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"Eat lot's of applesauce, preferably fed to you by attractive young lesbians." Amber Benson
by nika » Tue Dec 11, 2001 9:33 am
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"Eat lot's of applesauce, preferably fed to you by attractive young lesbians." Amber Benson
by Shaniezak » Tue Dec 11, 2001 9:43 am
Oh, good lord, Sass . . . I love you.
That was a twist I never saw coming, the whole idea of Anya having past dealings with Tara's ancestors . . . but wow, it made perfect sense. You rock.
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"And where does magick come from? I think magick's in the learning . . ." -- Dar Williams
"And if there is a way to find you, I will find you . . . but threads that are golden don't break easily . . ." -- Tori Amos
by Sassette » Tue Dec 11, 2001 3:28 pm
But now I have a bit of a dilemma ... stay home and write tonight, and possibly lose track of time, thereby missing 'Hush' - or go to my parents' house, forget writing, and definitely see the ep, and any others their TiVo recorded over the past week.
Decisions, decisions.
And I'm glad you all liked the Anya part ... it just kinda' popped into my head and ended up on paper ... sorta like the rest of this fic.
And, hopefully, W/T will start moving towards a reconciliation now ... they've both been pretty darn stubborn - you'd think that as the writer, I'd have more say in what they do, but *shrug* they are a force unto themselves. Those Wily Wiccans.
-Sass
by Jae » Tue Dec 11, 2001 3:45 pm
Enjoy Hush and such if you go that route
by Sassette » Wed Dec 12, 2001 5:49 pm
I've been plotting all day, though. It's been fun *G*
-Sass
***Edited to put in the Update and avoid a double-post ***
Title: Answering Darkness Part 17 - Deployment
Author: Sassette
Feedback: Can be sent to pink_overalls@yahoo.com
Summary: The Scoobies get their assignments for the night
Spoiler Warning: Up to and including "Tabula Rasa" in Season 6.
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. I'm just borrowing them because Season 6 angst is running high, and I want my happy ending now, dammit! So I'm writing it … but it'll be awhile until I get to that part, so bear with me (or "bare" with me if you're naughty).
Rating: PG-13.
Notes: For the purpose of this story, all events of Tabula Rasa took place exactly as shown in the series; however, no subsequent episodes will affect this piece. We're splitting from canon here, because this seems the fastest way to get a reconciliation and because I feel this is one of the possible outcomes when taking the "addiction" metaphor into account. So, I should shut the heck up now, and just get to the story, right? Right.
Answering Darkness Part 17
Deployment
By Sassette
Time seemed to slow for Tara as Willow stumbled into the shop. Her simple words "I need help" echoed through her mind and tugged at her heart. As Willow fell, landing with a thud, Tara was on her feet and moving, flying past the Scoobies and to Willow's side. Her fear and concern moved her so quickly, not even the Slayer beat her there.
Her heart tripped in her chest as she cradled Willow's limp body against her, her fingers searching for the pulse point on her neck. She heard someone scream Willow's name.
A heartbeat, and another, and time returned to normal. Tara choked on a sob, relief washing over her. She pulled Willow up closer, one hand gently patting her cheek as Xander and Buffy knelt at their side, anxious looks on their faces.
"Come on, Baby - wake up," Tara urged. "Come on. Let's see those pretty eyes." Dawn, Anya and Spike stood close, but Tara didn't notice, her whole being focused on Willow's face.
After an eternity, Willow's eyes fluttered open, and she sighed an snuggled closer to the safe and warm place in which she found herself as a shaky Tara let her head drop forward, their foreheads resting together.
"Hey, pretty lady," Willow said weakly. "Fancy meeting you here."
Tara laughed shakily as the knot in her stomach eased.
"Can you stand, Will?" Buffy asked, holding her friend's hand and giving it a squeeze.
"Don't wanna'," Wilow mumbled.
"She'll be fine, folks," Xander announced, a relieved smile crossing his face.
"Tara?" Willow asked quietly. "I don't feel so good."
"You're gonna' be fine, Will," Buffy broke in, giving Tara a moment to compose herself.
"Yeah," Tara finally agreed. "You'll be all right, Baby."
"Can you tell us what happened?" Buffy asked, squeezing Willow's hand again.
"I - God, I," Willow started, her swallowing audibly a few times.
"Hey, it's okay," Tara said quickly. "You don't have to tell us right now. I bet you're tired, huh?"
Willow nodded, then cleared her throat. "Yeah, but … I need to tell you -"
"Shh," Tara murmured, rocking Willow slowly. "Just take your time, honey."
"Who did this to you, Will. Just tell me who or what, and I'll take care of it," Buffy said, her voice low and intense.
"Me," Willow said, tears welling up in her eyes. "My fault."
"What?" Tara breathed, her brows furrowing. Had Willow managed to hurt herself with magick? Was that why she finally realized she needed help, or had something else happened? Maybe Willow was still unconcerned about the magick, and needed help of a different kind. Tara hoped not, and yet she couldn't quite bring herself to believe this was the turning point she had prayed for.
"I was out at the park, and I heard a scream," Willow went on, her eyes distant and her voice rough. "I ran towards it. Pretty stupid, huh?" she asked, her eyes focusing on Tara.
"No," Tara said, a small smile curving the edge of her lips as she remembered Willow running towards the sound of distress when Tara had been running from the Gentlemen. "It was very brave," she insisted, pressing her lips to Willow's forehead. "That's what cool monster fighters do."
A look of profound love, relief and gratitude crossed Willow's face at Tara's words, and Tara's smile grew. This was the Willow she had fallen in love with - the brave strong woman with the huge heart that demanded she help when others were in need, no matter the consequences.
"Then I found this girl being attacked by that demony guy," Willow went on.
"The same one we saw last night?" Xander asked. Willow nodded, turning to look at her friend.
"Yeah. So then I ran in, and the girl ran away, and I got hurt," she finished quietly. How could she explain about the magick? How could she tell them all in a way that they'd understand that it had just come to her, and that she'd been helpless against its call for release? And the vision - what would they think of that?
"Okay, gang," Buffy said, rising to her feet. "Grab some books, and head over to my place. Get Willow into bed, and get on the research - I want to know what this thing is, where it came from, and how I kill it," she said, her voice intense. "Spike, make sure they get home all right, then meet me at the park."
"Me? Meet you at the park." Spike asked, smirking. "A little moonlight stroll, eh? All right, then."
"No," Buffy said slowly, drawing out the word. "We're going to find this thing."
Buffy grabbed her large back of sharp pointy things and headed out of the shop, leaving the rest of the Scoobies standing around.
"Well, then," Spike said, smiling broadly at the group. "I guess Uncle Spike gets to make sure you kiddies get home safe, then it's playtime."
Dawn moved to the research table, her face pensive. "Are these the books we need?" she asked, pointing at the stack Xander had set on the table earlier.
"Yeah, those are the ones we usually start with," Xander said, hefting the books.
