[The feed clicks on, and it looks like it's just going to be a normal conversation.]
Hey - are you still up for meeting at the Archives later?
[It does not end there, but the feed shifts to a ceremony outside a high school. Graduation Day. It's remarkably dark, and there is a man at the podium giving a speech to what appears to be a very bored looking class of seniors, ready to move onto the next phase of their lives.
Something isn't quite right, though. He twists, and shifts, around, and nearly collapses as he tries to get through his speech before he lets out a pained scream. He manages to steady himself briefly, as the students all look around at each other. "It has begun. My destiny," he says, and he begins to thumb through his cue cards like he intends to keep going with his speech. "It's a little sooner than I expected. I had this whole section on civic pride, but I guess we'll just skip to the big finish."
He changes, skin bubbling strangely as his form shifts from a human to massive snake, towering over the assembled. The students rise, and the parents flee for their lives, as he roars a deafening sound. From behind them, a group of about two dozen vampires approach to try to cut off their escape, but the students hold their ground until from beside Willow, a young woman with blonde hair calls out "NOW!"
They shrug out of their robes, and it's clear the entire graduating class knew what was coming - every single one of them are armed. Some with all kinds of melee weapons imaginable, some with crossbows, some with flamethrowers, and some, like Willow, with spear guns.
The battle is fierce, but organized. There are two students who are clearly in command, and that is the one who was beside Willow, and a teenaged boy with dark hair who shout instructions to help control the attack. The snake strikes, and several of its intended victims are killed, including the high school principal who tried to stop the attack by declaring it 'unacceptable' and demanding order.
Several of the students break rank and try to flee, only to be attacked by the vampires who are met with resistance from a group of kids near the back armed with bows and flaming arrows. The vampires themselves try to flee, only to have their retreat cut off by a third wave of what looks like it could be both students and staff alike, determined to put a stop to the madness.
The retreat is called, and Willow hesitates until her friend tells her again to go. She joins the rest of the crush of kids, who essentially trample over the remaining vampires. She is clearly not a trained fighter, but she manages to get through it alive and unharmed, which is more than could be said for some of her classmates, and eventually the remaining vampires retreat.
An explosion draws the attention of the remaining fighters all at once, followed by several more, even though it's not immediately clear before the end of the memory what has happened exactly beyond the school being completely destroyed.
The feed clicks back to Willow, and she looks absolutely baffled.]
Uhhh... that - that wasn't me. Or, I don't think it was me.
[Willow was one of the very few people that he allowed himself to engage in video, since his default was voice. Since she had died and since they had run around as wolves - so strange - she'd been less of the Willow that he knew but still made an effort. So... maybe, just maybe, he tried a touch harder as well.
He wouldn't call her a friend yet, since that was still very much a part of him that was in denial. Dathomirian Zabrak did not make friends, least of all with other species beyond their planet.]
Yeah, fine...
[Then there's this whole weird scene that he wasn't expecting to happen. So the memory share thing was happening to more than just his brother? That was interesting, and it was definitely a part of Willow's life he hadn't expected to see.
She wasn't a warrior by any means, but she held her own because she had to and relied on more veteran fighters to put her in good position to work.
Yet, he hadn't thought she had all her memories back. The conversations he had with her during their reading sessions seemed to indicate some were back - she recognized him and their brief history together - but happened to have gaps.]
That was you. At some strange ceremony. But you don't know what the serpent was?
[It's been a strange adaptation, and a difficult one. Things were awkward after she bit him, and she's still relieved that he only changed for one night, especially while she's working so hard to find a solution to stop herself from changing too.
Reading in the Archives helps more than she really says, but she's not sure she needs to say it. Sometimes it's vague sensations of deja vu, other times the memories come back more clear. She spent a lot of time here before her death, even before she took up helping Savage with his reading. Sometimes she even remembers a particular passage or a book that he's read to her before.
She shakes her head as he says that yes, it is her.]
No, no, I mean, it's me - that's me. But I didn't do anything to make that video. I wasn't even thinking about that. That's weird.
[She figures more of an explanation of the memory itself is owed, and shakes her head.]
