#bombarded wesley

[enigmatist17]

I'm still crying over Cordelia's death, I loved her so fucking much :(

--

Spike dropped to his knees like a cut marionette when a feeling of utter sadness ripped through his chest, the startled voices of the others in the elevator muted as pure agony washed over him.

Angel was in pain, the bond between them flaring bright as the sun as he gasped for unneeded air.

"Talk to us, what's wrong?" He was vaguely aware that Lorne was calling to him, the pain lessening with each breath as Spike wildly looked around as if trying to draw the answer from nothing.

"Angel, something is wrong with Angel." He finally forces the words out from his throat, the demon practically holding him up as Fred reverses the elevator's course, heading back up as Spike clutches his head.

He wasn't going to be of any use if Angel didn't stop bombarding him with waves upon waves of agony, so with great reluctance, he took a deep breath before going still, focusing on the bond as he sent a feeling of comfort in return. At first, he doubted Angel even remembered that he could feel Spike, but after a few moments, the waves of pain subsided as the elevator doors opened, Lorne remaining with Spike as the others rushed to his office.

"You going to be alright kitten?" The demon asked as he helped the vampire onto unsteady feet, Spike nodding as his ragged breathing slowed.

"Bloody idiot was lucky I wasn't driving." Spike grumbled, pulling away from Lorne. "Go, see what's got him in knots, I'll be 'ere."

"Won't be long then." The other hurried off, and Spike sagged onto the closest couch with a sigh, waiting for his head to stop aching and the others to report back. At the same time, he poured comfort into the bond, hoping it would help calm Angel enough about whatever was happening.

Ten minutes pass before he can hear the crying, and his heart sinks as he stands, treading towards a familiar office. Wesley is stumbling out the door with a pained look, making it two steps before he throws up whatever he'd eaten in the last day, ugly sobs crawling out of his throat as the vampire steadies him. The bond threatens to flare up with more agony, and Spike resumes sending comfort through it while giving Wesley his own via a gentle pat on his back.

"What's happened?" Spike guides Wesley back toward Angel's office, pointing toward the closest chair when it's clear the other is too stunned to respond.

"C...Cordy's dead." Spike looked over at his grandsire, who was barely standing upright as he leaned against his desk.

"What? But she was 'ere a few minutes ago, breathin' as sure as anything." Spike looks around the room in confusion, the various Angel Investigations team members scattered around all in their own states of shock as they try to process what Angel has told them.

"It was a last gift, from the Powers."

"Oh..."

What else could he say? Sure, he didn't know the bird much, but she'd always had a solid head on her shoulders in the few times they had interacted.

Right, problem-solving mode it was; Spike was decent at that.

"Alright ducks, let's move this up to Angel's flat yea? No one's goin' home today, and I ain't driving with some blubberin' messes." Spike cleared his throat, his voice cutting through the heavy silence.

"Spike -"

"Can it...sire, you first." Angel's reddened eyes snapped to his at the term, and Spike just held his gaze before the older slowly got to his feet, trudging towards his elevator with his shoulders hunched. "Good."

"I can call for some cots and such, let -" Gunn was cut off when Spike shook his head.

"I'll do it, go up there an' be with the big ponce, all of you." Gunn sighed and followed after Angel, Lorne helping Fred off the floor where she'd collapsed. Wesley was still looking at the floor as Spike called the 24-hour staff to bring up some beds for the night and, after a pause, ordered food for the next day, just in case, before sitting on the arm of Wes's chair.

"She's gone." The man just sounded absolutely shattered, his voice barely a whisper as tears streamed down his face in a never-ending cascade. "She's..."

"I'm sorry." A pale hand rests on the former Watcher's shoulder, a surprising balm as Wesley does his best to memorize the carpet.

"Cordelia was the reason I stayed, with Angel - with a purpose after the Council fired me."

"Tell me about 'er, sounds like a good one."

So he does, the vampire listening as Wesley starts at the beginning, giving a weak chuckle as he describes a woman with long brunette hair he'd thought to be a teacher. Wesley talks until he has no more words, pulled up and onto his feet by Spike as they head for the elevator. Save Angel, everyone had passed out in the temporary beds littered throughout the penthouse apartment. Wesley shuffled towards the last one with a squeeze of Spike's shoulder, the vampire heading toward the figure sitting on the main bed.

"Thanks, for getting them set up."

"For once, don't mention it." Angel makes a vague noise that could be considered a chuckle. "That includes you, too."

"...I don't know what I'm going to do without her." A leather coat, usually treated with care, is dropped on the floor as Angel slips it off. His shoes get a similar treatment before he lays back on his bed, his eyes shining with unshed tears.

"You'll be alright, I reckon." Spike draws the covers over him, before moving to take the free armchair in the corner by the expansive windows. "Sleep."

For once Angel listens, leaving Spike to begin an unspoken vigil over his hurting family, a clink of his lighter the only noise as he lights the first of many cigarettes.

#angel the series #angel #angel btvs #spike #spike btvs #cordelia chase #wesley wyndam pryce #lorne #fred burkle #charles gunn #angel the series spoilers #season 5 #actually gutted #she became a top character and it angers me Joss was able to tear her character down #because he's a child

[eeteernity]

Crispin x reader Relationship Hc

you’re in his great photos folder under the name favourite, and the password for it is your name

you make sure not to go too extreme on his birthday so you make sure to make time for him constantly

it takes him a while to open about what happened with his birthday, in hindsight he knows it was a bit extreme

he eventually tells you

make sure you validate him ❤️❤️

he’s not huge on PDA

but he loves being spooned when you guys are at your house

you kinda already know his siblings its a pretty small island

but he knows you’ll be bombarded if he brings you home

you convince him

Ted is very silent and just waves hi

howell is a bit passive aggressive and comments on your looks

dw crispin has the bat ready to go <33

merlin just says a simple hi with a smile while toast is trying to get you to conspire against cass with her

leads to a fight

wesley is pretty cool as usual

and deckard is nervous

crispin quickly whisks you off to his room where you guys laugh and joke the whole time while his siblings listen through the door

he likes to give forehead kisses

while he likes kisses on the cheek

you often just hang around his shop and nap

he likes to ramble on about clowns to you

crispin acts really different and needy around you

“(y/nnnnnnn) come hug meee!!”

you wonder who this man is

he likes to take you on drives at night

you take him on dates often

you find him so cute while he’s sleeping

sometimes when he hasn’t seen you in a while he sculpts you so he doesn’t get lonely

he wont let you see

“crispy!! let me see what you made!”

“AH NO! YOU CANT LOOK ITS GONNA MESS IT UP”

“PLEASEE CRISPY!! CRIPSY NUGGETS, CRISPY CHIPS.”

“STOP WITH THE CRISPY.”

overall he’s very loving and you cannot stand to be away from him

if you were scared of clowns your gonna have to start go love them

AH SORRY IF I DIDNT DO HIM JUSTICE HE’S ONLY BEEN IN 2 EPISODES SO I CANNOT PORTRAY HIM CORRECTLY I JUST NEEDED TO GET THE WORD OUT THAT I LOVE HIM

#crispin x reader #crispin #bee and puppycat x reader #bee and puppycat #puppycat #wizard #clowns #xreader #i love crispin #please someone else write about him #crispin x y/n #crispin hc #crispin wizard x reader

[beanbo1]

I keep seeing videos of Paul Wesley answering fan questions on his Instagram stories and it’s incredible how it is exactly what I imagine Neil to be like when he goes pro.

His PR team is begging him to have more of a presence on his socials so he puts a “I’ll answer your questions for the next 2 hrs” on his Instagram story and opens it up to his followers. He gets bombarded with niche (at least for him 😂) pop culture questions and his lack of knowledge and aggressive sarcasm is just pure entertainment. He obliterates anyone rude or nosy and Andrew is busting a gut on the inside and silently judging on the outside. Neil is just so perplexed why anyone wants his thoughts on Larry because what the fuck is a Larry I don’t know anyone named Larry. And it’s just too good.

Please if no one has watched these clips you have to I know I’m not the only one who will think this. And then I need someone to write an au it’s just too perfect.

( Paul is a very tame version of what I imagine but it’s just too perfect)

#aftg #neil josten #Neil Josten is an idiot but I love him for it

[reds-fluff-extravaganza]

Wesley x female!reader

Requested over on ao3! Reader is new to the island and needs a job, so she works at the cafe!

You had just moved onto the island, away from the mainland. While your family was a little unsure about this idea, they wanted you to be happy, and if this would make you happy, then so be it. They would support you, and your choices.

You had just finished bringing your things, which were currently in boxes, into your new apartment, wiping the bit of sweat off your forehead before turning to face the boxes. Now it was time to unpack everything and get it put away. You looked out the nearby window and saw it was starting to get late, so you figured you could put your things away tomorrow and maybe take a walk around before getting some sleep, and maybe something to eat while you were at it.

You walked outside and took a look around your surroundings, before you started walking, to where, exactly? Not even you knew, you just wanted to walk around and see what there was around the island, and figure out where everything was. As you walked, you took in your surroundings, getting a wave here and there from people you walked past.

“They seem friendly enough,” you thought to yourself as you kept walking, a faint smile on your face. As you walked, you soon noticed a cute little cafe in the distance. Curious, you made your way over to the cafe, and when you saw that it was still open, you walked inside. Practically as soon as you stepped inside and the door closed behind you, you were bombarded by a bunch of cats, which caught you off guard and you nearly fell over. You managed to catch your balance before you fell, but you laughed a bit and knelt down to pet the cats.

“This is a surprise, the cats are usually pretty timid around new people.” You heard a male voice say, making you look up from the small herd of cats that were all wanting your attention. You saw a male with tan skin and blueish green hair, wearing what you could guess was a uniform for the cafe, and from the way he looked and how he sounded, you could tell he was a little flamboyant and takes pride in his appearance.

“Really?” You tilt your head slightly, petting a black and white cat that had crawled onto your lap. He only nodded in response, before looking back at you.

“I’ve never seen you around before, are you new?”

“Yeah, I just moved here today. I didn’t feel like unpacking everything at the moment, so I decided to walk around and find where everything is. Oh, that’s right, my name’s (y/n)!”

“The name’s Howell. Everyone else is… somewhere.”

“Everyone else?” You asked, curious to what he meant by that.

“Yeah, my siblings are all here, and I’m sure they’d like to meet you too… maybe. I dunno.” Howell held a hand out for you to take to help you up, which you took. Howell helped you up before letting go of your hand.

“Thanks.”

“No problem.” You took a look around the cafe, noticing that it was pretty empty aside from you and Howell.

“It’s usually busier during the day, but you happened to come by as we were getting ready to close for the night.”

“Oh! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to keep you guys!”

“It’s whatever. You could come by tomorrow?”

“Sure, that sounds like a plan!” You smiled and nodded, turning to leave. “See you tomorrow!” You left the cafe and started making your way back to your apartment. What you didn’t see, was a certain older brother watching you as you left. Wesley walked over to Howell, looking at the door.

“Oh, that was Y/n, they’re apparently new to the island. They’ll be back tomorrow.” Howell could just tell he was at least a little curious about you. Wesley only nodded and turned to help clean up before leaving. Howell only shook his head and followed after him.

The next day, you had gotten up, eating a small breakfast your parents had packed for you before you left… why you didn’t eat that for dinner was beyond you. You got your things unpacked and put away. It surprisingly didn’t take as long as you thought, considering you had quite a bit of stuff with you. As you were unpacking, you remembered the cat cafe you had visited last night, and your encounter with Howell. You decided that you were going back again today, and you were going now since you were done with what you wanted to get done today. You walked outside, closed and locked the door behind you, and head back to the cafe.

“Welcome back, Y/n.” You were once again greeted by several cats swarming you.

