A nice mixed bag, here. Some are ones I had a hard time deciding if they were S5 or S6 - I have several that start as an AU of S5 and then go forward, so I'm taking the liberty of including those here, as well.


Each link leads to an individual post. Comments are loved, cuddled, and appreciated. :)


Title: The Fall of Astraea
Character/Pairing: Dawn-centric, mentions of Dawn/OMCs, Dawn/Janice
Genre: Dark/Angst
Rating: NC-17
Highlight for Warnings: **non- and dub-con, mentions of m/f and f/f pairings, drug use, self-harm, underage sex, prostitution**
Disclaimer and Distribution Information: The writer of this fic does not condone the attitudes, choices, and actions of all of the characters in this story.
Summary: One event sends a life spiraling out of control. AU. Begins in 5.21 The Weight of the World.
Word Count: 3,184


Title: The Scarf
Character/Pairing: Tara/Dawn, mentions Willow/Tara
Genre: Romance/Angst
Rating: PG
Disclaimer and Distribution Information
Summary: After a fight with Willow, Tara leaves Sunnydale for good.
Word Count: 500 (2 x 250)


Title: Lilies
Character/Pairing: Buffy
Genre: Angst
Rating: PG
Highlight for Warnings: ** Implied Character Death (not Buffy)**
Disclaimer and Distribution Information
Summary: Buffy buys white roses for her mother's grave. But who are the lilies for?
Word Count: 680


Title: Water Lilies
Character/Pairing: Willow/Tara, Giles, Xander, Dawn
Genre: Angst/Romance
Rating: PG
Highlight for Warnings: ** mentions canon character death, mental illness**
Disclaimer and Distribution Information
Summary: Together, Willow and Tara are more than the sum of their parts.
Word Count: 1,000


Title: Here Comes the Sun
Pairing: Buffy&Tara friendship; mentions of Willow/Tara (canon),and Buffy&Willow friendship
Rating: G
Summary: Tara gets the best birthday gift, ever. Follows BtVS 5.6 Family.
Word Count: 500


Title: Better Than
Character/Pairing: Fred/Lilah
Genre: Dark/Angst
Rating: R
Highlight for Warnings: **implied slavery, brainwashing, non-con**
Disclaimer and Distribution Information
Summary: Fred is rescued from Pylea, but has she jumped from the frying pan into the fire?
Word Count: 939


Title: Promise
Character/Pairing: Buffy, Dawn
Genre: Angst/Dark
Rating: PG-13
Highlight for Warnings: ** Character death, blood**
Disclaimer and Distribution Information
Summary: Buffy made a promise. She intends to keep it. AU of The Gift.
Word Count: 1,145


Title: The Cow Jumped Over the Moon
Character/Pairing: Fred, Tara, some Fred/Tara, Buffy
Genre: Friendship/Hurt-Comfort/Angst
Rating: PG
Disclaimer and Distribution Information
Summary: Two lost girls find their way back home. Set during/after BtVS 5.19 - Tough Love, and Ats 2.19 - Belonging
Word Count: 2,279

Ben is Glory? What are you saying?

No, nobody here is very stoned, but all are confused and some are catatonic. Torture, death, and chaos used to be where Glory's power lay, but now she's having weird impulses toward mercy and finds herself having philosophical discussions with her captive, Dawn. Giles has suffered a traumatic gut wound, yet it only hurts when he answers pointless questions. Spike speculates that Buffy likes it rough, to which Xander objects, but scary Willow commands that fighting wait until after the end of the world. Which is looming very close.

Over in Pylea, Cordelia is wondering if the priests which elevated her to the throne are "most high". She's not sure which is worse: the visions or the hot pokers. Whichever, she's not in a big hurry to get back to the "Cordelia is not a princess" dimension. Right up until she hears the part about being impregnated (again!) with demon spawn. She's beginning to worry that she's giving off an inadvertent "com-shuk me" vibe. Lorne and Angel go talk to Lorne's family (on purpose!), only to hear his mother lament that she "ate the wrong son" — the one that wasn't Lorne — before ordering them off her lawn. Angel gets some face time with himself for the first time in 200 years, and some moral ambiguity-free heroism, but then his undiluted demon makes an appearance, and he can't look away. Fred can't either, but for completely different reasons.

