Stranger in a strange land..[Slade&Tanzanite]

[Anya]

Sometimes, when she got herself into situations like these, Anya wondered how she would fare if things were like they used to be. If she was still Anyanka, infamously deadly world-class vengeance demon, it might've made life a little bit easier. Anyanka didn't quake in her metaphorical boots at the first sign of unease. Anyanka never let a quiet little earthly town send shivers down her spine. In those days, she had feared absolutely nothing...except, of course, bunnies. But that was completely reasonable--they were loathsome little creatures, after all.

But she was no longer Anyanka, she was Anya. Just Anya. Flawed, humanized--some might have even called her tamed. She preferred the term 'redeemed', however. Or at least, she was working toward that point. As it turned out, making up for the sins of your passed turned out to quite a bit of work. Anya reasoned that she deserved a break every now and then. She could always make up for lost time later by help an old woman cross the street, or something. But for now, all she wanted was a drink and a place to rest. And maybe someone who'd let her talk their ear off for awhile.

Her problem, currently, was that she wasn't exactly sure where she was. This wasn't a place that she'd ever been to before, and for whatever reason, it set her on edge. Anya wasn't even sure how she'd gotten here. She supposed it most likely had something to do with her demonic instincts, for although she no longer did the whole 'pain-and-destruction' thing, as a vengeance demon she was still acutely attracted to people or places associated with very dark emotion. And this little town, though it seemed innocent enough, reeked with darkness.

Anya's light brown eyes warily scanned the empty scene, not quite sure what she expected--or wanted--to see. On one hand, a bit of company would probably help to ease her nerves. But on the other hand, what kind of company did one find in a place like this?

As the demon walked tentatively forward, she grazed her hand across the hilt of the little sword she had taken to carrying. Mostly, it was used for the slaying of zombies and such, but even with none of the horrid creatures in sight, she couldn't help but feel reassured by its presence. Anya took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and tried to calm herself. Automatically, she resorted to her favorite method of reassurance: talking. Chattering, really, though since there was no one else around, she'd be talking to herself...not that there was anything wrong with that. "This is so stupid. It's a snore-fest around here; there's nothing to be afraid of. Unless you're afraid of old, weird-smelling humans who sit around talking about the weather." She mumbled, conjuring up her best small-town stereotype.

The truth was, Anya wouldn't mind seeing a few humans right about now. Even if they were old and unpleasant. Anything to reassure her that this place was as normal as it appeared to be. Because being left alone with her thoughts wasn't really working for her at the moment. Inexplicably, she was suddenly reminded of the time her human friends had invited her to a Halloween party. She remembered, having arrived late, watching the house seal itself with its guests inside--and she remembered, too, what Xander had told her afterwards. About the house feeding off of his worst fears.

Right. Not exactly one of her happiest memories. It was odd, and Anya wasn't sure why she had recalled it just then, but it had done nothing to soothe her. Tense and alert, the demon continued moving forward. She hadn't a clue as to where she was going, but with any luck, perhaps she'd find someone who knew a bit more about this place than she did.

[slade]

The trucks engine puttered along nicely, occasionally it misfired or another weird noise clanged within it's hooded heart but more or less it seemed a most reliable vehicle since he had borrowed it from a gentleman back in New York. He had been most generous in loaning the truck to him. He would have to remember to return it sometime, maybe send him a get well card if they let him hold something as sharp as paper where the previous owner now lived. Regardless Slade was pulling into his destination exactly as according toe schedule. He had actually made better time then he had expected so he had slowed down and enjoyed the scenery, the trees, the crows circling in a slow column over something in the distance. All and it seemed this was truly the right place.

Shifting his foot from the rusty gas pedal to the brake and listening to the slow rusty grinding noise of the old brakes slowed the antique truck to a stop in a empty parking space. Looking around Slade found no shortage of them in the town, he saw litter, cracked pavement, broken windows and yet despite the towns look of utter emptiness there were signs here and there of recent activity, a candy wrapper as yet unbleached by the sun, a pair of shows nailed to a traffic sign whose nails were not rusted as they would have quickly done, a few grease stains in other parking spaces that had yet to dry. Slade took this all in as he sat in truck in front of the convenience store.

Several thoughts pounded their way through his mind. He contemplated doing the world a bit of a favor and mixing up something to burn the place to the ground, he considered just leaving with the little information he had picked up... he considered calling for a bit of back up... in the end he choose to open the door of the truck. If for no reason other then something seemed to be trying to push him away. This feeling of dread he was feeling couldn't be natural and Slade was not one to let the unknown scare him if anything he reasoned it should be scared of him.

His foot lowered to the ground and he gazed out from beneath his current outfit, to give a not to undercover he had disguised himself a bit, not the full thing as he had done before the first time he met Robin, no fake skin or the like. It wasn't durable and he had a feeling he might need durability. Instead he had borrowed a full length brown nondescript cloak from the house of the man he had borrowed the truck from as well as a hat, his legs were covered with simple khaki pants and his feet by some large brown boots, he covered his face and the gloves he was wearing with dirty looking bandages, people tended to avoid what made them uncomfortable and the bandaged figure with only one visible eye would tend to make many uncomfortable. Not dumb he wore his armor under all this except for his helmet which he grabbed the backpack he had shoved it into. He had a feeling it might be needed soon enough.

Gazing more around the town he could feel the dank air penetrate his armor easily, clinging to his much scarred skin and slipping down to his feet and fingers, the quiet of the town was what bothered him. If the undead was a probably he should be hearing moaning, screaming, gun shots... but this town was silent as if dead... dead... or sleeping the sleep of a madman. That thought passed through his mind as he stepped over a doll lying on a the ground. Nails had been shoved through it's plastic face at random intervals, some were old rusty nails... other were... blood coated? Stopping to bend over and pull one free he ran a finger along the surface and noted the flaking of the brown substance. It was blood... He dropped the nail to the ground and ignored the empty hole in the doll's face that seem to stare at him from and impossible distance. There was something wrong with the town... something deeply wrong. Shaking off the hat Slade glanced around and satisfied he was alone enough he pulled open the pack and grinned at the orange and black mask revealed and as he snapped it upon his head he felt a bit of reassurance. It was a bit of a security blanket but... the fate of the doll's face reminded him too much of vulnerability of his own and Slade preferred not to take too many chances here... there was little point. Dropping the backpack on the muddy ground Slade continued his random wandering.

