Occam's Razor
Mar. 10th, 2026 01:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
madimpossibledreamerOf course I’m all set up to write the next chapter of Shades of Memory and then my brain goes ‘nah, another YAHF’. Plus I’d been watching a lot of X-Files while I was sick. I'd say I have no idea how I got here, but I did also read a few trans!Mulder stories and there's one scene that just happened, so. (It is also slightly surprising that it's taken me this long to actually write a probably requited Xander/Willow given that I do actually like childhood friends to lovers as much as I like tsundere; it's something about the circumstances tripping me up.)
Main Points:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer/X-Files (The Truth is Out There {Stranger than Fiction})
Summary: Both Alex and Buffy are missing the obvious that is right there.
Word Count: 870
Rating: Teen
Alex blinks. Buffy seems sure this is not only a problem, but somehow her problem. She hasn’t provided anything convincing on the evidence front, though, just launched into a lecture already assuming that Alex absolutely can and should step in. She’d hoped that her blank expression is answer enough, but no, it keeps going, which is why Alex finally has to interrupt. “I don’t know why it’s falling on me to make sure her Halloween is not boo-tastic.”
Buffy finally slows her roll, mostly to look just as confused. “You’re her best friend. She’s not listening to me.”
“Look, if you’re using the ‘attract males and stop moping’ line, I know it’s breaking all kinds of unspoken treaties and agreements breached by even voicing any of this out loud, but I gotta say, the last guy she had a crush on was kind of a cyber demon and the one before that went and, y’know. Got vamped and died. So if that’s where you’re going with it, it’s no wonder you’re not getting anywhere.” At least she’s fairly sure that’s what’s going on. They never really talked about it, mostly on account of various factors including but not limited to Jesse’s attraction to Cordelia, the ‘we hate Cordelia’ club that Alex half suspects was started out of jealousy, and also the fact that Alex had sorta been responsible for the dusting, mostly because it was her hand holding the stake, and nobody wanted to think, much less talk, about that one.
“See? You know what to say. I don’t.” Unfortunately, that’s actually a good point, but it’s still a distraction from the underlying logic.
So Alex points it out. “That’s still saying there’s anything wrong with the ghost sheet. It’s a perfectly fine tradition. You Slay just as legends have foretold, Willow and I go cheap on Halloween costumes. It’s just the way the world works.”
Buffy sighs and crosses her arms. “So you haven’t talked to her.”
“About this? No. Reference the ‘unspoken treaties and agreements’ part. I can’t talk to her about this.” She’s already hurting enough. No need to add Alex tripping over every word in the most pathetic display known to man just for some kind of closure so she feels better about it, never mind how Willow feels.
Buffy rolls her eyes like Alex is somehow being the dense one. “About anything, genius. I might not have known either of you as long, but I can tell when you’re Miss Avoiding, Alex. Go talk to her. She is upset, and if you’re avoiding, that’s probably why.”
Alex swallows. “I’m not—” she starts, realizing halfway through the statement that it’s really, really transparent it’s not true. Her shoulders slump. “It’s not a good idea, Buff. I’m pretty sure I’m the problem. As usual, like anyone’s shocked, and so on.”
“She can’t stay mad at you even when you’re the biggest blockhead on the planet,” Buffy counters. She has to be using her fighting skills, only in the form of verbal fencing instead.
“Ouch. I resemble the remark, but ouch.” She rubs at the back of her neck. “The thing is, it’s not that she’s mad. Being mad, I would get. I—it’s about the mummy guy, okay? I don’t know why, but she got really weird about that. I don’t think she’s jealous or anything, but she’s been acting, I dunno. She won’t even let me talk about it. I bring it up and she says there’s nothing wrong and then changes the subject, but she doesn’t want to actually talk. She’ll start to babble and remember herself halfway through and then give up. I’ve never seen her like this and I’m pretty sure I’m the last person she wants to see. I’ll probably make it worse.”
Buffy looks a little more sympathetic, but not a single bit more convinced. “She’s not talking to me, so I can’t say for sure, but maybe that whole connection is why? Everything feels like it’s changing, one of her friends dies, and then you go and offer yourself up to die, and she freaks about maybe losing you, too? I mean, I can’t really talk here, I did die. That’s a really bad track record, you know?”
Well...when you put it that way, way to make a girl feel guilty. “I couldn’t just let her die,” Alex offers, voice small.
“Look, I get it, but you can’t seriously think we don’t feel the same way, right?” Actually, yeah, that kind of had slipped Alex’s mind, but it’s not like she can just come out and say that, now can she? Not without freaking out Buffy too.
She sighs. “Fine, fine. I can guarantee nothing but death and maybe taxes, assuming we live that long, but sure, I’ll go try to talk her out of a boo-ly fate.”
Buffy nods, finally smiling. It doesn’t help the feeling of this being an order at all. “That’s all I’m asking for. A miracle would be nice, but it’s not required.”