"Anything I can carry?" Dawn asked, looking around hopefully. The events of the evening had shaken her. First, the crystal, that she knew she had taken without permission, and now Willow was hurt and Buffy had taken off to patrol … she needed to feel useful.
"Let's see if there are some more books we might need," Anya said, taking Dawn's hand and heading towards the back of the shop.
Spike knelt next to Tara and the still-groggy Willow. "May I?" he asked, looking at Tara and motioning towards Willow.
Tara nodded, and Spike got his arms under Willow's body, lifting her easily. "Right then, Red. We're going to get you all tucked in, then we'll go find out what this new Bad wants." Tara hovered nearby, and though Spike would have liked some maneuvering room, he didn't complain, not when Tara was so clearly worried about her girl.
"I can walk," Willow protested, her voice barely audible and her eyes drooping. "Been doing it for years."
"Just humor us, okay sweetie?" Tara said, brushing a few strands of hair out of Willow's face.
"Dawn? Anya?" Xander called.
"Got them," Anya said, as she and Dawn walked back in, each carrying several books. Tara looked at them, then remembered her own books, scooping them up from where she had dropped them then hastening back to Willow's side.
"Let's just toddle off then, shall we?" Spike asked, striding towards the door. Xander quickly shifted the books he was carrying, getting the door open and holding it for everyone leaving.
"Is Willow really going to be okay?" Dawn asked, slipping her hand into Tara's as they walked.
"Yeah, she really will," Tara said, nodding firmly. "It's scary though, isn't it?"
"Yeah, it is. I mean, she just kinda' came in and fell, and she's all scratched and stuff," Dawn went on, smiling a little when Tara squeezed her hand.
"I know," Tara said, looking over at Willow, who was trying to stay awake. "I'm scared, too, but it's natural to be scared when someone you love is hurt. We always fear the worst, Dawnie, even when we know it'll be okay. That's human nature. But Willow will be fine. She's just put out a lot of energy, like you did."
"She asked for help. Are you gonna' help her?" Dawn asked, cutting through all the extraneous concerns and jumping to the heart of the matter as only a young person can.
"It - it's not that simple, Dawn. A lot of stuff happened," Tara murmured, looking down at her feet as she walked.
"But you still love her. You said so. And if she asked for help, then we should help her, right?" Dawn pressed.
"I don't know what to do," Tara admitted bleakly, looking over at Willow cradled in Spike's arms as they walked. "I don't know if she can stop, and I - I can't be around her like that."
"She loves you, you know," Spike said softly.
"Yes, I- I know," Tara said, still looking down.
"No, she really truly loves you," he went on. "I know people - been looking at them for forever, seems like," he mused aloud. "Can't really remember the last time I saw two people more truly and deeply in love."
"Then w-why won't she stop?" Tara asked, her eyes watering.
Spike paused, looking over at Tara. "Part of her thinks that the magick is why you love her, you know. I've seen it a million times. If she stops, she thinks she'll lose you anyway, and then she'll just be plain old Willow again without you."
"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard," Dawn said, frowning at Spike.
"Of course it is. It's complete and utter poppycock, but it's what she thinks," Spike insisted, walking on. "I know Red. I knew her before the magick, before Oz, before all of that."
"So did I," Xander cut in, glaring at Spike. "And she's not like that. She knows Tara loves her."
"Actually, it makes sense," Anya mused. "I mean, she and Tara got together over the magick thing, right?" Anya continued as they arrived at the Summers home, Dawn opening the door as they all trooped inside. "If she was really such a loser before, and she thinks Tara loves her because of the power, why give up the power, if she's going to lose Tara anyway? Either way - no Tara."
"She was not a loser!" Xander yelled, dropping his books heavily on the table in the living room.
"I'll just take her upstairs then, right?" Spike asked, not waiting for an answer and carrying the girl up the stairs. Tara followed, a pensive look on her face.
The room was quiet when the door shut, and Spike laid Willow gently on the bed. "This is getting to be a habit," he pointed out, stepping back from Willow's sleeping form.
"Thank you, Spike," Tara said, looking gratefully at the vampire.
"It's all right. You all keep me supplied with blood and violence, carrying Red here is the least I can do."
"Do … do you really think she thinks I'm only there for the magick?" Tara asked uncertainly.
"I think on one level she knows that's bollocks, but on the other, she's afraid."
"Of what?" Tara asked, her voice sounding helpless and small. "Have I ever given her a reason to believe that -"
"No, you didn't," Spike said, ducking down to meet Tara's eyes. "Hey. Listen, now. Red's afraid of herself more than anything else. She's afraid she's not good enough - that she won't measure up."
"Measure up to what?" Tara asked, confusion coloring her tone. "All I ever wanted was for her to be Willow. Sweet, brave, smart, babbling Willow."
"Yes, but she's always wanted to be useful. Powerful. You have to realize that she's been fighting the end of the world since she was in high school. She's seen her best friend die twice, and countless others."
"I just don't -"
"Well, enough of this. I really have to get going. Talk to her when she wakes up," Spike said suddenly, uncomfortable with the situation. It was like he was suddenly in the middle of one of his soap operas. The next thing he knew, he was going to start suggesting self-help books. Spike disappeared before Tara could say any more, so she climbed onto the bed and held Willow's hand as she slept.
"Dammit, Spike," Xander ground out when Spike appeared. "You have no right to judge her!" he yelled, grabbing his coat and slamming him into the wall.
"Easy now, pup," Spike growled. "I wasn't judging her - she's judging herself, and you just can't see it."
"She doesn't need your crap right now, and -"
"Fine," Spike said, shrugging out of Xander's hold and going to the door. "Buffy's waiting for me."
The door closed behind him with a dull thud, and the remaining Scoobies looked at each other.
"So, umm… now what?" Dawn asked, eyeing the stack of books in front of her.
Xander sat down with a heavy sigh. "Now, we read."
[This message has been edited by Sassette (edited December 13, 2001).]
by TrueXena » Thu Dec 13, 2001 9:19 pm
No pressure or anything but I'm jonesing for another part to this fic.
Luv ya bunches of course!
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Later dayz,
TrueXena
"I'm so evil, and skanky...and I think I'm kinda gay."
by Shaniezak » Fri Dec 14, 2001 1:33 am
If I didn't love ya so much, Sass, I'd hate you.
Er . . .
Yeah.
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"And where does magick come from? I think magick's in the learning . . ." -- Dar Williams
"And if there is a way to find you, I will find you . . . but threads that are golden don't break easily . . ." -- Tori Amos
by Sassette » Fri Dec 14, 2001 11:23 am
So, Toodle-Pip!
-Sass
by TrueXena » Sat Dec 15, 2001 4:44 pm
quote:
Originally posted by Sassette:
I should have Part 18: Questions and Part 19: Choices up sometime Saturday. Depends on how hung over I am.-Sass
Umm, it's Saturday, are you still hung over?? Can we please have the updates?
