Oh, I loved this chapter so much. Emma and Jean have been in this weird holding pattern for forever, and even if Emma was so patient and there was lots of contact and banter, I wanted it to happen already, so this is perfect.

The banter between them was so fun, and I feel like the sexual part of it flows better now that they've acknowledged their relationship, though I doubt that really matters. Heh, Ritt der Walkuren... that may yet happen, though I doubt they'll be delivering babies...

Anyway, there's not much I actually have to say about this chapter. It was just perfect - I loved everything Jean and Emma did. The ending was a bit unexpected, but actually not that surprising considering we're talking about the quints. Man, it's times like this when I really respect Emma, who has to run a company, teach, handle six daughters, begin a relationship with Jean, and occasionally pop in to check/help her pet project in Sunnydale... Can't wait to see the inter-dimensional Girls' Night, and how all the Emmas react to their alternate realities.

Well, to be fair, it's only been a few days over a month since Jean woke up snuggling Emma in Sunnydale. And she's been with Scott for a decade or so. It's - quite rightfully - taken her some time to figure out what to do with herself and her love life.

I only have one thing to say...Tara, Tara, Tara, TARA, TARA, TARA!!!!! lol

But in all seriousness, yes, I would happily read a Tara chapter, so please!

Consider it done. Well, in a bit.

I for one would enjoy a tara centric chapter.

and very nicely done joe!

Tara power: coming soon to a fic near you.

i'll read it

Booyah.

I have to admit, Jean could do worse than Emma. I mean, Scott seems to live in his own little universe, and anything that threatens that does not go over well. And I think Emma is right about one other thing: Her girls could do worse than Tara. They could be going with Jubilee!

I dunno, Jubilee's not so bad once you get used to her. It could be worse: they could be into Willow. Or Laura, once they meet her.

Interesting new part of the AU. Keep up the good work.

Thanks. I'm working on the second chapter, now that Hockey Knight in Boston is essentially done.

Great chapters. Keep up the good work. Sorry for the late review (exams as I mentioned in my review of Blue Belle).

I lost my laptop right after you reviewed due to some nefarious Mt. Dew or I would have replied sooner. Glad you could make it, though. :)

The best part of this chapter I think is Faith giving the puppydog eyes and the fact her new wardrobe is all white. Those two little details make the rest of it better.

So is Tara's, for that matter. After all, Rachel wanted them to match their girlfriends...

I love this Faith way more than the canon Faith... she's way more energetic not to mention crazy in a good way. Here's hoping that Tara helps keep her sane.

Well, she's also yet to lose her Watcher. That's the kinda thing that would darken anyone's perspective.

Fun chapter. Not much to comment on, but I really enjoyed the interactions between Faith and Carol and Faith and Tara (especially Faith and Tara, it's really interesting to see how Tara's changed and yet is the same thanks and in spite of Faith). And the last past, with Faith jumping up on cars - well, as she said, it promises to be badass.

"the tunnel to Bergen HIll" - Hill.

Interestingly, the HILL/Hill bug isn't in my working file. What the hell, Scrivener?

From what I remember of Shocker, hitting him isn't a wonderfully good idea. Hope Faith can adapt her combat style accordingly.

You might be thinking of Electro, in which case you'd be right about Faith not wanting to touch him. Shocker is just a dude with a pair of gauntlets that "project a concentrated blast of air that has been vibrated at an intense frequency", essentially weakening the structural integrity of stuff until it shakes itself apart. Obviously, having that happen to organic matter is very quickly fatal (and likely quite messy).

Luckily for Faith, he's generally quite incompetent and a horrible dresser to boot.

This was brilliant. I loved your use of the Von Strucker twins - they always had great potential, though it got really creepy once Andrea was killed. Of course, it was creepy from the start... in any case, I loved them here. You portrayed them rather well, but more importantly, everybody's reactions to them were perfect. Faith was quite amusing in her insults and attitude, and Celeste and Esme trying to ape their mother was also well done.
Kennedy totally stole the show, though, with how she kind of blackmailed Esme, her aplomb, and all the rest of the stuff, she did, even managing to sort of insult Faith in the process. And the idea of her ending up with Rachel... very interesting. I see lots of potential there. And as long as she's somewhat less crass around Emma (fat chance), she might even be more acceptable than Faith. Anyway, this was great, and I can't wait to see where it goes from here.

