#really all us watchers wanna do is watch a music show and talk about our fav songs and staging

[falling-mellow]

Literally please do not go and ruin peoples' fun time please?

[c-grace]

Since there are loads of [unnecessary] opinions on how Aloy looks, which I, frankly have nothing to complain about. I still believe she is very beautiful and her looks makes sense, not to mention the original model is stunning.

So lemme just take some time to write out this scenario I thought of that I found very cute and emotional, idk 'bout everyone else but it did make me cry when I thought of it.

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POV: You and Aloy are both outsiders, but you were cast out from being a "defect", the both of you only got to know each other during the last few years before the proving.

A little something I wanna mention, this is sorta a Y/N fanfic but without the Y/N, so wherever you feel like you need to add your name in the dialogue, you can do that but I did it so that there would be no need for the name. I hope you enjoy~

T.W: Slight mention of death and injury.

Aloy × F.reader/G.N

Also this has song lyrics in here, if that's not to your taste, I'm sorry but I couldn't think of anything else

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"Oh! I found something!"

"What? What did you find?"

"Tada! Another audio file!"

I lifted the device and showed it to Aloy and waved it with satisfaction. "And here I thought you found something useful." Aloy grumbled.

"It's important to me, you know how I love to study the old ones' musical pieces, especially the singing, they all sound.....I don't even have words to describe them." I held tightly onto the device. Using Aloy's focus I scanned the device and played the audio, and without a doubt, it was a musical piece.

"You sure love music, huh?" Aloy smiled and eyed me for a moment, "Yes, all the pieces from the metal world have a certain, essence to them, it feels like it's calling out to me." But that joy was cut short once I remembered of the proving.

"But then, with the proving coming along, the matriarchs might not let me visit any ruins and I won't be able to study them anymore." I huffed and kicked a rock away.

"Who cares? I'll take you to see more of the ruins, they didn't care for us for so long. What is it to them that we see who the old ones really were?" Aloy never understood, nor took high regard to any of the tribal laws and I do agree with her but I have no one other than her to accompany me to explore all these new wonders.

I believe Aloy can do whatever it is that she wants, no one, not even the matriarchs will be able to stop her from going to where she wishes to go. I only have her and if she were to be cast out once again just because of me, I don't think I would like that all that much.

"Thank you Aloy, oh that reminds me, I learned this song, I want you to hear it."

"Can't wait to hear it then. I can't believe it's tomorrow, how are you taking to it?" She looked at me worried and I could get where it was coming from. I get anxious quite often, taking down a watcher, without any preparation, will make me sick to the stomach. "Yeah, I've given myself a 'pep-talk and I think it's working, I don't feel too worried about it now."

"Thats good, alright, I think it's time we leave, Rost said he needs to meet with me." She stretched her hand over to me and I held on firmly, it was calloused yet warm, I felt safe by her side.

The both of us went on our ways and I made it back to the little tent that I called my study and home, I have journaled all the music I have found and dated every one of them. So far, I have recorded 12, 5 of which were addressed to someone else, it was as though they had sung while they mourned for them, wishing they could be with them and the rest were of random order but interesting nonetheless.

I set the recordings aside and tried to make myself fall asleep, the proving was not too far from now. I didn't train my whole life for it but rather, I just wanted to belong somewhere. Aloy is.....different, to her, the tribe means nothing but a means to know more of the world, she said it herself, she wishes to know why she was cast out and never once thought of the tribe in good light.

I had no sense of conflict in me, unlike Aloy, I liked to keep to myself and I ran away at the sight of the tribe members because I was afraid. I was afraid of how they would treat me but that sense of fear became a threat to me.

I learnt how to live on my own, I knew why it was that I was an outcast. My parents didn't want me, said that I would often act strange and I never understood why, till one day the matriarchs marked me an outcast and left me on my own. It was a little over 3 or 4 years ago, where I met Aloy, we grew close.

I never told Aloy, why I was cast away, I didn't want her to be burdened. I kept to myself but this time, with these songs I wanna let her know, all these withheld emotions are making me feel like I could rot from the inside. I am in a way excited for the proving.

_______________________________________

"Aloy! Watch out!"

'I didn't think it would come to this, no, please, stop this.'