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Later dayz,
TrueXena
"I'm so evil, and skanky...and I think I'm kinda gay."
quote:by Sassette » Sat Dec 15, 2001 8:18 pm
-Sass
Hung Over and Loving It.
Title: Answering Darkness Part 18 – Questions
Author: Sassette
Feedback: Can be sent to pink_overalls@yahoo.com
Summary: The Scoobies get their assignments for the night
Spoiler Warning: Up to and including "Tabula Rasa" in Season 6.
Disclaimer: I don’t own these characters. I’m just borrowing them because Season 6 angst is running high, and I want my happy ending now, dammit! So I’m writing it … but it’ll be awhile until I get to that part, so bear with me (or "bare" with me if you’re naughty).
Rating: PG-13.
Notes: For the purpose of this story, all events of Tabula Rasa took place exactly as shown in the series; however, no subsequent episodes will affect this piece. We’re splitting from canon here, because this seems the fastest way to get a reconciliation and because I feel this is one of the possible outcomes when taking the "addiction" metaphor into account. So, I should shut the heck up now, and just get to the story, right? Right.
Answering Darkness Part 18
Questions
By Sassette
"We're never going to find it," Anya said casually as she continued reading.
"Yes we are. Because we have to, and that's what we do," Xander said, looking up and frowning at his girlfriend.
"Oh, I know we have to … it's just that we never find anything. We're not the good research people. Giles and Willow are the good research people. They should be helping."
"Well, Giles is in England, and Willow is sleeping," Xander said, pointing out the obvious.
"Giles would have found it by now. Or Willow would have a clue. She'd be taking her little notes in her different colored pens, and she'd have some idea of what was going on. Maybe we should take notes?" Anya said.
"We could, but we haven't found anything worth writing down," Xander said. "Besides, that different colored pen thing is kind of … weird."
"Tara thinks it's cute," Dawn piped up.
"I'm sure she does," Xander said, nodding at Dawn. "But if Willow decided to write all her notes in pig-latin, Tara would think that was cute, too. But I don't suggest we try it."
"Tara thinks bunnies are cute, too. She's got a really twisted sense of cute," Anya pointed out. "Even when I was a demon, I didn't think bunnies were cute."
Xander stood, yawning hugely. "Coffee, Ahn?" he asked, looking over at the ex-demon.
"Sure. If we're going to be here all night instead of going back to the apartment for -"
"Anya!" Xander interrupted, gesturing towards Dawn with his head, his eyes wide.
"… cookies," she said slowly. "If we're not going to go have our cookies, then I might as well have some coffee."
"I'll take some coffee, too," Dawn said, a hopeful look on her face.
"I don't think so, Dawnie," Xander said. "You're a little young to be getting into the heavy caffeine. Pretty soon, you'll start drinking, then smoking, and before you know it, you'll have a nasty heroin addiction."
"Right. And then you'll end up in jail with a large girlfriend," Anya broke in. "Not that there's anything wrong with having a girlfriend, just … not in jail."
"Not helping," Xander said, his lips pressed together in a tight smile as he looked over at Anya. "Besides, Dawnie, it's kind of late, and you should go get some sleep."
"You can't send me to bed," Dawn said, going back to her reading. "Besides, I'm helping."
"I can too send you to bed," Xander argued back, taking the book from Dawn and putting it back on the table. "Look, I know you're all adult and whatnot, but you were in the hospital yesterday. So for everyone's peace of mind, just get some sleep, okay?"
"Fine," Dawn said, standing up and stomping to the stairs.
"Willow's sleeping," Xander called after her, and her footsteps immediately quieted.
Tara watched over Willow as she slept, turning her head to the door when she heard footsteps on the stairs. The door creaked open, and Dawn poked her head in, her face worried.
"I just wanted to say good night," she whispered. "Xander and Anya sent me to bed," she went on, her face twisting into a look of righteous indignation. "Are they allowed to send me to bed?"
"Yes, they are," Tara said with an affectionate smile. She looked at the clock on the bedstand. "And they're right. You really should be sleeping."
Dawn's face fell, her hopes of Tara letting her stay up - because Tara certainly outranked Xander and Anya in the "bossing Dawn around" department - dashed. "Well, they're not really getting anywhere with the research thing. Xander doesn't want to quit, though - he's mad this thing hurt Willow, and Anya is just mad that Xander won't go home with her to have -"
"Dawn!" Tara interrupted.
"Uhh … cookies," Dawn finished weakly. "She is going to be all right, right?" Dawn asked, moving to the bed and looking down on Willow.
"Of course," Tara said. "She's strong. She'll be just fine."
"N-no," Willow mumbled, frowning in her sleep, her eyes fluttering. Tara squeezed her hand, brushing her hair back from her face and making soothing shushing noises. "Frogs!" Willow called, her eyes fluttering open.
"Hey … hey," Tara said, as Willow looked around the room wildly. "Frog-free zone here."
"Hi," Willow said, her breathing calming down. "Hey, Dawnie," she said, looking over at the teenager.
"Hey, Willow," Dawn said, moving over to hug her. "I just came in to say goodnight. I'll, uh … leave you two alone," she said, hugging Tara, then leaving the room.
"Good night," Tara said as the door closed. "How are you feeling?" she asked Willow, brushing her hair back from her face.
"Pretty yucky," Willow said. "And everything's kind of jumble-y," she finished, waving a hand near her head.
"You should probably go back to sleep," Tara said, unsure of what else she could say. "And I should probably help with the research."
"They're doing research?" Willow asked, perking up. "Maybe I should come help, too." She would do just about anything to stay with Tara a little longer, right now. There was something so safe about being in her presence.
"Willow," Tara said exasperatedly. "I doubt you could stand up right now. You should sleep."
"But I feel fine," Willow protested weakly.
"Yucky? Jumble-y?" Tara said, squeezing her hand. "Nice try, research girl, but Dr. Tara insists you stay in bed."
"Fine," Willow said, pouting.
"Can you tell me more about what happened?" Tara asked. "You don't have to," she said quickly at the sudden look of fear that crossed Willow's face.
"No, it was just so -" Willow said, unable to find a suitable description.
"It's okay. You're safe now," Tara said.
"No, I'm not," Willow said softly, her eyes growing distant. She wasn't safe, herself, and she wasn't safe to be around. Not now, not with the new demon thing and the magick she couldn't stop. "I had some kind of weird vision-y thing," Willow said slowly, before Tara could comment. "I threw power at it without even meaning to, and then I fell. I felt so weak and kinda' drained," Willow tried to explain. "It leaned over me, looking at me with its big yellow eyes, and I just thought 'this is it - I'm done.'"
Tara's heart clenched at the words, the thought of losing Willow like that stealing her breath. Before she could speak, Willow went on.
"I asked it what it was, or where it came from, or something like that, and then I was somewhere else."
"Somew-where else?" Tara asked, her brow furrowing, her fingers entwining with Willow's, the smooth warm skin and the connection reassuring her that Willow was going to be all right.
