I am actually kind of really fond of this one. Protesting is good, but it shouldn’t just end there. The population of Sunnydale should be much more diverse than we saw and I worked my speculations as to why it’s not into the story. And Xander’s reasoning for choosing Blake came out as I was writing and it actually makes a lot of sense; he’s always been one of the Scoobies with the most knowledge about the real world, for better or worse. The underbelly of things. Blake is aspirational in that he thinks he can make a difference, while Xander didn’t (and still, to some extent, doesn’t). It also...maybe wasn’t an effort to shut Buffy out, sadly, but a ‘I’d really like to be her and know I can’t be, so here’s the next best thing’ deal. And then they just get to be domestic, more, which I really liked from At the End of All Things.  (...also there's some interesting thematic things that happen when you put this opposite to the Initiative....)

Main Points:
Buffy/Blake's 7 (Place in the Universe)
Chapter Summary: Xander definitely makes sure the college experience stays eventful.
Word Count: 830
Rating: Teen

 

( endless red tape to keep the truth confined )

Main Points:
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure/Buffy the Vampire Slayer AU
Chapter Summary: Giorno and the others investigate the first findings in the corridor to Rush's lab.
Word Count: 1313
Note: HERE THERE PROBABLY BE BUFFY/JJBA SPOILERS

( Chapter 372: Natural Science )

Main Points:
Buffy/Blake's 7 (Place in the Universe)
Chapter Summary: Jesse has become Xander's keeper, and some days that's a thankless job. Not today.
Word Count: 835
Rating: Teen  

( i'll never let you go if you promise not to fade away )

Main Points:
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure/Buffy the Vampire Slayer AU
Chapter Summary: Buffy and the others enter Rush's lair.
Word Count: 1365
Note: HERE THERE PROBABLY BE BUFFY/JJBA SPOILERS

 

( Chapter 371: Vapor Trails )

Main Points:
Buffy/Blake's 7 (Place in the Universe)
Chapter Summary: Blake and Xander contemplate their situation.
Word Count: 847
Rating: Teen

 

( -twenty-one- )

+ bonus list of chapter titles
( chapter titles )

 

This chapter was about half-written since the last thing I posted for this AU, only I didn't want to post it yet because it didn't feel right.  And I'm glad about that, because there was a very good reason it wasn't working: originally, Carol had planned everything, rather than just getting Kirk involved in a last-ditch effort, and that was the kind of character butchering that just didn't work.  Here, it's more like the messy relationship they had in the Prime!universe, and if not for being backed into a corner she wouldn't have even gotten him involved at all, which makes Kirk a lot more upset about the situation than with Carol.

Main Points:
Star Trek (the 2009!movie verse) Cambion AU (New Genesis)
Summary: A comm call throws Kirk's world into a spin.
Word Count: 870
Rating: Gen

( we can't go back )

usually I try not to make specific kinds of jokes about things like word count numbers but in this case given what’s implied I think it’s pretty appropriate, actually
happy Echoes anniversary!
This is just a nebulous fluff thing that wouldn't leave me alone the week before until I wrote it, and then when I was done I stared at it and went 'uh, this actually works really well as a 'special' because it doesn't really spoil anything and probably doesn't 100% fit in with the story anyway'.  So it may someday be somewhat AU whenever I get to that part, but isn't as much as, say, A Tad Too Inviting.  Also I'll note I'm sick, keep writing chapters out of order that I'm probably going to have to heavily revise whenever I actually get there, and have been watching The Bourne Identity a lot all because of a) being sick and b) a one-off joke that's going to happen in the next interlude-esque volume?  That being said I actually kinda like this a lot and hope you do too, thanks for sticking with this story!

Main Points: Assassin's Creed/The Secret World
Summary: In a quiet moment, Shaun and Desmond get to talk.
Word Count: 690
Rating: Teen
Warnings: ish.  Definitely teen, nothing on-screen, but implied offscreen sex.

 

( what it says on the tin )

 

Main Points:
Buffy/Blake's 7 (Place in the Universe)
Chapter Summary: Buffy expects things to get worse for her after Halloween.
Word Count: 1053
Rating: Teen

 

( -nineteen- )

Reading about Looms for a later part and getting sidetracked reading about the Newblood houses and...yeah, that fits Blake extremely well, so him actually having a second heart before his first regeneration is more meaningful for the plot than just for survival. Yay for awesome coincidence.

Main Points:
Blake's 7 (probably series A/season 1, but otherwise ambiguously set) (A Question of Identity)
Chapter Summary: The man tries his best not to die (nor to let Avon die).
Word Count: 1212
Rating: Teen

( -two- )

Main Points: Assassin's Creed/The Secret World
Summary: Desmond briefly gets distracted by a shiny and then they finish taking out the circuitry, for better or for worse.
Word Count: 1906
Rating: Teen

 

( the purple circuit )