That was our graduation from high school. The guy - snake guy. He was the Mayor of our town - he founded it himself, like, a hundred years before this happened. Just no one realized he was the same guy all that time. He wanted to turn himself into a pure demon, so. Giant snake.
[It seemed to be a side-effect of his brother's blood magic or something. He had seen and heard of other Sleepers having their memories to exposed rather publicly. It definitely didn't react like how one of the gods would do things anyway. Thankfully he hadn't been exposed to many memories of others, though his curiosity of some of Willow's world were satisfied at the scene.]
Just seems to be happening these days. You might expose more to other people too.
[There were plenty of long-lived species that hundreds of years didn't shock him. He tilted his head as he considered her information.]
A giant snake seems like a bad form to take long term. You can't be a great warrior as a snake. Too much body and too many vulnerabilities. You and your friends kill him then?
[That's a bit of alarming news. Maybe it's time to avoid the network for a bit. Memories like this may be pretty bad - world in danger, friends dying - but there are still others she would rather not risk being randomly exposed to... well. Anyone.]
Does anyone know what caused it? Doesn't seem great to be randomly broadcasting old trauma to people.
But, uh. Yeah. We managed to kill him. He wasn't as vulnerable as he looked. Demons - pure demons like he turned into, they're hard to kill. Before our graduation day, there was only one other incident we found where someone had turned themselves into a creature like that. And it destroyed a whole village in, like, just a matter of hours.
The Mayor couldn't be hurt at all once he started the ritual until after he changed, but we managed it. We just had to blow up the whole school. Well... mostly, it was Buffy.
[He suspected it was his brother based on what Maul had told him, but this place still did strangeness on the regular when it came to blood magic. Maybe it was just activated by his brother and now part of this place. Either way, he was about to assign blame to Maul.
Instead, he tilted his head as he considered the events that they didn't see. The Winged Goddess and Fanged God were as close to entities that might be considered demons or superior entities he supposed.]
But you were victorious. You are a fighter then. [A beat of a pause.] What's a Buffy?
Yeah. I mean, I dunno if I'd call myself a fighter exactly, but I tried to help as much as I could. We all did. Otherwise it would've been all death and destruction and demons running loose, eating people and stuff.
[Her strength has always been magic rather than physically fighting, but that doesn't mean she doesn't try where she can.]
Huh? Buffy? Oh, that's my friend - the girl that was beside me before the fighting broke out. She's the real fighter.
You fought, and that makes you a warrior in my village. The means that you use are your own, but you made the choice to fight.
[He hadn't seen her fight much before this, and she had always told him that she used her magic defensively. He knew that she held some fear that she would go too far with the magic, and it would be a decision that she would regret.
He grew up in a society where the gift should never rule or corrupt, but it should be learned, understood and wielded for the betterment of the clan. Such attributes would be rewarded, though in this memory, he couldn't recall seeing her whip out any magic.]
Oh, that one. Why is she more of a fighter than you are?
Thanks. Really, we all just did what we could to try to survive.
[She gives a little nod of acknowledgement. She doesn't really consider herself a warrior by any stretch, but it still feels like a high compliment coming from Savage.
It's hardly a shock when he asks about Buffy and what makes her a fighter, and while it's normally something she would keep quiet about in Sunnydale, there seems little harm in telling him here. Besides, she does trust him.]
Oh, um. Big destiny stuff. She's way stronger, faster, and heals fast. Since she's the one supposed to be fighting demons and vampires and everything, she's actually trained for it. We just help.
Sometimes that's all it takes to be considered a warrior. Survival is the basic premise for every struggle.
[He had known her long enough to know what her tactic was to getting out of acknowledgement of her contributions. So she wasn't making a kill, but she had shown up. Eventually, he'd consider training her up in exchange her training him to read and write better.
He made a noise in his throat at the idea of destiny stuff. They had such traditions on his planet, especially if a kit was gifted.]
It is, but I'm pretty sure anyone would at least try to fight for their own survival. Okay, or maybe run. But I couldn't leave my friends.
[She hadn't considered running as an option, not when her friends were going to stand and fight, even without magic as a means of self-defense. She was too inexperienced at that point in her life to have become dependent on it.
