Moonlit Ramblings

Commiserating Joyfully

It had been a month since the battle, since Sunnydale ceased to exist and California gained a shiny new crater in the ground. A month since Anya died. Xander stared at the wall calendar, trying to let that sink in. She’d really been gone for a whole month.

“You coming back some day?” Willow asked. Her voice, or maybe it was her plopping down in the chair across from him and scooting the tiny cafe table a bit, pulled him from his reverie.

“What? Who?” He looked over and his brain finally caught up with his ears, “What? Coming back from where? I’m going somewhere?”

“Not that I know of, but you were certainly gone somewhere. You okay?”

“Oh. Yeah, I guess so. It’s just… I just realized it’s been a month…” He glanced at the calendar and back at Willow, “You know, since…”

“Since Spike dressed up like Liz Taylor and I went prematurely gray for a few minutes and we turned our hometown into a hole in the ground? Yeah, I guess it has, huh?”

“And since Anya… since I lost her.” His one good eye watered up just a little, and somewhere in the back of her mind Willow couldn’t help but wonder if there were still tear ducts under that eye patch. She pushed that thought aside, though. Xander needed her now.

“Yeah, since you lost Anya.” She reached across the table to offer what she hoped was a comforting touch on his arm.

“I think sometimes I’m so deep in the accepting that I don’t even think about it, and then sometimes I’m so covered in the denial that I keep waiting for her to show up complaining about how she risked her life to help us and we left her behind and why didn’t we wait so she could get on that stupid yellow bus with us.” He sighed and looked at the familiar collection of life-long friends and teenage girls scattered around the other tables in this coffee shop. “It’s like it’s hard to believe it’s really been a whole month, but at the same time, it’s hard to believe it’s only been a month, you know?”

“Oh yeah, I know. I was still barely speaking when that one-month date rolled around after Tara,” she glanced over at Kennedy but didn’t really see her. Willow wasn’t sure how deeply she felt for Kennedy, but she knew it was definitely not the same as Tara. “I was working with the coven, or rather, staying with them, under close supervision, and they were trying to get me to do some centering exercises and stuff, but since I wasn’t talking much, they hadn’t started the heavy training yet.”

Xander pulled his attention away from the now luke-warm coffee and the chatter around him. Willow hadn’t really talked about this much, and he wanted to know what that summer was like for her, and also hoped she could offer some way to ease the ache he felt now, since she’d been through it before.

“I went to breakfast one day and it seemed like just any other day but I knew something felt different. I finally saw the date on the morning paper and it clicked, which then made me drop the glass I was holding, which of course made a loud cracking and shattering noise as it hit the stone floor, which immediately sent me into a flashback and…” suddenly her casual, light-hearted demeanor changed and her eyes quickly filled with tears and her voice altered as evidence of the tightening in her throat. “I saw her again. For just a few minutes, I saw her again, standing there in our bedroom, smiling at me, just like she was that day. We’d had such a wonderful night and morning, I’d basically given up hope that we’d ever get back together and then suddenly we were and everything was perfect.”

Xander put his hand over Willow’s that was still on his arm, “Wil, look, you don’t….”

“No, it’s okay.” She sniffed a little and cleared her throat. “Everything was perfect, and she died knowing I loved her. And if my suspicions are correct, Anya died knowing you loved her, too.” He watched in amazement as Willow blinked away the threatening tears while all he wanted to do was cry a bucket of his own. “See, it all comes down to this. We’re just shells here. Our spirits, our essence, it’s not forever attached to these bodies, so when they died, they got to take that knowledge and that love with them. But also, we had these really special connections to them, so we kinda get to keep a little part of them with us forever.”

Xander shook his head. If only he could believe her. “I don’t feel like there’s any part of Anya here with me.”

“Sure there is. You have your memories of her. And you know, some people believe that when you share your memories of a loved one who’s died, you bring them to life just a little, or you draw them nearer because they can feel your love for them again.”

“But Wil, they’re just memories.”

“Have you ever noticed how a character, like say, Luke Skywalker, or Harry Potter, almost seems alive when the really big fans are talking about them a lot? It’s because our thoughts and energies give power to those creations. So many people love Luke and Harry that they’ve become real in a sense. And Anya was already real. So if you express your love, and you talk about her and share your memories, it will touch her, and she will touch you.”

“We’re not talking creepy zombie Anya knocking on the door with a Monkey Paw, are we? ‘Cuz, I miss her, but I’m not down with monkey paws.”

Willow smiled at him reassuringly. “No monkey paws. Honest.”

