madimpossibledreamer | Entries tagged with sands of egypt project

I'm not 100% satisfied with the way this turned out. I might end up rewriting this later, so it might end up in Abandoned Paths. It establishes a few important things for the timeline, though--it's the first time Haru accesses his ancient powers, though he's going to have to work for them after Halloween and won't remember much of the night. It's also the beginning of Andrew's 'notice me senpai' phase.
Also, I hate having to turn down friends to hang out because I'm like *I will literally die, there is so much to do, bleh*. It sucks.
~Dreamer~

Main Points:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Sands of Egypt Project
Chapter Summary: Andrew's not having the best time of it.
Word Count: 530
Rating: teen

              Tucker had already taken off to go hang out with his friends. Andrew knows this. He takes too long, but it’s not as if you can rush perfection. He can’t just have an incomplete Sith outfit. That’d be sacrilege or something.
              He finally opens the door and there’s a huge, tall being on the doorstep. It’s a pretty good costume. “Hi. I think we have candy somewhere.” He forgets to be the big, intimidating Sith, but it’s just evil to deny people candy.
              The thing roars in his face, and he screams. It’s…not a costume. That’s a real live monster on its doorstep. “Y-your breath is terrible. And I’m just gonna…”
              He slams the door in its face and starts running, but there’s a problem with black robes. They’re really easy to trip over. And from the crash, the door doesn’t seem to have stopped it. So much for thresholds. Guess that’s fictional, Andrew thinks. He screams again as he feels claws on his legs, and manages somehow to kick it off and scramble to his feet, stumbling a little in his haste to get away.
              The roar means it’s close. He screams again. The sound of the pained grunt, though, isn’t him. He’s pretty sure. Though he has heard sometimes it takes a bit for people to realize they’re wounded. He opens his eyes.
              The first thing he sees is hazel eyes, pained and way closer than anyone’s ever gotten before. They’re blessedly human.
              He backs up slightly and realizes—the broad forehead and nose and those ears—that’s Xander. Or…Haru. Tucker’s story was a little confusing. Point is, this is one of his classmates, even if he is a little older, and he definitely doesn’t look murderous or anything.
              He’s, like…some sort of Ancient Egyptian warrior. The skin is more bronzed than he remembers, and that’s a sort of robe thing, with some gold armor on top, bright and glinting. It doesn’t cover everything, though, like his arms, which is why he’s now…bleeding? He threw himself in the way…just to protect me…
              He makes another pained sound as the claws are torn from his shoulder, leaving bleeding, exposed strips of flesh behind. Xander falls to one knee, leaning heavily on what looks like a golden sword.
              “A-are you okay?” Andrew asks, starting to shiver. He knows it’s a stupid question the minute it leaves his lips, and hopes that he won’t be made fun of for it. In response the warrior grits his teeth and pushes to his feet, turning to the monster behind him.
              “NO!” he yells. That’s just…his savior’s already too hurt. He’s no one special, no one anyone should risk their lives to save.
              “Close your eyes,” comes the calm, deep command, though the breathing’s uneven. He does as asked, and a moment later his eyelids are suffused with light.
              “Let’s go.” The man’s leading him out the back door, and despite the wound manages to pull himself over the fence with seeming relative ease. Still, Andrew notices the sweat and the gritted teeth, even as Xander holds out a hand to drag him up, too.
              He is super cool. I wanna be like him.

Current Mood: busy
Current Music: My First Bus Ride - Mummy Returns OST

I SURVIVED MY TEST TODAY (I think)
~Dreamer~

*If they found a spaceship, Xander would get super excited and hit all the buttons, possibly getting them killed. The Pharaoh would be super cautious for traps and spend forever studying it. He might never make a move, though.
*Xander’s still not allowed near most magic. Though eventually Willow speculates that it’s because he’s incompatible with a different type of magic than his own.
*Haru’s favorite book is The Scarlet Pimpernel. It’s too literary for Xander. He enjoys the Shadow comics, but they’re occasionally a little dark for him. He also likes ones with the Flash and Green Lantern as friends. Xander occasionally jokes that he’s the Flash because he’s always eating, and Haru is the Green Lantern because he’s kind of alien.
*That’s not to say that Haru doesn’t eat. Though he sometimes forgets to do that if he gets into something. Generally, though, they eat enough for one and a half teenagers. Xander just eats more on a relative scale.
*Xander’s asked Willow a lot of questions, but he hasn’t asked about lacy lingerie, generator. (He’d blush just thinking about it. The Pharaoh might, when he’s getting over the shyness, just bluntly ask without realizing the question he’s asking.)
*It’s also obvious who dressed them this morning. Haru will put on more jewelry, close-fitting clothes, black. He’s also fond of purple and gold/yellow. Xander will wear geeky t-shirts, button-up shirts, plaid, or Hawaiian. (He’s been accused of fashion-blindness, but the same doesn’t go for the Pharaoh. Cordy usually likes dealing with Haru better.)
*Xander was going to go for the soldier thing, but Haru managed to talk him into going for the ancient Egyptian warrior thing by saying he’d work one of Xander’s shifts instead. Haru’s drawn to Egyptian stuff, but since Auntie isn’t doing research on Egyptians, he didn’t really get much of a chance to be exposed to that kind of stuff.
*Kind of forgot to include this earlier. Ankhmet is Andrew, a High priest, and he goes for High Priest status again in this lifetime.

