Rhyme 1: Time to Play [Holo]

[scares_crows]

Arkham was too quiet, these days, for Jonathan's taste. Isolation was even quieter. Curled up on the floor of his cell, straightjacket pinning his arms around him, he tried to ignore the noise

Comments

[visual]

[glowingseer]

She was watching him carefully, very much unnerved. Creepy much? Cordelia was somewhat reminded of Drusilla. Something about that song and that weird vibe about him...

Then she realized that her tablet was already on and probably transmitting her image to him. Damn.

"Uh... hi?" she said, tentatively.

[holo]

[scares_crows]

Crane blinked down at the image that had appeared on the screen: a pretty young girl. She reminded him of Miss Dawes. She was also talking to him. Apparently these tablets were some sort of communications device.

"Hello," he smiled with deceptive pleasentry. "Did you bring me here?"

[visual]

[glowingseer]

"Oh no," she replied, shaking her head. "I didn't. We don't really know who brought us all here, just that we were."

Cordelia frowned. "Oh, if you pick up this thing you're using to talk to me, then the door should open and you can step out."

[holo]

[scares_crows]

"How interesting," Crane murmured, reaching out to lift up the tablet and smiling when the door slid open. "It reminds me of those people who insist they were abducted by aliens."

He's still holding the tablet so that he can see her, and she him, as he slowly exits and begins to drift about. "So, something brings people here. Just anyone? From anywhere?"

[visual]

[freaks_myword]

"Really. That's not creepy at all. You'll make friends fast, honey."

That's Gwen, intrigued, moody, and doesn't mind taking it out on the newbie. What is with the sing-songing?

[holo]

[scares_crows]

Crane considered the new face on his tablet with interest. "'Creepy' is a relative term. As is 'friends'. But I wasn't particularly trying for either."

[visual]

[freaks_myword]

She stares, halfheartedly studying him. Is that a straight jacket? Alien overlords must be getting desperate.

"No? My mistake. The singing and the straight-jacket really puts out a vibe."

Re: [visual]

[scares_crows]

Crane smiles, this time deliberately going for creepy. "I'm sure if you were drugged, restrained, and left in an empty room with nothing to do, you would find your own interesting ways to stave off boredom."

[voice]

[fudgingkillyou]

Congratulations, dude, you win the award for Creepiest Arrival Ever.

[Because Dean is a dumbass and can't help himself with these 'witty' replies. Stay away, Dean, you have as many issues as a barrel has monkeys. More probably.]

[visual]

[scares_crows]

[By this time Cane has figured out how to switch from holo to visual. His expression might register a glint of excitement about 'ooh, there's an audio-only setting too? Must experiment.']

Thank you. Did you enjoy it?

[fudgingkillyou]

Uh huh. I'd call for an encore, but I'm sure you got things to do. You get the whole explanation, buddy?

[scares_crows]

In bits and pieces, perhaps. We were all brought here by an unknown force? And these little machines produce anything the user imagines, within reason? Have I got it all?

[Visual

[a_pretty_fire]

After leaving the uncomfortable science of the Sanctuary behind her, Drusilla had made her way slowly across the city. She'd paused to look at buildings and explore the familiar cold - the beautifully familiar cold - of the Sunnydale cemetery. Then, on her way to visit the Slayer's house, she'd come across her favourite playground. She'd hunted there, once upon a time, but now she was just sitting on the swings, moving slowly back and forth as she watched Jonathon's arrival.

She liked his voice. He sounded like music.

She liked his mask, too. Such a strange face. Why didn't he keep his real one - the one in his hands - on all the time?

"There used to be cockle shells," she replied musically, "But they withered before they had a chance to burn. That's what gardens do. Sometimes they forget how to live."

[Visual] Oh, Dru, you just made Crane's day.

[scares_crows]

Crane's eyes glinted when he heard the voice drifting from his tablet, and leaned forward to scrutinize the woman on the screen. Even through the barrier of technology he could feel her aura.

"Or perhaps they died on purpose, to escape the inferno," he suggested softly.

(I hope Taxon can cope with the combined creepiness.)

[a_pretty_fire]

"Isn't that clever of them? If only humans could use the same tricks."

Drusilla pictured the population of Sunnydale dropping like her daisies - and she wasn't the one doing the killing so it was allowed, it was allowed - and savoured the butterflies that sprang up in her stomach, all warm and wriggling. She liked this man already, just for that.

(Only one way to find out . . . ^_^)

[scares_crows]

"I'm sure they'd like that," Crane agreed. "But then there'd be no one left to play with." He considered her words, and then asked lightly, "Would you use that trick, if you knew it?"