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who: Spike and whomever
what: Looking for new digs and scavenging for stuff.
when: Soon after his arrival (2nd week of May)
where: The Inhabited Area and likely the Abandoned City.
warnings: Spike being a jerk? Possible language. Edit: Biting, drinking, the vomiting blood in thread w/Cain.

Flatmates. The only ones he'd ever been able to stand had been the ones he was shacking up with, and for the better part of a century, that had been Dru. Oh, they'd been off and on again a few times, but this... well. This was a bit more permanent. And now he was stuck in a room with a bunch of other living bodies. Ones he couldn't take a nip from. It was likely better than Xander's basement, but only just.

And a job. Seriously? They'd given him a bloody job and expected him to just... do it? Clearly they had no idea who they were dealing with. But, as he hadn't entirely sorted out an alternative yet, he wasn't ready to piss away what was being offered. Not until he'd set something better up for himself. Surely this place had to have a graveyard. A set of crypts. A nice little mausoleum tucked away he could take as his own, yeah?

For the next week, each time the sun dipped down below the horizon, Spike could be found leaving the shared accommodations to go scour the city for just that. Looking for where the city might have its graveyard, and deciding to snoop past the fence that encircled the population and led out past where he'd been told the wild things may roam. Well, that was all fine and dandy, wasn't it? He was a bit wild himself. Could be he'd come across something he could vent a little of his frustrations on -- aside from the small dark shape that smelled like fox that had been shadowing him partway through the week. The area was rife with them, the city boasting people walking around with them like pets.

Spike didn't do pets. He ate pets. Though, he had a feeling that kitten poker would be frowned on here. Pity. He wasn't too bad at it, and they weren't bad for a late morning snack.

Perhaps someone might come across him with a shopping cart full of odds and ends he'd found and salvaged. Or maybe they'd see him slipping into the cemetery, when he finally found one. Or he could be heard talking to the shadows or hissing at one and telling it to stop following him. Who knows? Spike's a bit of an odd duck, but until he figures out or is told a way to be able to not burst into flame in the sun, he'll only be seen during the night-time hours.

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"Spike." Maybe later, Cain. Maybe when he wasn't expecting it. Or maybe after he'd fixed his doohickey. He didn't want to pop off someone that might actually be useful to him in this strange little pocket of a new world he'd found himself in.

"We're not all powerful. We're just another type of predator. Humans hate being reminded they're not on the top of the food chain." A drag and a laugh. "And it's not even vamps that beat them out, you know. It's a virus. Flesh eating thingy. Funny, eh?" Made him laugh sometimes. Here humans were, afraid of everything that could best it, and it was a bloody germ that ruled the world. "Lifetime." For the most part. Sure, witches could cancel an invitation, but most people didn't have a witch lying around to do so. "Unless the house passes on to a new owner, I suppose."

"Spike," he repeated. Okay fine. Whatever. Sure, he could have that name. Just like Cain could be Cain instead of Romulus or Jacob Kane instead of Benjamin Jacobs or plenty of other names he'd taken on over the years. So what if the vampire had what seemed like a stupid name? Maybe he just liked it. "Surprisingly nice to meet you in person."

There was what he was looking for. Just in case of a worst case scenario. Lifetime meant a lot of different things for Cain than it did for most others, so he was already figuring out loopholes and exceptions even on the small chance that he let Spike into his own home (once he got one). Not paranoia in its usual sense but a lightning contingency from wariness, one he didn't plan to use but needed to work through anyway.

"What do you mean, a virus? Did something hit your reality?"

He heard that doubt in his name, but he was used to it by then. If he could handle his grandsire mocking him over it when he'd first decided to take it, he could handle some nobody doing the same. In answer to the second bit, another shrug. "If you say so, mate."

But it took him a second to understand what the man was asking, especially given some of the conversations he'd had since arriving here. "What? Oh, no. It's some skin-eating bacteria. Not quite leprosy, but close. If you're going by what's on the top of the food chain, it's not people."

Hey, Cain wasn't above being honest even to someone he didn't get along with initially. He was a very live and let live type of person until he knew them, understood whether they'd continue being unbearable or if it was just a consequence of the moment or approach. He was super magnanimous like that.

While they walked, he kept his eyes open at the neighborhood he was in. It still hadn't totally sunken in yet, the city fresh and new, and he'd need to know which way to turn when he went home after this. "What is on the top, then?"

Spike was heading over towards the fence, leading them to that hole he'd pulled open earlier and had hidden a bit with an old sign and a bit of a wood slat. Cain might start to figure out what was up when Spike eventually stopped by it and moved the bits to the side. "I just told you. Listen a little better. A germ, mate. Not to mention all sorts of beasties that eat humans but that they've convinced themselves don't exist. It's fine if a lion eats a zebra, but the eradication of a species generally occurs when they dare nibble on a human."

"No, you said the virus beat humans out, not that there wasn't anything above the virus," Cain pointed out. He watched the movement curiously and kept his pace behind Spike when he realized they were actually there. Watching only for a moment, he moved up next to him and began helping.