[Kiseichu Clossiana]

Pulling herself up from beneath some random desk in an oddly vacant house, those amber optics shifted about to take in the sight of various things seemingly well kept and dusted as though someone was living there. Yet...the way everything placed looked like either someone was VERY organized or these things were just left untouched. It was odd how it felt like the entire house was calling out to her in its own way, a life of its own. Turning around to face the table she JUST crawled out from, of all things on there such as a family portrait, a vintage stained glass lamp caught her attention most. Leaning down, she let her crimson lips curve into a sickingly sweet smile before softly whispering, "My my hello there little one...are you keeping a secret~?" Bringing her hand up to lightly trace the pad of her index finger on the designs, she couldn't help but feel foreign with the way she couldn't quite understand what the dark energy all around this place was trying to say. Sort of like an ignorant American goes to Germany without so much as knowing a single word and all they get is gibberish.

To her touch it felt dead as a normal inanimate object should...yet...some sort of life existed...she could tell that much. "What a shame...I suppose you're just another part of the pretty picture here..." Tilting her head slightly to the side cooing out those words with a hint of disappointment in her tone, she let out a sigh and turned toward the door. Maybe she could find a living soul of some sort...it was strange how she didn't like the thought of living in solitude or being alone. This place...it felt vacant yet it didn't. Grasping onto the door knob before twisting it to pull it open, her eyes rimmed with light dark circles widened slightly at how the city was like this house. A heavy, mysterious presence of dark origins yet as though everything was nothing short of dead like the lamp. "Mmm...how very curious..."

Whispering those words to herself before letting her ivory, high heeled boots tap and clack upon the stairs momentarily as it transitioned into a paved path. Bringing her gloved hand up to tuck her hair behind her ear which only lasted for a second since it puffed back to hide the woman's optic once more. Stubborn, fluffy hair...never liked being well kept. Why in the world was she here? Apparently one of her old organ thieving targets was said to be here...but this place felt so lifeless, how could anything be here? Unless...this peculiar air about this city was like some sort of cloak and screwing with her senses making it difficult to track various individuals. Placing her hand upon her hip while swaying the other hand to and fro, she simply began humming a happy little melody to smack the silence around with a metaphorical baseball bat. What was it about this place that made her almost feel stuck in a fog anyway?

However when she heard a soft engine sputter in the distance, she stopped humming and turned toward it with an almost seductive grin crossing her lips while stopping in her tracks. Was it life on the horizon?! Oh she could only hope! For all the nursely demon knew, her head was playing tricks on her and making up noises to sooth the wish of more life to encounter. Moving her hand off her hip, she actually began sprinting toward the sound and as she was running in those heeled boots of her that added on to her already lengthy height of six foot three. Where oh where was that form of life oh where or where could it be?! All she knew is if it was some random possessed truck she was going to be pretty upset and blow it up just so it wouldn't play mind tricks on her again! The quaintly mysterious houses behind her started to become nothing more than another addition to the background rather than her present scenery.

Closer and closer, it started to feel like something...familiar...just like home sweet hellish home. Oh glorious wonderful day! Were there other creatures like her that got here too?! Once she saw a figure in the distance, she slowed down to a more...normal pace like a slow jog and started waving her hand frantically like she knew the masculine figure who...when she got closer by about ten feet felt like she should of sensed his actual presence MUCH sooner. Maybe she should actually be worried for a change...if this place was able to deafen her senses THAT much...there was something TERRIBLY wrong here. Stopping at about five feet she let her hand flop to her side realizing she was...er...standing BEHIND him. This fog was REALLY messing with her vision...but not too far away she could feel a faint...actual demon presence.

What a strangely good day, normally she had bad luck hugging onto her as though it wanted to be the love of her life in the `fellow things from hell` being anywhere near her department! "Why hello there person I don't know~" cooing out those words in a friendly tone, her attention span felt like it went on the fritz since it felt like the other hellish presence was close by...it was starting to actually get under her skin that she didn't sense a fellow demon much sooner. Bringing her hand up to wiggle her fingers, adding on to the hello, her gaze turned away toward the direction of where she felt like a fellow demon was. In a way, it was humorous how a woman much like herself was looking around while waving in a different direction. Realizing that she was trying to greet someone else, she kept that same ol sweet smile across her lips that almost seemed to have some sort of sinister undertone and looked back to the man who...she felt like probably deserved some kinda eye contact in case he turned around.

[Anya]

What time was it? It had to be getting late; she felt as if she had been walking for hours. And yet, it didn't seem as if she'd gotten very far at all. Perhaps it was because of the utter unfamiliarity of the place. It was difficult to distinguish any sort of landmark through all the fog. In conditions like these, Anya could've been walking in circles all day and she wouldn't have been any the wiser. She huffed a little, kicked a stone near her foot, and then jumped slightly at the noise. Every little sound she made seemed amplified a thousand times in contrast with the town's ominous silence.

She was going to have to admit it: she was lost. Trying to keep herself from panicking, Anya stopped moving altogether, and tried to focus. If she could just calm down long enough to evaluate the situation, she was bound to find some kind of solution.

...Who was she kidding, half the time she couldn't even find her shoes in the morning, let alone find her way out of this bizarre place. Anya shivered as she pictured the grim future ahead of her. She was going to be stuck here. ...Oh god, she was going to be here until she was dead! Except that she wasn't, because she was immortal. So instead, she'd just be lost here for the rest of eternity. Eventually, she'd go insane and start talking to her shadow, and turn into a psychotic, unrecognizable--

Wait...had she just heard a voice? The demon ceased her mental ranting suddenly, and listened attentively. Whoever it had been did not speak again, but she could've sworn that she'd heard someone. Unless she was beginning to hear things. Unwilling to even entertain such a thought, Anya abruptly turned in the direction that the sound had come from, and cautiously headed toward it. With such a mist hanging over the place, she could hardly see far enough to make out any features, but as she moved forward, she could spot the faint shadowy outlines of two figures. A wave of relief and enthusiasm washed over her almost immediately, and it was then that the demon did something fairly stupid. Nevermind that she had no idea who these people were or what their intentions were, but even at the best of times it wasn't a great idea to startle someone whose vision was already impaired by the fog.

Pop!

But both of these thoughts appealed to Anya too late, for in her excitement at finally finding confirmation that she wasn't alone here, the demon spontaneously teleported herself. In a light puff of smoke, she was suddenly standing only a yard or so away from the other two. It was hardly subtle, but in her current half-desperate state she couldn't say that she cared much for keeping her identity a secret. Besides, something about this town was clearly off. How unusual could supernatural creatures such as herself be?