"Yeah, like a village or something. On a hill, in a circle of stones. Only it wasn't me - I was in somebody else, and it was like I was just kinda' watching. And the demon thing was there, trying to get into the circle, and Angel was there, fighting the demon. I, umm…" Willow said, her voice catching. "I think I was the bad guy. I think I was summoning something big."
"Angel? W-what else do you remember?" Tara asked, knowing this was important somehow, but wishing she could spare Willow from recounting it.
"A portal kind of thing was opening up, and I was chanting in some language I didn't know. Angel ran away when the demon was winning. My hair was the wrong color, but I guess it wasn't, 'cuz it wasn't really me, huh?" Willow asked, looking anywhere but at Tara. "It was darker, but still red. And the portal was all yellow, and there was a man in there. He was stuck and angry and he wanted out, and I think I was trying to help him."
"But you think he was a bad guy?" Tara asked.
Willow nodded, then frowned, unsure. The magick she had been casting hadn't felt dark. Maybe the guy was just some poor soul trapped somewhere? "Maybe. I don't know. Maybe he was a good guy and I was helping him. Maybe the demon was trying to stop me. My eyes were blue," she said, the inconsequential detail popping into her mind. "Like yours."
"Then what happened?"
"The portal closed up, and then I was back. I didn't want to die," Willow said, her eyes watering. "Not like that. Not when -" she said, her throat closing on the words. Not when Tara was so angry and hurt. She cleared her throat. "I told it to go away, and it did."
"It, umm… it obeyed you?" Tara asked, fear filling her eyes.
"Baby, are you afraid of me?" Willow asked in a small voice, a look of infinite hurt on her face.
"I - I," Tara stammered, looking down.
"No, don't answer that," Willow said, tears welling up and spilling over. ">I'm< afraid of me right now. I don't know what's happening. I have so many questions, but I'm afraid of the answers."
Tara's face mirrored the miserable look on Willow's, but she said nothing.
"I should go," Willow said suddenly, sitting up and wincing as her body protested.
"Go?" Tara asked incredulously.
"My parents are out of town. I'll be by myself, and that's probably safest," she reasoned.
"But you're hurt," Tara protested, pushing Willow back down.
"Yeah, I am. But at least it's just me right now, and not anybody else."
"Stay tonight," Tara insisted. "Just, go to sleep, and we'll talk in the morning."
Willow nodded, her heart telling her to stay as her mind was telling her to go.
"Get some rest," Tara said, her voice softening. "I'm going to go help with the research."
Willow listened to Tara's footsteps down the stairs, her mind racing. Had she accidentally unleashed something last night? No, she couldn't have. She had run into those vampires, but she hadn't cast anything new. And she would have known if anything had gone wrong. No, she hadn't summoned anything. But why did it obey her? Why did it like her magick? Why had the dark energy come to her, without her call?
Tara walked into the living room, surprised to see Xander and Anya actually researching and not using the alone time for an impromptu make-out session.
"Anything?" she asked, sitting on the couch and grabbing a book.
"Not yet. Coffee?" Xander offered, moving to stand.
"Yes, actually, that'd be nice," Tara said, a grateful smile crossing her features. The last few days had taken a toll, and she was suddenly exhausted, the emotional outpouring of the days catching up with her.
"How is Willow?" Anya asked as Xander left the room.
"She's shaken up. And she's scared," Tara confided, frowning. Her eyes fell on the table, a large pile of pens in different colors lying about haphazardly. Anya picked up a pen and started writing in a notebook.
"What's that?" Tara asked.
"Oh, well, we figured Giles is so good at research because he's British and boring, and Willow's good at research because she takes notes in colors," Anya said, proud of her reasoning. "I didn't think I'd be British or boring anytime soon, so I thought I'd give the pens a try," she finished earnestly.
"Is it helping?" Tara asked, curious as to whether or not anyone but Willow could make sense of multi-colored notes.
"Well, I wrote down the description Xander gave of the demon in red, and the names of any demons that meet all the criteria also in red. Demons that are close are in purple, and demons that have one or two similar characteristics in black. Any reference to a demon enjoying being hit with dark magick gets in blue."
"What do you have so far?" Tara asked, accepting the notebook when Anya simply handed it over. She read over the description, making mental notes so she knew what she was looking for, then looked at the rest of the writing. She stifled a helpless grin as she saw the remainder of Anya's notes.
Little hearts and the occasional "X+A" littered the page. "Nothing yet, huh?" she asked.
"No," Anya sighed. "Willow always makes it look so easy," she complained.
Xander came in, carrying a mug of coffee and setting it in front of Tara.
"Thank you," she said, taking a sip.
"You're welcome. And Willow makes what look easy?" he asked, flopping into his chair and pulling his book back onto his lap.
"Making notes and bizarre connections out of thin air," Anya said petulantly.
"Willow's really smart," Tara said earnestly. "She's book kind of smart."
"And I'm just dumb," Xander said, frowning at the pages and turning the book over. "Cave man kind of dumb."
"I have some knew information," Tara said slowly.
"Oh! I can add it to my notes!" Anya said eagerly, picking up a handful of pens and her notebook.
Tara related Willow's description of the demon, and the details of her vision, winding up her tale in a room full of a heavy silence.
"Wow," Xander finally said. "Do you think that was a real vision? Like that thing was in LA with Angel earlier?" he asked.
"It's more likely it was something that happened in the past," Anya said slowly, her voice thoughtful. "She asked where it came from, or what it was … it was probably the first incarnation of the demon."
"First incarnation?" Tara asked, glad someone had a clue as to what was going on.
"Well, not incarnation, like re-incarnation. Not for demons, anyway. It was the first time that demon was here, and not in Hell," she finished. "At least, that's the likeliest explanation. And Willow probably has a link to that witch, like a past life, or an ancestor or something."
"Past life? How long ago did this happen?" Xander asked, frowning.
"Well, she used the term 'village'," Anya said, looking over at Tara for confirmation. Tara nodded. "That's a pretty old term, which makes me believe it was probably not a modern kind of place. And Angel is two-hundred years old, so it could have been anytime between now and then."
"Are we sure it was really Angel?" Xander asked after a moment. "Maybe Angel was … I dunno, symbolic? Metaphoric? Kinda' a 'not really Angel, but meaning something else' kind of thing? I mean, are we sure this whole vision whatever is right?"
"No, we're not," Tara said, leaning back and sighing.
"It's not a Demon!" Anya said suddenly, leaning forward and shoving books aside. "Where did you put your books, Tara?" she asked, lifting things and shuffling things.
"What books?" Tara asked.
"The ones on Sources," Anya said.
"Oh, umm…" Tara said, moving things around until they found the right stack. Anya grabbed the book she was looking for, flipping through it.
"A-Ha!" she said, finding what she was looking for. "It's not a demon, it's a construct," she said.
"Like … umm… like a golem?" Tara asked, taking the book Anya held out to her.