“I can almost hear Anya being irritated, questioning that literary reference, or maybe she’d misunderstand completely and start talking about actual spells or rituals that involve monkey paws.”

“Yeah. Remember when she and I accidentally let Olaf out of the hammer, after you and Tara tried to leave us to work out our issues? When Anya was being all particular and telling us we shouldn’t do magic at the store while Giles was away, I told her she was the fish from Cat in the Hat.”

“Oh, she totally was!” Xander smiled at the thought of it, and the many times Anya had adopted that role. “Oh, but she didn’t get it, right?”

“No, and it made her mad. I wasn’t trying to make her mad, honest… well, at least not with that part of it.” She smiled.

“Yeah, Tara told me you guys just seemed to be working on a bunch of misunderstandings and assumptions. You know, I never did tell you how grateful I was that you guys worked things out. Things were really uncomfortable there for a while, and man was I glad to see that over with.”

“Anya was not so bad as ex-vengeance demons go. And as much as I might not have understood it, she made you happy, which gave her points in my book.”

“Hey, I’m not the only one with relationships that make my friends go ‘huh?’ you know,” He always remembered when he finally realized Tara was one of the gang. “That birthday party for Tara at the Bronze? Buffy and I pondered for hours over what to get her, and weren’t sure if we’d fit in with the rest of the crowd there, and you know, for a while I even wondered if you’d end up losing interest in the Scoobies and go hang more with the mostly-girl crowd,” he paused, thinking about that for a moment. “You know, cuz you were interested in girls and you were a girl, er, uh, are a girl, and well, the Wiccan thing seems to be pretty heavily populated by the X chromosomes. But, uh, I guess it kinda worked out that way anyway, since I was pretty much the only guy around for a year or two there… at least until Spike and Andrew, and let me tell you how much of a comfort that isn’t.”

“So, you thought Tara would take me from the gang? Xander, you know…”

He scoffed at her. “Yeah, I know. I mean, I knew then, but I didn’t really know, you know?” She furrowed her brow and he just shook his head. “Anyway, I tried to figure out where Tara fit in, because she seemed so different from the rest of us and it was hard to know what she meant sometimes, or when she was joking, or if she even liked the rest of us. Then when her family came to visit, and we all realized they’d been lying to her, well, I realized a couple things then. One, was that she wouldn’t take you from the gang because you brought her to the gang, and we didn’t need to find a place for her to fit in because she was already in, and that she was part of the family just like you and Dawn and Buff and Giles.”

Willow smiled again. She had been so proud of her friends when they all stood their ground to show Tara they were on her side, and a little sad that Tara had been so surprised by that show of support. “What was the other thing you learned?”

“The second thing was that all the ways Tara was different were no weirder than the ways we were all different. When I really thought about it, Anya was like that, even for me – confusing sometimes, and hard to read. And you know, Angel had his moments of fitting in and not fitting, and so did Faith, and Oz was so quiet it took a while to figure him out… so really, We all have our little quirks, and you all accepted Anya’s and we all accepted Tara’s, and for that matter, everyone accepted mine and that’s really what’s so great about you guys.”

“And that’s what’s so great about you, too, Xander.” Buffy’s voice came unexpectedly from behind. Xander turned to look at her and reached for an extra chair. “Thanks,” she said as she joined them at the table. “So, is this triggered by the one-month thing?”

Xander smiled to himself. He shouldn’t have been surprised that Buffy knew him that well, but he supposed if the surprise went away, it might take the warm snuggly feeling in his chest with it, and he wouldn’t want that. “Yeah.”

“Well, then I have to say I think you’re going about it in exactly the right way.” She offered her trademark ‘I’ve got it all figured out’ smile.

“Oh? And what way is that?” Willow asked.

“Well, let’s see. It’s been exactly a month since Anya, Spike, and Amanda and the rest died in the final battle of Sunnydale. It’s been just over 13 months since Tara died, about 7 months since Cassie died, a couple months since Chloe died, about two and a half years since Mom died. We’ve lost Ms. Calendar, Jonathan, Kendra, Ford, Dr. Gregory, Principal Flutie, Principal Snyder – not that we really cared for him deeply -, Kevin, Morgan, Mr. Platt, Debbie, Pete, Larry, Annabelle, Molly, and so many more.” Xander and Willow waited for her to continue, confused by this train of thought and saddened at the seemingly endless string of dead. “So we sit here commiserating about them but it triggers the good memories too, and that brings some joy back to our days. And you know, I think they’re all having a party somewhere, watching us and cheering us on, and whenever we stop a minute, and remember them and tell stories about them, they know and it matters to them. They know."

