001 [Holo]

[tothelibrary.livejournal.com]

There's a loud thump and a pained groan as Dawn does a bellyflop-- without the whole 'into water' part, which is both better and so very much worse-- onto the platform. Groaning again, she rolls onto her back then slowly sits up, stretching her neck and rubbing at her face.

"Did I mention that 'hey, sure I'll help with baby Slayer training today' is not secret code for 'time to try to break Dawn'? I may not be able to squish you with my huge giant-y feet anymore, but that doesn't mean it's open season. Seriously, you didn't have to hit me that--"

She breaks off mid complaint as she actually looks around, taking in her surroundings and realizes that wherever she is, it's not Scotland. And unless one of the baby slayers hit her hard enough she passed out and this is all a wacky coma dream, things are seriously wrong.

"--Hard. What's going on?"

She pushes up off the ground, wincing as her knees sting a little thanks to the whole 'scraped from crashing into the ground' angle. Grabbing the weird fake Blackberry thing is priority number one, then heading down the stairs and out the door.

...The door which promptly disappears behind her. Dawn's eyes get wider, and she presses a hand against the space where a door should be. "Oh, this cannot be good. Buffy? Oh, my God, I'm so dead. Buffy's gonna kill me if I got kidnapped again. I just got all normal Dawn-sized and not half horse or creepy doll-like. I can't be kidnapped." She runs a hand through her hair, trying to calm down. "It's okay. There is obviously a perfectly logical reason for this. A reason which is just... eluding me for a second. I just need to calm down. No freaking for Dawn Summers, for I'm an adult-type responsible person with coping skills that help in these situations."

She rolls her eyes. "And I'm talking to myself. Which is not at all a sign of freak out-ness. Nope." Looking around again, moving past freaked to 'let's work this out'. "Can anyone hear me? Willow? Xander? Even Andrew. Andrew would be okay right now. In fact, I would be really glad to see Andrew, which usually doesn't happen until I need an ANTM marathon buddy or some funnel cake, but... yeah, I'd be happy to see Andrew right now."

Dawn bites her lip and looks down, swallowing hard. Tiny Watcher is officially a little more worried than she would like to be. "...Anybody?"

Comments

[holo]

[likeajoan.livejournal.com]

"Dawnie?"

So here's the thing. Buffy has spent the past however long it's been wishing for Dawn to show up, and then mentally kicking herself because it's a selfish thing to wish, and she'd really prefer her sister to be in a nice safe non-possibly-alien-related kidnap place. Thus, when she sees a little holo-Dawn appear on her tablet, she tries to keep her initial instinct in check (which is one of the overwhelmingly happy variety) in case she's hallucinating. Which is plausible.

"I don't think I'm technically allowed to kill you if I'm the one who gets kidnapped first. There's a special clause on that. Are you really here? This isn't a dream sequence? No, there would be more stage-fog if this were a dream sequence... Dawn?"

[holo]

[tothelibrary.livejournal.com]

"Buffy? Buffy!" This is Dawn's happy face. It's very very very happy. They just did the Summers Sisters version of super intense making up. Which... was intense, but also full of quipping. Losing Buffy again would be less than good. To the tune of very bad.

"...Okay, no killing. I am on board for this lack of death. Also, I think you're thinking about Michael Jackson videos not dreams."

She bounces a little on her toes. "So, you should probably be here. For the hugging. Like now. I can wait, though. I'm patient like that."

[holo]

[likeajoan.livejournal.com]

"No, Michael Jackson videos are the zombies and really advanced sidewalks. Fog is general fair game."

What is this ridiculous debate anyway? Buffy is trying (and failing) not to beam at the tablet, and she's already on her feet and halfway out of the front door before that last sentence is finished. Oh, now she's running. Dawn might be able to tell from the general air of out-of-breathness she's projecting.

"Oh, I'm coming. Not around the mountain, just the regular way. I'll explain everything after the hugging."