"Basically. It's something a denizen of Hell makes that isn't really a demon, so it has an easier time crossing over into this realm. When a demon or something can't get here, it can send a construct, which is fueled by it's dark power … hence the Sources reference … and does its bidding here," she said proudly.
"So it just gets sent here?" Tara asked.
"No, it has to be summoned," Anya said, moving to sit next to Tara and pointing out the proper passage.
Tara read the words, her mind reeling. Had Willow summoned this thing? Was that why it obeyed her commands?
"W-wait," Tara said, reading further. "It can get through a standing portal, if the portal is weakened," she pointed out. "A Hellmouth would certainly work."
"Well, how do you kill it?" Xander asked.
"You don't," Anya said. "You send it back."
"How?" Xander asked.
"You either UnSummon it, or you push it back through the weakened portal. You can chop it up into little bits, making it unable to really do anything, but the pieces will try to find each other, and it won't really die," Tara said absently, reading the passage further. "The more powerful the demon, the more powerful the construct," she noted, murmuring out loud.
"Are we sure it was the Hellmouth? I mean, what can weaken a Hellmouth?" he asked.
"There are all sorts of spells that are like … they're like a key," Anya explained. "The Hellmouth is a locked door, and unlocking it means a construct can get through."
"So what sent it? And what unlocked it?" Tara asked, looking up.
"Are we working under the assumption that it's the same construct?" Xander asked.
"Are we sure it wasn't Willow?" Anya asked, silence descending on the room as everyone looked at each other.
"She w-wouldn't," Tara protested, her tone indicating she wasn't really sure of that fact.
"No, not Willow," Xander said firmly. "She wouldn't let a big demony construct thing out."
"Well, not on purpose," Anya conceded. "But she's been playing with dark magicks, and who knows what might have gone wrong?"
"She would have felt it go wrong," Tara said, her confidence growing. "She would have told us if she had a spell go wrong like that."
"Would she?" Xander asked sadly, his face etched in lines of worry. "She hasn't really been herself lately."
"No, she would have told me when she told me about the vision," Tara said. "She wouldn't keep a secret that would hurt us, not like this. Not when this thing could kill someone."
Xander nodded, satisfied with the answer. He hated doubting Willow, hated that there was a part of him that didn't exactly trust her anymore.
"Why don't we call Angel?" Anya asked, breaking the silence. "We could ask him about the vision."
"'Hey, Angel … did you ever fight some demon guy outside a circle of stones with a witch there who may or may not have been Willow in a past life, or one of her ancestors?'" Xander said, mimicking holding a phone.
"Actually, that's a good idea," Tara said, nodding at Anya.
"So, which was it? Past life, or ancestor?" Xander said cheerfully, trying to change the subject. He could tell they were going to make him call. He just knew he was going to have to make the call.
"Probably a past life," Tara said thoughtfully, missing the insincerity of Xander's question. "Willow doesn't have any Celtic ancestry, I don't think, and standing stones are a very Celtic thing."
"Oh, just make the call, Xander," Anya said, frowning at him.
"Giles! We could call Giles," Xander offered. Anya leveled him with a look, handing over the phone.
"I don't know the number?" Xander asked. Anya handed him the rolodex next to the phone.
Sighing, Xander looked up Angel Investigations, then dialed the number. Tara and Anya looked at him expectantly as he listened to the phone ring.
"Hi, Cordy. Can I talk to Angel, please?" Xander said pleasantly. "This is Xander," he said incredulously, frowning. "Look, Cordelia, this is important," he said. There was a pause, then he sighed heavily. "Yes, I'm still dating Anya. And don't call her that. In fact," he went on, his voice taking on a certain relish, "we're engaged to be married."
Anya had frowned, barely restraining herself from snatching the phone away and telling Cordelia she couldn't have Xander when she had realized who had answered the phone. Her frown faded away, though, at Xander's words, and a beaming smile crossed her features.
"Angel! Xander," Xander said, smiling back at Anya. "Look, we've got a situation here," he said after a moment. "No, no - that's okay. I just had a question," Xander responded to something Angel said. "Yeah, well, we've got this demon thing none of us have seen before, and Willow had a, kinda' a vision, I guess," Xander said.
"It was definitely a vision," Anya said helpfully as Xander tried to listen to her and the phone at the same time.
"No, I know you're not vision guy, but you were IN the vision," Xander explained. "Willow was on some hill, in a circle of stones, with this big ugly demon construct thing running up the hill, and you close behind. You and the demon fought, some portal thing opened, Willow was chanting, then it closed," Xander said, hitting all the important bits.
Xander paused, frowning. "No, this isn't a joke."
Alarm bells went off in Tara's head at Xander's words, and she paled, leaning forward and watching him intently.
"She's out patrolling while we do some research," Xander responded to Angel's question. He listened, the blood draining from his face.
"Oh, God," Xander said, his jaw hanging open after a long moment. "Are you serious? Because I'm not laughing." Xander listened closely, holding up a hand to forestall any questions. "Hold on, let me grab a pen," he said, gesturing for Anya's notebook and a pen. He flipped to a clean sheet and started writing as Angel spoke.
"I don't like this," Anya whispered, leaning in to bump her shoulder against Tara's.
"I don't either," Tara said, her gaze focused on Xander.
"So what does this guy want? How do we stop him?" Xander asked. "No, don't you get all gloom and doom broody on me," Xander said, his voice rising. "Because we WILL stop him," he insisted, his jaw clenching as he listened to Angel's response. "Then we'll find her," he said, his voice clipped. "No, I don't know how! We just will!"
Xander shook his head as Anya opened her mouth to ask a question. Tara took Anya's hand, clutching it as they waited for Xander to get off the phone and tell them what was going on.
"I appreciate the offer," Xander said, the anger draining from his voice. "If we definitely need you, we'll call again, and I'll let everyone know." Xander nodded as he listened. "And Angel? Thanks," he said, hanging up the phone, his body still and his hand still on the receiver.
"W-what is it?" Tara asked.
"It's bad," Xander said, pausing to formulate his words. "Very bad."
******Edited to Fix the Glaring Typos I Found******
[This message has been edited by Sassette (edited December 15, 2001).]
by Web Warlock » Sat Dec 15, 2001 8:35 pm
Loving this. Glad I was wrong on my first thought about the demon-come-construct. Of course I could end up beign wrong on that as well!
Warlock
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Web Warlock
web.warlock@attbi.com webwarlock@planetadnd.com
Author, the Netbooks of Witches and Warlocks
The Other Side: http://www.xtreme-gaming.com/~theotherside/
The DnD Community Council: http://www.dndcommunitycouncil.org/nbownw
--
"If that is all the Gods can do then I'm over to the Dark Side so fast!" - Tom Servo, MST3k
by Sassette » Sat Dec 15, 2001 8:48 pm
And Web Warlock? You are the 100th post ... *G* Umm, I feel like I should give you a prize or something, like, I dunno, spoilers for this story ... but I bet you don't want them, huh? *G*
So, how about a big "Thank You For Reading" without the big font part. Big fonts scare me and make me want to hide.
