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Emma doesn't have to face Phil that night. She gets home well after he's asleep, and she's far too exhausted to wake him up. And since she doesn't have to be up early- she doesn't have another shift for two more days- she sleeps well past when he leaves for work the next morning.
This leaves her plenty of time that afternoon to get herself worked up. Should she tell him? That resolves fairly quickly to 'yes'. He's her husband, he's dealt with all her parents' Watcher nonsense so far. But how to tell him, she can't not tell him, but she doesn't want him to think she's going back to being a Watcher. Slayers consult with plenty of people when they're active, right? Witches and priests and any of the other Watchers with expertise their own Watcher is lacking. She's not going to leave the girl hanging if she can help, but she's a nurse now. She has to be clear about that.
Should she tell her parents? That causes a lot more debate. Her parents don't know where the Slayer is, and it's upsetting them. And Emma does know where the Slayer is, and she has no desire to be a Watcher herself, so she really should tell them where the Slayer is, so they can arrange for someone to come and step in. But... Emma's kind of upset with her parents, right now. Watcher training is not more important than your daughter, than your daughter's expressly stated plans she made with her husband. And what if her parents insist that she has to be the Watcher, when she has no intention of doing so? She goes back and forth on that one for a while, and decides to get Phil's opinion. (He's her husband, they share, they come up with plans that work for both of them. Wouldn't it be nice if her parents could do the same?)
She briefly comes up with "should she tell the Watcher's Council separately from her parents", but dismisses that one even faster. Same problems as her parents, but her parents would also be upset she went over their heads. If she tells someone, it should be her parents, not the fussy old British men she's only met a handful of times.
And what happens if something happens to the Slayer in the meantime, that having a Watcher could have fixed? Is she responsible?
Emma is very stressed by the time Phil's home from work.
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ipsam_custodem
witch_perfect
Alli splutters wordlessly for a second, then settles on looking alarmed. "Okay, and- who are you, exactly? And how do you know this? Magic is addictive, what do you mean, is this like coffee or like heroin or what?"
ipsam_custodem
"There's- a group of people who know about-" she waves her hands somewhat confusedly, "-all this. They're called Watchers. My parents are both Watchers, so I kinda grew up with it." She hems and haws for a second. "Closest to alcohol, I'd say."
keyed_up
"Aw, damn, am I gonna - anyway yeah there was a thing. It said it was a Power That Be? Power That Is, I guess, there was only the one of it?"
ipsam_custodem
Emma stares. Then, in a strangled voice, she says, "Well, no one can accuse you two of having lives that are boring. You had a Power- gods all, when this is over, I need a drink."
witch_perfect
"Not before my potion's done you don't," Alli says fiercely, totally ignoring the origin of the recipe. "Soph, I need those two now, I have to combine them-"
Things are starting to be added to heat. Very carefully and with Emma occasionally contributing chanting, the potion is taking form. Mix, stir, add things, chant, repeat. Emma wasn't kidding about it being complicated.
After about five minutes, Alli dubs the potion ignorable enough that she can return to an actual conversation. "Your life," she informs Soph, "is both wickedly cool and insane as shit. Like, what the hell, man."
Things are starting to be added to heat. Very carefully and with Emma occasionally contributing chanting, the potion is taking form. Mix, stir, add things, chant, repeat. Emma wasn't kidding about it being complicated.
After about five minutes, Alli dubs the potion ignorable enough that she can return to an actual conversation. "Your life," she informs Soph, "is both wickedly cool and insane as shit. Like, what the hell, man."
keyed_up
"It seemed annoyed about having to show up? It said that usually there's dreams and Bella didn't have any dreams."
ipsam_custodem
"Slayers do usually have prophetic dreams," Emma says slowly. "I don't really know why Bella wouldn't. But. Um. Generally speaking? Don't annoy the Powers That Be?"
Emma is making herself an Understatement of the Century award when she gets home. Along with a very strong cocktail.
Emma is making herself an Understatement of the Century award when she gets home. Along with a very strong cocktail.
keyed_up
"We didn't annoy it. Particularly. More annoyed than it was already by having not given her any dreams."
ipsam_custodem
Emma sighs. "I didn't mean that time, just- if they show up again. Or something. I know you didn't annoy them on purpose, since you are not currently in a Hell dimension."
ipsam_custodem
"...Sorry. Not the time. I was just, um." Shocked? Floored? Moderately horrified? The Powers That Be. "Surprised. Breathe, okay? They're not irrational. You'd have to be actively trying to annoy them for them to get actually mad."
witch_perfect
"Yeah, see, that face? That face is my past two hours. Welcome to being me right now."
witch_perfect
"Okay, but that is like- one baby piece. In a world that now has demons and vampires and gods. And the one cool thing is magic and it's apparently addictive. You see where I am maybe not liking today?"
witch_perfect
Alli shrugs, as much as is possible while stirring a potion. "Not your fault. It's just- it's shitty, right? Magic's too cool to stop using." She pulls a couple of vials out of her pocket, chugs one and rolls another in Soph's direction. "Have some Pick Me Up. As long as we're addicted anyway. What's one more feel good potion?"
keyed_up
"Uh, wow, I feel like I'm in a bad PSA. No thanks? I might not be addicted yet?"
ipsam_custodem
"...well, now I feel like Devil's Advocate," Emma says with a smile. "Or possibly a hypocrite. That said- Soph, I'm impressed by your restraint and I'm all for avoiding magic addiction, but potion magic is in the making of the potions, not the drinking. Granted, with a few exceptions. But if that's actually a Pick Me Up, it's just going to wake you up a bit."
She speaks the last chant over a bowl Alli offers her, and then looks at the recipe, which has been residing in front of Alli. "Now what?"
She speaks the last chant over a bowl Alli offers her, and then looks at the recipe, which has been residing in front of Alli. "Now what?"
witch_perfect
"Of course it's actually a Pick Me Up," Alli says indignantly. "I'm not going to poison her or anything!" But she sighs and adds, "Sorry, Soph, I was kidding. No magic from the already-made potion, promise."
She dumps Emma's chanted-over bowl into the cauldron and turns the heat up. "Now- we boil it for half an hour, simmer it for three hours, and then we get to do that stir every hour thing we all think is deeply shitty. Thus. Pick Me Ups. We can stir in shifts, I guess, but no one here is about to get a hell of a lot of sleep." She offers one to Emma.
She dumps Emma's chanted-over bowl into the cauldron and turns the heat up. "Now- we boil it for half an hour, simmer it for three hours, and then we get to do that stir every hour thing we all think is deeply shitty. Thus. Pick Me Ups. We can stir in shifts, I guess, but no one here is about to get a hell of a lot of sleep." She offers one to Emma.
ipsam_custodem
Emma isn't wild about the idea of taking untested potions from a teenager, but she feels like she's sort of gotten herself stuck with it by standing up for the thing in the first place, so she drinks it. And then regards the bottle with appreciation. "Not bad. Careful or I'll take it with me to the hospital for my ER shifts."
ipsam_custodem
"It's- basically coffee. It shouldn't make a difference, at least for tonight? But trust me, hospital coffee is not something one drinks willingly."
ipsam_custodem
"I'm not going to double up-" and the look she gives Alli is full blown I Am A Nurse And Trained Medical Professional Face, clearly meaning and you shouldn't either, "because we all need some sleep. But if you'd rather make yourself a mocha, go ahead."
keyed_up
"We have an actual coffee machine but I'm not patient enough -" Soph wanders towards the cupboards where the instant coffee lives. "Um, my dad is going to be home in a couple hours."