vor | Luceti Appointments

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Gregor obediently unwraps it, then stares a bit. "Is it like a board game?"

A board game from Jackson's Whole, to judge by the title?

...She was clearly excited about being able to give this gift.

"It isn't just like a board game. It's the board game. Definitely a definite article kinda game. It was between this and Scrabble but this has more players. I thought...we could maybe all play it. At the party."

But his hesitation was beginning to sink in..."Or maybe I just have a very lame sense of fun. I'll admit," a nervous chuckle, "it's no bar brawl."

"We played 'I never' instead." He opens the box and takes out the little shoe piece. "And I think our small motor functions were pretty much shot by midnight."

"Is it rude to say I'm not sorry I missed it? 'I never' always blows up in my face.

This game is a whole lot less humiliating. Usually."

And suddenly -- although she was a grown woman in an even growner man's body -- she felt childish. Monopoly, indeed. What were they...in grade school?

He's scanning the rules. "This sounds..." Jacksonian. "Interesting. Like a strategy game, except you're conquering territories with money."

"That's captialism for you. But it's not really territories. More like...a city. Or a city block? I don't know. What I do know is I always like being the top hat. But I see you as a man-on-horseback kinda guy."

Gregor carefully fits the top back on and sets it aside. "Thank you." My gosh, do Barrayaran games reveal so much about their culture as old Earth games do? Considering the most popular ones are strategy games, almost certainly. "I'll have to..." He waves one hand, at a loss for what to do with a present he needs several other people to use.

Oh. Chin lowered, she would have been blushing with shame had Spike's body allowed it. Get a game, she thought. Everyone'll have a good time. But she was too late and she had the vampire to blame for it and now she felt dead in the water as well as just plain-jane-actually-dead.

It might have been a perfectly manageable failure except she was already having one of those weeks. And without her moral-support-pirate around to help her. Who could blame him? Why would he ever want to be around her right now?

"It's late," she started -- drawing her hand away from the second gift. She could just leave it there. "Well. For you. Maybe not for me. Creature of the night, now. But I should really be back on the beat."

"Nah, I'm not tired. My sleep schedule got thrown off and hasn't gone back to normal yet." He considers, sensing he's somehow embarrassed her and not really sure how, since he's being no more reserved than usual. "I could draft Ivan into playing with us, if you want."

"Hopefully not anytime soon. I'm not sure he should have to see me like..."

A gesture at the vampire's body. "I already pity you for having to converse with him. Me. Me as him. Not that he's all that bad looking and he keeps in good shape but..."

Things were getting worse.

"I never meant to stay long. Just wanted to explain my absenteeism."

He hesitates, then nods. "It's a little odd, but for what it's worth, I'm not particularly uncomfortable."

"I am," she admitted. "Extra uncomfy. Remember the part where I told you about how only questionable non-gentlemen tend to...y'know...?"

She pointed at Spike's face. "Being a man is awkward enough. Being a man who's also an ex? Double unfun."

Another nod. "I can imagine. Should I wait to open the other gift until you come back?"

"How about...once I'm gone?"

She pushed her palms against the cushions and stood up.

"As you wish." He stands with her and reaches out for a handshake. The only sign that this is a little awkward for him is that his wings spread a tad.

She slipped a cold, dead hand into his. The shake was firm but brief.

"And you might want to put something on that eye..."

"I've heard that, yes."

"...I always liked bags of frozen peas. Any veggies, really."

"Got it."

"Take care, Gregor," she bade her farewell with a rare use of his full first name. Buffy had once seen a Gregor sliced through the chest with a hubcap and she often prefered to distance herself from any association between that violence and her recent friend; however, today? Gregor deserved his name. So -- in Spike's skin -- she gave him one last smile before slipping out of the apartment.

In the tall but narrow gift bag left behind, he'll find a pair of cowboy boots. Simple but supple enough. And red. With them was a note:

Greg, Voila the riding footwear of my countrymen: cowboy boots. I'm not sure it gets any more plebe than this. If you like them, I'll get you a matching hat at Christmas. Thanks for the lessons. Can't wait to get back to them when I'm feeling more myself. By now, you either know what I mean or you'll find out later. Happy Birthday & many more, - Buffy