[holo]

[tothelibrary.livejournal.com]

"Your dream sequences have fog? So not sure I want to know. Also, since when are you a pretentious film student?"

It's just how the Summers roll. If they aren't arguing about something ridiculous, things are weird. Dawn's already building up to an argument on why Jones green apple is clearly the superior flavor of Jones. Just because.

"But will you be driving six white horses?" Buffy's beaming is met by Dawn's, because... it's Buffy. Here, and coming for her. Life is as it should be, other than the alien abduction parts of it. "I like the hugging."

[Holo]

[ladyofice.livejournal.com]

Arabella has not been doing much in Taxon yet; she's just been staying in her rooms and walking a little, mostly thinking about what's been happening lately... Here is not so bad, it's a nice place, better than a cell so she keeps reminding herself... That's mainly what she's been doing for the past few days, reminding herself.

Currently she's sitting just outside of her rooms, she's changed into a fairly nice skirt and top (in blue, of course) and has just been staring in the sky in a rather contemplative way... But the girl looks young and a little scared, and she might be determined not to be the lovely doormat Arabella anymore but she can't ignore that "Hello, are you new?"

[Holo]

[tothelibrary.livejournal.com]

This would be tiny holo-Dawn just about levitating, because... of all the things she was expecting-- demons, monsters, hell gods, Angel in a tutu-- a hologram of someone she doesn't know? So not even on the list.

"Yeah. Hi! New..." She clears her throat and blushes a little. "I'm going to start that over speaking in complete sentences. Hi, I'm Dawn, and I am so very new I don't exactly know where I'm new at."

Re: [Holo]

[ladyofice.livejournal.com]

Arabella can't help but smile a little at the near levitation, it's a common reaction among new recruits to the Guard and one that she has witnessed a few times, in her eyes it's hardly anything to be ashamed of, in fact it shows good reflexes to be perfectly honest.

She nods slightly, her smile settling down into one that is friendly and yet calming, it's the one that she's practiced over her many years in the Tribunal, somebody has to try and look vaguely normal after all "pleased to meet you, I'm Arabella and this place is called Taxon, apparently we might've been kidnapped."

[Holo]

[tothelibrary.livejournal.com]

Dawn waves, a little awkwardly. "Nice to meet you."

The kidnapping part gets a laugh, because... wow, it's just like home! "Kidnapped. Of course. At least this time I'm not the only one, because the gloating and told you so-ing gets old. Plus, the white board all 'however many days since Dawn got snatched' in the kitchen. I still blame--"

She breaks off. "Sorry, old argument."

[holo]

[erudite-watcher.livejournal.com]

And Giles might be a little bit hurt that it would occur to Dawn to ask for Andrew - good lord Andrew of all people - before asking for him but that's an emotion he'll ignore. He is, after all, British. What he can't ignore is the shock at seeing the tiny image of Dawn Summers popping up above the screen of his tablet. He's not sure why he's so surprised - so many of the other people he is closest to are here - but still it's almost as much of a jolt as seeing Tara.

"Dawn?" A smile slowly turns up the corners of his mouth. How he has missed her.

"Are you really here?" Did I mention the shock?

[holo]

[tothelibrary.livejournal.com]

With a little explanation, Dawn could easily fix the hurt. Giles-- her Giles-- is currently traipsing across Europe with Faith because Buffy is mad at him. She's kind of out of the habit of calling for him, in the most involuntary fashion possible. He should expect much clinging in the days to come.

"Giles?" She stares for a moment, then grins. There could be a little bit of bouncing. "Giles! Hi, oh my-- Hi!"

Now there's definitely bouncing. "Me? What about you? I mean, duh I'm here, wherever here is." She frowns for a moment, then shrugs that off in favor of-- "I missed you so much!"

--More bouncing. And grinning so widely her cheeks start to hurt a little.

