009: [location: sanctuary square] & [visual] hi ho, hi ho

[demonmagnetism]

It's noon. Anybody passing through Central Taxon (or within eyeshot of a tablet at the right moment) might have the (fortune?) of seeing one Xander Harris, digging. He's cordoned off an area in the square that houses the Sanctuary, circling it with yellow hazard tape, and inside this area is a slowly deepening hole. And Xander, perspiring in a

Comments

[Location: Sanctury Square]

[ladyofice]

There is now a rather interested Arabella glancing down at you Xander, she doesn't really understand digging but yet it always draws her, since she's always hoping to find out what the draw is.

Of course, she's also remembering her conversation with Charlotte a few weeks back, about finding the boundaries of Taxon.. Of course, this man might just be digging for the hell of it, so she hesitates before she clears her throat, just fora second "trying to find where the boundaries stop?"

Directness is always best after all.

[demonmagnetism]

Xander stops digging and looks up at the sound of an unknown voice, shading his eye (singular) with one hand, from the not-actually-a-sun.

"Got it in one." He confirms, cheerfully, then adding. "Well, that and I'm also looking into an exciting new career as a potato farmer, but mostly the first thing."

[ladyofice]

Arabella giggles at that and nods, her obvious amusement fading into a very thoughtful expression, because she never really stops thinking "I don't suppose you've found any clues yet? Or Potatoes, either one is perfectly fine."

She likes potatoes even if he was kidding, they're yummy.

[demonmagnetism]

He shakes his head apologetically, though he's glad to have got a laugh from Arabella.

"Alas no, to both of those. But I haven't gotten all that deep yet. I'm optimistic. I hope for many potatoes and clues in the near future."

[Location: Sanctuary Square]

[glowingseer]

Have a Cordelia, looking at you with raised eyebrows, Xander. On her way to the hotel so that she can do something else other than sitting in her apartment doing nothing, she spots the yellow tape and the man doing something weird and lo, curiosity beckons her to ask:

"Did... you kill someone? Have a need to hide the evidence?"

[demonmagnetism]

Xander looks up at Cordelia with a smile of greeting, wiping some sweat off his brow in an attempt to look slightly more presentable, and setting his shovel to one side. Then he embarks on some quality friendly sarcasm.

"Yes, as a matter of fact I did. Which is why I'm doing this in broad daylight and making absolutely no effort to conceal my activities. Granted, a lot of the rest of the mafia disagree with my methods, but I like to call it 'forward thinking'."

[glowingseer]

"As if some mafia would actually allow you to join their little gang," she scoffs. Cordelia peers at that deep hole, because hey - what if there was a body in it?

Kidding, kidding.

"No, really. What are you doing?"

[demonmagnetism]

After Cordelia's skepticism regarding his possible future with the mafia, he isn't about to volunteer the information readily. She'll have to pass through the trial of him being very irritating first, naturally.

"Searching for buried treasure, and/or dinosaurs."

[Location]

[machinesgoping]

Topher was walking down a side street when he spotted someone he thought he recognized, and walked over.

"Heyyy... Xander, right? What're you doing?"

[demonmagnetism]

"Hey Topher!" Xander waves, planting his shovel in the nearest pile of dirt and then leaning on it.

"I'm trying to see if the force fields are down here too." He explained, gesturing at the earth beneath him illustratively. "Also, if I can find any kind of power source for the city. Preferably without electrocuting myself in the process."

[machinesgoping]

"Hmm. I'd recommend some sort of insulating gloves, then... metal shovels tend to conduct electricity, and so do our bodies, unfortunately."

"Well, usually it's fortunately, but in the case you do find wiring, it'll probably be more than your used to."

He acts like he's shoveling, and then being electrocuted, complete with sound effects, before chuckling.

[demonmagnetism]

He laughs at Topher's little demonstration, before shaking his head with self-disapproval. "...And this is why I should've actually paid attention in science class, instead of building tiny castles out of pen tops."

Casting a glance at his shovel/possible deathtrap, he asks. "So, insulating gloves, huh? The kind with the plastic-y outer lining? I'm sure I could probably hatch a pair of those, assuming Taxon doesn't decide to sabotage me."