Her gaze first passed across the tall, shadowed man. Anya found that she couldn't get a good look at his face. She wasn't sure if she was seeing clearly, but he seemed to be wearing a mask of some sort. The woman standing behind him, who Anya assumed had been the one to have spoken earlier, wasn't familiar to her either. Never the less, she flashed them both a wide smile. "...Uh. Hi! Sorry to bother you guys, but I was wondering if, well...do you live here? Because I'm kind of trying to find a way to leave." Anya informed them breathlessly. Her grin faltered a little. If these two were indeed residents of this little town, it occurred to her that perhaps they'd be offended by her previous statement. Not wanting to ward off any help they might be willing to offer her, she quickly added, "Not that it--I mean, it's really nice here. A little creepy for my tastes, but I'm sure you must get plenty of tourists..." Her eyes darted around her pointedly empty surroundings. "...in the, um,...summer."

[slade]

Slade's silent feet was carrying him farther down the streets as he felt the atmosphere, it was not a welcoming one, not a safe one. It sought to terrify and drive away if it could not drive one mad, this was not a place meant for the faint of heart or the weak of mind. He had been in places like this it was true... but buildings, abandoned hospitals, he had never heard of an entire town like this... an entire town built.... wrong. A house was easy to deal with just get out and then set it ablaze, the cleansing power of fire a good solution often in dealing with the supernatural horrors of the world... but an entire town?... it was like trying to burn a mountain, not a chance. Slade's mouth turned up in a grin under his helmet. It might be an interesting day.

He was farther sure of this as he felt someones eyes upon him. Who ever they were they were behind him and approaching fast. He listened to the lack of the sound of their movement, calculated their speed on the increasing intensity of their presence and then looked at the nearby window of one of the houses, using the window as a badly cleaned mirror to get a subtle look at the approaching being. A female shape was visible through the gloom, definately female, attractive shape... and... wearing... a non-regulation nurses outfit? His mind boggled a bit at this random insertion of the current situation. This was not something he had expected to find and while he readied himself to move he was a bit surprised she stopped a reasonable ten feet away.

"Why hello there person I don't know~"

The tone was friendly almost to the point of being sensual and as he looked over he shoulder at her he discovered no weapons in her hands, no stand of hostility, no hint of being ready to attack rather just a female being friendly to a stranger... but most strangers didn't run up to another in as town as strange as this one but it might very well be she was not from there in which case her seeking him out would make a lot of sense, not many would be able to handle the creepiness of this town nor it's atmosphere. Still there remained her silent approach it seemed to have been just her standard way of moving but who moved like that? Besides himself of course.

He was slowly turning around, considering a comment on her Winnie-the-pooh-esk comment when he felt it first, a displacement of air, a subtle change in atmosphere, and then a brief popping noise, he quickly snapped his gaze in the direction of it's origin and was surprised at the appenance of the woman before him. Her wavy hair, her mode of dress it was all... normal and yet he knew she had not been there a moment ago and thus was the origin of the popping sound. He quickly started to gauge her intentions when she started to speak. She seemed nervous, confused, and obviously from out of town. During her stammering Slade looked over at the other female and then back at the newest one. He supposed he might have to take the situation in hand. He calmly waved a dismissive hand.

"Oh I am not sure about the nurse here but I am from out of town myself. I am sure you are right this town much get quite a visitation season for it's local... color and convenient... something or other. But I digress. My name is Slade and might I ask what you two ladies are doing in this..."

Slade slowly scanned their surroundings slowly trying to phrase what was on his mind.

"...lovely... town."

[Kiseichu Clossiana]

About to pop a question to the peculiar fellow who looked beyond suspicious and abnormal...like herself, she was interrupted by a popping noise and much like the stranger she was trying to say hello to, that's when she turned her head toward the sound. Those fluffy white locks of hers seemed to have a slight little bounce where the curls were due to the sudden movement. Clasping her hands together at the sight with a lovely grin across her lips before letting out a soft chuckle. Oh goody goody gumdrops and syringes! The presence of a fellow demon felt extremely strong and not only that, but this lady looked...a lot more normal. Resting her chin lightly against her knuckles, she listened intently to what the woman with dusty blond locks had to say. What the....she was trying to leave but couldn't...? Unclasping her hands before placing one hand lightly upon her hip, the demon nurse's eyes fixated on the woman wondering what was going on here.

However, she did let out a soft little chuckle of amusement at how she tried to sugar coat her request with a little cover of it being nice in the summer. Honestly, she had to disagree, this place didn't seem like something anyone would come to for a summer time vacation...buuut she wasn't about to be rude to the only chunk of living creatures! It was also pretty amusing that the lady thought she was actually from here. Well...not like she was dressed up to play normal citizen considering her outfit was far from blending in. Maybe she should of tried to mesh in more...oh well it was too late for that now. One thing was certain though, the both of them had the same mindset about this quiet town...it was creepy and the funky haired nurse with ridiculously long locks used that word sparingly! Then the guy who...was wearing a mask decided to speak up and sounded very gentleman-like without concern nor timidness such as the new addition to this little cluster.

Quite polite, really displaying his manners to a couple of strangers...a fantastic change of pace from the screams of people who didn't want to lose their organs. It seemed like they were all out of town....that was...awkward to say the least. The coincidence of three strangers, all of which being out of town seemed...peculiar. Something just wasn't right here...."Mmmm...I'm from out of town as well, much like you two, except of course I just so happen to be here on business...repossession to be precise~. Someone stole from my previous boss, taking advantage of his kindness and talent for helping those with organ failure." Lightly tilting her head to the side as she said those words in a fashion which blended politeness with kindness before continuing to speak in the same tone, "I tracked the horrible, naughty thief all the way here but...he wasn't exactly where he was supposed to be. Anyway, unless this place suddenly gets lively in the summer, somehow I don't think they depend on tourism much at all~"

Bringing her index finger up to her chin while leaving her hand upon her hip before letting her gaze take in the sight of these two as well as the eerily peaceful scenery all around them. "By the way, you two may call me Tanzanite or any variation of it. I know I just said I'm trying to track down a thief, but..." Motioning her hand away from her chin and moved it slowly to her sleeve, tucking her fingertips beneath the red trim while thinking about orange and strawberry flavored lollipops. "I don't mind helping anyone along the way, especially when they're lost~" Pulling her hand out of her sleeve, the amber eyed woman chuckled in and almost devilish way while holding out a pair of thin lollipops like it was a little amusing to her. They weren't anything special, really....just thin circular candies attached to a stick and covered in a simple wrapper.