"Stay where you are, I'll come to you, alright?!" She shouted but the sound of blasts had muffled all the sound around me. The proving was going well, with Aloy and I being named braves but the celebration was cut short when all of a sudden, intruders had marched in and openly attacked everyone on sight.

"Kill all of them, don't let anyone of them come out alive!" The invaders sounded.

I frantically grabbed my arrows and shot at a few of them, two had missed and the rest 4 had all landed a hit, killing them on contact.

"We can't hold them!"

Aloy had been covering for all the braves and took a stand at holding them down, I decided to let myself all out and help Aloy and guided the remaining to the exit but not many made it.

"I'll hold them down, go! Make it to the slip-wire! Vala! You go too, I'll cover!" I directed all of them, Vala looked reluctant but went on ahead. "There's more of them!" I heard Bast shout and I whipped my head and shot my arrows, this time, all of them landed.

Vala and Bast had got caught between the shots, I watched their bodies hit the floor and a look of dread had washed over Aloy but I could feel the anger that brewed within. She shot them down, all of them.

But it wasn't long before a man had grabbed her by the neck, and something in me snapped, all I saw was that Aloy was in danger. My body moved on its own and I had grabbed my dagger and drove it into the man's side, he screamed but he lifted his arm and thrust it to my gut, sending me straight to the ground.

Before I had lost my senses, I caught a glance at Aloy who had laid on the ground, at least, no longer choked by that man.

_________________________________________

"A-Aloy! You're awake! You're awake...Aloy..." It hadn't been too long since the attack but my injuries are far from okay but at that moment, all that mattered to me now was Aloy. She awoke but her face was pale and her breath, uneasy.

"No, no, no......ugh, I—I have to get out of here..." She clutched on to the side of her head. "Aloy, I'll gather your armour and Focus, just wait here, I'll co—"

She grabbed onto my hand locked her fingers around mine, her hands were shivering. "Aloy?"

"You're alive, I...I thought I lost you..too...." She whimpered, I crouched down and held on to her hands softly, "You can't take me out that easy." Slowly caressing the side of her face, I smiled meekly.

"Rost...he saved me...but."

"He didn't make it Aloy. I don't know what happened either, you'll have to talk to Teersa."

"Where are we?" Her feeble voice asked, "We're inside the sacred mountain, I'm not sure why, I was nursed outside the mountain, they didn't say much when I asked if I could see you." She nodded and slouched down. I went on ahead and brought in her focus, there was another focus with it but I just handed them all to her without questions.

I quietly left the mountains and waited outside for Aloy. It took a while but she came out with Teersa.

The two walked to the rest of the matriarchs, they were talking amongst themselves and it was then I heard that Aloy had been bestowed the mark of a seeker, Lansra did not take to highly of this decision and made some unwanted remarks to Aloy.

I glared at her, hoping that it would do something but she huffed and grunted, walking on just fine.

The rain had poured on harder with time, it felt like it was meant to weep but was choking instead, an odd feeling but that was how I had felt.

"Aloy, of the Nora? Or would you rather prefer, Aloy, a seeker from the Nora?" I tried to put a little lightness to the heavy air around. "I don't think I like either of them." She made a face at my names.

"Alright, then....Aha! Aloy.....despite the Nora?"

"That sounds better." She smiles wide. "Listen...I need to go, I need to find out who those killers were and why they came here, which means that I need to leave the sacred lands." Her smile drops and she looks at me apologetically.

"No no, you have more to worry about than me, it's alright, I can hold my own." I reassured her but her look of response was doubting all of it.

"Aloy, go, I know how much this means to you. I would only be a burden if you were to worry about me. I want you to go out of this place, I know you've always been curious about the lands beyond." There was so much I that I wanted to convey.

So much that I wanted to ask but I pinched myself to not do that.

"Before I go, I wanted to hear that song you wanted to let me listen to, at least let me hold on to that." She pleaded and held on to my clothes. "I-I don't know Aloy, right now, if I did that, I would appear more—"

"Here, you can just record it on my focus."

She removed her focus and placed it in my palm, I looked at the device and glanced back at her. I heaved a sigh and excused myself from the area.

'Am I seriously doing this now? Yes, c'mon me! You can do this!'

