Arimai
Curmudgeon
You still need seed money. Without it you can't even start
Something To Atone For. BtVS/AtS, Doyle SI.
- Thread starter Flightless Man
- Start date
Chapter 15: Noodle Incident
- Pronouns
- Male
Chapter 15: Noodle Incident
"But this place is huge!" Mary is very aware of how expensive an apartment like this should really cost.
"And haunted by a very territorial mother." I'm not exactly sure which wall needs to be opened up and figure it can be fixed later. "So start putting holes in every wall."
But Lorne has a better idea and corrects me with a confident smirk.
"Or we could save time and start with the right one." The empath ignores bloody writing on the peach walls that haven't been repainted since the seventies and strides through the storm of papers. "Either these walls are filled with bodies, or Dennis is in this one."
Lorne's hammer goes through the drywall and the change is instant. The furniture drops as a ghoulish woman appears in the middle of the room. She goes from a look of snide cruelty to terror as Dennis' spirit fog emerges from the hole.
"He's so sad..." Mutters Tara as the cloud surrounds the ghastly mother and begins dissolving her.
"Told you Dennis was a good guy." I scratch at the rash on my neck and notice Fred's curious gaze.
I've been tight lipped about how corrosive the slug demon's slime was and really don't want to share my adventure streaking across the strip. Even if it finally convinced the Maclay women my visions are real, I'm not sure being forced to run from the cops was worth it.
"Well how do we introduce ourselves?" The genius making sure I don't get myself killed tilts her head. "I'm not really sure how to say hello to someone..." She hesitates in search of the right word. "Former."
Shrugging at the words, I realize I'm not exactly sure of the rules myself. "I think he can hear us just fine. But it could be more that he's only picking up the general emotion."
"Hello Dennis." Tara holds out her hand in the general direction of the smoky cloud, introducing her and Mary to the spectral resident. "My mom and I are going to be your roommates. Is that alright with you, or would you like us to go somewhere else?"
It takes a few seconds for an answer, with Dennis trying to communicate by changing how bright the lights are. A lamp burns out and it sounds like the light in the fridge exploded.
"What does that mean?" Fred whispers quietly to me, trying not to disturb Phantom Dennis' attempt to say hello.
"Not sure." I grab one of the whiteboards I stole the night of the Lothos attack and hang it up with a couple nails. "That's why I brought these from Hemery. Black pens are for facts, Red pen is for when Dennis is angry, blue is when he's sad, and green is for happy."
As soon as I finish the explanation, the green pen is already rising to leave a message. 'It's so nice to meet you all. Thank you for finding me.' So much easier than than playing charades with a ghost.
"Such nice manners." Mary is relieved to find out the phantom is even more polite than I described.
Once the admittedly brief exorcism is over, we spend the rest of the afternoon unloading the U-Haul. It goes a lot faster once Dennis scribbles down that we should just leave everything by the front door and he can sort the boxes for us.
"I'll be checking in on you once a month for lessons." I remind Mary over Chinese food after we finish. "And to see if you need anything." We even set a plate aside for Dennis, with the phantom able to pretend he's eating the fake fruit Fred picked up for him. "We might not actually be family. But I'm kind of responsible for you." At least until you get your life back in order.
"You're really going to pay for me to get re-certified?" It's easy to see the desire to control her own life on Mary's face. "I can be a nurse again?" The accounts only had a few thousand dollars and I know the mother is worried about providing for Tara in a strange city.
"May as well use my cut from the Hyperion for something worthwhile." The rest can be set aside as a nest egg for Lorne.
Wiping her eyes, Mary gives me a very grateful smile. "It's been a long time since anyone called me that."
"Well get used to it." Gunn's already drooling over having a personal nurse for his crew to come to. "You're about to be adored by a whole bunch of people."
"When are we supposed to meet up with everyone?" Fred glances at the clock with a frown at how close it is to eight.
"Merrick said to show up at ten. He wants a chance to scope the place out before the crew can cause a ruckus." I catch her phrasing and counter with a scowl of my own. "And what do you mean we?"
Crossing her arms with a stern glare, Fred makes it very clear what kind of woman she is. "I'm coming to the Hellmouth with you already. Kind of stupid of you to try keeping me locked up in a tower now."
"That' not what I meant!" It kind of is. "I just don't think the Maclays should be alone tonight."
"What am I, chopped spleen?" Lorne cuts in with a hurt look.
"You might have a death wish..." Staring me down, Fred throws me off with her claim. "But we're not going to let that happen. Buffy agrees with us, so don't even try leaving me behind tonight." When did you have a chance to discuss this with her?
What are you talking about? "I don't have a death wish."