I'm working diligently on the next part. It might be up tonight, it might be up tomorrow, but TX will find me and hold me at gunpoint and make me finish the story if it's any later than that, so... I think I'll get back to work.
-Sass
by TrueXena » Sun Dec 16, 2001 2:00 am
quote:
Originally posted by Sassette:
I'm working diligently on the next part. It might be up tonight, it might be up tomorrow, but TX will find me and hold me at gunpoint and make me finish the story if it's any later than that, so... I think I'll get back to work.-Sass
And dont you be thinkin' that was just an idle threat sweetheart! I've got guns, many, many guns!
So umm, I see your home early from your Drinking night, so when do I see the next update?
------------------
Later dayz,
TrueXena
"I'm so evil, and skanky...and I think I'm kinda gay."
quote:by Shadowriter » Sun Dec 16, 2001 5:26 am
Now.... why is it that TX and I get yelled at for cliffhangers and you don't? *pondering*
Well done, as usual.
*keeping fingers crossed that we get an update sometime on Sunday*
Shadow
by SeanGaffney » Sun Dec 16, 2001 5:54 am
--SG
by Web Warlock » Sun Dec 16, 2001 11:08 am
Great story, I am really getting into it.
Yes, you have a much better grasp of Anya than some of the other W/T-centered fics I have read. Good job on that.
Warlock
------------------
Web Warlock
web.warlock@attbi.com webwarlock@planetadnd.com
Author, the Netbooks of Witches and Warlocks
The Other Side: http://www.xtreme-gaming.com/~theotherside/
The DnD Community Council: http://www.dndcommunitycouncil.org/nbownw
--
"If that is all the Gods can do then I'm over to the Dark Side so fast!" - Tom Servo, MST3k
[This message has been edited by Web Warlock (edited December 16, 2001).]
by xita » Sun Dec 16, 2001 12:08 pm
by KittyKo » Sun Dec 16, 2001 12:46 pm
by Sassette » Sun Dec 16, 2001 5:25 pm
Answering Darkness Part 19
Choices
By Sassette
Tara woke up, draped all over Willow. Sometime during the night, she must have moved over and snuggled in, her body naturally seeking the comfort only Willow could bring. Xander and Anya had crashed on the couch downstairs, the consensus between the three of them being that they would have to share what Angel told them first thing in the morning.
"Shit," Tara said, looking around reflexively to make sure no one had heard her. Sighing, she gently disentangled herself from Willow and then paused. Why bother? Why pull away from Willow right now when she needed this so badly right now? To make a point? It would make things more complicated when Willow woke up, because they needed to talk, but she'd deal with that later.
She wasn't sure if she was making the right choice. She'd had so little practice making choices, really. The vast majority of her life was spent being told what to do and when to do it. The only real choice she had made in that environment was the one to secretly apply for college. With her grades, she had managed a scholarship, and all her father's objections had melted away beneath the knowledge that he couldn't legally stop her, and that the demon would bring her back.
It had been freeing, having those choices. Choosing her classes, her clothes, her room decorations. Still, she hadn't truly felt a part of that crazy college life until Willow, and then a whole new world of choices had opened up for her.
Tara tucked herself back in, resting her head on Willow's shoulder, a bittersweet smile crossing her face when Willow's arms reflexively tightened around her and the murmured incoherently.
Willow didn't have a choice anymore, Tara mused, the thought making her sad. If she was honest with herself, she wanted Willow to choose her over the magick. But now Willow didn't get to have that choice. Somehow, they had to make sure that Willow wasn't casting spells anymore. They weren't sure of the connection between Willow and the construct, but things looked extremely bad all over, and it was possible Willow's spells were aggravating the situation.
In her daydreams, this wasn't how this was all supposed to happen. Willow was supposed to need her so badly she gave it all up. She wanted Willow to make everything up to her … she wanted everything to be all right.
"I want make up sex, dammit," Tara said under her breath, squeezing her eyes tight against the knowledge seared into her brain by Xander's stunning revelations the evening before.
"Okay," Willow murmured sleepily, her eyes drifting open. Tara looked at her, a blush crawling up her face and her eyes wide.
"Umm… W-willow," Tara stammered, trying to decide which would be less uncomfortable - lifting her head to look at Willow, or burying her face in her neck. She compromised, looking over at the clock and staring at the numbers like they held the secrets of creation.
"That's me," Willow agreed, squinting against the sun pouring in the window. She choked back the words that would have shut the curtains, the color draining from her face. "Oh, God," she gasped, her stomach clenching as the spell rose up inside her, trying to get out.
"Willow?" Tara asked, sitting up, her hands moving to stroke the face that was twisted in pain. She looked on helplessly as Willow's body shook, a light sheen of sweat breaking out on her pale skin.
Willow curled up around herself, her knees to her chest as she trembled, every muscle tightening painfully. The power coursed through her, scraping across her nerve endings and demanding to be released. She felt Tara's hand take hers, heard her gasp, then the pain eased, before fading away, leaving her shaking and breathless.
"Oh, God," she moaned, lifting a trembling hand to her face. A sense of relief coursed through her, now that the pain was gone, and with the realization that she had stopped it. Somehow, Tara had stopped the pain, but she had stopped the spell.
"What was that?" Tara asked after a long moment, kneeling next to Willow's huddled form on the bed.
"Spell," Willow managed to say, her throat raw and her voice hoarse.
"That wasn't a spell, Willow. You weren't casting anything. You just -" Tara trailed off, her mind replaying the image of Willow gasping and shaking and unresponsive to her calls.
Willow took in a shaky breath, then took a moment to let her muscles relax. She turned over, and looked up at Tara, her eyes troubled and her voice serious. "I spent all day yesterday trying not to cast anything. Xander finally made me see what was so obvious - that the magick isn't worth losing you. So I tried giving it up."
"Then what happened?" Tara asked her brow furrowing. "You had to cast because of the demon?"
"Not exactly," Willow said, her eyes welling up with tears as she looked away, unable to meet Tara's gaze with her own. "I wandered around all day casting spells without meaning to," she said finally. "I - God, I tried … I didn't even consciously think about it… I'd just be walking and there would be things and people, and problems, and I'd think 'Hey, that needs to be fixed,' and then there was a spell going on and I couldn't remember ever actually deciding to cast it, you know?" Tears tracked down Willow's face, and she brushed them away impatiently, intent on getting out her story. "So I kept walking and thinking, and I tried to pay more attention to what I was doing, but I just kept doing, and I couldn't stop it."
"You were casting magick all day," Tara stated flatly, unsure of what about the story she found more horrifying - Willow's spells, or her inability to stop.''
"But not today," Willow said, a small smile crossing her face. "That's what that was. A spell tried to kinda' sneak up on me, and I stopped it."
