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idle thought #499
Sep. 9th, 2023 10:42 pmXander has to fast forward through all scenes with N’Grath now.
idle thought #479
Jul. 1st, 2023 10:54 pmaaaa the ending of this onmyoji event is giving me massive susanoo = yosuke vibes aaa (not the first time, but still. if this keeps happening I'll have to write something about it.)
correct me if i'm wrong but wouldn't it be natasha romanova if they were actually following correct russian naming? (i looked it up years ago because of ivanova [b5] but it's been a while)
(also given that xander likes strong women he probably had a crush on ivanova huh?)
Technomage Xander
Jun. 20th, 2023 09:30 pmSo, yeah, he kind of needs a hologram to hide the cat-features even if he doesn't have to wear the trench & stuff most of the time. (To see this well, you might need to open the image in a new tab; I'm trying to get it to a good size but I don't think Dreamwidth has the 'post at 100% to fill the available space' like Ao3.)
idle thought #352
Apr. 6th, 2022 10:54 pmpeople tend to credit (or blame) whedon for starting this whole quippy dialogue trend, but the fact of the matter is, it was just kinda a 90s show thing? Babylon 5 and X-Files tended to do the same thing (though you could argue success varied; I think JMS [B5] was better at it than most, i.e. writing dialogue that did 5 different things at once, but that's my opinion)
Crisis of Self
Nov. 8th, 2021 11:58 pmtitledrop
I've got a couple other mini scenes but I'm not going to have them go anywhere as yet; this is as far as I go without rereading the trilogy/the Technomage RPG supplement (assuming that i own it and it went to storage). There's a lot of little details that I'd get wrong in any training segments or showing-how-the-powers-work segments (I've probably made some mistakes already and so this will probably have some edits at some point).
Main Points:
Buffy/Babylon 5 AU (same as The Ushari): Agents of Chaos AU
Chapter Summary: Giles has a conversation with Xander following the events of Halloween.
Word Count: 900
Rating: Teen
Spoilers: Major spoilers for the origin of the Technomages (explained in either the book trilogy or an unfilmed episode of Crusade)
I've got a couple other mini scenes but I'm not going to have them go anywhere as yet; this is as far as I go without rereading the trilogy/the Technomage RPG supplement (assuming that i own it and it went to storage). There's a lot of little details that I'd get wrong in any training segments or showing-how-the-powers-work segments (I've probably made some mistakes already and so this will probably have some edits at some point).
Main Points:
Buffy/Babylon 5 AU (same as The Ushari): Agents of Chaos AU
Chapter Summary: Giles has a conversation with Xander following the events of Halloween.
Word Count: 900
Rating: Teen
Spoilers: Major spoilers for the origin of the Technomages (explained in either the book trilogy or an unfilmed episode of Crusade)
( How can you come to terms with who you are? )
Lessons in Patience
Nov. 2nd, 2021 10:40 pmMain Points:
Buffy/Babylon 5 AU (same as The Ushari): Agents of Chaos AU
Chapter Summary: Xander tries to deal.
Word Count: 625
Rating: Teen
Warnings: Xander is not in the best headspace rn.
( What are you willing to do to get what you want? )
Buffy/Babylon 5 AU (same as The Ushari): Agents of Chaos AU
Chapter Summary: Xander tries to deal.
Word Count: 625
Rating: Teen
Warnings: Xander is not in the best headspace rn.
( What are you willing to do to get what you want? )
Dealing With Change
Oct. 31st, 2021 11:44 pmHope you had a happy Halloween! Mine was, uh...interesting. Put under a cut because it'll be easy to skip if you're not interested.
( ESO, you are not a clown, you are the entire circus )
Main Points:
Buffy/Babylon 5 AU (same as The Ushari): Agents of Chaos AU
Chapter Summary: Unfortunately, breaking the spell didn't go exactly as intended.
Word Count: 1102
Rating: Teen
( ESO, you are not a clown, you are the entire circus )
Main Points:
Buffy/Babylon 5 AU (same as The Ushari): Agents of Chaos AU
Chapter Summary: Unfortunately, breaking the spell didn't go exactly as intended.
