With Xander's luck with both magic and women, odds are the first time he tries to cast a fireball he'll get an amorous female fire demon summoning instead...
Review By [Difdi] • Date [17 Mar 13] • Rating [9 out of 10]
Because obviously what this reality needs is a chaotically-inclined demon magnet with a fondness for explosions, mentored by a cynical trickster. :) At least they've got the avatar of Chaos itself to be a ...restraining influence... yeah, this is gonna go well.
Review By [dogbertcarroll] • Date [21 Dec 12] • Not Rated
Xander being taught magic by Ethan Rayne? Yes, please! Eris is positively disrubtive of canon and I'm enjoying the ride very much. I'm curious to see where this goes. Because, she forgot about the assassins, really? Ah well, happens to the best of us.
Comments from author:
She's only human, now - she's managed to throw the future timeline out the window fairly comprehensively, and events are going to slew off course with increasing speed. But yes, Xander, Ethan and the potential for mayhem is a happy thing.
Review By [souldriven] • Date [12 Dec 12] • Not Rated
If I recall correctly, magic in the BtvS universe works a lot like magic in the Slayers anime universe. Basically, you're asking for a favor from higher (and/or lower) powers, and then they make the magic happen. It just looks like you are the one casting fireballs when it's really the lord of the fire elementals or somesuch. Now Xander is a demon magnet, which means higher (and lower) powers watch him closely, probably because he has the ability to thwart prophesies, more attuned to chaos, etc.. So whenever he tries to cast a spell, instead of feeling a small pull on their resources, they tend to give it their full attention. His spells have a chance to not only not do what the same spell would does for others, but instead the spell's result will maximise the amusement of the ascended beings watching. That way when Xander tried to cast a candle lighting spell, a book caught on fire becuase some higher power thought it would be funnier. (They were right)
Comments from author:
...Interesting. I thought there were a few different types of magic knocking around - besides the ritual/prayer based stuff, there's also potions based effects and sigil magic. Fireballs to me are on a par with simple telekinesis, small -scale local manipulation of natural forces by the practitioner. I know more about European magic than I do other cultures, so I was going to mix and match. Chaos magic is all about improv and chutzpah, it's gonna be a blast. Possibly literally.
Review By [misterq] • Date [10 Dec 12] • Not Rated
“I must say, I'd heard about 'Sunnydale Syndrome', but really, we set fire to a bloke who dissolved into maggots, and then danced on the ashes, and nobody has come out to see what's going on?”
Yep, that describes Sunny-Hell to a tee. ;-)
And how could Ethan even *consider* not teaching Xander about magic? The potential for both chaos *and* pissing off Rupert is almost beyond belief! ;-)
Loving this story, and can't wait to see more.
Comments from author:
It's more "Exactly how hard is Ru going to punch me in the face for this?" as a major consideration. :) But Xander and chaos magic is too much fun to resist writing.
Review By [Greywizard] • Date [10 Dec 12] • Not Rated
Ha! the image of them dancing in Pfister's ashes was funny. Xander learning magic? hmmm remember the Librium incendiere incident? it means Xander has the ability and when magic goes fubar with him it's usually magic cast by other people like Willow 'Skip a few lines' Rosenberg or Amy 'just a dabbler' Maddison. I always thought 'So you aren't going to be the next Merlin, it doesn't stop you becoming an expert in around five spells'.
An interesting fact about Vampires and why Angel blamed himself, if your soul leaves and a Demon takes up residence when you get turned, then how come Darla who got turned in the 16th? century could remember everything the Vampire did when W&H created her a new body? by all rights she should only remember up to when she was killed, since her original body and Demon was destroyed. Kinda makes you wonder if the soul moves on at all or a possessing demon just changes your moral compass. Makes you think.
be seein' ya!.
Comments from author:
Yes, there was always ability, nobody bothered to encourage it. And since Xander is a chaos magnet, chaos magic might work rather better for him than otherwise. It's all about improv and chutzpah. *grins* I see him as a terrifying combo of Skeeve and Harry Dresden.
The whole body/soul/demon thing had plotholes you could drive an Olvikan through. But to me, Angel wasn't the original soul of Liam stuck back in the body, he was a result of the possessing demon being cursed - he's essentially a constructed personality of imposed morality and subsequent guilt. The possessing demon takes over the memory and aspects of character, as if they are rooted in the physical form, not the immaterial. Soul and personality are separate things? That's how it came across to me.
Review By [michaelangelo] • Date [10 Dec 12] • Rating [10 out of 10]
Xander, Magic? Oh this is going to be a train wreck and a half. I'm grinning so wide my face is threatening to split, so in thanks ~ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PR_oGP4az3k
Review By [AbscondingCascade] • Date [9 Dec 12] • Rating [10 out of 10]
Oh, that was great. I do think that giving Xander better career options is a good thing for Eris to be doing. And having him learn a little magic from Ethan will be priceless with Giles reaction to it. It will get his Tweed all ruffled up. Still dancing about Angel not being around, what will Spike do when he gets to that part of the ritual and realizes that they are missing the main ingredient. The chaos is beautiful here, carry on.
dogbertcarroll
