[Location: Castle Summers]/[Accidental Visual]

[aworldenchanted]

It's safe to say that no one who hasn't made a concerted effort has seen Tara since her rescue from the Master. Tamper and Trick has been closed, and she hasn't been much leaving her room. At first, this was due to physical healing; she'd gotten off lighter than some, but she'd still hurt all over, and hadn't wanted to move for awhile. There'd been a lot of sleep.

Now, the bruises are still present, but fading, and the smaller cuts are almost healed. She could go back to work, but she can't quite seem to find the will to do so. And as for lessons with Piper and DG... that brings up another problem.

Tara looks at herself in the mirror. She's still pale. She could do something to cover up the bruises; she knows how. But she'd rather just stay in. The idea of talking to much of anyone is a little overwhelming. She should check on the others, Rose and Morgana and their fellow captives.

Tara puts her head down on the desk, for just a moment.

There are a lot of things she feels like she should be doing. But she hasn't done any of them. She doesn't feel like she knows how to even move anymore.

Of course, she can't control the fact that her table decided to turn itself on, in the meantime.


[I am also still willing to backtag with her on older, more immediate aftermath threads, so feel free if you prefer more immediate post-rescue.]

Comments

[Location: Castle Summers]

[tothelightshown.livejournal.com]

DG had been on the roof for the majority of the rescue attempt, so she didn't know the full extent of the injuries that the captives had received. She didn't make a habit of choosing the worst case scenario, but a certain wariness encouraged her to delay her visit for a few days. The last thing she wanted to do was disturb Tara. Her friend had been through enough.

Her friend had been through too much.

She wasn't sure what she could do. She considered - and discarded almost immediately - the traditional gifts of flowers or grapes. There was nothing she could do to help. All she could do was make sure that Tara knew that she had people who cared for her and people who were there for her.

"Tara?" she paused in the doorway, knocking politely. "It's DG. Can I come in?"

[Location: Castle Summers]

[aworldenchanted]

"Oh." She lifts her head. "S-sure. It's open." She'd tried locking her door for awhile, but it hadn't made her feel any safer - after all, if Buffy Summers' castle wasn't safe enough, a door wouldn't help much.

When DG comes in, Tara manages a weak smile. "Hi."

[Location: Castle Summers]

[tothelightshown.livejournal.com]

"I'm not disturbing you, am I?" DG asked, stepping inside and trying to conceal the note of apprehension that had crept into her voice. She wanted to ask how Tara was and couldn't bring herself to form such an insipid question.

She was actually pleasantly surprised by Tara's appearance. She looked pale and bruised, yes, but she didn't look as bad as she'd been expecting. Once again, DG found that she was impressed by Tara's strength and resilience.

[Location: Castle Summers]

[aworldenchanted]

"No - no, it's okay." She turns around in her chair a little. "I'm sorry - I should have been in touch, I just... it's been..."

Tara isn't quit sure where to begin. Her instinct is to downplay what's wrong, but she can't quite manage.

[Location: Castle Summers]

[tothelightshown.livejournal.com]

"You definitely don't need to apologise," said DG immediately, taking another step - a particularly careful and measured step - closer to Tara. "I thought you'd need a bit of time to yourself."

She couldn't imagine how it had been or how Tara was feeling. She didn't even try.

"How are you?"

It had to be asked, even if the question sounded ridiculously insipid.

[visual | private to Tara | not long after the rescue]

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

The Doctor finds a few moments away from Rose and flips on his tablet, scanning over to Tara's name. He chickens out calling her a few times, then finally takes a breath and sends her a private message. He's far too cowardly to go looking for her.

"Tara, it's the Doctor," he says. "I just---I wanted to check on you. See how you were."

[visual | private to Tara and the Doctor]

[aworldenchanted]

She hesitates a moment, then picks it up. "Doctor. He didn't hurt you?" Her memories of exactly how the rescue happened are a little fuzzy. She was conscious, but not exactly lucid.

She still looks pale and battered and maybe a little smaller than normal.

Re: [visual | private to Tara and the Doctor]

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

He did, but not physically. The Doctor looks back to where Rose's room is, and thinks about his other friends, healing in different parts of the city.

"I'm always all right," he says. "How are you?"

[visual | private to Tara and the Doctor]

[aworldenchanted]

She looks down. For a long moment it seems like she might not answer. "Better," she says, finally, quiet. After a short pause, she adds, "How are the others?"

Re: [visual | private to Tara and the Doctor]

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

"They'll be all right," he says. He hasn't talked to everyone yet. He's afraid to, though he won't admit that aloud.

He looks away from the tablet again, then back to Tara.

"I'm sorry," he says. "Tara, I'm so sorry."