There goes my heart beating

'Cause you are the reason

I'm losing my sleep

Please come back now

There goes my mind racing

And you are the reason

That I'm still breathing

I'm hopeless now

I'd climb every mountain

And swim every ocean

Just to be with you

And fix what I've broken

Oh, 'cause I need you to see

That you are the reason

I started to cry at thought of having to let go of Aloy, she would be far off and I would be here, possibly just waiting. I wouldn't have the slightest clue where she would be, but I would hold strong, not only for her but for myself.

I won't have any more music files for me to explore so this was the last of all of them. Before I stopped recording, I quietly whispered, "I...I...love you, I love you Aloy and I hope you will be safe. I may or may not be here when you come back but if it weren't for you giving me a reason to be here, I would have never bothered going on with that life I had..."

"And I would have lost myself if it weren't for you."

At the familiar voice, that was none other than Aloy's, I had lost all reason and the shock had gotten me wailing silently.

"I'll be back, you are all that I look forward to when I return." She grabbed my face and pressed our foreheads together. "You sang well, I didn't know I meant that...much to you..." She whispered.

"You are the reason I'm even here. Come back safe, Aloy-despite the Nora." I clutched on to her clothes.

She placed a gentle kiss on my forehead and went on her way, she didn't turn back and I looked at her back, fading off.

'I'll be here, Aloy.....my Aloy.'

•END•

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Alright! Phew, that was done. I have never written a one-shot ever, I don't even know the word count cause I was just writing without thinking too much.

Anyway, it was more emotional in my head so I did cry a little but it's pretty meh on paper 😂

Aight, this distracted me from all the bs of the world, I hope it distracted some of y'all too.

[musashi]

For the fic asks: 12, 14, 3?

favorite character to write about this year

oh this year it was deffo james.... but also i got to write a little of mareanie in my fixit fic and that was so nice. i rarely get to write for that kintype and once i started it was. so easy and i loved being in that headspace. a lot of people commented on my characterization of her specifically and i was just like..... thanks im she

a fic you didn’t expect to write

aforementioned fixit fic! i was fixing a pokemon battle i hated in canon, and i HATE writing battles, ESPECIALLY alone. all the pokemon battles i wrote for DTE, i wrote with my writing partner at the time, and we’ve since stopped writing together, so i was like... how do i do this on my own without someone to bounce ideas off of. 

turns out, i do pretty okay! i mean, i already had kind of a base to build off of (was basing the battle off a real life historical event, so lots of historical accounts to pour over and use as inspiration) but keeping it grounded in canon and truer to what i wanted to see turned out okay.

the other thing that was wild about swallowtail was it was the first fic i wrote about musashi, kojirou, & nyarth!! i’ve been a dub writer my WHOLE life and despite being someone who exclusively watches pokemon subbed now, i always use the dub’s canon because their characterizations come easier to me and feel more comfortable. but this episode i was fixing wasn’t dubbed yet (so i couldn’t borrow its dialogue, something i am Autistic(tm) About) and a big part of its Lore in my fic was referencing the rockets’ original japanese namesakes, so i HAD to keep their japanese names. musashi & kojirou are sorta different characters than jessie & james, and i was not totally sure i could write their manner of speaking effectively. buuut it turns out, being a sub watcher actually made all that flow a lot more naturally xD i didn’t have to stop and check what the dub called a thing, i didn’t have to struggle to remember a pokemon’s name in english, i didn’t have to sit there talking out loud in meowth’s voice to phoneticize his dialogue, i just..... wrote...... it was really nice.

swallowtail was a fucking weird fic!!!! it doesn’t even seem like something i wrote but here we are dfghdg.

favorite line/scene you wrote this year

this is really really hard because i wrote the last two chapters of DTE this year, and the last two chapters of DTE contain some of my favourite scenes in the whole story. i actually ended up rambling a lot here, soooo. cut.

the rocket proposal is definitely up there. see, i wrote DTE for a few reasons: one, i needed to fucking get it out of my head and onto paper because i was frustrated with it not already existing. but two, it was a big giant canoncall. i was writing very vivid kin memories into this fic with the hopes that another rocket kinnie or six would read it, feel that creeping nostalgia they can’t place, and contact me. in the last chapter i was going to reveal in my author’s notes that i was just a jessie kinnie chronicling her life, and wait for them to flock to me so we could reconnect.