The three of them sat quietly for a few minutes, pondering this and thinking of various people from that list.

Finally, Willow looked across the table again, “See, Xan, that’s what I told you. I bet us sitting here commiserating together about Anya and Tara makes them happy.” The twisted meaning of her words sunk in and Xander and Buffy looked at her with raised eyebrows. “Oh, you know what I mean, er don’t you?”

<b>The Break of Dawn</b>

Spike had quickly tracked her down after the big fight in LA. They slipped back into their familiar roles of fighting together and sometimes fighting each other, of being sometimes friends, but sometimes antagonists. Finally, on Buffy’s 30th birthday, amidst all the jokes of Slayer retirement age and this being the "first anniversary of her 29th birthday" – as if she’d truly be concerned about reaching 30 after all she’d survived – Dawn decided she’d had enough of their lunacy.

“Um, Guys?” Dawn interrupted the casual conversations around the room, looking around to make sure that people were listening to her even while they enjoyed the fudge-covered chocolate cake they’d chosen for the party. Dawn had finally come into her own and was respected as a type of authority figure among the new Slayers, as well as being seen as an actual adult by the original Scoobies, but it still made her belly do a little flip when people listened to her so quickly. She pressed her lips together and took a breath to disperse those thoughts and turned her focus toward Buffy and Spike.

Buffy was sitting on the couch, eating cake and talking to Willow. Spike was leaning casually against the arm of the couch, pretending to be completely uninterested in the entire room. “Buffy, you’re 30 years old now. You’re, like, more than a decade older than anyone would have expected you to be when you were first called to be a Slayer.” Giles nodded in silent agreement at that statement. “You’ve been a fantastic Slayer and Leader, and the best big sister anyone could ask for,” Dawn glanced away, determined not to get side-tracked by Buffy’s suddenly shinier-than-usual eyes. “You’ve worked super hard, and saved the world sooo many times, and I can remember what you were like when I was a kid, and a teenager, and now that I’m an adult too, I’ve noticed how much you’ve changed and how much you’ve grown up. I can see how much you’ve learned in so many areas.” She locked eyes with Buffy again. “So it feels like I’d be doing you a disservice if I didn’t point out something you’re obviously missing.”

At this, Dawn smiled serenely at Buffy’s mild shock and confusion and turned her attention toward Spike, who had, by this time, started edging toward the door, pack of cigarettes already in his hand. “Spike.” He looked over quickly, as if prepared to deny whatever he was suspected or accused of. “Spike, you’ve come a really, really long way, and I don’t just mean from England to California to Africa to California to Scotland to Italy to Cleveland. I remember when we first learned that you couldn’t hurt people because of the Initiative. The gang laughed when Willow talked about it, and it wasn’t until later, when I was a lot older, that I finally understood that they were laughing more at the double entendres than your inability to bite a human. I remember I had the teensiest crush on you later, but mostly, I just felt comfortable with you around. Even before you went off and fought for your soul, you were part of our family, and after that big battle, when Giles pulled the bus into a motel parking lot in Arizona so we could all get some sleep and take showers and stuff, I never told her, but I heard Buffy crying in the shower that night. She was crying about you.”

Buffy looked up, a mixture of dread and horror and surprise on her face. “Dawnie, I was just,”

“Buffy, it’s okay. Just listen.” Buffy swallowed, and tried to listen while keeping a mental tally of her justifications and explanations so she could back-pedal out of this as soon as Dawn was finished. She didn’t even realize she’d put down her cake and was tightly hugging a pillow for support now.

“So,” Dawn continued, “I guess I’ve taken a lot of lessons from Xander, because I started to see things.” She and Xander shared a small smile at that, and she was happy to see Susy reach over and squeeze his thigh in a familiar and loving gesture. Susy’s sister was one of the youngest Slayers, and Susy had been thrilled to learn there was something she could do to help in this unfamiliar and dangerous world Joanne had been pulled into. She was now one of their best Watchers and happily involved with Xander for nearly a year.

Dawn continued, still directing her thoughts toward Spike. This was the stuff he Needed to know. “I saw how Buffy reacted by totally not reacting every time your name came up in conversation for the first few weeks after that battle. I saw how her eyes got really big and dark a few months later when we got word about you showing up in ghosty-form at Angel’s place in LA. I even saw how irritated she was when one of her doubles was hanging out with The Immortal and she knew you and Angel both thought it was really her. After a while, you weren’t mentioned much, and there wasn’t much to see, but then you came back to her.” Spike opened his mouth then, obviously planning to interject some form of disagreement, but Dawn wouldn’t let him. “Yes, there was a great smoke-screen about how you came back to the fight and just wanted to help and everything, but you really came back to her. I saw it in the way your eyes sought her out when you first entered that castle in Scotland. I saw it in the way you both danced around each other during every briefing and planning session, and in the way you fought together those few times you went on the same assignment.”

