Notes on an Opera Program
by Aadler
Copyright June 2003
This takes place late in Season Four, shortly after the events of “Who Are You?” (Buffy) and “Sanctuary” (Angel, Season One).
Disclaimer: Buffy the Vampire Slayer and related characters are property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy Productions, and Twentieth Century Fox.
To Do:
| – | conf 9AM — take extra blouse, deodorant |
| – | try to sched in-office massage bef. noon |
| – | Camber/ Pyclet mtg 1PM — cashier’s chk & surveil. photos, sep. folders — (reserve VB, in case neither is enough? consult HM) |
| – | send for dry-cleaning before 2PM |
| – | arrange to have office swept |
| – | ditto car |
| – | ditto apartment |
| – | arrange to have sweepers vetted |
| – | follow FtS case thru pleading? no current advantage, no visible future use — think on it |
| – | at least 30 min. at range — .32, .38, 10MM |
Current Impressions:
| – | HM — avuncular, no tolerance, heart pumps ice water — leaning toward LMc (I think) but can still be swayed — sex a desperation move (inadvisable) but keep in reserve |
| – | LMc — hard, focused, soulless — wants to bury white-trash past under work & brilliance & ruthlessness — trying too hard, sure to break somewhere — keep watching for chinks |
| – | RP — yes-man — topping out, ready to fall — let it happen, use for small favors but w/out commitment — no threat |
| – | LMe — useful, but watch close — thinks he’s smarter than he is — will run gofer if he believes it’ll lead to advancement, or double-cross for same — possible patsy? think on it |
| – | AR — not my section, but promising — seems realistic in his ambitions, seems to know his limitations — which way, reliable undemanding sex or controllable ally? — can’t have both, decide by Tues. |
Project Status:
All in hand, except for possible AI complications (hard to avoid, psychic tipoff means they can pop up anywhere) — wish we could just kill them, I hate prophecies — what about turning tables? — open attack forbidden, but make them deal with distractions, complications — bkgrnd info thru FtS opens up possibilities — make use of SunD connection, move against that bunch, get AI preoccupied w/events elsewhere — start them reacting instead of initiating, good diversionary cast if nothing else —
Even here, better to avoid direct action — exploit weaknesses, foment discord, nourish any potential problems — bringing them down gratifying but irrelevant, idea is to make a big splashy disaster, so aim for whatever contributes to disruption —
Preliminary analysis (working from memory here, need more data):
| – | BS — undisciplined, no focus, Valley Girl w/muscle — weakness for sex, loses objectivity when she’s involved w/anyone — bad experiences w/betrayal (father, lover [A], Watcher, sister [FtS]), could use to build paranoia, distrust — savior complex, wouldn’t deal well if one of her inner circle were killed (ego would make her see that as personal failure) — martyr complex (still moaning why me? when she’s a major player) coupled w/superiority complex (she is superior, just not everywhere she thinks), could work that to alienate her, build resentment — |
| – | RG — deliberately repressed, “wild” past — could be a mover & shaker, but lets himself be demoted to supporting role — intellectual arrogance? would certainly be justified if BS’s prideful ignorance hasn’t been exaggerated — little love life reported, but no eunuch, you don’t play w/demons unless you have large appetites — chk possibilities w/in SunD crew, but he’s probably insulated himself against that, so temptation from outside would be better approach — fired by Watchers (too much “affection for his Slayer”, chk that too), good source of injured pride & fears of failure/ inferiority — now at the age where men start to question self/ motives/ achievements, ripe for turning if proper pressure applied — |
| – | XH — disregard except for ways he might be used to trigger others (BS’s martyr complex, RG’s pseudo-father issues, WR’s sexual ambiguity) — non-player, not important — |
| – | A? — former demon? no such thing — chk for psychiatric history — no ideas now, see what develops w/better info — |
| – | WR — rich field for exploitation — violating her ancestral religion w/Wicca hobby, violating her moral upbringing w/girl-girl indulgences, & still sees herself as the “good” one of the bunch — enough mystical capacity reported to make her useful for stirring things up, even though she’ll never be big league — said to be loved by all (FtS almost spitting over this part), but have to be some fissure lines there — |
