004 [Location: Tamper and Trick]

[couldbeavillain.livejournal.com]

There hasn't been a whole lot to do in Taxon for Andrew lately, though he is recently rather paranoid about Buffy's prophecy of explosions and evil scientists. It seems that Tamper and Trick is fairly safe of these things, however, and Andrew has to be here to work anyway.

Besides being here for the safety, Tara is supposed to train Andrew a little further in working at the store, which is rather exciting for him. He's never had a job before and though he's been doing very minor things here when he can, he hasn't been able to do much, considering he doesn't know how to handle most of the items in the store.

Despite this very important fact, while he waits for someone to show up, Tara or otherwise, Andrew picks up a bottle of deep red something that he can't quite identify. He was never very good with the magical items. His specialty was demons and knowledge surrounding them. This magical item crap was all Jonathan, who was too stubborn to explain any of it, thought that probably also had to do with the fact that Andrew never learned how to ask nicely.

It crosses his mind all the things that the red something could do to a person. It could be like the drink in Alice in Wonderland that makes Alice grow ten times her size. Or was it that she shrunk? He wonders what would happen if a termite chewed through the cork in the bottle and fell into the something. Would it shrink to a tenth it's size? And then another tenth of that size because it's stuck in the something? And then continue shrinking forever without ever stopping?

Scared silly by his own aimless thinking, Andrew gingerly sets the bottle back on the shelf and worries at his hands as he watches the door hopeful for someone to arrive.

Comments

[exdemon]

Anya has heard of this magic place, and thinks it's worth checking out. Magic stores can be useful if one decides they want to do magic. Plus, she's bored.

She walks in and starts looking around. She vaguely recognizes Andrew, but she doesn't say hello. Mostly because she doesn't think of it.

[couldbeavillain.livejournal.com]

Andrew turns, expecting Tara, but is not nearly disappointed to see that it's Anya instead. "Anya!" he calls and hurries towards her, resisting the urge to throw his arms around her and hug her as tight as he can. Instead, he shoves his hands in his pockets to stop them from embarrassing him.

She doesn't remember him, right. So Andrew needs to keep it simple and try his best not to make her uncomfortable. On top of that, he needs to use his less than winning personality to win her friendship, because he doesn't think he could stand Anya hating him again. At least, hating him on a higher scale than she did when she died. "U-uhm... How--how are you?"

[exdemon]

On the bright side, Anya doesn't actually get uncomfortable often. Mostly she makes others uncomfortable. When he comes towards her, she looks at him for a moment before she manages to place him. "Ah, awkward future person! Hello!" ...sorry, Andrew, she hasn't quite picked up on your name, yet. Give it time. "I'm doing all right for someone trapped on an alien planet who hasn't had sex in a good long while and now likely won't. And you?"

[couldbeavillain.livejournal.com]

She could have stopped at alien planet, really. Not that hearing about Anya's sex life makes Andrew uncomfortable at all, considering how much he's heard in the past--his past. In fact, it's slightly comforting in a strange, twisted way. It's another reminder that even though she doesn't remember him in the least, she's still the same Anya he knew.

"I'm... doing alright. Uhm, working. That's what I'm doing here, I mean. I work here. Tara owns the shop, uh, I think, but she hired me." And as though he's just remembered that very fact, he adds, "Oh! Can--can I help you with anything?"

[exdemon]

Anya shrugs. "I'm not looking for anything in particular, unless you're selling something that can help us get home." She's always wondered what it would be like to work retail.

[couldbeavillain.livejournal.com]

He makes a bit of a face. "Uh, I don't think so... 'Cause I think Tara would have probably told everyone already. She's really nice."

[location: tamper and trick]

[aintnoconvict]

While practitioners were not all that common outside the royal family, magic was still very much a part of life in the O.Z. what with the history of good witches and bad witches and the occasional wizard. How it all worked on the Otherside was still a bit of a mystery to Glitch, so he decided it was high time for some investigating. Tara's shop was an obvious place to do this, as he knew her and liked her and she'd done so much to help DG with her magic.

