#plot hole game

[juanabaloo]

Plot hole that bothers me: where was Faith in "Helpless"?

Oooh this is such a good one, thank you for asking it. Pretty sure others have talked about this before, here's my attempt:

This is post Amends but pre Bad Girls, so the Faith and Buffy friendship is going pretty good at this point. (Literally we've only had 5 Faith episodes by Helpless, and that's how quickly she and Buffy get to a good place.)

In Helpless Faith is purposefully sent away so she would not interfere with Buffy's birthday Test by Giles. (cruciamentum is an annoyingly long word) I don't think the Watcher's Council thinks much about Faith, if they do at all...

[related - this ask answered by coraniaid is great and includes Post taking Faith out of town for the test at Giles' request. also it gets into how hands off/disorganized The Council is.]

Anyways, Giles has heard Buffy talking about Faith and knows they patrol together. He also knows Faith spent Christmas Eve with Buffy and (mostly) Joyce. So he knows Faith would definitely not stand by while Buffy gets tested. So he sends her out on a silly mission, like gathering a weapon from LA or something like that. He does not tell her that the Test is coming up for Buffy.

More under the cut bc this got really long!

Giles wrongly assumes that Faith is aware that on her 18th birthday a Slayer gets this Test. This is because he wrongly assumes Faith has already been through this herself, bc she is already over 18. In my HC Faith IS over 18 she only seems younger sometimes bc she's emotionally immature. In my HC she is over 18 but she has not had the Test and has never even heard about it.

[if you HATE the idea of Faith being older than 18 by Helpless, then Giles thinks she is over 18 bc he snooped one day while she and Buffy were sparring in the library and he found her wallet and saw her fake ID**. This leads him to believe she is in fact 19 or 20 or 21. So in this slightly divergent timeline Faith is only 17 but she still won't ever have the Test bc she doesn't have a proper Watcher / they don't really care enough about Faith to give her the Test.]

[** MORE FAKE ID thoughts: It honestly makes the most sense that her fake ID would say she's 21 so she can buy liquor bc that's what *ahem* most people did back then. BUT also Faith would not have much trouble getting guys to buy her liquor so maybe she only needs her fake ID to prove she's over 18 so she can get a bank account. BUT it seems weird that she's THAT responsible and she's not just shoving her cash under her mattress...

FAKE ID CONTINUED: Other interesting theories for a fake ID to prove she's over 18 that aren't about liquor or opening a bank account: change her birth name (non cis Faith? she already changed her name TO Faith?? maybe she has her Mom's name and she hates her Mom so she changed it on the fake ID? all valid), get piercings/tattoo (although in the 90s it was very common for under 18s to have these), get a job (only believable if she wasn't already a Slayer), buy a car (maybe an aspirational goal), go parachuting (another goal?). ANYWAYS enough thoughts about fake ID Faith this is turning into a fic prompt with like 10 options...)

MORE AGE THOUGHTS: Sorry one more thing. It seems unlikely that Fatih would be sentenced (for murder 2) to 25 years to life in prison - not jail but prison - for murder without legally being 18. Well just researched that and sadly this isn't true. I thought maybe her going to prison was a point in favor of her being at least 18 by ATS 1x19 Sanctuary but perhaps not. It's unclear. There's a 2000 California Prop 21 that seems relevant, which passed in March 2000 and Sanctuary aired in May 2000. And ofc the carceral system sucks and makes mistakes and Faith might have lied about her age.]

Where were we? Giles thinks that Faith already passed her own Test and knows that Buffy will get one when she (Buffy) turns 18. This leads to some trickery by Giles, bc he wants to hide when Buffy's birthday is from Faith. He shares a fake birthday for Buffy with Faith in a very awkward conversation while they wait for the Scoobies to assemble one day in the library. (Repeating the I Robot You Jane continuity error from S1.)

Faith thinks it's weird bc it seems like Giles is telling her to buy Buffy a birthday gift - which is already weird in itself - - and bonus leads her to wondering if Buffy is telling Giles what gifts she wants Faith to buy her, like a girl might with her Dad Watcher about a boyfriend -- and it's even weirder bc Buffy's birthday is months away. Thankfully the Scoobies arrive, and Giles stops talking about it. But the lingering "queer vibes boyfriend gift buying vibes" nugget has now been planted in Faith's already pretty-gay-for-Buffy mind.

