jonathanparagon | (no subject)

(no subject)

[Some hours after this.]

The sun's slanting toward the western horizon by the time he reaches midtown. It's the last stop he's got planned; none of the others, aside from the first one or two to collect supplies, have borne any fruit at all -- and even on those, people who should have recognized him showed no sign of it.

A heavy shutter is halfway down the storefront of Alcina's when he gets there. The sign on the door still reads OPEN, though.

He ducks to look in under the shutter, knocks on the door. Offers Alcina a hopeful smile, when she looks up.

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"A couple of them, more or less." He tilts his head. "Don't know a Vi. She was there?"

"If we're going to have this conversation," says Kelly sharply, "can I maybe recommend that we don't do it standing right where two of Elie's guys got dusted?"

That gets his attention back off Marlie and onto where they are, and he glances up and down the street. It's empty. Still... "Good plan."

She turns without another word and starts back in the direction of Broadway.

Marlie gives him an apologetic look and a small smile. "You coming with, or what?"

Jonathan considers, then shrugs and smiles back at her. "Got nowhere else particular to be. Where're we going?"

"We were going to patrol downtown," Marlie says, "but we're gonna need to call this in first. When did you get into town?"

He pauses, thinking about it. "A few days. Mostly just been getting the lie of the land."

"And you haven't found anyone you came here to look for?" There's sympathy in her voice, and she moves a little closer to him. "That's rough."

He smiles faintly, acknowledging the sympathy. "Well. I did find one person at least, but she wouldn't let me in. Guess a lot of people are nervous after dark."

"Alcina?" Marlie glances back over her shoulder, toward the shop. "She's got reason to be."

"Your friend mentioned Elie," he says quietly, meant mostly for Marlie's ears rather than Kelly's. "She's the vampire bigshot round here?"

Lowering her voice in turn: "Starting to be. She showed up pretty recently."

Jonathan nods. "So she'll've been throwing her weight around like they always do when they're taking over. With Alcina in particular, or...?"

"Alcina's used to be strictly neutral. These days ... not so much." There's no pity in Marlie's tone. "We don't know if she's joined or just owned, but either way."

Jonathan glances back towards the store in turn, and there is pity on his face for a moment. "I'd bet on owned," he says, voice still low. "Don't be too hard on her after you take Elie down."

Marlie looks at him sidelong.

"So you said you were from Sunnydale," more brightly, "but I didn't get your name."

That brings a moment of hesitation. Is Buffy in New York? Even if she isn't, would word get back to her of the strange new vampire hunter in town?

He decides in the end, though, not to lie. "Jonathan. Levinson."

A sudden grin. "Do you know your name's a double dactyl?"

"Marlie," Kelly says in weary annoyance.

"It is, though," Marlie insists. "Hickety pickety, Jonathan Levinson."

He can't help laughing a little at that, raising a hand in palliation towards Kelly. "I didn't, actually. You're into linguistics?"

"Poetics. I used to be an English major."

"Believe me," says Kelly dryly, "she still is."

"Good for you," he says sincerely. "We all need to have interests outside the work."

"Yeah?" Marlie grins at him. "What're yours?"

Kelly sighs again. "You have fun gossiping," she tells Marlie, digging in her pocket for her cellphone. "I'm calling in the report."

Jonathan glances at her before turning his attention back to Marlie. Whatever she might say, at least it can't be bad about him. Probably.

"Magic," he tells the girl. "History and practice, since I was in high school."

Kelly's quickened her pace, walking far enough ahead that they can't really hear each other.

"You're a magician?" Marlie brightens even further. "You should meet our wiccans."

"Yeah?" He grins back. "You mentioned Buffy... where's Willow Rosenberg at these days? I know they were always together back at school."