She stopped to take a breath. This was taking longer than she’d expected, but she had to make sure she was really clear about this, or they’d slip back into their old habits and it would be even harder next time. Spike had closed his mouth again, and was quietly gazing at the floor, waiting. Dawn turned back to Buffy, noting that her sister had managed to scoot even closer to the arm of the couch, as if she needed to be just that fraction of an inch further from everyone.

“As the Slayer numbers have grown, and the New Watchers Council has been formed and gotten things more organized and smooth, I’ve seen you turn to Spike for leadership help, for fighting help, for strategy help, and even, when you thought no one was looking, for emotional support. I know about the late nights you two spent in the library of the castle, talking for hours and hours. I saw how it cut you deep inside that Spike had to lay in a box for most of the flight back to the states because we didn’t have those special planes like Wolfram and Hart. I saw how careful you were about choosing your bedroom when we first got to Cleveland, and it didn’t take a genius – even though I am one,” she smirked, “to realize that you were trying to be closer to Spike without being obvious.”

“I guess I just decided that ten years is long enough for you both to dance around the issue here, and the one thing I can’t see is why you won’t admit your feelings and be happy you have each other.”

Buffy wanted to bury her face in the throw pillow to hide the tears that were suddenly streaming down her cheeks. Who knew her little sister could be so insightful? Oh, right, she knew. Dawn had been very insightful when Riley left, so much that it creeped Buffy out. She’d even been way wise beyond her years when Angel left, though that was a memory and not really her, but it should probably still count. Still, while Dawn had managed to nail Buffy’s feelings right on the head, to an extent Buffy hadn’t even consciously been aware of, surely Spike had given up those emotions long ago.

Just as she had that thought, she felt him move closer to her, until she found herself looking at his legs, partially covered by the bottom of his familiar leather duster. He reached out a hand in front of her down-turned face. After a moment, she finally pried one hand from the throw pillow and placed it in his, then looked up at the familiar smirk, prominent cheekbones, and scarred eyebrow that made up the face she loved so well. “So, love, what do you say we humor Little Bit and see if there’s some truth in what she says?”

Her tears seemed to find a new reservoir even while she felt herself smiling uncontrollably. “Yeah, I think she deserves that.”

written for atomic89  in the whedonland  fic-fest

Set during the Season Eight Buffy Comics (hope you don't mind that - you didn't specify any time periods)

written for ppyajunebug at Whedonland Fic-Fest

ships requested include: Topher/Claire, Doctor/Rose
Prompts include: the TARDIS ends up on Serenity/in the Dollhouse/in Sunnydale
Request also included: Funny (I hope this fits)

The Doctor quietly motioned to the bartender. He had a feeling they could both use another round if for no other reason than the young man in front of him seemed to be more informative as he got more and more sloshed. The drinks arrived at the same time Rose walked up to the table and sat down, offering a questioning look between him and his new friend.

“Rose, I’ve just been talking to this young man who’s going to help us get back to the TARDIS. It seems he works in that underground facility where we landed.”

“Oh,” she looked at the shaggy haired American boy. “The place with the yoga classes. Is it some sor’ of retreat? Like a Buddha place, or wot?”

The guy looked at her with a goofy drunken smile, but directed his words to the Doctor. “Which house are you from? For that matter, why would they send you and your Doll here anyway?”

Rose took offense at being called a doll by the kid she’d never met. “’Scuse me, Mr. … Wot’s your name?”

“As I told your Handler earlier, name’s Topher.” He took another swig of his beer and looked back at the Doctor. He didn’t get a chance to speak, though. Rose had decided she’d had quite enough.

“That’s right cheeky of you, ‘Topher.’ I’ll have you know the Doctor’s not my ‘handler.’ And even if he were to…” she was a bit flustered by the very idea and feeling surprising tingles down low in her belly “’handle’ me, it’d be none of your business for sure!” She slapped her hand down on the slightly sticky bar table for emphasis, quickly wishing she hadn’t. “Doctor, I think we ought to be going now, don’t you?”