Learning to adapt without it in Trench is more of a challenge than she had really expected it to be.
At the question, she shakes her head a little.]
Not... really, I don't think. I mean, the Slayer's power is mystical, but the origins of it is a little unclear. But we don't really have gods that give out power like that.
You'd be surprised how many don't realize their survival is at stake and don't stand their ground to protect it. Your loyalty to those you choose to form an alliance with is admirable.
[She did seem extremely loyal, and he figured that would push her into some kind of protectiveness when it came to a fight. She had obviously been younger and less experienced by that point too.
She seemed far more knowledgeable about her own memories and world at this point too. That was a good sign given her previous amnesia.]
And a slayer's purpose is to find and kill demons and other creatures considered to be dark in nature?
[Sounded like the Sith might want to keep their antics to a careful minimum if this Slayer showed up here.]
Yeah, I guess that's a good point. I don't know. I think I'd find it harder to leave my friends behind, you know? I mean, they've done a lot for me too.
[She had seen people helpless, of course, in the face of the vampires and demons back home, and she supposes there are people who can fight, who choose not to. Or like Faith, who for awhile, fought on the wrong side.]
Yeah, that's right. There's one here too. It's not Buffy, though. This is definitely the kind of place that keeps her pretty busy.
[Savage, in fact, did not know what that was like, not really. He would do anything for his brothers, but the idea of being friends with other Nightbrothers was risky business.]
I wouldn't leave my brothers behind unless it was to save them from something worse.
[He had done just that for Feral, not that it had worked out well for either of them at the time. If anything, being the stronger of the two and bonded with his brother had put a target on Feral's back.]
There are more than one blessed slayers on your planet? Can I fight them to see what makes them special?
One in every generation - once she dies, the next one's called. There's two right now, though. It's complicated.
[It's probably more than he needs, the explanation that Buffy died - briefly, technically - so another Slayer was called, that one was killed, and then the torch passed to Faith. Meanwhile, Buffy is still alive and well and fighting the good fight.]
I... probably wouldn't try to fight Faith if I were you.
[Well, actually. She's not at all surprised that that is exactly what Savage wants to do, but she doesn't want to see either of them get hurt.]
If there's two, that means one died but didn't die correctly? [Trench had taught him a thing or two about death being wishy-washy.] I expect that they team up for better results, or is it more of a competition between them?
[He cocked his head a little, filing the name away. He hadn't heard many people around these parts with a name like that, so this slayer should be easy enough to find with some digging.]
Faith. A good strong name full of conviction. I like it.
[On his planet, there was a lot to be said about the strength of one's name. Now he wanted to throw down with her ever more, though he'd keep the impulse in check for now.]
[He's got it exactly it, and it probably shouldn't be a shock.]
Yeah, actually. She technically died, but one of our friends managed to revive her. I guess it was still long enough, though, for the next one to be called.
[Willow smiles a little when he says he likes the name, and nods.]
Yeah. She's a strong person, and a good friend.
[She never thought she'd see the day when she'd call Faith Lehane a friend, let alone a good one, but Trench has changed a lot of things.]
You have revival magics in your world? Death is always the entity that so many fight against but have no ability to master. [Which made Trench rather confusing. He still existed as if he only had one life, and he wasn't keen to die again.
Ah yes, Willow and all her friends. She seemed to have a lot of them, which was - as far as he was concerned - a very human trait. They liked the company of others and trusted far too deeply to be healthy.]
So you don't want me to fight your friends, right?
Well, we do... but that's not what happened to Buffy then.
[Not that time anyway, but that is a story for another time.]
This was just good old fashioned first aid. Our friend got her back with CPR, but her heart had stopped and she wasn't breathing, so she was technically dead, and that was enough, apparently.
[And yes, she is attached to her friends, and does not want them hurt. Including Savage.]
Yeah, I'd rather you didn't. I mean, that's not something that sounds likely to end well for anyone.
Ah, basic healing techniques. Those worked and she was normal after?
[He had seen such techniques for kits that had drowned particularly, but they were never seemingly quite right after the fact if enough time had passed. It wasn't call CPR on his planet, but he knew what she meant based on the description of the ailment.