Here are a few quickie prompts for The Weight of the World and Through the Looking Glass:

“fake suburban nightmare” or “dance of joy”

As always, you may create whatever you like with these. You may also use the main episode prompts or do something — anything — else. You have until Sunday, September 18th to post about either episode, plus the entire following week! Next, we'll start in on The Gift and There's No Place Like Plrtz Glrb!

+++

Check out our affiliate still_grrr! In September, they're heading Back to School! Go! Post!

The new Episodes in Focus are The Weight of the World and Through the Looking Glass. Episodes where it's all too much for Buffy, and Angel loses his cool. Very different episodes, as very different arcs draw towards their climax – but so much to enjoy in each. So from Monday your time, get sharing whatever you have to share on these amazing Episodes in Focus.

Episode in Focus: The Weight of the World
We're getting near the endgame of Glory and the Key now. Dawn's been captured, Buffy's catatonic and it's Willow who steps up. Spike reveals the important fact that Ben is Glory (and also Glory is Ben). Turns out that as Glory's moment arrives, the walls separating those two characters are wearing thin – just like the walls of reality will wear thin if the Key is unleashed. Spike and Xander go for help to a suspicious old guy who tries to hinder their research. But they kill him, so that's okay. Right? And Willow gets through to Buffy in the end…. And then Giles tells them how to save the world. But his way's not okay at all.





Key quote:
GLORY: How do they do it?
DAWN: (hoarsely) Do what?
GLORY: People! (walking toward Dawn) How do they function here like this in the world with all this bile running through them? Every day it's whoo-oo (wiggles her hand at Dawn) You have no control. They're not even animals, they're just these meatbaggy slaves to, to hormones and pheromones and their…, and their feelings. Hate 'em!
Dawn stops rubbing her neck, stares at Glory. Glory goes behind a drafting table and leans her arms against it.
GLORY: I mean really. Is this what the poets go on about, this? (thumps her chest, shakes her head, sighs) Call me crazy, but as hard-core drugs go, human emotion is just useless! People are puppets! Everyone getting jerked around by what they're feelin'. Am I wrong? (looks at Dawn) Really, I want to know.
Shot of Dawn leaning against the pillar, looking at the floor.
GLORY: Gonna bleed you either way.
DAWN: (opens her eyes, looks at Glory) Depends on the person.
GLORY: So you're saying some people like this.
DAWN: (defensively) Some.
GLORY: Funny. 'Cause I look around at this world you're so eager to be a part of ... and all I see is six billion lunatics looking for the fastest ride out. (smiles) Who's not crazy? Look around. Everyone's drinking, smoking, shooting up ... shooting each other, or just plain screwing their brains out 'cause they don't want 'em anymore. (looks at Dawn) *I'm* crazy? Honey, I'm the original one-eyed chicklet in the kingdom of the blind. (sighs) 'Cause at least I admit the world makes me nuts.


*

Episode in Focus: Through the Looking Glass
Well, this Pylea place seems nice, right? Cordy's a princess, and also possibly the messiah. With Angel so heroic and admired, and Lorne's mom so… snuggly. Not to mention Numfar. We can't not mention Numfar.

But then there's Fred, and Angel's meant to swing the Crebble… And the Covenant, and the beheading (again), and Wes and Gunn get captured and suspected of being reconnaissance cow scum (which is nasty). Plus, Angel's internal demon gets let loose which is damn scary. So maybe not such a cute alternate dimension, hmm?





Key quote:
Cordy stands up: "Where I come from, who I really am - is so far from being a princess, you have no idea. (Sighs) I'm an actress."
Groo: "I do not know this word."
Cordy: "Actress? It means - when I'm finally lucky enough to get the gig, other people tell me what to do, where to stand, how to move, what to say..."
Groo: "You are the concubine of your village."
Cordy: "Felt like one sometimes. Last job I had you should have seen the horrible thing they made me wear! It was this tiny, skimpy, exploitative... (Looks down at her present, skimpy outfit) Uh, nothing like this!"

*

Still have something to share about last time's episodes, Spiral and Over the Rainbow? You have another week's grace to post anything you want for these eps and the special challenges. We can always stand a little more of the good stuff!

*