| – | TM — little known — longer bkgrnd in earth-magic than WR, about the same level of power — weaker personality, easily susceptible to threat — chk family history, could be useful material — new to group, riding on WR’s coattails, sure to be insecurities — make her resentful of them (pump up “outsider” status), or use her as a lever to pull WR away from them — move quick if at all, she won’t be around long, just a passing tool for WR’s gratification — |
| – | RF — too good to be true, Mom & apple pie & America — capable of some independent thought, or he wouldn’t have separated from his unit (need more data there), but that won’t hold — follower, not leader, wants someone to tell him what to do — if BS tires of having to give all the orders, he’ll roll back to Uncle Sam — should be easy to manipulate, but best used as an accent rather than originator of conflict — |
| – | JS — mixed reports here — clueless victim, or firm foundation? — FtS no help, her own perceptions/ wishes scrambled — study closer, family always a good source for trouble, but really useful only there — outskirts of BS’s life, unlikely to be anything else (except maybe as First Victim) — |
Scenarios:
| – | Promote actual or apparent involvement RG-BS or RG-JS, possibly both at once — RG being current father-surrogate for BS, entanglements would be complicated & volatile — |
| – | Promote actual or apparent involvement WR-XH or WR-A?, maybe both — WR sexual greediness makes nice pivot point — don’t forget possible WR-JS, that would really explode things — |
| – | Increase danger to (or even deliberately cause death of) WR, XH, JS, A? or TM — one or more fatalities, esp. the right ones, could open fatal rifts — |
| – | Promote alienation (separately or in complementary parallel) of BS, RG, WR, TM — all the big guns or those w/access to them — could do same w/RF, but that’ll probably happen on its own & w/out much impact unless artificially enhanced — either create dissension w/in the group, or actually try to move one over to the Dark Side — RG would be most valuable, but hardest to get fully committed — TM would be easiest (if there’s a backbone anywhere in there) but of least usefulness — WR best candidate overall, would make a worthwhile project herself if any real power was there — |
| – | Bring in “outsider” involvement to create external complications wherever possible — already happening w/WR-TM & BS-RF, but TM won’t last long & RF won’t have much impact — focus on RG for now, something to split his attention or bring his loyalties into question — or, get some significant player linked to JS, that would stir the pot — good move would be to aim ?Bryce at JS, or VBr at RG if she should survive her father’s tribute, or both — (monitor that one as it develops) — |
Many possibilities — stick to First Principles, it’s always about power, pride, or sex — they already have the power & have resisted being corrupted (unless RG’s midlife crisis blossoms or WR’s “awakening” extends past mattress gymnastics), & pride is best used in tandem w/other issues, but they’re all vulnerable to sex — BS the stupidest (the first one is True Love, the next one is Still Trying, everything after that is self-delusion), but WR the most extreme & most promising — (actually, she’s ego & sex & desire for power all rolled together, if she had power to match the craving for it she’d be the perfect weapon) — they’re heroes, think they’re immune just because they’re the Good Guys — haven’t they ever wondered why moral laws always focus on sex? that’s the opening wedge for everything else — Good & Evil sounds grand, glorious, but you can’t hold it together unless you’re solid on Right & Wrong, no intern survives a week at WRH without getting those priorities straight —
Worth following through — put LMe on getting more info — or, make him think it’s his own idea, plausible deniability between me & HM in case it’s seen as a waste of resources — hide everything from LMc, he might use as ammunition (or worse, find a way to take credit for it) — work out more details tomorrow —
Weakness, it’s always a matter of weakness — doesn’t matter how strong they are, find their vulnerable point & strike there, they’ll fall — best part is, they usually can’t recognize it as a weakness, it’s just part of who they are —
Shopping:
| – | acorn squash, ghee, shining noodles at market — erbit lungs from Commissary (marinate immediately, sherry & 1 tbsp white vinegar) |
| – | candles (dripless) |
| – | bath beads |
| – | extra cartridges from Ordnance, .32 only |
| – | bag cotton balls |
| – | new sheets — maybe Egyptian cotton this time? think on it |
end
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