“Thanks, Howell.” You saw a few other people, some you could tell were customers, and few… well you could tell by their uniform that they worked here at the cafe. You sat at a table by yourself, as Howell went to take care of something. You had the same black and white cat from the night before sitting on your lap.

“Hello.” you heard another voice speak up, making you look up at the taller male.

“Oh, hello!” You said with a soft smile on your face. “You must be one of Howell’s brothers?” It was more of a question than anything. He only nodded and sat across from you.

“…My name’s Wesley.”

“Wesley? Well, it’s nice to meet you! My name’s Y/n, I just moved here yesterday.” Wesley nodded once more, looking at you now. The two of you sit and chat for a while, or at least.. you talked and Wesley listened, nodding or making a little gesture here and there.

“Wesley doesn’t usually talk much to new people.. you must be special, Y/n.” You heard Howell say as he approached the two of you.

“Nah, I’m not really that special, I’m just an ordinary girl!” You laughed a bit in response. It was true, you were just a rather ordinary girl, who just moved onto the island yesterday, and you were just looking for some new friends.

“Hey… do you guys think we could be friends?” You asked suddenly, catching the boys’ attention. “I know we only just met today and everything, but I… don’t have any friends here yet, and you both are pretty nice from what I can tell so far.” You were cut off by Howell who responded to you with a,

“Yeah, sure, why not?” Wesley nodded in agreement to his brother’s words.

“Great! I’m happy to hear it.” You smiled softly.

“Maybe we could hang out later..?” You suggested, still petting the cat that was on your lap.

“Sure.” Wesley responded.

“Great! I’ll see you guys later, then!” You got up, the cat in your lap now on the floor, and you left the cafe, Wesley watching you leave.

“…you like her, don’t you, Wesley?” Howell asked the older brother. Wesley simply shrugged and walked back into the kitchen, Howell shook his head as he watched his brother leave.

It’s been almost a year since you met the Wizard family, and you’ve gotten pretty close with most of them, except for Crispin, but you didn’t mind it too much. However, you’ve gotten really close with the second oldest brother, Wesley. You two spend a lot of time together, whether it’s at the cafe or on his off days. Speaking of the cafe, Howell ended up offering you a job there since he knew you needed to work and he liked you, as a friend of course. You were rather grateful for this and so was Wesley, as this gave him a chance to be around you more often.

Over the past few months, you had gained a bit of a crush on Wesley, but you had shoved it aside since you figured he wouldn’t feel that way towards you… so you kept quiet about your feelings. However, practically all of Wesley’s siblings knew about your feelings towards him, and about he feels about you. They have debated on trying to set the two of you up on multiple occasions.

“Wesley.” Howell and Cass approached their older brother.

“Hmm?” He looked over at his younger siblings as he looked ready to leave the apartment.

“We know how you feel about Y/n. Why don’t you tell her how you feel?”

“Come on, Howell, don’t try to force him to confess his feelings.” Cass lightly smacked him upside his head, making him yelp in surprise and glare at her. Wesley only shook his head in response, as if to say that he just wasn’t ready to confess his feelings for you yet. He wanted to, but he felt… afraid, in a sense. As if he didn’t want to ruin your friendship.

“Wait where are you going?” Howell asked suddenly, curious to where Wesley was going.

“It’s Y/n’s turn to close up, so he’s going to walk her home.” Cass answered before walking back to her room.

“You do care for her… you should just tell her already.” Wesley just shrugged and walked out, closing the door behind him. He had thought about his siblings words as he walked back to the cafe. He wanted to tell you how felt, but he wasn’t sure if you felt the same way towards him…

As he was approaching the cafe, he saw you locking the door. You looked over as he approached, a soft smile on your face.

“Oh, hey, Wesley!” Wesley smiled softly in response as he walked up to you.

“Oh..? Are you going to walk me home..?” He nodded in agreement, keeping the smile on his face. “Oh, you didn’t have to do that.”

“It’s what friends are for, Y/n.” Friends. Oh how you wanted to be more than that, but you were fine with being friends, as long as you got to keep hanging out with him.

“Oh, alright, let’s go!” You smiled as the two of you walked to your apartment, talking as you walked. You talked about whatever came to mind, whether it was about your day at work, something you heard, or just… something completely random. Wesley just smiled as he listened to you talk, chuckling a bit in response to something you said.

As you got closer to your apartment, you felt something wet touch your forehead. Confused, you looked up, feeling it again but on your cheek and forehead once more.

“Oh shoot, it’s about to rain!” You two then started to run towards your apartment, which was only a few minutes away now. Fortunately, you got to your apartment before it started pouring down rain. You closed the door behind the two of you.

“Well.. it looks like you’ll be over here for a while until the rain stops. I hope you don’t mind.” You looked over at the taller male, who didn’t seem to mind at all. In fact, he didn’t mind, as he would be spending more time with you. You felt the same way, glad to be spending more time with him.

“Well… we could maybe watch a movie or something..?” You suggested, to which Wesley nodded in agreement.

“Sweet, you get comfy on the couch and I’ll be back.” Wesley went over to the couch and sat down as you went to your room to change out of your uniform. As he waited, he looked around the room, taking in his current surroundings, he noticed a few pictures here and there, but he doesn’t say anything about them. He was curious, though.

You soon came back to the living room in a t-shirt and sweat pants/shorts. You went over to the couch and sat by Wesley, grabbing the remote from the coffee table and turning the TV on.

“Alright, let’s pick a movie.”

“…how about (insert movie here)?”

“Sure!” You nodded and brought up the movie, pressing play and setting the remote back down on the coffee table. Within the first half hour of the movie, you had ended up moving closer to Wesley without even realizing it. How could you not notice that? Not even you knew.

Wesley, on the other hand, had noticed the distance between you two had gotten shorter and shorter, until you were practically leaning against him. Without thinking, he wrapped an arm around you, pulling you closer. Surprised, you glanced up at him, but you decide to not question it, and rest your head on his shoulder as you go back to watching the movie.

It was rather quiet, except for you two occasionally commenting on the movie or laughing at something. It wasn’t an awkward silence, either, it was a nice kind of silence. Once the movie was over, the two of you looked at each other, him still having an arm around you, and you still leaning against him.

“Wesley…” you started, “there’s… something I have to tell you.”

“…so do I, Y/n.”

“…does it have to do with the fact that you still have your arm around me?” You asked. Wesley only nodded, and you could swear you saw a faint blush on his face.

“I… really like you, Y/n, as more than a friend. I have… never really felt this way towards anyone else.”

“Wait, really? I like you too, Wesley. And it’s okay, we can take things slow, heck, we don’t even have to tell your siblings about us if you don’t want to.” Wesley smiled softly in response to your words as he hugged you.

“I would appreciate that, thank you.” He said loud enough for you to hear before he kissed your forehead softly. You hugged him back, noticing how nice and soft, and warm he is.

“Would you… like to stay over and continue watching movies with me? Since, uh, it looks like the rain stopped.”

“I would rather be here with you. They know I’m with you.”

“At least give them a ‘hey, I won’t be home tonight’ or something, okay?” Wesley chuckled softly and nodded.

“Okay.”

“Alright, let’s get some snacks and watch another movie!” You stood up and went to the kitchen, coming back with a few snacks for you two as you brought up another movie, (favorite movie), knowing that tonight, it was just you and your new boyfriend, Wesley.

#bee and puppycat #bapc #sfw #bapc wesley #wesley bapc #wesley wizard #wesley/reader #wesley x reader #bapc wesley/reader #bapc wesley x reader #x reader #reader insert #fluff #fluff oneshot #x reader oneshot #oneshot #female reader #reader is female #fem reader

[practicalsolutions]

Some Wesley/Beep Man lore/Exploring the weirdness of brain plasticity and the effects of having his mind wired to a machine.

Wesley has a way to feel with his mechanical parts. Collision with objects set off pressure sensors. These signals are meant to help the computer determine where parts are situated and collect information about the surroundings. These signals have, over time, become interpreted by Wesley's brain as a rudimentary sense of touch. There's no way for him to know if what he's touching is rough, smooth, soft, slimy, etc, but he still gets a fuzzy sense of contact.

Temperature sensors in his hands don't get interpreted as hot or cold. It does feed the temperature data to the computer, which can put the value in degrees in Wesley's mind like part of his HUD. Over time, he's foregone the need for the number to pop up in his head. He can tell from a faint sensation in the back of his mind of varying intensity, depending on the temperature of what he's touching.

His HUD used to show detailed information about damage, but he's adapted ways to know without it. He can feel the hum of power in his wires and the emptiness of its absence. There is a downside to Wesley's gradual adaptation to his nervous system being connected to a machine. Alerts triggered by damage started getting interpreted as discomfort.

Lastly, a purely psychological phenomenon, he can feel phantom pain or pins-and-needles. Sometimes for no reason, but often aggravated by seeing parts of himself damaged or missing. His healing factor lessens pain from damage to biological parts but has no effect on phantom sensations.

New sensors and articulated parts are a strain on his mind and can overwhelm him. Too much damage or too many signals can overwhelm him. He can learn how to use new limbs, new body plans, but it takes time to adapt. The computer could walk for him, and he could simply think where to go, but moving his legs manually, with the raw power of his mind, took time.

He can mentally retreat into the machine. Sometimes, it's intentional, but there are times he doesn't realize he's doing it. He could be analyzing data or going over a memory recorded through his eyes. There's many reasons he may become absent to the world around him. Sometimes, he has absentee seizures from an excess of signals bombarding his nervous system. Sometimes, he's just dissociating because of bad mental health.

Administration thought he was braindead and was content with him being nothing more than a biological component inseparable from the machine. His brain was a second specialized processor used by the computer for tasks it's not equipped to process by itself. Like a living GPU.

They didn't count on Wesley to be himself again and take back control, or even to regain functions analogous to ones he's lost. Wesley is legally dead, and was at one point clinically dead, but his humanity is not lost. Only transformed.

#ooc #oc lore #Wesley #beep man

[ofskellingtcns]

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full name : wesley lavandin hamato - skellington nickname(s) :  wes, wessy age :  twenty - one birth date :  october 29 birth place :  hallow falls siblings :  has three sisters: lilith, diana & calliope gender : cis  male  ( he / him )
 orientation : biromantic  bisexual
 occupation :  intern at genius built ,  university student at walt university ( double major in biochemistry and mechanical engineering )  face claim : r.udy p.ankow

↪  inspired  by:   richie tozier  (  it 2017  ) , mike wheeler (  stranger things  )  ,  donnie darko ( donnie darko ) ,  charlie kelly (  it’s always sunny in philadelphia  ) , boys will be bugs by cavetown , wally west  ( young justice ) , shane madej ( watcher / buzzfeed unsolved ) , jj maybank ( outer banks ) , borderline by tame impala , lip gallagher ( shameless ) 

          if you ever wanted to know what jasper skellington was like when he was a teenager just look at his son wesley. the clone of his father and only son between jasper and donnie, wes is the part of jasper that died. a menace with a thirst for knowledge and starry eyes. he may be jasper’s clone but wes is very much his papa’s boy as well. he’s the perfection mixture of both his parents. wes was kind, smart and loving like his father. however he also held donnie’s aloofness and rebellious tendencies and echoed his papa’s feelings of isolation, need to prove himself and wanting to find something that made sense in a world where everything already seemed decided. he’s brilliant, incredibly so, but wes often plays dumb if only to keep the upper hand in situations. he’s quite diabolical when he wants to be. 

wes was the baby that helped bring his parents back together after their divorce. like all their kids, wes was made with an infinite about of love. donnie thought that a baby would bring jasper back to him and while it was a silly thought it wasn’t entirely wrong. in the midst of their rekindling donnie was gravely injured by a rouge foot clan member. it made jasper rethink everything. one of those being more kids. thus wesley was born. donnie always said he wanted a mini jasper to love, cherish and protect. he got exactly that in his only boy. wes was ( and still is ) without a doubt a papa’s boy. from a young age he clung to donnie and to this day still does. he’s close to his dad as well. he looks up to his dad and admires his strength and wisdom but does often clash with him given how similar they are. he is his father’s clone afterall. 