So into Tamper And Trick walked a man with a zipper on his head, a vacant smile on his face, and eyes wide with curiosity. He inhaled the scents of the shop, looked around, and with a small gasp made a beeline for a display of crystals.

"Oh, aren't you pretty," he remarked conversationally, hand hovering as he debated the merits of touching vs. not touching.

[location: tamper and trick]

[couldbeavillain.livejournal.com]

Andrew is momentarily startled at the break in silence as a new person enters the shop, but calms himself quickly as he nervously watches the man explore. His salesman skills aren't very honed, so he holds back before he realizes he's the only person working in the store and that if he doesn't attempt to assist the man, no one will.

So, very carefully, as the stranger moves for the crystals, Andrew follows and hesitates before speaking. "U-uhm, I--I don't know what, uh, those do, so... But they're neat! Probably worth... buying..."

Wonderful technique.

[location: tamper and trick]

[aintnoconvict]

Let the first annual Taxonian Hesitant Stammer Olympics begin!

"Oh!" Glitch drew his hand back and straightened up with a blink. Once he processed exactly what Andrew said the smile came back. "Oh, I don't really mind if they do anything, they're just...shiny and pretty. And, yes, worth buying and--"

Waitamin- "You're not Tara."

[location: tamper and trick]

[couldbeavillain.livejournal.com]

The competitors are tough this year! It'll be a close one.

Andrew feels immediately uncomfortable, as though he's being accused of something. Like not being Tara is a very, very bad thing. "Uhm, n-no, I'm not... I'm Andrew. Tara hired me, kinda."

[location: tamper and trick]

[aintnoconvict]

Oh, no, not bad, just...vastly unexpected. And Glitch is generally thrown by the unexpected, but fortunately he forgot recovered from it quickly.

"Hired," he repeated. "Yes, right, like we kinda hired Kaylee. That makes sense." With a bob of his head he was ready to make nice. "Pleased to meet you, Andrew, the name's Glitch. I'm a friend of Tara's."

[location: tamper and trick]

[couldbeavillain.livejournal.com]

"Oh! It's nice to meet you." Andrew figures that if someone's friends with Tara, they've got to be okay. Tara wouldn't be friends with someone who's not okay.

Andrew's eyes drift upwards slightly and, always Captain Tact, he asks slowly, his hands in his pockets, "Uh, why... is there a... zipper on your head?" He shifts a little, feeling slightly uncomfortable, because... really. Why does this man have a zipper on his head?

[slayersidekick]

Willow's a little late getting to the shop. She meant to be there much earlier, but she'd gotten sidetracked as she usually did. So it's a good while after she'd wanted to arrive when she finally does. Pushing the door open, she glances around, noticing someone else standing there.

"Has Tara come in yet?" she asks, wondering who this is.

[couldbeavillain.livejournal.com]

Somehow, through the wonder that is his oblivious nature, Andrew has gone this long without realizing Willow's presence in Taxon. It's practically a gift how he can not notice things for so long. Or it would be if it weren't such a crippling trait.

So when the witch enters the store looking for Tara, Andrew doesn't even hear her question and instead stares at her with a mix of astonishment and adoration for a few moments, his eyes wide and mouth slightly ajar. Finally, he's able to sputter out, "W--Willow!"

[slayersidekick]

And said unknown person standing in the middle of the store knows her name. Willow frowns uncertainly at him.

"H-how do you know my name if I don't know yours?"

Unless Buffy or Tara talked about her. But then, how would he know her on sight like that? It was starting to confuse her.

[couldbeavillain.livejournal.com]

It's just one disappointment after another with this city. First Anya doesn't know him and now Willow? And Willow had even started to warm up to him by the time they'd left Sunnydale.

Andrew's excitement drains away and leaves him looking sad and disillusioned. "You... you don't know me... Andrew. I'm Andrew..." His shoulders fall and, though he doesn't want to try this, it's worth it to add, "Tucker's brother?"

[slayersidekick]

The "Tucker's brother" part works. Recognition dawns on Willow's face. "Oh yeah, I remember. Brother of Hellhound guy, right."

Which begs the question of why he knows her and why he looked so excited to see her. At least with the not knowing what Andrew did, Willow won't hate him at first sight?