Tara wasn't sure what to believe. Was Willow telling her that she >couldn't< stop? That, instead of making empty promises she didn't plan on keeping, she had found herself unable to keep them?
"I don't know what to think," Tara said finally, standing up from the bed and moving to the dresser, open drawers and pulling out some clothes to wear.
"I don't, either," Willow confessed. "I always thought that … I always thought I was the one in control of it. That the magick did what I wanted it to, and that as long as I wanted it to do good things … helpful world-saving things … that it would all be okay. But its got ahold of me, somehow, and I … I'm not in control anymore," she finished, her voice a haunted whisper. "And I don't want that," she continued, her voice gaining urgency. "I don't want something else being in charge of me, even if - even if you can't-" she said, stopping as her throat closed up on the words.
Tara stood still, her hands resting on the drawer and her back to Willow as she spoke. "Even if I can't, what, Willow?" she asked, her voice steady and calm even as her heart ached for Willow.
"Even if you can't love me without the magick," Willow finally managed, her voice hitching on her sobs.
"Is that what you think?" Tara asked incredulously, moving back to the bed and sitting next to Willow. Willow kept her head down, great hiccups shaking her as she tried to breath through the tears. "Willow, look at me," Tara demanded, only to have Willow shake her head and scoot back on the bed. "Look at me," she repeated more firmly, grasping Willow's chin and lifting her eyes to meet her own.
Tara sighed at Willow's tear-streaked face, and the look of fear and rejection in her eyes. How had things gotten so complicated? When had it all gone so wrong?
"Listen to me," Tara said slowly, her face serious and her tone soothing. "You stayed with me - you took care of me - when I couldn't feed myself. I couldn't dress myself, I didn't know what was going on around me … I couldn't even string a coherent sentence together. And you think I'd leave you if you couldn't blow up demons with a few words? Do you really believe that I love you so much less than you love me?"
Willow shook her head weakly, her face miserable. "No … but I … Baby, >I'm< so much less. I don't deserve to -"
"You stop it right there," Tara said fiercely. "Did magick make you run out of your safe room into danger the night we met? No, that was just you. Did magick make you stand up for me against my father? No - just you. I have never - Ever -" Tara said, her words intense as she choked up. "I have never loved anyone the way I love you. I have never trusted anyone the way I've trusted you - can't you see that's why this hurt me so badly?"
"I'm sorry … I'm so sorry," Willow gasped out, completely breaking down. Tara pulled the sobbing girl into her arms, her own tears spilling as Willow continued her litany. They stayed that way, crying together, for forever before Willow pulled away slowly, Tara reaching up to wipe her tears away.
"It's me or the magick, Willow. I love you, not it … so don't feel like you'll lose me without it, because you won't. I can't stay with you when I don't know for certain that anything that happens or doesn't happen is real, you know? The magick has to stop. That's your choice."
"I want you," Willow said. "None of it … none of it means anything without you." Her face fell as she continued. "But I don't know if I can. I stopped it today, this once, but … I need help, Baby. I can't do this alone."
The door creaked and they both looked up, startled to see Buffy, Xander, Anya and Spike standing in the doorway, armed to the teeth and looking sheepish.
"We, uh… heard a commotion," Buffy said, lowering her axe.
"Yeah, we thought something … I dunno … demony was going on," Xander said, letting the crossbow swing up and rest against his shoulder. Spike ducked back as he was almost hit in the head with the bolt, then let his 'game face' drop.
"I just wanted to listen," Anya said cheerfully, not-so-gently handing her stake to Xander with a backhand to the stomach and walking into the room, hopping onto the bed and enclosing both startled women in a hug. "Everything's going to be fine," she said, looking back over her shoulder and mouthing 'how was that?' at Xander.
Xander pulled a face, then gave a little thumbs up as Buffy walked into the room, joining in the group hug.
"She's right, you know. Everything is gonna' be all right," Buffy said, nodding determinedly. "And you don't have to do this alone, Will. We're all here to help you."
"Absolutely," Xander agreed, joining the large pile of womanhood on the bed and thanking his lucky stars.
"Well, now," Spike said, looking on with a mixture of amusement and disgust. "If you've all gotten your daily affirmations out of the way, we've got a Hell God to attend to?"
"What?" Willow asked, her brow furrowing as she looked up at Spike. A seeping coldness sunk into her chest. "Glory -?"
"No," Buffy said, shaking her head. "Glory's gone. Definitely gone. But there were three Hell Gods, and apparently, that demon thing -"
"That was a Hell God?" Willow squeaked, a horrified look on her face.
"No, Baby," Tara said, holding Willow's hand and giving it a squeeze. "That was a construct. It got through the Hellmouth somehow, presumably sent by the Hell God who made it."
"You have one early night," Willow said weakly, her voice and eyes distant as her mind reeled, "and look at all the stuff you miss."
"Come on," Buffy said, standing up and moving to the door, Xander and Anya following. "We'll leave you two to get out of your pj's and we'll fill you in over breakfast."
"You knew about this?" Willow asked, staring blankly at Tara.
"Yeah. We called Angel last night and asked him about your vision."
"Oh. Yeah. That was a good idea," Willow agreed dully, standing up and getting dressed mechanically.
"Willow, are you okay?" Tara asked, tugging on her own clothes.
"Oh, sure. Fine. Just … y'know … Hell God and all. Mind spinning," she said. "Just a sort of brain-sucking best-friend killing, world-ending kind of guy. Or girl? Boy Hell God, or girl Hell God?" she asked, her brain latching on to odd details as she tried to maintain some semblance of order in her mind.
"Boy Hell God," Tara answered, used to the strange turns Willow's brain made when it was trying to process everything at once. "We'll tell you the whole story downstairs."
Willow and Tara walked down the stairs, hand in hand, more in comfort and support than any romantic inclinations, though each hoped this would be a turning point for them. All conversation stopped when they walked into the kitchen, a large box of donuts open on the counter.
"Help yourself," Spike said, leaning back against the sink and drinking blood from a mug.
The rest of the Scoobies sat around, eating their donuts with an intensity of concentration that could only arise from a guilty conscience.
"So what did we learn?" Willow asked, selecting a jelly donut and sitting at the table.
"Well, we called Angel," Xander began.
"Angel?" Spike let out. "Oh, bloody hell. You didn't tell me that part. Is that sodding nancy-boy going to come prancing up here?"
"No," Xander said, looking askance at Spike. "He's got something big going down in LA, so he can't be here. But he said to call if we need him, and he'll be here when he gets that wrapped up."
"Thanks," Buffy said, a half-hearted smile on her face as Spike fumed in the corner.
"Anyway, we called Angel," Xander said, picking back up with his story. "We told him about Willow's vision thing and he kind of freaked out. Apparently, when Angel was Big Evil Angel, he was working with this construct thing to help a Hell God come to earth. Some witch from the village nearby managed to close up the Hellmouth he was using, and Angel ran away when he realized he was playing for the losing team. So, the Hell God vowed revenge, slunk back to Hell with his construct, and is now, presumably, trying again here in Sunnydale."