[holo]

[erudite-watcher.livejournal.com]

If Giles knew that, knew all that was to come in the next few years... who knows what he would think. And he won't mind the clinging, all mock gruffness he might show to the contrary. He's rather fond of Dawn, for both Buffy's sake and as her own person.

"Here is Taxon, which is nowhere near anyplace we've been before." Typical Giles he goes for the easiest most practical information first. But the bouncing and grinning is enough to make him chuckle and he freely admits that "I've missed you too, Dawn."

Staring at a tiny hologram is hardly satisfying as far as reunions go, though. "I'm not far from where you are. Stay there and I'll arrive in a few minutes."

And now hologram Giles is running, without slowing down to close the door of the Magic Box behind him.

[holo]

[tothelibrary.livejournal.com]

Any lack of enthusiasm on Giles' part would... probably only slow Dawn down a tiny bit, on the clinging side. Her idea of personal space is somewhat limited, sorry all non-touchy feely people. But she has the Giles decoder ring, so she knows the gruff is a cover-up. His secret is safe with her.

"So... demon dimension time? Or alternate, or... alien abduction, with the freaky platform thing? Because if we got alien abducted I might have to be really weirded out." Ah, Dawn. Demons? Eh, whatever. Aliens? That's weird. Her comfort levels are so skewed, thanks Sunnydale.

"Duh you did." The grin gets a little wider. "It's okay, we can have mutual missing." It's true; Giles may be Buffy's Watcher, but Dawn came attached. Two Summers for the price of one. Maybe they're fake memories in the technical, but that doesn't mean Dawn can't think of a time in Sunnydale when Giles wasn't there. Even when she thought he was just a weird teacher who spent way too much time with Buffy, he was there, a constant. And Dawn is all about her constants.

She watches the tiny hologram run with ill-concealed amusement, but nods. "I will stick here so much you'll think I was superglued."

[fudgingkillyou.livejournal.com]

Dean usually doesn't make a habit of watching his tablet for new people or people at all, lately. All he's cared about for the last week or two is seeing the person on the tablet is Sam. Since Sam obviously hasn't shown up, Dean hasn't had any reason to watch for newcomers.

But this time, he hears the last part of the message, and he hears Buffy's name. As well as Willow and Xander's. That catches his interest, considering he's living at the Summer household and is currently lounging in the kitchen of that household. So with a slight sigh, he picks up his tablet and answers with the visual bit of his tablet.

"Dawn Summers, huh?" Dean asks, looking amused. "Since you mentioned Buffy, Willow and Xander, I'm gonna assume you're part of the Scooby gang?"

[visual]

[tothelibrary.livejournal.com]

Dawn looks slightly wary; the initial weirdness is mostly worn off-- she's pretty good at rolling with the punches by now-- and new people are... generally to be distrusted at first. Even the really cute ones.

...Actually, the cute ones should probably be trusted a tiny bit less. But despite any standoffish vibes, she nods, friendly enough. "I'm in the little sister auxiliary brigade. You know Buffy?"

[fudgingkillyou.livejournal.com]

Don't worry, Dean gets that reaction a lot, so he's used to it. After dealing with Anna for the couple of hours, he can handle just about anything.

"Yep, I know Buffy. She's a good friend of mine." Dean grins. "We're in the same business. Y'know, killing evil things."

[tothelibrary.livejournal.com]

Dawn's expression gets much friendlier after that. Dean, beware.

"Oh, okay! Sorry for the whole... ack, stranger danger thing. I just get kidnapped a lot, so it's based more on a desire not to be kidnapped than anything about you. You're..." Dawn casts around for an appropriate word that is not 'boy-Slayer'. "You slay, too?"

See, that was a diplomatic way of putting it.

[Voice]

[inked-wiccan.livejournal.com]

Dawn?

[Willow's tone is a little more than stunned. It's like whoever's bringing them here is dumping everyone from Sunnydale in their home away from home.]

