The Gift of Knowledge, Part 2
- Thread starter Prince Charon
- Start date
Sorry. It used to be my version of 'Untitled Xander Fic,' but now it has a title, which was mentioned in that thread. I didn't realize that the first part's location would be forgotten so soon.
It can also be found at my FicWad page, along with another Xander fic.
It can also be found at my FicWad page, along with another Xander fic.
Okay, you've asked two direct questions. The story can't truly go anywhere until you give us some direct answers, ie, resolutions to the two problems you've just come up with.
The first is the obvious "Is Xander Possessed?" And what I suspect should happen there is that Giles will cast some hoogeldy-poogeldy to give an immediate answer of "no", but that he'll want to back that up at some point later with the "Detect Possession Spell" Mark II, which will involve extra ritual bits and ingredients, before also deciding "no."
However, there is something of a necessary delay in getting time to set up the Mark II, so while they are reasonably sure he is okay, they spend a certain length of time somewhat uncertain.
Next there is the question of those two girls being turned on, and a PART of that would be Xander asking himself "Why did they get MORE turned on when they thought I might be a *BAD* guy?" ie, sexual predator reference.
Some good social interaction there.
Now if you want to throw in a little extra bit of twist, consider Angel's reaction to the new Xander. He is accustomed to dismissing him/blowing him off as no threat and unworthy of consideration. Beneath his notice, in other words.
However, it is clear that vampires have a pecking order based on strength and associated power, and the newly hyena-empowered Xander is enough of a blip to appear on his radar. Your choice WHERE he appears in the pecking order, but your options are having Angel's inner vampire say, "Beneath me, play dominence games to assure all of my authority", "Near my level but unclear who is superior, defeat and/or subjugate my rival!", or lastly "Above me, grovel in obescience that he not destroy me."
Now not being in charge, the inner vampire can only influence Angel's actions. But if he wasn't able to do that then poor Liam wouldn't have spent so many years brooding. The average guy would have blown everything off in a year or so (possibly involving heavy drinking) and then gone on to live as normal a life as possible without access to suntan oil.
Best revenge is living well, right?
So, if you elect to use it, you have a rich vein of material to mine here with Angel's reactions to the new and improved Xander. It could even fluctuate over the whole spectrum, as Xander could be giving off misleading signals, or it's still changing and developing, or whatever.
Still, then you have the NEXT mine of material, in the form of everyone else's reactions to the reactions of Angel towards Xander.
And, if Giles' advice is sought (as it should be) and the nature of the problem revealed, "It's the vampire spirit's reactions to the challenge/threat influencing his soul," could lead to a very interesting split.
"You mean he has that vampire demony thingy inside him all along watching everything he does? It was even there playing peeping Tom when we were KISSING? What a major turn-off!"
Yes, fondle the undead before witnesses Buffy.
I'm sorry, Angel may "be a hottie" in her eyes, but the creepiness factor could kill that one real quick, once it's explained that what he sees, it sees, he feels it feels, and so on.
And, frankly, it SHOULD be played up that way!
I'd like to see just ONE FIC where Buffy gets majorly creeped out just by Angel's vampire-ness to the point of dropping his undead ass and NOT instantly making up later!
And Willow, too, for that matter, getting a major case of the wiggins over the "groping with witnesses", ie, the idea that a girl cannot make out with Angel without a pervert in the back seat enjoying the show, and so NOT pressing Buffy to get together or back together with him.
"There are plenty of other fish in the sea who aren't 240 year old undead and have demons in the back of their heads who are perverted rapists and mass murderers and... I'll shut up now."
So, really, getting them past their present hurdles is the only thing you can be looking at right now. And there promises o be much fun in the making as you do so.
The first is the obvious "Is Xander Possessed?" And what I suspect should happen there is that Giles will cast some hoogeldy-poogeldy to give an immediate answer of "no", but that he'll want to back that up at some point later with the "Detect Possession Spell" Mark II, which will involve extra ritual bits and ingredients, before also deciding "no."
However, there is something of a necessary delay in getting time to set up the Mark II, so while they are reasonably sure he is okay, they spend a certain length of time somewhat uncertain.
Next there is the question of those two girls being turned on, and a PART of that would be Xander asking himself "Why did they get MORE turned on when they thought I might be a *BAD* guy?" ie, sexual predator reference.
Some good social interaction there.
Now if you want to throw in a little extra bit of twist, consider Angel's reaction to the new Xander. He is accustomed to dismissing him/blowing him off as no threat and unworthy of consideration. Beneath his notice, in other words.
However, it is clear that vampires have a pecking order based on strength and associated power, and the newly hyena-empowered Xander is enough of a blip to appear on his radar. Your choice WHERE he appears in the pecking order, but your options are having Angel's inner vampire say, "Beneath me, play dominence games to assure all of my authority", "Near my level but unclear who is superior, defeat and/or subjugate my rival!", or lastly "Above me, grovel in obescience that he not destroy me."