And since i HC Faith as over 18 by Helpless, Faith should have gotten her own Test back in Boston but Diana (her Watcher) did not administer it. Diana had plans to, or plans to somehow avoid giving it / giving Faith a cheat, but then Kakistos came and she became pre-occupied with surviving him. (She sadly did not, as we know.) (Bonus points for the very sad HC of Faith turning 18 on the same day that Diana dies. OR she could turn 18 on a bus by herself during her cross country trip to Sunnydale. Give that girl more angst!!)

Diana never told Faith about the Test so Faith doesn't have any idea Buffy is in danger, even when she learns that Buffy has her 18th birthday coming up. And how does she learn this, despite Giles's attempt to hide it?

When Willow mentions something about Buffy's birthday coming up! Faith is confused bc of the prev Giles birthday talk. Once Xander mentions something as well Faith knows that Giles was lying to her. (This adds to her mistrust of Giles / The Council, not that she needs it.)

Faith resigns herself to the idea that Buffy doesn't want her around for her birthday party, and that is why Giles came up with his awkward birthday talk / lie. (This also reinforces the idea that Giles is very close to Buffy, since he's telling birthday lies for Buffy.) Faith then leans headfirst into her Slayer duties leading up to the week of Helpless, bringing it up to Buffy multiple times so Buffy knows Faith isn't totally wounded annoyed about missing Buffy's birthday.

(I'm not sure how Faith gets to LA for the Giles-weapon-mission. If she drives herself it makes her ATS 1x18 Five by Five bus arrival kinda "look how far she has fallen." If she takes the bus it makes her ATS 1x18 Five by Five bus arrival kinda "oh she knew what to expect at the bus depot bc she'd been here before.")

In LA Faith learns some local stuff (what neighborhoods are dicey, where the fun clubs are) and does indeed find the weapon Giles has sent her to get. She returns after Helpless and is surprised when no one talks much about Buffy's birthday party. When she tries to chat with Buffy about it in a fun casual way - it's clear Buffy doesn't want to discuss it.

And what weapon does Faith bring back to Sunnydale? It's the sword she uses in The Zeppo's first scene! It turns out not to be as important as Giles predicted, but that fits with this plot hole filler.

Faith doesn't find out about Giles drugging her for the Test, bc Buffy is repressing it and no one else ever talks about it again. (I don't agree with the writers' decision about this really terrible thing Giles does, but this filler needs to match on both ends.) This also matches bc if Faith ever did find out about it she would be incensed to the point of shouting and at least shoving Giles, if not more. She def would not shut up about it to Buffy, even if Buffy asks her to not bring it up again. ("How can you trust him B? After what he did to you??")

Anyways, i hope you enjoyed this! It was a lot of fun. Thanks so much for the ask!

[elvyn]

Interesting how one sad worm almost turned the world upside down

[zoya-nazyalenskys]

liking and enjoying datv is one thing but saying it's "the best entry in the series, with the clearest vision, consistent lore and best structured narrative" is just lying to yourself

[anotheryellowapple]

Girl idk I can't write dialogue

[serenedash]

Nomura was insane for that statement he made. I know I should be focused on the foreteller part of it but I'm stuck on the inspiration for so much coming from the story of an American blues musician meeting with the devil to get guitar skills.

Like on one hand. Darkness/mom, mom/foretellers, marluxia/sora, mom/xehanort and xehanort/terra all being the devil and guitar player throughout the series imo. But also all I can think about is the devil went down to gerogia because that is so xehanort and sora to me in kh3 like is that literally not their vibe and it's also such a hysterical vision in my mind. I'm sorry like:

"Well, that ol' Devil bowed his head because he knew that he'd been beat

And he laid that golden fiddle down on the ground at Johnny's feet

Johnny said, "Devil, come on back if you ever wanna try again"

Also "this means demyx is mom" I will kms if that's the truth. I think its funnier if demyx also somehow "made a deal with the devil" but he's the only literal interpretation of this story in kh and that's why he has a sitar it would incredibly hilarious

[Edit] tumblr mobile is being a dick not letting me add a link here's what Nomura said irt BBS 15th anniversary on twt:

[ddwcaph-game]

The Narrativium Update Has Arrived!

