London ~1830

[resurrected_b]

Well, Anya and I managed to get the orb thing (or something that looks like one, anyway) away from some nasty demon under London Bridge. Came away with a hell of a scrape on my back. The dress? Ruined, but hey, it's not like it was one of the silk numbers Anya and Cordy have been swishing around in. My back itches like crazy, but it seems to be

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[ace_jenkins]

It took me a while to calm Buffy down - the girl is all go and no plan sometimes, but she finally saw sense and stopped with her initial gung ho attitude - for which I will be eternally grateful. I hadn't noticed it so much in Sunnydale, but her her 'Solve a problem by killing something' attitude really sticks out.

Maybe it the stress.

Anyway, she finally came round to my point of view after I explained to her that we could actually visit Bedlam for the price of a few coppers and talk to Cordelia with little problem. I explained that it would at least let us find out what was going on without drawing further attention to ourselves.

Myself, I was very much of the opinion that seeing Cordelia in Bethlam hospital would be worth its wait in gold, never mind copper...

[resurrected_b]

As we approach the entrance to the somewhat...okay, make that really imposing building, I start to wonder how the hell we're going to be able to locate Cordelia in here. And why Anya looks sort of pleased or amused or something about the whole mess we're in.

"So, what?" I ask her, keeping my voice low. "Is there like a guided tour, or can we wander around by ourselves?"

[ace_jenkins]

"Apparently, those that are faint of heart can get guided tours, but I suggest we mayprefer to simply wander, don't you think?" I ask, pointedly. Hopefully, we should have little problem locating Cordelia, unless something has gone really wrong...

[resurrected_b]

"Well, yeah," I agree. "I'm kind of guessing the guards or whatever might frown on us chatting up one of the inmates. Kind of wish they had one of those maps like you get in museums, though. Like maybe labeled with "depressed" in the east wing and "homicidal maniacs" in ward B? Might narrow the search a little."

I look around as we start down a hallway, a little weirded out by some of the patients who are gawking at us.

[queencor]

I'm in my own little corner, which I have staked out with glares and threats of violence. The girl down the hall has thankfully passed out again. She wakes up, screams until she passes out, repeat. I'm ready to go home now.

Only I can't. I've seen glimpses of that girl. The one from my vision. I can't tell if I'm hallucinating or not, like if I want to be out of here so bad I'm just makin it up. Or maybe crazy is catchy, since EVERYONE here is off their frickin rocker. The inmates, the staff, EVERYONE.

But I think I saw her. I hope I did.

[ace_jenkins]

I see her just as Buffy nudges me. She's sitting in a corner and I can honestly say this - though I would never admit it out loud - I have always had a grudging respect for Cordelia. She might even have made a good vengence demon, if she'd wanted to go down that path. Nothing has ever really seemed to phase her. Even when I have seen her upset in the past, she's had this arua about her. As if nothing can touch her.

I think I can safely say that's been wiped away now.

Sad really, when you think about it.

We make our way over to her.

[resurrected_b]

I approach the corner with Anya, all stealthy like I'm sneaking up on a vamp and hiss out of the corner of my mouth, "Cordy?"

[queencor]

I look up and see Buffy and Anya there. I eye them for a long moment. "You're blocking my light." I say, then point. There's one sliver of moonlight slipping through a crack in...the wall? A window? IS that a window?

Screaming starts again, the shreiking of the girl...I think I heard someone call her Screaming Betty. I wince. "I was hoping she'd be out for another fifteen minutes." I mutter. "There's a girl here. I have to find her...and a doll. There's a doll...it's kinda creepy..." I shake my head, wishing my stupid vision would have been a little less insane. "It's missing."

[ace_jenkins]

"I say that they put her in the right place," I say as Cordy flounces off. THen I decide that I might as well fill her in with some information she may actually find useful if she insists on stay ing in this place. After all, I've been here a time or two before.

"Watch out for the wardens," I say, then wait until she turns back to me. "They're sadistic types - learnt a thing or two off them in my time - and that was when I thought I knew it all. Don't give them a reason to notice you. The 'cures' they use are meant in the lightest sense of the word - they're more human torture and experimentation." I wonder if I should go into detail - whether she would actually want to know, or whether a vague disclaimer is best.

All I know is that I'm glad that I'm not that one declaring that I have to stay in Bedlam through some misplaced sense of duty.

Then again, it's been a while since I've had any sense of duty that's stopped me being where I didn't want to be. Xander got me there once or twice, but since I woke up to that particular

[queencor]

I look at Anya and shut my eyes for a long moment, covering them with my hands. "Yeah. I've seen...some things." I'm so not going into detail. And I'm pretty sure there's more going on than the aftermaths I've seen. Of course there's all the screaming....always...24 hours a day....

Composure. Keep your composure, Cor.

I open my eyes again and look to Buffy and Anya, having pulled myself together slightly. I'm thinking that pulling myself together might be getting harder the longer I'm here though. However, I've got to do this. I'd kind of forgotten how much those visions used to hurt. I remembber now, and I have the feeling that if I leave? I'll just keep getting hit with them. So...I've got to stay unless I want to redecorate my skull.

[resurrected_b]

"Well, look," I say to Cordy, deciding to ignore her snippiness. "If I can help with whatever it is you need to do...um, but I guess you aren't gonna be able to let us know, are you?" I glance at Anya. "We'll just have to come back, then."

[ace_jenkins]

"We're leaving?" I ask, easgerly. "Good - the screaming from that girl over there is giving me a headache." I catch the look Buffy gives me. "What? Oh sorry, 'no, let's not go, let's stay and help Cordy in whatever madness she's got herself convinced she's got to help'," I deadpan.