[Location - Sunnydale High Library]

[beenthroughhell]

Tara has been spending more and more time in the Sunnydale library.  For one thing, Giles is there, and she's always glad to see him.  And, of course, the collection on magic is even more impressive than she'd guessed it had been.  She's doing research for herself, and for Piper and DG as well

Comments

[demonmagnetism]

Xander had decided to pay a visit to the library, with the notion of talking to Giles about plans of action for dealing with Angelus. Ones that involved staking, and ones which he knew Giles would probably share his opinion on, where Buffy undoubtedly wouldn't. ...well, if she weren't currently kidnapped, but he's not aware of that yet.

Thus, he comes strolling in, and is pleasantly surprised to find Tara there.

"Hey Tara," he smiles (perhaps a little wan and strained), as he approaches the table, noticing the pile of books. "Research mode?"

[beenthroughhell]

She looks up and returns the smile, quiet and maybe a bit worried herself. "Kind of. From what Dawn said, there's not much to be done about glitches. But I told a couple people I'd try to help them learn a little more about magic, so..." She holds up the book. "Here we are."

She puts the book back down. "How are things with you?"

[demonmagnetism]

"For the record, Giles keeps all the very best stuff on the upper floor, right in the back rows. Away from prying eyes. Not that anybody ever came in here, except us, but..." He offers helpfully, gesturing vaguely upwards, and taking a seat at the table, with something of a sigh.

"Things... have been better. The whole Angelus situation has everybody good and insane. Dawn's still beating herself up over that spell, and my supportive boyfriend routine is rusty at best."

Hmm, does Tara know about that yet? Oh well.

[beenthroughhell]

She does now! But she's more concerned with Dawn's state than anything, and she's noticed people carefully not mentioning Anya (or Willow), so she lets it be for the moment.

"Poor Dawnie. It took the suggestion of setting Angelus' hair on fire to get her to crack a smile."

[demonmagnetism]

"Yeah, we agreed to lock him in the dungeons and force him to listen to Abba's Fernando over and over. I think that cheered her up a little."

Oh yes, the subject of Willow and Anya is being avoided a very great deal. No doubt it will need to be addressed at some stage, however.

[beenthroughhell]

Most likely! Though Tara has not decided yet whether or not to bring up the subject of their present/her future, as she's certainly noticed no one else has.

"That's a pretty dire punishment," she says with a smile. "It might be a start." She closes her book. "How are you doing, Xander? Besides worried for Dawn."

[demonmagnetism]

"Well, we're kinda low on actual real non-imaginary options right now," he observes, returning the smile a touch wryly.

"Me? Oh, you know. In possession of all my vital organs, so really not complaining. How about you? I hope the Taxon-crazy isn't getting to you too much?"

[beenthroughhell]

"Um... everything blowing up was kind of crazy. But otherwise..." She shrugs. "It's weird, but I'm coping. Most of the non-homicidal people are very nice."

[demonmagnetism]

That gets a small chuckle of amusement out of Xander, before he remarks, semi-philosophically:

"Y'know, I've been here for nine months at least, and hardly anything blew up until recently. I think the homicidal folks are making a special effort lately-- but usually Taxon is pretty quiet, aside from the glitches. ...This obviously coming from a Hellmouth-veteran perspective."

[beenthroughhell]

"Well, yeah. Survive the end of the world a couple times, and a city blowing up is a bit of a slow day, right?" She exhales, not quite a sigh. "What do you do with yourself, minus job and constant evil fighting?"

[demonmagnetism]

"Maybe not slow," he concedes, with a vague 50/50-type gesture of his hand. "I'd call it mid-tempo." He taps his chin thoughtfully before answering the question.

"I make furniture, hang with the gang, repeatedly alphabetize my kick-ass comic book and action figure collection, and dear god do I wish I was joking about that last one, but no." And now for a pause. "Feeling a little direction-less?"

[beenthroughhell]

"A little. I mean, I've not been here that long, but... back home there was school, in between all the big bads, and the whole 'think about your future' thing, and..." Tara trails off. Of course Xander'd already gone through a lot of that, even by her time. And she'd been seeing less of the gang lately back home. But even so, there'd been a rhythm to life in Sunnydale.

After a moment, she says, "Well. Without much to be done about the big bad here, for now, I'm kind of wandering. There's a girl just learning about magic, and I said I'd help with some basic lessons. Then Piper, who lives in the castle, is trying to adapt some spells so her family doesn't need to be there to cast them. And I'm growing some vervain in a windowbox."

[demonmagnetism]

Xander nods, understanding where Tara's coming from. In Sunnydale, there was a certain regularity to the chaos of their lives. Then again, he's spent the past two years in Scotland in a castle full of teenage girls, so perhaps he's gotten a little more used to the feeling of drifting-- watching. Even if he told Buffy not to call him her Watcher, because it makes him feel old and weird.

"It must be good to have a few magically inclined people around, at least?" He offers, picking up one of the books on the table idly. "Vervain? What's that? Sounds herby-- herby as in herb. Not the charming talking car."

[beenthroughhell]

She smiles. "Right. It's supposed to help against vampires. Don't know if it works against the Sunnydale kind or not, but I figure it can't hurt to try, right?"

[demonmagnetism]

"I am always in favor of new and exciting funky herbs," he smiles, flipping a few pages of the book he's holding, without really taking much in.

"So how does the library compare to the blackened, charred, snake-carcass-filled pit of loveliness you visited that one time?"

He's pretty sure it was a time they were trying to find Riley. Or something.

[beenthroughhell]

"Uh. Less... charred. More helpful." She smiles. "It must be weird, hanging out here again."