"Think of these as a gift of good will, hm?" Wiggling them ever so slightly between her fingers, she wondered if they'd reject or accept her little gifts thinking back on her little encounter with that goblin Marine who joked about how she shouldn't take candy from strangers. Definitely at some point she'd have to track that purple haired girl down to say hello or something! For now though, she planned on helping the lost demoness and maybe even follow Slade later just so she wasn't alone in this messed up place. Hell was comfy cozy home sweet home but this place? It was the first time in a looooong time she felt a little uneasy being on her own.

[Anya]

The vengeance demon blinked as both the man in the mask and the woman dressed as a nurse informed her that they were not, in fact, from around her. Her enthusiasm deflated a little, but she couldn't deny that it was still a comfort to have some sort of company in this foreign place. Anya regained herself and listened while both of the strangers introduced themselves. Their introductions sparked a mild curiosity in the demon, and she tilted her head a fraction as she surveyed them both. They weren't from this town, but then, where were they from? It was odd that the three of them seemed to be the only ones present, and none of them were local. Didn't this town have any residents of its own?

"I am Anya. Anya Christina Emmanuela Jenkins." She recited her human name almost proudly, though it hadn't really been necessary. Her gaze slid to the man who called himself Slade, who had just asked what had brought them to this place. The nurse who had introduced herself as Tanzanite spoke of her mission to track down a thief who had evidently wronged her. As was typical, about a hundred different questions immediately popped into Anya's head. What exactly had this thief stolen? And what did Tanzanite plan to do once she found him? Somehow, though the nurse seemed sweet enough, she struck Anya as inexplicably formidable. Both she and Slade did, actually, and Anya got the feeling that they weren't people who you wanted to provoke. Thankfully, she had no current plans that involved provoking of any kind. She just wanted to get out of here.

She was slightly startled by Tanzanite's sudden offering of the lollipops. Regardless, it seemed rude to refuse--and more importantly, Anya really did like candy. Cautiously, she took one of the lollipops, examined it carefully, and then beamed cheerfully. at the other woman. "...Thanks! Do you just carry these around with you all the time, or...?" The demon prompted curiously as she briefly entertained herself by twirling the stick between her fingers.

It occurred to her, however, that she hadn't yet responded to Slade's earlier inquiry. She wasn't exactly sure how to, actually, because she wasn't sure how or why she was here. She gave a tiny sigh and then a shrug. "As for what I'm doing here, I'm...not really sure. Which sounds stupid, but...I dunno. This place, it's...weird. Too much negative energy. Can't say I like it." Anya grimaced a little, and then stopped herself before she said too much.

Still, it seemed as if not all hope was lost. Not yet, anyway. She was no longer alone, at least--and as far as she was concerned, that was a plus. "Sorry to hear about that thief." She added, turning to Tanzanite. "Maybe we could help each other! I am a little lost, but I can totally keep an eye out for someone who looks like they'd steal...whatever it is you lost. Except so far, this place seems kind of...empty."

[xuchilbara]

What is evil? Some philosophers have argued it is merely the absence of good. But if that were true, the universe itself would be evil, since it is not by definition good. So what is evil? Someone like Slade might argue that it was someone with great power doing harm to others for no other reason than to suit themselves somehow. Someone like Tanzanite might say that evil is selfishness and the completely lack of responsibility. And still, someone like Anya might say that evil simply came from higher beings from different dimensions, but that even such creatures were capable of doing good.

Was this land evil? Was it devoid of love? Did the ancient and inconceivable powers that dwelt here have no capacity to do good? Or was it like a mirror? A magical, interactive mirror that only reflected back the dark part of the soul, twisted and warped like a funhouse mirror? Maybe that's all it was in the end. Or maybe the three were closer to Hell than they ever thought possible. Maybe they could feel it too, deep down inside themselves. Feel the flames of Hell lapping at them, the heat radiating them, but not yet knowing the source or how to turn back.

Maybe there was no turning back. Indeed, they could run around this foggy, abandoned town for eternity and find that all the roads and paths leading out were all conveniently blocked. And the fog. Where did it come from? It wasn't cold, although it gave the town the appearance of being wet and chilly. And when did it arrive? Had any of them thought back, they wouldn't be able to exactly when things had fogged over. Sure, it happened, but as it happened, they were not aware of it. Much like that thing in the background one never notices, until one instance, and then they wonder how it got there in the first place or how long it had been there.

No phones would work, unless it wanted them to. The same goes for any vehicles or electronic devices. But then, what was that noise? The white noise that had always been present ever since the three of them started to talk? That had always been there, just like the fog, and up until now, it had not allowed them to notice it. Static. A radio. There was a portable radio not too far from them, sitting on a bench. So small it could fit in one's pocket, but loud enough for them all to hear it, even from their distance.

[slade]

Slade gazed upon the bright orange lolly-pop, it's color so at odds with this place. A place of darkness and dread and he was holding a lolly-pop in it. It seemed his life hadn't stopped getting stranger that was for sure. A normal seeming girl and a dubious nurse and a guy in a trench coat... Slade winced inside as part of his brain drew attention to the fact he had seen a movie like that when he was a teenager... fortunately he knew for a fact he had more under his trenchcoat then the guy in the movie had so he was fairly sure it was not the same situation. He half listened to the prattle of Anya, Anya Christina Emmanuela Jenkins... had to be her real name, who would make up a name like THAT... expressed her helpful nature. He supposed he would help if only to continue his association with these two interesting people and...

Slade stopped in mid thought and turned his head ever so slowly to regard the radio and the white noise in produced... had that been there the whole time... why didn't he notice it and if they were the only three in the town why hadn't it gone dead by now, batteries like the kind that would fit in a radio like that wouldn't keep going long 24/7, not long at all. He stood there, shock still, for a moment not even breathing as he gazed at the radio and slowly he raised his arm and briefly pointed at the radio and then tapped the chin of his helmet.

"Ladies I hate to alarm you but this town is seeming less and less like a place to spend some quality time."

Not to mention this place was beginning to get on his nerve. His mind raced, the notion of setting a few buildings ablaze did appeal to him but again he doubted it would help. Instead he thought of what he did know. With a subtle raise of his hand he reached up and tapped the side of his helm... and nothing happened. He repeated the motion and noticed his radio did not go on, his direct route to any back up he might need was not working. He frowned within his helmet and slide his finger back down to his chin, with that he glanced at the two women near him.

