[002] [Visual | Location: Andrew's Room; Castle Summers]

[couldbeavillain.livejournal.com]

Not much has been going on in Andrew-land lately except minor exploration of his new castle home and such, but he hasn't nearly paid enough attention to the goings-on in Taxon. He's mostly kept to his room and the castle, taking a lot of time in getting settled in.

 

That's why, in the midst of making his bed, Andrew is startled to see someone standing in the corner of his room and he jumps. "Whoa--hello? How'd you...?" He shakily steps closer and tilts his head a bit to see the person better and that's when he stumbles back and falls onto his rear, terrified.

"...Warren?" Only it's not like he remembers Warren, because Warren didn't look quite so ghostly and dead. But if that's Warren, how can he look like that? Even as a ghost? Is that allowed? He lost his skin, Andrew knows that, so shouldn't he be seeing an even more horrific ghostly figure standing there?

In which case it has to be the First. Yes, Andrew was sure, like everyone else, that they'd gotten the whole First thing settled, but this is just like the thing that happened when he saw Jonathan and the First made him look dead. It's the exact same thing... isn't it?

"Get--get out of here, just get out!" Andrew exclaims, trying to scramble to his feet. "You're not supposed to be here! We killed you! Stop looking like Warren--it--it isn't fair! I've already figured you out, so just stop it! Mess with someone else..." As he speaks, he moves towards his tablet and once his hands are on it, he's turned and run out the door of his room, slamming it behind him and leaning against it as he turns on the visual feed. The fact that both ghosts and the First, whichever it is, can both move through walls doesn't even occur to him.

When the feed begins, Andrew looks so panicked he seems as though he might cry. His default pout is on and he is very worried. "G-guys? Uh, Warren's in my room. And... and he looks all... uh... kinda zombie-ish? Very B-rated horror flick, very First-y. Buffy, Spike--what if the First is here? What do we do?" There's a long pauses where Andrew fidgets and looks very worried before he realizes he doesn't know what else to add and simply looks back behind him at the door, then returns to the tablet to shut it off.

Comments

[Voice]

[bigbad]

[Have one very hungover vampire.]

Bloody hell, stop whining, and speak more quietly. It's not the first.

[Visual]

[couldbeavillain.livejournal.com]

Andrew sighs, relieved, then frowns. "I'm not whining, I was worried!"

[Voice]

[bigbad]

You're making noise. High pitched, annoying noise.

[Sorry, Andrew. He's cranky.]

[Visual]

[couldbeavillain.livejournal.com]

"I'm not high-pitched or noisy! What's wrong with you? Wait, no, ignore that, go back--how do you know it's not the First?" He'd almost forgotten about the Warren in his room for a second...

[Voice]

[bigbad]

I've got a hangover, you idiot, and if you'd been paying attention this week you'd realize that a lot of us have been seeing these ghosts. They don't talk and can't hurt you, they just hang around to annoy you and remind you about how awful your life is.

[Visual]

[couldbeavillain.livejournal.com]

The whining Andrew claims he doesn't have is back in his voice when he replies. "Ghosts? Like, real ones? Like that's... actually Warren?"

[Voice]

[bigbad]

No, it's a trick. Like how I thought I was me back when I was human for a few days. Just ignore it.

[Visual]

[couldbeavillain.livejournal.com]

"Oh! But that was fun. You were so cute and pouty." Andrew takes a short moment to remember their conversation fondly before getting serious again. "But this isn't fun at all. It's freaking scary! What, if I ignore the creepy ghost of my best friend he'll just go away? He's in my room!"

[Voice]

[bigbad]

Cute and pouty? Watch it.

Yeah, that's what happened to all the ghosts I've seen. Just go for a walk, or something. Have a drink. Just maybe not as much of one as I had.

[Voice]

[a-pretty-fire.livejournal.com]

[Drusilla could have told Andrew what was really going, but that wouldn't have been particularly interesting. She wanted to play instead.]

From beneath you, it devours.

[Visual]

[couldbeavillain.livejournal.com]

This is someone whose voice Andrew's never heard and yet, she knows that phrase. And it still makes him feel sick, same way it did in Mexico when he couldn't even understand it. "Wh... what? W--wh-who are you?"

[Voice]

[a-pretty-fire.livejournal.com]

Just a princess.