"There's an argument in there about awareness and how it affects the morality of killing things, which doesn't apply to animals but does apply to humans," he said with a shrug. "Guess things get murky when other species with awareness show up too, though."

"And yet humans have no problem with killing a cow and a pig for a lovely bacon cheeseburger. They've decided in their infinite opposable thumb-having selves that their will is the only one that matters. They've judged every other creature as lesser and therefore expendable. And they say we're the monsters. I just eat them to stay alive, mate." He pushed the hole in the fence open a bit wider to start pulling the cart through. "Well, that and because I enjoy killing them. I am evil, after all."

A little tugging, a little scraping, but Spike got the cart through the hole in the fence, leaving him out of the city proper and into the abandoned part of this new little world. The cemetery was still a little ways off, but it was late, the sun wasn't coming up for hours, and he had plenty of time.

"Takes all types," Cain said. Even the admission of being evil didn't deter him. He'd seen a lot of evil people in his time, and a lot of truly good people. Most were somewhere in between and he tended to like those the best even if his ability to relate to them wasn't as good as he pretended it was. Acting was a pretty necessary skill for an immortal.

"That's what I'm saying, too," he added, following Spike through the hole and turned around to tug at least one of the pieces back in front as if to make it more difficult to notice right away. "Cows and pigs aren't good or evil, there is a superiority there." Pausing, he gestured vaguely. "I'll allow that it might not be the same in every reality but I doubt it is in ours from the way you also talk about it."

He would have settled the piece in place, but was glad Cain had instead. But he did snort a laugh at that, smoke blowing out his nose as he'd just taken a drag. "Says you. For all we know, cows and pigs might well be plotting our demise. Humans just went and decided they had this knowledge over how the little fluffy bits felt in some sad little way to feel superior to everything. They carry their dogs in purses and give them ridiculous names and dress them in little tutus and for all they know, their little precious is plotting to suffocate them in their sleep. I don't see why animals can't be evil, just like people or demons. Or good, for that matter. Just because we don't know what 'moo' means doesn't mean it's not cow for 'go shove a pitchfork up your ass'."

Cain laughed and gave a grandiose shrug. There was always an argument for that but there had never really been any proof in that direction, just wishful thinking. To him it was taken as given, something he'd known for his entire life and never had to challenge. He wasn't going to change that thought now, not about his own world where what he knew was safe and true.

This place wasn't either of those things, but at least he knew it was just as cut off from home as home was cut off from Quarantine. It was about the only comfort he truly drew from the situation.

"Not where I'm from, but like I said, this isn't the place to talk in absolutes," he allowed. "But if it makes you feel better to think that humans are no better than cattle so you can eat them and revel in your evil ways, who am I to stop you?"

"It is what it is. Not saying that humans were made to be eaten by demons, but we vampires were certainly created to feed off them. Not that we can't live off cows or puppies, but humans just... taste better. Think of it like being a happy little omnivore and being told you have to be vegan. Sure you could live off it, but it'll never taste as good as the bloody cheeseburger."

Spike was still walking, leading Cain down through the abandoned streets, some buildings still intact, others broken down and a hair away from crumbling. "It is what it is and I am what I am, right? Right."

"Basically," Cain said in agreement. Whatever Spike was now wasn't right but there was no arguing that it was indeed his current state. Cain didn't like it, didn't have to like it, could hate it if he wanted, but hating the person themself was a waste of energy. He didn't really give a shit about Spike, and he couldn't care any less if the thing about not eating humans was the truth. Really just a pesky abnormality in all.

Shaking his head, he kept his eyes on the path they walked. Memorizing it for later. Whatever he might need it for. It wasn't in his nature not to pay attention and file away, never had been. "Pretty good analogy, too," he said. "There's even the bad-tasting substitutes going for you. Synthetic blood, you mentioned before, right?"

He nodded, dropping the butt of his cigarette and stepping on it as he passed, continuing on towards the fenced in (barely) cemetery he knew was just over the next rise. "Plasma or synthetic whatever. Isn't quite the same. They say they have volunteers for donations, but it doesn't taste right."

"Why doesn't it taste right?"

Weird thing to differentiate from, all told. Did willingness change the taste or was there some other factor going on here? Considering the chip Spike had mentioned before, it didn't fit together in the first place. He kept following him, watching ahead and seeing as their destination came into sight. Spike really wasn't one for keeping close to anything interesting, was he?

"Actually, scratch that question. New one. Could you even try the volunteers?" he asked. Was there some kind of loophole to this thing he'd sworn up and down on?

It was new territory. He didn't know the lay of the land, but he knew a cemetery. They were all pretty much alike, no matter the culture, so settling in there while he figured out the rest of this new little worldy-world seemed the most logical move. There were bars in the city, transit to get around. He had a little money and the potential to make more. For now, low was good. He was used to low.

"May be. Depends on intent, don't it? If I'm not intending to kill them, or if I know they'd get off on a good nip, maybe it wouldn't trigger it. Haven't really had the chance to test it out, though."

He nodded to that. Things were rolling end over end in his mind because his curiosity was bouncing off the walls of his pragmatism and survivor instinct. That instinct didn't usually chime in when it was a matter of physical injury rather than lasting damage but this was a whole different deal. Vampires. Would submitting to something dead-but-not have a different effect on him?