It wasn't a surprise that she didn't want him to fight her friends, what with her being mostly peaceful and such.]
Yeah, she was. It was rough for awhile, but it worked out.
[It's said with a nod. The death had been traumatic, of course, but Buffy had recovered well from it in the end. Nothing Willow would consider out of the norm, especially not after her time between Deerington and Trench.]
Yeah, I mean, if you want to spar with her, you could ask her, I guess.
I suppose your world better off for having two slayers.
[As far as he was concerned, every world would be better off with more warriors. If anything, if these slayers were god-touched, they could be a challenge to fight.
However, he wasn't in the mood to making Willow angry because he had a curiosity of fighting. It wasn't worth his time at this point, though sparring with set rules seemed to be on the table. He'd consider it.]
I could, yes. Different fighting styles improve everyone all around.
[He was still debatable about the notion of good and evil. They had similar representation when it came to light and dark sides of the Force, but both had a place in culture and life in general. As a Dark Side user, he would be considered evil he supposed.]
It seems that way. There is a place for that evil too, I expect. How do the people of the light expect to be their best without it to fight against?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Video; UN: Willow (Memshare!)
Hey - are you still up for meeting at the Archives later?
[It does not end there, but the feed shifts to a ceremony outside a high school. Graduation Day. It's remarkably dark, and there is a man at the podium giving a speech to what appears to be a very bored looking class of seniors, ready to move onto the next phase of their lives.
Something isn't quite right, though. He twists, and shifts, around, and nearly collapses as he tries to get through his speech before he lets out a pained scream. He manages to steady himself briefly, as the students all look around at each other. "It has begun. My destiny," he says, and he begins to thumb through his cue cards like he intends to keep going with his speech. "It's a little sooner than I expected. I had this whole section on civic pride, but I guess we'll just skip to the big finish."
He changes, skin bubbling strangely as his form shifts from a human to massive snake, towering over the assembled. The students rise, and the parents flee for their lives, as he roars a deafening sound. From behind them, a group of about two dozen vampires approach to try to cut off their escape, but the students hold their ground until from beside Willow, a young woman with blonde hair calls out "NOW!"
They shrug out of their robes, and it's clear the entire graduating class knew what was coming - every single one of them are armed. Some with all kinds of melee weapons imaginable, some with crossbows, some with flamethrowers, and some, like Willow, with spear guns.
The battle is fierce, but organized. There are two students who are clearly in command, and that is the one who was beside Willow, and a teenaged boy with dark hair who shout instructions to help control the attack. The snake strikes, and several of its intended victims are killed, including the high school principal who tried to stop the attack by declaring it 'unacceptable' and demanding order.
Several of the students break rank and try to flee, only to be attacked by the vampires who are met with resistance from a group of kids near the back armed with bows and flaming arrows. The vampires themselves try to flee, only to have their retreat cut off by a third wave of what looks like it could be both students and staff alike, determined to put a stop to the madness.
The retreat is called, and Willow hesitates until her friend tells her again to go. She joins the rest of the crush of kids, who essentially trample over the remaining vampires. She is clearly not a trained fighter, but she manages to get through it alive and unharmed, which is more than could be said for some of her classmates, and eventually the remaining vampires retreat.
An explosion draws the attention of the remaining fighters all at once, followed by several more, even though it's not immediately clear before the end of the memory what has happened exactly beyond the school being completely destroyed.
The feed clicks back to Willow, and she looks absolutely baffled.]
Uhhh... that - that wasn't me. Or, I don't think it was me.
video;
He wouldn't call her a friend yet, since that was still very much a part of him that was in denial. Dathomirian Zabrak did not make friends, least of all with other species beyond their planet.]
Yeah, fine...
[Then there's this whole weird scene that he wasn't expecting to happen. So the memory share thing was happening to more than just his brother? That was interesting, and it was definitely a part of Willow's life he hadn't expected to see.
She wasn't a warrior by any means, but she held her own because she had to and relied on more veteran fighters to put her in good position to work.
Yet, he hadn't thought she had all her memories back. The conversations he had with her during their reading sessions seemed to indicate some were back - she recognized him and their brief history together - but happened to have gaps.]