Current Mood: determined
Current Music: High Priest - kabanjak

*Xander shares more about his crushes. It takes a little while for him to realize that Haru’s first crush is actually Marcus from B5. He’s taken to teasing the other about it. (His first reaction was ‘no way’ but that didn’t last long, because it didn’t necessarily mean that he was, since they’re brothers. Even when they had nothing else, they had each other, so they’re seriously close. So his next step, acceptance, as shown with how he deals with his female friends, is to tease mercilessly. He’s also still capable of some thoughtless comments, but he gets mentally smacked over the head for it, so he’s easing out of it. He's still vaguely fascinated with the idea of being attracted to more than one gender and has trouble wrapping his brain around how it works.)
*He’s getting Haru over his shyness. Which he may regret, later on.
*Haru’s still a teen capable of stupid in the moment decisions, though. Often, he’ll blame Xander, and then they’ll get into a squabble. Willow says to just ignore them at that point. They usually don’t figure out for a while.
*Both of them are ridiculously protective of people. Even with all the complaining about Angel, while he’s on the good side, they’d protect him. With the powers, Xander likes the spotlight, but even he’d give it up to help get people out while Buffy takes center stage.
*Xander’s favorite holiday is Christmas, since he loves the memories of camping outside in the snow with the Pharaoh for company. He’s tempted to do that again, since they didn’t get to do it for long (3 years), but doesn’t want to worry his Aunt.
*Haru’s favorite holiday is Halloween. He’s strangely obsessed with pumpkins. He also likes the costumes, but is a little sad that they have to share one. He wants them both to wear different clothes.
*Neither one of them can cook. In fact, they shouldn’t be let near any ovens anytime in the near or far future.
*It’s part of why they’re so close to Willow. Haru confided he was worried about all the artificial stuff Xander was putting into his body, so Willow learned to bake and bribe Xander away from the other stuff with her treats. It’s working ~~a little~~ especially well.
*Haru has a secret sweet tooth, but he tends to grab snacks when no one’s around to see.
*As they’ve grown, they get the idea that they’re not normal. They still can’t imagine what it’s like, not having someone to share your mind with. They’ve developed an interest over time in seeing the differences.
*The thought of being alone and of quiet terrifies them. They’ve both had nightmares about it. Their first psychologist talked about curing them. Sometimes they drive each other crazy and won’t talk to each other, but they hate the idea.

Current Mood: determined
Current Music: Strike Enemy (MMD)

If you want to seriously depress yourself, think about mashing up the Innocent Sin ending with, well, anything. In this case, Yugioh. ( Persona 2 spoiler )~Dreamer~

