our real estate is a great investment

[cross_and_bow]

"Welcome to Sunshine," says Juliet. "And to my front porch and whatever you do don't hit the light, it'll set Sherlock on fire."

Comments

[pythbox]

"Water balloons," he repeats, shaking his head.

[cross_and_bow]

"Well, I wanted ranged weapons because I had no combat training and ranged means a few tries before screwing up kills you," she shrugs. "I haven't used them, so far everybody but Sherlock has gotten dusted while still out in crossbow range, which is good because the priests in the local churches were starting to look at me funny."

[pythbox]

...He snorts.

Then he laughs outright.

[cross_and_bow]

"And I was letting them assume I was Catholic, too," laughs Juliet, "wearing the crucifix outside my shirt and doing that crossing gesture thing - Please tell me that crucifixes are standard Slayer issue and you would've got me one or at least told me to get one if I hadn't already located and started wearing this?"

[pythbox]

"They are," Giles assures her.

[cross_and_bow]

"Okay, that's good, because if they weren't that would be really dreadfully negligent. Even if Sherlock proves that a vampire can with sufficent effort learn to find crosses not-aversive. They do still burn him and - not bother him, but repel him a little in a way he can ignore, so I take it off when we spar."

[pythbox]

"...I am never sure whether I should be reassured or terrified when you tell me something new about Sherlock."

[cross_and_bow]

"I think the happy medium between the two is being glad he's on our side?" offers Juliet.

[pythbox]

"That's where I usually settle," he agrees.

[cross_and_bow]

"He could've easily killed me but some combination of snarky banter and my clever trick with the crosses made him find me interesting, when we first met," shrugs Juliet. "So yeah. I did spend a while asking him if I'd get a head start if he ever found me boring, but I think he's in for the long haul, now."

[pythbox]

"How reassuring," he says dryly.

[cross_and_bow]

"Hey, when we met, I started shooting at him," Juliet says. "He's never actually moved to harm me. Or my dad even though my dad shot him once when Sherlock was saving his life. I think if there's any reason for mistrust at this point some of it would be aimed in my direction."

[pythbox]

"...Touché."

[cross_and_bow]

[she_sells_seashells]

"The alts help, too," says Shell Bell.

[cross_and_bow]

"Yeah, although at the time I found out about alts I already trusted my Sherlock," says Juliet.

[pythbox]

"How do the alts help?"

[cross_and_bow]

"Because he acts recognizably like the other Sherlocks," says Juliet, "even though he's a vampire. Sort of like Golden is recognizably like us even though she is a vampire, albeit one that doesn't usually come with a soul renovation. When I hear things about other Sherlocks who aren't vampires, I don't have to take them with a clove of garlic because vampires are usually evil - and then, insofar as my Sherlock is similar to those Sherlocks, I can assume that he will continue to be so."

[she_sells_seashells]

"I guessed on my first try that this Sherlock was a Sherlock and not a Tony," adds Shell Bell, "even though they look alike apart from their habits and the Sherlock I'm most used to is a girl."

[pythbox]

At 'take them with a clove of garlic', he snorts.

[cross_and_bow]

Homework goes on until dusk approaches to the point where it is time for the Bells to depart. On her drive home - even with Shell Bell around, Juliet drives; she doesn't want Charlie or her classmates wondering, and besides, Shell Bell could find a door home at school and want to take it right then - she brainphones Sherlock. [You up?]

[eversomuchfun]

[Arguably. What is it?]

[cross_and_bow]

[It's not urgent, if you want to go back to sleep. You could put up a busy message - or if you want to be wakeable by brainphone in case of emergency you could just give me a range of hours. But Mr. Giles doesn't know anything useful about edge cases of blood exchange with vampires and I wanted to know how you know - if you know - that "tasting" when I get scratched up sparring is safe.]

[eversomuchfun]

[You have to drink some of my blood, or another vampire's, in order to turn,] he says. [And I'm not sure the other way around is required at all.]

[cross_and_bow]

[How much is enough? If there's splatter when I'm fighting some random vampire - or you, though you're much harder to hurt and I would try to pull back before gouging you that bad if I got a lucky hit - and I have my mouth open...]