[Accidental Visual]/[Location | The Last Mistake] Thunderhead

[notabuymoron.livejournal.com]

Casey's in a foul mood. He's been that way for the better part of a week. Not only is he still reeling from what was found in the tunnels but he's still adjusting to having had to move back to the Central dorms and rehatch all of his stuff since the Royal Chambers and Morgana up and disappeared. He hasn't had an opportunity to check on Gwen since she decided to move in with Buffy Summers. He still feels bad about deciding to take his chances in the tunnels and leaving her behind, even though she'd said she'd understood.

He knows he should get back to work, help Lorne out, but he's been avoiding the green-guy's calls. Drinking too much. Sitting in his dorm room. His mood getting blacker the more that he shuts himself away.

Finally he's storms out, slams his door and stomps down towards Nazca's tavern. It's close. It will do. He scowls at the Extras he passes on the street.

Once he finally reaches the Last Mistake, he enters, pushing the door open a little too forcefully.

"Gimme some of that ale you got. I don't care if it's warm."

Comments

[voice]

[greenballadeer.livejournal.com]

[an audible gasp] Casey!

There you are! You had me worried sick! I was convinced you'd disappeared forever!

[voice]

[notabuymoron.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I'm still here.

[He doesn't bother hiding the tinge of bitterness in his voice. Then there's a brief pause.]

Just needed some personal time, that's all. I'm fine.

[Have fun trying to get the 'why' out of him.]

[voice]

[greenballadeer.livejournal.com]

[with a mix of exasperation and sympathy] Well, you coulda told me, you big lunkhead. Poor Buffy had to work all those extra hours with almost no notice.

[voice]

[notabuymoron.livejournal.com]

What did you just call me? [He let's out a harsh breath, trying to clamp down on his temper.] So that's it? Everything's just going back to business as usual? Like nothing happened? Like we didn't find a city under this one with corpses of ourselves and the people we care about just lying around like-

[He stops talking abruptly, but it's too late. It's out there. Maybe Lorne didn't notice.]

[voice]

[greenballadeer.livejournal.com]

Wait, what? Nobody told me anything about corpses!

[ironshodboots]

Nazca raises her eyebrows. "Warm ale it is." She's been sitting behind the bar, drinking brandy. She seems sober, but her tolerance is fairly high; it's impossible to say just how much she's had.

For now, she kicks off and stands, moving to get some ale. "I'd ask where you've been, but something tells me I can guess."

[notabuymoron.livejournal.com]

"Oh, really? So where do you think I've been?"

Did I mention he's feeling testy today?

[ironshodboots]

"Drinking off the city full of corpses, if you have any sense at all." She refills her brandy while getting him his ale.

[Location: The Last Mistake

[notabuymoron.livejournal.com]

"What did you hear about that?" He's defensive. More so than probably anyone in Taxon has ever seen before.

[Location: The Last Mistake

[ironshodboots]

Nazca gives Casey a sidelong look. "I saw that. Wasn't about to sit on my heels when there was a chance for escape, was I?" She slides him his ale.

[ voice ]

[tothelibrary.livejournal.com]

...Bad day?

[ voice ]

[notabuymoron.livejournal.com]

Try bad week. But we're still alive, right?

[ voice ]

[tothelibrary.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a win to me. Also, warm beer? Ew. For the record.

[ voice ]

[notabuymoron.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm celebrating. [Cue heavy sarcasm.] Thought you weren't much of a drinker anyway.

[ voice ]

[tothelibrary.livejournal.com]

I'm not. Warm beer is even grosser than cold beer.

[ visual ] tagging on hiatus, but i couldn't resist <3

[consorting.livejournal.com]

Time has passed since the fatal error that revealed a very different sort of Taxon to them. She stayed behind to help weather the storm, but all the while more and more bits and pieces of her life here were taken away from her. She reminded herself that Arthur and Morgana had gone back home and that they were safe and better off far away form the horrors the city offered, but in the back of her mind she could not help buy worry for Casey.

No message or even a single word, just an accidental image she happens to notice on her tablet's screen. There's an odd mix of hurt and relief, but she tries to make sure the latter is the only thing showing on her face when she responds to him (Though her eyes could easily betray her).

"John," she says, her smile weak. "I thought I'd never see you again."

[Visual] I'm glad! <333

[notabuymoron.livejournal.com]

He hears the voice first before glancing down to see her image. His jaw clenches and he glances away for a moment before pressing the visual feed to reply to her.

"Guess my plans didn't pan out." It sounds curt, harder than he wants it to be, but he knows he should have contacted her by now. Feels the weight of her concerned gaze through the tablet. "I'm fine. As you can see. Didn't mean to worry you."

[Visual]

[consorting.livejournal.com]

She's accustomed to being left on her own, though the sole difference between Casey and the others is that he took the time to allow her to say goodbye. For that she is rather grateful though it did little to alleviate her worries.

"I am just...glad that you are well," she pauses a moment. "With the chambers gone I was not sure if you received the same fate as Morgana."

[Visual]

[notabuymoron.livejournal.com]

He was supposed to protect her. Keep her safe. That's what he'd promised Morgana. And what had he done? Up and left her behind. Like Arthur and Morgana had done.

And all she's thinking about is his welfare. Goddamn it, how can she be so calm, so accepting of what he'd done?

"I can take care of myself. Survived three wars. Torture. Imprisonment. This was a piece of cake."

Casey's lying about the last part, but he's good at hiding his real feelings. Well, most of the time. His tone and demeanor softens a fraction as he looks at her on his screen.

"I'm gl...it's good to see that you're okay too."

[Visual]

[consorting.livejournal.com]

That isn't all she could think about, though her thoughts wander more to the idea of her being very much alone instead of well protected after the Master's tirade. The very least she owes him after her assistance was some concern for his well-being, though she would do it regardless and without asking anything in return.

She tilts her head to the side at his blowing off the difficulties of the ordeal, not entirely convinced of his nonchalance, though she hardly knows him well enough to cast a critical gaze.

"Miss Summer's castle is well fortified," she says softly before continuing on a lighter note. "I had never had ice cream before my stay, though she seemed convinced we could survive off of it and I'm still not sure I would want to."

[ voice ]

[stacked]

[ and this is just faith, grunting thoughtfully. it might be her best approximation of teasing.

...or sympathy, those two look eerily alike on her. ]

Huh.

[ voice ]

[notabuymoron.livejournal.com]

[As much as he loves the use of a well timed grunt...]

You got more syllables coming or is that it?

[ voice ]

[stacked]

[ aw casey she looooooooooooooooooves you. ]

You looking for more, Killer?

[ voice ]

[notabuymoron.livejournal.com]

[Back at ya!]

Maybe. Not really in a chatty mood, though, sweetness.

[His tone suggests that there are other things he could be in the mood for.]

[ voice ]

[stacked]

Not really big on talking, anyway. I'm more of a doer.

[ ...faith is that an invitation to fight or fuck HAVE CLEARER DEMARCATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO. ]