're stronger, faster and more durable than you. They've got all the power. In spite of all that, you can win.

They're stronger than me, but not you? [This isn't his ego being bruised. A 'how' goes unsaid. He's more interested in the dynamics of this, that he can readily accept that he isn't the strongest thing out there. That's what they built the Jaegers for to begin with, because humans weren't the only thing out there, and Kaiju are much bigger and much stronger.]

Edited 2014-06-21 11:24 (UTC)

Not me. [ She hesitates a moment. ] I told you I'm a slayer, but I didn't really tell you what that means. Hundreds of years ago a bunch of scared men--witch doctors I think, or shaman or creepy bone voodoo guys--picked a teenage girl from their village. They tied her up, did some oogly boogly magic and infused her with the power of a demon. They used more of that magic to create a vicious cycle. The girl dies and another is born with her power. She slays the vampires, demons and other monsters under the bed. She dies doing that and another one gets the power. If we survive, it seems like we get more powerful with age, but that's kind of all guess work and personal experience because there haven't been very many slayers as old as I am.

[ Which is ridiculous because she's all of twenty-two.]

Anyway, I could lift a Buick for a very short period of time if necessary. That's the kind of strength you'll be working against. The younger the vampire is the weaker they are, but they're always going to have more power than you. That being said, you're human and they're going to underestimate you. They look at you and they see a meal. No one expects their hamburger to fight back. You can use that.

[It's a lot to take in, but she seems already confident and adjusted with it, so he just will have to, too. If it means surviving and being able to exist on a more equal level in her world, well this isn't the first big bad thing he's encountered. So he gives some well placed nods and understands his own strength well enough to admit that he isn't the strongest person out there. For a human, he does well, but Raleigh isn't egotistical enough to think he's the best at anything. It isn't about machismo, it's about knowing your opponent, and that's exactly what she's teaching him.]

So what are their weaknesses, where do they mess up?

[ Oh Raleigh. You don't really have to accept so quickly. It took Buffy years to get confident and adjusted to her ability and her destiny. It's not about being equal. She doesn't need him to be as tough as her or as strong or as capable. She does, however, need him to be able to survive in her world. Otherwise, opening herself up to him, falling in love with him is something she can't allow herself to do.]

Underestimation. You'll notice when you patrol with me, I play the dumb blonde a lot. They can't resist a run and stumble. Crosses will buy you some time, but in the end, the really powerful ones can suffer through the pain. Sunlight will always hurt them, no matter how powerful. A stake to the heart. It has to be wood and it has to go into the heart. Beheading always works. We're going to work on the staking thing though.

[ She crosses over to a table and picks a stake up then walks back over to him, holding the stake out to him. ]

Remember while we're working on this, their ribcages are harder. You're going to have to put some strength behind piercing it.

[He's so accepting of it not because it's so extra agent and he's niave, but because of everything that has happened in his life. First the. Kaiju came, then he became a jaeger pilot, then he lost his brother and was still somehow recruited for the big strike against the Kaiju. Then the portal he used to get to their world somehow made him land in the past or some alternate timeline. So really... If what she says is true, and Raleigh trusts Buffy enough to know what she's telling him his for his own good, well he better just roll with the punches. As super powerful as they may be.

So he listens. It isn't easy swallowing down that his own strength doesn't matter, but his own ego isn't the most important thing to him. That's his safety and hers.]

So is this some kind of lore or... Did you just learn by trial and error? [He wants to know how she got through it.]

[ The extreme weird does make it easier to accept more weird. Once you start rolling with the punches, it becomes a little ridiculous to start protesting things that you can't control.

Oh, it matters. The stronger he is, the better off he'll be. She just wants him to realize that he's going to have to rely on something besides brute strength. ]

No. I had a watcher. Giles. He lives in England now, but there's this whole council of old British people who act as teachers for slayers. They research and teach and test. Giles is one of the best. It's also a kind of lore though, I guess, in the sense that it's been written down and handed down through generations since....cavemen.

At least you weren't alone then. [He had Yancy through most of his training. And then Mako. He looks down then, choosing to think back on what she's telling him now. The past isn't going to help him here.]

So I need force to stake them-- what you did back in the ally?

Yeah, I wouldn't have lasted long without Giles and my friends. [ She sighs a little. ] Even if you do manage to survive, you need a reason to fight. I kept telling the Watcher's Council that, but they didn't believe me. [ So she'd quit. ]

Yup! Right through the heart. [ She steps closer, her hand going to his chest, fingers pressing against the space between his ribs right over his heart. ] A stake will slip in right there if you get the right angle without a ton of force, but the extra force is good, in case you don't hit that very small target.