"Oh really?" Lorne adds his own opinion to the claim. "You don't seem to want to know your own future."
Standing beside him in a show of support, I notice Fred's bottom lip is trembling. "You told Buffy that she's not alone in the fight. So why are you trying so hard to push us away?"
Because I'm an idiot. The warmth spreading through me is enough to start melting the walls I hadn't even realized I put up.
"If I just focus on the mission, I can ignore everything I've lost since getting the visions." Everyone I ever knew is just a memory and I can never get them back. "Keeping you all at arms length is really just a coping mechanism." This is my life now and I need to start living it. "I need to start processing my loss."
"And we'll be here whenever you're ready to talk about her." Fred's voice is soft enough that I think I just misheard the last word out of her mouth.
"You two go deal with this Thesulac Demon." Nodding towards Dennis' chair, Lorne volunteers to stay the night. "Dennis and I shall keep these lovely ladies safe from any harm."
Her scowl softens into a smirk and I'm grateful that Fred doesn't rub her win in my face. "I'm choosing to help. Please let me."
"Alright." Only an idiot argues with a girl that pretty. "Just remember to bring the stun gun. Merrick said electricity is one of the few things that will hurt the demon once it manifests."
"If that doesn't work?" Fred isn't letting me out the front door without a back up plan more in depth than 'extreme physical trauma'.
I consider what could possibly bring more oomph. "Can you do something to the fuse box? Rig it overload if we slam the demon into it?"
"It would fry the wiring and probably start a few fires..." She considers it carefully and her eyes narrow with determination. "But it shouldn't actually be hard to mess with a system that old."
- Location
- Right next to the butcher's shop.
So clearly, Vegas was a Noodle (Noddle?) Incident.
Why is the story called 'something to atone for', though? Doyle felt like he had to atone, but all your MC did was not help someone. He didn't do harm, he just let harm happen.
Sure, he's partially responsible, inaction is an action after all, but I'd argue that atoning is a bit excessive. He also doesn't feel like he's atoning, so much as not having much of a choice due to visions and still wanting to help.
Why is the story called 'something to atone for', though? Doyle felt like he had to atone, but all your MC did was not help someone. He didn't do harm, he just let harm happen.
Sure, he's partially responsible, inaction is an action after all, but I'd argue that atoning is a bit excessive. He also doesn't feel like he's atoning, so much as not having much of a choice due to visions and still wanting to help.
- Pronouns
- Male
Thanks for catching that. And yes, it's just a noodle incident to help Tara and Mary warm up. Hard to be scared of someone you see run from cops naked.
Because it's how Doyle introduces himself to Angel in the pilot. "We've all got something to atone for." Not helping was the same thing that made canon Doyle say it.
The atoning part is going to be an ongoing process. Stuff like leaving Donnie with his dad instead of getting him out, snapping Seidel's neck (it was murder), and the plan to send the Scourge to Pylea(lot's of innocent humans).
Chapter 16: Hotel California
- Pronouns
- Male
Chapter 16: Hotel California
"Ouch!" Fred gasps in shock and drops her screwdriver when the ancient fuse box gives off a crackling spark.
"Aren't you supposed to be the careful one?" Smirks Buffy as I bend down to grab the tool.
Grinning back, Fred seems to have strangely enjoyed the small amount of pain. "You want to see how steady you are with a power grid an inch away from a single screw up?"
"Not in the slightest." The petite Slayer retorts just as quick, proving the two girls indeed have formed a camaraderie somehow in my absence. "I'll leave that stuff to the smarty pants like you."
"How smart is it for you to spend time with the Slayer and these mindless grunts?" sinister words I know must be coming from the demon continue to whisper like they have since I stepped through the front door of the Hyperion.
"Stay focused." Merrick's stern voice cuts through the humour as his eyes dart around the basement for any sign of movement. "The demon will seek any opportunity to turn us against each other."
Laughter echoes in my head. "I don't need to do anything but reveal the truth."
The words almost get us to all spin around to keep watch and it's only Buffy's last second realization that stops us. "Well why did you stop manifesting it? That's supposed to be your job."
"They shall turn on you once I'm dealt with." The voice reverberates inside my head, the words trying to find any shred of doubt to latch onto. "Do not give them a chance. Strike now while you have the element of surprise, or the Slayer will prove her name!"
Trying to shake off the sudden paranoia, I notice the others are mumbling to themselves as well. "That's not what friends do."
I make sure the words are loud enough to almost be called a shout, my experience with different perspectives just enough to make the presence stand out. The sound of whispered grumbling lets me know the Thesulac has already broken through to some of the crew. We need to hurry this up before they get the bright idea to turn on us.