Word Count: 1102
Rating: Teen
( What will you do in the face of change? )
Past Indiscretions
Oct. 26th, 2021 11:38 pmMain Points:
Buffy/Babylon 5 AU (same as The Ushari): Agents of Chaos AU
Chapter Summary: Halloween is not as quiet as Giles hoped.
Word Count: 795
Rating: Teen
Buffy/Babylon 5 AU (same as The Ushari): Agents of Chaos AU
Chapter Summary: Halloween is not as quiet as Giles hoped.
Word Count: 795
Rating: Teen
Improvised Spellcasting
Oct. 25th, 2021 11:58 pm( slight spoilers for fic below )
Main Points:
Buffy/Babylon 5 AU (same as The Ushari): Agents of Chaos AU
Chapter Summary: Angel's rescue turns a little complicated.
Word Count: 880
Rating: Teen
Main Points:
Buffy/Babylon 5 AU (same as The Ushari): Agents of Chaos AU
Chapter Summary: Angel's rescue turns a little complicated.
Word Count: 880
Rating: Teen
( how will you survive? )
Question of Identity
Jul. 26th, 2021 11:42 pmMain Points:
Buffy/Babylon 5 AU (same as The Ushari): Agents of Chaos AU
Chapter Summary: Willow reports her results.
Word Count: 670
Rating: Teen
( a study in contrast )
Buffy/Babylon 5 AU (same as The Ushari): Agents of Chaos AU
Chapter Summary: Willow reports her results.
Word Count: 670
Rating: Teen
( a study in contrast )
Night of Chaos
Jul. 20th, 2021 11:59 pmI actually like this one better than the last one, which makes me glad I continued despite not having reread the Technomage Trilogy (I was going to hold out for a bit until I'd done that). They're teasing each other but they're definitely friends.
Okay, giving these kids Technomage abilities is forcing them to confront their issues, because Xander’s is his insecurities (and, no, shockingly, magic doesn’t make those go poof immediately), Buffy’s is her violent tendencies, and Willow’s is her power hunger. Add to that their desire to fix all their problems themselves without bothering anyone else…
(I’ll probably revisit when I get a chance to reread the Technomage Trilogy, I just really didn’t want to leave this series on the last installment)
P6 = middle strength telepath.
I wasn't sure whether to include stuff about the canon Technomages before realizing it'd be weirder if I didn't, especially as Galen is a...somewhat controversial figure in the group.
Main Points:
Buffy/Babylon 5 AU (same as The Ushari): Agents of Chaos AU
Chapter Summary: The Technomages arrive.
Word Count: 1984
Rating: Teen
Okay, not out and out spoilers for B5 or Crusade this time, more like just hints, but I'll still tag. Galen doesn't actually appear but he is discussed.
Okay, giving these kids Technomage abilities is forcing them to confront their issues, because Xander’s is his insecurities (and, no, shockingly, magic doesn’t make those go poof immediately), Buffy’s is her violent tendencies, and Willow’s is her power hunger. Add to that their desire to fix all their problems themselves without bothering anyone else…
(I’ll probably revisit when I get a chance to reread the Technomage Trilogy, I just really didn’t want to leave this series on the last installment)
P6 = middle strength telepath.
I wasn't sure whether to include stuff about the canon Technomages before realizing it'd be weirder if I didn't, especially as Galen is a...somewhat controversial figure in the group.
Main Points:
Buffy/Babylon 5 AU (same as The Ushari): Agents of Chaos AU
Chapter Summary: The Technomages arrive.
Word Count: 1984
Rating: Teen
Okay, not out and out spoilers for B5 or Crusade this time, more like just hints, but I'll still tag. Galen doesn't actually appear but he is discussed.
( a sense of displacement )
Mechanical Feelings
Jul. 19th, 2021 11:05 pmdelayed because me reading about more CW shenanigans + Joss jossing his own progressive cred, but we all knew that already. and then I had to decide on outfits.
