shatterverse | (no subject)

Xander came out to do some exercising, and maybe whittle a few more stakes if he found any branches handy.

"No matter the world, there's always somebody doing their best kung fu, or fu-something. Guessing you run into some hairy stuff where you come from too, huh?"

Will had been focusing quite a lot since that way he can ignore the pain, so he turns to Xander a face of concentration and a blade at the ready,

"Tis one way to say it, sir."

Xander studied him closely at that. They don't call him the one who sees for nothing.

"Yeah, which kind is it? Bad guys or Big Bad?"

The blade is lowered as Will gives a shrug,

"Na sure what ye mean, sir. Tis just Nottingham."

Xander blinked at that, and started to grin.

"Nottingham? As in Robin Hood, steal from the rich, give to the poor? Riding around looking for lupins? All that?"

Well, not quite since clearly his brain somehow meshed Robin Hood with Dennis Moore. Baaad combination.

"Na sure why we'd look for lupins, but aye, sir I'm one o'Robin's men."

The sword is sheathed and Will twists at the bandage around his wrist.

Xander beamed at that, "Seriously, huh? Which one..." Not big enough to be Little John, not Friar Tuck, could be... "Ok, so either Will Scarlet or Alan A Dale, right? Man, we used to pretend to be you guys when my friends and I were real little. My best buds, Jesse and Willow."

"I'm Will Scarlett, sir."

Will's kind of at a loss of what to say to Xander's flow of words and blushes a good bit, hard to think of anyone pretending to be him like he used to pretend to be one of Arthur's knights.

Xander grinned, and offered his hand, "Yeah, wow... I'm Xander. Man, honored to meet you. When I had first got bounced out of my world, it was 2003 back there."

It takes a moment but Will's own hand is offered,

"Xander, sir, are ye Greek then?"

"Nope, just your typical American red-blooded male."

"Oh aye, sir, so ye wouldna really know that much 'bout shifters an all?"

Xander's single eye gaze focused more on Will at that.

"Shifters, as in like shapeshifters? Maybe, used to know a guy who went all Teen Wolf once a month."

"Um aye, sir, tis someone 'ere who can change into a rat an well, 'ow much o''em is the animal an 'ow much the person?"

Trying to ask why a toddler sized rat dry humped him is really awkward Will is learning.

Xander considered that, and replied, "Oh a rat? We knew a witch, though we thought she was a Glinda, and turned out to be more Wicked Witch of the West. She spent a few years stuck as a rat."

He then added, "It depends if they can remember what they did when they're like that. When Oz wolfed out, it was all grrr, argh, gonna eat you now. He couldn't remember it. What's up?"

"Well, sir, see we were talkin' 'bout nightmares an all then got talkin' 'bout other stuff. 'e's older then me an knows more things an then wrestled a bit an 'e turned into a rat. So 'ad been drinkin' an was pettin' 'im since well 'is fur was soft, then 'e was lickin' me which didna seem too odd like a dog but na. Then 'e was well, um..."

Will needs more words and gestures just aren't working well enough,

"Ye know when a dog will move 'gainst ye in a certain way, 'e was doin' that, moved 'im off o'me when 'e did that an kind o'ran, must 'ave just been the rat, aye?"

"Oh, you don't need the sir part. I never actually served in the military. Just got some leftover memories of doing so. ...Long story."

Xander then listened, and his eyes gradually widened, "Oh man... man, you came to the right guy to talk about awkward stuff like that. Just be glad he's not a demon... He isn't one is he?"

He then considered that, "Uh... I don't know, I'm thinking it was both, or definitely the guy. Probably got his signals crossed, and I've totally been there on the super awkward."

"Nay 'e's na a demon. What do ye mean got 'is signals crossed?"

Xander scratched his head thoughtfully.

"Um, well, probably gonna sound weird for you since nobody knew about it in your time. But I guess he thought you petting him meant something else? He ever try to flirt with you or anything? I mean, nobody in your time would have been checking out a guy like most guys check out a girl, right?"

"Flirt, um dinna think so."

Will then puts his head in his hands,

"Bloody 'ell that's what 'e was thinkin' 'bout when 'e was talkin' 'bout priests na understandin', I was thinkin' 'bout what they told me when I was caught, na that. But 'e's nice an want 'im as a friend but naught else."

Xander gave him a brief pat on the shoulders, "Yeah... been there. A guy I knew back in high school? Larry? Always seemed like a jerk, only he turned out to have a secret. This was before we knew about Oz's problem, and well, tried to get Larry to fess up. Only... he fessed up about something else, and got the impression... uh, just signals getting crossed big time. ...I think." He wasn't entirely sure more recently, but pretty sure he was straight. Mostly.

"So what do I do? Just tell 'im the truth an 'ope 'e's na too angry?"