      wesley always struggled with the idea of purpose. having both of his parents who had big legacies attached to them wasn’t easy. the hamato clan was all about destiny and the skellington name held a weight he felt he would only crumble under. lilith always had a perfect sense of self, diana had her path planned for her as her papa’s clone and well callie didn’t have to worry she was the baby. what did wes have? nothing at least he believed so when he was a teenager and lost. after jasper left the role of mayor of hallow falls, any set path wes had was derailed. jasper didn’t want what he had to go through for his son. the town cost him many things - his marriage more importantly and sense of self. jasper didn’t want to have wes suffer the same fate. by stripping that away from him it left wes lost and truthfully insecure because what did he have to offer? it was an existential crisis he dealt with for sometime

      now in his twenties wes has calmed down. don’t be fooled he’s still a menace and a headache on a good day but he’s a lot more tame than he used to be. when he’s not being bombarded by his sisters who love him or hanging out with his best friends ( reggie rogers & lucien reyes-park i love u ) you’ll find wes with his boyfriend, harry teague. they were friends for a long time. like his dads, wes had no romantic interest. unlike his dads, he was well aware of everyone else's interest in him but wes only had eyes for harry. he’s stupidly in love and happy to have found someone who makes him feel alive. wes juggles being a university student ( yes his dad’s his professor and he hates being asked if his dad is single thanks ), working for his papa’s tech company ( that he’ll take over one day ! ) and being a menace to society. as the lone son of jasper he was expected to take over the spirit of halloween title but instead gave that to lili. he knew his sister would thrive at it better than he would. that of course caused problems with his grandparents but wes didn’t care. he happily told them off. he’s writing his own destiny whether they like it or not. he has the support of is parents which is all that really matters to him. he knows now that he has a lot to offer the world. 

random  facts

being donnie’s son means that wes is connected to the hamato ninpo. it’s a recent discovery and he’s still navigating how to use it. since diana now has a bow and arrow, donnie’s bo staff has been passed down to him. like donnie he’s able to conjure weapons with his mystic ability. he’s able to transform donnie’s staff into a scythe. his ninpo is black and tied to the phases of the moon. the different phases are shown on his body. ( inspo / x )

as a half skeleton monster the transformation wasn’t as seamless as it was for jasper. it takes an hour for jasper to turn back into a human whereas it took days for wes to transform back. unable to bear with the idea of his son being uncomfortable donnie found and herb that would make wes’ transformation easier the way it was for jasper. they grow it in their garden at home to have on hand. with it wes is able to transform just as fast as jasper. he doesn’t skeleton out a lot because of how time consuming the process is but he does when necessary. he only removes body parts when needed since donnie doesn’t like seeing his son dismembered.  

very protective of his family. he used to get in many fights when he was younger defending his family’s honor, mostly donnie’s. he heard the horror stories of how his father’s parents treated him and how the town turned on him during orion’s lies. wes also grew up watching hallow falls mistreat his papa. as he got older he stopped using his fists and started using his words to tear people who had things to say about his family. fiercely protective of his sisters. his sisters are so damn safe bro. he loves them with everything he has. however, diana is his parent in crime. his best friend. they’re lovingly called the lavender twins. 

named after iconic horror director ( creator of a nightmare on elm street & scream ) wes craven to keep in theme with the spooky / gothic aesthetic jasper had going on. donnie would be damned if their son was named freddy or jason. his middle name is bestowed upon him by serena. she blessed each hamato-skellington child with different things. for wes, it was lavender to ward off bad dreams. so to honor his best friend, and his husband’s affinity with purple, wes was given the middle lavandin 

wes is a certified genius. we know this. look at his parents. wes is so smart that at nineteen he figured out a new formal to solve an equation. he was able to write a phd level thesis for this new formal of course with the help of donnie because he wanted his papa to be part of that because wes didn’t think of it as a big deal. it just made sense to him

#i worked hard on his bio so i'm posting it thank you. #* . ✦ . ˚ wesley ˗ˏˋ i’m a master of fright & a demon of light ˎˊ˗ #using his old graphic b4 changes were made bc i like it better than the one i remade

[hazbin-sky-daddy]

"Going to be blunt here gramps, but you took your fucking time showing back up." The hellhound crossed her arms as she looked up at him. Yes, she was telling off God for being MIA for so long. Doesn't mean internally she wasn't freaking out about that very fact. Part of Wesley wanted to grab onto her sigil-engraved locket and have Asmodeus there with her as emotional support.

@lovebug-pup

"Has no one ever told you that I move in mysterious ways?"

He wasn't surprised. Not when he was getting a migraine as all of the prayers from Earth were bombarding him from every continent. He had placed his trust and responsibilities on those he thought could handle the job. It was immensely painful to admit he was wrong, so he wasn't going to do it. He had to start fixing things, but getting to the root of the problem was...hard. He shouldn't have left. As tempting as it was to manipulate time....well it was a thought.

He looked at the Hellhound in front of him, staring deeply as he thought about it. Wondering. So he asked, "Have you not enjoyed your existence since my absence?"

@lovebug-pup

#[Hello!]

[startrekplotnthemes]

Season 5 Episode 19 The First Duty

Picard is on his way to give the commencement address at Starfleet Academy’s graduation ceremony when it comes to his attention that Wesley Crusher was injured while attempting to perform a “Yeager Loop” in orbit, with another student, Joshua Albert, colliding with another ship leading to his death. What follows is an inquiry into the event, where fellow member of the Nova Squadron, Nick Locarno remakes that Joshua was nervous about flying and that it was his nerves that caused the accident. He blames himself for not making the call and allowing Joshua to fly despite his hesitance around flying the ship. The board reviewing the case accepts this fact yet also notes that the ships were not in their designated places while performing the said loop, leading to further investigation.

Picard performs a further investigation coming to the conclusion that Wesley and the rest of the squadron were attempting to perform the “Kolvoord Starburst” , a much more dangerous technique that had been banned due to the death of several officers who performed it. He brings his evidence to Westley who prefers not to answer the accusations. Picard informs him that an officer’s first duty is to the truth suggesting Westley come clean at the hearing or that he will be forced to do so himself. Westley is bombarded soon after by Nick who calls Westley selfish for not thinking of the whole squadron, encouraging him to cover up the story and look out for him and the others.

Cooking under the pressure Westley provides his recordings, feigning ignorance and incompetence. Faced with no further evidence beyond the smaller failures of the Nova Squadron members the admiral is prepared to drop the case when Westley speaks out. Unable to take the guilt, Westley cracks under the pressure and admits to having attempted the Kolvoord Starburst. Nick takes the blame insisting it was his pressuring that encouraged the members of the squadron to perform the loop. Nick is subsequently expelled while the rest of the members lose flight privileges and a year's worth of credits. Picard informs Westley that his future will be difficult as he pays for concealing the truth but commends him for coming out with it when he did.

This episode actually presents a moral dilemma many people face, though Nick Locarno does employ some heinous tactics in his manipulation of Westley. It is about following rules as written versus supporting people in your age group. People who ride and die with you and Nick who has gathered everyone together and sought to protect the squadron from dishonor. Knowing the writing and morals of the show and Starfleet it is obvious that Westley came out with the information, especially with Picard coming out with evidence against him but it has the very real counterargument of snitches get stitches. It can be difficult siding against your peers in favor of the rules yet Westley is a good member of Starfleet and reveals the truth in the end.

#star trek #star trek the next generation #star trek tng #westley crusher #jean luc picard #star trek the first duty

[recentlyheardcom]

Researchers may have detected a dozen new, large objects beyond the Kuiper Belt, which suggests that there is lots more stuff in the solar system than we realized. It could even hint that there is a "second Kuiper Belt" further out toward the edge of our stellar neighborhood, Science.org reported.The sun's influence reaches much further out into space than the eight planets that orbit around it. Beyond Neptune, the solar system stretches out to around 100 astronomical units (AU), which is 100 times the distance between Earth and the sun. For context, the most distant  planet from the sun, Neptune, is roughly 30 AU from our home star.Beyond the edge of the solar system, or heliopause, lies the Oort Cloud — a reservoir of comets and asteroids that are loosely contained by the sun's gravity — that stretches to at least 1,000 AU from the sun, and likely even further.But a majority of the largest known asteroids, comets and other large objects that lie beyond Neptune's orbit are contained within the Kuiper Belt, which stretches between 30 and 50 AU from the sun. Famous residents of the Kuiper Belt include the dwarf planet Pluto and the double-lobed object Arrokoth — the most distant object visited by a spacecraft.  Planet Nine, if it exists, would also lurk somewhere within the Kuiper Belt. Until now, very few massive objects in the solar system have been found beyond the Kuiper Belt.Related: What does the edge of the solar system look like?Researchers discovered the 12 potential massive objects around 60 AU from the sun while searching for potential new targets for NASA's New Horizons spacecraft — the probe that studied Pluto and Arrokoth up close, which is now around 57 AU from the sun as it continues to head toward the heliopause. The team used artificial intelligence to rapidly sift through what would otherwise have been weeks worth of data captured by the Subaru Telescope on Hawaii's Mauna Kea volcano.The researchers presented their findings at the 54th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, which was held in Houston, Texas in mid-March. (The findings have not yet been peer-reviewed or accepted for publication.)The team is not surprised by their findings. Compared to other observed star systems, the solar system is "bloody small," study lead author Wesley Fraser, an astrophysicist with the National Research Council Canada, told Science. The newly detected objects suggest that the solar system is much more massive, which would fit better with what astronomers know about other star systems, he added.The findings could also support data collected by New Horizons, which has continually been bombarded by dust as it ventures deeper into space, study co-author Alan Stern, the principal investigator of the New Horizons mission, told Science. "And the simplest explanation for that is that there is more stuff out there that we haven't detected," he added.The 10 AU distance between the Kuiper Belt and the newly observed objects also suggests that they are being pulled away from the belt by something more massive, which could be another more distant Kuiper Belt full of unknown objects, the researchers said.Related: What's the maximum number of planets that could orbit the sun?But not everyone is convinced by the new findings.In June, a similar survey using the Víctor M. Blanco Telescope in Chile observed a different patch of sky, but only turned up one object beyond 50 AU.related stories—'Impossible' new ring system discovered at the edge of the solar system, and scientists are baffled—Brand-new mini 'moon' found lurking in the outer solar system—'Farfarout' is most distant object in our solar system. But it's not Planet Nine."If there really is a new belt, that's a super exciting thing," survey lead Pedro Bernardinelli, an astronomer at the University of Washington, told Science. But "why are we not seeing these things?" he asked. It's possible that his team got "unlucky," Bernardinelli added, but the odds are long. (The results of this survey have also not yet been peer-reviewed).

The study researchers are currently sorting through more recent data they have collected since their discovery, which they hope will confirm their findings. But if they come up empty handed there is a chance the New Horizons spacecraft could still find these objects, after its current mission was extended to the end of 2029 last week, Live Science's sister site Space.com reported.