Retcon the narrative to your heart's content in the latest update to...

Dear Diary, We Created a Plot Hole! is written as a love letter to all the kids-at-heart out there, who’d like to revisit their childhood and reimagine it as one big fantasy adventure.

If you like episodic shows and stories with a deeper overarching narrative, then this story is just for you!

🌌 【Play it here!】 🌌

~ 608,000 total wordcount (including code) ~ 99,000 additional words (including code) ~ New average playthrough of 129,000 words! (up from 115k)

14 New Secrets/Variations to Discover, 25 New Trinkets to collect, 9 New Sidequests, 4 New Achievements!

6 New Character Traits, 12 New Ancestry Passives, 2 New Phobias, 4 New Status Effects!

Revamped Heritage Passives!

Retcon the narrative and your choices with the new Narrativium Points mechanic!

Revamped Health & Intimidation Stats, Traits and EXP System!

Revamped Chapter 1 Twin Fight Scene!

Added new Sleepover Branch!

Updated bestfriend scenes!

Crush sidequests can now be declined!

You can now change what your MC calls certain characters via the diary!

Added more backstory details about MC's dad, and you can now choose his home country if MC is Half-Filipino!

Increased save slots to 20!

New and improved gender and pronoun options!

Updated diary entries!

Updated content warnings to include themes that will appear in future chapters!

Fixed missing background music!

Tons of new choices, edits, adjustments, and additional flavor text/variations/characterization details!

Roselyna is now approximately 20% more huggable!

The Trinkets & Secrets Guide has also been updated!

If you encounter any errors, or have any questions or feedback, feel free to send me an ask. The complete change log for the update is almost 400 lines long, so I hope it was worth the wait! 😊

[10thmusemoon]

Title for the ask game!

"Good Graces"

lmao prim why does this feel like I'm seeing beyonce at the grocery store??? i love your fics!

okay hm content warning for angst, major character death, bad end

Shenbros that grow up alongside YQY and that somehow makes everything worse.

YQY still makes the unforgivable mistake of saving Shi Wu, Shen Jiu still steps in, but now he has Shen Yuan attached to him too. The two get taken into the Qiu household, QJL still develops an obsession with torturing Shen Jiu but now uses Shen Yuan as collateral.. If he doesn't behave, if he isn't perfect, well then, QJL will just see how his little brother does instead. Throughout this all, the two grow even closer, SJ doesn't let the resentment fester because SY is the only thing he still has, the only thing that keeps his sane. SY bandages his wounds in the night, holds him close, brings him into QHT's circle of safety with clever words whenever possible. He is the only good thing in the world now that Qi-ge is gone. They just need to wait for him to come back, and things will be fine.

And surprisingly, he does! This universe smiles down on SJ for once and shows him mercy. YQY looks like a prince standing behind his shizun, regal in his fine robes, and handsome in the way that well fed nobles can be. SJ tries to focus on the negotiations, but his eyes keep drawing back him yqy's face, awe and hunger at war. It's because of this that he misses the way SY goes stiff, head swiveling between the cultivators in silently growing horror.

The negotiations are easier than SJ ever thought they would be, his and SY's lives are traded from one hand to another like any dirty coin. The only difference being now they are indentured servants, their contracts having an actual time limit, the conditions of which only require them to be CQMS disciples until YQY becomes the new peak lord.

Which is...fine. More than fine, even! SJ is convinced that if he really wanted to, he could convince YQY to runaway with them afterwards. When he tells this to SY he's shocked by his insistent refusal.

"No, we have to stay at CQMS. No matter what."

Whatever.

For 15 solid years, SJ's life is good. He stakes his claim on YQY as soon as he realizes there are people interested in him, shamelessly making himself at home by his side. SJ excels at QJP, determined to be the one YQY can rely on. If SY insists on staying at CQMS, then SY will just have to make it theirs.

(years down the line is experiences gleeful joy at seeing people's face twist when it's revealed he's yqy's spouse.)

