Guardian Angel

[madimpossibledreamer]

Because she was criminally underutilized in Angel...but the same could be said about the storylines for most of the cast on that show really...  When she first showed up, I was really excited thinking she was going to be like Murphy from Dresden Files (which I'd read first), but sadly, I was destined to be disappointed in both instances.  I'm not sure if fading into obscurity and being dropped like a hot potato is better or worse than what happened with Murphy in the books (or so I hear).  She's probably going to show up in Bloody Petals, too, because there's some neat (and not-so-neat) parallels to Sayama from Yakuza, including the ending to the storyline.
If you translate Majima's rule in 0, it's "the customer is god", but that's awkward for English speakers, so the subtitles say 'the customer is king'.  It's an unhealthy attitude.
(I also casually left Cordy alive because she deserves better.)

Main Points:
Buffy/Yakuza AU, follow-up to Finding Their Feet (because really, the order after the introduction doesn't matter as much)
Chapter Summary: Cordy helps an acquaintance find a new job opening.
Word Count: 530
Rating: Teen

         One day a blonde woman wanders in, casting a judging eye over the place, and Xander asks her if she’s lost.  The whole ‘customer is god’ thing is…more of a general guideline than a rule.
         She smirks at him.  “No, I’m Kate.  What’s this?”
         “Sanctuary is a cabaret.  People of all genders and sexualities come in and pay to talk to people.  It’s kind of like therapy in a fun setting.”  He shrugs.  “In Japan, cabarets are just female hostesses and male customers, with host clubs for female customers, but we’re a little more enlightened here.”
         “Hmm.”  She actually takes a moment to consider it.  “I suppose it’s better than a strip club.”
         “You got that right,” he responds with a smile.  “Care to see for yourself?”
         She says yes, apparently against her better nature, and requests a girl just for a chat (which is also something they accommodate).  She’s a good deal more impressed by the end, and explains why she’s here—she’d been fired from the LAPD, and Cordy (not done meddling) had sent her on to him to help.  He’s not sure she’s not better suited to one of the other Council organizations, but she declines the offer (apparently she really had come to like Tsuya-chan and wanted to protect the staff, which, hey, he both understands and respects this point of view and also is more than happy to assist by putting her on the Sanctuary security staff).  One of the regulars also flirts with her when she’s on staff, and when asked she says she likes it so he doesn’t shut it down.  Or, you know, back her up in stopping any possible harrassment, he's a flexible person.
         She complains about Angel.  He tells her about Angelus, the abbreviated version, but also informs her that Angel really is trying to make up for all his misdeeds.  He’s haunted the man enough to know that.  That being said, he can be utterly blind to consequences and doesn’t always think things through, but he tries.

         They don’t learn about Kate’s tattoo until a few weeks after she actually gets it, when her shirt gets a little ripped as she’s rescuing a few hostages and wings and a sword peek through.  She seems embarrassed, and it’s hard to tell if all the admiring compliments are making it better or worse.  It’s St. Michael the Archangel, she confesses, nursing a drink at Sanctuary’s cozy little bar (it’s a hybrid, what can Ria-chan say, at least he’s not illegally bartending this time), patron saint of police officers.  It is pretty nice, he agrees.  She’s probably embarrassed that a police officer has joined, essentially, the ‘yakuza’, but as he reminds her they do good work.  He doesn’t involve her in their shadier operations (not that they exactly do anything illegal, other than, y’know, breaking and entering and stealing stuff even if it is from people who deserve it and sometimes beating people up but they’ve always taken hostages or done something to provoke their wrath), and she’s never as sure and happy with herself as when she’s serving as Sanctuary’s bouncer and dealing with a client that just needs to go.