[ visual ] [ castle summers ] shout when you wanna get off the ride

[tothelibrary.livejournal.com]

Taxon goes through phases, Dawn knows that. Other than Kirk, Faith, River, and technically-- if you base it on entrance date instead of longevity-- Dean, she's the person who's been around the longest, so she really knows. Person A goes, Person B enters. Person A comes back, with or without memories. Eventually, Person B leaves too. There's not so much a pattern-- at least, not an obvious one based on anything even resembling time-- but the fact that there are cycles are obvious, once you figure everything out.

It's December again, and last year that meant-- things, things she's not dealing with right now (or ever) thanks very much. This year it means Dawn's unsettled, uncertain. And with so many of the new people actually... doing things, like grown-up police tv things about law and order and trying to figure things out, not just rebelling by stealing your clothes because you're really annoyed with everything. Maybe Dawn is getting complacent. Maybe that's part of the plan around here, grind the people who will just settle in and live down until Taxon becomes normal. Routine.

Well, from now on the hamsters picked the wrong person on that score. Kirk was talking about that guide and welcoming committee, and that Sam guy asked for names... if they can step up, Dawn might as well deal with her emo and restlessness by doing what she does best.

Which means a trip to the nearest hatch to grab new pens and four packs of brightly colored index cards, and on a whim a collection of neon topped push-pins. Time to take a page from Andrew's playbook and make a Board. The kind of board that houses Very Important Information.

When her tablet turns on, Dawn's been hard at work for a couple hours and the sky outside her window is getting dark. The board is mostly covered, index cards with things like "Glitches", "Dates", "Returning Players Part One (With Memories)", "Returning Players Part Two (Without Memories)", and "Hamsters????" written in clear, large letters, the cards crowding in and overlapping each other, Dawn's neat handwriting tidy and small beneath each larger title. One card in the middle only has four names, in numbered order one to four: James Kirk, River Tam, Faith Lehane, Dawn Summers. There's smaller writing off to the side, but it's too small to read from anywhere but up close. Something quiet and recognizably indie pop plays softly in the background and Dawn takes a step back to look at the board with no small amount of satisfaction.

"Okay. It's not translating stupidly rigid ancient prophecies, but whatever. Take that, hamsters." Turning back to her desk to grab a sip of soda, she spots the recording light on her tablet and rolls her eyes, bringing a hand up to shove at the hair falling in her face. "Oh my God, really? Ugh." She takes a long sip of Coke, then offers the tablet a half-hearted wave. "Hi, people randomly catching this broadcast. Sorry about the whole... reality tv slash Pay-Per-View of boring research things, don't mind me. No seriously, don't. I'm in the gathering stage, it's uber-nerdy and boring. Also, I kind of have this feeling the hamsters watch-- anyway. Sorry for being geeky all over you guys, have a nice day." Glancing at the window, she amends, "Night, I mean."

She presses the button to end the feed, shaking her head and already turning back to stare at the board.

[ ooc | in and out due to christmas stuff, but i needed to get this up sob! still backtagging faith and damon i swear. ]

Comments

[visual]

[herotypical]

Buffy is watching. She hasn't paid this much attention to a Very Important Information board since a lot earlier than that last time she sorta barely half-heartedly decided to apply herself in college classes she always ended up dropping anyway. Her own tablet records her sitting on her bed with her shoulders against the headboard -- a loosely balled fist set supportively against her chin.

What is Dawn doing? She squints now and then -- trying to read more of the board but ultimately not doing so well. Some of the names she recognizes and some she does not. By the time Dawn realizes that she is being watched, Buffy will try to act nonchalant and as though she hasn't been big-sister-the-spy this whole time.

[ visual ]

[tothelibrary.livejournal.com]

"We do live in the same castle, you know that right?" Dawn makes a face down at her tablet, but she's not upset. "You can stalk my intellectual efforts in person."

