The Underground Gate
Deep underground is set a heavy wooden door, which bolts from the outside. The frame is set into stone, but a glimpse through the barred window in the center of the gate shows that the tunnel turns to chalk not much further on.

Lit by the flickering colors of a rainbow-crystal lantern, two Kadies stand at the edge of the stone, facing the chalk. "So," the female asks the other. "We don't have a Lapi with us. If we go in, do you think she'll be okay with it since you want to ask about Clover?"

"Well, I was hoping I wouldn't have to go in, or at least not very far," Zahn notes rather lamely, "I do not want to violate territory. I was kind of hoping she would just know someone was at the entrance and come to investigate."

The tunnel of chalk is quiet, with no hints of movement. "Maybe she's asleep, or just can't sense us out here," Amy says, and ventures a hand further into the tunnel which she waves about quickly.

"Hey, Buffy!" Zahnrad hisses into the tunnel. "We found Clover and need your advice!"

Any echo is swallowed by the dust. After a few minutes of waiting, Amelia suggests, "I know how to get her attention!"

"Does it involve naked flour dancing that I've heard mentioned about you?" Zahnrad asks, eyebrow arches.

Amy humphs, and just bites down on her left index finger to draw a bit of blood, which she then flicks out onto the chalk.

"Uhm, ow?" Zahn says as he watches Amelia go insane and bite herself. "You know, if you wanted lunch… " he starts to say.

There's a gust of wind that blows out of the chalk tunnel, and suddenly a dark figure with glowing red eyes is standing before the pair of squirrels. "I don't mean to be antisocial, but you are here uninvited and without an escort," Buffy notes. "There are rules I have to follow, so you'd better explain your presence quickly."

"We found Clover, as you requested. She's … not doing well, though," Zahn says quickly. "She didn't get injured from a fall or anything; someone has actually messed with her mind. Somehow they've inserted a bunch of technical information and it's driving her crazy. You're the only one who is down this far and knows a lot about what may go on. I honestly don't know what to do about whatever happened to her and was hoping maybe you had an idea; you're their guardian."

Buffy blinks at this revelation. "Put information into her head?" the dark Lapi asks, the cobwebby remains of her wedding dress fluttering in the breeze. "Are you sure she didn't drink somebody's blood to get it?"

"Certain. Whomever did it shaved her head down to the skin. She has odd burn patterns all over her scalp, too. She actually asked me to cut her head open and remove it. That would kill her. If something isn't done, she may kill herself trying to get it out," Zahn says and rubs the bridge of his nose. "She barely remembers anything; she doesn't even remember her sister. All she remembers is me carrying her out of the lower tunnels and she believes I'm her guardian."

"Well… I find this all rather unexpected," Buffy admits, giving a shrug. "I don't know what happens beyond these tunnels, so can't really help you with figuring out what befell Clover. And while I can read people's memories to some extent, I can't… restore them, or erase them. Have you tried hitting her on the head?"

"I'm willing to give that a try," Amelia says, looking to Zahn.

"I'd really rather not," Zahnrad admits, "It's possible then I or my clan would get blamed for whatever happened to her at this point." With a look to Amelia, he adds, "And you know the situation my clan is in."

To Buffy, he offers, "We could bring her here, maybe, if you'd like to examine her more closely."

"Yeah… wait, move her?" Amelia asks.

"She isn't that far," Zahn points out, "And I already had to carry her twice."

Buffy cradles her chin in one hand and thinks about it. "Well, I could certainly get a better sense of what's happening if Clover were here, of course," she agrees. "Is she okay physically? Strong or weak?"

"Pretty weak," Zahnrad admits. "I don't think she can actually sleep with the noise in her head. The doctor is keeping her sedated for now and feeding her liquids."

"Well, I certainly wouldn't be able to bite her then to find out what's in her head," Buffy notes, shaking her own head from side to side. "But if she communicated that her head is full of … stuff … did she say what happened to her?"

"She doesn't remember," Zahn says with an edge of frustration in his voice. "Just that she remembers a lot of red eyes and heat. She seems to think this is also somehow connected to me, but I think that's because I'm an engineer and she's grasping for anything remotely familiar."