SY in all of this, is living in crisis mode! His brother is the scum villain and is going to get qi-ge killed! Why the FUCK did Airplane never mention any of this!!??? No matter how badly he wants to fuck off to the beast peak, he doesn't! He stays firmly on QJP, taking on all the duties that deal with the new disciples to keep them as far as fuck as he can from Shen Jiu's clutches!! When YQY and SJ finally ascend as peak lords, naturally he continues handling any responsibilities of SJ's that deal with one-on-one contact with kids. And honestly? That's the ideal! SY's cultivation has never been as strong as SJ's, he's not the one meant to be the protagonists' narrative foil after all! He can coast by on teaching the fundamentals!

In SJ's eyes, SY continues to be his filial younger brother, taking on the burden of the tasks SJ hates. He spoils him, when possible, in the way only SY and YQY ever seem to understand. They are the only two good things that have been and always will be his. He doesn't need anyone else.

And then NYY arrives, and no one is more surprised than he is that he looks forward to teaching her the guqin, delights in how quickly she picks up the erhu. He doesn't understand why SY looms nervously whenever she's near, is irritated when he starts to suspect why. It's their first huge blow up.

And then the boy arrives.

He can't explain why this particular disciple is so repulsive. Why the dirt seems to stick to him, no matter how clean he is. Filthy fingerprints on grasping hands. Wretched thing has a certain look in his eye, a hunger SJ knows will be ruinous, insatiable. Just the way he trails after SY is enough to make him spit! And SY has always been a soft-hearted idiot, falling for the urchin's sob story! Just as obsessed! If they don't nip it in the bud now, they'll be rumors about them. The kind of things that pull righteous cultivators down from the heavens!

YQY listens to all of this indulgently, combing oil through SJ's hair and kissing his temple. As always, no matter how hard SJ tries to hold on, yqy always manages to pull him from his mood.

"What's wrong with having a favorite?" "It's not the same and you know it!" "He's just a child, if you let Liu-shidi back on QJP, it won't even be an issue."

Lots of grumbling about toads wanting swan's flesh. They both know the root of the issue is just that SJ can't let anything that's his slip out of his grasps. His love is all consuming, kept close to his chest in the fear that it will be stolen away.

LQG is not allowed on QJP, instead, SJ starts to teach more. Tries to test LBH relentlessly, waiting for him to fail so he can prove a point. This makes things worse between the brothers, more and more arguments come up until they resort to childhood tactics of wrestling across the floor of the Bamboo house and ripping out hair. SY breaks a hair pin he knows YQY gave him, SJ tears one of SY's manuscripts on abyssal fauna in half. The fallout is ugly enough that Binghe and NYY run all the way to QDP, breaking past the sect leader's chief of staff about the impending death of YQY's husband and/or brother in law.

Kneeling in front of an amused yqy, bruised and with bald spots, both brothers Shen explain their case, each threatening YQY not to show favoritism to the other. The proposed solution is to have LBH spend some time on Qiong Ding Peak, at least until he's qualified to go on night hunts on his own. SJ is fully convinced he's won, is ready to smugly denounce any comments about Qi-ge's blatant favoritism.

Neither expect SY's eyes go wide, for him to lean forward until he's crawling to yqy's side in excitement. Luo Binghe's praises fall from his mouth like honey. SY's running to his room for a brush and paper, outlining lesson plans and tasks LBH can take on to learn about all the good CQMS does for the realm. To SJ's revulsion, SY badgers YQY until he promises to include one on one lessons. QDP already has a head disciple, there's no harm in it, right?

In Shen Yuan's eyes, a light from the heaven's has shined down on him. Invisible to all, the system flashes an exclamation point above yqy's head, offering an alternative option to saving the sect.

[MISSION OBJECTIVE: SHIBOS GOOD GRACES]

[DO YOU WISH TO ACCEPT? Y/N ?]

It's perfect! No matter how much SQQ hates LBH, the combined forces of SY and YQY will stand united against him! The sect will be saved and SY will never see his white lotus darken! Maybe, and he's nearly salivating at this point, LBH might even consider staying at the sect and becoming the next QJP lord! It will take, of course, years to soften up SJ to that point. But really, when has he ever said no to SY when it truly mattered? He just needs to suck up and live in Shen Jiu's pocket for a little, it's fine! This will be easier than the time he accidentaly came back with several short haired monsters after a mission with LQG and needed a place to keep them! And now they farm them for brushes!