"Merrick!" Buffy slaps the aging Watcher hard enough to leave a red mark. "You have to finish the ritual!"
He shakes his head and agrees, pulling the glowing Orb of Ramjarin from his satchel and hands it to me. "Don't stop chanting until the Thesulac materializes. We're in it's clutches now and the only way out is through."
Merrick hands the divining powder to Pike before he starts applying the herbal paste to the floor in a strange spiral design.
"We call thee forth, Thesulac of the Netherworld." The words I was forced to memorize are Chumash and I'm really hoping my pronunciation isn't going to screw everything up.
Marrick is the first to add his own voice to the chant, his English accent slipping out for just a moment. "We command you leave our minds and join us on this, the physical plane."
The lights begin to flicker wildly and the temperature drops at least a dozen degrees. But we don't stop and Fred's the next to join her words to the ritual.
"We invoke thee by the power of the priest of Ramjarin." Pike surprises me with how confident he is with the phrasing and even more by his lack of errors.
Buffy is last to speak the words of power and it shows she's been practising. "What was once in our thoughts, be now in our midst!"
The whole building shakes for a few seconds and I can feel an insidious web of energy torn free from the building. It's followed by a frenzied bellow as the air distorts before us, the Thesulac materializing inside the circle Merrick prepared.
"Now!" The Watcher roars his own command and we all back away as fast as possible.
More than twenty wires shoot towards the furious demon, catching in his grimy brown robes. The first couple that turn on don't even seem to be noticed by desiccated demon. But by the time the final stun gun has been activated, the Thesulac is roaring in pain.
Tentacles erupt from beneath the robes and surge outwards, with more than enough to impale each of us. But when I try to react, Buffy once again proves herself my physical superior.
She seems to blur past me and deliver a kick into the Thesulac's chest that sends him into the fuse box Fred prepared. When The demon's back slams into the faulty wiring, it doesn't just crackle with electricity. It explodes with power.
The noise drowns out any screaming that may still be coming from the smoking demon. The hotel lights go out and it's only our headlamps that show the Thesulac crumble away like dust.
Silence hangs in the air for a few seconds as everyone processes the victory. But when Pike throws his fist in the air and cheers, the rest of us are quick to follow suit.
"We made that demon our bitch!" Gunn slaps the white teen's hand with his own and cements the bond between us. "After this, you can all consider yourselves a part of the crew."
I don't have time for more than a few seconds of celebration and know what's waiting upstairs. "Money's down here in one of the vents, you guys mind looking for it?"
"You got something more important than fifty grand to deal with?" Levarr snorts at what sounds impossible.
"The woman feeding the Tesulac isn't going to last much longer." My grim words cut right through the good mood and Levarr looks horrified at making light of it. "Someone should be with her. It is her money we're here to loot."
I go up alone, while the crew and Pike eagerly start searching the basement. When I find Judy's room she's already starting to fade and I guide her back to the bed.
"It's alright Judy. The nightmare is over and you can finally be at peace." She hasn't had physical nourishment in decades and with the Thesulac gone, the guilt laden woman doesn't have long.
Sitting with Judy in her final moments pulls at my heart as she begs forgiveness for something I can't actually offer. But when her face contorts in anguish, I change my mind.
"He forgives you Judy." Angel will once I tell him what happened after he left the hotel and how the demon fed on you for decades.
"Thank you." She smiles when I say her name, believing I could only know both names if the words are true. "I'd like to go see him..." Judy's heavy eyelids flicker lower and lower. "Just after I have a little rest. I'm so tired."
When I emerge from her room the lights are back on and I can hear excited voices in the lobby. But to my relief, Fred and Buffy are waiting in the hallway.
The brunette throws herself at me, wrapping me in a tight hug as the tears pour down my face. Buffy is only a few seconds slower, turning it into a group hug of joint support. That demon really did a number on all of us.
A third set of hands make an appearance, with Pike's left hand awkwardly patting me on the shoulder. "Got to say. For a teacher, you ain't half bad."
"And for a slacker, you have quite the work ethic." I'm still amazed that he was able to memorize the chant, considering Pike is flunking out of English.
It takes a few minutes to get myself together and they give me the time to do so. No judgment from any of them, not even Pike. He's probably just happy no one's brought up the tear stains on his own cheeks.
"What are your plans for this place?" Merrick looks up from his conversation with Gunn the moment we descend the stairs and rejoin everyone. "Charles doesn't seem to have any thoughts beside using it as a base of operations. But that's not going to work for very long." City will send someone to check the place out, once they notice people coming and going again.