"Ladies would you be so kind as to humor me. Would you mind checking any phones you might have, see if you can call out. I would appreciate it."

The fact they were in a bad situation was no reason to be rude, Slade was never rude with out reason... even if the reason was it amused him at the time. His piece said he slowly walked over to the radio and looked at it. His head tilting back and force as he looked at it. Reaching out he picked it up.

"So what are you set for little friend, Amen or FU?"

The pun fell a little shorter then some of the ones he had made in years past but it amused him so it was good enough. Regarding the radio he slowly worked the dials seeing if he could get a signal.

[Kiseichu Clossiana]

Oh joy! Oh rapture! OH BLISS! They took the lollipops! What was this though, the girl had a terribly long name and said it with pride. How amusing, the last time she took pride in saying a name was when she first seized her host who was pretty much gone. Continuing to maintain her friendly smile of sorts just to show off how good of a mood she was in! Bringing her hand up to her cheek as if she was going to say `Oh my!` or something cheesy in a Southern Belle accent. But instead, she just coo'd out, "Mmm...they're usually on me. Though sometimes they just show up out of no where in my sleeves when I'm looking for something else~" in a sweet as can be tone.

Admittedly...it was a little strange that the dusty blond demon had no idea why she was there...plus they were on the same page about the whole negative energy thing. The weirdest part is she didn't quite feel like it was negative...but it wasn't exactly good either. Maybe more along the lines of messed up and extremely questionable in more ways than one. Nothing the nurse from hell could give her a straight answer about but the puffy haired woman in high heeled boots wasn't going to just abandon her either. There was an exit she hadn't tried yet...but for some reason she had this nagging feeling that even if there was an attempt made to pull these two into a shadow for a quick get away it'd wind up being somewhere within the town. The feeling that resistance was futile here. Tap tap tapping her index finger upon her cheek while mulling over the question of what the thief stole for a moment...sugar coat it....lie about it completely....or just pretend she said something totally different?

Oh who cared! Dear sweet Tanzanite didn't seeing how she was probably considered NORMAL in a town like this which could just about give her previous boss a heart attack since he had his suspicions no matter how much she tried to cover up her abilities. Letting her eyes widen a bit in surprise that this woman was so willing to help without even knowing made it safe to blurt out, "Oh my, you're quite the sweetheart, aren't you~? The naughty thief stole a few organs, namely lungs, liver, and a pair of kidneys. Ah...I wish I kept a picture on hand...maybe I can find the file for y-" being cut off by FINALLY acknowledging the white noise going on in the background, she slid her hand beneath those ridiculously fluffy locks and lightly rubbed her ear. It...didn't make sense...? That smile which seemed as though it might of been plastered across her lips slightly faded, standing there in slight shock that she couldn't make a lick of sense out of it.

Something that was within her area of expertise...maybe it was just some voodoo radio from purgatory? Who was she trying to fool...turning to the radio as though it was some threatening stranger...it was the first time such a strange twist of events happened and quite frankly she didn't like it. Always feeling like top of the food chain here in the mortal realm was WONDERFUL because she didn't have to worry about anyone or anything else aside from priests! A carefree life was the best but now? Now she was actually a bit shaken and by the time she shook it off, the masked gentleman just finished saying something about quality time. Oh bloody hell, what did he say?! Trying to sort out her thoughts and think back to remember what he said, she was getting frustrated to the point of almost wanting to pull out her hair. Moving her hand down, she glared at the lone radio nearby and had a bit of a staring contest that may result with her smashing it to pieces.

Before she could start making her way over it seemed like Slade had a request for them to fulfill. Forcing a smile across her lips as though she might of been some serial killer under cover, a soft chuckle passed her lips while turning her attention right back to him while reaching into her glove smoothly saying, "My my how can I say no?" Before plucking out a blood red phone. Giving the phone her full attention, that's when she grit her teeth and started losing her cool. The first gift she got from her previous boss and the only string she had left to him contacting her with a mundane method and it had no signal. Not even one bar...this place was going to drive her crazy...someone's organs...she had to cut someone open soon just to calm down. There was something so soothing about watching someone's organs twitch and dance...but the amber eyed woman with quite the figure couldn't...no not to these two.

Tightening her grip while speaking up in a casual, yet very slightly annoyed tone, "Oh my~! Where oh where did my signal go..." Slowly turning her attention over to where Slade was only to look quite surprised where her brain dubbed in a dotted line for where he was. BLOODY HELL! Shoving the phone back in her glove in a bit of annoyance and irritation, she was starting to long for a soul snatching slaughter....starting with this town. Turning to give the radio a glare of death and doom like she was going to rip it apart, she instantly calmed down and smiled brightly...there he was! One thing she didn't want is to lose anyone part of this little group!

Quietly walking over to the man with an orange and black mask as though it was some sort of fashion statement, she lightly placed her hands upon his shoulders before peering over to stare down at the radio with a smile lightly flashing off her pearly whites which almost seemed like she had a small pair of fangs or something as thought to quietly tell the inanimate object she was going to brutally murder it. Er...well...the best anyone could kill something anyway. Very slightly leaning forward on his back to get a better view of the radio having no care about his personal space bubble at this time, she couldn't help but let out a chuckle laced in her usual lighthearted nature to his words while speaking in a tone to match, "I think it's stuck on FU..." Shifting her gaze over to Anya, she couldn't help but chirp out, "What do you think, Anya dear~?" Polishing off those words with the sweetest grin she could muster while continuing to murder whatever was left of Slade's poor space bubble and even batted her lashes a couple of times.

Goofing around like hardly anything bad or horrible may happen was the best way to go in keeping a small degree of sanity.

[Anya]

Lungs? Liver? Kidneys? Anya, who had never been adept at concealing her emotions in her human form, stared at Tanzanite with an entirely nonplussed expression. How did one steal those things? ...Why did one steal those things? Trying not to think too hard on the matter, lest she begin to feel faintly ill, she forced a rather unconvincing grin onto her face and nodded in response to the other woman's statement, as if organ theft was an unfortunate little incident that happened all the time. No matter how unsavory the circumstances, she supposed that she'd help if it meant sticking with these two in this foreign land.

While she had been considering this, however, Tanzanite had abruptly cut herself off. Anya blinked as she realized this, and for the briefest of moments wondered what had distracted the nurse. And then, finally, she heard it. It was a low, static-y sound--a sound that she'd heard before in the human world, though not too often--and for a moment the demon had to think in order to place it. Oh, of course, it was a radio.