SY sleeps soundly for the first night in years, comforted in the knowledge that LBH's work ethic and stubborn tendencies will surely endear himself to YQY eventually. And then, one day, he knows with certainty, that if he's not there to protect LBH, YQY surely will.

The Immortal Alliance Conference is as disastrous as it was always going to be. There is a countdown floating ahead of Shen Yuan that only he can see. Sweat is pouring down his face as he fights his way after demons he once dreamed about. SY lost track of his brother ages ago, the two separating to different crisis points to save as many disciples as possible. At the three minute mark, bright blue laughing kaomoji offer their congratulations, informing him that the inmun requirements for SHIBOS GOOD GRACES have been met.

SY nearly collapses with relief, his steps slowing down a fraction, just enough to catch his breath. Fuck teaching the fundamentals to scholars nerds did not help him retain cardio! The times is in it's final seconds when he makes it into a clearing, eyes blinking rapidly in disbelief when he passes Xiu Ya embedded into the forehead of a Black Moon Rhinoceros Python's skull. Then, just further ahead, Shen Yuan's heart falls nearly out of his chest.

There are tears streaming down Luo Binghe's face as he tips backward off the cliff. The huadian beneath his messy hair shines a bright red, the soft glow reflecting off Yue Qingyuan's black pauldron. The sect leader, his da-ge, is slumped against Luo Binghe, arms in a tight embrace, an unfamiliar sword piercing him in the back as the two tumble towards an abyssal rift.

The wail of a dying beast pierces through SY's stupor, SJ stands with a blackened hand outstretched, only steps away from following the only man he's ever loved. Shen Yuan moves faster than he ever has before, half blinded by notifications he's never seen before. Something about heartbreak points, swords, and narrative foils. He doesn't care! He doesn't care! SJ is writhing in his hold screaming like a madman, over his shoulder Luo Binghe is getting smaller and smaller, Yue Qingyuan's robes fluttering around them like broken wings. Screams echo through the clearing long after the rifts have closed.

"I'M SORRY I'M SO--"

"QI-GE YOU BASTARD! YOU PROMISED YOU WOULDN'T LEAV-"

-

Five years later, Luo Binghe returns to Cang Qiong Mountain Sect, notably missing the great Xin Mo sword. The protagonist kowtows in the bamboo house, forehead touching the floor and arms extended out to present a mahogany box of bones and a long sword with a plain scabbard before an alter. Shen Yuan kneels next to him, chest shaking with labored breaths, he follows suit with is forehead pressed to the floor. From his peripheral, he can see the way Binghe's shoulders have started to shake, a puddle of tears collecting just beneath his face. A tally of points starts to flash above the boy, Shen Yuan closes his eyes, another useless apology passes through his mind.

"Gege was right, Qi-ge came home."

[destinysbounty]

There's a scene in the first episode of season 1 suggesting that as of the start of canon, the Serpentine have faded into nothing more than myth. Naturally, this has led a lot of the fandom to question how this could be possible since the Serpentine War only happened ~40-50 years ago. There are plenty of still-living people in Ninjago who were present for this war - hell, even Ed and Edna were probably alive during the war. How could the existence of the Serpentine, a race that has been around and at conflict with the humans for over a thousand years, suddenly blink out of public awareness in just 40 years?

After some consideration, I think I've come to a pretty simple answer, if you'll indulge me as I overanalyze the silly lego show once again.

In order to understand the situation, let's take a look at the scene in question one more time.

The key thing to note here is that out of the four, Kai is the only one who doubts the existence of the Serpentine. Jay, Cole, and Zane all treat the subject with a heavy amount of importance and trepidation (and a bit of fear). Zane even explicitly insists that they're real. In fact, correct me if I'm wrong but Kai is perhaps the only character in the entire show that we've seen expressing this kind of doubt about the Serpentine.

In my opinion, this means the Serpentine aren't just a myth and are instead a known part of Ninjago's history, and the belief that the Serpentine are a myth is a belief exclusive to Kai and Kai alone. Which...honestly feels pretty in-character for him, ngl.