"What's an engineer?" Buffy asks, squinting. "Wait… it's a Wingnut title, isn't it? I think I remember from when the town was going to be rebuilt… "

"Yes. It's someone who is a trained expert in machines, construction, hydraulics and other sorts of related things," Zahnrad tries to explain simply. "I'd offer to … hmm. You said you can see memories. If you bit me could you see what I remember of her condition?"

"Uh… " Amy begins, getting ready to object.

"I've been nearly beaten to death. A bite cannot be as bad," Zahnrad points out to Amelia.

"I suppose I might," Buffy considers, but doesn't sound too certain. "You're a male, and a non-lapi though, so I can't be sure. It isn't like I've done it often."

"What would showing her Clover's babbling accomplish though?" Amelia asks Zahn.

"Well, do you want to test with a small bite and see if you can get anything?" Zahnrad offers, "If not, I understand." To Amelia, he says, "It would let her see her exact condition. Maybe it'll trigger a memory in Buffy's own history. Or maybe it'll inspire a treatment suggestion. But really, I don't know for certain it would even help. I'm guessing. I can't just sit and do nothing; you know how I am. I have to fix things. Clover is … broken."

"But you could be cursed," Amy says in a somewhat small voice. "Oh, I know how to counter that," Buffy says. "So long as you actually come back here in time."

"What is the timeframe?" Zahn asks. To Amelia, he nods, "I know. I just don't know what else to do. Outside of just going down myself and finding out exactly what she encountered. That's more likely to kill me than Buffy is. I think, anyway."

"Come back in a day," Buffy notes. "By then I'll have absorbed everything and worked up some antidote." The vampire smiles then, and says, "So if you're ready, just step into the chalk and drop your pants."

"Couldn't you just suck on a finger?" Amelia asks. "Nobody should be nibbling on Zahn's bum but me!"

"What, wait, you want to nibble my bum?" Zahn asks Amelia, giving her a really strange look.

"Of course not, but… it's the principle of the thing!" Amelia declares.

"What are the, ah, long term effects?" Zahn asks Buffy as he glances back at Amelia.

"Well, you'll be a bit tender of course, so sitting down could be awkward," Buffy notes. "And unless you get it stitched up it could bleed. Come to think of it, you probably aren't exactly fleshy down there like a Lapi is. Kadies are all muscle. Do you have any soft areas?"

"Uh, do I?" Zahn has to ask Amelia. "I don't really pay attention to such things."

Amelia twitches her tail, and says, "Okay, he's not very soft anywhere. Not, you know, squeezably soft. Do you need to bite him, or is drinking some blood good enough?"

"The biting is important, I think," Buffy notes. "I don't exactly have a recipe book for being a vampire you know. Maybe it works different for men though? I could try kissing him," she suggests.

"What, wait, now you're going to kiss me?" Zahn says, looking completely lost. "I've never kissed a Lapi."

"Well, it would be simpler than trying to bite you on the butt," Buffy points out. "But that is still an option if it doesn't work."

"Uh, okay… " Zahn notes, then looks to Amelia. "Unless you'll kill me because of it."

"I suppose it's better to risk a kiss," Amelia grumbles. "Just don't enjoy it, especially if you're thinking of Clover while doing it."

"Can I think of Parsley?" Zahnrad says with a sheepish grin. Quickly followed up by, "And you know I'm kidding!"

"Only if I'm still involved," Amelia teases, but still doesn't look happy about the kissing idea.

"You and Parsley? Uh, I think my brain just broke," Zahnrad admits. His attention returns to the vampire and he eyes her warily. But, into the tunnel he does step, then asks, "So, uh, what do you need me to do?"

Having long feet means that Buffy can stand on her toes and be at even eye-level with Zahn. She rests her hands on his shoulders, and says, "Put your hands on my hips, think about what you saw regarding Clover, and look into my eyes."