*They smell different. Xander smells like sawdust, because he half-heartedly whittles. Haru smells like the desert sands.
*They also tend to stand/sit differently. Haru has better posture. That’s how Willow usually tells the difference if they’re not talking.
*Haru’s left wrist also often acts up, so much so that he’s got a brace on hand just in case. Xander’s never does. (It was one of the wounds in the final fight, and for whatever reason, it stayed.)
*They have a habit of finishing each other’s sentences, or, if they’re feeling lazily, passing things along for the other to say for them. Despite the amount of effort it actually takes to change. (Not much.)
*Their instincts are good. Usually. When they’re off, they’re way off. Usually if they’re tired or distracted (thus not paying attention).
*Haru’s surprisingly a gender equality guy. They get in the biggest arguments over the careless things Xander says like that.
*They agree about their mother. They wanted to get her away from the abuse, too, but she didn’t want to go. The last thing she did was slap him, but it just hurts their heart. They’d probably accept any present she sent with a smile, no matter how much it didn’t fit.
*Neither of them deal well with rejection or being abandoned.
*Sometimes Haru gets depressed. Xander’s prone to that, too, and listening to country music (which Haru can’t deal with), but he forces a smile on his face and keeps bugging his twin until Haru reemerges. Haru’s generally seen as the strong, mature one, but Xander tries to stay upbeat because he knows it affects Haru, and he doesn’t like causing pain to twinnie. Also because it’s a lot of work dragging Haru out when he’s in a mood.
*Sometimes they play the game of seeing if people will realize that they’re the other. They’ve figured out how to pretend to be the other, to the point of mimicking voice and vocal patterns.
*Haru tends to start a lot of things and not finish them, though. He’s interested by all knowledge, too, and gets a little flighty. Choosing a major is going to be very difficult for him. He’s not immediately good at everything, either, and sometimes ends up monopolizing their time studying, since he’s occasionally perfectionistic when it comes to grades.
*Xander’s a little lazy, but sometimes it bugs him and he actually finishes what Haru began. Just as his twin occasionally acts as the one who keeps him in line, when Haru gets to the point where he’s trying to do too much at once, he gets them to calm down and take one thing at a time.
*At these points, too, he only ends up getting about 4 hours of sleep for the body, but it works for him. One of them can sleep and actually get decent refreshment, so as long as they both get a fair amount of that time asleep, and their body gets at least 4 hours, they’re perfectly awake. Xander sometimes ends up goofing off in the middle of the night, when the other has been hogging the body.
*He will force the other to stop excessively studying and spend time with their friends. At the very least, go study with Willow!

Current Mood: working
Current Music: Trauma/Be - Song Riders (Nightcore)

*Haru has a really good singing voice.

*Haru was the stripper in Oxnard, though he went a little more Egyptian with it and so wore a little more than your average stripper. Probably. Xander really didn’t want to think about it, so he was dishwasher-slash-occasional bartender. The Pharaoh’s not that bothered by nakedness. Xander has nightmares about it.

*This is actually one of Haru’s mistakes. He’s good at it. He enjoys it. For the first time, people aren’t looking at him like he’s some sort of two-headed freak. (They do have nightmares about having two heads, actually.) He’s in control, choosing his songs and outfits and he doesn’t have to do anything he doesn’t want to. He doesn’t think about the consequences, though. That if he’s caught, his Aunt might lose custody (and probably much more than that). That he might lose his friends, everything he’s ever known. He’s angry that it might be considered wrong, because he’s not being taken advantage of, and he guesses that that’s the first thing that people might think. He doesn’t think about the practical, legal consequences. It doesn’t just involves him, it involves everyone he cares about. He comes to this realization, and he’s horrified at first, but he calmly owns up to it. Asks, but doesn’t demand, doesn’t beg. “I’m done with stripping. Well, I might put on a private show, if I ever get a date again, and I might enter dancing contests or something, but this is a chapter in my life that is closing.”

*They’re both afraid of clowns, though.

*(If your character was responsible for the death of xir best friend, how would xe feel?) Not kidding, that’s actually a question.
Xander couldn't do it. Haru had to take over and save them. Xander was thinking about it, but Haru was the one who actually moved the stake into Jesse's body. He feels awful about it and projects some of it onto the other vampires. Haru no more likes vampires than Xander, but is more willing to take them as fairly untrusted allies. He likes to say he's fine, but the nightmares don't help his case. Xander talked about Jesse at first, but Willow's reaction every time he does convince him it's a bad idea, and Haru's not much better. He doesn't like hurting either of them, so he actually started a journal. Whenever he's tempted to talk about jesse, he writes it down instead. Occasionally he talks to his aunt, when she's there.

Current Mood: accomplished
Current Music: Desert Prince - Derek & Brandon Fietcher

*Jesse stole a car for joyriding when they were 14. Haru lectured Xander a lot about it when he realized what had happened, but as no one got hurt he wasn’t that angry.
*Xander is straight. Haru is bisexual.
*Sharing the body is instinctual by this point. They’re some of the few who can switch on command. In general, they’re not your usual multiple personality.
*Along those lines, there’s a book written about him. One of the only promises his first psychologist kept, actually—keeping his name out of it. Still, he has to keep his head down.
*Xander’s better at dealing with people. Generally. Haru takes the bullies (usually by talking at them until they’re confused), while Xander is better at keeping up with their friends. Haru’s usually a little more intellectual in approach, but Xander’s been pushing him out more often lately so that he can socialize more. “You’re becoming a shut-in!” The Pharaoh sticks out his tongue in response.
*They’re missing the magic of old. One of the first things he figures out (once they learn of his past) is to call the ceremonial armor of Horus, golden and gleaming, and the sword, but that’s all they get for a while. Eventually, they get the ability to channel some of their power into songs, but it’s generally to strengthen allies or weaken enemies. Andrew gets better combat magic than he does. Both Andrew and Willow can tap into his magic, though, which.
Oh, dear. That fits, but oh, dear.
Willow does so without his permission, so he’s tired all the time, but he doesn’t realize what she’s doing. Her addiction is actually slowly killing him, but they don’t know. Xander is less affected, since the magic isn’t his, but he’s still tired.

