#thinking about the graduation and mortality rates of sunnydale high

[talesfromthecrypts]

English soap operas will always have a higher than average criminal contingent and an absolutely bonkers murder to resident ratio

Tbf that's just television in general (at least the tv I watch). Like how is the population of Bon Temps in True Blood sustainable with all the monsters? Is everyone in Harlan county in Justified a criminal and how do they all find the time? The communities in both Broadchurch and Murder She Wrote... are they ok like in general? Do all the queer criminal men in Hollyoaks get a discount on the group ear piercing rate?

That last question is only semi related

[girl4music]

BUFFY REWATCH - S03E20 - The Prom

Jonathan: "We have one more award to give out. Is Buffy Summers here tonight? Did she, um...

This is actually a new category. First time ever. I guess there were a lot of write-in ballots, and, um, the prom committee asked me to read this.

"We're not good friends. Most of us never found the time to get to know you, but that doesn't mean we haven't noticed you. We don't talk about it much, but it's no secret that Sunnydale High isn't really like other high schools. A lot of weird stuff happens here."

Crowd outbursts: "Zombies!" "Hyena people!" "Snyder!"

Jonathan: "But, whenever there was a problem or something creepy happened, you seemed to show up and stop it. Most of the people here have been saved by you, or helped by you at one time or another. We're proud to say that the Class of '99 has the lowest mortality rate of any graduating class in Sunnydale history. And we know at least part of that is because of you. So the senior class, offers its thanks, and gives you, uh, this...

It's from all of us, and it has written here, "Buffy Summers, Class Protector."

I won't lie. I teared up watching this scene. It's about time the entire school gave Buffy recognition for all that she does as the Slayer.... Even though they're not supposed to know that she's the Slayer. But I guess you can't not know it if you're being attacked or targeted for death every other day along with the rest of your peers. And it really worked that it was Jonathan who gave the announcement and presented her with the award because she helped him in 'Earshot' and it means other people besides her friends think about her and care to say thank you to her.

I really loved this moment a lot. She more than deserved that award.

[buffyisms]

☯ the prom, getting the class protector award

Send me ‘☯ + a scene from my characters canon’ and I will drabble it from my character’s POV.

    buffy glanced down at her finger nails, picking at a piece of dried blood that had embeded itself in her cuticle. the superlatives were a cute thing. in another life she probably would have been voted most fashionable or most popular. but that wasn’t her life. her life was what she just finished dealing with. landing the slayage on a couple of hell beasts. but she had moments, moments she treasured. sure when she pictured prom it wasn’t with demon cuts on her fingers and going stag because — well she couldn’t think about that right now. she felt her chest tighten at even the notion of the thought. she tried to push it away, forcing her lips to turn upwards as she grabbed a little cup from beside the fountain.      she was so busy trying to not think about him, she had tuned out Jonathan’s voice. until she heard her own name. IS BUFFY SUMMERS HERE TONIGHT ? . she froze for a moment, the ladle she was holding absently overflowing her cup of punch. confusion crossed her features, a spot light illuminating her iridescent dress. slowly, unsurely, she set down her cup. the only thing i should be nominated for is if they created a category for most time spent in dustville, just as slowly, she turned towards the stage and rest of her classmates. her eyes found Jonathan on stage, her mind flashing back to just a few days ago. the clock tower. jonathan may not be the most popular kid in school, but he got to be a part of it. in a way that she would always feel disconnected.      she watched him take out a piece of paper with a rehearsed speech written on it, she assumed. we’re not good friends. most of us never took the time to get know you. her perplexed eyes gazed over the students, half of their eyes still on the stage, the other half landing right on her. it was true. she wasn’t sure if she could tell you even half their names. it was hard. having any kind of relationship or friendship with someone that didn’t know her special circumstances. special circumstances. it made it sound like she had an illness, not a mystical destiny that didn’t seem to factor high school into it’s big picture.      but that doesn’t mean we haven’t noticed you. we don’t talk about it much, but it’s no secret that sunnydale high isn’t really like normal high schools. alotta weird stuff happens here.. the corner of her lips upturned. ZOMBIES !!! HYENA PEOPLE !!! SNYDER !!! well if that wasn’t the understatement of a year. it wasn’t exactly the safest place to get your adolescent jollies. school in war zones were probably more on the fluffy side then Sunnydale High School. But as she heard the exclamations of her peers, she felt something warm heat the center of her body. the fake smile she had worn moments ago was no where to be found, and a real one was stretching on her petite face. sure, they had a way of ignoring things in this town. but it seemed like they weren’t as ignore-y as she had thought all along. 

