taxonomites | [Location: Taxon Streets, the Wilde/Central-ish Portion]/[Voice] Turn Left

Tara's had her first full day back at work. It was quiet, and calming, and she feels a little better for having something to do. She's been working on herbs, magical and mundane, principally for Morgana, who she genuinely hopes is healing herself. She hasn't looked up Morgana (or Cordelia or Rose) yet, giving them a bit of space and taking some for herself. Still, she's getting the shop back in order, expanding the inventory, and trying not to think about the fact she hasn't felt her magic since Sam had told her she could let go. It would come back - she just had to wait and trust it.

And if it didn't... she'd survive. Maybe a little broken, but she'd hang in there. There was a lot a person could learn to live with, if they have to.

She locks up and starts to head for home. She feels like walking; there's a small current of fear that doesn't leave her these days, but being around Extras is worse than walking by herself. It's a nice enough evening, a little cloudy and not too hot, and she could use the exercise, now that she feels stronger.

Of course, this is all lovely until the glitch hits.

Suddenly, Tara looks terrified. She doesn't know where she is, or how she got here, but she knows she is not where she is supposed to be. This is so very, very bad.

She fumbles through her pockets and finds a thing that looks sort of like a phone. She presses "talk," and says, "H-hello? Is a-anyone t-there?" Her stutter is thick, and her voice is quiet despite the panic; if she were less panicked, she would never dare to just talk on a strange phone, but when her family notices her gone, bad things will happen. And if anyone here finds out what she is -

- she needs to go home. Right away.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It's Buffy. Your friend, Buffy? You don't remember me? [Oh jesus, this has to be a glitch, she's getting that sinking feeling already.]

I'm s-s-sorry. I d-don't know...

[Whoever this girl is that they all think she is, she must have been very popular. Tara doesn't think this many people who aren't family have spoken to her in years.]

Okay, it's... okay. What's the last thing you remember?

[That way she'll know how much she has to explain.]

Something in Tara wants to trust this woman, though she doesn't know her at all. So she says, "I was w-walking to the s-store. D-donny was out of b-beer and my f-father said I should get some b-bread and cigarettes while I w-was gone."

[There's a moment of silence as she absorbs this.]

So you... you haven't started at U.C Sunnydale yet?

[There's a hesitant pause.]

N-no. I mean I d-don't go to college. And we m-moved out of California a few years ago.

I... that's... [Not true? Impossible? Unless of course this is like what happened to Giles and Ethan. Alternate universe/timeline insanity all over again.]

Do you mind telling me where you are? I could meet you and explain things a little better.

I d-don't know, exactly. There's a bakery on one corner, and a kind of... little park on another. I can see this b-big sort of tower-y hotel looking thing not too far away.

Buffy quickly flicks the tablet onto visual, so that Tara will be able to recognize her when she arrives.

"Okay, I think I know that area." She'll have to double check on the map of course, before she heads out. "If you just sit tight, I can be there in a few minutes."

"O-okay." Tara still has a few bruises, but otherwise looks like herself, if a little more inward in her stance. "I'll stay h-here."

Buffy gives the tablet a final nod, before pocketing it and heading out. She checks the map for Tara's exact location and then flies most of the way, though she lands a couple of streets away and walks for the remainder, not wanting to freak Tara out.

"Hi," she says, waving in a subdued way as she approaches. "I'm Buffy. Buffy is me." Her awkwardness is mostly due to the inherent weirdness of a good friend seemingly having no idea who she is.

"Hi." Tara looks more like she did when Buffy first met her, in bearing, though the shyness is even more pronounced, if possible. "I... I'm sorry I don't r-remember you. If I s-should."

Yes, she's certainly picking up on the difference in Tara's body language. She shakes her head at that apology. "No, don't be sorry. It's not your fault." She takes a deep breath, wondering where to start. There's so much to cover.

"I guess you probably want to know where you are first, right?"

"Um... yes. I-if it's not too much trouble. I m-mean, I've heard a little b-but it sounds pretty s-strange." She holds her arms around her torso, not defensive but a little bit holding herself together.

[Location: Taxon Streets, the Wilde/Central-ish Portion]/[Voice] Turn Left

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[ voice ] it's allll good

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