"Yeah, lectures out loud seem safe enough."

"OK then. I don't think there are any new vampires in town tonight."

"I'm getting that sense. Get some sleep. Or do your homework. Or whatever."

"Yeah, it's way too early in the semester to just give up. I'll see you tomorrow."

Reports to Wesley Wyndam-Pryce on the activities of the Slayer, Karen Teller, in preparation for her destiny:

September 3, 1997

Activity: driver's education

Rationale: many bad things are not walking distance from Sunnydale High School or Slayer's residence. most expedient solution was training Slayer in handling of a two-ton steel frame on a combustion engine, optimized for travelling one hundred kilometers per hour. This activity is also of cultural significance to humans sixteen years of age. 

Costs/materials for reimbursement by the Council: estimated $4.32 in depreciation on my truck, a 1991 GMC Syclone, $.37 cents in gas

September 4, 1997

....

Karen delivers all notes she is given.

"Wesley says he's not gonna reimburse you for things you decide to do on your own initiative. He did say to thank you for the notes, though, after he got the dismayed sighing out of the way."

"I'm glad he liked them!"

Aww.

" - thanks for letting Wishbone help type them up, by the way. He's really helpful, for lots of different things, but - I think he gets sad when he doesn't feel like he's a part of the group and stuff."

"It's not -

- he's doing me a favor, really, I can't actually write in English."

"Ohhh. Aww. ...I kinda wanna hug you now but I'm worried it'll come off as condescending and stuff so I'm gonna wait a second."

"How's it meant to come across? Being able to read is better than not being able to read."

"I know! It's just - sometimes maybe I forget a little bit that I don't just have a really weird guardian angel who thinks he's a terrible person but not as terrible of a person as God is, and who has a lot of machine guns and stuff, and I feel really lucky? But then sometimes I just remember that you're, like, actually sort of just a regular person and stuff, and you don't actually have to be here, but you are anyway? And then I feel even luckier. That's all."

"You're a good kid, Karen. Do you want to do driving lessons again today?"

"Yes please!"

September 6, 1997

Activity: patrol

Rationale: some vampires, though certainly not all of them, have been observed to ravage the streets of Sunnydale committing murder. after careful consideration, we arrived at the conclusion that the Slayer should attempt to prevent this. 

Costs/materials for reimbursement by the Council: one stake was dented by striking a fence (after striking the vampire; the Slayer did not miss). the stake could stand to be polished.

September 7, 1997

Activity: weapons training

Rationale: [redacted]

Costs/materials for reimbursement by the Council: for some reason the U.S. military pays $100/bullet for the special ammunition used in training. As A Taxpayer I am very concerned, and I elevate this to your attention not in the expectation of reimbursement but in the hope that you will share in my outrage and go back to England, which I assume treats its citizens' money with higher regard

And so time passes. The journalism club gets to work. The archery club starts up again, this time adding Dennis as a member (not because he thinks archery is a spectacular use of time, mind you, but because he's decided he needs a bunch of extra curricular activities and the robotics club has disbanded this year, due to lack of any suitable teaching staff). Mercy is already a member; Mercy signed up about five seconds after the club was formed. At the end of last year they had about a dozen regular members, and Karen is expecting them to pick up more members this year.

"Anything I can help with?"

"If you want to help the more advanced kids get back into form that'd be good, I want to keep an eye on the new ones so they don't kill anyone. Snyder'd hold it over me for ages."

"It's true! Also you would break our no-dead-students streak."

"I worked on an oil rig once that had this sign on the wall, "days since workplace accident". We could get one. "Days since student fatality"."

"We could!"

"I hope you guys realize that this is, like, a really concerning conversation to walk into first thing," says Dennis, arriving at the practice range.

"Archery's less dangerous than driving, but it's differently dangerous. If you're stupid people will definitely get hurt. I promise not to let anyone be stupid in your vicinity. How was your summer? Do you know which is your dominant eye?"

"No. And it was pretty OK, apart from the worrying that the government might be evil."