[tendstoramble]

Fred had been inside the sanctuary most of the day, half-buried in a panel, and she'd decided to go for a bit of a walk and stretch her legs when she came outside to find someone she didn't recognize digging...a hole. A large, long sort of hole, but still a hole.

She walked over and crouched down next to it, peering inside. "That's a real nice hole you're diggin'." She said, offering him a bit of a curious smile. "But what's it for?"

[demonmagnetism]

Xander was a little absorbed in the repetitive motion of digging, so he didn't immediately notice Fred, until she spoke up- at which point he set the shovel down and smiled.

"Well thank you, I pride myself on my holemanship-- it's not exactly for anything though, more of an experiment. I'm trying to find out if the force fields are down here, too."

[tendstoramble]

Fred seemed slightly startled when he looked at her, if only because of the eyepatch, but it fades as he speaks and Fred decides he's probably not a pirate.

"Force fields?" She leaned forward a bit to peer into the hole, then turned to look back at the building. "You mean cause of the sanctuary?"

[demonmagnetism]

He was quite used to that reaction, since he became a 'cyclops', as he so fondly termed it, so it didn't bother him particularly. He leaned on his shovel in a relaxed sort of way as he explained.

"Not so much because of the Sanctuary, actually-- I wanted to find out if we could maybe dig our way out of here, y'know, Great Escape style? Without the force fields that stop us from leaving getting in the way."

[location]

[buck_the_system]

Here, Xander, have a Kara. The tattooed woman is standing with her arms crossed, at the very edge of the yellow tape, peering down into the hole with something between veiled curiosity and very thinly-veiled amusement on her face.

"You know, I bet ten people have walked by you and said, 'What the hell are you doing, random man with a shovel.' Which is a pretty stupid question to ask. You're digging a hole, with a shovel, pretty easy to see."

Kara leans forward just a little more.

"The less stupid question is of course, why the hell are you digging a hole, and why in the world is your lunch box so frakking gay?"

[demonmagnetism]

Why hello there Kara! Xander looks up when she speaks, plunging his shovel into the nearest pile of dirt for safekeeping. He looks faintly amused by Kara's rather straightforward method of address.

"You would indeed be correct on that assumption-- to answer your questions though, I'm digging a hole to see whether I hit another force field or a power source. And as for the, umm..." He casts a furtive glance at the lunchbox, clearing his throat in an embarrassed fashion. "Would you believe me if I said it's for the retro-irony appeal?"

[buck_the_system]

Kara, unlike most girls, actually sort of likes dirt, and physical labor, and generally getting gross and sweaty. Thankfully for Xander, it's a pre-programmed seventy-something and sunny outside, but that doesn't stop Kara from hopping right down in the hole next to him, she peers at the shovel, at its metal, electricity-conducting tip, then at Xander's feet. Then, those pale eyes dart back up to meet his. Oh hello, sudden eye-contact!

"It's just weird that a guy's got a bunch of... guys on his lunchbox. Trucks, missiles, boy things, sure, but a... I don't even know what to call them, really, they're just..." She stares at the lunchbox a moment longer, snorts back a laugh and then looks to Xander's handiwork.

"I'm not much on holes, but isn't there an easier way to do this? Like, I dunno..." Kara looks towards one of the hatches with something of a wicked look on her face. "Maybe something more explosive? I mean, this is a good hole, but I bet you could make a bigger one pretty quickly without all the digging and the sweating and

[demonmagnetism]

Xander got the distinct impression Kara wasn't like most girls when he first met her and she threatened him with a big old gun, so he isn't entirely surprised by her lack of aversion to dust and grime. He's also not terrified of her anymore either, which is nice.

"A mostly devoid of talent, manufactured boy band? I know, I know... but the songs are just so... so catchy! Please don't tell anyone. I have this shred of dignity I've been preserving." He pleads, maybe half-serious.

"Explosives?" He repeats, looking at her with some trepidation. "As in Taxon go boom, holy crap what have I done?"