That was you. At some strange ceremony. But you don't know what the serpent was?
no subject
Reading in the Archives helps more than she really says, but she's not sure she needs to say it. Sometimes it's vague sensations of deja vu, other times the memories come back more clear. She spent a lot of time here before her death, even before she took up helping Savage with his reading. Sometimes she even remembers a particular passage or a book that he's read to her before.
She shakes her head as he says that yes, it is her.]
No, no, I mean, it's me - that's me. But I didn't do anything to make that video. I wasn't even thinking about that. That's weird.
[She figures more of an explanation of the memory itself is owed, and shakes her head.]
That was our graduation from high school. The guy - snake guy. He was the Mayor of our town - he founded it himself, like, a hundred years before this happened. Just no one realized he was the same guy all that time. He wanted to turn himself into a pure demon, so. Giant snake.
no subject
Just seems to be happening these days. You might expose more to other people too.
[There were plenty of long-lived species that hundreds of years didn't shock him. He tilted his head as he considered her information.]
A giant snake seems like a bad form to take long term. You can't be a great warrior as a snake. Too much body and too many vulnerabilities. You and your friends kill him then?
no subject
Does anyone know what caused it? Doesn't seem great to be randomly broadcasting old trauma to people.
But, uh. Yeah. We managed to kill him. He wasn't as vulnerable as he looked. Demons - pure demons like he turned into, they're hard to kill. Before our graduation day, there was only one other incident we found where someone had turned themselves into a creature like that. And it destroyed a whole village in, like, just a matter of hours.
The Mayor couldn't be hurt at all once he started the ritual until after he changed, but we managed it. We just had to blow up the whole school. Well... mostly, it was Buffy.
no subject
[He suspected it was his brother based on what Maul had told him, but this place still did strangeness on the regular when it came to blood magic. Maybe it was just activated by his brother and now part of this place. Either way, he was about to assign blame to Maul.
Instead, he tilted his head as he considered the events that they didn't see. The Winged Goddess and Fanged God were as close to entities that might be considered demons or superior entities he supposed.]
But you were victorious. You are a fighter then. [A beat of a pause.] What's a Buffy?
no subject
[Her strength has always been magic rather than physically fighting, but that doesn't mean she doesn't try where she can.]
Huh? Buffy? Oh, that's my friend - the girl that was beside me before the fighting broke out. She's the real fighter.
no subject
[He hadn't seen her fight much before this, and she had always told him that she used her magic defensively. He knew that she held some fear that she would go too far with the magic, and it would be a decision that she would regret.
He grew up in a society where the gift should never rule or corrupt, but it should be learned, understood and wielded for the betterment of the clan. Such attributes would be rewarded, though in this memory, he couldn't recall seeing her whip out any magic.]
Oh, that one. Why is she more of a fighter than you are?
no subject
[She gives a little nod of acknowledgement. She doesn't really consider herself a warrior by any stretch, but it still feels like a high compliment coming from Savage.
It's hardly a shock when he asks about Buffy and what makes her a fighter, and while it's normally something she would keep quiet about in Sunnydale, there seems little harm in telling him here. Besides, she does trust him.]
Oh, um. Big destiny stuff. She's way stronger, faster, and heals fast. Since she's the one supposed to be fighting demons and vampires and everything, she's actually trained for it. We just help.
no subject
[He had known her long enough to know what her tactic was to getting out of acknowledgement of her contributions. So she wasn't making a kill, but she had shown up. Eventually, he'd consider training her up in exchange her training him to read and write better.
He made a noise in his throat at the idea of destiny stuff. They had such traditions on his planet, especially if a kit was gifted.]
Does that mean that she is god-touched?
no subject
[She hadn't considered running as an option, not when her friends were going to stand and fight, even without magic as a means of self-defense. She was too inexperienced at that point in her life to have become dependent on it.
Learning to adapt without it in Trench is more of a challenge than she had really expected it to be.
At the question, she shakes her head a little.]
Not... really, I don't think. I mean, the Slayer's power is mystical, but the origins of it is a little unclear. But we don't really have gods that give out power like that.
no subject
[She did seem extremely loyal, and he figured that would push her into some kind of protectiveness when it came to a fight. She had obviously been younger and less experienced by that point too.