it turns out, that’s exactly what happened--my james and i met in the notes of fic reviews, and we’ve been inseparable ever since. the last two chapters contained a lot of snippets here and there that were, more or less, soft little love letters to her. the proposal scene itself is full of a lot of them, and a lot of references to just our experience as kinnies in general

The scent of roses clung to the air, and Jessie shut her eyes and let it take her away. Its fragrance always seemed to swim around James, one that had made her dizzy since she’d met him all those years ago. In future lives, she’d cover herself in its embrace, rose perfume stuck to her skin in lieu of a longing she can’t describe, keeping his soul close to hers until the day they found one another again. Wandering a thousand more gardens while she tapped her foot at the multiverse to put him back in her arms.

but actually, the scene that tops them all is the one right before this, where james evolves his gloom into a vileplume. 

in DTE the rockets take in a pokemon egg through some wacky hijinks, and they don’t actually know what it’s going to be because they don’t have any insight into where it came from. it ends up hatching into an oddish and imprinting hardcore on james, which sucks for him because he’s starting to unpack his deep-seated trauma he’s been pushing down for an eternity and it turns out the oddish line is a massive trigger so now he gets to raise his greatest fear and live in panicsville for the rest of the story. 

the rest of the story has a lot of focus over james reconciling what’s been done to him, trying not to hurt this pokemon with what he himself can’t help. oddish is a catalyst for his trauma, and the vehicle the story uses to show him coping, accepting, and healing. you get to see oddish’s side of everything--where its wondering why james can’t bear to look at it, what it’s done wrong. and you get to see james’ side--where he grapples with this fact, fighting back against the pain he’s felt and learning to face it instead of always running away.

james eventually catches oddish in a heal ball, a gesture to soothe both their heavy hearts, and it eventually evolves into a gloom and becomes full of a lot of existential confusion--it knows it wants to evolve again, it knows one of those evolutions makes some of james’ other pokemon shift uncomfortably, but no one will give it the full picture, least of all james who does not at ALL want his baggage to effect such a massive choice in this pokemon’s life. he ends up coming into both stones, and gloom ends up taking a year to ruminate on if either of them feel right, and eventually it decides it wants james to choose himself. 

the purpose of this oddish in the story was always to be a catalyst for james to reclaim what was once his and heal from his trauma, so he evolves it into a vileplume, the pokemon his abuser used specifically to abuse him. as a scene, it represents the culmination of all his growth--he rose above wrongdoing as an outlet to inflict pain on the world that turned its back on him, he looked his trauma dead in the face and carried on regardless, he killed his abuser and burned down his hallowed home, and he rose like a moltres from the fire and flew away once more--not as a coward, but as a survivor. james chose vileplume because vileplume is his, and no one or nothing can take that from him any longer.

Light pulled James’ eyelids back open, forced them shut again almost instantly. His pokémon was glowing with a radiance he almost couldn’t look at, a supernova that had fallen to earth. He watched as the shape of it shifted and changed, feet becoming sturdier, body evening out.

Within the silver-blue light, the pokémon felt flowers bloom in its heart, through its veins. All the questions and what ifs and maybes that had been tearing it up, all the conflict and fear and worry about doing what was right—the illustrious flash had turned them all to cinders. It knew more than ever, right then—this was who it was always meant to be.

The brilliance reached its apex, and James watched as She went with it, a hand thrown in front of her eyes as she desperately tried to keep her footing in its wake, clinging to this realm on a thread of fear and despair. The fires enveloped her, one more time, and her form fizzled to the nothing it always was.

while writing james & vileplume’s arc in my head, i would listen to lemon boy and daydream. its always been their theme song for me. if u ever wanna watch that scene without reading the story, i highly recommend also daydreaming to it. the evolution scene in particular is the part at the end where the music gets very quiet and somber before swelling into a beautiful, triumphant harmony.

i had it in my head for years, so getting it on paper felt pretty amazing.