"I don't really like killing humans unless I have too," The words throw most people for a loop, with only Fred having no visible reaction. "But it's not like we have a place to contain people who cross the line mystically."
Gunn frowns and makes it clear he doesn't like what he's hearing. "I'm not turning the my boys into prison guards for you."
"Not a prison." Magic touches the soul and it's rare to find someone not completely tainted. "I'm thinking more of a rehab centre." Being able to send people like Andrew or Amy to a place with supervision and support, that would actually make a difference without having to cause violence.
Merrick seems to agree and offers to get Council funding and resources if Gunn accepts. "The Watchers have been seeking a way to establish a base back in America since the revolution. They could have a field team here by the weekend to provide training and resources."
RichardWhereat
Feanor did nothing wrong.
- Location
- Australia
It's taken them that long? Clearly they haven't given it any real priority.
- Pronouns
- Male
I'm taking a slightly different approach with the Watcher's Council. Less than 100 active Watcher's are active. They have lots of knowledge but every time the progressives take over the Council, they become more active and fatalities go up and the Conservatives take over.
So the Watcher's council goes through cycles of progressives who are a lot more active and the conservatives who try rebuilding after. Goes back and forth every 2-3 generations. America will be revealed to have it's own organization(s?) that made the Watchers not prioritize setting up an american beachhead against the demons (We shall learn the last few got wiped out and this is such a good opportunity, because it comes with half trained demon hunters to guard the small group of Watchers they can afford to send)
The Council is currently about 20 years into it's newest conservative cycle (The Slayer before Nikki Wood was the last one to have extensive field support).
- Location
- Elsewhere
Another way to think about the Watchers is to imagine playing a Rogue-type game.
Every time you start a new game, with a randomly generated set of enemies, and your character gets stronger and stronger until it dies.
Then you start a new character.
Under those circumstances, it might not seem worthwhile to invest a bunch of resources into a character unless there's a specific enemy that needs to be destroyed.
It's inhumane, but it's easy to see why the Watchers might start thinking about Slayers like they're replaceable.
From their perspective, they are.
Every time you start a new game, with a randomly generated set of enemies, and your character gets stronger and stronger until it dies.
Then you start a new character.
Under those circumstances, it might not seem worthwhile to invest a bunch of resources into a character unless there's a specific enemy that needs to be destroyed.
It's inhumane, but it's easy to see why the Watchers might start thinking about Slayers like they're replaceable.
From their perspective, they are.
- Pronouns
- Male
That's the more kind view the fans have of the Council. Either they're pragmatists, or the Council is almost evil with how controlling it is. I'm going for a smaller organization that tries to appear like it's larger and more powerful than it really is. They go through cycles of helping to the best of their ability, they get close to being wiped out, they turtle to survive, they regrow and eventually a younger generation wants back in the action.
- Location
- PR
Makes a sort of sense considering they only have a single real asset, The Slayer.
- Location
- United States
Another thing to consider is that any investments they give their slayer in the way of equipment is inevitably going to end up in the hands of the vampire that kills her. Training is fine, that can't be looted, but magical items will, in the long term, end up creating magically empowered vampires to deal with.
RichardWhereat
Feanor did nothing wrong.
- Location
- Australia
They do have black ops teams who are loyal to the council, and made up of highly skilled former uk special forces.
- Pronouns
- Male
The main reason I'm taking this route, is that I think everything I would want to tell in regards to the Pragmatic/Almost Evil Council, has already been told a few dozen times at least. I don't want to just retread well written ideas, I'd rather explore different ideas for why the Council didn't provide Buffy enough support.
Exactly. This is why we still have the arguement about "are the Watcher's good but plagued with incompetence and lack of resources, or bad and in it for the power and control?"
Are they loyal to the Council, or just committed to whatever job they signed on for? We don't actually get an answer in the show, so I'm interpreting them more as contracted for specific missions(To try something new, not because I think my answer is any better).
Chapter 17: Welcome To Sunnydale
- Pronouns
- Male
Chapter 17: Welcome To Sunnydale
Arriving in Sunnydale about an hour after sunset, we find Ted Buchanen's house on a well lit street. Once I pull the U-haul over and Fred takes the spot behind me, the three of us meet under the street light.
"This is the killer robot's place?" Fred keeps her voice low as her eyes dart around for any of the vampires I warned her about. "Seems like such a nice, normal neighborhood."
Raising an eyebrow at her tone, I manage not to snort at the idea of anything in this town being either nice or normal. "That's exactly how Sunnydale has been kept off the national news. Well, that and the masquerade spell Wilkins put around the city."
"The mayor?" Fred's eyes are almost popping out of her sockets at my offhand comment. "Is he a demon like the lawyers?"