[Voice]

[tothelibrary.livejournal.com]

...Willow? Oh my God, Willow! Hi!

[Yes, yet more excited Dawn voice. She loves her Willow.]

You're here too? It's like... home away from home, only with just the people and not a crater. Or a castle!

[Voice]

[inked-wiccan.livejournal.com]

[And now Willow from three years ago has a puzzlement added to her tone.]

Um...craters and castles? You lost me there, hon.

[holo]

[demonmagnetism.livejournal.com]

Xander was just in the middle of programming himself a rather fine cheeseburger (of the non Doublemeat variety) from a replicator hatch, when Dawn's voice randomly started emanating from his pocket, which was an odd but certainly not unpleasant experience!

All thoughts of greasy goodness laid aside, he quickly pulls the tablet out, and grins at the sight of tiny holo-Dawn.

"Holy hoisin sauce, Dawnmeister! You're here! Does Buffy know you're here?"

[holo]

[tothelibrary.livejournal.com]

"Xander!" Dawn's day just got even better. "I don't think they canonized delicious soy based sauces just yet. We should call the Pope and bug him to get on that."

She nods, grinning right back at the holo-Xander. And poking at it, just a little. "She's on her way. Giles, too. You want to make it a party? There could be the hugs where you pick me up, and also maybe a group one. Also maybe you could help with the later explaining party I'm going to throw, where people explain things."

Such are her priorities. Group hug, then down to research.

[holo]

[demonmagnetism.livejournal.com]

"Honestly, those crazy Vatican kids with their slacking and bizarrely-shaped hats."

Xander is SO unreasonably pleased to see Dawn. Also he's glad that Buffy and Giles are aware of Dawn's arrival, this means significantly less excited yelling and arm-waving needs to be done on his part.

"Oh, nobody's made with the info yet? That's okay, we'll totally fill you in after this party of assorted hugs, which I will so very much be attending, if you just give me five minutes to get my jog on. Is there any kind of dress code I should be made aware of?"

[holo]

[intuitivewiccan.livejournal.com]

Ever since Tara had arrived here and realized that Willow, Buffy, Xander and Giles were also here, she had felt this void inside, despite having most of her family here; without Dawn, the circle just didn't seem complete. She counted herself truly blessed to have all the most important people in her life here, considering that some of the residents of Taxon were very much alone in that regard.

In her reality, she'd only just said goodbye to Dawn a week ago, leaving for England with Giles to grieve the loss of Willow. But it felt as though she'd been in Taxon for ages already, and she was missing Dawn quite a lot.

So when she heard the young girl's voice on her tablet, Tara's heart skipped and she couldn't help smiling, even though she wouldn't have wished for her pseudo sister to have been transported here, away from home and all that she knew.

"Dawn?"

Tara paused, adjusting the tablet in her hand so she could see Dawn's hologram better.

"I-I'm so glad you're here," she smiled.

[holo]

[tothelibrary.livejournal.com]

Dawn's eyes widened, and she reached out one hand to touch the hologram before snatching it back.

"...Tara?"

Giles, Buffy, Xander, even a changed Willow: they're pleasant surprises, a part of daily life Dawn is insanely grateful not to lose. But Tara... Tara is something else.

"Is it--" She swallows hard, about thirty seconds from tears. "I mean, you're--" She still can't say it, sorry.

[holo]

[intuitivewiccan.livejournal.com]

While she was reasonably certain that Dawn would be glad to see her anyway, her very emotional reaction led Tara to believe that she must also be dead in this Dawn's reality.

"I'm here," she confirmed with a smile, though she wasn't sure the smile could be seen very well through a hologram.

"Alive," she added. "I-I must be...in your world, I must be..."

Tara was sure she didn't have to finish that sentence.

"I-I see you. Your location. I'll be there. Just...two minutes?" Meanwhile, she kept the tablet open so that they could continue talking.