[dazed-david]

All the odd numbers 😎

foh geez ok

1. What is your full name?david anshel jacobs

3. Do you like your name?it’s certainly a name

5. Do you have any siblings? Older or younger?sarah’s older and les is younger and it sucks.

7. Do you and your siblings share any secrets?you think i trust them??? sarah told me eating a lemon whole would give me superpowers

9. What is one thing you wish your parents could’ve done better when raising you?i wish they had listened more when i told them about mental health stuff. i mean, obviously they listened, but i wish they had more.

11. Talk about a happy memory you share with your mom.there was one time when i was fourteen, she chaperoned on our washington dc trip and we went to the smithsonian castle for lunch, and at the gift shop there was this gorgeous cherry blossom garland, but i was afraid that id get made fun of for wearing it, so i kind of just stared at it for a while. my mom noticed that i was kind of awkwardly hovering, so she asked me what was wrong, and of course i told her that nothing was wrong, but she saw that i was looking at the garland, and i guess she connected the dots. “say its for sarah and you’re wearing it so you dont lose it,” and i bought it, and thats what i did. i still have it.

13. Have you ever adopted an animal?yes! my snake, macbeth, is adopted!

15. When was the last time you pulled an all nighter?last night

17. Are you more of a sunrise or sunset watcher?sunset. the sunrise is too early, and i love watching the stars come out.

19. Name an album that is so good, you never skip a song.you know what? three cheers for sweet revenge. im not ashamed.

21. Who was your favorite band or singer as a kid or teenager?i had a soft spot for fall out boy for the longest time.

23. What’s your favorite song by your fave band or singer?its absolutely moment’s silence by hozier.

25. Name a song that makes you happy and wanna dance.right now it’s me! by taylor swift

27. Have you ever been to a concert? Whose?yes! i actually saw this guy, watsky, not too long ago.

29. Last time you went to the cinema? What movie did you see?just yesterday, i saw rocketman.

31. Name a fictional character you’ve had a crush on.winter soldier.

33. If you could switch places with a character from a show or movie for a week, who would you choose? Why?i’d wanna be ginsberg in kill your darlings! bc aesthetic

35. Favorite TV series?nailed it!! definitely 

37. Who’s your favorite actor? Why are they your favorite?gal gadot is so talented!! and she makes my heart beat very fast

39. What’s your favorite book?maurice, by e.m forster

41. Has a book ever changed the way you see life? What book was it?yes, see above

43. What are some books on your to-read list?the secret history, good omens, the goldfinch

45. What is your favorite season? Any special reason why that’s your favorite?i like fall,, its just so calm and the perfect blend of hot and cold

47. What’s your opinion on snow?cold. do not like it.

49. Do you usually tan or burn in the summer sun?i don’t go into the sun long enough to know

51. What is a bizarre fear you have?im terrified that there’s a murderer behind me at all times

53. Do you believe in ghosts?oh absolutely!!

55. What’s your biggest regret?nope.

57. Have you ever had your heart broken?yea

59. What’s your favorite love song?i guess i don’t really have one?? i really like love of my life by queen

61. Have you ever cried yourself to sleep?ya and it was shit

63. What’s something you want to tell your followers who might be going through a rough time?i’m not a good person for this uhhh..... focus on the tiny things in your future. 

65. What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?i dont like ice cream ://// its a bad texture and its too cold

67. Are you vegan or vegetarian?nope

69(nice). Do you believe humans should change their ways to help salvage the earth?yes absolutely!!!! but i believe the big fault lies in the oil and coal companies and everyone bulldozing forests and releasing toxins into the air

71. What are some of your hobbies and interests?i cook, actually! and i’ve always been super interested in witchy stuff for some reason

73. What do you do when you’re in a creative rut?i take a nap because zoloft makes me have weird dreams which will help creativity. 

75. Have you tried any products from LUSH? Did you like them?their chapstick is good, but man do those products taste terrible. (blame darcy for daring me to take a bite of the soap)

77. Last time you used a face mask?i never have, actually!

79. What are your holy grail beauty products?aveda hair stuff is a MUST. otherwise my hair gets all greasy and messy

81. Have you ever slipped in the shower?! Did you get hurt?yes, and i hit my head on the side of the tub. no one else was home, so i just stood up, finished my shower, and cried.

