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

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

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.

"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.

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.]

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?"

[Oh, she is. But that didn't make her wrong.]

Just that it's waiting.

[In her world, at least. She hadn't seen sight or sound of it in the Taxon.]

Now Andrew is becoming impatient, and when Andrew gets impatient, he whines. It just annoys him to not understand what's going on. There's a rotting ghost Warren in his room, Spike is rude, and this crazy woman is talking First talk. "Waiting where? For what? You're not making any sense! We killed the First. I was there."

You're not listening. It hasn't happened yet.

... was Spike beautiful when he burned?

"I--I don't know... I didn't see... Probably not. It was probably pretty painful." He frowns. Who is this chick? "How do you know about that? Who are you?"

Didn't they tell you about me? I'm the one that drank William dry and made Spike shine.

It takes a moment for Andrew to understand. If he weren't already a little slow at picking up on clues, her cryptic way of speaking doesn't make life any easier. But he does get it, eventually. "W--wait, are you saying you're Spike's sire?"

[At last, the penny dropped and hit him hard.]

Clever boy.

Because Andrew needs more vampires in his life. "Does... that make you evil?"

Oh, yes. I'm terribly wicked.

And that helps. So much. As if Andrew wasn't feeling horrible anxiety from all this as it was, this helps. It's finally now when he switches from visual to audio. He probably already revealed enough about how frightened he is, she doesn't need to see any more fear from him. "Do you hurt people?"

[For a moment, she doesn't answer. She simply drinks in that fear. Drinks it in and holds it in her chest.

Eventually, she lies. She lies because she can and because her tongue is already black as coal.]

Yes.

[Andrew almost doesn't answer. This chick is just scary. She was scary before he knew she was a vampire, but now she's about thirteen times worse.]

W-well, my--I'm best friends with--with the Slayer. So you shouldn't, like... try anything. 'Cause she'll... be mad.

No. No, you're not. You just cling to her.

That--that's not true! Buffy, she said we're friends!

[He claims this and, yet, he knows her Andrew, the one she's friends with, isn't him. It's him in the future. When he's much better at being a person.]

Oh, she's very good at knowing what to say.

What--what's that even supposed to mean? You--you are j-just being... confusing and... and--and cruel!

Besides. You... you're evil so I don't have to listen to anything you say.

[Had he expected anything else?]

You should listen to me. I'm very wise.

No, you're just saying things to c--confuse me. That's what evil people do. They confuse and... and they mislead.

Buffy is my friend. And I'm going to tell her about this. She--she won't like it!

I don't. Lies turn your tongue to coal and your mouth to ashes.

Tell her. Tell her how you wriggled and squeaked like a little mouse.

I'm not squeeking! And I--I-I don't think you're a real princess, either! You're just a lying, scheming vampire. Not even a cool one, either, like Spike. [He might be struggling to keep some ounce of bravado at this point.]

I made Spike. Without me, he'd be dead and rotting. All his glitter buried in the soil and his life swallowed up by humanity.

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

[Voice]

[Visual]

[Voice]

[Visual]

[Visual]

[Visual]

[Visual]

[Visual]

[Voice]

[Visual]

[Visual]

[Visual]

[Voice]

[Voice]

[Voice]

[Voice]

[Voice]

[Voice]

[Voice]

[Voice]

Re: [Voice]

[Voice]

[Voice]

[Voice]

[Voice]