The Doctor understood Rose’s reaction, but they couldn’t very well go if they couldn’t get back to the TARDIS. “Just a minute, Rose.” He pulled a slightly wrinkled photo from his jacket pocket and held it out to Topher. “Now, you said earlier you might know where we could find this girl? She used to live a bit North o’ here, place called Sunnydale, but I’m told she was in Los Angeles at one point.”



Topher looked at the fairly blurry photo, immediately recognizing the dark haired beauties looking back at him (though not the dude in the bad Halloween costume in the background). The British man was pointing at the girl on the left, but Topher's attention was immediately drawn to the other girl in the picture. She was further off in the shot, harder to see clearly, but he felt he'd know that face anywhere. “Whiskey?”

Rose rolled her eyes, losing patience with him. “I think you’ve 'ad about enough to drink, now. Come on. We’ve got to find her.” She jabbed her finger at the girl on the left. She’d never imagined eight months ago that she’d be traveling through time in Southern California looking for a vampire Slayer that was needed in another world.

Topher shook his head, they didn’t understand, but he looked up at Rose anyway. “Echo.”

“Doctor, this is 'opeless. He doesn’t know Faith.”

“She used to be Caroline, and I made her blank, but she doesn’t stay that way.” He was talking to himself now, but the Doctor was listening, intrigued. “I wonder if all the Echo’s do that. So many people all in one head, and sometimes just one person in a dozen different bodies.” This last statement intrigued him even more.

“Topher, listen. How about I get you that Whiskey you wanted, and you take us back to your office and let us meet Caroline?”

“okay” The word was quiet, small, as if a boy had said it.

Rose sighed and stood up, happy they were finally getting somewhere. The Doctor just smiled. “Fan-tastic!”

written for mfirefly10  in the Whedonland Fic-Fest.

Faith/Buffy was listed as a fave pairing. Prompts included: 1st kiss and end of the world.

Remember this scene from "End of Days" (Season 7, Episode 21)?

FAITH: Okay, the point. Me, by myself, all the time. I’m looking at you, everything you have and, I don’t know’ jealous. Then there I am, everybody’s looking to me, trusting me to lead them and I’ve never felt so alone in my entire life.

BUFFY: Yeah.

FAITH: And that’s you, every day. Isn’t it?

BUFFY: I love my friends. I’m very grateful for them. But that’s the price of being a Slayer.

FAITH: There’s only supposed to be one. Maybe that’s why you and I can never get along. We’re not supposed to exist together.

BUFFY: Also, you went evil and were killing people.

FAITH: Good point. Also a factor.

BUFFY: But you’re right. I mean, I guess everyone’s alone but being a Slayer? There’s a burden we can’t share.

FAITH: And no one else can feel it. (beat) Thank god we’re hot chicks with superpowers.

BUFFY: Takes the edge off.

FAITH: Comforting.

BUFFY: Mm-hmm.

Well, here's what happened after it:

They sat there in silence for a few minutes, pondering the bizarre reality of their lives, and then Faith spoke, before she really had a chance to think about the words.

 

“We <b>can</b> share it, though.”

 

Buffy looked at her, confused. “I’m sorry, wha-”

 

“The burden. The … the Slayer-thing. There’s only supposed to be one of us, but here we are. Maybe we can make something of that.” She wasn’t quite meeting Buffy’s eyes, couldn’t just come out and say what was on her mind, even after all these years (or maybe it was especially after all these years).

 

“Well, we kinda do, er.. have, haven’t we? I mean, you’re here. You’re helping again, and we try…” Buffy rolled her eyes up to the ceiling in frustration, growling a bit for emphasis. Faith felt the corner of her mouth twitch just a little, because these moments when Buffy let the frustration take over (instead of the abject terror, or the fear of failure, or the stress of leading) were the closest she got to back when Faith first knew her, before things went bad. She watched quietly as Buffy stood and walked toward the window to stare out absently.

 

Those first couple months in the ‘dale, Faith had <i>almost</i> been able to feel like she belonged. She had someone else who understood the Slaying (okay, they’d never quite seen it the same way, but it was better than nothing), and other people her age that seemed to like her, and, well, yeah, there were a lot of times she was jealous of Buffy: Buffy’s mom, her friends, her home, her room, her almost boyfriends, her caring teachers, her still-alive, not-evil, and not-a-wuss-watcher (yeah, Wes toughened up, but not until much later). But even with the jealous, there was a little… she sighed audibly… she had a hard time admitting this even in her own head, but yeah, there was a little girl-crush goin’ on there. She wasn’t being nice or platonic or anything when she called them both “hot chicks.” She’d always thought Buffy was a looker, and she’d had a fine time exploring that body when the Mayor’s device switched them for a few days, but she’d be lying if she said she didn’t want to explore it again from the outside.