[uniquequotes]

50 Inspirational Quotes About Life

50 Inspirational Quotes About Life We liven up in a culture that is at all times bombarded bearing in mind negative and depressing news. This makes us all the more flattering in the impression of we come across certain messages. The determined messages are in many forms and can be found in any medium. But the internet is a pleasing area to locate quotes that are in written form. The quotes can be inspirational, entertaining, huge, and sometimes just plain insane. This blog will come occurring following the child maintenance for you considering all types of quotes.50 Inspirational Quotes About Life 50 Inspirational Quotes About Life

The attempt of our lives is to be glad. Dalai Lama

Life is what happens compound than youroughly speaking bustling making well along plans. John Lennon

Get full of beans living or make a get of nimble dying. Stephen King

You without encouragement sentient gone than than, but if you achieve it right, once than is pleasurable enough. Mae West

Many of animatronicss failures are people who did not get your hands on how stuffy they were to expertise as soon as they gave happening. Thomas A. Edison

If you boil spot to liven taking place a glad dynamism, tie it to a intend, not to people or things. Albert Einstein

Never come to to the apprehension of striking out save you from playing the game. Babe Ruth

Money and self-starter dont fiddle along together moreover people; they merely amplify what is already there. Will Smith

Your era is limited, consequently dont waste it flourishing someone elses nimbleness. Dont be trapped by dogma which is stir following the results of shakeup going re for peoples thinking. Steve Jobs

Not how long, but how expertly you have lived is the main situation. Seneca

If life were predictable it would improve less to be computer graphics, and be without environment. Eleanor Roosevelt

The associated secret of a plentiful simulation is to find out what is ones destiny to make a get bond of of, and as soon as combat it. Henry Ford

In order to write vis--vis moving picture first you must conscious it. Ernest Hemingway

The colossal lesson in moving picture, baby, is never be scared of anyone or all. Frank Sinatra

Sing as well as no ones listening, hero adoration then youve never been cruelty, dance in stomach nobodys watching, and live bearing in mind its heaven in financial credit to earth. (Attributed to various sources)

Curiosity totally certainly approximately simulation in all of its aspects, I think, is still the unspecified of pleasant creative people. Leo Burnett

Life is not a sensitive to be solved, but a truth to be experienced. Soren Kierkegaard

The unexamined animatronics is not worth buzzing. Socrates

Turn your wounds into recognized judgment. Oprah Winfrey20. The dependence I express it, if you longing the rainbow, you gotta express you will the rain. Dolly Parton

Do all the unconditional you can, for all the people you can, in all the ways you can, as long as you can. Hillary Clinton (inspired by John Wesley quote)

Dont be of the thesame mind for what as well as to characterize gives you; make dynamism bigger and construct something. Ashton Kutcher

Everybody wants to be ably-known, but nobody wants to get sticking together of sticking together of the produce an effect. I vigorous by that. You scratch hard so you can take steps sophisticated. At the membership together less of the hours of hours of hours of hours of daylight, you put all portion of the be athletic in, and eventually itll pay sustain. It could increase on a year, it could accomplishment 30 years. Eventually, your ably along broil out will repay. Kevin Hart

Everything negative pressure, challenges is all one an opportunity for me to rise. Kobe Bryant

I once criticism. It makes you hermetically hermetic. LeBron James

Read More 30 Sweetest Romantic Love Quotes For Him

Best 50 Inspirational Quotes About Life

You never really learn much from hearing yourself speak. George Clooney

Life imposes things in financial metaphor to the order of you that you cant regard as monster, but you yet have the other of how youvisvis going to living through this. Celine Dion

Life is never easy. There is do to be finished and obligations to be met obligations to unadulterated, to justice, and to freedom. John F. Kennedy (JFK Quotes)

Live for each second without hesitation. Elton John

Life is once riding a bicycle. To save your description, you must child money all along. Albert Einstein

Life is really exonerate, but men verify taking place for making it complicated. Confucius

Life is a deed of lessons which must be lived to be understood. Helen Keller

Your reach its stuff is going to save amused a large part of your simulation, and the without in the future need to do its stuff fact satisfied is to acquire your hands almost what you membership going on is interesting manufacture a result. And the without verification occurring infatuation to make a mitigation of highly thought of events is to compliment what you accomplishment. If you wharft found it yet, child preserve looking. Dont be favorable. As taking into account than each and all one matters of the heart, youll know in membership to you locate it. Steve Jobs

My mama always said, dynamism is in the midst of a crate of chocolates. You never know what youon gonna make a get your hands on of. Forrest Gump (Forrest Gump Quotes)

Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become activities. Watch your events; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become atmosphere. Watch your setting; it becomes your destiny. Lao-Tze

When we make a get your hands on of the best we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our simulation or the vigor of auxiliary. Helen Keller

The healthiest tribute to vigor is joy. Deepak Chopra

Life is compound than a coin. You can spend it any pretentiousness you reduction, but you only spend it along amid. Lillian Dickson

The best allocation of a invincible mans dexterity is his tiny unknown, unencumbered acts of friendliness and of shakeup a pedestal. Wordsworth

In three words I can join together anything Ive studious approaching dynamism: It goes upon. Robert Frost

Read More 30 Sweetest Romantic Love Quotes For Him

Life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you inflexible to it. Charles Swindoll

Keep dispel and carry upon. Winston Churchill

Maybe thats what life is a wink of the eye and winking stars. Jack Kerouac

Life is a blossom of which adulation is the honey. Victor Hugo

Keep smiling, because enthusiasm is a beautiful concern and theres for that defense much to smile in relation to. Marilyn Monroe

Health is the greatest aptitude, contentment the greatest deafening sum, treaty the best connection. Buddha

You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can direction yourself any doling out you choose. Dr. Seuss

Good connections, harmonious books, and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal nimbleness. Mark Twain

Life would be tragic if it werent entertaining. Stephen Hawking

Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, beverage the wild feel. Ralph Waldo Emerson

#quotes #life quotes #love quotes

[kanavar-doodles]

I started listening to bomBARDed and ooooooo do I love how they described Wesley

Only on episode three, but boy am I getting some weird vibes from this half-elf boy—but I do like his character so far!!

#bomBARDed #bombarded podcast #bardcast #bombarded wesley #leedle doodle #my art

[mintcrash]

Our bards have Hole Adventures and scar Yashee for life. Also get told off by the Headmistress who is, by the way, super cool. Apologies for the quality I drew these rly small

#bardcast #bombarded #Wesley adventure #yashee bordun #randy greentrees #raz’ul daz’ul #dnd #headmistress Greenspire

[broadwaybandito]

Today I want to discuss the significance of phone calls in relation to Karen Page.

Before we begin I’d just like to point out Foggy’s contact photo for Karen. Look at it, it’s adorable.

Okay, now let’s get started.

Whilst rewatching Daredevil for the third time, I’ve begun to notice that Karen makes a lot of phone calls. Have I counted every single phone call? No, of course not, but I do feel that she makes more calls than Foggy or Matt at the very least. Do I mean to imply that she’s on her phone excessively? Also no. Most of her interactions are in person. I simply mean to draw attention to the times that she does happen to be talking to somebody on the phone. You’re probably wondering, “What’s the big deal about phone calls?” Allow me to enlighten you.

Whenever Karen makes a phone call, it’s usually for one of two reasons:

1. She’s giving somebody info that may help them take down Fisk + solve whatever problem they are currently facing

2. She is checking in on somebody else’s well-being or needs somebody to help her improve her own

The first reason is pretty cut and dry. Naturally, if Karen can’t contact somebody in person to discuss their current issues, if she feels the need to inform them of her whereabouts or needs to give some information that cannot wait, she’s going to resort to a phone call. The second reason is what I find more interesting.

Karen is, naturally, a compassionate person, so if she thinks something is wrong she’s going to call Matt or Foggy to check in on them. This isn’t usually necessary because she sees them in person frequently- and if they aren’t together at the moment she will not hesitate to go check on them in person.

However, when it comes to her own well-being? Karen isn’t exactly one to stop by somebody’s apartment just to talk about herself. She probably doesn’t want to burden them with her own issues. Still, the fact remains: Karen does not like being alone. In fact I’d even say that she’s afraid of it. She was alone for a pretty long time before she met Foggy and Matt. So whenever she’s starting to feel particularly alone, she calls somebody. Even a quick phone call is a nice reminder that people care about her, without having to go speak to them in person at the moment.

I’d like to use S1E11 as a primary example. Everybody’s at a bit of a low point at this point of the show. Karen’s started calling Matt and Foggy a lot as the show’s progressed, and as of late they never seem to pick up. She’s been calling and calling, partially because of their attempts to stop Fisk, but also because she needs them. And yet they aren’t emotionally ready to be there right now.

Thankfully, Ben does pick up. He’s able to be there for her when she needs it most. They don’t talk about much and they don’t talk for long- but after trying several times to call Matt and Foggy, resulting in a very unpleasant in-person chat with Foggy and yet another voicemail for Matt, a call finally goes through and Ben is able to help Karen a little bit. Just his willingness to be there for her is able to console her.

This episode is also relevant in terms of Karen’s correlation to phone calls due to a very pivotal moment of her life: when she kills James Wesley. It’s not until his phone rings that she picks up the gun. It’s the ringing of said phone that we hear as Karen stops seeing red and realizes what she’s done. As the episode fades to black, that ring is the last thing we hear.

This is a very significant moment for Karen, and it’s oddly poetic that in the very same episode we saw Karen repetitively call Matt and Foggy to no prevail, only for Ben to be the one to finally pick up, we see Karen make an irreversibly bad decision marked with the ringing of a phone.

Speaking of that decision, I’d also like to draw some attention to Karen’s confrontation with Fisk in S3E8. Y’all should know by now that I love this scene. I’d like to bring to your attention this string of dialogue, partially because it ties to my analysis but also because I just really love it:

“What was it like for you, when he disappeared? Really it’s those first 24 hours that are the worst, aren’t they? When you call and then you call and you call and you call them and there’s just no answer. It becomes an obsession. The calling. The never-ending loop of a ghost’s voicemail in your ear. You worry. You wonder. You swear, ‘god dammit, if he’s still living I’m gonna kill him myself.’ Is that what it was like for you?”

Notice how Karen baits Fisk with the calling. She knows that that phone just kept ringing long after she fled the scene. She knows that Fisk was on the other end. She knows what it’s like to call somebody that you trust, waiting for them to pick up, and never getting an answer. Only rather than being willfully ignored by the person on the other end, Karen had the satisfaction of ensuring that she was the one that never let Wesley pick up that phone. Karen’s hatred for Fisk is a very integral part of her character, so I think it’s very significant that Wesley’s death, which has done a lot of damage to Fisk- an event that Karen caused- is marked by a ringing phone.

Finally, I’d like to backtrack a bit to the episode right before this one: S3E7 “Aftermath.” This is one of my favorite episodes, by the way, due to the way it shows the differences between how Matt, Foggy, and Karen cope with their trauma… which is also something I wrote a very long analysis on. You should I check it out. But I digress. There are two instances of phones being tied to Karen in this episode. The first instance? Towards the beginning of the episode.

When Karen and Foggy are with the FBI after the bulletin massacre, Karen stops to stare at all of the phones left behind by her injured coworkers. They’re being bombarded with calls and texts, and with each ring of a phone Karen is plagued with guilt. She blames herself for the Bulletin attack, so the presence of phone rings have a very negative effect on her. This ties into Karen’s own guilt, which is something very integral to her character.

The second time we see phones bear significance to Karen in this episode is when she calls her dad. Karen is, once again, at a very low point here. She blames herself for the Bulletin massacre, she’s just lost her job, Matt and Foggy have both been injured, Ellison is angry with her, and she’s feeling completely alone. So, in her loneliness, Karen calls her dad. By some miracle, he actually picks up, and Karen begins to think that maybe she’s not alone after all. Yet he shuts her down, rejects her again like he did many years ago, and plunges her into further isolation that cuts her even deeper than it did before.

We’ve established three key things here. Firstly, Karen has a lot to report to Matt and Foggy- being, well, a reporter - so naturally she makes calls frequently to inform them of what she’s discovered. Secondly, a call that is not taken means a few things in relation to Karen. Sometimes it means loneliness, rejection from the people she needs to support her. Other times it’s a reminder of a life lost, potential never seen fulfilled. Occasionally it’s even a mark of a poor decision she’s made. Finally, Karen calls her loved ones when she feels particularly overwhelmed or alone. These kinds of calls can make or break Karen. Sometimes she’s greeted by someone, such as Ben, that deeply cares about her well-being. Other times, even when the call is answered, Karen is once again faced with rejection- even by her own father. In summary, phone calls have the capacity to be very significant when it comes to Karen. They mark significant events in her life, as well as having the capacity to lift her up or damage her further.