“Oh, yay. I’ll just check my stock.” Alex really, really doesn’t want to have this conversation, but she’ll feel worse if she doesn’t, now, and the conversation about ‘actually I chickened out’ wouldn’t be much better.
Main Points:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer/X-Files (The Truth is Out There {Stranger than Fiction})
Summary: Both Alex and Buffy are missing the obvious that is right there.
Word Count: 870
Rating: Teen
Alex blinks. Buffy seems sure this is not only a problem, but somehow her problem. She hasn’t provided anything convincing on the evidence front, though, just launched into a lecture already assuming that Alex absolutely can and should step in. She’d hoped that her blank expression is answer enough, but no, it keeps going, which is why Alex finally has to interrupt. “I don’t know why it’s falling on me to make sure her Halloween is not boo-tastic.”
Buffy finally slows her roll, mostly to look just as confused. “You’re her best friend. She’s not listening to me.”
“Look, if you’re using the ‘attract males and stop moping’ line, I know it’s breaking all kinds of unspoken treaties and agreements breached by even voicing any of this out loud, but I gotta say, the last guy she had a crush on was kind of a cyber demon and the one before that went and, y’know. Got vamped and died. So if that’s where you’re going with it, it’s no wonder you’re not getting anywhere.” At least she’s fairly sure that’s what’s going on. They never really talked about it, mostly on account of various factors including but not limited to Jesse’s attraction to Cordelia, the ‘we hate Cordelia’ club that Alex half suspects was started out of jealousy, and also the fact that Alex had sorta been responsible for the dusting, mostly because it was her hand holding the stake, and nobody wanted to think, much less talk, about that one.
“See? You know what to say. I don’t.” Unfortunately, that’s actually a good point, but it’s still a distraction from the underlying logic.
So Alex points it out. “That’s still saying there’s anything wrong with the ghost sheet. It’s a perfectly fine tradition. You Slay just as legends have foretold, Willow and I go cheap on Halloween costumes. It’s just the way the world works.”
Buffy sighs and crosses her arms. “So you haven’t talked to her.”
“About this? No. Reference the ‘unspoken treaties and agreements’ part. I can’t talk to her about this.” She’s already hurting enough. No need to add Alex tripping over every word in the most pathetic display known to man just for some kind of closure so she feels better about it, never mind how Willow feels.
Buffy rolls her eyes like Alex is somehow being the dense one. “About anything, genius. I might not have known either of you as long, but I can tell when you’re Miss Avoiding, Alex. Go talk to her. She is upset, and if you’re avoiding, that’s probably why.”
Alex swallows. “I’m not—” she starts, realizing halfway through the statement that it’s really, really transparent it’s not true. Her shoulders slump. “It’s not a good idea, Buff. I’m pretty sure I’m the problem. As usual, like anyone’s shocked, and so on.”
“She can’t stay mad at you even when you’re the biggest blockhead on the planet,” Buffy counters. She has to be using her fighting skills, only in the form of verbal fencing instead.
“Ouch. I resemble the remark, but ouch.” She rubs at the back of her neck. “The thing is, it’s not that she’s mad. Being mad, I would get. I—it’s about the mummy guy, okay? I don’t know why, but she got really weird about that. I don’t think she’s jealous or anything, but she’s been acting, I dunno. She won’t even let me talk about it. I bring it up and she says there’s nothing wrong and then changes the subject, but she doesn’t want to actually talk. She’ll start to babble and remember herself halfway through and then give up. I’ve never seen her like this and I’m pretty sure I’m the last person she wants to see. I’ll probably make it worse.”
Buffy looks a little more sympathetic, but not a single bit more convinced. “She’s not talking to me, so I can’t say for sure, but maybe that whole connection is why? Everything feels like it’s changing, one of her friends dies, and then you go and offer yourself up to die, and she freaks about maybe losing you, too? I mean, I can’t really talk here, I did die. That’s a really bad track record, you know?”
Well...when you put it that way, way to make a girl feel guilty. “I couldn’t just let her die,” Alex offers, voice small.
“Look, I get it, but you can’t seriously think we don’t feel the same way, right?” Actually, yeah, that kind of had slipped Alex’s mind, but it’s not like she can just come out and say that, now can she? Not without freaking out Buffy too.
She sighs. “Fine, fine. I can guarantee nothing but death and maybe taxes, assuming we live that long, but sure, I’ll go try to talk her out of a boo-ly fate.”
Buffy nods, finally smiling. It doesn’t help the feeling of this being an order at all. “That’s all I’m asking for. A miracle would be nice, but it’s not required.”
“Oh, yay. I’ll just check my stock.” Alex really, really doesn’t want to have this conversation, but she’ll feel worse if she doesn’t, now, and the conversation about ‘actually I chickened out’ wouldn’t be much better.
