Wish You Were Here

[madimpossibledreamer]

(I’ve done some research on stutters and still have no idea how they work; help)
Because it was only a matter of time until a succubus-demon.
Also, I hope to deal with the whole Willow situation sooner rather than later and hopefully not with the most teen drama fashion possible.
The use of the word ‘motivation’ is deliberate. Those of you who know DMC will probably know why.
i originally wrote the dialogue about giles for xander, but buffy ended up saying it instead because it sounds completely natural in her voice, too, and xander was kinda teennapped at the time.  they are bad influences on each other.  or good influences.  we may never know which
...song choice is ironic on multiple levels I just realized (on a meta level, i.e. xander's definitely not related to an angel, and also on a completely unrelated the unfolding saga of supernatural epic fail level)  title is also playing on a theme (nightwish, wish i had an angel)...i wish i was clever enough to do these things on purpose and not accidentally

Main Points:
Buffy/Devil May Cry
Chapter Summary: Willow is not coping.
Word Count: 1241
Rating: Teen (Willow does swear and accidentally say something suggestive)

           The food might be good, but Willow can’t manage a single bite.  She’d just throw it up, and that would be rude to chefghost.  Even Giles looks worried, and yet he’d let her sleep blissfully ignorant of the fact that Xander was just…missing.  The wrongness hurts.  It’s like she’s missing part of herself.  This wasn’t supposed to happen ever again.  Buffy’s furious, but she’s not going out there to break down doors yet.  At least Nerida showed up, maid outfit just still there.  They’ll help stop the court case from going wrong (“who better to counter illusions than fellow illusionists?” she’d asked), and she’ll be there in case any of them need to go off on their own.
           “They already possessed the officers that went to invest the cult, though we should be able to prevent them saying anything too damning.  They don’t want to pick a fight with a Fae out for blood, apparently.  Findel’s just being extra polite trying to goad them into something, because he’s itching to put a spear through one of them on behalf of Xander and the child, but they didn’t take the bait.  Furious about it though.  I think they mostly attack when you’re alone.”  Everything’s going wrong.
           “Tristan and Elaine had a fight for the first time since...you know.  She wanted to help; he wasn’t taking the risk.  The rest of us that can be spared are essentially out in force, which has at least cowed them a little.”
           She goes along, but there’s no filling the hollow feeling in her throat.
           There’s an unfortunate encounter when they get to the courthouse, because the instant one of the officers sees Giles he stops and squints suspiciously.  “Do I know you?”
           “Nah, that’s not him.  I know it sounds cliché and all, but he’s got an evil twin.” Buffy sounds air-headed and goofy, and Willow finds herself wishing they’d all just go away.
           “An evil twin,” the officer says slowly.  He thinks it sounds as stupid as Willow does.
           “Real bad character.  I mean, can you see this guy being evil?  He wears tweed!”  This is all just a nightmare.
           Giles grits his teeth and actually looks pained.  “Somehow, Buffy, I don’t believe you are being in any way effective.”
           “Not an actual evil twin, but the resemblance has been noted an unfortunate amount of times.”  Alisha rolls her eyes at all of their antics.
           And then they get to the lobby where they meet the lawyer, who notes the lack of Xander, and all he says is “Typical.  The guy invites me to a party and then doesn’t bother to show up,” and she can’t take it anymore.  She flees.
           It takes her a little while to realize that the maid’s followed her.
           “I told you, I wouldn’t let any of you go off by yourself.”
           “I couldn’t just do nothing,” she begs the lady to understand, and she nods, the slightest hint of something inhuman peeking through.
           “I get that.”

           The first place they go is Gold Rush; surprisingly, Nerida knows it.  A pretty girl in a Western style dress greets them.
           “Hi, w-welcome to Gold Rush.  W-we’re not open yet.”  She gestures at the broken window.
           Willow hadn’t been expecting this, but she needs to know, even though Xander’s probably not here.  “Um, hi.  Do you, um, know where Gabriel is?  Or Thalia?”
           “N-no, G-Gabriel just went out.  I’m…I’m new.  Tara.  Er, sorry, it sh-sh-should be D-Daisy.”  Customer service doesn’t seem the obvious line of choice, but maybe she’s trying to get to the point where she can talk to someone.
           Having someone else shy to talk to makes her want to put in the extra effort to make her feel at ease, particularly if she’s new at the job.  “Hi.  It’s nice to meet you.”  There’s an awkward pause, then Willow giggles.  “Oh, um, sorry, Willow.”
           “No p-problem.”  There is a shy, beautiful smile.
           “Oh, um.  You haven’t seen a guy named Xander either, have you?”  A shake of the head.  Pretty much what she expected, and it’d be easy for her heart to fill with despair, but…
           “Y-you’ll find what you’re l-looking for, if you’re p-p-p-patient.”  Willow blinks.  “I…I can see your aura.”
           “Thank you!” Willow calls and rushes out, Nerida trailing patiently, because she’s not willing to wait.

           It takes Willow a while to notice.  She’s running through the streets, barely noticing anything.  She might’ve heard a ‘wait’ behind her, but the only thing going through her head right now is ‘Xander’s missing’.  The lack of noise, of having brushed by anybody, does get through to her eventually, and she glances up, only to find there’s no one.  There’s a lady, barely wearing anything and running a hand over her leg with a seductive smile.  Willow’s mouth goes dry.  Until this point demons had been, well, academic.  She’s seen Xander’s spiky form, of course, but being face-to-face with one is.  Something else.  “Oh, you finally noticed me.  I was beginning to feel neglected.”
           More than anything, Willow wants to just run, or maybe call for Xander.  He’d saved her once, when Jesse had lost himself.  He’d do it again.
           The succubus-adjacent lady purrs her next words.  “Oh, but you’d love that, wouldn’t you?  To play the princess to his knight in shining armor.  Maybe if he saves you again, he’ll look at you, really look at you, and see the woman of his dreams.”
           She whimpers.  How do you fight something that’s in your head?
           The demon prowls closer, and Willow can’t move, can’t look away, until she’s close enough Willow can feel the infernal heat.  “I’ve been in your dreams, my sinful little minx.  I’ve seen your frustration.  You gave up everything for him, but there is no happily ever after here, is there?  He’s within your reach and yet ever-so-far away.”  There’s a small caress on her shoulder and yet it lights her entire body on fire.  “He’s never going to like you, not as you are.  You’ve seen how he looks at that shade of a vampire when he thinks no one’s watching, and you know he’s attracted to power.  It might be only a matter of time until he turns that gaze to the Slayer.”  She moans as the demon caresses her neck, trying to break free.  “Join with me, and you’ll have power.  Join with me, and he’ll see you as you are.”
           She grasps desperately for something, anything, and remembers one specific comment Giles had made.  That intent is the strongest component of magic, that some magic can be cast from intent alone, and she clearly has that capability, given that she’d wordlessly, component-lessly, gesture-lessly exploded things before she’d run away from home.  “I already have power, and there’s only one demon I want inside me, bitch,” she snarls, grabbing the Mara’s head and slamming it against the wall.  There it is, that explosion of red light she’d used before, and there’s an inhuman scream before it just sort of…snaps.
           The witch breathes in and shivers, running on the high of the magic before she panics.  For one, the demon had obviously been in her head, given, y’know, she didn’t have corporeal form at the time, and two, she hadn’t actually admitted that in her head, much less out loud.
           “Are you all right, Willow?”  The Fae lady, shaking her.
           “I will be,” she realizes.  She’d just been lacking the proper motivation.