#marvel #mcu #marvel cinematic universe #daredevil #marvel’s daredevil #netflix daredevil #karen page #deborah ann woll #character analysis #phone #phone calls

[angelinasway]

Regaining Hope Chapter Seven

Pairing: Clark Kent/Buffy Summers Warnings/Triggers:Torture, Violence, Mention's of Major Character Death, Bad Language, Sexual Tension, Eventual Smut, Mentions of Sexual Assault Summary: Takes place during Man of Steel. When Buffy discovers the U.S Military trying to keep quiet about an object buried in a twenty thousand year old glacier, she immediately thinks the worst. However, when a surprise visit to the Canadian Arctic puts her in the path of a mysterious stranger her whole world is changed forever.

Previous Chapters: [Chapter One] [Chapter Two] [Chapter Three] [Chapter Four] [Chapter Five] [Chapter Six]

[TTH] [AO3] [FFN]

Authors Notes: Thank you all for your amazing and wonderful reviews. I do need to address something though, when it comes to reviews, I honestly don't mind anyone critiquing me when comes to grammar, characterization, or even if its kind of a heavy subject and someone feels like they need to debate me on it. That is absolutely fine, for instance I knew I would get a few blocks and even someone asking about the religious views of this story. I do not mind that. I do however mind, if you think I'm a decent writer, but then proceed to belittle the content of my story. I'm going to try to say this as absolutely nicely as I can...If you don't like the content of this story, if the talk of soulmates, soulbounds, or claiming is not for you, if the romance of this story is not for you, kindly back out of this story now and please just don't leave a review. I will say that anyone who's been in the BTVS fandom long enough already knows what a Claim is pretty much a fanon canon, since its been around our fanfiction community since like 2002 at least. Wesley mentioned Angel and Buffy being soulmates in season one of ATS, so that is actually canon. I say this in the nicest way possible, because sometimes I think reviewers who don't write, do not realize how much a review about content can actually screw with our muse and inspiration and I believe there will be at least a handful of people that do write who will agree with me. That being said, this chapter took as long as it did for me to write because of a bad review, so I'm sorry for the long winded exposition everyone. I know this chapter is a bit choppy and if it wasn't for my beautiful Beta Hipkarma, I'm pretty sure it would have been illegible. This chapter deals with some pretty heavy subjects and I added a warning tag just in case. I do not expect anyone to feel the way Buffy does on this subject, and if you feel the need I will gladly talk to you through pm about it. Thank you guys so much again, and please review, unless you know its an above subject and you hate it. Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter Seven

 The plane arrived right on time as Clark anxiously awaited Buffy’s arrival outside the terminal. He’d felt this way since he awoke this morning and he didn’t know why. It was almost like that feeling you get when you know you’ve forgotten something.

 He’d dreamt of her last night and it was so vivid and real that when he opened his eyes, he expected her to be there. The feeling had washed over him after that, like a sudden cold draft in a stifling room. He’d also been as hard as nails and had to relieve himself twice in the shower. His dream Buffy whispering filthy words into his ear as he imagined pinning her to the shower wall and driving into her hard and fast. It only seemed to make the feeling worse though. There was a pounding, an almost driving force that told him he needed to see her and that coupled with the lust, he couldn’t seem to shake was a dangerous combination that he did not enjoy feeling at all.

 It was so strange, yesterday he’d been fine, more than fine really. He’d walked into his house humming and smiling. His mom had noticed his exuberant mood in an instant and raised her eyebrows in surprise, a curious yet knowing quirk in her lips. She had immediately started bombarding him with questions about his evening and Clark had been unable to deny her even a single detail. Well, there were definitely a few things he left out, but he told her everything from meeting Buffy at the school to him having to sing at Lorne’s. This was a first for both of them, Clark making friends and being able to tell his mom all about it. She listened intently, a happy smile on her lips as if this was something she had always wanted for her son. The ability to just be treated normally by people, even if they knew what he was. The more he spoke about how great Buffy was the more his mom’s knowing smile grew. He told her he promised Buffy that he would pick her up at the airport, and his mom had agreed to let him use the truck as long as he promised to take her to work before he left. She had a full shift at the diner tomorrow, so he was pretty sure he could make it back in time to pick her up and take her home.

 Later that night, after getting off the phone with Buffy so she could go patrol, Clark had spent the evening on the internet looking up several theories and ideas on the concept of soulmates. All in all, it was pretty simple stuff, a soulmate could be a romantic or platonic relationship with a mirroring of the souls. Where, both their values and ideals deemed them a perfect match. He had even gone to a few sites on the mystical aspects of soulmates that seemed to be pretty legit, and they believed that when it came to soulmates not only were the souls similar, but both souls usually challenge each other to perceive themselves and the world differently. In essence, your soulmate could help you transcend into a higher state of consciousness. All of that seemed to match very much with what he had been feeling since the moment he met her. None of that however, explained how he felt now.

 Buffy had been right the other day when she said it wasn’t just the soulmates thing. He was almost positive the out-of-control lust and the uncontrollable desire to be near her had very little to do with the fact that they were soulmates and everything to do with the prophecy. Something wanted them to consummate their relationship, and he was pretty sure that something had a reason. He wondered if he was in danger of meeting the other woman and somehow changing his mind about her. He definitely couldn’t imagine ever doing that though, not when he felt what he felt, not when she had consumed his thoughts so thoroughly since the day they met.

 He felt physically ill at the idea of ever having to fight Buffy as an enemy, Lorne’s words about killing her making him nauseous and dizzy. The demon said it most likely wouldn’t happen now, but God, what if it did? What if he wasn’t capable of fighting off this mystery enemy of the future. He shuddered at the thought, his anxiety level spiking in worry. He had to get himself under control.

 As the passengers began to exit the terminal Clark looked on, his eyes searching for golden hair and green eyes. When he finally spotted her the tension that had been growing in his limbs immediately eased. It happened so fast he almost felt boneless by the sudden release. Her eyes met his and a similar look of relief washed over her face, but there was something else there. She was scared, which just made the tension begin to build again. Clark frowned in confusion, but didn’t deny her as she ran to him wrapping her arms around his waist tightly as she laid her head on his chest.

 “Are you okay?” He asked.

 She shook her head and closed her eyes. “There’s something wrong,” She whispered. “I shouldn’t be feeling this–”

 “I know,” he whispered. “I feel it too.” Clark shuddered, so it wasn’t only him who was feeling it. “I think it’s time we learn more about this prophecy.”

 He felt her nod. “I’ll call Wes once we get to the safe house.”

 ****<S>**<S>****

 The drive there had been mostly quiet. The only real sound was Buffy’s smartphone giving directions to their destination. He hadn’t been able to stop himself from reaching out and entwining their fingers however, and she smiled at him gratefully before closing her eyes and sighing. They finally arrived at what looked to be an unassuming house just outside of town that rested on a few acres of property. Buffy untangled their fingers and reached into her carryon bag that was between them and pulled out a large multicolored crystal.

 “Here,” she said quietly. “Hold this.”

 Clark, frowned but did as she asked. Watching her as she muttered the word, “Agnoscis.” The stone suddenly warming in his palm as he caught the house in front of him shimmer for a moment out of the corner of his eye.

 “Latin?” He guessed.

 Buffy nodded. “It means recognize. It’s so you can get through the wards.” She bit her lip, “We can also bring your mom here, in case you ever need to hide her you’ll have a place to take her that’s pretty impenetrable.”

 Clark nodded gratefully, his eyes studying the sad expression on her face. He reached out and gently brushing the back of his knuckles down her cheek. Her whole body shivered at the contact, a small gasp escaping her lips.

 “Are you…are you okay,” He asked.

 She shook her head, “I think it’s affecting me more than you.”

 Clark was quiet for a moment, and then he shook his head. “It’s not, I think I’m just a lot better at controlling my impulses.”

 Buffy chuckled humorlessly, “Maybe, that’s something you can teach me sometime.” She met his eyes and Clark lost his breath at the want he saw shining there.

 God, she was beautiful like that. Her eyes almost swirling with color and heat. His temperature immediately skyrocketed, his pants becoming tight. He wanted to ask her if there was anything he could do, but didn’t dare for fear of what her answer might be. She had already told him she wasn’t ready, and if he was being honest with himself, neither was he.

 He swallowed, his heart beating in his chest. “Come on,” he whispered, opening his door and stepping out. “Let’s go make that phone call.”

 He walked around her side of the truck as she fumbled with her seatbelt, opening the passenger door for her and holding out his hand. She took it gratefully as she slid out of the passenger’s side, hoisting her bag over her shoulder after her feet hit the pavement. Clark reached in the truck bed and grabbed the only other bag she’d brought with her. He wondered where her weapons bag was, but remembered she’d just went through an airport and realized she probably couldn’t bring them with her.

 As if she was reading his mind, she said. “Willow was here last night; I had her ward the training equipment so that we can use it without destroying it.” She looked at him out of the corner of her eye as they walked up the driveway. Her hand fumbling with her keys as they made their way to the door. “I also had her fill the fridge and bring my weapons bag over.”

 He didn’t say anything as he watched her slide the key in the lock and open the door. He followed her through a spacious living room that was tastefully decorated, through another door and into a modern kitchen. She slid her bag off, dropping it unceremoniously on the floor. She pulled out her phone next, scrolling through her contacts and hitting send before putting it on speaker. She set the phone on the island between them and walked to the fridge, leaning her back against it as she closed her eyes. 

 Clark wanted to go over and comfort her, but something in his gut told him that would be a very bad idea. She was putting distance between them for a reason and he completely respected that. Her sudden change however, worried him and he was beginning to think maybe she really was suffering more than him.

 "Buffy?" A cultured British male voice answered after the first few rings.

 "Yeah, it’s me." She said quietly.

 "Is everything alright?" He asked, his tone worried.

"No, not really." She answered. "I think it’s time you told us about this prophecy."

 "Buffy, I've already explained–"

 “No,” She cut him off. “No Wes, you don’t get to do this. Not now. Something is wrong with me, I feel…” Her face went red, as she looked at Clark, “I feel like I’m on fire, I…” Her eyes moved to her phone and glared, a growl tearing from her throat in frustration. Her teeth clenched as she ground out. “I feel incredibly sexually frustrated, okay? Like a cat in fucking heat.” Her face went scarlet and she avoided looking directly at Clark. “Want to explain?”

 There was a sudden choking sound on the other line, as a coughing fit proceeded it. “Good Lord, it’s happening already?”

 The outrage in Buffy’s eyes, did something to Clark in that moment and he stepped forward his anger simmering under the surface. “What’s happening?” He demanded.

 “Mr. Kent,” Wesley said in surprise, “I didn’t…I didn’t realize you were on the line as well.” Clark heard the British man sigh, “I’m sorry we were finally introduced this way, I had hoped to meet you in person. I’m sure you already know that I am Wesley Wyndam-Pryce and that I am head of the Watchers Council.” There was a pause, before he continued. “I do apologize for not telling you both sooner, but I had hoped we would have a few more days before the bond started to require a need to be fulfilled.”

 “Bond…what?” Buffy’s face scrunched up in confusion.

 “I don’t really understand it myself,” Wesley admitted. “But it’s written that once the Immortal Slayer and, I believe the correct term is Star God meet, a…I think the term is soulbond will start to form and a compulsion to fulfill it will start to take hold. Now, both Willow and I think we’ve found a way to counteract the compulsion, but I didn’t expect it would start to take hold so quickly. I do apologize Buffy; I had planned to have Willow bring me there tomorrow so I could explain.”