Current Mood: accomplished
Current Music: Pharaoh Ramses II - Derek Fiechter

*He’d thought that they’d been two in one body since they were born. It’s not until later that they learn that Xander became Xander & Haru when they were 3.

*His Aunt took him in rather than let his father put him in an asylum.

*His Aunt is an archaeologist, and once she met Joyce she became one of the Summers’ first friends in the town. She sometimes goes on expeditions but has been cutting back.

*Xander/Haru feels guilty about this. He knows it’s for him & that she doesn’t mind the sacrifice because she actually cares about him. (She’s more involved than any of the parents in the show.) He knows she misses it, though.

*He is required to visit a psychologist, though. The first one was mean & working for his father. They soon switched.

*He (or Xander) did something when they were in 4^th grade that resulted in everyone pretty much ignoring him for a few months. They seem to have forgotten, but he never did. (He forgave everyone pretty quickly, though. He’s the type to think it’s his fault before looking at anyone else.)

*He’s generally the more level-headed one.

*He’s also the academic one.

*That’s not to say that he doesn’t get fed up. He does. When he gets frustrated, and doesn’t have the strength to bottle it inside anymore, he’s a little scary. Usually, Xander then takes over so he can just sulk in their mind, rather than getting worse and hurting their body or something in the real world.

*The two geek out over things a lot, though, especially when he can go into detail on the plot, writing, and such.

*They usually treat each other as twins, though through the influence of a few others they’ve also taken to referring to each other as ‘Other Me’.

*The Pharaoh chose his own name when they were 5 (Ace?-rel to Alexander, Akos-white falcon Haru-derived from Hor (horus)?) Haru, I think. It amuses me. He had help from his Aunt, though. She’d been visiting to figure out how to save him from his father. She probably studies Japanese history, then.

*Haru’s voice is deeper.

Current Mood: exhausted
Current Music: War Song of Horus and Sekhmet - Tears of Isis

Labs are the most annoying thing ever when everything that could go wrong (well, aside from an explosion, I suppose, so that's something) goes wrong.

*Still no name for this guy. (Khamet? Mahu? Meriptah? Nanefer-ka-ptah? I like Khamet. There’s a weird thing, then, with Ankhmet, but then, it probably wasn’t that strange to them back then. Certain name constructions are just more common.

*Had an elder brother, Nebmakhet (Jesse), who was a better warrior than he was a strategist or pharaoh. Got killed in a campaign he waged to win a Nubian princess Maia (Cordy). Khamet then had to deal with the aftermath during his reign. (He was there, too, barely made it out.)

* Masaharta (Wesley) was an advisor brought in during his brother’s reign. He didn’t last the battle either (though he fought valiantly).

*Mahumose (Giles) was the Head Scribe. Where Xander sought refuge in TV shows and comic books, he sought out rare scrolls and his Head Scribe’s storytelling talents. If he ever couldn’t be found, he was hiding in the “library”. He also often sought out the Head Scribe’s advice, despite the fact that the man was not, strictly speaking, an advisor. They were closer than he & his father.

*Mayati (Willow) was a royal witch and his best friend. She was only of noble blood.

*Muyet (Buffy) and Nebet (Dawn) had distinguished themselves in his security but they weren’t close.

*He also had a sister, Nefret, and a wife, Inhapi. (Dedyet makes me laugh. She has to be a thing.)

*Magic is a thing. So is fighting demons. And they’re a lot more lively than the Council will have you believe.

*Actually, he’s got a history with the Council. They came in being jerkish and acting like they owned the place, saying that they could save the day, and he threw them out on their butts. It saved his land & people, but will cost his life.

*He was the second son, so he got to be a lot more lax. Run around the streets, bug the Royal Scribe, let his curiosity get the better of him. He saved the world (or people) a few times. Boredom and refusal to let innocents get hurt.

Current Mood: aggravated
Current Music: Sands of Egypt - Valhalla