"Not yet. But we got a couple years before that becomes a priority." The mayor is an evil son of a bitch. "The big bad we should focus on right now is the Master." But he's the reason no one has opened the Hellmouth in the last century and I can't really justify all that chaos.
She remembers what I yelled at Lothos and puts the pieces together. "You said Lothos was hiding in his shadow?"
"Was mostly just pissing him off so Buffy had a clear shot at his back. Really wasn't expecting the save from you." Even if it was hot as hell.
"My cousin taught me how to shoot." The way she ducks her head makes me remember she was comfortable with an assault rifle in season five. "He would never let it go if I missed a target that close."
The porch light flickers on, soon followed by the front door swinging open to reveal a smiling Ted. It doesn't reach his eyes and carries an undercurrent of menace.
Ignoring the unspoken threat, I lead the others to the 'man'. "New in town and I think we're a little lost. Could you give us directions?"
"Well of course I can. Sunnydale can't keep winning 'friendliest city in California' award, if it's citizens aren't going to lend a helping hand." Once a plausible excuse has been uttered, the android lowers his guard just enough.
Lorne hangs back in the shadows and lets me get close enough to hand Ted the map. Once his vision is obscured, Fred's stun gun delivers a shock.
It overloads the robot's fifty year old wiring and sends him tumbling backwards onto the porch. Fred hops over the smoking 'body' and finds the door unlocked.
"Get him inside!" Her hiss stirs Lorne and I to action, with each of us grabbing one pair of limbs. "We don't want anyone calling the cops."
"I highly doubt that will happen once anybody watching sees Lorne's face." That should be more than enough to make people close the blinds.
"We really need to get a work on improving my public image," The empath grunts under the weight of Buchanen. "It's torture living in California and not being able to enjoy the sun."
He gets a sympathetic look from Fred while she closes the door behind us. "I've been thinking about that and I think it's best if we start with local radio. It's really not that hard to pirate a signal."
"We start hanging some posters up around town and you should be able to walk around in a few months." Dropping the robot to the side of the rug, I kick it to the side and reveal the trap door. "We can start looking for a place for you to rent once we know you have an audience."
Property values may be dirt cheap. But I'm starting to get spread pretty thin with all these dependents I seem to be picking up.
Probably a good thing I can't remember Faith's last name or I'd have ended up adopting her. I only have two out of the ten grand left for myself and Lorne's a big eater.
The two of them combined would have had me bankrupt in only a few months. That realization reminds me I need to give the school a call and get put on the call sheet. They go through teachers fast and it shouldn't take too long to get a permanent position if I build up a good reputation.
Fred doesn't even hesitate and brings a hunting knife to the android's neck, peeling back a flap of skin once she makes the cut. "Oh wow..." When no blood pours from the wound, we all get a good look at the exposed circuit board. "This is way too advanced for me."
It's the first time Fred has admitted she couldn't do something and I blink in shock. "But aren't you a science genius?"
"I only switched majors in September. I could probably figure out how to turn him back on by myself and that's about it." Stepping away from the android, Fred explains what her first passion was. "I was actually taking history classes until I saw Seidel's physics lecture."
"... Oh." Well who am I going to get to help?
"It's nice to know you seem to think I can do anything though." Smirking at my slack jawed face, Fred decides to pull up the trap door. "What do you think is down here?"
"His last few wives are in the closet." We're going to need to do something about them.
My words have Fred drop the door with a gasp, the heavy wood banging shut. "Oh my god!"
"To be fair, I'm not actually sure if Ted murdered them." We never see the bodies in the show and Xander never described the condition he found them in. "He could have just kept them after they died of natural causes. Otherwise he'd probably have more than just a few in his collection."
"Did he just come home and power down until morning?" She tries to distract herself from the idea of several bodies in the basement and runs her finger through several year's worth of dust on the coffee table.
"Lived in the basement except when he was wooing a new bride. In my vision it was like a flashback to the fifties." At least we have room to unload everything after we dust the place out.
Lorne can even have the basement to decorate however he likes. That way he doesn't have to worry about hiding in a closet if company suddenly drops by.
"Can we please go have some fun before you work us like cows?" Lorne winces as he realizes the word choice was wrong, the moment he utters them his scarlet eyes flash with guilt. "Sorry, bad habit." He shakes his head and the faux pas from his mind. "But you told me Sunnydale has a bar I can go to with you."
"I do need to get Liam's address from Willy." Pretending to consider it, I hold in a grin when Lorne squirms. "I guess we can go check the place out."
Fred glances down at her powder blue blouse and jeans with a frown. "Should I dress up?"