83. What are your top 3 favorite fruits?kiwi, pomegranates, grapes

85. How do you make yourself cheer up when you’re in a really crappy or sad mood?i usually listen to music or play with macbeth until i feel better

87. What do you usually find yourself daydreaming about?not to sound sappy but like. intimacy and cuddling and romance. god. god please love me please

89. Who’s the most important person in your life?i know i SHOULD say my mom or something but...... darcy’s been with me thru thick and thin!

91. Talk about a fun & happy memory you have.no.

93. Does Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol make you want to cry?no, not really.

95. Talk about a memory that makes you laugh.one time sarah fell when we were at the mall and she got her skirt stuck in the escalator. 

97. Tell us about a time you were really, really proud of yourself.writing this whole damn thing. (i was the champion of debate team my sophomore and junior years. i won awards and everything.)

99. What is something you’re currently looking forward to?season two of the umbrella academy!!

fuck you

[marshmallow-the-vampire-slayer]

MTVS Epic Rewatch #189

BTVS 7x08 Sleeper

Obligatory soundtrack: Early One Morning - Pavlov’s Bell

Stray thoughts

1) If the fact that Spike was feeding and turning people wasn’t enough of a clue that something was amiss, then him humming a lullaby while digging graves most certainly was.

2) I love that whenever we hear a British man speaking in this show we immediately know he’s a watcher. Side note, this watcher was totally shacking up with his slayer, right? 

3) Okay, so Dawn told Willow all about seeing “Joyce” but she didn’t disclose Joyce’s warning about Buffy. Willow then proceeds to tell her that she’d seen someone, too, but it was the Big Bad. Dawn, understandably, convinces herself that Joyce couldn’t have been an evil manifestation. I get why her first reaction is to believe she’d seen her mom. She’s a kid who’s had a rough two years, whose mom died suddenly, who was almost sacrificed to open up a portal to a hell dimension, whose sister killed herself shortly after, and who spent hours in a bedroom with the body of her stand-in mom before anyone came to check on either of them. Joyce represents the normalcy and stability her life is lacking, so it’s absolutely understandable she’s so eager to believe she’s seen her mom. What I don’t get is why – other than because it suited the writers’ purpose – she didn’t talk about this with Buffy (even if she didn’t feel like opening up about the actual warning...) and why it was never brought up again (that I remember, at least.) I’ve talked about this in my previous recap, but I must hand it to The First, it played its cards right by manipulating Dawn. She was the only one who 100% bought the lies, and the fact that she didn’t discuss this any further – especially not with Buffy – and that she kept believing her “mom”’s warning all along had far-reaching consequences. Dawn was probably the only character not mature enough to realize she was being duped. Joyce/The First warned Dawn that “when it's bad, Buffy won't choose you. She'll be against you.” Not only does this warning foreshadow what will come to happen in Empty Places, but it is the precise reason why that happens, except that the roles are reserved: when things get bad, Dawn won’t choose Buffy, she’ll be against her…

4) I do appreciate that Xander truly tries to be objective here and to see things from a purely rational perspective. It’s a very nice change of pace from his “slay first, ask questions later approach”, and it is in fact exactly what Buffy needed. Emotionally, she can’t bring herself to believe Spike’d be able to be killing people while having a soul. I think the church scene from Beneath You is what drives Buffy to believe having a soul has truly changed him. Of course, she’s letting herself be driven by her emotions (which, btw, we know are her strength…) So it was necessary for her to hear the voice of reason. And I’m grateful for the fact that Xander was actually written as a reasonable voice of reason - unlike what they did with his speech to Buffy in Into the Woods… where we were supposed to buy into what he was saying (he didn’t even have all the fact!) and take his word as the voice of reason.

*gets herself angry at remembering Into the Woods*

*breathes furiously*

*tries to calm self down*

*watches videos of puppies*

*resumes writing*

Anywho, this is their exchange in this episode:

XANDER Why would a vampire lie about who sired him. What's that? Some kind of status symbol for the undead. My sire can beat up your sire. (sits)

BUFFY I'm not saying I don't believe him.

XANDER You just don't want to. OK, let's look at this objectively. Figure it out in a cold, impersonal, CSI-like manner 'cause we're a couple of carpet fibers away from a case.

BUFFY Spike can't be the one doing this. He couldn't if he wanted to.

XANDER Why not?

BUFFY Well, for one thing, pain chip, remember? He can't hurt anyone.