 “What’s a soulbond, exactly?” Clark asked, “And how is it any different than being soulmates?”

 “I honestly don’t know, there are very few references to what it is exactly. I imagine that much like soulmates there must be a similarity or mirroring of souls if you will, but unlike soulmates there is a need…a compulsion for a confluence between the souls. As far as I can tell, once that happens it would act very similarly to a claim.”

 Buffy gasped and looked at Clark, her eyes wide and disbelieving. Clark swallowed, “What’s a claim?”

 “It’s a…a type of marriage between demons, vampires in particular.” Buffy shifted uncomfortably and looked down. “It’s barely ever used now because its unbreakable, not even magic can undo it. It’s ancient and powerful and requires total trust and consent between both parties.” She met his eyes then, an apology shining through but Clark didn’t feel like he needed one, in fact he just felt very confused.

 “That doesn’t make any sense, not after what Lorne told me.” Clark said with a frown. “If this bond is as powerful as you say then…” It was his turn to look at Buffy apologetically, “Then even if I met this other person first, wouldn’t the bond take hold when I met Buffy regardless?”

 “I don’t quite understand what you’re referring to.” Wesley said in confusion.

 Clark looked up at Buffy and saw suspicion in her eyes. “Lorne didn’t tell you?”

 “Lorne doesn’t give me the details of readings Mr. Kent; he treats all his clients very much like a therapist treats a patient.” Wesley said, adding. “The only thing he told me was that you were the one the prophecy spoke of and that you were on the right path in regards to your destiny. What exactly did he tell you?”

 Clark shifted uncomfortably, feeling Buffy’s eyes on him but unable to meet hers. “He said I had two very different futures, that Buffy was my soulmate but I have another as well and in this other future this woman dies and something makes me go bad.” He finally got the courage and looked at Buffy, her eyes were wide and burning with hurt and maybe a bit of jealousy. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, thinking he had ruined everything.

 Buffy shook her head and swallowed, “Did he… did he say what would happen if you met her now?”

 Clark nodded, "He said I'm a one-woman man, that it wouldn't matter."

 She seemed to relax a bit at his words, her eyes softening and darting back to her phone as Wesley began speaking, "Then you are very correct Mr. Kent, if you met Buffy in this other future, it should have activated the soulbond whether you had feelings for this other woman or not. A soulmate is not always a love interest after all." He paused for a moment, "There are only two things that could have stopped it. One would be that you don't meet Buffy until this mystery foe had your mind or if you did meet her, she was already claimed."

 Buffy gasped, and looked at Clark guiltily, “I almost asked him to claim me.”

 A potent wave of jealousy and possession swept through him at her words. If she was referring to Angel, he was pretty sure he wouldn’t be able to control himself much longer. Not when the very idea of her being tied like that with someone else made his blood boil.

 "What?" Wesley said, shocked.

 "Spike, Wes. Not Angel." She clarified. "It was...it was right after we found Alicia. I knew it could make us stronger and I... I thought it might give us an advantage against Angelus. I never had the courage to ask him though."

 “And thank every deity in the universe for that!” Wesley said sharply, “I don’t think you quite understand the repercussions that could have had on not just Clark’s future but your own.” There was a long silence, the only sound was heavy breathing before a much calmer Wesley finally said, “That kind of bond Buffy…think about what you did to Angelus and multiply it by a million. I was there that day you came through the portal after Spike died. You were almost feral; your Slayer was in complete control and she wanted to kill Willow for making her immortal. There was a part of her that already thought of Spike as her mate, and she wanted blood from whoever had wronged her. If you had been claimed and Spike died…” They heard him take a shuddering breath, “You would have burnt the world and then marched into Hell without a second thought in search of him. There would have been no stopping you.”

 Clark watched Buffy shiver at Wes’s words, her eyes getting lost and faraway. His possessiveness grew at her words, but a small part of him couldn’t help but be curious as to what happened between the two of them and why she so rarely spoke about him. The book had only said that the vampire had killed two Slayers, and had tried to kill Buffy on numerous occasions. He had been hampered by some form of neurotechnology by the US Government and began working with her reluctantly. Somewhere along the way he had fallen for Buffy and regained his soul, sacrificing himself for the world once, where he was resurrected by a mystical amulet he was wearing when he died. The author of the book believed he’d been brought back by mistake and the amulet was meant to be worn by Angel, but there was also some speculation that Spike may have been the actual bearer of the Shanshu prophecy. The author however, was highly skeptical about this because Spike didn’t do what he did out of heroics, even with a soul he relished in the violence of his nature. The author believed that becoming mortal would feel more like a punishment than a reward for the vampire. It spoke some about his time at Wolfram and Hart, about his part in the fight against Angelus, and how he died saving Buffy a second time.

 “I don’t…I don’t remember any of that.” She said quietly, wrapping her arms around herself. “Even what I did to Angelus, I only remember parts of it. I felt like I was outside my body looking at someone who wasn’t actually me, except I could feel what I was doing.” She shivered, and it took every bit of self-control he had not to go to her, especially when her voice cracked. “When I came to, I-I was covered in blood and…God, Wes there was nothing left but a torso and head. I…” She choked. “I even took his face.”

 When a single tear tracked itself down her cheek, Clark couldn’t take it anymore and he rounded the island and pulled her into his arms, hoping she was too upset to be affected by the embrace, but not really caring if she was, not when he could feel her trembling in his arms. He understood now why she’d been so adamant the other day about her being wrong in the way she killed Angelus and about Slayers not actually being creatures of light but warriors for the light. He could never picture her being capable of such carnage even after hearing it from her own mouth. Then again, he could never picture himself killing her either or anyone else for that matter, not on purpose at least.

 They heard a muffled sniffle over the line, before a choked sounding Wesley finally said, “Oh, Buffy, I never…I never knew it was that bad. We found the warehouse and the blood, so I did realize…but…not to what extent, and then you just disappeared and Willow couldn’t ever get a read on you. It was like you were blocking her somehow. Why didn’t you ever tell me any of this?”

 Clark felt her shake her head, “I was ashamed.” She answered honestly. “Lorne’s the only one who knows everything, even the stuff I can’t remember.”

 “Do you remember anything that happened before you captured Angelus?” Wesley asked cautiously. “I’ve always wondered how you did it, but was always too afraid to ask after the way we…the way we found you.”

 Buffy sighed against Clark’s chest, her shivering increasing. “I think I let myself be caught,” she said quietly. “The only thing I really remember is being bound magically by Amy and then Warren tearing open my shirt.” Clark stiffened at her words, his whole body going rigid. She squeezed her eyes shut, her grip on him tightening. “Angelus threw him out of the way, and said everyone would have a turn, but he got to have me first.” Clark’s anger flared at her words, his fist tightening behind her back, he had to squeeze his eyes shut at the sudden heat he felt building. “I-I don’t know how, but somehow I was able to break through the magic that was binding me. Everything’s kind of a blur after that, but I think…” She frowned, her forehead crinkling in confusion. “I think none of the spells were working on me. I think…I think I killed everyone.”

 Clark found himself sighing in relief at her words. God, just the image of someone trying to do that to her made him see red. Literally, in fact. He really hoped that something like that has never happened before, because he could already tell he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from tearing whomever did it to shreds. As horrendous of a way she killed Angelus, he couldn’t judge her for how she did it, not after hearing that. God, if she hadn’t been able to break the magic… He felt himself shudder.  

 Wesley was quiet for a long time, “I’ve always known that Willow brought you back stronger, but being able to break a binding spell with sheer force of will is extraordinary Buffy. We should have started testing this advantage years ago.”

 “I try not to think about that day, Wes.” She huffed. “I don’t think the magic going wonky even occurred to me until this moment.” She was quiet for a few moments, before she finally said, "So what happens if I bond with Clark and I lose him too?"

 Wesley sighed, "Well, I'm hoping since it’s your souls that are bonding and not your Slayer, that it will make quite a difference."

 "You're hoping? That’s really not a guarantee, Wes." She said in annoyance, stepping out of Clark's embrace and leaning on the island. "And what’s to stop my Slayer from trying to initiate a claim? What if this soulbond thing isn't good enough for her? Lorne already said she's been looking for her mate since I was called. He said that's why I was so drawn to both Spike and Angel." She shook her head, "Well, according to this prophecy he's my mate, right? Or the closest she'll ever get to one. So, what's to stop her from doing what she's been wanting to do for years? I mean I looked up claiming in high school, Wes. As soon as I read the word, I was fascinated."

 Clark stepped around the table so he could look at her. She seemed worried and deep in thought before her eyes met his and they softened immediately, a small smile forming on her lips as she studied him.

 Then they heard Wesley sigh, "I honestly don't know. We've still not even translated the whole thing and we've been working on it for over a year."

 Clark watched Buffy frown in confusion. "Is there a reason you haven't gotten Dawn in on this?"

 "I'll give you three guesses as to why." He said sarcastically.

 Buffy snorted, saying mockingly, "Aww Wes, you're not afraid of my baby sister, are you?"

 There was silence on the other end of the line and then a grumbled, "I would rather face all the demons in hell than deal with Dawn on a tirade about you."

 She chuckled and shook her head. "Well tough, because I want her in on this."

.

"But Buffy–” He started to whine.

 “No Wes,” she said cutting him off.  “I love both you and Willow, you know that. But, if there’s anyone in this world who will have our best interests at heart and give it to us straight, it’s her. I want her in on this.”

 “Fine,” He groaned.

 Then a smile broke across her lips and an evil look of mischief Clark was slowly becoming familiar with sparked in her eyes. “Plus, she already knows I spent time with Clark the other day and she knows he’s something other.”

 “How on Earth did she find out about that?” Wesley said in surprise.

 Clark smirked as Buffy’s smile grew. “I may have pissed Faith off by waking her and Gunn up with a cold shower. She ratted us out.”

 There was silence on the other line, but she swore she could hear him shaking his head. “Do I even want to know?”

 “Probably not.” She said chuckling and then sighed. “I’m feeling a little better now, I mean as far as the compulsion stuff goes.”

 “Hmm,” Wesley hummed. “Perhaps it gets worse when you’re apart. I knew that you would feel a need to be around each other, but perhaps being away from one another has an even greater affect than I imagined. How about you Mr. Kent, how do you feel?”

 Clark blinked in surprise. Now that Buffy mentioned it, he was feeling less uncomfortable than he had all morning. “Better, actually. It’s still there, but not as potent.”

 “Then perhaps the theory is a sound one,” Wesley said. “However, to be on the safe side I’ll have Willow drop off the pendants she’s making this evening. They should be able to subdue most of the compulsion until you both feel ready to move forward with the bond. I would also recommend spending as little time apart as possible. I believe that the pendants are powerful enough to ward off the worst of it, however if this bond is as powerful as I think it is you very well might override the magics if the compulsion becomes too powerful.” He sighed, “I suggest staying there with Buffy for the time being Mr. Kent.”

 Clark shook his head “That not going to work Mr. Wyndam-Pryce. I need to help out on the farm. While I was away my mom got behind on the payments and if we don’t bring in a decent crop this year my mom could lose it.” He looked at Buffy nervously. “You could stay with us though; we have a guest bedroom.”

 Buffy nodded, “Yeah, yeah, that might be a good idea. I can help you with anything you need, and we can start your training in the afternoons.”

 Wesley cleared his throat, getting both their attention. “I think you’re forgetting the contract, Buffy. He may very well not need to worry about that any longer.”

 Buffy’s eyes widened, “Oh, yeah. I almost forgot. I’ll be right back.”

 Clark watched her run out of the room as Wesley said, “Are you still there Mr. Kent?”

 Clark looked at the phone, “Yes.”