Now not being in charge, the inner vampire can only influence Angel's actions. But if he wasn't able to do that then poor Liam wouldn't have spent so many years brooding. The average guy would have blown everything off in a year or so (possibly involving heavy drinking) and then gone on to live as normal a life as possible without access to suntan oil.
Best revenge is living well, right?
So, if you elect to use it, you have a rich vein of material to mine here with Angel's reactions to the new and improved Xander. It could even fluctuate over the whole spectrum, as Xander could be giving off misleading signals, or it's still changing and developing, or whatever.
Still, then you have the NEXT mine of material, in the form of everyone else's reactions to the reactions of Angel towards Xander.
And, if Giles' advice is sought (as it should be) and the nature of the problem revealed, "It's the vampire spirit's reactions to the challenge/threat influencing his soul," could lead to a very interesting split.
"You mean he has that vampire demony thingy inside him all along watching everything he does? It was even there playing peeping Tom when we were KISSING? What a major turn-off!"
Yes, fondle the undead before witnesses Buffy.
I'm sorry, Angel may "be a hottie" in her eyes, but the creepiness factor could kill that one real quick, once it's explained that what he sees, it sees, he feels it feels, and so on.
And, frankly, it SHOULD be played up that way!
I'd like to see just ONE FIC where Buffy gets majorly creeped out just by Angel's vampire-ness to the point of dropping his undead ass and NOT instantly making up later!
And Willow, too, for that matter, getting a major case of the wiggins over the "groping with witnesses", ie, the idea that a girl cannot make out with Angel without a pervert in the back seat enjoying the show, and so NOT pressing Buffy to get together or back together with him.
"There are plenty of other fish in the sea who aren't 240 year old undead and have demons in the back of their heads who are perverted rapists and mass murderers and... I'll shut up now."
So, really, getting them past their present hurdles is the only thing you can be looking at right now. And there promises o be much fun in the making as you do so.
Oddly, I hadn't thought about Angel's reaction. Overall, I think that Angelus will say "Near my level but unclear who is superior, defeat and/or subjugate my rival!" while Liam will still see Xander as weak and not much of a threat, unless he finds out Xander has the Diary of Versailles in his head, since he knows about the chapter mentioned in that snippet. So, Xander is a threat at least to Angel's relationship with Buffy, and is possibly capable of cursing Angel with impotence. :snigger: Until they fight, or Angel sees Xander take out someone Angel would have trouble with, he is unlikely to see Xander as a physical threat.
As for the possession detection spell, I was thinking he'd only do one, but due to your suggestion, he might do a second, later.
As for the girls' reactions (and I'm still not sure what happens when they tell Cordelia, or when/if Amy notices), the sex-magic books in his head do have some information on sexual submissives, and the self-destructive tendencies that they occasionally have. In this 'verse, all Slayers and Potential Slayers have submissive tendencies (both sexual and otherwise) which is part of how the WC is able to control them. He just doesn't want to admit it, at first, and wants to be very sure, before he does anything that could ruin his friendship with them.
In this story, both Buffy and Willow are subs, and are at least a little bisexual. Willow is more bi than Buffy, and Buffy is more of a sub than Willow. I have not made any decisions about Amy's or Cordelia's sexualities, or whether Dawn is already present (and at what age), and it will be a while before Faith and Tara show up. Kendra might be a bit bi, though.
EDIT: and thank you for the idea about Buffy's reaction to Angelus peeping. :yay:
As for the possession detection spell, I was thinking he'd only do one, but due to your suggestion, he might do a second, later.
As for the girls' reactions (and I'm still not sure what happens when they tell Cordelia, or when/if Amy notices), the sex-magic books in his head do have some information on sexual submissives, and the self-destructive tendencies that they occasionally have. In this 'verse, all Slayers and Potential Slayers have submissive tendencies (both sexual and otherwise) which is part of how the WC is able to control them. He just doesn't want to admit it, at first, and wants to be very sure, before he does anything that could ruin his friendship with them.
In this story, both Buffy and Willow are subs, and are at least a little bisexual. Willow is more bi than Buffy, and Buffy is more of a sub than Willow. I have not made any decisions about Amy's or Cordelia's sexualities, or whether Dawn is already present (and at what age), and it will be a while before Faith and Tara show up. Kendra might be a bit bi, though.
EDIT: and thank you for the idea about Buffy's reaction to Angelus peeping. :yay:
Well, we have to do something to break them up so that Buffy can join Xander's harem! :yay:
Oh, and you can get Xander to start using those sex magic spells fairly quickly if you have him discover a need, like a demony fellow is getting a young victim using them and Xander, who is now able to tell, is also in a position to do something to stop it.
Oh, and you can get Xander to start using those sex magic spells fairly quickly if you have him discover a need, like a demony fellow is getting a young victim using them and Xander, who is now able to tell, is also in a position to do something to stop it.