"And if they girl they're trying to seduce right now is anything to go by" - Extra y there: "And if THE girl they're trying to seduce right now is anything to go by"

EDIT: Ah, that works as well. In which case, it's the reversal that is interesting, and the complete lack of change. So what is Rachel planning for Kennedy?

Actually, while Rachel does in fact know Kennedy in the future, Kennedy falls into a unique "double ick" category that the others Rachel has met so far doesn't. After all, while they're a bit more than twice her age in the future, Michelle and Cordelia and the others are roughly her peers at this point. So it'd be sixteen-on-sixteen action. With Kennedy, not only was she pushing thirty when she showed up for Rachel's sixteenth birthday party, but she's currently thirteen and so there's that "eww young" factor of a high schooler dating a middle schooler.

EDIT: Potential grandfather paradox issues. She knows Kennedy in the future, presumably in a positive way. If she's a bitch to her now, what might that do?

This is a fun incorporation of Kennedy. Of course its too bad for the twins that they were both trying to aproach her, else they may have had better chances. What I want to know is what Rachel will think of a 13 year old date/playmate. "Blackmail" repayment or not it's an interesting question.

As for the fallout with the twins, that was a rather brutal beating for actions that had only reached the planning point from their perspective. If there wasn't a little mental fiddling I can see rich spoiled folks like that really wanting to come back for more. I wonder if their powers would channel through any slayer or potential...

I also aprove of the mental voice diferentiation, though you should be sure to relate it to their actual voices, perhaps mentioning how similar they seem compared to other mental voices and how their voices are similar as well so that there is a basis of comparison. Very similar near identical but only a little bit off from each other. As I am now rambling I will stop.

Edited

I don't know that the full scope of those plans were transmitted to the readers as well as apparently they were to faith. Certainly if she got that big a picture or clear a one then her actions are completely within reason. I suppose I got a slightly less... intense version of intentions than you provide in the review response here. I think that as described it would have to be more of a warped faith view on rape/reaction/response act than preventitive medicine.

As for voices, then you should play up the similar voices idea to contrast with differnt mental ones. Perhaps so far as faith or others who are getting involved being unable to tell them apart by voice but yes by mind.

Well, as insinuated (since Rae hasn't revealed her origin to Faith at this point), Rachel knows Kennedy in the future. So she knows what she's getting into. And is smart enough to make what the night is and isn't clear right from the get go.

Unlike Jinxy, who claims it because she saw a rape prevention poster in set dressing, Faith's origin in Go Ask Malice points to semi-consenual sex at a minimum and possibly rape. It's brutal, yes, but understandable when you look at it as a warped revenge/vindication act. Also, Esme and Celeste serve as the best preemptive strike enablers short of a true precog. After all, they can tell an idle thought from "I'm going to". The von Struckers WERE going to rape Kennedy, likely brutally and multiple times until her mind broke. Faith acted on that intelligence to prevent the act from occurring.

The mental voices differ - and will differ - before they individuate physically. One's mental voice and physical voice aren't always connected; I forget which comic there was, but it was mentioned that an affected verbal accent isn't present in a mental voice. So Hugh Laurie's mental voice would be Queen's English, while Madonna would 'speak' in American English. So while their slowly individuating personalities are starting to taint their mental voices, the fact that they still talks in pairs, trios, or all five together means their vocal cords are still aligned to work as a group instead of individuals.

EDIT: This is part of the reason I'm posting this all separate. It gives me a chance to test stuff out, see reactions, and revise them based on user interaction. This is the kind of stuff that I look for; I read Go Ask Malice but not everyone did, so of course this didn't read the same for you and my beta. Problem acknowledged and I'll try to work a fix into the final version.

I like the way that Emma and the Cuckoo's handled the situation. But, sometimes, it works out better to make a deal with your foe, if it plays out for both sides. Now, as for Kennedy, SEND HER PACKING! I never cared for her, and would rather see her getting lobotomized by Rachel

I'm actually planning to have Kennedy recur in future bits. Keep in mind that this is over half a decade before the girl who showed up in Sunnydale with Giles. I won't say she's a totally different person, but she is different.

Well for kinky shenanigans you could always bring back Paste Pot Pete? Loved this story.

Cheers!

I'm thinking Shocker. This early in his career, Peter 'n co might have only met him once... or it could be his debut in this universe.