Also, I'm writing from his PoV but I don't like younger Xander as much. This took probably about 3 hours to post because I really am not sure about this one. I really like some of the dialogue and stuff, but as much as I usually like writing these characters, that's not 100% true in this case. I like older 'having been forced to deal with his shit' Xander. Maybe teenagers are less aware of themselves being jerks (or less able to stop themselves for being jerks). Or maybe I've just been reading too much about Joss. I hate saying this, but at least something will go wrong in the next installment so he'll have bigger issues than his own insecurities. That being said, saying no to being a Dilgar is a correct decision. Also, yes, Xander, I have actually heard and participated in a pocket rant, because I love my pockets and everyone should be able to have pockets if they want them. Which is actually also kind of a metaphor as well as a real-world issue if you think about it.
Main Points:
Buffy/Babylon 5 AU (same as The Ushari): Agents of Chaos AU
Chapter Summary: The costumes come together.
Word Count: 1971
Rating: Teen
Spoilers for up until halfway through Season 4 of Babylon 5 + the Technomage Trilogy Books (it's quick but it is kind of a major spoiler).
Warnings: Milder and more self-aware than the show but Xander's definitely still got some issues to work on (generally slight sexism), Ethan is still a bit of a creep
Also, I'm writing from his PoV but I don't like younger Xander as much. This took probably about 3 hours to post because I really am not sure about this one. I really like some of the dialogue and stuff, but as much as I usually like writing these characters, that's not 100% true in this case. I like older 'having been forced to deal with his shit' Xander. Maybe teenagers are less aware of themselves being jerks (or less able to stop themselves for being jerks). Or maybe I've just been reading too much about Joss. I hate saying this, but at least something will go wrong in the next installment so he'll have bigger issues than his own insecurities. That being said, saying no to being a Dilgar is a correct decision. Also, yes, Xander, I have actually heard and participated in a pocket rant, because I love my pockets and everyone should be able to have pockets if they want them. Which is actually also kind of a metaphor as well as a real-world issue if you think about it.
Main Points:
Buffy/Babylon 5 AU (same as The Ushari): Agents of Chaos AU
Chapter Summary: The costumes come together.
Word Count: 1971
Rating: Teen
Spoilers for up until halfway through Season 4 of Babylon 5 + the Technomage Trilogy Books (it's quick but it is kind of a major spoiler).
Warnings: Milder and more self-aware than the show but Xander's definitely still got some issues to work on (generally slight sexism), Ethan is still a bit of a creep
2am rambles
Jul. 13th, 2021 11:40 amalso realized while writing this that willow might have gotten her first (only?) gay people are okay from ivanova/talia which is problematic in itself but also kind of beautiful? like, your male crush says 'hey let's watch this show i love' and you're like 'sure' and try to memorize everything to impress him but you also get a 'gay people are normal in the future and experience the same things like crushes and disappointment' and some part of you internalizes that. (also it might explain some of the problematic stuff in the tara/willow stuff in and out of universe but i digress)
also it occurred to me thinking about galen who i didn't realize at the time reading the books and would have to read them again to know for sure but he was kinda...ace, and then applying that to btvs and i'm like...wait
you could totally do xander as ace
(I know joss would want us to read him as just 'adorably inexperienced' because he's a self-insert but joss became irrelevant the second we realized he was more like the old crusty council than anything so let us eloquently tell them they're irrelevant and can forever wait to be included at the table)
anyway xander definitely experiences generalized lust, hence the linoleum thing, but whenever sex with actual people comes up, he's generally uncomfortable and awkward
but the thing he prizes the most is the emotional connection
he knows he's SUPPOSED TO just want sex, all the time, with anyone, because internalized toxic masculinity, but he doesn't and he feels a little broken
he's hurt at the implication that sex...can just, not mean something? can just be a bodily function that people do instead of something that proves a deep emotional connection with people? he's all over being a comfortador, doing the small little couply things so it'd be pretty easy to just...make him ace, not sex-repulsed, and definitely not aro
anyway adventures of writing new crossovers making me discover new things about stuff is fun
things i am also doing at 2 am: wondering what xander's gay arc would have been
also it occurred to me thinking about galen who i didn't realize at the time reading the books and would have to read them again to know for sure but he was kinda...ace, and then applying that to btvs and i'm like...wait
you could totally do xander as ace
(I know joss would want us to read him as just 'adorably inexperienced' because he's a self-insert but joss became irrelevant the second we realized he was more like the old crusty council than anything so let us eloquently tell them they're irrelevant and can forever wait to be included at the table)
anyway xander definitely experiences generalized lust, hence the linoleum thing, but whenever sex with actual people comes up, he's generally uncomfortable and awkward
but the thing he prizes the most is the emotional connection
he knows he's SUPPOSED TO just want sex, all the time, with anyone, because internalized toxic masculinity, but he doesn't and he feels a little broken
he's hurt at the implication that sex...can just, not mean something? can just be a bodily function that people do instead of something that proves a deep emotional connection with people? he's all over being a comfortador, doing the small little couply things so it'd be pretty easy to just...make him ace, not sex-repulsed, and definitely not aro
anyway adventures of writing new crossovers making me discover new things about stuff is fun
things i am also doing at 2 am: wondering what xander's gay arc would have been
And So It Begins
Jul. 12th, 2021 10:45 pmI suspect I keep making Xander non-human because it’s a good way to make him reexamine his xenophobia. How do you hold on to your humanity when part of it’s gone? What’s worth discarding? What happens when it’s the humans that are the monsters? (Which is a thing Xander knows, given his comment about the coaches; he knows that sometimes humans are the worst but it’s easier not to think about that because it hits too close to home.)