"Probably better if you dress down a bit, it's really more of a dive bar." Considering the patrons, I add another warning. "And you really shouldn't wander away from us. Something will try snatching you up."
"Maybe we try pretending it's a Pylea kind of deal?" Lorne hesitates as he searches for the least offensive way to explain. "I saw a few girls wearing collars back in Los Angeles." His expression morphs into a confused frown as he whirls on me. "Didn't you say it was only pets who wore those here on Earth?"
"Ask me that again after I've had a couple drinks." I really don't want to explain sexual subcultures while I'm sober. "And Fred, you need to make sure I stop at two. Lorne's not going to scare off anyone hungry."
Disgusted at letting his patrons eat each other, Lorne shares one of the few things he seems to think Pylea got right. "They don't put up a pacifism spell? What kind of business does he run?"
"Those aren't exactly common." Actually Caritas is the only time I can remember one being used in either series.
"Well no wonder Mary was excited to learn the spell." He smiles at the memory. "I just thought she was being polite. Neither of you really seem to want to ask about Pylea."
With a face softening instantly, Fred grabs our friend's hand. "We thought it was just bad memories and you didn't want to think about it."
"I was just being a jerk," I admit with a guilty tone. "Was honestly too wrapped up in all the planning to really think about how strange this all must be for you."
"Honey, don't even worry about it. You may not want to know..." Winking at me, Lorne reminds me what his powers are. "But I've heard you sing a few times now and I know exactly how much pressure you're under."
- Pronouns
- Male
Willow just needs to feel important. If other people are filling the magic role and the tech one is empty, she's very likely to focus on it.
I really wanted her to end up more as a Jenny Calender techno pagan style witch. But she really just dropped science in season 4.
RichardWhereat
Feanor did nothing wrong.
- Location
- Australia
So, Buffy seems like the sort of setting where you could set up a slaughterhouse and use ritualistic killing of cattle or sheep to power a magic spell.
Can Doyle steal enough to start a slaughterhouse?
300 cattle a day, every day, for a year. More than 100,000 cows ritually sacrificed for power.
Edit: Even if he doesn't, it might be what powers the masquerade.
Can Doyle steal enough to start a slaughterhouse?
300 cattle a day, every day, for a year. More than 100,000 cows ritually sacrificed for power.
Edit: Even if he doesn't, it might be what powers the masquerade.
Last edited:
Chapter 18: Cheers
- Pronouns
- Male
Chapter 18: Cheers
Lorne's face is filled with disappointment the moment we walk inside Willy's Place and he finds out what a dive bar really is. His eyes scan the dingy room and the booths covered in grime, a heavy sigh escaping him.
"You sure we can't go back to the place all the kids seemed to like?" At least he's keeping his voice low.
"Not until you become part of the Sunnydale Syndrome." May as well us it to our advantage.
A hairless demon with countless folds of loose skin approaches and tries to warn us off. "I know this place says it's for a mixed crowd. But you might want to find a friendlier place, the vamps wait outside for last call."
"This is the only place in town that I can bring both of my friends." Shaking my head so the Brachen half emerges, Clem is just relieved Lorne isn't going to be the muscle. "Unless you know somewhere better?"
"We got a couple demon bars you and the green guy might like. But nothing that will let you bring her in with you." The loose skin demon gives Fred an apologetic look. "... Well, not unless she's on the menu."
Pulling my borrowed leather jacket around herself, Fred takes a slightly more nervous second glance at the patrons. "But half the people here are human. Why didn't you try chasing them away?"
Clem snorts like the pig he kind of resembles and points to the arguing couple in a corner booth. "Daniel and his new squeeze are vampires."
"Oh..." Taking a closer look, Fred nods when she sees the stain of red on the Asian vampire's lips.
"Cathryn can more than take care of herself." The blonde woman on the cleanest bar stool turns and watches us with rapt attention, while her companion looks a few decades older. "She's the reason only the fledges still actively hunt witches in Sunnydale."
Giving a name to the surly man beside Cathryn, Clem tries to discretely point him out. "O'Toole is one of the best necromancers in the state. No vampire is going after him unless they want to learn what it feels like to be a puppet."
Clem lets us share his regular table, incredibly eager to talk with someone who hasn't already heard all his stories a dozen times before. "Sometimes Ken and Maureen will pop in after the full moon. But they aren't exactly regulars and I think they just needed to be reminded what the real monsters look like."
"What about him?" Fred jerks her chin towards a chubby man in the corner, still wearing his Double Meat uniform.
"Slod demon." Our over eager guide explains and doesn't stop before adding the part about the weight being part of a monthly moulting process. "Jacob really has a thing for kidneys. So if you ever talk to him, try letting it slip yours aren't in the best condition."
