cereal...

The Slayer gets to be a "hot chick with superpowers" to take the load off. Post-traumatic stress, amputations, Gulf War syndrome -- very very few come back unharmed to a "normal" life even if they live.

And if she lives to 25, she's damned lucky, and nobody in her world can know what she does, she doesn't get pay. She doesn't get a pension. She doesn't get a parade.

Is it, necessarily? Imagine being a girl in a culture where women are expected to shut up and bear children for the husbands their parents picked out for them at age 5. Compared to that, a more assertive woman might see the Slayer as an attactive option.

Yes, in individual circumstances, I would imagine there were always slayers who were grateful for the rescue from their culture's expectations and demands, but what about the traditional women who wanted to live those lives? What about the women who were ostracized because of their strength?

We don't know that Giles really bothered to tell the Council that she'd taken off. My assumption would be that he didn't.

Or was, when Wesley and Giles weren't the only watchers on this earth (to my knowledge).

IIRC, the guy Giles went to see is still around, as is Sirk, the ex-Watcher at W&H.

So at least four, probably more.

Over-posty c'est moi...

Interesting question. Just how many Watchers ARE left? Wes, Giles, Robson, that guy that works for W &H...

A.) This leads me to a question I've had for you Victor, since my lurker days. You wrote a BtVS story or possibly script. I happened upon while lurking. Do you still have it online? I never finished it, and am working on something in my WIP, and want to make sure I'm not copying your story.

• eta* It featured Giles' grandmother, I think.

B.) Do we know if Giles' father and grandmother are dead? We know Wesley's dad is still alive. They might all be retired, but could be pulled back in.

Interesting question. Just how many Watchers ARE left? Wes, Giles, Robson, that guy that works for W &H...

Victor, stop READING MY MIND!

Confession: the only fanfic I have ever written is about Giles' grandmother. It has to do with my Giles-in-hell theory.

Hey! - Who wants to hear my Giles-in-hell theory again!!!???

t crickets

Victor, stop READING MY MIND!

Can't. It seems to be sitting here in my head.

This leads me to a question I've had for you Victor, since my lurker days. You wrote a BtVS story or possibly script. I happened upon while lurking. Do you still have it online? I never finished it, and am working on something in my WIP, and want to make sure I'm not copying your story.

Should both be up off here:

[link]

Also, while my script introduces Giles' mother, and my recent Buffy/Manchild fic alleges MC's James (played by ASH) as Giles' cousin, and one of the novelizations says that Giles' father is dead, there has never been any canon indication that any of Giles' family is living or dead.

I'll hear it, tina, and do you have a link to your fic.

Do we know if Giles grandmother and dad are still living?

eta...

Thanks, Victor.

and...

Also, while my script introduces Giles' mother, and my recent Buffy/Manchild fic alleges MC's James (played by ASH) as Giles' cousin, and one of the novelizations says that Giles' father is dead, there has never been any canon indication that any of Giles' family is living or dead.

I don't count the novelizations. I read your Manchild crossover, in fact, I Nillied it in B.fic. It was lovely!

We don't know that Giles really bothered to tell the Council that she'd taken off. My assumption would be that he didn't.

I've always assumed that Giles' reports to the Council were, um, heavily edited. I can't imagine that "she's dating a vampire" ever featured heavily in them, for instance.

BTW-- the script you're probably looking for is "Mother's Day." Just follow the links and click on "view document."

but what about the traditional women who wanted to live those lives?

True, that's the problem with not having the choice. Which I admit I wasn't thinking of.

What about the women who were ostracized because of their strength?

I'd think the Slayer would be lonely by definition. As was made clear a number of times -- especially the beginning of S6 -- the Slayer is the indispensable one. Willow could be replaced by any computer geek. Xander could be replaced by anybody with the courage. And Giles, of course, was replaced. Without Buffy, the Scoobs in Bargaining were, to be charitable, fairly competent.

The flaw in the system is the random choosing of a single Slayer. With choice, a sane woman in a society where women are narrowly circumscribed into a given role could rationally choose Slayerhood. But the randomness means that TPTB wouldn't necessarily choose the Slayer in a rational manner.

And on that note, time for me to go home. Have a great weekend, all!