As usual, the chronology is off, if only slightly. A Call to Arms, the movie that introduces Galen, comes out 2 years after the Halloween episode. However, if I wanted to write this without messing up the timeline at all, I could; the episode that introduces his mentor came out 3 years before the Halloween episode. (I like Galen more than I like Elric, though as he’s also bald you could just substitute him in.)
Other question that occurred to me: do they make Sunnydale their Place of Power? Because lemme tell you, that would complicate the last season…
This starts out with a less sympathetic Xander than I usually write, but then, I often have him past his point of realization, which has yet to come in this one. It’s going to have some very Maybe Tomorrow’s a Better Day stuff where something comes back to bite him and he can’t just BSOD; he actually has to work on fixing it. Also, Willow, you can definitely do better, as much as I like Xander as a character.
my favorite thing about this one besides writing a ton of b5 references is buffy's comeback /grins
I also don't care that the writers kind of went with it but didn't commit. I will continue to headcanon Xander as from a poor or poorish family that might be middle class if they didn't spend all their money on booze.
Main Points:
Buffy/Babylon 5 AU (same as The Ushari)
Chapter Summary: Willow and Xander have an idea for matching costumes.
Word Count: 810
Rating: Teen
Spoilers for up until halfway through Season 4 of Babylon 5 + the Technomage Trilogy Books (it's quick but it is kind of a major spoiler)
As usual, the chronology is off, if only slightly. A Call to Arms, the movie that introduces Galen, comes out 2 years after the Halloween episode. However, if I wanted to write this without messing up the timeline at all, I could; the episode that introduces his mentor came out 3 years before the Halloween episode. (I like Galen more than I like Elric, though as he’s also bald you could just substitute him in.)
Other question that occurred to me: do they make Sunnydale their Place of Power? Because lemme tell you, that would complicate the last season…
This starts out with a less sympathetic Xander than I usually write, but then, I often have him past his point of realization, which has yet to come in this one. It’s going to have some very Maybe Tomorrow’s a Better Day stuff where something comes back to bite him and he can’t just BSOD; he actually has to work on fixing it. Also, Willow, you can definitely do better, as much as I like Xander as a character.
my favorite thing about this one besides writing a ton of b5 references is buffy's comeback /grins
I also don't care that the writers kind of went with it but didn't commit. I will continue to headcanon Xander as from a poor or poorish family that might be middle class if they didn't spend all their money on booze.
Main Points:
Buffy/Babylon 5 AU (same as The Ushari)
Chapter Summary: Willow and Xander have an idea for matching costumes.
Word Count: 810
Rating: Teen
Spoilers for up until halfway through Season 4 of Babylon 5 + the Technomage Trilogy Books (it's quick but it is kind of a major spoiler)
( who will you be? )
The Ushari
Jul. 7th, 2021 11:49 pmI really don't have the time for doing this either, but...here we go.
Warning: MASSIVE B5 SPOILERS. NOT ESSENTIAL TO READ BEFORE FIC SO YOU CAN SKIP IT. (Other than the Author's Note. That contains no spoilers.)
