X: [ voice | location: castle summers' dungeons ] pardon my past

[freezecharm.livejournal.com]

There's an incessant throbbing in Piper's head that just won't go away.

She groans, and opens her eyes. When she does, things start swirling uncontrollably, and the urge to hurl is great. Piper closes her eyes, bites her lip, and rolls to the side until it passes.

Something feels wrong here. It takes her another second to process the fact that she's lying on a cold stone floor, that she's naked, and that her fingers are stinging. Badly. Opening her eyes again, she sees that her hands are bloodied, and that several wooden splinters are still embedded in them.

"How--"

And that's when everything comes crashing down on her - all the memories of the past day, what she's done, what she's become. "No. Oh... oh god." Piper spots her tablet and kicks it away from her, before scrambling to the very corner of the dungeon. She slides down, hugging her knees to her and resting her forehead on them. She doesn't even resist the urge to tremble and sob.

[ ooc: backdated to the day after the glitch. ]

Comments

[ voice ]

[exdemon]

You tried to eat me!

[Technically, no, she didn't, but it doesn't stop Anya from making the accusation.]

[ voice ]

[freezecharm.livejournal.com]

I-- what?

[ piper's voice may sound so very far away, as the tablet is a good ten feet from her sitting place. ]

[ voice ]

[exdemon]

Or something! I was just innocently going to visit your restaurant as promised! And then monster!

[ voice ]

[freezecharm.livejournal.com]

[ and then it clicks. she does remember seeing anya after she became a wendigo. ]

I'm sorry, Anya. That was... I wasn't... believe me, I wasn't going to... to eat you.

[ for some reason, her wendigo-self didn't consider anya to be a prey. ]

[Voice]

[aworldenchanted]

[concerned] Piper? Was that you?

[Voice]

[freezecharm.livejournal.com]

Oh god. Tara. [ she's still afraid to pick the tablet, though. ]

Are--are you okay? Is Willow okay?

[Voice]

[aworldenchanted]

We're both fine. Not hurt at all.

I should have - has anyone let you out yet?

[ voice ]

[gotcouplings.livejournal.com]

Piper, don't--

It's okay, alright? It's all okay, nobody got hurt.

[ voice ]

[freezecharm.livejournal.com]

[ there's an audible sniff, and piper's words are a bit muddled. ]

It's not, Kaylee. How can you even say that?

[ voice ]

[gotcouplings.livejournal.com]

'Cause I know you, and I know you'd never mean to hurt anybody.

[voice]

[slayersidekick]

[ Things sliding across the dungeon floor make a very particular noise and that perks Willow's curiosity. ]

Are you all right?

[voice]

[freezecharm.livejournal.com]

[ this is whispered: ] Are you?

[voice]

[slayersidekick]

I'm just fine. Why wouldn't I be? [ Worried Willow is worried. ] You're the one who sounds less than okay.

[ voice ]

[doesntgobang.livejournal.com]

Hey, girl.

[ voice ]

[freezecharm.livejournal.com]

Charles?

[ voice ]

[doesntgobang.livejournal.com]

The one and only.

How you feeling?

[voice]

[aintnoconvict]

...Piper? Wh-what's happened?

[ Oh cripes did the monster go after her too? ]

[voice]

[freezecharm.livejournal.com]

[ oh god. glitch. ]

Are you and DG okay? Did you two make it out of that building safely? [ she's asking because... she had no idea if they did. piper had blacked out after the chandelier fell on her, after all. ]

[voice]

[aintnoconvict]

Yes, we're fine, we got out all...wait, how'd you know we were in trouble?

[ Running for one's life made noticing details like bracelets tricky. ]

[Visual]

[tothelightshown.livejournal.com]

"... Piper?"

For a moment, DG assumed that her friend had also been attacked by the strange creature that had threatened her and Glitch. But the truth - that Piper was locked in a dungeon, with bloodied hands and pure horror on her face - was even more frightening.

Too late, she realised what had happened.

"That was you."

It wasn't a question. It didn't need to be.

[ voice ]

[freezecharm.livejournal.com]

[ piper grabbed her tablet to shut off the visual, activating the voice function instead. ]

Oh god. DG. [ she started to shake. ] I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

[Visual]

[tothelightshown.livejournal.com]

"It wasn't your fault," she said, immediately. "It was just a glitch."

It didn't occur to her to blame Piper. She'd been in her friend's shoes - she remembered, all too well, seeing the world with the eyes of the Witch - and she knew how hopeless and helpless it felt.

As she spoke, DG pulled up the map and, having pinpointed Piper's location, began to make her way towards the castle.

voice; private

[syncopath]

Oh, of course the beast would turn out to be a fellow prisoner. He's heard enough from her conversations with others to get an idea of what's happened; what the Master isn't so sure of is how much she remembers. So he's treading lightly until he can determine the best course of action to take.

"Do you need help?" His voice is full of all manner of concern.

voice; private

[freezecharm.livejournal.com]

[ his voice seems familiar. somewhat. ]

I'm... fine. I'm okay. I'm good. [ it's like a mantra by now. and it helps because the dungeons are surprisingly scary, especially since she's alone in there. ] Who is this, please?

voice; private

[syncopath]

Well. Regardless of what she remembers, Piper isn't screaming at him to keep away, and that's encouraging. "A friend, I hope," the Master says gently and a touch too smoothly.

"Perhaps this is a bit presumptuous, but you don't sound 'fine'."