      but whenever there was a problem or something creepy happened. you seemed to show up and stop it. she wanted to say it was just her job. her destiny-shaped career path. but it wasn’t just that. if she could give the people around her, even people that she distanced herself from or that had distanced themself from her, a shot at the normal sized, possibly bright and shiny future they could have. well a part of her really enjoyed knowing she could help with that. most of the people here have been saved by you. or helped by you at one point or another. her eyes left jonathan, the boy she talked down from a clock tower just days ago, and fell across other faces. willow. her best friend-shaped side kick that may have been vamp food the first day she met her, but somehow not only buffy saved, but willow saved her in a way. Xander, he would have been a bug daddy from deadsville. oz. all stoic and too cool for school air about him. probably would have been a tooth on a hunters necklace. half the swim team got to enjoy life not in the fresh fish isle. so yeah, maybe she had made a difference in high school. she might not have been miss popularity queen. but maybe she did something right.       we’re proud to say that the class of ‘99 has the lowest mortality rate of any graduating class in sunnydale history. applause erupted around her, filling her ears, and filling her heart. it was like that scene in the grinch, where his heart grew three sizes and he suddenly had the strength to hold up that sleigh. except her super strength wasn’t really for christmas cookies and she definitely had a better not so green complexion. but still, it warmed her to see her classmates cheering, too see the gym so full of well, alive people. she never thought much of saving them. not in the bad way, but in the way that was just what she did. it wasn’t a choice to her. not even for a second.          and we know at least part of that, is because of you. she could feel her eyes glass over. just twelve hours ago she thought she had let go off all the tears one body could hold. but these were something different. of the happy variety. so the senior class offers it’s thanks and gives you uh — this. jonathan’s hands held up a gold umbrella, glistening in sparkles and light from the gym. it was like something out of one of those classic movies, cheesy and PERFECT. it’s from all of us and it has written here —             BUFFY SUMMERS. CLASS PROTECTOR.      and then her ever growing smile broke into something wide and she could feel the happy glowy warmth radiating from her like the spotlight that was positioned on her. the applause broke out again, louder then before. and each clap filled her. so. it turns out that she did get ONE. PERFECT. HIGH SCHOOL MOMENT. and she just knew it was something she would treasure and replay in her mind for years to come.

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Tuesday, September 5, 2017

JONATHAN: We have one more award to give out. Is Buffy Summers here tonight? Did she, um... This is actually a new category. First time ever. I guess there were a lot of write-in ballots, and, um, the prom committee asked me to read this. "We're not good friends. Most of us never found the time to get to know you, but that doesn't mean we haven't noticed you. We don't talk about it much, but it's no secret that Sunnydale High isn't really like other high schools. A lot of weird stuff happens here." CROWD: Zombies! Hyena people! Snyder! JONATHAN: "But, whenever there was a problem or something creepy happened, you seemed to show up and stop it. Most of the people here have been saved by you, or helped by you at one time or another. We're proud to say that the Class of '99 has the lowest mortality rate of any graduating class in Sunnydale history." (applause from the crowd) "And we know at least part of that is because of you. So the senior class, offers its thanks, and gives you, uh, this. It's from all of us, and it has written here, "Buffy Summers, Class Protector.""

~~The Prom (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 3, Episode 20)~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

Paying It Forward (The Ain't Gonna Happen, X Remix) (Xander/Anya, Teen) by Jedi Buttercup (jedibuttercup)

You Think You Know... (Crossover, Teen) by Flatlander

The Cure (Crossover, Teen) by Flatlander

Forgive Me (Buffy/Spike, K) by DeAmonQuEen

[Chaptered Fiction]

Underage (Jessica Harris/Tony Harris, General Audiences) by Flatlander

loving parents (Jenny/Giles, General Audiences) by The_Eclectic_Bookworm

Cheating Derek: The One About the Prom (Crossover, Explicit) by Always_Bottom_Derek, IcyCryos

Be Held (Faith/Buffy, Teen) by myth_taken

Ten Thousand Miles (Crossover, Teen) by Etraytin

If You'd Still (Oz/Willow, Mature) by mille_libri

[Images]

Artwork: Spawn (WS) by emmatheslayer

[Reviews-Recaps]

620: Villains by Tiny Fences: A Buffy Podcast

[Community Announcements]

Final Standings Roundup! at twistedshorts

[Fandom Discussion]

what puzzles you about "I Will Remember You" being a favourite episode among Bangel shippers? by marshmallow-the-vampire-slayer

[buffster]

The Prom (BTVS 3.20)

This is part of my ongoing Buffy Project, where I write notes/meta for every episode in an attempt to better understand the characters and themes of the show. You can find the full list here. Gifs are not mine.