"Thanks for the advice." Clem grins wide enough to reveal his double row of teeth and it takes everything I have to not react visibly. "You mind keeping my friends company while I go have a talk with Willy?"
After agreeing, Clem leans in and whispers another warning. "Better not tell him anything private. The guy's not exactly tight lipped."
"Exactly what I'm looking for right now." Taking a look at his almost empty glass, I offer to grab a pitcher for the table.
"No starting a bar fight without us," Fred fires at me with a teasing grin.
Willy hears that part clearly and almost poofs into existence before me with a panicked expression. "Hey, no bar fights at all please! I just got the blood off the roof from the last time Darla stopped by."
"How often do you get beat up for information?" I easily notice the shiner on Willy's face despite the concealer liberally applied.
The weaselly man's face contorts in fear. "... Maybe a couple times a month."
"And how often do people give you anything in return?" That comment has the fear replaced with shining greed.
"What do you have in mind?" He leans in close and whispers, not willing to commit until he knows what I want to know.
"How about I just stick with proving my abilities first." Tapping my temple, I fill Willy in on my being a seer. "You go home and watch Friends this week. See how many of these things happen."
The barely five foot tall man snatches the list I spent a while working on. "This is just telling me the plot to a bunch of movies and shows. How is this going to prove anything?"
"None of them have come out yet." One benefit of going to so many theatres with Fred, is that I now know which movies are coming out over the next six months. "But each thing I wrote down is exactly what's going to happen. I'll start giving you financial advice if you can answer my questions truthfully."
"What kind of advice?" He's not subtle in his eagerness.
"Stuff like who's going to win the next couple Stanley Cups." Willy almost drools at the words. "And which new companies are going to make billions."
Giving the list a long look as he tries to decide if I'm screwing with him, Willy eventually pockets it with a smirk. "What did you want to know?"
"Looking for a new vampire in town. Handsome son of a bitch who looks like his face was carved into the brooding position." Deciding not to beat around the bush, I give Willy the name along with the complete description.
"I'll keep an eye out." Willy winks, making it clear he means in regards to both the predictions and the request. "See how things go."
"And I'll be back." I somehow restrain myself from saying that in an Austrian accent.
Rejoining the trio with a pitcher and glasses, I try to relax enough so I can answer Lorne's questions without blushing. Thankfully Fred and Clem help and spare me from having to answer all of the embarrassing ones myself.
The conversation steers my thoughts towards how everything in these shows is supposed to be a metaphor for life. I guess that makes mine about how bi people can pass as 'normal'. While I like that a whole lot better than being allegory for alcoholism, it stings how true it rings.
"You play poker for kittens?" Gasps Fred once Clem invites Lorne and I to come to the Lounge Room for a game. "That's awful..." Her expression falls into sadness at the idea.
"It's better than the babies Lurconis and his friends play for." Clem tries to shift the blame but this only serves to make the genius more determined.
Fred whirls on me with the most intense stare yet. "You better win the whole pot each week."
"Well I guess that means we're coming." My tone has Clem suddenly nervous about the offer.
"Are you sure?" He blinks a couple times as he tries to think of an excuse. "Some of the guys can really hold a grudge."
I'm supposed to start small with my hero work. Can't really get much more mundane than card games for pets.
"How about I stop by the animal shelter and adopt all the cats about to be put down because of old age?" I'm not actually sure what Clem's friends need to eat and don't want to shame the culture into starvation. "Would that work or does it have to be kittens?"
"The meat's just more tender," Admits Clem with a blush that reaches the tips of his floppy ears. "I guess we could give it a try. Grunch will probably whine though."
"How can you be alright with eating cats?" This is the first time Fred seems offended by anything out of my mouth and I'm surprised by how much the feeling hurts. "They're adorable!"
"Who am I to decide what animal is worth eating?" I really only care that the kill is made humanely and the animal doesn't suffer.
That doesn't convince the Texan girl and she stares me down. "You don't eat pets."
"I don't eat pets." That's easy to agree with. "But they aren't pets to these demons. And I'd rather every demon on Earth started using the pet store instead of the mall as a grocery store."
"That's pretty cold." Her eyes narrow and I can see the realization in her dark brown eyes, that I'm not the perfect man she created in her head. "I thought you had a reason for leaving Donnie with his dad. Didn't think it was just you being the boy's judge."
Frustration surges inside me, making my fingers clench tightly around my glass. "I have a head full of world ending threats. I'm sorry that I don't have time to focus on every little thing."
But even as I make the claim, I know I only left Donnie because I'm only looking at the big picture still. I saw how many times in both series that a shitty person got development and became a hero. Why didn't I give Tara's brother that same chance to grow?