XANDER Didn't stop him from hurting you. Hey, objective here. Maybe the chip's not working anymore.

BUFFY Oh, it's working. I've seen it.

XANDER Is it? Or is that what Spike wants you to think?

BUFFY You think it's an act?

XANDER I don't really know. And neither do you.

BUFFY No, mm-mmm. There's something. I-I can feel it. He's different. He's changed. And, if it is an act, then the Oscar goes to...

I just appreciate the fact that he was trying to help Buffy see the situation from every angle, instead of taking a stand and only viewing the evidence that would support her belief. 

5) These two truly had a very lively sex life…

XANDER You're gonna be fine. 

ANYA Better be, because if I get vamped, I'm gonna bite your ass.

XANDER Wouldn't be the first time. 

ANYA What was that?

6)  And this is exactly why they should’ve talked to Dawn more about the whole seeing Joyce thing…

WILLOW Buffy, this thing knows us. It made us think that we were talking to people we knew. Mine said it came with a message from Tara. But Dawn actually saw... your Mother. This thing—it had me for a while—I mean, before it started letting loose with the pulse-pounding terror. But before that, the lies were very convincing. It just seems real.

BUFFY Lies.

WILLOW I mean maybe—maybe to confuse us, to mess us up. Or maybe just to be cool.

Unfortunately, Buffy was too concerned with the urgent issue of a potential serial killer vampire on the loose to take the time to talk to her sister. She should have done it, though. I mean, even if she assumed Dawn had understood what she’d seen wasn’t real, Buffy should’ve known that seeing Joyce again, even if it was a fake Joyce, probably had messed her up. I think that Buffy not approaching Dawn about this probably fed Dawn’s belief that she’d seen the real Joyce.

7) Sweet Jebus, this man…

8) Bless Anya.

SPIKE Anya, do be specific and tell a fellow just exactly what you're doing here.

ANYA Well, Spike... I'm here, obviously... for...um...sex.

SPIKE Uh, beg pardon.

ANYA You and me. Here and now. Let's go. Let's... get it on, you big bad boy.

SPIKE Wait, wait, Anya. Just a minute. This is not exactly—is that a stake?

ANYA Yes. Kinky. 

SPIKE Uh, well, yeah, but what do you—?

ANYA Shh. No questions. No talking. I can't help it. I can't stop thinking about you and us and our brief but unforgettable time together. I mean, it's—why else would I be here? I mean, it's not like I'm snooping around looking for proof that you're some sort of wacked out serial killer. I don't know why I said that. Forget I said that. It's craziness talking. It's just nerves. Nerves. Nerves and-and horniness. Oh, just shut up, William, and take me. Take me now. 

I think... I think she looks kind of riled up and disappointed he didn’t take her up on her offer? 

9) Where do all this people come from? This street has never been this crowded! Sunnydale doesn’t have that big of a population!

SERIOUSLY!!!

Like, I get it, they needed the streets to be super crowded so that it would be believable for Buffy to lose track of Spike, but THIS IS NOT BELIEVABLE! A) My point above and B) any citizen of Sunydale who isn’t as dumb as a brick won’t go out at night!!! 

10) Awww, Buffy woke him up by throwing him across the room just like in the old days…

11) I had to stop writing during this scene, I was simply enthralled by James’ delivery of each of his lines. I truly don’t think Spike would’ve been a redeemable character if it hadn’t been for James’ portrayal. He brings so much emotion into every word and every gesture, and it truly makes you feel for the character. Well, unless you hate Spike, of course.

SPIKE Well, I certainly didn't off her. Where are you getting this? (grabs a shirt) You know I can't.

BUFFY Right. The chip.

SPIKE No, not the chip! Not the chip, dammit. You honestly think I'd go to the end of the underworld and back to get my soul and then— Buffy, I can barely live with what I did. It haunts me. All of it. If you think that I would add to the body count now, you are crazy.

SPIKE Yeah, I talk to people. Women. Talk to them 'cause I can't talk to you.

BUFFY Oh, Spike, save it.

SPIKE As daft a notion as "Soulful Spike the Killer" is, it is nothing compared to the idea that another girl could mean anything to me. This chip—they did to me. I couldn't help it. But the soul, I got on my own—for you.