In the words of Daniel “Oz” Osbourne, once again the hellmouth puts the “special” in special occasion. Hellhounds, oh my!

The Prom was mostly about the break up. Buffy and Angel start the episode waking up from a post-slayage nap that lasted all night. Buffy mentions getting a drawer at his place (I guess her mom has given up on dictating what the Slayer can do–she doesn’t have office hours) and he gets uncomfortable. He later sees that her notebook has “Buffy and Angel Forever” written on it with hearts. The relationship is so strange. Buffy is appropriately young and he’s just…not. 

Joyce decides to confront Angel, and it’s this second speech that finally gets to him. 

Joyce: When it comes to you, Angel, Buffy’s not a slayer. She’s just like any other young woman in love. You’re all she can see of tomorrow. But I think we both know there’s gonna be some hard choices ahead. If she can’t make them, you’re going to have to. I know you care about her. I just hope you care enough.

I get that it was perhaps overstepping boundaries (and seriously uncool) for Joyce to talk to Buffy’s boyfriend. But Buffy is off to college soon and Joyce is, in her way, trying to send her off to the best life possible. And she is a little young to have such a difficult, stressful relationship. 

Angel dreams that he and Buffy get married. He steps into the sunlight, unfazed, but she burns. It symbolizes his feelings about them: it makes his life better but hers worse. 

Angel: I’ve been thinking. About our future. And the more I do, the more I feel like us–you and me being together–is unfair to you. You deserve more. You deserve something outside of demons and darkness. You should have someone who can take you into the light. Someone who can make love to you–

Buffy: I don’t care about that!

Angel: You will. And children–

Buffy: Children? Can you say jumping the gun? I kill my goldfish!

Angel: Today. But you have no idea how fast it foes, Buffy. Before you know it, you’ll want it all–a normal life.

Buffy: I’ll never have a normal life.

Angel: Right. You’ll always be a slayer. But that’s all the more reason why you should have a real relationship instead of this…this freak show.

Buffy tries to run out at this point, which is typical Buffy behavior. He makes good points here, though. Sex isn’t everything but being celibate is kind of a big deal. Not to mention all the things they can’t do because of the sun. And, as Angel says, her life will be complicated enough by slaying. Why complicate it more?

Buffy: I’ll never change. I want my life to be with you.

Angel: I don’t.

This was really sad (although, contrary to Buffy’s interpretation, I think Angel was trying to say I don’t want your life to be with me. Not I don’t want my life to be with you). I know this is supposed to be one of those typical first love lines where she eventually does change, but…does she? I don’t know if Buffy ever stops wanting Angel. But she is aware their relationship is too complicated and admits this to Willow. I thought it was interesting how Willow voiced, for the very first time, that she didn’t really believe Angel and Buffy were a good idea. She’s always been completely supportive prior to Buffy admitting it herself.

Anya approaches Xander for a date. She says she took on the guise of a twelfth grader to reel in Cordelia, so now she has twelfth grade feelings like wanting to go to the dance. Xander agrees to go and is dipping into his road trip fund for a tux. These subtle references to Xander’s lack of parents are kind of depressing.

Xander discovers that Cordelia is now broke (because of her father’s tax fraud) and working to buy a prom dress. He conceals the truth from the Scoobies and eventually pays off the rest of the dress, which was a really decent thing to do (especially coming from someone poor). He never holds it over her head or expects anything either. File this under moments Xander should get credit for. Cordelia dances with Wesley at the prom and Xander dances with Anya. 

I’ll never stop loving the little character quirks that become useful in the fight against evil. This episode: Cordelia’s obsession with fashion. She discovers the hellhounds are trained to attack formal wear. 

Cordelia: Look! Right there. Zoom in on that.

Xander: Zoom in? This is a video tape.

Cordelia: So? They do it on TV all the time.

Xander: Not with a regular VCR they don’t.

The above isn’t important at all. I just wanted to say Nicky’s delivery here always makes me laugh.

Buffy: No. You guys are gonna have a prom. The kind of prom everyone should have. I will give you all a nice, fun, normal evening… if I have to kill every single person on the face of the Earth to do it.

Buffy resolves to give her friends the perfect prom even if she can’t have one, which is one of the reasons I love her. I admire her ability to be constructive with pain (sometimes, anyway). She pretends to be over wanting her perfect high school moment. Giles is very sympathetic and kind to her, but these days I can’t help but notice it’s only Buffy that he plays father to. Major character flaw alert. 

This, by the way, is the episode where Tucker Wells (Andrew’s brother) raises hellhounds because a girl turned him down for prom. Thinking maybe Andrew’s obsession with Warren came from a certain similar brother?

