milliways_bar | (no subject)

Feels like forever since he was down here, just hanging out. But he gets those moments of longing for solitude, or at least for being left mostly alone. Or at least for less crowded conditions, and so he takes time off and deals with it and then comes back when he's ready.

Of course, Beth doesn't equal a crowd and taking time for solitude doesn't mean being all alone.

But it's been long enough and by way of acknowledging his own dual nature -- or maybe that's all a load of crap and it's just time -- Spike wanders down from Room 8 and opens the door to the bar and blinks hard a couple times, because there are new people. Always new people and that's cool. Never a dull moment anyhow.

Besides, he's starving. A guy can only go so long being fed by things other than food, and so he stops by the ever-present buffet and grabs a plate of whatever's there, not noticing and not caring particularly, just... hungry. And it's gone before he even knows it, so he gets a cup of coffee and lights a cigarette and hangs out at his favorite table by the fire, just watching everyone, wondering if anything asteroid-shattering happened while he was being a hermit.

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Hotaru starts, stumbling up and out of her chair, visibly offended.

...Well, perhaps *not* visibly offended. The smile is gone and she only regards the new... person... with a cold, hostile glare.

"What? Who are you?

The cold eyes flash. "Who has been talking to you about me?"

Haruka is visibly shocked. "Hotaru! It's your Haruka-papa! I've been looking for you since you disappeared from the living room -- me and Michiru and Setsuna, your family.

"The people here have been helpful; I think his name was Peter who said you were ill." Haruka spots the torn sleeve. "Did you hurt your arm as well? What has happened, Hotaru, why don't you know me?" Haruka's hands, previously reaching to take Hotaru's, are now spread in pleading.

Spike looks from Hotaru to the newcomer. What the...

"Hey. I don't think Hotaru wants you bothering her."

His hand is still on his gun.

Besides her own - which she is not pleased to learn the stranger knows - the names are foreign to her; Hotaru can't make any sense of what is said.

Spike's words distract her from her steady glare. She glances to him, surprised at his words, and uncertain what to do.

She makes an effort to do... something, and clears her throat, but her voice is flat, "I don't think you know me.

"You're looking for someone else."

Haruka stood, straightened and addressed Hotaru in the same tones she'd used on Usa-chan years ago, before they had walked through Chaos together: "You are my foster daughter, Tomoe Hotaru, child of Souichi and Keiko. You came into the care of myself, Kaioh Michiru and Meiou Setsuna after your father was no longer able to care for you, after 90 was defeated. We raised you from an infant, watched you grow up, we have taught and defended you and fought with you.

"I know exactly who I'm looking for."

Haruka turned to the green-haired man and snapped, "I am Ten'ou Haruka and you are starting to interfere. What do you have to do with her illness?"

"I don't have shit to do with her illness. But she's just a kid and I do help look after her."

He stands, pulling himself up to his full height; he's still taller than her by half a foot. "I'm just a humble bounty hunter, ma'am, and I'm asking you humbly: back the fuck off."

Hotaru is unfazed by those tones, she only reassumes her cold regard.

Similarly, she is further affronted -- but Spike seems to be confronting her... him?... her, maybe. She waits. Glaring.

Glaring very hard.

Never one to back down, Haruka stands fast, staring back up at the "humble bounty hunter" with complete fearlessness. Nobody gets between Haruka and family, even when they think they're doing it for the right reasons.

After a few minutes of standoff, a slow glance is spared for the equally-bristling Hotaru. The pale, frail-looking... Hotaru?

Haruka's eyes meet Spike's again, but instead of the fierce determination of an incipient hurricane, they reflect a thoughtful puzzlement... thoughts turning over the way fallen leaves do in a gentle, steady breeze.

"Hotaru-chan, you seem to be safe here... for the moment. You..." Haruka directed at her antagonist, "You don't feel like a threat to her. I have to consult my friends about this situation, so I must leave her under your guard."

With a tiny bow and one last wistful look at the young sitting stiffly in her chair, Haruka departed through the front door.

He takes his hand off his gun and takes a cigarette instead, lighting it slowly as he watches Haruka's retreating form.

What the fuck.

"Hotaru... did you know her?"

Because she sure as hell seemed to know you.

"Because if you need me to back off, just say so. Otherwise I don't know to do it."

He figures it this way: there are the people he knows and cares about, and the people he doesn't, and if someone's a threat -- real or perceived -- to that first group, he's going to act first and ask questions later.

Just like always.

Hotaru manages to calm down, just a little; at least she won't be glaring at Spike when she looks at him, but...
"I have no idea who that woman is."

Why was she talking about me like that?

She looks at him, cautiously, still surprised. Hesistantly, she says, "Thank you."

Happy for Spike's reaction, but disturbed with everything else. Who was she? Maybe she came from Hotaru's world. Why did she call herself her papa??

...And Hotaru's papa is fine!!

She frowns, in contemplation on all of this, and hugs herself, absent-mindedly.

"I wasn't sure..." He scratches his head, puzzled. There's a lot of shit that goes on here that just doesn't make sense to him.

But with all these people from different times and places converging, that's bound to happen.

He shakes his head, lets out a few smoke rings, and just wonders silently what the fuck he's doing. He doesn't even like kids.

Hotaru is still standing, gazing off with a furrowed brow.

It would be an awkward moment, but it's not really registered with her that it should be.

Her look darkens.

"I... should go."

"Yeah."

That's probably the best thing all around. It's been a hell of a weird night.

"See you later, imoutosan. You take care of yourself."

He just shakes his head.

It makes her happy to hear him say that, but there is too much on her mind to smile just then. So all she does is nod, in acknowledgement.

Her arms remain wrapped around her, and she walks, driftingly, towards the stairs and up to her room with Edward.