Only one way to actually find out. Abel would probably hit him if he ever heard about this.

"When you put it that way, you almost make it sound tempting," he said wryly. Waiting to see if Spike would pick up on it.

"Yeah? Well, I suppose it can be to some. There's loads of vampire junkies as well as groupies. Humans that pay to get bit. For the rush. For that... well. Bite's not all bad, is it? Can be a little more than a rush if you're not busy tearing at the throat." He sounded wistful as he said it, his mouth watering as he remembered the hot, salty flood spilling past his lips.

Cain couldn't help but chuckle at the response. His whole demeanor. Spike definitely enjoyed what he did and it was weird to think something like that could enjoy it, but then again, Cain hadn't believed vampires existed at all until just recently. Just about when he saw the messed up clock for himself, actually.

Humming in thought, he asked, "How easy is it to kill someone you bite?" Good general knowledge even if he was playing a bit dumber than necessary for where he was going with this.

"Depends. Easy enough if you nick an artery or feed for too long too intensely. One of them ravaging types can drain a body in less than ten seconds. Or you can make a feeding last. Make it linger. Make it... good. Suppose it's easy enough if that's what you're going for." Another half shrug, because food was food to Spike. And people just so happened to be food.

"That your place?" asked Cain as they got closer. He moved so he could stand closer alongside Spike than the bit he had fallen behind while taking in the surroundings. There was a lot of that, especially in the dark. He could see dead people, he didn't have infrared vision, all right?

It wasn't a change of subject so much as making sure they almost to the destination point. "Okay, but call me crazy—if you got to feed from a human who didn't mind around these parts, you probably wouldn't want to drain them first go, huh?"

"Not all of it." He'd only snagged one mausoleum, after all, but he also wasn't too sure he'd have to worry about competition for the rest. He led Cain and his cart over to the entrance, the gate having fallen off a good while before Spike had ever set foot to the area. "Not far now." He'd picked one not too close to the entrance, but not too far in the middle of everything. Just one among the masses, but he knew which one was his.

As to that question, he mulled it over as he walked, pulling up along the crypt he'd claimed as his before he answered. "Dunno. Depends on how hungry I am and how many figs I give about who I'm nipping."

One mausoleum seemed like plenty of space to Cain, but he also had some self-admitted issues about that sort of thing. When choosing his own places, going grandiose always felt unnecessary and eye-catching. Weird considering what his first real career had been but since then he'd achieved a happy medium that never left him too anxious. As it was, he gave a nod — at least it looked like Spike hadn't picked the best-kept or biggest and shiniest out of them.

Or maybe he had. Cain hadn't seen the rest of the place yet.

"Okay, please tell me you get where I've been going with this," Cain said. Helping out with that TV had to count for something, right?

"Trying to decide on if you're just nosy for nosy's sake, or if you're suicidal as well. I meant what I said before. I'm not looking to start up an entire city with pitchforks after me. Be kind of obvious if I go 'Oi, I'm a vampire', and then someone winds up dead of lack of blood." He shot Cain a look, as if to imply he was still trying to work out his intelligence level.

Moving over to the door of the mausoleum, he pushed it open and gestured with his arm. "Go on then. Not that you need an invitation."

Cain headed inside at that, turning to look around the whole room while he waited for Spike to get his cart inside with him. Definitely one of the weirder places he was going to have had spent some of his time. Thankfully he'd never really been dead long enough to go through the whole funeral thing and woken up somewhere like this.

"Appreciate it anyway," he said. Despite the conversation, he was definitely still very casual and at ease. "Look, I wasn't suggesting you incriminate yourself. I've never met a vampire, though, and thought maybe you'd like the chance to indulge someone and get a treat out of it."

There was a little voice in his head that sounded suspiciously like Abel just going don't be an idiot right now. Easy enough to ignore, he'd been ignoring that voice for a while. Not a super necessary voice when this sort of thing lacked a lot of repercussions.

The crypt looked much like most did on the inside, though it was a little bigger than some. It seemed to be a family one, so it was large enough for a clan, giving him room to shove all the tombs to the edge of the room and make space for a ratty couch he'd stolen and dragged here earlier. "You want me to indulge in your, what... curiosity about the undead?"

Spike dragged the cart in, pushing it over to a corner. When he turned around, his face was decidedly unhuman, fangs showing as he grinned when he spoke. "So you want to be my test subject, eh? See if I can give you a nip without hurting myself because you want it..."

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i'm watching Buffy for the First Time because of you, btw

omg no... it's so terribad. Spike is the worst.

I KNOW THAT'S WHY I'M LOVING IT

Bahaha, don't say I didn't warn you.

Spike's already in a wheelchair, you're probably too late

It gets so much better and yet worse. SO MUCH WORSE. (but spike yay)

that's what people keep telling me......

You'll see, grasshopper.

Now he just figured out he can punch demons!

YEAH! LET'S GO FIGHT EVIL! For... puppies.

AND CHRISTMAS!

Spike trying to be helpful was sad. Spike trying to get Buffy to notice how 'good' he was is worse.