 

“did you?” Faith pulled herself out of those potentially dangerous thoughts to find that Buffy had left the window-gazing behind and was surprisingly close, kneeling next to the bed, her face just inches from Faith’s upper arm.

 

“Did I what? Sorry, guess I zoned out for a minute there. Injuries, you know.” She tried to shrug it off, hoping Buffy wouldn’t think about the accelerated healing and realize that was a total lie.

 

“I was just wondering if you had some specific coping method in mind… you know, for that shared burden we have.” Faith was distracted slightly by the tone in Buffy’s voice. It sounded familiar. Like when she’d been talking to Riley during their switch… like.. like flirting? “Times like these, a person could start thinking about dying, maybe even trying to find a way to remember they haven’t died yet. And you know, I’ve always thought it was kinda funny, but it seems that there’s one thing people almost always turn to when they’re trying to focus on not-death.”

 

“Yeah?” Faith wasn’t sure what to expect, what B was getting at, but she sure as hell knew where her own thoughts were headed.

 

With the speed of a Slayer and the gentleness of a kitten, Buffy rose up by the bed, leaning toward Faith, and suddenly, Faith knew exactly what Buffy’s lips felt like, after four years of wondering. The kiss was brief, but significant, intense, but gentle, and over all too soon for Faith’s liking.

 

“Yeah.” Buffy said as she sat back down on the side of the bed. Again, the two Slayers sat in silence, pondering the bizarre reality of their lives.

Holy Cow folks!
Okay, so I heard about the Draco/Ginny "last drabble writer standing" community from cybermathwitch and decided it sounded fun. I've never put much thought into that particular pairing, but I have nothing against it, either.

So we had our first challenge, and the votes are in now, and my awesome friend kadollan won first place, and I was awarded "Mod's Choice". I'm so tickled! I mean, really!

And now, I'll share with you the drabble I wrote:

 

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I know, I haven't been on here in forever, and some people might frown on me using LJ for the purpose of this post, but I want to make sure to get the word out so anyone interested can come!

This is our press release with the basic information. If you'd like further info, ask in a comment or check out our website at www.whedonitesunited.com

WHEDONFEST: A “CAN’T STOP THE SERENITY” WEEKEND EVENT

Middle TN Joss Whedon fan convention raises money for Can’t Stop the Serenity charity

The Tennessee Valley Browncoats, Whedonites United, and Prater Productions present a weekend long convention, WhedonFest, scheduled for Aug. 7-9, 2009 at the Camp Y.I. in LaVergne, TN. All proceeds will be contributed to charity- 75% to the global Equality Now, 15% to the local Nashville CARES, and 10% to the national Kids Need to Read.

Joss Whedon and his fans have repeatedly done the unlikely, turning a failed movie into a long-running and much loved television series (Buffy), turning a canceled series into a movie destined to become a cult classic (Firefly, Serenity), and then turning repeat screenings of that movie into a series of nationwide popular fundraising events to keep the fandom alive while promoting and supporting gender equality (Can’t Stop the Serenity).

 

Middle Tennessee fans of Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly, have embarked on a first time endeavor to hold a weekend long fan convention where all proceeds are going to charity. Will Prater, creator of Whedonites United, wanted to join the global efforts of Can’t Stop the Serenity, and found the standard film screening fundraiser quickly transforming into something much bigger than the global CSTS group had ever seen. Now, the Tennessee Valley Browncoats, Whedonites United, and Prater Productions join to organize an event to gather fans from across the state and surrounding areas, for three days in August, relishing in fandom and donating the proceeds to three different charities – all in the name of Whedon.

  

WhedonFest is scheduled for August 7-9, 2009. Designed to be a gathering for fans of all Whedon’s work, the weekend’s programming will include Buffy, Angel, Dollhouse, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, and Firefly, culminating in the traditional CSTS screening of Serenity on Sunday afternoon. Other activities will include: socializing and gaming events, panel discussions and active workshops, a talent show, a “Browncoat’s Ball” known as our CSTS Shindig, a costume contest (at the Shindig), a Dr. Horrible screening, a Serenity screening, a silent charity auction, and more.

 

WhedonFest will be held at Camp Y.I. in LaVergne, TN, offering a natural setting reminiscent of that often seen in Firefly.