...A radio?! Frowning, Anya turned in the direction Slade had pointed in. Indeed, the device sat almost casually on a nearby bench. Had that been there before? The blonde knew she could be oblivious at times, but it judging from their reactions, her two companions had just noticed it as well. Slade's quiet observation about the town sent an icy chill down the demon's spine. Metaphorical hackles raised, she fixed her brown eyes on the little device, remaining immobile even as Slade and Tanzanite moved toward it. This...this wasn't right. There was something very, very off about this place, and this little occurrence only served to push her further towards the edge of panic.

At the Slade's request, Anya's gaze snapped abruptly away from the radio and fixed instead on the masked man. Right. Phones. Why didn't I think of that? Trying to stop herself from quivering slightly, Anya reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone as well. Scanning the little screen for any signs of life, she was only to greeted with little, pulsing icon, and a frustratingly simple message: 'OUT OF RANGE'. Her eyes widened at the realization neither she nor Tanzanite were getting a signal. And suddenly, a deadly thought occurred to her: they were stranded. Completely, utterly, stranded.

"I don't understand..." She murmured, giving the phone a little shake as if this would somehow force it to work. When it did not respond, she quickly slipped it back into her pocket, unable to look at it any longer. The continuous white noise from the radio was a constant reminder of its presence, and it was seriously beginning to grate on her nerves. Combined with the quiet, puzzled uneasiness radiating from Slade and the growing, frustrated tension from Tanzanite, it was really beginning to set Anya on edge. The demon let out a half-choked sigh, and ran her hand through her blonde locks. In her distressed state, she only half-listened to her companions' discussion about the device they'd found. Only when Tanzanite called her name did she respond, her gaze tearing away from the radio once again.

They wanted her opinion? Right now, she'd be lucky if she could even manage to think straight, let alone voice her thoughts aloud. She stood stone-still, as if rooted to the ground, and looked anxiously from Tanzanite to Slade. Anya supposed that eventually, she was going to have to get a bit closer, but she wasn't sure she wanted to be anywhere near the radio. It didn't make sense. It was foreign, strange,...wrong. And the white noise, which had yet to cease, was going to drive her insane if it kept up. Anya inched closer to the group warily, as if afraid the device would suddenly jump up and attack her.

"Um, I think it's stuck on not working." She finally managed a response, although a ridiculous one. Anya knew that she was visibly stressed, and somewhere deep down she knew that she wasn't helping to make this situation any better. But right now she couldn't be rational long enough to care. Their situation was like something out of one of those horror movies Xander always made her watch with him. Characters trapped in an old house or stranded in the woods(or in this case, a deserted town), strange things started happening, and then, one by one, the characters were picked off. And it was usually the freaked out, clueless blonde that went first! Anya gritted her teeth at the thought, and looked at her companions in search of reassurance. But Slade's expression was unreadable behind his mask, and Tanzanite...well, Tanzanite looked as if she had half a mind to kill someone. Neither of these observations improved Anya's mood.

"This is nuts. I mean, where did this thing come from? It didn't just walk up and sit on the bench. And there's...there's no one here. No one but us." The demon blurted out before taking a shaky breath, trying to calm herself. If there was one thing that really set her off, it was being trapped. And being trapped in a place like this only increased her fear ten fold. Anya shook her head and closed her eyes as if in denial. This was not happening.

[xuchilbara]

Ancient peoples often held plots of land in a sacred regard. Some holy and said to be forbidden to humans, such as areas believed to be inhabited by fairies and elves. Others cursed. They were haunted, or dangerous. They were entrances to some bizarre fairy world, a warped and frightening parody of the human world. They were gateways to Hell. They were houses or forests or mounds of earth, which had too many bad memories from the past still hanging about.

The natives who came before the settlers respected this land. Maybe it had once been something holy. Maybe angels once dwelt here. Or maybe they merely respected it out of fear. Nothing used to be here. No dwellings, no people, not trace of civilization. There was only nature and it or them, whatever it or they were. Maybe the phenomenon had always been here. Maybe that's why the natives avoided it. And maybe it wasn't a sentient being, subject to its own thoughts and urges. Maybe it was simple a force that still lay outside the boundaries of science, and therefore as innocent as a hurricane or tornado for the horrors it had caused.

But then the foreigners came and either through their naive nature or their own ignorance, they settled here. They settled and lived here, here with it. And it became a part of them and they became a part of it. They became....different. They acted different. They worshiped it and them. Worshiping their God, making sacrifices to her...to it Or maybe they were no different than the primitive cavemen thousands of years ago. Maybe they merely ignorantly worshiped a part of nature beyond their understanding, just as cavemen worshiped fire, rain and the wind. But they, along with outsiders the ventured here, were subject to its wiles, to its tantrums.

Just as the trio that found themselves here now. Just as it'd always been. The scenario began to play out. The baptism by fire. It would burn them away, painfully and horribly, until nothing was left but the bare, trembling, naked core of their beings. Or perhaps a different scenario would unfold. Perhaps they, a unique as they were, would bring about a unique set of events when exposed to these seemingly unnatural forces, much like each color dye will darken water in its own unique color.

If they lived that long.

But the elements, the things, the traits that had defined so many misadventures here. They were still here, much as the water must first be present in order for the dye to darken it.

The radio. The further examination the male of the group had given it revealed it was only capable of broadcasting static, regardless of what station it was tuned to. In fact, the only thing that seemed to work properly was the on and off switch. And the ladies, their cell phones would pick up no signal. Not unless it allowed for it. But once activated, they too would broadcast the same static.

Worse, the static began to change pitch and frequency. It began to sound erratic rather than a steady stream of white noise. Maybe that was their only warning sign. Or maybe they could sense something near. Maybe they could even sense it. Maybe they'd always been able to sense it, but couldn't quite properly articulate what it was they felt. Maybe that was why they all felt uneasy, even before there was any sign of danger. After all, they, like those that came before them, were now a part of it and it was now a part of them.

But even if they were aware of nothing, outside the impenetrable fog, the desolate town and the radio's and cell phones' static, they would probably all notice the sound. A gate to what sounded like a chain link fence had opened and then shut. Would they go and investigate? If they did, they would find the the path leading up to the gated yard and the house beyond was marked with strips of paper. Papers that read as follows:

Don't turn the radio on. They can hear it. It's best to just be quiet and wait in the dark.