(Why, then, are the Serpentine taught in schools but the ninja all somehow didn't know about the existence of other elemental masters? Great question! Unfortunately I cannot explain that without going on a long and rambling dissertation-length essay, and I don't have the brainpower to write all that. Long story short? Ninjago's education system is in fucking SHAMBLES and we shouldn't be surprised about any gaps in anyone's knowledge.)

[spaghetticat3899]

When you absolutely despise something a lot of people like, and no matter what way you look at it you cannot see the appeal, but you know you can’t talk about it in public or else you’ll get dogpiled to hell and back, so you just kinda sit there frothing at the mouth like this

[r7inyz]

finally played this game after hearing about it 3 years ago.. some stuff...yeah

[rainofthetwilight]

need people to look at this tweet because oh my god, FINALLY someone said it

[juanabaloo]

Do you think Faith might have spent Thanksgiving 1998 with Buffy and her mom?

I know that Revelations aired on November 17 1998, a little over a week before Thanksgiving, but I think you can handwave that the actual events of the episode happened afterwards.  (We know the air dates and in-universe dates don't always align perfectly, because Amends itself aired more than a week before Christmas.)

And if Revelations did happen after Thanksgiving -- meaning that Faith and Buffy were still on speaking terms during Thanksgiving itself -- I think it's pretty likely Joyce would have invited Faith over, in the same way she will later invite her over for Christmas Eve.  We know from Season 4 that Joyce likes big Thanksgiving celebrations the same way she likes celebrating Christmas -- even though we never see them, Buffy implies that Pangs is the first time Joyce won't be organizing anything at her house for Thanksgiving -- and we know from Amends that Joyce must have learned about Faith living in a motel at some point, even though we don’t know when.  And (before Revelations) I don't think Faith would have tried to turn down an invitation from Buffy (or even an invitation from Joyce via Buffy) in the way she tries to do in Amends.

That earlier invitation might even be why Faith guesses so quickly in Amends that the invitation to visit for Christmas came from Joyce rather than Buffy.  Maybe Faith came to Thanksgiving that year thinking that Buffy had spontaneously invited her over, only to be a little disappointed when she found out it was actually Joyce's idea?  (I know there's nothing in canon to support this, but I think you can imagine that there's an implied 'again' when Faith asks Buffy in Amends if "your mom sent you down?").  Or maybe Buffy did invite Faith over that time, and that’s part of why Joyce has the idea of inviting her over for Christmas as well?

Yes let's talk about Faith and Thanksgiving!

Yes I def think that's a possibility - Faith spending it with Buffy and Joyce. Totally agree on the handwaving re actual dates.

Let's dovetail Faith's Thanksgiving into canon. So S3 Thanksgiving is a missing scene / episode, after Homecoming but before Amends. (For reasons I will explain later I think it happens before Band Candy.)

So I prefer that Buffy invites Faith over, as opposed to Joyce inviting Faith, via or not via Buffy.

The implied 'again' for the Amends scene is what makes me prefer Buffy doing the invite. I think it would be hard for Faith to not say 'again' if she had a reason to.

Here's my HC for all of this:

Buffy feels bad when she realizes she didn't spend time with Faith at the Homecoming dance. So she resolves to try to be friends with Faith. Or at least friendly. They patrol together some and that goes really well.

(Insert your own fanfic here of them getting even closer if you'd like.)

During one of the patrols Buffy mentions she's looking forward to the Thanksgiving break and Faith gets a little quiet and extra awkward. (Girl is so awkward, we just don't recognize it bc she's hot.) Buffy invites Faith over for Thanksgiving, promising lots of food.

(rest under the cut bc this got really long)

(this feels like a choose your own adventure like there's so many ways this could go but i am forcing myself to commit to one and also keep it canon compliant)

Faith arrives in her standard S3 jeans and band t-shirt, not dressed up at all. It is SUPER awkward. Like SO SO awkward. Conversation doesn't flow. Buffy talks about Willow and Xander and school and Faith doesn't really have anything to add. (Imagine how Faith says "they were screwing?" in 3x04 - those kinda vibes.)

Joyce asks about Faith's family and THAT'S clearly not a good topic. Faith starts feeling unwanted and in her "beat them to the punch" mode she starts making smartass comments, trying to goad Buffy into a verbal fight.

