A Different Way of Thinking
What was supposed to be Day 2. XD
Words:1328
Xander banged his head against the table the gang was sitting around as thoughts that shouldn’t even be his went around and around as he analyzed everything and when he said everything he meant everything. From what people said to what they didn’t say, how they moved and even how things were placed, he analyzed every little meaning that could be concluded from them. It was enough to give him a headache or drive him to drink and he promised himself that he would never become Tony Jr. the town drunk. Cursing Ethan and Snyder in every language Sherlock Holmes knew and a few demon ones he had picked up during research sessions before he tried yet again to explain what had happened to a fascinated Englishman.
“Like I said, since Snyder made us dress up to take the kids Trick or Treating, I was going to go as a soldier since I had a uniform from when my uncle was in the service but mom sort of got into a cleaning kick and threw those out. When I explained calmly to my mom that I had needed them, Xander chose to ignore the snort from Buffy and went on, she suggested the outfit that had been passed down in her family for the last 100 years or so. I’m not sure how long its been but they were still in great shape so when I went with the girls to Ethan’s, I grabbed a few accessories that would make it work. I got them for pretty cheap too even though the pocket watch was made from real metal and worked great. Looking back that should have been the first hint something was wrong since Ethan was way to helpful. No one is that helpful unless they are wanting something, or plotting something.”
“Xander!” Giles Yelled stopping Xander’s rant and getting him back on track.
Wide eyed Xander continued, “Oh right, sorry. So anyway, when everyone turned into their costumes I turned into my great, great, great Grandfather. I’m not sure how many greats he is but anywho I turned into Sherlock Holmes.”
Giles stilled, “Sherlock Holmes you say? My word he was something of a legend in the 19th century and more than one Watcher reported him to be someone that could solve any crime with some very strange leaps of logic.
“Yeah, I know, he’s still sort of in here,” Xander said as he tapped his head.
The girls gave him worried glances before looking to Giles for answers since they didn’t keep much from the night. Giles took his glasses off and began cleaning them. “I can’t be sure but since you went as someone you were related to, however distantly instead of a random person, the chaos magic that Ethan is fond of using reacted differently for you. That’s the problem with that sort of magic, it likes to do strange things that differ from what you were expecting. How bad is it…do we need to worry about a similar situation from the hyena incident?”
Willow and Buffy let out a distressed whimper but Xander just shook his head. “Not really, with the hyena it was like someone else was controlling me and I was just along for the ride, powerless to do anything. This is like I remember being Sherlock Holmes and his memories are mine just like I remember growing up as Xander Harris. Strange but not really that bad…kind of wish I didn’t remember going through some of what he did but nothing I can’t handle. The problem is that my great how many times granddad’s way of thinking didn’t go away when the spell end and now I think like he did and I can’t stop analyzing everything. I just want my brain to shut up for a while.”
Xander whined the last part, causing Giles to clean his glasses a little harder, “Yes well I can see how that could be troubling since I’m sure your mind isn’t used to so much activity.”
“Hey!”
Buffy was snickering as a thought came to her, “I thought you didn’t remember the whole hyena thing. He said he didn’t remember, didn’t he Wills? I clearly remember him saying that.”
Willow nodded rapidly and pinned him with her patented resolve face to get him to answer.
“Opps?” Xander said guiltily, “I just didn’t want things to be weird between us. I don’t know what I would do without you two in my life.”
Willow’s resolve face had melted and she looked close to tears, “Friends forever Xan, you know that.”
Buffy looked like she wanted to say something else but Giles clearing his throat stopped her. “Yes well perhaps we can get back to the matter at hand. What happened earlier besides the fact you changed into your costumes due to Ethan’s meddling. I know him, he wouldn’t have stopped his fun so early without a reason.”