BUFFY I know.

SPIKE So, yeah. I go and pass the time... with someone. But that's all it is is time, 'cause—God, help me, Buffy—it's still all about you.

12) FYI, If you don’t remember what you’ve done the night before, that’s a BIG FAT warning sign.

13) I get that Willow’s line is meant to feed Dawn’s belief that she did, in fact, talk to Joyce, but this just doesn’t make any sense?????

DAWN You only think Spike is turning people 'cause that vampire told you so, right? But that night we were all told things that weren't true.

WILLOW Maybe.

DAWN What? What maybe.

WILLOW Well, just because those weren't the spirits of, you know, our people—just because it was some evil thing, doesn't mean what they said can't be true.

Like, why would the Big Bad disclose information that might actually help them???? 

14) The music choice for this episode is so absolutely perfect, I mean, Pavlov’s Bell? Accurate AF.

15) She’s a quick learner, right?

YOUNG WOMAN Huh. I get it. You'd rather I slip into something more comfortable. Should we pick off the crowd one-by-one, or block the exits and ravish the place?

SPIKE Get away from me.

YOUNG WOMAN What's with the wallflower act? You didn't seem so shy when you were biting me. I'm not asking if you wanna be soul mates, just figured you'd wanna have some fun. I take him, you take her—or the other way around. Whatever.

I love how this scene is reminiscent of Spike and Drusilla prowling the Bronze in Crush, except this time Spike does not want to play.

16) This fucking show.

YOUNG WOMAN Is that all I was to you—a one-bite stand?

17) I swear to god. THIS. FUCKING. SHOW.

18)

BUFFY Oh, uh, actually, I need some help. I'm looking for this guy. Bleach-blonde hair, leather jacket, British accent? Kind of sallow, but in a hot way?

BOUNCER Yeah, yeah, I know the guy. Billy Idol wannabe?

BUFFY Actually, Billy Idol stole his look from—never mind. Has he been here?

19) This. Fucking. Show.

AIMEE MANN Man, I hate playing vampire towns

I just love the fact that she uses the plural, “towns” like she’s fucking aware Sunnydale is not the only town infested with vampires.

It’s so amazing to see a regular someone supposedly not in the know – after 7 freaking seasons! – acknowledge the supernatural because even though it’s a staple of the genre that people are ignorant of the paranormal or choose to find more “rational” explanations for every odd occurrence, sometimes they just end up looking very dumb.

20) And this is why The First was kind of a dumb Big Bad, like, how couldn’t he have known that tasting Buffy would have the opposite effect on Spike?

21) It’s really heartbreaking that Spike not only assumes that Buffy is going to stake him but he welcomes it, I think he wants the pain to end and wants an easy way out from the things he’s done (that’s why he pleads for her - or it? - to “make him forget”)

22) Buffy reads the situation right, though. She understands that someone or something has been using Spike as a puppet and that killing him won’t really accomplish anything other than doing exactly what it wants them to do.

23) I gotta admit, I’d be Xander in this situation…

BUFFY You didn't see him down there. He really didn't know what he'd done. It wasn't in his control.

XANDER Oh, an out of control serial killer. You're right, that is a great houseguest.

24) I love how they’re talking as if he was deaf or not there, and he’s obviously listening to every single word they're saying. HE IS SITTING RIGHT THERE FOR FUCK’S SAKE!!!

Sorry, I just hate when they do that on shows or movies, okay?

25) Cliffhanger! IS GILES DEAD! DUN-DUN-DUNNNN!

There’s no fucking way Giles would’ve survived that, okay? I mean, I’m glad he’s alive, but they probably should’ve faded to black BEFORE the axe was about to chop his head off. Just seeing the demon brandishing the axe would’ve done the trick, and then it wouldn’t have felt as they were retconning the scene.

26) This is not a great episode. It’s not bad, either, but I feel the reveal that Spike was killing again and the why he was doing it should’ve been placed further apart (although I understand they were trying to get people to like Spike again, so that might’ve been detrimental to that purpose…) I don’t know, there’s something that just doesn’t work about this episode. The scenes between Buffy and Spike are great, but the whole episode feels somewhat disjointed. What do you think? Is this when season 7 started to go south?

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