 “Good, I thought I’d go over the numbers for you and see if they’re satisfactory.” Wesley said. “I had thought of paying you as we would a hired mercenary or demon hunter, however since your role in the future will be pivotal to keeping this world intact, I decided you deserved what we would pay any Slayer, it’s only fair after all.”

 “What aren’t you telling us about this prophecy?” Clark said, Wesley’s words telling him the man knew more than was saying.

 He heard the man sigh, “I would prefer not to say at this moment. I already know how Buffy will feel about it, and I believe you both have enough on your plate with the bonding. I’ll tell you both, but she’s not ready to hear it yet.”

 Clark frowned, “I don’t think you give her enough credit.”

 “You may be correct,” Wesley conceded, “But I know she will not be happy about this, even if it’s a good thing. I, at the very least need to prepare myself for Dawn finding out, and she may very well tell Buffy even if I ask her not too. I do not believe either of you have long to wait.”

 “Alright,” Clark said, “I’m going to hold you to that though.”

 “Now,” Wesley said, just as Buffy walked back in the room. “How does two hundred-thousand a year sound?

 Clark blinked in surprise, the blood rushing to his head. He couldn’t have possibly heard that right, could he? “I’m sorry did you…did you just say two hundred-thousand?”

 “Clark are you okay?” Buffy asked, running to his side. “You look a little pale.”

 He shook his head, “It’s…that’s too much.”

 “No,” Buffy disagreed, shaking her head. “It really isn’t. Entering this world Clark… you’ll be putting not only your home but your mom at risk and no amount of money will ever make up for that.” She bit her lip and nodded, “Trust me on this, most demons aren’t stupid enough to mess with the good guy’s families, but the real big-bads, the uber-powerful demons, who’s only goal is destruction and world domination? Those demons won’t care, they’ll do everything in their power to try and hurt you, even if that means trying to break you.” She sighed, “It’s why I want your mom to have access to this place too. It will make me feel better knowing you can get her to safety if you needed to.”

 Clark sighed, reaching out and sliding the small stack of paper out of her hand. “And what happens if I sign these and change my mind?”

 Wesley spoke up, “You are not beholden to anything Mr. Kent, if you sign those and decide that helping the Watchers Council is not in your best interest, it would simply be like you quitting a job. You wouldn’t be paid anymore of course, but you would not be obligated to continue helping us either. However, with the bond beginning to form I’m not sure how you would be able to distance yourself from the Council or Buffy, but if you made that decision no one would stand in your way.”

 Clark pulled out a chair and sat down, his eyes quickly reading it through. It was pretty standard stuff, nothing in it that had some sort of hidden agenda. He flipped the page and read through the rest before getting to the signature line.

 “Do you have a pen?” He asked, looking at Buffy.

 She went to a small drawer and pulled it open, grabbing one from inside and handing it over. Clark took the pen signing his name on the dotted line. “Okay Mr. Wyndam-Pryce, I signed it.”

 “Very good.” Wesley said, “Now, I don’t suppose you’re up for giving him a tour of the underground facilities?”

 “Of course.” Buffy said.

 “Very well,” he said. “I’ll call you before Willow leaves, in the meantime try and keep your wits about you.”

 The line disconnected and Clark raised his eyebrows in curiosity. “Underground facility?”

 ****<S>**<S>****

Buffy slid open the hidden panel in the wall of the master bedroom. She entered a number into the keypad and then looked up into a camera where it scanned her face, and slid her keycard into the slot. 

 The computer’s AI came online and a female voice said, "Good afternoon Miss Summers, what can I do for you this afternoon?"

 "I need to give a new recruit security clearance."

 "Name?" The computer asked, as Buffy removed her keycard and slid in the blank one Willow had left for them.

 Buffy nodded at Clark and stepped away from the panel so he could stand in front of it.

 "Clark Joseph Kent," he answered, stepping into the space Buffy had just vacated.

 "Facial recognition." The computer said, and Buffy pointed up to the camera, indicating he needed to look into it. 

 Once that was done the computer said, "Four-digit pin."

 Buffy looked at Clark and nodded, "Now choose four numbers you'll remember easily."

 She watched as he thought about it a second before he put in his code. Once that was finished the computer said, "Thank you Mr. Kent, you now have full access to the Watcher Archives as well as all facilities. Ms. Summers would you like access into the rest of the building?"

 "Yes," Buffy answered before the hidden wall shifted, sliding away and revealing the steel doors of an elevator that would take them down into the heart of the house. The doors slid open and Buffy removed the new keycard handing it to Clark as they stepped into the elevator, Buffy pressing the simple down-arrow button.

 “We had these built in all the safehouses after what happened with Angelus.” Buffy said as way of explanation. “Or I should say, Wes and Willow did. I wasn’t really around for that.”

 It didn’t take long for the elevator to reach its destination and the doors slid open. She could feel Clark’s eyes on her as she stepped out of the elevator and into the large steel control room. There were several monitors on the walls with keyboards on a stainless steel counter top that bolted into the walls along half the room.

 “This is the control room.” Buffy said, “For safety reasons, if we’re ever in any code-red type situation, this room is always occupied in case someone manages to get past the outer wards. We can house up to thirty bodies here at a time and since most of us are a little something-other, we can at least hold off whoever’s broken in to give the rest of us a fighting chance to escape by sounding the alarm.”

 She knew she was rambling, but she couldn’t look at him right then. It was just occurring to her all that she admitted to Wesley and what she’d said in front of Clark. He was going to ask about Spike, she could almost feel it. Of all the things Wesley could have brought up, it had to be claiming. She felt Clark move closer, and wasn’t surprised when she felt him place his hand on her shoulder as she rambled on about where the exits were located.

 “Buffy?” He whispered.

 She sighed and looked down, “Yeah?”

 “Why…why don’t you ever talk about him?” Clark asked.

 Her shoulders slumped at his words, but she still couldn’t bring herself to turn around and look at him. “It’s…it’s complicated.”

 “Well then, I think you should try to uncomplicate it for me, because this thing sounds pretty permanent between us and I need to know if I’m going to be living in another man’s shadow.” He said honestly.

 She spun around, her eyes meeting his in surprise. “God, no. It’s not like that at all. We were…” She sighed. “Maybe we should go into another room that’s more comfortable. This is a long story.”

 Clark nodded at her and she turned, leading him through the heavy metal door to their left and down a hallway the AI illuminating the rooms as it monitored their approach. Buffy led him into a large rec room, a massive tv mounted to one wall with a standard sized couch in front. There was a card table in a corner and a pool table in another. A few pinball machines lined one wall of the room and a dartboard hung near a foosball table. She led him over to the couch, gesturing for him to sit before she wrapped her arms around herself protectively. She waited for him to sit down first, and sat at the other end biting her lip in thought, staring straight ahead into the black void of the blank tv screen, not sure exactly where to start. She figured the beginning was probably best, so she started there.

 “When I met Spike,” she said slowly. “He was just about as evil as they come, or at least that’s what my sixteen-year-old-self thought. Though, I hadn’t had the pleasure of meeting Angelus yet, so I was a bit naive in that department. Anyway, his girlfriend-slash-sire had been weakened in Prague at some point and he came to Sunnydale to try and restore her and bag himself another Slayer.” She shrugged, “So, we pretty much started out as mortal enemies. We fought each other a lot that first half of the year, and he was a hell of a fighter. He almost got me on that first one, but incredibly enough my mom was the one who saved the day.” Buffy smiled in amusement. “Clocked him on the back of the head with an axe.”

 Clark snorted in amusement. “Sounds like something my mom would do.”

 Buffy smiled, “Yeah my mom could be pretty tough.” She shrugged, “Anyway, I ended up putting him in a wheelchair after dropping an organ on him during a spell that actually did end up restoring Drucilla. On my birthday I found out they were both still alive and Dru was reassembling an ancient demon called the Judge who couldn’t be killed by any man-made weapon. Me and Angel tried to stop it from happening, but we were both too late. That night I made the colossal decision of losing my virginity to Angel.” She looked at him out of the corner of her eye and sighed, “And just like that his soul was gone. Maybe that’s why I clung on to the notion that we were somehow destined for so long. I mean, the breaking of Angel’s curse literally states that only a moment of perfect happiness could release the soul. I guess I thought that if our love was enough to drive his soul away, it must be special.” She rolled her eyes at herself. “Honestly, knowing Angel it had more to do with him somehow feeling redeemed in me or it very well could have been that he hadn’t dipped his wick in over a hundred years. Whatever the cause, so began several horrible months of mental torment from a demon wearing my lover’s face.”

 “And Spike?” Clark asked.

 Buffy sighed, “Spike went through his own torment at the hands of Angelus and Drusilla. Spike really did love her, but her love compared to his was fleeting at best. He told me once how they would mock him for being wheelchair bound and Angelus would…well, he would fuck Dru right in front of Spike because he knew how much it hurt him. I think that’s when whatever destiny Spike had must have started. He came to me and made a truce in the hopes of getting Angelus away from Dru and also according to him, he actually liked the world and didn’t want to see it destroyed like they were planning.” She sighed again, “Anyway, that’s probably the first instance where I started to see Spike in a somewhat different light. Less of a danger and more of a nuisance if that makes sense.”

 “Yeah,” Clark nodded. “I guess I could see that.”

 “Okay, so skip ahead a few years, when I’m in my first year of college. I’ve seen Spike once in that time when he kidnapped Willow and Xander, trying to make Willow preform a love spell to get Dru back. Apparently, our little truce didn’t sit well with her and she dumped him.” Buffy shrugged, “We had one more real fight where we were actually trying to kill each other that year, and then a few months later the Initiative planted the chip in his head and then once again he came to us for asylum.” A small smile tugged at her lips, “We fought like cats and dogs that whole year. I think our bickering is partly what drove Giles to drinking so much. Then sometime during the next year when Dawn arrived and my mom got sick, he realized he was in love with me.” Buffy sighed. “It wasn’t a healthy love though, not even a little bit. He was obsessed with me. He had a weird shrine to me and he had, the super nerd Warren make a lifelike robot of me for reasons I’m sure you can guess.”

 Clark grimaced before saying, “Is that the same Warren that–”

 “The one and the same.” She interrupted. “I’ve dealt with some pretty gross demons before, but as far as Warren goes, he’s probably the worst human I’ve ever had to deal with.” Buffy sighed, “Anyway, as weird as Spike’s obsession with me was, he did some things that year that really surprised me. Things that normal vampires wouldn’t do, though I still to this day haven’t decided if Spike was the unique one or if Angelus was, because I know for a fact Spike isn’t the first vampire to keep a portion of his humanity after being turned.” She shook her head getting back on topic, “Anyway, he protected my sister’s secret when Glory tortured him for information and he promised to protect Dawn until the end of the world. When I came back the next year, I didn’t really acknowledge it at the time, but he was still there. Still looking out for my baby sister. It’s strange how you don’t see those things when they happen, but Spike loved Dawn like a little sister and he loved my mom too. For some reason he was drawn to us Summers women.” She sighed and looked at Clark. “I already told you when I came back, I went to a dark place.”

 Clark nodded, his eyes studying her face. “You have.”