“Well I guess he didn’t take into account that one of the costumes he sold could have backfired on him. When I turned into Sherlock Holmes he pretty much took in every little detail and when we rescued Cordy, he got the final clue he needed to figure out what was going on and made Willow lead him to Ethan’s instead of finding you like she wanted since otherwise he was going out on his own to look. Once there he got into a fight with Ethan since he wouldn’t stop the spell, and I never knew you could win a fight like that. He literally studies every action of his opponent and counter acts them. I hope I can do that. It would be so cool. Just think of how much better I could help during slaying an-“
“Xander!” Buffy, Willow, and Giles yelled at the same time.
“Oh right, well, during the fight, he figured out what the source of the spell was since Ethan kept leading the fight away from the statue or actively avoiding it. Holmes used the cane he had to break the statue and during the confusion of everyone turning back to normal, Ethan escaped. Good news is that he left in such a hurry that he didn’t grab the money box that contained all his profits from the sale of the costumes and I was able to grab it as I left to find the girls and then we rounded up the kids from trick and treating before heading back to report to you.”
Giles nodded as he went over everything that had been said, “It’s a shame Ethan got away but what has happened to you could be a real boon if you can figure out how to handle the new way at looking at things that your change caused. The skills your ancestor would be a great help with figuring out the strange events the Hellmouth throws at us. Now it’s getting late so I think it is time we all go home and we can meet up tomorrow morning to make sure no unknown dangers are lurking that we don’t know about.”
Xander sighed and nodded causing the girls to pat his back as they got up.
“Cheer up Xan, it could be worse and you could have gotten horns or turned into some mutant vampire, instead of something that will so make school easier,” Willow said trying to cheer him up.
“Yeah great, just what I wanted, something school related since I love it so much.”
Buffy was almost to the door when she stopped and glared at Xander,” Don’t think I forgot about the whole lying thing Mister, but a trip to the mall with the funds you got from Ethans will help greatly. Don’t you think?”
Xander gulped and nodded.
“Good and I’m sure you’ll be a great help carrying bags and giving opionions.” Buffy finished, linking her arm with Willow as they walked out the door.
Xander’s head drooped, “I’m sooo dead.”
Words:1328
Xander banged his head against the table the gang was sitting around as thoughts that shouldn’t even be his went around and around as he analyzed everything and when he said everything he meant everything. From what people said to what they didn’t say, how they moved and even how things were placed, he analyzed every little meaning that could be concluded from them. It was enough to give him a headache or drive him to drink and he promised himself that he would never become Tony Jr. the town drunk. Cursing Ethan and Snyder in every language Sherlock Holmes knew and a few demon ones he had picked up during research sessions before he tried yet again to explain what had happened to a fascinated Englishman.
“Like I said, since Snyder made us dress up to take the kids Trick or Treating, I was going to go as a soldier since I had a uniform from when my uncle was in the service but mom sort of got into a cleaning kick and threw those out. When I explained calmly to my mom that I had needed them, Xander chose to ignore the snort from Buffy and went on, she suggested the outfit that had been passed down in her family for the last 100 years or so. I’m not sure how long its been but they were still in great shape so when I went with the girls to Ethan’s, I grabbed a few accessories that would make it work. I got them for pretty cheap too even though the pocket watch was made from real metal and worked great. Looking back that should have been the first hint something was wrong since Ethan was way to helpful. No one is that helpful unless they are wanting something, or plotting something.”
“Xander!” Giles Yelled stopping Xander’s rant and getting him back on track.
Wide eyed Xander continued, “Oh right, sorry. So anyway, when everyone turned into their costumes I turned into my great, great, great Grandfather. I’m not sure how many greats he is but anywho I turned into Sherlock Holmes.”
Giles stilled, “Sherlock Holmes you say? My word he was something of a legend in the 19th century and more than one Watcher reported him to be someone that could solve any crime with some very strange leaps of logic.
“Yeah, I know, he’s still sort of in here,” Xander said as he tapped his head.
