035: [ location: castle summers ] / [ visual ] (accidental)

[likeajoan.livejournal.com]

Taxon has not been fun lately. Granted, fun is probably a relative concept, but as fun goes, things have been lacking. After the everything with the Master that requires no elaboration or specifics, and now Xander being taken away, Buffy's pretty certain she hit rock bottom a while back and then just inexplicably kept going.

Of course, in these situations what she does is get violent. Not with the sky this time, thankfully. She's setting her sights decidedly lower, and beating the crap out of a punching bag in one of the training rooms in the castle. She could kick the thing through several walls if she wanted, but she's working on controlling the uberpowers for the sake of the structural integrity of her home. It's clear that she's been at this for a long time, because the room is practically in darkness - she didn't switch the lights on when the sun went down.

Her tablet is lying discarded on the floor, as she isn't particularly desirous of company right now, but these things have minds of their own, as we all know.

Comments

[ visual ]

[tiberiuskirk.livejournal.com]

Kirk would agree. Taxon has been anything but fun as of late. The month of May, the anniversary month of his arrival in Taxon, is one he will continue to remember with anything but fondness. He can't really see what's going on in the darkened room the tablet is currently streaming or who that even is in the room, but he can sort of see the outline of a person and something else that he only knows is a punching bag due to the familiar sound of fits against vinyl. No harm in letting this person know their tablet's on, though.

He clears his throat before saying, "Tablet's on."

[ visual ]

[likeajoan.livejournal.com]

The punching stops abruptly, and then there's a sigh as Buffy leaves the bag to swing listlessly on its own, and walks over to the tablet. She kneels to pick it up, looking tired - at least it's Jim though, and not somebody she'll have to pretend to be jolly-happy-fun-Buffy with, however, even if Jim comes with his own set of complications.

"Thanks," she answers, shaking her head. "This time I know I turned it off."

[ visual ] oh my god livejournal, seriously this notif thing is getting STUPID. /fumes!

[tiberiuskirk.livejournal.com]

Buffy. He hadn't expected that person to be her, but perhaps he should've associated the sounds of working out with her. Kirk had been going out of his way to avoid her; there was too much of a muddled mess in his head to know what to say, hence his loss for words at this moment. He doesn't know how to respond, how he even feels. (To be honest, he's avoided thinking about it, too, thus preventing himself from really sorting out his stance. Avoid, avoid, avoid! That's Jim Kirk for you when things get intense outside of his comfort zone.) He hasn't spoken to her since he told her to leave the ship after learning that Spike had kissed her.

He puts one of his diplomatic faces on out of a lack of knowing how to present himself in a situation he doesn't have his footing in yet. "Yeah. No problem. They seem to have a mind of their own, sometimes."

Not helpful, Jim. She knows this, already. At least he found something to say instead of remaining silent.

[ visual ] augh that sucks, srsly. :(

[likeajoan.livejournal.com]

And here the aforementioned set of complications are, in glorious techni-color. Buffy hasn't been avoiding Kirk, so much as waiting for him to come to her, giving him time and space to figure things out - and to try and do the same herself, though she hasn't been particularly successful as far as that goes.

Kirk's response isn't particularly helpful though, no. If she were Faith she'd probably tell him to cut the small-talk bullshit with her, but as it is she just shakes her head, biting the inside of her cheek. She has no right to be annoyed with him of course, but this, this just isn't how she deals with things. Anger, emotion, whatever - she'd prefer it to this weird professionalism. The diplomatic face isn't the one she wants to see, and it pisses her off.

"So, are we going to talk about the weather now? Our health? The state of the economy?"

[ visual ] now tracking this thread with angel's journal to hopefully see notifs now!

[tiberiuskirk.livejournal.com]

This is Kirk's usual way of handling emotionally intense situations: Run and avoid. Though, he's been good on not caving completely to the running, else he'd be back to crashing in the ready room of his ship again, like he was before he moved in to Buffy's castle months ago. He may be a man of twenty-six, a genius and back home, one of the most powerful men in Starfleet outside of admiralty as the captain of the flagship, but he's still got a lot of growing up to do - not that he'll own up to any of that anytime soon. He's very tempted to passive-aggressively turn the tablet off in response, but what good would that do? He wasn't some teenager who threw hissy fits when he didn't get his way, he was an adult and he should start acting like one. ...besides, he could always bail and run by way of turning off the tablet later if he wanted to. Best to talk now while he still felt up to looking at the screen.

"Weather's fine, health's good and the economy's interesting. We don't have one, back home. The acquisition of wealth is no longer something humanity strives for. It's like playing a big game of monopoly. Though, I'm likely to get a big ol' stack of paperwork when and if I ever get home over agreeing to be compensated financially. Sort of breaking a few dozen regulations in and outside of the Prime Directive."

[ voice ]

[freezecharm.livejournal.com]

...Buffy?