[ She looks up at him with a grin. ] And don't worry if you don't get it the first time. I missed the heart my first time. Most people do.

[He feels that spark of attraction when she touches him, and it takes everything in him to focus on what she's saying. He needs to aim there, between the ribs. If not, then he needs to make sure he can break the ribs. He gives a nod, but it's hard to not just smile at how hot she is like this, strong and powerful. He likes it. He likes her.]

So just force it my first time period.

[ Yeah, there's a moment there when Buffy forgets that they're supposed to be working and training. She'd known that working with Raleigh would be distracting though. She's prepared for them ~~not really~~. That he finds her attractive this way is part of the reason she wants him to stick around. A lot of guys have a big problem with their girlfriend (girl he's dating? She's not entirely sure of their status) being drastically stronger than them. So far, Raleigh hasn't shown any signs of this. She's got a lot of hope for him, for them if she's honest. ]

Basically, yeah. It'll get easier and pretty soon, it'll be instinct. You'll just know where to put it in. [ Her brow furrows. ] The stake. In the chest. Or through the back. You--you know what I mean.

[ She exhales, blowing hair off her forehead. He flusters her in all the best ways. ]

The first time is going to be the hardest.

[ Which is kind of a lie. The hardest thing is staking someone you used to know, but hopefully Raleigh won't ever have to deal with that.

[He can't help the chuckle at the innuendo and her reaction to it.]

I've never had a problem with that, but I'll take your word for it. [He wraps an arm around her and pulls her a little closer.]

Thanks for this. I don't think I've actually thanked you, yet. It means a lot.

[ Foot in her mouth disease is never going to be something that Buffy overcomes. It's nice when he wraps his arm around her, and she steps into that embrace, her cheek going to rest against his chest. Her arm curls around his waist. At his gratitude, she looks up at him, her chin resting against his chest now, a smile curling her lips. ]

Are you kidding? Considering these are the perks, I really should thank you.

[He holds her like this, tucking back a lock of her blonde hair.]

I'm not sure what you're used to with guys, but I mean it. I'm lucky to have you, even given the whole weird time portal or universe portal or whatever cute thing Willow keeps calling it.

But if I'm here, in your life, after everything you've done for me? I'd like to do whatever I can. You can fend for yourself, and I can so see that, but I'm not the type to just sit around, and if you can utilize me in any way, I am completely at your mercy, Ms. Buffy Summers. [Cue cheesy grin. Yes, he knows what he just said.]

[ Hey this is an excellent way to spend an afternoon, or an evening or a morning. Pretty much any time. ]

Weird time portal thingy. She'll be touched you're listening.

[ She presses a kiss to his chest and looks up at him. ] I'm not used to you. [ That says enough, doesn't it? Particularly the fond way that she says it. ] I think I lucked out too. With that whole weird time portal thingy delivering you me.

[ And then...oh. That sounds like fun]At my mercy huh? That could be dangerous.

[ He gets a cheesy grin from her as well because that sounds like a lot more fun than training. ]

Edited 2014-09-09 05:13 (UTC)

Should I not be listening? [He doesn't always get what she's saying, because magic and things, but he does try.

He does smile at her words before ducking his head a little.] I think I'll be safe in your hands.

Oh! No. I didn't mean that. [ Buffy doesn't always get what Willow is saying either. Willow is a magic genius. Buffy doesn't understand regular geniuses.

She tiptoes to press a kiss against his cheek. ] As houses.

As houses? [He asks her with a slight tilt of his head. He's not sure of the saying, but he is appreciative of her affection, keeping her pressed to him.]

It's a saying. Safe as houses. I never really got it until I became a vampire slayer, but they can't come in a house, not unless you invite them so...safe as houses. [ She's all too happy to explain it to him, especially tucked up close to him the way she is. ]

Well that's something else I've learned. [He smiles and leans down to kiss her.]

[ She goes up on her toes, returning the kiss, deepening it a little as she winds her fingers in his hair, body pressed against his. She knew this training session would get out of hand, but she also knows that Raleigh is a quick learner. When the kiss breaks, she's grinning, slightly breathless. ]

Just call me Professor Buffy.

[His lips are red, and he can't help the laugh, giving up what little air he had in his lungs after the kiss.]

Well I'll be your best pupil.

Should I get a ruler and a lab coat? [ She teases him. ] Maybe put my hair up in a bun? [ She's equally as breathless from the kiss. That never gets old. ]

That could be hot. [He suddenly perks up with a laugh, keeping an arm drawn around her.]

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