 

All proceeds for this event will go to charity. All Can’t Stop the Serenity events donate a minimum of 75% to Equality Now as the globally supported charity. Events are allowed the remainder of proceeds to be allocated for local charities if desired. WhedonFest will donate 15% of the event proceeds to Nashville CARES, and the remaining 10% to Kids Need to Read, an organization co-founded by PJ Haarsma and Firefly’s own Nathan Fillion.

Using ONLY SONG TITLES from ONE artist, cleverly answer these questions:

Pick a band/artist: I’m gonna have to go with Duran Duran (act surprised). Oh, and I’m offering multiple answers to some because I just can’t narrow it down. They have such good song titles.

1. Are you a male or female: Girls on Film

2. Describe yourself:  Is There Something I Should Know?, Still Breathing, Out of My Mind, Shadow on Your Side (especially while I was writing my thesis)

3. How do you feel about yourself: Can You Deal With It?

4. Describe your ex boyfriend/girlfriend: for various people - Ball and Chain, Drowning Man, Ball of Confusion, Late Bar, Lonely in Your Nightmare, A Matter of Feeling, Starting to Remember

5. Describe your current boy/girl situation: Bedroom Toys, Hold Me, Like An Angel, Nice, Point of No Return, Want You More

6. Describe your current location: Planet Earth

7. Describe where you want to be: Rio, Take Me to the Water, Edge of America

8. Your best friend is: She’s Too Much

9. Your favorite color is: New Moon on Monday

10. You know that: I Believe/All I Need to Know (this is one song, not a multi-answer)

11. What’s the weather like: Reach Up for the Sunrise

12. If your life was a television show what would it be called? Ordinary World

13. What is life to you: The Reflex

14. What is the best advice you have to give: Save a Prayer

15. If you could change your name what would you change it to: Someone Else Not Me, Too Late Marlene

 

As parents and concerned citizens I’m sure most of us at one time or another have been confronted with the question of lead poisoning. But have you asked yourself what your government is doing to protect your children from lead contained in toys? The answer? They're banning toys, taking books from schools and libraries, hurting low income families, killing entrepreneurial spirit and risking putting the economy in an even greater depression than we've seen in decades. I'd like to introduce you to their solution: the CPSIA.

Do you know about the CPSIA? No? Then I ask you to take a few minutes to find out about it.

The CPSIA stands for Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, a new set of laws that will come into effect on 10 February, 2009 and will impact many, many people in a negative way. Make no mistake, this is very real. View it for yourself. If Forbes, the American Library Association and numerous other media are paying attention, perhaps you should too.

How will these new laws affect you? Well, here are a few examples:

To the Parents of Young Students:
Due to the new law, expect to see the cost of school supplies sky rocket. While those paper clips weren't originally intended for your student to use, they will need to be tested now that your 11-year-old needs them for his school project. This law applies to any and all school supplies (textbooks, pencils, crayons, paper, etc.) being used by children under 12.

To the Avid Reader:
Due to the new law, all children's books will be pulled from library and school shelves, as there is no exemption for them. That’s okay though, there's always television. Our children don’t need to learn the love of reading after all.
Article from the American Library Association http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdisp…

To the Lover of All Things Handmade:
Due to the new law, you will now be given a cotton ball and an instruction manual so you can make it yourself since that blanket you originally had your eye on for $50 will now cost you around $1,000 after it's passed testing. It won't even be the one-of-a-kind blanket you were hoping for. Items are destroyed in the testing process making one-of-a-kind items virtually impossible. So that gorgeous hand-knit hat you bought your child this past winter won’t be available next winter.

To the Environmentalist:
Due to the new law, all items in non-compliance will now be dumped into our already overflowing landfills. Imagine not just products from the small business owners, but the Big Box Stores as well. You can't sell it so you must toss it. Or be potentially sued for selling it. You can't even give them away. If you are caught, it is still a violation.

To the Second-Hand Shopper:
Due to the new law, you will now need to spend $20 for that brand new pair of jeans for your 2-year old, rather than shop at the Goodwill for second hand. Many resale shops are eliminating children's items all together to avoid future lawsuits.

To the Entrepreneur:
Due to this new law, you will be forced to adhere to strict testing of your unique products or discontinue to make and/or sell them. Small businesses will be likely to be unable to afford the cost of testing and be forced to close up shop. Due to the current economic state, you'll have to hope for the best when it comes to finding a new job in Corporate America.