Sidenote: Buffy and Faith absolutely DEMOLISH all the food that Joyce cooked, competing to see who can eat more and also praise the various dishes more. Joyce is quite pleased, although a little worried that her plans for leftovers are dwindling away.

In response to the goading Buffy retreats, wanting nothing to do with a fight. She flees to her room, on the pretense of needing to talk about schoolwork with Willow. She does talk to Willow, but not about schoolwork.

Joyce pretends nothing weird is going on and enlists Faith to help put away the very few leftovers and wash the dishes. Faith dutifully helps, and before she knows it she has shared some personal details she wishes she hadn't.

("My mom never cooked on Thanksgiving you know? She was a drunk." and later "My uncle Joey, now he could cook a turkey. Too bad he wound up in prison for selling coke." and "I always wanted a dog Joyce, you ever get Buffy a dog? You got a nice backyard for it." and so on.) Joyce is nice enough about it though.

Joyce says it's time for dessert, there are several pies and some cheesecake. She tells Faith to go upstairs and get Buffy. When Faith realizes Buffy is ignoring her on the phone with Willow, she is incensed. Buffy hangs up and things get worse.

Faith is so frustrated at Buffy that she shoves Buffy. It's a very light shove for a slayer but Buffy notices it for sure.

They end up yelling at each other in the hallway, and Buffy says she wishes she'd never invited Faith over. Also at some point Buffy calls Faith "thoughtless." Faith storms down the stairs in a huff, tells Joyce she's gotta go, and hauls ass outta there.

AND... SCENE.

Next episode would be Band Candy. This HC explains why Faith is not in Band Candy, bc she leaves town for a while to get away from Buffy. (Same thing for her other absences.)

Since they fought during Thanksgiving Faith automatically assumes (correctly) that the invite for Christmas in Amends came from Joyce. Even though they are in much better shape by Amends, Faith still feels weird about accepting the invite. Hence her weird blantant-lie about the "big party."

(i like that this HC explains it better than my previous attempt, which was that Faith was thrown off by Buffy's terrible Amends bangs.)

Joyce ofc heard the "thoughtless" comment, so that's part of why she says "oh that is so thoughtful" about Faith's crappy gifts.

This also explains why Faith is so formal and there's a little bit of a lingering awkward vibe in Amends. She is trying to make up for the bad Thanksgiving experience, as is Buffy.

=====

I do also like your idea though: "Maybe Faith came to Thanksgiving that year thinking that Buffy had spontaneously invited her over, only to be a little disappointed when she found out it was actually Joyce's idea?" I do think this is valid. A less dramatic (than my HC) but slightly awkward Thanksgiving could lead to the same Amends invitation convo.

Thank you for the chance to share my thoughts about my favorite blorbo!

[ryllen]

Please don't crucified me if this headcanon is deemed unrealistic in real life. (´；ω；`) More notes / detailed notes:

stayed & travelled with the Figs for awhile -- after being found, before finally dropped of to an institution, as the Figs think their travelling life style is not really suitable to raise a child

quickly picked up civilization as he is an intelligent child (that's why he is a ravenclaw)

exchanged letters with the travelling Figs during his time at the institution / orphanage

was a really helpful child during his time at the institution / orphanage that he is close with the staff

he thinks of befriending people is a way of learning & by helping them he gets to experience a lot of different things

a mellow temperament child in general (just like how it is ingame)

likes exploring (bcs damn! we really going places in that game)

picked the silly 'Alex Xander' name himself, maybe he heard a mother called her child with that name once and he is obsessed with that name ever since.

he always writes Xander as his 'family name' to show that he is complete even without a family

actually a bit older than his classmates, as he went through extra few years to catch up to civilization as a feral child

blank template [x]

#anyhow i really love our barn owl; she's so beautiful but with a face like biscuit

[svtskneecaps]

see everyone worried and fretted and panicked and yet quesadilla island looked at pepito and went

[hollenka99]

*thinks back to Siffrin's first death and how the rock didn't fall until he'd stopped searching for signs of a trap, reassuring his friends there was no danger*

Oh that's so mean, what the hell.

[halfisstillwhole]

drv3 they could never make me hate you