"So, uh... do you work here, or are you looking for Tara, too?"

[couldbeavillain.livejournal.com]

Wow, even Tucker lost his name to "Hellhound guy?" Not that Andrew cares a whole lot, but the Scooby Gang could stand to work on their name skills.

He shakes his head. "Nope, Tara hired me to work here. But, u-uhm, I'm kinda waiting on her. She's supposed to come train me today." He smiles a little, pleased with his relationship with Tara despite his current disappointment in Willow's memories. "We have kind of a Jedi-Padawan thing going on."

[aworldenchanted]

Tara's in a little later than she said, and she apologizes almost before she's in the door.

"Sorry to keep you waiting - the kitchen was a disaster, so I was cleaning it, then I just lost track." Which is unlike Tara, but she'd been thinking of something else - mainly the Doctor, and how he hadn't managed to be in Taxon for a full month before getting hurt again.

But for now, she smiles, trying to focus on Andrew instead. They'd started poorly, which wasn't his fault, and she wants to put a good effort into getting to know him a little better.

"Anything exciting happen?"

[couldbeavillain.livejournal.com]

It's almost a relief when Tara shows up. Actually, no almost. It is a big relief. Andrew had been sort of scrambling here, unsure what to do in holding down the fort. In fact, he isn't sure he did a great job in holding it down. At least nothing exploded.

He does have good news, though. "It's okay--Willow came in! Did you know she's here? She's here!" It doesn't even occur to him that Willow came in asking for Tara and therefore of course Tara knows Willow's here. He's simply excited that one friend after another keeps showing up in Taxon; first Anya, then Willow. Who knows, Xander might be next! And then after him, what if Warren showed up?

And that thought is instantly dashed away as Andrew considers who he's standing here with and how negatively it would affect every one of his friends if Warren were to appear.

[aworldenchanted]

She smiles, warmly, at the mention of Willow. "Yeah, I did. She's from a little before me, which I guess you probably figured out."

[couldbeavillain.livejournal.com]

His excitement falters slightly. "Y-yeah... She doesn't know me..." Which is disappointing, considering Anya doesn't know him, either.

[aworldenchanted]

"Well... she wouldn't," she says, more gently. "At that point, you all hadn't even really started...um. Anyway. I'm sure you can get to know each other here in Taxon, again."

[oppositeofhero.livejournal.com]

The funny thing about looking at the same four walls for hours and days on end is that if you wait long enough, it starts to drive you crazy. It doesn't matter how much of a shut-in you are by nature; it starts to affect everyone.

Tony doesn't consider himself a total shut-in, but when he's immersed in his work, there's not much that can get him to go outside, except for promises of a drink and women.

Not that he's after either of those things at the moment; no, what Tony's mostly looking for is someone to talk to besides himself. He knows he doesn't make good conversation, although at the same time, he's the only one he really trusts when things are on the line. Except for Pepper and Rhodey. But they're not here.

Sometimes, he wishes the robots he built had come with him to the city. At least then he'd have someone to talk to and boss around. But as it is, it's just him, and so Tony's scale of social activity is pretty low at the moment.

That is what's lead him to go outside and walk around, without much of a plan as to where he's going. So he winds up outside Tamper and Trick, and because he lacks anything better to do, he opens the door and walks inside.

It doesn't take long for Tony to realize this shop is one of those that dabbles in so-called magical realms. He's very interested now, and walks over to the nearest shelf to inspect its contents.

[couldbeavillain.livejournal.com]

In his minimal training, all Andrew can be sure of is that things always need to be dusted and cleaned in any kind of business. Really, every time he's been in some kind of store, someone's always cleaning something.

So when Tony enters the shop, Andrew is busy clumsily wiping down a shelf with a towel over and over. It's probably clean by this point, but he doesn't know what else to do when he's in here alone.

But alas, a customer! Maybe. Probably another of Tara's friends looking for her, but at least it's someone to occupy Andrew. He sets the towel on the shelf he was cleaning and approaches the man, wiping his hands on the front of his jeans nervously. "Uhm, is there anything I can help--help you with? Uh, sir?"