Xander nodded, "If you can, as long as he don't think you're in denial. Just tell the guy you like to check out the bosoms more, nothing personal."

"Well, was talkin' to 'im 'bout Kate an think 'e should believe me, 'ope so. Mean I've ne'er 'ad much luck with women but well just dinna see men that way."

"Well, there you go. He sees you got a girl, and no problem."

Xander added, "Yeah? I bet all of yours were human. Technically I only had one who was." And he didn't know she would ascend to a higher plane of existence later, and then come back to give birth to a demon.

"Other prospects weren't so good, well, my ex-fiancee, Ahn, was human originally, and then a vengeance demon for a thousand year, only she lost her powers after I met her. Hope you're not a demon magnet too at least."

"Ne'er seen any demons in Sherwood, so dinna think so just other trouble follows me. An Kate's nice but well just figurin' things out for now. Yer world sounds complicated."

"Yeah, well that's what happens when your hometown's parked right over a Hellmouth. Lots of fun times. Place is finally shut down for business though."

Xander added, "Yeah, you asked her out yet?"

"Um nay, just like bein' with 'er an wouldna know 'ow to go 'bout it."

"And you're from the days of asking for her hand, and winning a girl in a jousting tournament right? Well, there's the dinner and a movie, but don't know where to find a movie around here. No coffee shops so can't just take her to one for that. Uh... maybe just go for a walk in the woods somewhere.. Wait, do we even have any woods?"

"Um aye, walked with 'er through the wanderin' wood an fought a knight, 'ugged 'er an she dinna seem to mind that I'm all broken."

"Oh good, so already got that... Wait, what do you mean broken." Xander looked him over.

"Uh, no offense, but you look intact to me." More so than him actually.

Will's holding himself a bit stiffly, all that practice means he's hurting more and says quietly,

"Got captured by the Sheriff, 'eld three days, was on the gallows 'fore ended up 'ere."

Xander peered closer, and his brown eye seemed more piercing now. Now that he got a better look, something about Will's body language. Well, reminded him of how Giles was for a while after Angelus had tortured him. And remembering Caleb taunting him before he crushed his eye with his thumb.

"Wasn't just enough for them to grab you either, was it? They had to be sick about it too, and get their twisted screwed up kicks in too, right?" He spat out.

"Ne'er broke, sir, ne'er told 'em what they wished to know."

Will's now twisting at the bandage around his wrist and his eyes are hurt and confused, he's trying not to show how he's still hurt, best to not show things.

Xander nodded, "Good for you, man. I'd like to say I would been the same. Got my share of scars too."

He briefly lifted the front of his shirt to show some of the scarring, "Courtesy of my last date. Just wanted me to carve me up and bleed on some evil artifact. Demon chick, by the way. I should have known." He then lowered his shirt, and then lifted the eyepatch where the hollowed out cavity sans eyeball could be seen.

"Evil preacher guy, told me I'm the guy who sees, so thought it'd be funny to gouge them out with his thumb. Managed to get away before he could take them both. And in comparison with some of my friends? I got off light."

Will just nods and painfully lifts his shirt to show Xander the bandages covering the lines of whip marks, not even scars yet, still healing,

"'eld me three days, ne'er broke."

Xander gave a grim nod after that.

"Have you had anybody look at those? Or treat them with anything antiseptic?"

"Aye, got that done na long after came 'ere, Marley took care o''em. Been keepin' 'em clean an changin' the bandages when I can, tis 'ard an sometimes miss a day since canna reach round properly an 'ate bein' a burden."

Xander remarked, "Hey, if you're injured, you're injured. Nothing you can do about that. I think the Sunnydale Hospital was about to set up our own personal rooms at the rate we were in and out there. And that's not even counting the time that the demon with the creepy eyeballs that was attacking kids there."

"Aye, I know but ne'er meant to cause such trouble for Robin after all 'e's done for me. An 'ate feelin' that I canna do all I should."

"Speaking as the guy who was without powers in a group of magic users, werewolves, so called reformed vampires, Slayers, and well, uh Dawn, I'd say you were doing as much as you could. Because, I've been there. The guy as bait, being tossed about while the big kids fight it out? That was me for years. And even I got my chance to save the world a few times. It'll happen for you too, maybe here, maybe back there."

Will just nods, twisting at the bandage,

"Know 'ow to fight with blade an bow just feel out o'place is all, Sherwood's feels so far away."

Xander nodded, "Me too, and a couple of weapons too. Just had to. And I already been bounced out of my world into some other apocalypse only to get bounced out of that one and land here. And there's nobody else from home here either."

"Oh aye, but seems to be nice people 'ere an all. So will find a way, didna give up in Nottingham, willna 'ere either."