Another read:

He doesn't see them. None of them do. But they see the marks left by them.

Another said:

Mark's gone crazy. He cuts and hurts himself when no one is looking and then tries to say it's his "monsters" that did it. Now I'm starting to see things too.

The last one read:

RUN AWAY RUN AWAY RUN AWAY RUN AWAY RUN AWAY RU


Assuming they would go the way of the sound they heard, they would find not only those notes, but something else. Once they reached that gate that is. If they crossed it, the the radio, and the cell phones too if they were still open, would go crazy. It was static....twinged with some sort of awful noise. A pair of dogs would appear from out of the fog, in the yard past the chain link fence. Man's best friend....warped and deformed. Mutated, mad with pain, their skin missing.

But the important parts were there and they charged. Not for food, not due to some maddening disease, but they charged. They charged....with the intent to kill...

[slade]

Slade frowned at the radio, still fiddling with the dials when his attention was caught by the creaking of hinges, the movement of metal links and the sounds of them vibrating softly in the fog. A quiet noise that might as well be a blaring trumpet in the dank quiet of the town where even the smallest sounds seemed amplified a thousand fold. Slade looked in the direction of the sound, his one remaining eye focused in the light mist trying to pierce it with his laser intense glare that held for a moment and then immediately softened to a friendly slant as he turned his attention back to the two woman.

"Well I don't know about you two but that to me sounds like we might not be all alone here, what say see how the neighbors are doings?"

Truthfully Slade did not hold out much hope for the well being of the people of this town, it was a twisted and unclean place, he could feel it in his bones but could not turn away from it. It would be running... and he never ran, true sometimes he advanced in another direction but he had not ran from the wrath of a prince of hell... he would look foolish to run from a noise in the night so instead without waiting for the other two to reply he began to advance in the rough direction of the sound.

He didn't move fast, he didn't run, he didn't hurry, each foot was methodically put in front of the other as if he had all the time of the world and was merely taking a nice relaxing stroll through the park. As he passed the bench again he put the radio back where he had found it not bothering to turn it off. The girls could do with it what they willed he would rather have his hands free... or at least readily accessible as he completed the picture of confidence by putting his gloved hands in the pocket of his borrowed coat. He needed these two to remain calm... well at least the one... the nurse seemed to be enjoying this all. The truth was Slade wasn't helping out of the goodness of his heart. By nature predators went after the weakest prey... Slade figured he could keep them alive if he could if not their deaths might prove insightful about this place. It was rather win-win and that was how he liked it.

Humming softly to himself as he walked Slade kept his eye straight ahead and walked slower as he read strips of paper lying on the ground or nailed to surfaces on the path he was following. He took a gander at them, analyzing them. Most of them seemed non sensical, deranged. He stopped at picked up one regarding how it was better to stay in one place and wait in the dark. He looked down at it and beneath his mask his face tried to twist itself in disgust at this sign of weakness and cowardice but he forced his dead pan expression as he showed the note to the two. Holding it between two fingers.

"Innnteresting. Seems there was someone in this town recently... not here mentally perhaps but in body quite present."

Slade held out a hand to gesture at all the pieces of paper and then pointed back at the one he was holding.

"Look at them, in this persistent fog, in this climate they are outdoors and still quite readable. Sun or rain would quickly deteriorate paper like this not to mention make reading them hard very fast... but you can still make out what they are saying."

He regarded the note again and then snapped his thumb against the paper, in a burst of flame it ignited and vanished while releasing the scent of sulfur and brimstone. Slade's voice became just a bit darker.

"That said I think we should take anything he writes with a grain of salt. Sometimes it is better to light a flamethrower then fear the dark."

With that Slade continued forward keeping his eye peeled at the house and alternating between reading an ignoring the notes.

[Kiseichu Clossiana]

Confusion was everywhere here...like a plague, really and the lovely demoness didn't really know how to quite put her finger on it for a change. Normally, figuring out paranormal activity and putting herself at ease in being far from ignorance was a cinch but today? What a pain in the ass...and this Slade guy seemed to think it was a good idea to up and ditch the two female demons in human's clothing so he could play detective or some crap like that! He had a very good point though with how they weren't alone and she could tell that with the utmost ease. So it was easy enough to forgive him for not waiting up in that little department. However the biggest problem was seeing the things keeping them company...neither heaven nor hell had ties on whatever was here...maybe she'd actually have to get serious. Ah...she loathed getting serious since it was such an effort and waste of emotional energy most of the time!

The Anya girl who wreaked of demon to the freaky nurse let her concern and worry show like a shiny locket...might as well try to keep her at ease since the lollipop didn't seem to work is what the organ lover figured. Taking a step backward before guiding herself into a half twirl guiding her and those fluffy locks to the blonde's side with an all too sweet smile across her lips before carefully linking her left arm with her right as though they might as well be on a yellow brick road ready to sing some corny song that should be only in old family movies where midgets secretly hang themselves in the background. Well their arms wouldn't be linked with one another for long if dear ol' Anya decided to move away like a perfectly sane person might. "Oh my, everything is quite nuts right now, isn't it? Well that's alright, sweetie...stay with me and I'll keep you safe and sound from all the scary rocks, trees, houses, abandoned cars...and whatever else may want to sneak up on us. So let's take the evil little phantom radio with us and maybe on our little adventure we can get some reception...what do you say~?" Cooking out those words as if she were some sort of demented saint from the depths of hell on a mission to sell deception cookies, she swiped up the radio giving it a look that seemed to silently say `I'm going to kill you if you do something stupid, silly little inanimate object ♥` to the thing that would normally broadcast NORMAL sound among static rather than JUST static.

Shoving the radio into her sleeve wedging it between the fabric and her arm, it wasn't gonna go anywhere and sorta hanging half way out as if to be like `halp I'm stuck in this crazy lady's sleeve`. Hell if it was too cumbersome she'd migrate it but for now this was fine. Closing her eyes as though all was right in this messed up place, she gave her a light tug to prompt their walking since she figured it was best to stick together. A lighthearted chuckle passed her lips as she partially reopened her oddly amber optics once more...but turned to look at the man with a mask known as Slade as he spoke about his findings. Strange...he was right...it didn't seem normal for papers to survive the elements to such an extent. Certainly she may have seemed bubbly and possibly even stupid, but she was far from that and her inner workings were clinking and piecing it all together. The levels of obvious were sky rocketing that something was TERRIBLY wrong with this place and they actually had to be careful...even her.