Thankful that Lapi have rather pronounced hips, he doesn't have to look completely stupid and fumble for them. If you had asked Zahn a year ago if he ever thought he'd be snogging a vampire, well. He would have called you crazy. With his hands in place on the Lapi's hips (and gripping a bit hard, most likely given he's nervous), he looks into her glowing red eyes. He then thinks back to last night and finding Clover behind the pile of wood, how she looked, and how much stress she was under.

Buffy pulls Zahn forward and locks muzzles. The sense of lightheadedness that follows goes beyond merely having his breath sucked out by the Lapi, and the memories Zahn is focusing because a little clearer for a moment, as he was reliving them.

Zahn's tail sticks straight out behind him and puffs out to twice it's normal size. Of course, he doesn't really notice this given he's replaying the entire night in his mind; how Clover wanted him to open her head. How confused and strained she was; how battered and torn up her body was.

The kiss ends, leaving Zahn a little blurry. "Hmmm," Buffy says, giving her lips a little lick. "I picked up some of it, I think, but you need to… push more, Zahn," she notes. "Here, maybe this will help." Once Zahn's vision clears, he sees not Buffy before him, but Amelia (albeit with red glowing eyes) and sans any clothing, cobwebby or not. "Now take a deep breath and kiss me like you mean it."

Zahnrad blinkblinks, taking a moment to clear his vision. Finding himself staring at Amelia, well … he goes 'buh'. It takes a moment to figure out Buffy must have shapeshifted her body to replicate Amelia. Still a bit nervous and weird about this, it takes him a few tries to figure out how he wants to kiss her. He ends up deciding on something he's seen Djivan do to Olivia now and then. He pulls her in close and slips an arm behind the small of her back. The Kadie then leans forward and dips the faux-Amelia backwards; this time being the one to initiate the muzzle-lock. This time he's definitely an active participant, so the shapeshifting probably did help. He finds it a bit hard to think about Clover while he's effectively kissing Amelia, but he somehow manages it. He even pets along 'Buffy's cheek with his free hand. (It's a good thing Zahn is fairly strong; he can support her weight with one arm easily.).

The flashback is clearer now, and along with it the lightheaded feeling reaches all the way to Zahn's toes, so that he feels weightless. It all ends when his lungs feel like bursting, and he suddenly finds himself too weak to support the transformed Buffy and himself!

As weak as he feels, Zahnrad manages to keep himself upright. It's probably due to the many long and often sleepless nights working on things; giving the Kadie endurance. When the replay finishes in his mind, he breaks away from Buffy and steps backward, swaying side to side a bit. "Uh, woah," he says, looking very dizzy. "Maybe this is why Liliana is so popular… "

Amelia catches Zahn from behind to steady him, and a 'normal' looking Buffy brushes off her tattered dress and says, "Ah, much better. I can't say what those drawings mean, but Clover certainly seemed frightened by whatever is happening to her. She might just be crazy, but those diagrams made sense to you, Zahn, so I suppose something or someone did put them into her head."

"Yeah, they do make sense. Some are very impressive," Zahnrad admits as he wraps an arm around Amelia's shoulder gratefully. "I really feel bad for her. If it had been me it would at least mean something, but to her it's just tearing apart her mind. I wish there was a way to just transfer it out to me or something. Maybe I could make sense of what it's trying to tell us."

"Do you know if she forgot the designs after she drew them out or not?" Buffy asks.

"That I have no idea," Zahn admits. "I never asked her. I could barely get her to speak, really."

Addressing Amelia now, Buffy asks, "You trained to be a witch. Do you know the automatic writing thingy?"

Amy looks surprised by the question, but nods. "I think I remember it. But Clover is tied down in bed now – it may not be safe to leave her a free arm."

"Well, if we left someone to watch her who is stronger, it would be safe enough, right?" Zahn asks as he looks between the two.

"That would have to be me," Amelia says. "It might work though, if we can't use the Spirit Mages to get into Clover's head."

"I feel kind of weird asking the mages to help. They might learn more about Buffy if they get inside Clover's mind. Is that safe? I mean, either of those two could … well, they could probably obliterate you, Buffy," Zahn tells the undead Lapi. "Would it be all right if they learned about you?"