[She knows the words because they're written on pavements that she'll have to walk over, one day. One day.]

[Visual]

[couldbeavillain.livejournal.com]

"A princess?" What on Earth? There's a princess here? That doesn't seem right.

"Where'd you hear that phrase?" That was all supposed to be taken care of... this whole First and "from beneath you" crap just needs to get out of Andrew's life and stay out. He's simply exhausted with it.

[Voice]

[a-pretty-fire.livejournal.com]

I don't have a castle any more.

[She didn't know who Andrew was. She simply knew that he was a friend of - or thought he was a friend of - Spike and the Slayer.]

It was just there. In my head.

[Visual]

[couldbeavillain.livejournal.com]

"In... your head? Like it just came to you?" She is honestly freaking him out. At this point, Andrew is convinced the First is back and doing the dream thing again.

[Voice]

[a-pretty-fire.livejournal.com]

That's where everything comes from. My head. My head and the stars.

[Unfortunately for Andrew, Drusilla enjoys freaking him out. She sees no reason to stop.]

[Visual]

[couldbeavillain.livejournal.com]

He just stares at her for a second, frowning. This woman sounds out of her mind. "Uhm... o-okay... Well, do... the stars tell you anything about the First, Liza Minelli?"

[ visual ]

[likeajoan.livejournal.com]

"Okay, Andrew, calm down. It's not the First." This is in Buffy's commanding leader voice, though the voice is somewhat undermined as she continues. "I don't actually know what it is or... have any proof, but I'm like 85% sure that it's not - hold on I'm coming."

She knows where Andrew's room is, and it's not miles away, so she shouldn't be long. The visual bounces around a little as she starts walking fast.

[ visual | location: Andrew's room/hallway ]

[couldbeavillain.livejournal.com]

"O-okay... I'm not going anywhere." Andrew does calm down at Buffy's response. Maybe it's because she's not getting mad at him, or maybe that authoritative voice, or possibly that still-surprising fact that they're actually friends now. In any case, he does as she says and waits for her. Granted, he's being very impatient about the waiting, but he's doing it. Though he can't help opening his door again, just a crack, to get a look at the scary Warren ghost... It's really creepy...

[ location: Andrew's room/hallway ]

[likeajoan.livejournal.com]

Aaaand here she is, possibly having used a little superspeed to get her there faster. She might be horrified by where these bizarre superpowers are coming from, but they certainly are convenient.

"Hey," she says, glancing at the ajar door with some mild trepidation. "Is it still in there?"

[ location: Andrew's room/hallway ]

[couldbeavillain.livejournal.com]

Andrew jumps a little at Buffy's quick arrival and looks over his shoulder at her. For some reason, he speaks in a quiet voice, as though talking at a normal level would upset the ghost. "Uh-huh. Just... there. Spike said they go away, but he hasn't yet."

[ location: Andrew's room/hallway ]

[likeajoan.livejournal.com]

"It can take a while," she answers, giving the door another quick look, before pulling it closed. "I think it helps if you're distracted, y'know. Thinking about things other than 'agh ghost', like, umm..." She casts around for a good topic for a brief moment. "Like, for example, the many virtues of Daniel Craig's Bond."

[ location: Andrew's room/hallway ]

[couldbeavillain.livejournal.com]

The nerd simply stares at Buffy for a moment before he chuckles and shakes his head. "Oh, Buffy. Dear, dear Buffy. Daniel Craig has never played James Bond. Now if you want to talk about Timothy Dalton's many admirable trait, I've been working on that list for years." At least she distracted him?

[ location: Andrew's room/hallway ]

[likeajoan.livejournal.com]

"Timothy who?" Buffy asks, probably committing all sorts of unintentional blasphemy. "And what are you talking about, yes he--" There is a look of dawning realization on her face, suddenly. "--ooooh, of course, it isn't out yet, you haven't seen it. Well, I have Casino Royale on DVD and I'm showing it to you yesterday."

[ location: Andrew's room/hallway ]

[couldbeavillain.livejournal.com]

It takes a moment, but this finally registers with Andrew and he's able to let it go for now that Buffy doesn't know who Timothy Dalton is. Oh, she's not off the hook, though, he will remember this.

"Casino--Casino what? There's more Bond movies?" He sulks a bit. "Is this a future thing? There's more Bond movies in the future and I'm missing them because I'm here with ghosts!"