To the Antique Toy Collector:
Due to the new law, you'd better start buying now because it's all going to private collection and will no longer be available to purchase. “Because the new rules apply retroactively, toys and clothes already on the shelf will have to be thrown out if they aren't certified as safe.” http://online.wsj.com/article/SB12…

To the American Economy:
Already struggling under an economy that hasn’t been this weak in decades, the American economy will be hit harder with the inevitable loss of jobs and revenues from suppliers, small businesses and consumers. The required testing is far too costly and restrictive for small businesses or individuals to undertake.

To the Worldwide Economy:
Due to this new law, many foreign manufacturers have already pulled out of the US market. You can imagine the impact of this on their businesses.

If you think this is exaggerating, here is a recent article from Forbes
http://www.forbes.com/2009/01/16/c…

And for those of you prepared to be stupefied and boggled, The New Law
http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/cp…

Did you know? If this upsets or alarms you, please react.

1. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, & will you make more this year?
I’m sure I did, though I tend to make my New Year’s resolutions closer to the Chinese New Year. Actually, that’s not completely true. I tend to start thinking about them and putting some intent toward them around Yule, because I know we’re reaching the end of the year, it’s the return of the Sun and warmth and light, it’s my birthday, and it naturally leads me to think about what I want to change in my life. I don’t usually voice those resolutions at New Year’s, but continue quietly starting on them, planning things out, etc. The first few weeks of a new year are too crazy for me to think about serious changes. It’s like the first couple days after you bring a new baby home from the hospital. You’re so exhausted from the pregnancy and the preparation and the waiting and the labor, you can’t do anything but feed the baby and sleep, hoping someone else will feed you at some point.

 

Yes, I will make more “resolutions” this year, within my own unique way of looking at them. Essentially, I will continue to evaluate what I want in my life and what I want to get rid of in my life and I will work toward those desires. These things won’t be connected to the year 2009, per se, but will likely occur during that time. Also, I have a list of things to accomplish by July 2010, so many of those are my “resolutions” for right now.

2. Did anyone close to you die?
No.

3. What do you wish you'd done more or less of?
More writing.  More making love.  More cooking.  More knitting-- more creating.  More crafting, in the creative and spiritual sense. (I’m gonna have to agree with shyvioletgirl on this one.) and more gardening.

Also, less worrying, less spending unnecessarily, less consumption

4. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 36 and I co-hosted a 10 hour Yule celebration with brunch and a potluck dinner and a few presents and a fire-y ritual, and some general hanging out with wonderful people. The night before, my lovely daughter took me to dinner for my birthday.

5. What was the best thing you bought this year?  Where did most of your money go?
hmmm. I think probably Melissa Etheridge’s album “Awakening” is my favorite of all the things I bought this year. Having been unemployed for most of the year, I haven’t bought much other than necessities for a while. Best thing I bought with someone else’s money? The new dishwasher my MIL sent us $$ to buy for Christmas. I loves it precious.

 

Most of our money went to basic living expenses: mortgage, utilities, insurance, groceries, gas. Most of our non-essential spending was eating out (more than we should be, that’s for sure).

6. What did you want and get?
More time with my BFFMagda (and I got that because she came over most every week this fall to have class and spend the night.) Good sex (which my loverly wife so kindly assisted with). Relief from my back and neck pains (not perfect, but better thanks to another round of PT). Third Degree – it was unexpected, but when you’re ready, you’re ready, and when the gods say NOW, you kinda want to listen. Continued love and happiness from my immediate family (wife and daughter) and my close chosen family (you all are the bestestest ever).  Oh, and I got the news that next year I’ll be getting my first niece or nephew!!!!

7. What did you want and not get?
I wanted to pay off a bunch of our bills, but instead we haven’t paid most of them in 5-6 months and the collection calls are making us crazy.

I wanted to be more organized, healthier, and more productive than I was this time last year, and I’m totally not.

I wanted a closer relationship with my brothers, sisters-in-law, and dad. I think it’s getting better, but I still feel awkward, like I’m a stranger. It makes me sad.

8. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Steady income large enough to ACTUALLY cover all our expenses.

9. Did you do anything in 2008 for the 1st time?
calligraphy – I’m teaching myself and used calligraphy for a few cards and a gift toward the end of the year

Went on vacation with my MIL (that was an adventure)

Went on vacation with seven friends I’d never vacationed with before (4 adults and 3 kids)

Made a homemade apple pie

Went to a VALS meeting with Heather

Had one of my daughter’s teachers in the house for a school club event

Made three different flavored liqueurs

Watched all ten seasons of Stargate SG-1 (and totally fell in love with it)

Passengered in a car my daughter was driving

There’s probably more, but I can’t remember it at the moment.