[ visual ]

[herotypical]

Pursed lips. Buffy is trying to come up with the best excuse but the well comes up dry. So, clearing her throat, she offers a verbal shrug: "I don't even know where that room is in this place. Kind of a hamper to the in-personage."

[ visual ]

[adeadringer.livejournal.com]

"Wow," Elena says, leaning in a bit to get a better look at what the index cards say. And then she realizes her own tablet has turned on, and frowns at the device for a moment or two before turning her attention to Dawn.

"That's...really impressively organized." She remembers Dawn mentioning she's been in Taxon for quite a while, but she didn't realize quite how long until now. Something about the way the cards are laid out makes her sting inside, makes her wonder if any of them will get to see home again.

And then she remembers Lexi and how for some of them, going home may not be a good thing.

Pushing past the wave of sadness, she gives Dawn a sheepish smile. "Do you...need any help with that?"

[ visual ]

[tothelibrary.livejournal.com]

"I told you I'm a giant geek. This is kind of nothing, even if it's visually flashy. Sometimes I-- never, ever stop talking. Sorry, research mode is a quick jump to lecture slash babble mode." Dawn's thoughtful look turns sheepish, and she shakes her head a little to clear it.

Elena's offer is a nice one, and she shakes her head. "Maybe later? Right now I need to figure out what I'm... doing, really, first. Right now is just gathering stuff up."

[ visual ]

[adeadringer.livejournal.com]

"Please, you're talking to someone who always got in trouble in school for finishing their reading assignments early," Elena replies with a less embarrassed smile.

She nods, tucking a lock of her hair back. "Sure. I'm not sure what I could do anyway, aside from giving a personal recount on how much glitches suck, but I guess you've been here long enough to have experience on that, anyway."

[ visual ]

[aregulargirl.livejournal.com]

"Way to get the ball rolling on that," Max says, giving Dawn's projected image a little teasing smile. In truth, she feels a little guilty. She remembers agreeing to help work on one, or at least expressing interest in helping with working on one, but hasn't done much follow-up.

She pauses, waiting for the initial awkwardness to pass before asking. "Need any help with that? Ideas with how its set up, personal experience re-counting, anything?"

[ visual ]

[tothelibrary.livejournal.com]

"Rolling on what?" Dawn's still in research mode, scanning the index cards as if she's hoping they'll somehow pull a Lost and reveal the secret they've all missed until this moment and ta-da! home by breakfast. "Oh, no, this is..." She cuts herself off, because holy god when is Big Brother not watching? "Kind of a side project. A personal one for my own edification and nothing else?"

...Wow, that was convincing Dawnie.

[ visual ]

[aregulargirl.livejournal.com]

Max raises an eyebrow, but doesn't do much more than shrug in response.

"Oh. I thought you might have been working on the guide Kirk was talking about putting together a while back."

[ visual ]

[smecker.livejournal.com]

Paul Smecker's idly flipping through the various broadcasts in Taxon right now, because it's late at night and there's little else to do. He stops when he catches sight of the first helpful person he met in Taxon. The Summers girl.

After a few minutes of watching he punches his thing on as well.

"Evening, Ms. Summers. Hope I'm not intruding. Paul Smecker-- you were my welcome wagon a few weeks ago?"

[ visual ]

[tothelibrary.livejournal.com]

Taxon is days and days and then more days of boredom and little else but just the routines of day to day living, interrupted by periods of 'oh my god what's going on'. You get used to it, eventually.

The 'Ms. Summers' tugs her mouth into a grin-- come on, who calls her anything like that? 'Dawnie' is the usual-- but Dawn shakes her head ruefully. "Dawn, really. And no, it's okay. I swear they program the tablets to just... pop on. And I remember, you--" mentioned probing, but oh my god never ever saying that. "Were kind of freaked. Any better?"

[ visual ]

[smecker.livejournal.com]

"Dawn. Right. Sorry, my professionalism hasn't yet entirely deserted me, a few more Ms. Summers are likely to squeak out like death rattles."