When paper's still readable after being on the ground for who knows how long...something CAN'T be good. Even the snap and light note on fire thing was more positive than the vibes this place radiated with...let alone that darker tone he used was like sunshine in comparison to good ol' Silent Hill. With a grain of salt...huh? Humans had such funny sayings, even that light the flame thrower rather than fear the dark comment amused her quite a bit. Getting the point, she lightly canted her head to the side and spoke in a rather alluring tone, "Oh my...I suppose you're right..." Though...just after those words she felt something very malicious not too far from them...almost like a feral animal getting extremely territorial to the point where it's pretty damn dangerous. That's when her eyes widened slightly at the sight of something charging from behind the only male member of the group.

WELL SON OF A BITCH! .....literally! Unlinking arms with Anya, she simply blurted out "Welcome to my operating table...naughty, adorable mutts~!" Grinning in a devilish fashion as she hissed out those words like a cup o' sugar coated cyanide with strawberry syrup before rushing past Slade at a very unnatural speed to get the nasty little mutts before they could get him, thus leaving Anya a little behind for now. Abruptly stopping in her tracks, the tall woman who could run in heels adjusted her stance to have her body at a slight angle and had a smirk on her face that was almost like she was saying `I'm gonna hurt you so bad then cut you open like a science experiment` before swiping her right leg into a low kick toward the skinless monstrosity mutt with anger management issues with the same unnatural speed as before. Now if she actually landed a hit on that thing, it was safe to say it'd go flying a few feet and maybe even crash into its pal if she was actually fortunate enough for the other not to change its direction. Of course it was in a half twirl so when she faced her pals a little bit as though looking over her shoulder slightly, she lifted a hand to quickly fan it as though to tell them `Find somewhere safe kthx` and then reached into her sleeve thinking about a pair of handy dandy sedating syringes for her unearthly, hellish patients decorated with what one may rightfully call `Tribal from Hell` which she slid out between her fingers just before deciding to look back at the dogs seeing if she actually did something useful or missed and about to get chewed on like a bloody steak.

(SON OF A COW! I'm sorry this took a while, hope it's ok DX my fingers feel friggin' numb </3)

[Anya]

Anya practically spazzed when the harsh rattle of gate echoed around them, penetrating through even the radio's unrelenting static. Instinctively, she spun around to face the direction the sound had come from...or at least the direction she thought it had. It was difficult to get her bearings when all she could see for miles around was this suffocating fog. But wherever it had come from, the noise could only mean one thing: they weren't as alone as they'd originally thought. Anya wasn't really sure how to react to this realization. Indeed the suggestion that there was actually life here lessened her sense of isolation—maybe whoever was out there knew how to get out of this wretched town. ..But at the same time, a fresh wave of foreboding struck the vengeance demon at the thought of venturing out into the mist to find this being. There was clearly something wrong with this place...so what if there was something wrong with the people, or things, that lived here?

WAIT—where was Slade going? After saying something about checking on their 'neighbors', he began walking off in pursuit of the sound. This couldn't be good. Anya opened her mouth with half a mind to call out to him, but her words got stuck in her throat. They really needed to think about this(and it wasn't often that the impetuous demon bothered to stop and think before she acted), but Slade seemed determined to investigate whether his two companions followed him or not. The idea of their little group splitting up did not appeal to her in the slightest, and yet she couldn't seem to get her feet to move...

It was then that Tanzanite sprung to her side, linking their arms and cooing something that was perhaps meant to be reassuring. Anya tensed slightly, feeling a twinge of uncertainty at the other woman's apparent cheerfulness. It felt nearly as foreign as Slade's calm detachment, although...at least Tanzanite seemed to share Anya's sentiments about sticking together. With that in mind, the blonde suppressed her protests at being tugged along in the direction Slade had taken, drawing a few shaky breaths in order to keep her heart from pounding out of her chest. "..Right. Okay. Nothing to worry about. Just a little bit of bad weather...and an apparent lack of human life. Kind of like...New England. " she mused half-heartedly. Her voice sounded strange, almost unfamiliar in contrast with the unearthly quiet of the world around them, and she fell silent once more.

Despite Tanzanite's assurances, Anya couldn't help but glower at the surrounding fog with blatant suspicion, as if expecting something to leap out at them at any given moment. The vengeance demon was so concerned by what might be around them that she didn't bother looking down...and thus did not not notice the little slips of paper until with a slight crackle, she stepped on one. She glanced down, startled, just as Slade mentioned the papers aloud and questioned their credibility. She had to agree with this; it was difficult to believe that the slips would've remained intact, let alone have been scattered along this walkway by chance. Someone...or something had meant for them to find these papers. Someone was toying with them. And if there was one thing the demon despised, it was being toyed with.

She gritted her teeth in frustration as she read the hurried scribbles, desperately trying not to let this new twist get to her. ..Is this someone's sick idea of a joke?..

The blonde didn't have much time to worry about it, however, merely because she was abruptly distracted by the arrival of a pair of MUTATED, MURDEROUS CANINES. She only had to look at the beasts to conclude that they were far from friendly, her eyes wide with shock as she watched them charge directly for Slade. Before she could call out a warning to the man in the mask, or act in any other way, Tanzanite had unlinked their arms and darted forward to confront the two vicious creatures before they could land their attack.

"Wait, don't—!" she yelped without thinking, reacting on the sheer mental image of the mutated dogs focusing their aggression on the bubbly, seemingly lighthearted nurse. In that panicked moment, Anya almost forgot her earlier intuition that the other woman was much more formidable than she seemed—but she needed no more reminder than swift, deadly display of skill with which the nurse attacked the creatures.

It occurred to Anya that it was probably best that both she and Slade get out of the way and leave Tanzanite to deal with the two monstrosities, but...she couldn't tear her gaze away from the deformed animals. The vengeance demon's expression now displayed complete terror, not so much because of the vicious deformity of the dogs—she'd encountered plenty of creatures who were less than pleasant in her lifetime—but because their presence here, and the way they'd suddenly and inexplicably attacked out of nowhere...made no sense. What was wrong with this place?!

Inadvertently, she took a step back, still gaping at the scene before her. As of now, Anya was torn. It seemed prudent to get to a safe distance, and yet...she couldn't just leave Tanzanite here. But if she couldn't bring herself to help either, there was going to be a problem.

Frantically, the demon glanced over at Slade, her eyes wide and questioning as she shot him a look that clearly communicated something along the lines of..."What the HELL do we do?!"