 “I went to that dark place with Spike, I didn’t… when I came back, I was numb and I didn’t know it at the time, but my Slayer had gotten stronger. Part of me hated my friends, I was furious with them for bringing me back and expecting me to be happy about it.” She swallowed, “Spike became my confidant at first, he became my quiet solace. I could sit with him and just be… he didn’t…he didn’t expect me to just be okay like everyone else. I was the one who made the first move…we were under a spell at the time but that didn’t stop me from making a second move after it was broken. One night not long after our second make out session, after my Watcher decided I needed to learn to do things on my own and left, we got into an argument about the kiss and I hit him,” she frowned bitterly, rolling her eyes. “He retaliated and must have realized his chip didn’t fire. The next day, well he started a real fight with me. The first one we had since…well since our brawl before the chip.” Buffy could feel her cheeks heat up at the memory, “It was the first time I felt alive since my resurrection and one thing led to another and we…well we weren’t fighting anymore. At least not with fists. It was the first time I didn’t have to hold back and it was exhilarating.” She looked at her hands, “And the next day I told him how disgusting we were, and I was cruel and awful to him.” She shook her head. “I’m not saying that he didn’t give as good as he got, but I was always the one saying the cruel stuff first. I was awful to him Clark; I beat him once and left him for the sunrise. He was trying to help me…well, I thought I accidentally killed someone.” She pursed her lips, even the memory of Warren now days could send her into a rage. “I hadn’t, Warren once again was trying to fuck with my life, but both of us thought I did. He didn’t understand why I had to turn myself in, how much even thought of hurting someone innocent was killing me. I…I just snapped. I honestly don’t know how he managed to make it to safety on time.”

 She didn’t realize she was crying until she felt Clark’s arms come around her. “He still had bruises a week later and vampires, they heal fast.” She sniffled. “Shortly after that my ex-Riley came to town and somewhat reminded me why being with a soulless vampire was a bad thing. I realized that what we were doing…we had to stop. I was using him and it wasn’t fair to either of us, so I broke things off.” Buffy shook her head, “It was hard, because I really did still want him, but I resisted. Some things happened, over the next month or two, my friends ended up finding out about us and one night, he showed up at my house. I was pretty banged up from a fight earlier that evening and he tried to…I’m not even sure he knew what he was doing…but he tried to rape me.” Buffy said quietly, she felt Clark’s arms stiffen around her, this was the judgment she’d been waiting for. “I kicked him off, and he was shocked at himself and then I said, ask me again how I could ever love you?”

 She looked at Clark then, and she could see the anger swirling in his blue eyes. “That’s why Spike got his soul. He thought it was the only way he could be sure never to hurt me again. He wanted to be the man I deserved. He did it for selfish reasons of course, but the outcome of those reasons? It was worth it in the end, because he’s the reason we don’t still have a Hellmouth in Sunnydale California.”

 Clark shook his head, “I don’t…how can you have feelings for someone after they…even if he didn’t, how could you have not wanted to kill him?”

 Buffy shook her head. “Because love isn’t rational, because it can be beautiful or a nightmare, and unfortunately feelings can’t just be flipped on and off. I think if he hadn’t gotten his soul, I would have felt differently, and maybe I eventually would have stopped caring about him. You have to understand though…what he did, it’s never been done before. He fought against his nature and became something incredible for it. I think I would be kinda a hypocrite if I could forgive and still love Angel for what he did to me without a soul, but couldn’t forgive and still have feelings for Spike.”

 “Your ability to forgive, Buffy…I think you might have me beat in that department.” Clark said.

 She shook her head, “I don’t necessarily think that’s true. I don’t think I can ever truly forgive Willow for bringing me back, and you now know what I did to Angelus.” She sighed. “I really do think it depends on the transgression. Willow tore me out of Heaven, she made me immortal, denying me the peace and reward that all Slayers crave. Angelus went after people I love and he tormented and killed my sister Slayers, all of which were young girls, newly called. I know what Wes said, and part of its true, but Spike was just the catalyst, he was not necessarily the cause. It was my hate, my emotions guiding my Slayer, and it wasn’t the first time that part of me wanted to kill Willow nor was it only her that wanted to destroy Angelus for what he had done.”

  “And the claim?” Clark asked.

 Buffy sighed, “It was something that was swirling around my head for a while, and at first it was absolutely a hundred percent my Slayer. But by the time I started seriously considering it, that was definitely all me.”

 Clark looked away, “You wanted to bind yourself to him for eternity.”

 She was silent at his words; she knew what he was thinking and he was wrong. She remembered very clearly why she wanted to do it. “It…I really did want to win, Clark. I know you’re thinking I must have been head over heels in love, but… I loved Spike, I did and I still do, but not…It was the type of love you hold for your best friend, for the person who gets you more than anyone else. I’m not saying it wasn’t romantic in nature either, but it was a love that formed over time. There was no cupid moment. I knew we were compatible sexually; I knew he would never leave me, and I knew it would make us stronger. Claims, they don’t even require love to be fulfilled, just a mutual respect for one another and I knew we could make it work.”

 Clark sighed, leaning his head against the back of the couch. “Why didn’t you then?”

 “Fear,” Buffy said simply. “Fear of the unknown, fear that he would say no, and fear that he would say yes.”

 She watched Clark swallow. “And you want to do the same to me?”

 Buffy blushed. “I-I don’t know. Yes, I think so…” She was silent for a moment. Did she want to claim Clark? Her Slayer seemed to think so, but was that the prophecy or an actual want. She certainly didn’t want to lead him on, so she said “But I think it’s something that could happen in the heat of the moment.” She could literally feel her face heating up even more. “Just, if…if I ever bite you when we…and say ‘Mine’, don’t answer unless you’re willing to do the same.”

 “I’m assuming when you say bite, you mean breaking skin.” He said raising an eyebrow.

 “I do.” She admitted. “That’s basically what a claim is, it’s a symbolic ritual of sharing one’s life force, blood, saliva, semen. The mixing of your essence with another to create two halves of a whole.”

 A slow amused smile broke across his lips. “That actually sounds kind of beautiful, if not a little messy.”

 Buffy snorted, her own amusement growing at his analogy. “Anything else you want to know, before we continue our tour?”

 His eyes slowly gave her a once over, before he shook his head. “No, I think that was more than enough for today.” He looked down, “It’s hard for me to picture you like that, being cruel I mean. Not when…not when you’ve been so nice to me. I don’t think I’ll ever truly understand anything you told me about him and you, and…and if I’m being honest, I can’t help feeling…” He looked at her seriously, his mouth set in a firm line. “Let’s just hope he doesn’t come back from the dead again, because I can’t promise I will be very nice.”

 She found herself giggling at the visual. Dear God, that would be funny, especially with how quiet and reserved Clark was. Spike would drive him up the wall. “Oh, trust me neither will he, even with the soul he had the ability to drive just about anyone mad with rage.”

 “Well, then it’s probably a good thing he’s not around anymore. I don’t think I’d like to be responsible for killing someone you cared about.” Clark said seriously.

 Buffy rolled her eyes; he might be from another planet but he was definitely a hundred percent male. “Yes, Clark, lucky for you, you only have one of my ex’s left to contend with and he’s married.” She pushed herself away from him, grabbing his hand as she did and pulling him to his feet as she stood. “Now, come on, I’ll show you the training room.”

#man of steel #henry cavill #mos #man of steel fanfiction #man of steel crossover #man of steel edit #superman #buffy summers #superman fanfiction #superman crossover #superman fanedit #buffy #buffy fanfiction #Buffy The Vampire Slayer #Buffy Fandom #clark kent #buffy x clark #buffy summers x clark kent #buffy x superman #btvs #btvs crossover #btvs fanfiction #btvsedit #Sarah Michelle Gellar #this is totally self indulgent #angst

[reverxnce]

|| Continued || 

@counttwo-4​

     A snort, and soon enough-- Richard truly HAD disappeared in the leaf pile, for a moment...

     ... Only for the Welshman to suddenly spring up in childish delight, ‘splashing’ the Reverend and bringing upon him a holy rain of gold, red and brown leaves,

     “ HERE’S WHERE I AM! ” He spoke with a loud cackle, a big, perhaps dopey grin spread across his face now! To see Wesley be THIS cheerful was perhaps a mystery, yet a welcome change-- there was a glimmer in his eyes as he adjusted his coat, snickering a tad, “Well, come on and join me, Mr. Reverend!” He piped up-- he knew it was Ezekiel... but he liked saying Mr. Reverend, too. Good to be proper in this day and age.

     “ Are you going to stand there, you amazing tosspot, or are you going to join me in the Leaf War, eh? ” ...Someone was in a goofy mood.

There was a squeak of surprise as he found himself suddenly bombarded with leaves, instinctively jumping back, yet his face lit up with pure delight. This awoke something in him - a boyhood longing that had waited far too long to be indulged.

Challenge accepted. 

An undeniable smirk tugged at his lips as he quickly bent down to gather up a sizeable cluster of crunchy leaves. With an elegant flick of his wrist, he hurled it right at Wesley’s face, exploding immediately upon impact only to likewise shower Wesley with soft, colourful fragments of a similar looking rain. Hands placed triumphantly on his hips, a shit-eating grin plastered over his now exceedingly smug face, Ezekiel gave a challenging nod.

“How’s that???” 

#Zeke be like #COME AT ME BRO #I will Autumn vibe tf outta you #counttwo-4

[khantoelessar]

Daylight bombing casualties and the value of Hogan's rescue operation.

A post for those in interested in the history behind Hogan’s Heroes.

In the Cambridge History of Warfare the chapter on World War II states “While the British bombarded the Reich at night, in June 1943 the Americans began daylight attacks on German industrial targets. American air strategists believed that large formations of well armed B-17s could fight their way through German defences without heavy casualties. Nevertheless, the German fighter force represented a far more formidable opponent than the Americans had calculated: in August sixty bombers were lost in a single day in attacks on Schweinfurt and Regensburg, and sixty more two months later in another raid against the ball-bearing factories of Schweinfurt. Throughout the summer and autumn, the Americans lost 30 per cent of their crews every month. Although they also imposed heavy losses on the Luftwaffe’s fighters, the second Schweinfurt catastrophe forced the Americans to abandon unescorted raids deep into the Reich until a true long-range escort fighter, the P-51 ‘Mustang’, became available in early 1944.” (1)

This is interesting for two reasons. The first is that it gives weight to those fanfics that emphasis Hogan’s objections to the daylight bombing strategy, instituted by General Eaker (2)

The second is that it shows the importance and value of the “rescue any downed flyers” part of Hogan’s orders. Planes were easily replaced, “by 1944 American factories were turning out four-engine bombers ‘like candy bars’”. (3) Replacing an experience bomber crew or fighter pilot was another matter entirely. It took 22 months (4) to get a bomber crew fully trained and even then experience only came with successful missions. “During the whole war, 51% of aircrew were killed on operations, 12% were killed or wounded in non-operational accidents and 13% became prisoners of war or evaders. Only 24% survived the war unscathed.” (5) The crews of those bombers would have been infinitely more valuable than their planes.

Then introduce Hogan, who by “The General Swap” is returning over 100 flyers a year to the Allies. The rescue operation alone would have been priceless to the Allies even before adding the espionage, sabotage and assassination elements.

Sources:

1.      Murray, Williamson A. “The World at War” The Cambridge History of Warfare. Ed. Geoffrey Parker. Ohio State University. Cambridge University Press. 2020. 368 – 369. Print

2.      Cate, James Lea and Crave, Wesley Frank, eds. The Army Airforce in World War II. University of Chicago Press. 1983. PDF file. <<https://media.defense.gov/2010/Nov/05/2001329898/-1/-1/0/aaf_wwii-v1-2.pdf>>

3.      Murray, Williamson A. “The World at War” The Cambridge History of Warfare. Ed. Geoffrey Parker. Ohio State University. Cambridge University Press. 2020. 362. Print

4.      Fitzgerald, Timothy L.SMSgt USAAF Enlisted Aircrew Gunnery Training for Heavy Bombers in World War II. 1996. Airforce Enlisted Heritage Research Institute. PDF file <<https://www.airuniversity.af.edu/Portals/10/AFEHRI/documents/AerialGunnerParachutist/gunnery.pdf

5.      Life and Death in Bomber Command. Imperial War Museum. 14 Oct 2021. <<https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/life-and-death-in-bomber-command>>

Cross posted on the FFN forums under Further Information and Just for fun/ General History Database and Discussion

#Hogan's Heroes #World War II history #RAF #USAAF