The girls gave him worried glances before looking to Giles for answers since they didn’t keep much from the night. Giles took his glasses off and began cleaning them. “I can’t be sure but since you went as someone you were related to, however distantly instead of a random person, the chaos magic that Ethan is fond of using reacted differently for you. That’s the problem with that sort of magic, it likes to do strange things that differ from what you were expecting. How bad is it…do we need to worry about a similar situation from the hyena incident?”
Willow and Buffy let out a distressed whimper but Xander just shook his head. “Not really, with the hyena it was like someone else was controlling me and I was just along for the ride, powerless to do anything. This is like I remember being Sherlock Holmes and his memories are mine just like I remember growing up as Xander Harris. Strange but not really that bad…kind of wish I didn’t remember going through some of what he did but nothing I can’t handle. The problem is that my great how many times granddad’s way of thinking didn’t go away when the spell end and now I think like he did and I can’t stop analyzing everything. I just want my brain to shut up for a while.”
Xander whined the last part, causing Giles to clean his glasses a little harder, “Yes well I can see how that could be troubling since I’m sure your mind isn’t used to so much activity.”
“Hey!”
Buffy was snickering as a thought came to her, “I thought you didn’t remember the whole hyena thing. He said he didn’t remember, didn’t he Wills? I clearly remember him saying that.”
Willow nodded rapidly and pinned him with her patented resolve face to get him to answer.
“Opps?” Xander said guiltily, “I just didn’t want things to be weird between us. I don’t know what I would do without you two in my life.”
Willow’s resolve face had melted and she looked close to tears, “Friends forever Xan, you know that.”
Buffy looked like she wanted to say something else but Giles clearing his throat stopped her. “Yes well perhaps we can get back to the matter at hand. What happened earlier besides the fact you changed into your costumes due to Ethan’s meddling. I know him, he wouldn’t have stopped his fun so early without a reason.”
“Well I guess he didn’t take into account that one of the costumes he sold could have backfired on him. When I turned into Sherlock Holmes he pretty much took in every little detail and when we rescued Cordy, he got the final clue he needed to figure out what was going on and made Willow lead him to Ethan’s instead of finding you like she wanted since otherwise he was going out on his own to look. Once there he got into a fight with Ethan since he wouldn’t stop the spell, and I never knew you could win a fight like that. He literally studies every action of his opponent and counter acts them. I hope I can do that. It would be so cool. Just think of how much better I could help during slaying an-“
“Xander!” Buffy, Willow, and Giles yelled at the same time.
“Oh right, well, during the fight, he figured out what the source of the spell was since Ethan kept leading the fight away from the statue or actively avoiding it. Holmes used the cane he had to break the statue and during the confusion of everyone turning back to normal, Ethan escaped. Good news is that he left in such a hurry that he didn’t grab the money box that contained all his profits from the sale of the costumes and I was able to grab it as I left to find the girls and then we rounded up the kids from trick and treating before heading back to report to you.”
Giles nodded as he went over everything that had been said, “It’s a shame Ethan got away but what has happened to you could be a real boon if you can figure out how to handle the new way at looking at things that your change caused. The skills your ancestor would be a great help with figuring out the strange events the Hellmouth throws at us. Now it’s getting late so I think it is time we all go home and we can meet up tomorrow morning to make sure no unknown dangers are lurking that we don’t know about.”
Xander sighed and nodded causing the girls to pat his back as they got up.
“Cheer up Xan, it could be worse and you could have gotten horns or turned into some mutant vampire, instead of something that will so make school easier,” Willow said trying to cheer him up.
“Yeah great, just what I wanted, something school related since I love it so much.”
Buffy was almost to the door when she stopped and glared at Xander,” Don’t think I forgot about the whole lying thing Mister, but a trip to the mall with the funds you got from Ethans will help greatly. Don’t you think?”
Xander gulped and nodded.
“Good and I’m sure you’ll be a great help carrying bags and giving opionions.” Buffy finished, linking her arm with Willow as they walked out the door.
Xander’s head drooped, “I’m sooo dead.”