Interlude 2: And Now, A Word From Our Sponsors...
When the show faded out to a Verizon commercial, Angel rubbed the back of his head, wincing. "What were they thinking of, getting themselves into this? Allowing this?!"
"I don't think they know," whispered Fred. "Maybe they thought it was innocent."
"Innocent?" cried Gunn, gesturing at the TV, which was now telling them how Nyquil was the nighttime-sniffling-sneezing-coughing-aching-stuffy head-fever-so-you-can-sleep-and-have-a-good-morning medicine. "They're providing interviews! They're… competing!"
"Gunn's right," agreed Wesley. "I would have expected this from the younger ones in the group; Dawn, or Anya or even Willow. But Buffy? Giles? I hardly think that they would agree to something like this lightly."
"Hmm," Cordelia mused. "Yeah, I can't see how Giles, of all people, is going along with this. And Spike! Why'd they rope Spike into this?!"
"Lorne," Angel said, hit with an idea. "Can you read those people who sang? Through the TV?"
Lorne nodded. "Way ahead of you, buddy. Although even four years as karaoke host didn't prepare me for that…! Anyway, those auditions, nothing. Just your basic nervousness, hopes of making it big, the usual. Obviously can't read anything off the zombies… mindless creatures. Nope, everything's still hunky-dory in Sunnydale."
"Good," Angel said, with a sigh of relief. Focusing on the set again as the commercials came to a close, "so far, so good."