"They don't know about me already, you mean?" Buffy asks. "Especially after the incident with Miranda… but I don't think they'd try to hurt me. Morgan didn't, after all, and he had that fancy banishment spell that I'm sure he didn't craft himself."

"They would know more. Like how to find you. Maybe even get to you," Zahnrad points out, "You had longer contact with Clover than Miranda, right?"

"Oh yes, I'd been seeing Clover for weeks," Buffy says, waving a hand. "If the Mages want to examine me… well, that's fine, so long as they don't actually enter the chalk to do it."

"Not sure you could stop them if they did try to enter the chalk, but," Zahnrad says pointedly, "I guess if they had wanted to harm anything, they would have by now." To Amelia, Zahn asks, "Do you think they would want to examine her? You know them better than I do."

"Natasha seemed interested, but mainly because Buffy was 'tamed' somehow," Amy notes. "I'm sure that's what they'd want to know more about, if anything. How to bind a vampire to be a guardian."

Zahnrad rubs his chin. "Okay, well, then we can ask them to try and examine Clover and find out whatever they can. I guess if Natasha lets that crazy Liliana Eee stay… no, not only stay, protects her… she wouldn't have a significant dislike of a vampire," he admits, "Even if Buffy is undead."

"Hey, you didn't mind when you kissed me," Buffy points out with a grin.

"That's because you looked like Amelia," Zahnrad counters. "Plus, as creepy as you are, I kind of think of you as a friend. That really sounds weird, doesn't it?"

"Was that what I really look like?" Amy asks Zahn in a whisper.

"You're sweet, Zahnrad," Buffy says, still grinning. "Literally. Did you have honey for breakfast or something? Or maybe Amelia did and it rubbed off on your lips… "

"Yes. Why?" Zahn whispers back, "Well, except for the eyes."

"Actually, it's probably grease from something," Zahnrad admits, "Some of it has a peculiar taste."

"I just never saw myself like that," Amelia replies. "It was… interesting to see you kissing 'me'."

"It's more interesting to be kissing you, you know," Zahnrad tells the Kadie. "A good interesting or a bad one?"

"I haven't decided yet," Amelia notes. "But I figure that since Buffy got to kiss you, it's only fair that I get to bite you at some point."

"Anyway, I don't think we should keep you any longer, Buffy. I wouldn't have bothered you at all, except I was at a loss as what to do. There's one more thing I want to check while we're down here; but it's not in the chalk tunnels," Zahn tells the Lapi. To Amelia, Zahn says with a grin, "You can bite me after I catch you."

Amy grins, and lets Zahn support himself again. "Yes, thanks Buffy. It was… educational. And I'm grateful for the automatic writing suggestion, I hadn't thought of treating Clover as if she were possessed."

"Very well then, good luck!" Buffy says. "But if you need to see me again, try going through Miranda. It'll be easier."

Zahn extends his hand towards Buffy as if wanting to shake her hand. "Well, thank you again. Oh, one question; is Clover going to be your link to the outside world again or has that become Miranda now?" he asks. "I'm curious."

"It's easier for me to get in touch with Miranda," Buffy says. "She doesn't roam about as much and actually sleeps in her own bed."

"Well, it was a hurry and I didn't want anyone from the warren seeing the state of Clover yet. Either Amelia or I would have likely been blamed," Zahnrad admits.
The vampire takes Zahn's offered hand and gives it a quick shake.

"Careful or Miranda might become quite fond of you," Zahnrad warns as he shakes the hand, "I've heard rumors about her and another girl… " Stepping back, he says to Amelia, "Okay, lab is the next destination. I want to compare diagrams to items there."

Buffy melts back into the shadows of the tunnel, and Amy starts heading back to the gate. "Yeah, let's see if our luck holds out when we get there," she comments.

"Since when have we ever had really bad luck?" Zahnrad asks as he walks along with Amelia. Then with a quiet whisper to Amelia, he adds, "And you know, the kiss was interesting … but you kiss better. I guess I need to thank that Lapi who cleaned your cabin… " He winks, then flat out runs for the dock!