Willow's hand slowly rose into the air. "My hand is up … I must have a question," she announced.
"Yes, the young nubile red-headed lesbian in the back," Xander said, nodding at Willow.
"Ummm… construct?" she asked meekly.
"Oh, sorry," Tara said, frowning at Xander's inappropriate, though undoubtedly accurate, description of Willow. "A construct is kinda' like a golum. A demon makes one, sends it to other planes, and it does its dirty-work."
"Why send a construct? Why not just go?" Willow asked.
"Well, demons are attached to the plane they naturally exist on. That's why summoning them takes so much magickal power. A construct doesn't have that connection, so it can pass between the planes easier," Tara answered.
"Okay. So how do we stop this thing?" Willow asked.
"We have to send the construct back," Anya said. "That way, it won't be able to help the Hell God from opening the Hellmouth."
"You mean like … a spell?" Willow said weakly, a look of fear crossing her face.
"W-we're not really sure," Tara said. "It really depends on how it got here. I mean, if the Hellmouth is still weakened, we might be able to just toss it through, then we just have to strengthen it."
"How?" Willow asked.
"I - I can take care of it," Tara said quickly. "Don't w-worry about it."
Willow fell quiet, lost in her thoughts. On one level, she was afraid of the idea of casting the spell, though she felt like she was the best person for the job. She had the most power, and it was dangerous, and she didn't want Tara anywhere near anything dangerous - especially a brain-sucking Hell God. On yet another, she felt useless and helpless in the face of her promise to try to give up the magick, when they so clearly needed a big powerful spell cast.
"You'll need my help," Willow said after a long moment.
"No one's asking you to cast any spells, Will," Buffy said, reaching across the table and covering her hand with her own.
"No one >wants< you to cast any spells," Anya added helpfully.
"I know. I mean, with the research. You need to know how the construct got here, how it plans on opening the Hellmouth, how this witch stopped the Hell God in the first place, because we might need to duplicate it. We'll need to know how this Hell God thinks. I mean, does he have a plan? Because if he has a plan, we just need to mess it up a little. Or is there some big prophecy thing going on? It would help if we could find it."
Smiles all around grew as Willow continued, everyone silent as she listed what they needed.
"I mean, are we talking about Glory, only a guy? He might do stuff different, or - oh Oh! He might have minions here in Sunnydale other than the construct! We need to look into that."
Tara slipped out of the room, a giddy smile slipping helplessly across her face as she walked into the book-strewn living room and stopped at the table there. She grabbed a pile of pens and the notebook, carrying them back into the kitchen and setting them silently in front of Willow.
"Thanks, Baby," Willow said, grabbing the pens and writing as she continued to speak. "We should call Giles. Find out if the Watcher's Council knows anything about this one. Did Angel have a name for him?"
"The Trickster," Xander piped up.
"The Trickster," Willow said, a chill racing up her spine as she wrote the name in red ink.
by Shadowriter » Sun Dec 16, 2001 5:46 pm
Now..... part 20 tomorrow, right?
Okay, okay, I'm waiting patiently..... well, kind of.
Shadow
by Web Warlock » Sun Dec 16, 2001 9:11 pm
Thanks Sas!
------------------
Web Warlock
web.warlock@attbi.com webwarlock@planetadnd.com
Author, the Netbooks of Witches and Warlocks
The Other Side: http://www.xtreme-gaming.com/~theotherside/
The DnD Community Council: http://www.dndcommunitycouncil.org/nbownw
--
"If that is all the Gods can do then I'm over to the Dark Side so fast!" - Tom Servo, MST3k
by TrueXena » Mon Dec 17, 2001 10:47 am
Now do I need to come over there to with my weapons to get part 20 out of you? hmm?
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Later dayz,
TrueXena
"I'm so evil, and skanky...and I think I'm kinda gay."
by 'lucy' moore » Mon Dec 17, 2001 2:00 pm
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fiat justitia,ruat caelum.
by Sassette » Fri Dec 21, 2001 11:54 am
Translation: I have no idea when I'll have part 20 done (watch ... now that I've said it, I'm gonna end up skipping sleep and writing it tonight or something ).
And Part 20 is kinda' hard to write ... because it has to be done Just Right, or it won't work at all. Oh, and the official name is Part 20: Temptation. Just in case anyone was wondering. *g*
-Sass
by Web Warlock » Fri Dec 21, 2001 10:19 pm
I'd rather have a good ep 20 than none at all!
Besides, since I am on the road it's not Like I can check every few minutes like I do at home!
Plus drinking with my irish family.......
Yeah.
Warlock
------------------
Web Warlock
web.warlock@attbi.com webwarlock@planetadnd.com
Author, the Netbooks of Witches and Warlocks
The Other Side: http://www.xtreme-gaming.com/~theotherside/
The DnD Community Council: http://www.dndcommunitycouncil.org/nbownw
--
"If that is all the Gods can do then I'm over to the Dark Side so fast!" - Tom Servo, MST3k
by TrueXena » Sun Dec 23, 2001 1:55 pm
quote:
Originally posted by Sassette:
TX - please don't shoot meAnd Part 20 is kinda' hard to write ... because it has to be done Just Right, or it won't work at all. Oh, and the official name is Part 20: Temptation. Just in case anyone was wondering. *g*
-Sass
Okay, I promise not to shoot you. Yes, it will be a GREAT temptation. Can't wait to finally read it.
"I know what's in this part, I know what's in this part!" *runs away from the Kittens*
*edited cuz my smilies were all wrong! *
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Later dayz,
TrueXena
"I'm so evil, and skanky...and I think I'm kinda gay."
[This message has been edited by TrueXena (edited December 23, 2001).]
quote:by Zahir » Tue Dec 25, 2001 12:38 pm
Thank you! And Happy Holidays!
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"O let my name be in the Book of Love.
If it be there, I care not of
That other book Above...
Strike it out! Or write it in anew.
But let it be in the Book of Love!"
--Omar Kyam
by Web Warlock » Sat Jan 12, 2002 8:19 pm
He I am really missing this story!
I gotta find out what happens.
Warlock.
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Web Warlock
web.warlock@attbi.com webwarlock@planetadnd.com
Author, the Netbooks of Witches and Warlocks
The Other Side: http://www.xtreme-gaming.com/~theotherside/
The DnD Community Council: http://www.dndcommunitycouncil.org/nbownw
--
"Nobody gets me baby. I'm the wind!" - Tom Servo, MST3k
by TrueXena » Sun Jan 13, 2002 5:57 am
PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSEEEEEEEEEE?
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Later dayz,
TrueXena
"I'm so evil, and skanky...and I think I'm kinda gay."
"Hello! Gay now!"
by Time » Sun Jan 13, 2002 5:09 pm
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Oh god, what is it with you guys? Why kittens? Why can't you just use money like everybody else?
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