Jonathan: We’re not good friends. Most of us never found the time to get to know you. But that doesn't mean we haven’t noticed you. We don’t talk about it much, but it's no secret Sunnydale High isn’t really like other schools. A lot of weird stuff happens here. But whenever there was a problem or something creepy happened, you seemed to show up and stop it. Most of the people here have been saved by you, or helped by you, at one time or another. We’re proud to say that the class of '99 has the lowest mortality rate of any graduating class in Sunnydale history. And we know at least part of that is because of you. So the senior class offers its thanks, and …gives you, uh, this…It’s from all of us, and it’s got written here, “Buffy Summers. Class Protector.”

Look, I know this was one of those this-would-never-happen moments, but I don’t care. I get teary watching it every time. It’s just such a beautiful moment and so, so deserved after everything Buffy’s done. Angel returns to be her date and they enjoy a last moment of happiness while “Wild Horses” plays.

Character Notes:

Anya Jenkins: She once made a guy’s head explode feet away from his ex. She made a lot of body parts fall off during the plague, which she found boring since it was happening already. One man cannibalized himself, which she found hard to watch. She is obsessed with her work.

Rupert Giles: He went to an all male prep school.

Wesley Wyndam-Pryce: He went to an all male prep school and they would sometimes make the lower-class men get up as girls and–He doesn’t finish.

Jonathan Levinson: He arrives with an actual date to the Prom.

Daniel Osbourne: He says the Prom is strangely affecting and he teared up during “We Are Family”.

Xander Harris: He’s upset about losing Class Clown to a “prop guy”, otherwise known as an attention-getter that’s more flamboyant than funny. I sympathized here because Xander is really funny and I’ve always preferred witty to obnoxious. But to each their own.

Buffy Summers: She finally admits she gets something out of slaying and says “kicking ass is comfort food”. 

[asexualtuckerfoley]

The Casper High Theory

So I’ve mentioned this a couple of times before, but I genuinely think that Amity Park was haunted before Danny got his powers, and people died- frequently, especially at Casper High. Now I kind of want to expand on it and why it works so well in canon.

I’m going to start with Sidney Poindexter. Let’s say that Amity Park has always had some strange going-ons, especially at the school, but Poindexter set off a chain of events that got Amity Park its reputation as the most haunted town in the world. I don’t think he just died due to a prank gone wrong or by suicide. I think he bombed the school (or started a school shooting or both), which is why there are so many ghosts at the 50′s Casper High; they all died when Poindexter killed them, and he died in the blast(s) as well.

From then on, Casper High in particular (after it was rebuilt) has had a high mortality rate- 17-20%. (For anyone who doesn’t know, the national average is less than a quarter percent.) This may seem high, but that’s about the death rate for Buffy’s class at Sunnydale High from BtVS (which was also called the “lowest mortality rate of any graduating class in Sunnydale history), where I originally got the idea for this theory.

Also, Casper High is a really large building, but only 279 girls attend, meaning that there are probably 550-575 students total. Why would there be a school this big and have so few students? Because it was originally designed for the larger student population in the 50′s, but the students kept dying.

Another thing is the number of teachers. I know it’s a cartoon and there aren’t many adults in general, but think about Mr. Lancer. He’s the vice principal, the English teacher, and he subs for other classes from time to time. Any one of those jobs is a full time job, but Lancer has all of them because they can’t get anyone else to work there. Teachers and subs in neighboring districts know that the average lifespan of a teacher once they start working there is less than 10 years.

Now, let’s consider Danny- or rather, Phantom. The reason no one ever figures out who Phantom was when he was alive is because there were too many deaths of people around his age since the bombing to be worth sorting through unless you’re a megafan like Paulina. Everyone just assumes he was one of the kids who died since the rebuild of Casper High.

Over time, people start to realize that after the portal first opened and Danny Phantom first appeared, the ghost attacks have gotten more obvious, but they’ve also gotten less deadly. Odds are the senior class when Danny was a freshman still had a mortality rate around 17-18%, but Jazz’s was probably around 15%, and Danny’s at 10%. There’s no way Danny could save everyone during all those attacks, and I’m pretty sure someone died in almost every episode of Danny Phantom, but the deaths aren’t happening as often.

As for why those deaths were happening in the first place, I’m thinking back to the Sunnydale explanation of a hellmouth under the school. Maybe there was some sort of permanent natural portal that no one ever found because it was inside a wall or something like that, and the ghosts managed to get through. It also explains why there are so many attacks at the school even though the Fenton Portal is however far away and the ghosts would have to make it all the way to CH when they could just wreak havoc on the streets.