[ visual ]

[likeajoan.livejournal.com]

Thanks to Kirk, Buffy's not surprised by the tablet pinging her, and she abandons the punching bag in favor of sitting down to talk to Piper.

"Hey Piper," she answers, offering a slight smile. "I didn't get a chance to thank you in all the craziness - that was some great magic you did."

[ voice ]

[freezecharm.livejournal.com]

Oh, uh... no problem. I was just glad that I was able to do something to help.

Are you okay?

[ visual ]

[likeajoan.livejournal.com]

Buffy thinks that Piper did a lot more than 'something', but she's not going to press the point. She considers just giving Piper the standard all-purpose 'yep, I'm fine and dandy' line in response to the question, but decides against it, after a momentary pause.

"I've... been better," she answers, honestly. "You know Xander? He got sent home. Or wherever it is people go when they disappear."

[voice]

[aintnoconvict]

You know, if you need a dance partner...

[Glitch, observe context plz.]

[ visual ]

[likeajoan.livejournal.com]

Buffy recalls Glitch's secret reserves of badassness, of course, from that time she interrupted him during practice, so where most people would get an unintentionally condescending 'well I wouldn't want to bruise you', Glitch gets some genuine consideration, after a little wave hello.

"Is that an offer?"

Pfft, who needs context?

[voice]

[aintnoconvict]

Sure thing! I can head over there now if you like. I mean, if you want.

[ visual ]

[likeajoan.livejournal.com]

Right now Buffy is thinking 'Glitch is so sweet', for the record. It doesn't take her long to respond with a nod.

"I think I'd like that-- as long as you're not busy. Because if you are we can always do it another time. A more daytime-y time."

[location: Castle Summers]

[bigbad]

Spike doesn't bother responding over the tablets. He's in the same building, after all. Instead, he goes to find her.

He walks over to her casually, hands in his jean pockets. He really needs to get his coat back soon.

"Want company, love?" he asks.

[location: Castle Summers]

[likeajoan.livejournal.com]

Buffy turns around when Spike speaks - she'd been quite absorbed in the punching bag, so she didn't sense him walk in. She swings her arms a little, rolling the tension out of her shoulders.

"Wouldn't say no, as long as you're prepared for me to be fantastically lame with a side of depressing." This is accompanied by a smile, though it's a small one.

[location: Castle Summers]

[bigbad]

Spike catches the bag and gives a slight smile back. "I don't think you could be lame if you tried. This about Xander?"

[location: Castle Summers]

[likeajoan.livejournal.com]

She disagrees on the subject of her being lame, but she appreciates Spike's valiant attempt, anyway. Her expression is downcast as she nods in confirmation.

"Xander, Dawn, Tara, Cordelia, a year of captivity... I have a list. It's a long list. You could call it a List-a-thon."

[ voice ]

[ltnuhura.livejournal.com]

[ despite living in her castle and kirk dating her, uhura doesn't know buffy at all. this is something that she's been meaning to correct for a while - it's a little rude to be living in someone's house whom you don't even speak to, especially when that someone made the offer to house the whole crew of the enterprise (or however many of them are left), no matter how massive that house is. at the very least, she should let buffy know that she's currently broadcasting if someone hasn't already.

there's a clearing of the throat, and then: ] Hello?

[ visual ]

[likeajoan.livejournal.com]

Buffy is aware of the tablet by this point, thanks to an assortment of other people. She doesn't recognize Uhura's voice right away though, even if it sounds familiar. She frowns a little, trying to place it.

"Uh... hi?"

[ voice ]

[ltnuhura.livejournal.com]

[ a bit apologetically. ]

Sorry. [ and a clearing of her throat. ] I just thought I should let you know that your tablet is on.

[ and after another moment. ]

Oh, sorry again, this is Uhura. Lieutenant Uhura, I'm part of Kir - Jim's crew.

[ visual ]

[likeajoan.livejournal.com]

"Oh, yeah, thanks - these things are always doing that. The turning themselves on thing." Buffy's equally apologetic, though it's more for spamming people unintentionally than anything else.

"Right, of course. Thought I recognized your voice from somewhere. Hi. Buffy, obviously."

Here, have an awkward wave.

[ voice ]

[aregulargirl.livejournal.com]

[ assuming someone's clued buffy into the fact that she's broadcasting by now... ]

Feel like hitting something that'll fight back?

[ this is max's way of asking buffy if she'd like to spar with her. ]

[ visual ]

[likeajoan.livejournal.com]

Indeed, there has been clue-age, which is why Buffy isn't surprised by Max's reply.

"Are you volunteering?" She asks, in a way that suggests she'd appreciate the company.

[ voice ]

[aregulargirl.livejournal.com]

Yep. As long as you don't start flyin' around the room on me. I think that'd be considered an unfair advantage.

[ visual ]

[likeajoan.livejournal.com]

"Deal." She smiles, even if it's somewhat subdued. It's an improvement on the darkness and solitude routine, at least.

"I think I can keep a lid on the aerodynamics for the evening."