He leans back in his chair, looking past dawn to the board full of notes, then refocusing on the girl.

"'Better', there's a fun word. Well, I've been summarily hired and then had my employer disappear on me, learned the joys of petty theft and property damage, and been forced against my will to kiss a complete stranger.

"From what I hear about this place, that should mean I'm doing considerably better than the average." Bright toothy smile, which he then lets drop with a shrug.

"I'm acclimating, let's leave it at that. And if it's not too rude of me to ask, what exactly are you doing there? It looks... interesting."

[Voice]

[a-pretty-fire.livejournal.com]

Oh, she's such a clever girl.

[ voice ]

[tothelibrary.livejournal.com]

She has a name.

[Voice]

[a-pretty-fire.livejournal.com]

My Dawn bird.

[visual]

[slayersidekick]

Willow has to admit, she's a bit impressed. She hadn't really had a frame of reference for just how long some people had been living here, but from the mass of cards on Dawn's board, she can guess now. She squints at the board, remembering their last conversation and not exactly wanting a rematch. But still, it is Dawnie. Maybe this conversation'll go better than the last.

"Looks like you've got a lot to work on tonight."

Totally casual. Totally.

[ visual ]

[tothelibrary.livejournal.com]

Their last conversation is still on Dawn's mind, but this is Willow. She forgave her for threatening to turn Dawn back into energy and breaking her arm, once upon a time Willow doesn't know about yet. She can deal with attitude copped over the tablets.

"Pet project. I'm trying this new motivation thing."

[visual, locked]

[supercompacted.livejournal.com]

Fred's sort of transfixed by the display, interested to get someone else's perspective on the whole thing. By the time she turns on the record on her end, she's nodding her head a little. "Sorry they caught you again, but hey- it's not that horribly nerdy a thing to catch you on. At least I don't think?" Yeah, Fred, you don't really have a good frame of reference there.

"But it's a good idea," she says with a small smile. "Once you've got it...gathered? Would you mind sharing? I know you've seen a lot here, and maybe with all of our brain-power and different viewpoints we can figure out something new. I hadn't really been separating out the returning people quite yet in my data, for example..."

[ visual | locked ]

[tothelibrary.livejournal.com]

"Hey, Fred." Dawn's smile is more genuine than forced now, and before Fred can even finish her question she's nodding enthusiastically. "Mind is the last thing I'd do. Seriously, more nerdy, trustworthy heads on this one strikes me as a good idea."

[ visual ]

[tiberiuskirk.livejournal.com]

What're you up to with that, kid?

[ visual ]

[tothelibrary.livejournal.com]

Dawn. Daaaaaaaaaaaawn. One syllable, it's not that hard.

[ but even the protest is more rote than anything; kirk has managed to work his way off her shit list. ]

And 'that' would be research. Also, a cork board.

[Visual]

[garg-elisa.livejournal.com]

A night-owl by species as much as inclination, Elisa's found some entertainment in flipping through the channels on her tablet, even if it does feel a bit like an invasion of privacy.

"That's... quite the list."

[ visual ]

[tothelibrary.livejournal.com]

A slight widening of her eyes is all that gives away how surprised Dawn is to see a face that's not exactly human on the other end of her tablet; still, it's not like she's not used to that, back home. "It's a work in progress, largely. A year and a half spans a lot of index cards."

[ Visual ]

[srsbusinessk.livejournal.com]

Alright, I get that I'm new and there's a lot I don't know about this place, but - hamsters?

[ visual ]

[tothelibrary.livejournal.com]

Hey, Sam. [ dawn's distracted, her tone more familiar than she promised herself she'd get. then the tumblers click and she looks at the tablet, raising a hand to tuck hair behind her ear a little awkwardly. ] Yeah, the people who kidnapped us... like to show up as hamsters.

[ she shakes her head, shrugging helplessly. ] I know, it's hovering around the craziest thing ever.