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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
cross_and_bow
"No, not especially? I had dreams, one of them involved failing dramatically to have exact change while trying to buy an unspecified soda. Was I supposed to have nightmares?"
ipsam_custodem
"You were supposed to have nightmares," Emma confirms. "But you're also supposed to have prophetic Slayer dreams, and Soph says you got to skip those too, so maybe this is related? But, um. Question for later. You should check in with your dad, he was pretty worried."
cross_and_bow
"Oh - yeah. I'll do that."
Bella gets out of the backseat of the station wagon and goes into the house.
Bella gets out of the backseat of the station wagon and goes into the house.
keyed_up
"I'm glad she wasn't having nightmares. I didn't even think of it as maybe skippable like the dreams the Power was annoyed about her not getting."
ipsam_custodem
"I didn't either," Emma points out. "But better we're surprised that she didn't then upset that she did, I suppose."
ipsam_custodem
Emma smiles. "I'm a nurse. This is just- slightly unusual medicine."
witch_perfect
Alli snorts. "If you say so."
She is firmly of the opinion that this is witchcraft and as such it's still way cooler than nursing, but since Emma was the one who rescued Bella she will be reserving that opinion.
She is firmly of the opinion that this is witchcraft and as such it's still way cooler than nursing, but since Emma was the one who rescued Bella she will be reserving that opinion.
witch_perfect
Alli shuffles uncomfortably. "Sure," she mutters. "I mean. Wasn't gonna let Bella stay like that."
cross_and_bow
Bella comes down the stairs. "So, I assume my limited cover that I still had with Alli is totally blown now. It was nothing personal, I just default to not telling, Alli."
witch_perfect
"Yeah, well, my reaction to Soph's Big Reveal was um what the hell's that so, whatever."
ipsam_custodem
Emma examines their group dubiously. "Slayers don't usually tell people other than their Watcher, but it's not unprecedented, I suppose," she says. "On which subject- Bella, did you know the Watchers can't find you?"
ipsam_custodem
"That's what my parents are. Someone, usually someone old and British, who knows about... all this... and can advise you and train you. There are many books."
cross_and_bow
"That sounds... potentially helpful and potentially like I'll want to break their nose after a week. Do I get to go through a selection of old British people and pick one I get along with?"
ipsam_custodem
"Well, usually there are Watchers near most of the potential Slayer candidates, so you'd already have one. I'm not sure how often this comes up. They might just pick someone."
Don't project opinions, don't project opinions, Bella gets to make her own choices!
Don't project opinions, don't project opinions, Bella gets to make her own choices!
cross_and_bow
"Wow, that would have been really weird and creepy if there had been an old British person stalking me before I was even the Slayer. What's even the point of that?"
ipsam_custodem
"Training starts early, mostly. Memorizing demons is boring, but it's better than the alternative when you're charging blind into a nest of Sonoral Demons."
cross_and_bow
"...what fraction of possible Slayers wind up as actual Slayers?"
ipsam_custodem
"Well, I'm sure they don't find all the potential Slayers. But pretty small. Slayers have a pretty small age window for being activated; mostly the girls just get too old."
cross_and_bow
"So at any given time lots of old British people are stalking and training various possible Slayers, most of whom will never need it? Unless that's where more Watchers come from is ex-Slayers with lots of memorized demons and no enhanced stabbing skills?"
ipsam_custodem
"Some of them join up. Some become demon hunters anyway. There aren't very many of either type. Most just- go about their daily lives. Not becoming the Slayer doesn't mean demons cease to exist, it's still useful sometimes. I've patched up quite a few demon bites myself since I got here."
cross_and_bow
"Hrm. ...And what is the professional Slayer/Watcher relationship usually like?"