"I don't expect you to save everyone." Fred crosses her arms and glares hot enough to melt iron. "But what about not ignoring the people you hear screaming for help? Or is this part of the whole teacher cliche?"
Her rage makes the insult just unclear enough that I need to ask for clarification. "... Huh?"
"You have all these great lessons to pass on to Buffy and the rest of us. But you don't seem to follow any of them yourself." Her glare softens into a smirk. "So do you teach because you can't do?"
Arimai
Curmudgeon
That attitude over animals she has no personal connection to over human life just triggered a pet peeve of mine.
I'll have to call bullshit on that. I'm from the Third World what you call pets we call emergency rations when disasters occur. No pet is worth a human life. The parent who dies because he/she went back into the fire after getting his kids out, to get the dog is an idiot. They just scarred and deprived their kids of a parent and doomed them to poverty.
Choosing between strangers one group human, the other animals I'll choose the humans every single time.
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RichardWhereat
Feanor did nothing wrong.
- Location
- Australia
No, dogs are worth a human life. Easily. There be too many humans, and not enough dogs.
- Pronouns
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It's one of mine as well. But I don't want to have every character parroting my own opinions. Fred was kind of coming across as a mary sue, so I wanted to show she isn't perfect and has her own faults to work through. She's privileged and hasn't ever been hungry. I didn't want to just turn the moment into a knock Fred down and make her look bad one, so she did still have a point about Donnie. And I showed my own view on the subject with Doyle's inner thought.
My own personal view: Don't abuse the animal and slaughter it humanely if you want to eat it. Try not to eat endangered species unless you're starving to death.
Not so much bullshit as it is different cultural norms. I live in Canada and only one out of 13 provinces/territories eat horse meat on a regular basis. The rest of the country protests it on a regular basis (same with the seal clubbing in the maritimes).
My last dog had saved me from at least 6 bears, I'd at least give saving that dog from a fire a try. Staying in a burning building once it's obviously a lost cause, that's idiotic.
Depends on if the animals are endangered or not. I'd probably let a bus full of people die, if it meant saving the last dozen tigers on Earth. But 99.9% of the time, I agree with you.
Arimai
Curmudgeon
Having dined on all those animals while in BC I agree with the people who eat horse they are delicious. The only meat I did not enjoy as much is the bear meat it was too greasy, even with the fat cut out. I'd prefer freshly slaughtered and harvested, bloody seal liver over bear meat any day of the week.
As to the tiger thing. I'll disagree with you. There's a reason we wiped them out along with the other major land predators when we settled the Philippine Archipelago. The damned things were impossible to coexist with. Mad tigers can decide to hunt and kill entire villages, without eating the dead. Pre-Copper Age; tigers and other big cats were the most dangerous hazards outside of the poisonous plants, fish and insects. So our stone and bone age ancestors wiped them out everywhere we settled.
In the Asian version of the story. Lassie wasn't shot and buried when she grew old. She was sacrificed on the altar to the Great Mother and her body eaten to honor her life.
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Bear meat is really only good when you make jerky out of it. But I grew up having 500lbs or more of it a year, so it may just have been a taste I acquired before I could remember.
Yellowstone and the wolves reintroduction has shown what happens when you take out a keystone species. Also, historically healthy tigers rarely end up as man eaters. We've spent a long time teaching animals to fear humans, so we don't need to kill them all like we used to for survival. Take out the the mankillers but have a healthy respect for the rest. We shot a couple bears every year on the farm. But that was to protect the livestock/children. We didn't go up the mountain to wipe out the whole breeding population.
I'm not saying everyone should make the same choice I would in the bus of people/last dozen tigers situation. I was just trying to show around a certain point, I would save animals over people. I don't want any species to go extinct and would be willing to sacrifice so many people to stop that.
Is it an Asian rewrite, or was it a story that hit a lot of the same themes? Honestly curious so I can look it up, not trying to be pedantic.
RichardWhereat
Feanor did nothing wrong.
- Location
- Australia
I googled asian lassie sacrifice and couldn't find anything.
Arimai
Curmudgeon
No. In most of our fables and tales, in similar situations as Lassie. The story teller would have had her sacrificed for the good of the community. It doesn't translate as well to western people. The sacrifice is usually a beloved animal. When Famine strikes unfortunately the members with the least to contribute to the tribe's survival would go into the forest to hunt and never return. It's mostly in the cultures where the people are nomads or semi-nomadic. You won't see any of these legends outside of the region. I doubt they've even been written down.
So by Asian I mostly mean my part of Asia. My people the Agta, Malay and Polynesians of the Islands
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