She seemed far more knowledgeable about her own memories and world at this point too. That was a good sign given her previous amnesia.]
And a slayer's purpose is to find and kill demons and other creatures considered to be dark in nature?
[Sounded like the Sith might want to keep their antics to a careful minimum if this Slayer showed up here.]
no subject
[She had seen people helpless, of course, in the face of the vampires and demons back home, and she supposes there are people who can fight, who choose not to. Or like Faith, who for awhile, fought on the wrong side.]
Yeah, that's right. There's one here too. It's not Buffy, though. This is definitely the kind of place that keeps her pretty busy.
no subject
I wouldn't leave my brothers behind unless it was to save them from something worse.
[He had done just that for Feral, not that it had worked out well for either of them at the time. If anything, being the stronger of the two and bonded with his brother had put a target on Feral's back.]
There are more than one blessed slayers on your planet? Can I fight them to see what makes them special?
no subject
[It's probably more than he needs, the explanation that Buffy died - briefly, technically - so another Slayer was called, that one was killed, and then the torch passed to Faith. Meanwhile, Buffy is still alive and well and fighting the good fight.]
I... probably wouldn't try to fight Faith if I were you.
[Well, actually. She's not at all surprised that that is exactly what Savage wants to do, but she doesn't want to see either of them get hurt.]
no subject
[He cocked his head a little, filing the name away. He hadn't heard many people around these parts with a name like that, so this slayer should be easy enough to find with some digging.]
Faith. A good strong name full of conviction. I like it.
[On his planet, there was a lot to be said about the strength of one's name. Now he wanted to throw down with her ever more, though he'd keep the impulse in check for now.]
no subject
Yeah, actually. She technically died, but one of our friends managed to revive her. I guess it was still long enough, though, for the next one to be called.
[Willow smiles a little when he says he likes the name, and nods.]
Yeah. She's a strong person, and a good friend.
[She never thought she'd see the day when she'd call Faith Lehane a friend, let alone a good one, but Trench has changed a lot of things.]
no subject
Ah yes, Willow and all her friends. She seemed to have a lot of them, which was - as far as he was concerned - a very human trait. They liked the company of others and trusted far too deeply to be healthy.]
So you don't want me to fight your friends, right?
no subject
[Not that time anyway, but that is a story for another time.]
This was just good old fashioned first aid. Our friend got her back with CPR, but her heart had stopped and she wasn't breathing, so she was technically dead, and that was enough, apparently.
[And yes, she is attached to her friends, and does not want them hurt. Including Savage.]
Yeah, I'd rather you didn't. I mean, that's not something that sounds likely to end well for anyone.
no subject
[He had seen such techniques for kits that had drowned particularly, but they were never seemingly quite right after the fact if enough time had passed. It wasn't call CPR on his planet, but he knew what she meant based on the description of the ailment.
It wasn't a surprise that she didn't want him to fight her friends, what with her being mostly peaceful and such.]
Sparring doesn't end with death.
no subject
[It's said with a nod. The death had been traumatic, of course, but Buffy had recovered well from it in the end. Nothing Willow would consider out of the norm, especially not after her time between Deerington and Trench.]
Yeah, I mean, if you want to spar with her, you could ask her, I guess.
no subject
[As far as he was concerned, every world would be better off with more warriors. If anything, if these slayers were god-touched, they could be a challenge to fight.
However, he wasn't in the mood to making Willow angry because he had a curiosity of fighting. It wasn't worth his time at this point, though sparring with set rules seemed to be on the table. He'd consider it.]
I could, yes. Different fighting styles improve everyone all around.
no subject
Yeah. I mean, granted it's a big wide world out there. Lots of space for more than one Slayer to fight evil in their own way, right?
[She nods. It's a fair point. There's probably plenty Faith and Savage could learn from sparring with each other.]
It probably wouldn't hurt to ask her, sure.
no subject
It seems that way. There is a place for that evil too, I expect. How do the people of the light expect to be their best without it to fight against?
[He nodded his head. He'd consider it.]
Fine. I will later.