[audio]

[couldbeavillain.livejournal.com]

This tablet thing just keeps making Andrew feel more and more like he's spying on things he shouldn't be. Usually, he wouldn't say anything, both out of courtesy and out of fear for being scolded. But that's Tara. He's never actually met her, but he's definitely seen her before. A lot. Actually, he's seen her much like he's seeing her now--that is, somewhat spying on her.

Buffy did say that Tara was nice and despite knowing about Warren and her death, she wouldn't hate Andrew... but he still can't help but feel like he needs to make amends with her.

Whether or not now is a good time, he decides to make an attempt. Over audio, though... for some reason, this feels like it'll be easier. "Are you--uhm... you're Tara, right?"

[voice]

[aworldenchanted]

"Oh. Um, yes, hello?" She doesn't know Andrew's last name offhand, and without seeing him, she really has no idea who this is, at least not right away.

[voice]

[couldbeavillain.livejournal.com]

Oh, she replied. For some reason he was hoping he would get an answering machine or something stupid like that...

"H--hi... Uhm, you probably don't remember me, but I'm Andrew. I think... I think I know you better than you know me." He struggles to come up with a way for her to recognize him without outright saying 'Warren's friend.' "Uh, I turned Buffy invisible and--and, uhm, robbed an amusement park once..."

[voice]

[aworldenchanted]

Oh.

[She pauses a moment. Then it sinks in.]

Oh. Um. ...hi.

[It's kind of out of left field, and she's had about a month to cope with knowing what's going to happen to her, but she wasn't prepared for such a startling reminder.]

[voice]

[couldbeavillain.livejournal.com]

[That reaction doesn't exactly sound enthusiastic and it doesn't put Andrew much more at ease. He figures she's not that comforted, either, though.]

Yeah... uhm, listen, so I'm good. Now. I thought maybe you didn't know that... And, well, you're friends with Buffy and--and Dawn and them and, uh, so am I. So...

...What I'm trying to say is that I--maybe we could be okay? I mean, despite... Warren... Buffy said you know...

[He sighs. This is exactly as awkward as he thought it would be.]

[ voice ]

[freezecharm.livejournal.com]

[ while it's wonderful to see Tara was safe now, Piper can't help but worry about her friend. she wants to see her, badly, but not if the other witch would prefer to be alone. so it was with hesitation that Piper says, ]

Tara?

[ voice ]

[aworldenchanted]

Hi, Piper. [She sounds tired, and a little small, but steady for the most part.] I heard you found us. [Presumably, at some point, from Sam.]

[ voice ]

[freezecharm.livejournal.com]

Oh. Yeah, it was, um... through scrying. Which reminds me, I still have your blouse that I need to return to you.

Do you... need anything?

[voice]

[aworldenchanted]

I'm okay, I think. Thank you. And... good for you. With the scrying.

[voice]

[freezecharm.livejournal.com]

Tara... [ she pauses. ]

I... can't even begin to imagine what you're going through right now, but... just remember that I'm here for you, okay?

[ location: castle summers ]

[likeajoan.livejournal.com]

Buffy is intimately acquainted with the 'accidental visual' form, and she knows immediately that Tara hadn't meant to broadcast this. The bruises on Tara's face are saddening and angering at once, and she wishes she and the rest of the rescue party could've done something more, been able to get there sooner somehow. Tara didn't deserve what happened to her - of course no-one did, but Tara's about the nicest person she knows.

Rather than answer over the tablet, she just walks down to Tara's room, and knocks gently on the door. "Hey Tara, it's me. Buffy."

[ location: castle summers ]

[aworldenchanted]

"Hey - come in." She's tired; talking with everyone has been exhausting. But Buffy makes her feel safe, and she doesn't feel like she has to put up a front for her.

"Guess I ended up a little damsel-in-distressy this time, huh?" she asks, as Buffy comes in.

[ location: castle summers ]

[likeajoan.livejournal.com]

Buffy closes the door behind her, offering a watery sort of smile. "Just a little, but everyone's allowed at least three kidnapping incidents before we have to draw a line - and you're way behind Dawn's record."

In times of crisis, bad jokes are always the way to go. She walks over to the desk, her smile dissipating into a frown. "I guess asking how you're feeling is kind of a moot question, huh?"

[ location: castle summers ]

[aworldenchanted]

Tara looks down. "Maybe a little. It's... it's better. It's getting better, some."

[ location: castle summers ]

[likeajoan.livejournal.com]

She nods. Sometimes when things are this bad, all you can do is hope for one day to be slightly better than the last. After a moment, she speaks up, in a careful voice.

"Tara, I understand if you don't want to talk about it, but I have to ask... why did this Master guy target you?"

This is something that's been bothering her for a little while now.