( author's note )
Warning: MASSIVE B5 SPOILERS. NOT ESSENTIAL TO READ BEFORE FIC SO YOU CAN SKIP IT. (Other than the Author's Note. That contains no spoilers.)
( author's note )
( background info )
Joss Whedon and the Coerced Hero
May. 6th, 2021 01:26 pmReleasing this into the wild without looking over it too much, because I've already spent too much time on this already. Just so you know what you're getting into, spoilers abound, and this thing is 3,628 words. Brief mention of the harassment stuff + sexism + racism because this is Whedon. If you're good with all that, then buckle up.
Do I have the time to write this? No. Should I be writing Shadowed Suspicion instead? Yes. Am I doing it anyway? Yes. Here, you can get a taste of my first drafts for a college paper. (The Xander as a Trickster Figure one would count, too, I guess.) Sorry if this is well-known in any of the mentioned fandoms. I definitely haven’t read all the literary analysis on the subject, don’t have access to the journals I had when I was in college (JSTOR, I miss you!), and google is generally not being useful in this endeavor. I’m going to try to have a few quotes if I can find any quickly, but like I said, first draft. Quality’s going to be a little bit freewriting. I’m structuring it as much as I can, but I’m not editing. Also, there are going to be spoilers for Buffy, the MCU, Dollhouse, Dr. Horrible's, Firefly, and Yakuza of varying degrees (mostly the first two, but I do address the rest). No real spoilers for Babylon 5 but I wanted to tag it because it is mentioned. Not tagging some of the Whedon stuff as I don't plan to talk about them much in the future and don't want them taking up a tag slot (which probably inevitably means I'll be writing about them in the future but shh leave me to my delusions; they're cozy). Assume when I’m referring to Marvel without further elaborating, it’s on the MCU. While I don’t particularly want to be listening to Whedon about anything at this point, Word of Joss has said that the general outline of the movie, at least, is considered canonical, so I’m going to briefly talk about that too.
idle thought #209
Dec. 30th, 2020 07:30 pmtime travel from babylon 5 in assassin's creed, with altair or desmond as the One Who Was
Walker of Night Part 12.5
May. 27th, 2020 10:50 pmhow 12 morphed into 15 in yesterday's cut I"ll never know (honestly, probably typo)
also remember to run your antivirus software, especially when you're spending more time online! brought to you by helping a friend with their computer
this one is mostly a sketch and way too short to actually be a separate part sooo
Main Points:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer AU
Summary: summary + me wanting to write more b5 and having no clue what I'm doing
Word Count 252
Rating: Teen
Pairing: Xander/Spike
also remember to run your antivirus software, especially when you're spending more time online! brought to you by helping a friend with their computer
this one is mostly a sketch and way too short to actually be a separate part sooo
Main Points:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer AU
Summary: summary + me wanting to write more b5 and having no clue what I'm doing
Word Count 252
Rating: Teen
Pairing: Xander/Spike
Xander’s majorly hurt on a patrol-demons drag him off and stab him right in front of Spike, just to show that they’re not afraid of him after he finally tracks them down. Blade tip. Part of Xander’s soul gets sucked into a PHD-Personal Home Dimension-attached to a merchant demon world, that’s being fed from his memories and dreams. Spike is sent by Willow and Tara and talks to him. The next time he goes, it’s turned all Babylon 5. Xander turns Dalaen, a cloaked wise oracle type figure. Spike fights in through security and tries to turn the place upside down looking for Xander. Security finally gets him, and when he wakes up he and Garibaldi have a talk. There’s an alien attack-the neighbors aren’t too friendly, or something.
“It’s lonely, isn’t it? Standing here, watching the stars. But what you never realize is how much lonelier it must be up there, watching us. They hardly ever occur in partners, and they’re stuck up there, for all eternity, watching but unable to interfere or have personal contact or connections.”
Sheridan glanced at the weird guy he’d come to know almost as a friend, hesitated, and then asked, straightforward, “Are you going to be all right? With him, I mean?”
A smile flashed in his direction. “It’s a long story, and half of it hasn’t even been written yet. But worry not; it may be a long and dangerous road, but it is an adventure, and that is half the fun of it.”
