“I think being in your body makes me more concerned about my appearance.”
Is Angel using that as an excuse? Yes. He’s always cared about how people saw him. Soft hands push forward, touching the hair that used to be on the vampire’s head. Least Angel could do was fix his own hair —- even if he was in Cordelia’s body.
“Okay, I’m focused. Like I said, we need books. How else are we going to find out what happened? This has to have been magic. Wow, I hate magic.”
“Why, ‘cause I’m a girl? Because I don’t think that’s how this whole thing works.”
Of course, Cordelia can see right through his excuse. It’s always been obvious to her that Angel cares about his appearance, whether he’d admit to it or not - the only reason it didn’t seem so at first sight was that he couldn’t see himself. And, well, now that he could…
Her trail of thought is lost as her own hands reach up to fix the hair on her– - Angel’s?– - head, and she flinches slightly. While Angel touching her doesn’t usually bother her, it’s just too weird right now. Way, way too weird.
“- –And we need Wesley, because there’s no way I can focus on reading boring old books without freaking out. I mean, what if we’re stuck like this forever? And - oh god, does that mean I can never go outside again? And do I have to fight things like you do? And drink blood? Oh god, I’ll never be able to wear a dress again…”
“Vengeance demon. Huh. I never saw those in the books. I guess I’ve gotta read more of them — probably after we get this all sorted out. I’m sure he won’t mind! Besides, it’s not like —- wait. Does this mean I get the painful visions?”
“How should I know? It’s not like I’m an expert on switching bodies– - and you’re the genius here, not me! That’d be the one silver lining to this whole mess if you’re right, though; being free of brain-meltingly PAINFUL visions for a few days would be nice, to say the least.”
“Oh gosh —– I really messed up, didn’t I? Normally when I wish for stuff, it doesn’t work.”
“That probably means this was a vengeance demon. Been there, done that; we’re probably gonna have to call Giles to find out how to reverse this! - –Do me a favor, Fred, and don’t wish out loud again after this.”
“You think I wanna be seen outside like this either?” Willow asked, sighing as she turned slightly, the entire fact she was practically looking at herself making it harder to think than she’d like. At this point, she wasn’t sure she could get Cordelia to listen to her, especially considering that all of this was even freaking her out. Sighing a little, mentally cursing herself for not bringing any of her spell-books back to the house, she finally looked over her shoulder at Cordy.
“Look, we need to go find Giles, ok? He’ll fix this.”
“Well, I don’t see why you wouldn’t.”
It was a loaded statement, and one she wasn’t really expecting Willow to refute. Because honestly, why would Willow complain about looking like her? That was obviously the least of her problems - unlike Cordelia, who would be committing social suicide by walking out like this. Or, more specifically, letting WIllow go literally anywhere using her body.
“No way. He can come here, but there’s no way either of us is leaving the house like this!”
“I care. If THAT’S what you have to look at everyday .. I care a lot. Cordelia —- I’m sure there’s a reason for this. We have lots of books, we can figure it out.”
“Oh my god, Angel, you look FINE. Trust me, I’d be a lot more upset about being you if you didn’t. Now can we just focus on the fact that I’m not me anymore?”
❛cordelia, ❜ her voice was firm, the inner authority figure in buffy bubbling to the surface.
❛ our bodies were somehow swapped, we have no idea who has the strength, and someone could be coming at any minute to attack us. is my diction really the issue here?❜ in any other situation, buffy might have been more sympathetic – but time was of the serious essence here, and she was trying he hardest to keep her signature slayer cool. even if she wasn’t exactly in the body of a slayer right now.
❛ then lets motor. i don’t know how much more wigginess i can take. ❜
“I said I’m all for hurrying, didn’t I? As soon as there’s a cure it’s not like I’m gonna stop you from using it.”
Cordelia ignored Buffy’s reprimand, opting to pick at her– - well, Buffy’s technically - nails instead. God, when was the last time this girl had this girl had gotten a manicure? Seriously, she hadn’t seen cuticles this terrible since the year her mother had gone through a no-products phase.
“- –By the way,once you’re back in this body, do yourself a favor and get a manicure. Seriously, it’s on me if it has to be– - how did you even let your nails get this terrible in the first place?”
the gravity of the situation isn’t misunderstood by her, but she can’t help but to zone out. she’d seen so many things in her time as a slayer, but seeing another person inhabit her body wasn’t something that she seen quite too often. the person looked like her and sounded like her, but the words falling from her lips had such a cordelia vibe to them; too perfectly queen cordy for anyone to even impersonate.
❛ oh, i… uh —- good question. i mean, i think that’s more of an… um. like a physical thing? i don’t think your meat suit is going to be slaying any thing anytime soon. but just in case, we should think about hurrying.❜
“Excuse me? Did you seriously just call my body a MEAT SUIT?”
Of course, out of everything that’s what she latches on to. But it’s just so much easier to get offended over Buffy allegedly insulting the appearance she takes such pride in than panicking over the fact that if some big bad comes around she’s royally screwed, so that’s what she latches on to. Being petty is better (and safer) than being scared out of her mind, after all.
“I’m all for hurrying– - especially since the last thing I want is to be stuck in YOUR meat suit forever.”
the comments that fell from cordelia’s – or more accurately – her lips may have stung if buffy wasn’t so used to it already. she may have been at the top of the social hierarchy before becoming the slayer back at hemery, but this was sunnydale; and living on the hellmouth didn’t provide her with the normal life she was once accustomed to.
but body swapping? that was weird, even to the slayer who had thought she’d seen everything by now.
❛ no, i get it. i was already you once before; deja vu just isn’t what it used to be. i mean, not you in the sense of being in your body, i mean, figuratively – oh, nevermind. you know what i mean. all in favor of research?❜
“Well, it’ll get more done than sitting on our asses and waiting to magically switch back will, that’s for sure.”
She’s already up and moving, ignoring Buffy’s babbling in favor of finding the closest book that could help them figure out this mess. It’s not as easy as she thought it’d be, though, and before long she moves back to– - Buffy? Herself? This is all getting too confusing, honestly.– - with nothing but another worry in hand.
“- —-Wait, Buffy. What do we do if someone attacks us before we figure this out? I mean… am Ithe freakishly strong one now, or do the Slayer powers switch with you?”
