selfhelp | [voice/written/action]

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[voice/written/action]

Hey, ah... Vision - I mean, Jonas - of the Young Avengers got sent home. Sorry, if you knew him.

[Why is he always full of bad news? Ugh... let’s try to be less depressing for a while.]

There’s something else I wanted to talk about today: since I got here almost a year ago I’ve noticed how there’s this huge range of cultural norms across the multiverse- which makes sense, different worlds have different standards, I get it. People who are accepted in one world aren’t tolerated in another. Luceti’s kind of an anomaly, where there’s really not much, if any prejudice. I mean, there’s the whole Malnosso versus Us mentality, but that’s because of what they do, not what they are. Basically what I’m saying is that I think that’s great, and I want to do my part to keep encouraging that universal acceptance here for the people who might not be able to get it back where they come from, open up discussions to people who might not be sure about who or what they are, um...

Okay, this is a really roundabout way of saying I want to start an LGBT club. If you don’t know what that means, here’s a breakdown:

[Below is a jotted list-

L = Lesbian = girls attracted to girls
G = Gay = guys attracted to guys
B = Bisexual = guys and girls attracted to BOTH guys and girls
T = Transgender = People who feel like they were born in the body of the wrong gender (or genderfluid)
*Q = Questioning = Anyone not sure about the above or if they apply

And then it returns to voice.]

Those are really oversimplified, and there's still a lot of other words people use to define themselves, but you get the gist of it. I’d really like to meet up with anyone who matches any those descriptions, or feels like they might, or are just curious about it. I’m gonna put up some posters with suggested meeting times and places, but if you have any questions or just want to talk about it, you can use the journal (it’s okay to be anonymous!) or come right to the school. I’ve got a table set up and I’ll be here pretty much all day. I don't know if this is going to go anywhere, but it's worth a shot, right?

One last thing- we’re looking to make this a safe place, so if you plan to come just to make fun of people: we have a Hulk.

[And true to his word, Billy will be at the school, curled up in a chair at a plain table littered with papers. He’s designing posters and doodling various symbols to use for logos. Come bother him if you like?]

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Unfair advantages sometimes come with upsides. Helping people, for one. Helping me. [ does she feel helped? maybe. maybe not. but just speaking with billy has calmed some of her nerves. ] I'm used to being the object of prophecy, but never quite like this. And it was all a little too easy to think that that...whatever I do, I'll do it for the wrong reasons.

Even Slayers get to have a bit of harmless fun sometimes. You're too hard on yourself.

Someone has to be hard on me, Billy.

"Has to" is so... definite. Why do you think that?

...Have you ever noticed how nice people are? Here? Too nice, sometimes. I sometimes wonder if I maybe get away with too much.

You make it sound like you're some terrible selfish schemer. What are you doing that's so much worse than anyone else?

You mean...besides shirking my birthright?

...Is this a Slayer thing?

[Because last he checked, Buffy was still working hard at that stuff back home.]

Four years here, Billy. Four years and I'm the Slayer. What do I have to show for it? One glorious battle whispered about in the guide and which some newbies come and ask me about from time to time. But then I met the General on the field again and he...

The first time -- the time I defeated him -- must have been a fluke. And all I am now is a rusty has-been.

It's not your fault this place isn't infested with monsters on a daily basis. Heck, for the sake of my own safety and that of everybody else? I'm glad we don't all have to look over our shoulders when we go out at night. Besides, don't you think you've earned the right to have a sort-of-normal life for a while?

Maybe I have earned it, but it doesn't make it any easier to look my friends in the eye when they show up and I have to tell them how long I've been stuck here.

I dare anyone who's been here for more than a couple of weeks to do better. It doesn't take long to recognize how annoyingly powerless we are around here, after all.

We're all in this boat together. Yeah. I know. But...

[ and here's another toughie: ] When he was here, Spike as good as called me institutionalized. And maybe I shouldn't be taking Spike's words of all words as gospel, but he made a point and the point was sound.

I didn't see him doing any better.

[He's not sure if it's a naturally developed protectiveness of Buffy or disappointment that one of his favourite ~~characters~~- ...childhood idols...? whatever- would say something so unpleasant to someone he's supposed to love. But, then, he doesn't know about timelines or canon or even context and he's not comfortable asking, either.

So he stews quietly about it instead. This is hard.]

[ as deeply as it had stung, buffy does believe in some dark corner of her soul that spike had been trying to help. the vampire had been desperate to get a rise out of her. desperate to make her feel.

all the same, she couldn't outright forgive him for what he'd said. ] Ha. Well -- Spike never is the brightest of bulbs or the sharpest of tacks.

I think it's the tightpants. They cut off circulation or something.

[Nevermind that he's a vampire and therefore dead and god-knows how circulation works for them. This isn't about logic.

It still wasn't a good thing to say to someone- that's not how you help people.]

Combined with too much peroxide poisoning.

[...Okay, that one admittedly gets him sniggering, serious discussion or not.]

Something to be wary of if I decide to start experimenting with hair gel one day.

...Don't you dare. You're already so cute as a non-blonde. And that's coming from me -- a huge supporter of blondeness. [ granted, he'd said gel and not dye. but buffy's rolling with it. ]

[Well that steamrolled quickly.

...Also Buffy just said he was cute. He's torn between feeling miffed at the word of choice being cute and tremendously pleased with himself. It's quite the conflict.]

I think I'd give Teddy a heart attack if I dyed my hair. And it would totally clash with my skin tone, anyway.

[Although now he can't help but wonder what it would look like.]

[ she's underselling. it's the summers way. ]

A few caramelish highlights. At most. That's my verdict.

Caramel highlights. I'll try to remember that.

[The idea of dyeing his hair honestly hadn't occurred to him at all. Congratulations, Buffy, you've planted an idea by trying to prevent it...!]

And I should hope I don't have to warn you away from the devil's work that is frosted tips. Please tell me those have gone way out of style.

Oh god. Oh god, no. I wouldn't be caught dead with that hair.

There's hope for the future yet.

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