DTVS 1:4 Lone Wolves Part 2: Alpha Wolves

[subplotkudzu]

Watkin's office is hot from the afternoon sun streaming through the window and redolent with the pipe smoke of the half dozen men in the room. In the glare Frost cannot make out the faces of the men, but it is clear that these are the elder of the tribe and Roger adopts a properly deferential stance. Watkins informs frost that he is to be tutored for this year and then enrolled in the school for matriculation in 1908.

Frost, lost on 'matriculation' nods. "If the elders have so decided, that is what I shall do. Shall I live with my Uncle?"

Watkins, who had been uneasy about the boy's deference, shorts. "Heavens no. In your parents absence I've been occupying the Frost house in town. I'll stay there with you while we get things sorted away with your uncle." Knowing the Inuit distaste for conflict Watkins changed the topic. "We do have to go over some of the social mores to which, as a student at the university, will have to adhere."

"I understand. No more climbing across rooftops."

Watkins nodded. "That sort of thing, yes."

Once he was excused, Frost pins a note taking Doris for her kindness and goes out for a run across the quad, tie loose, jacket in one hand and shoes about his neck, with Leet loping happily along beside him, feeling the freedom that such exercise brings.

Doris returned to Edwin's office with a tray of tea to discover the war still underway. Helena, strong willed enough to be a force of nature, was pummeling against the rock of Edwin's adherence to tradition. Seizing upon her arrival to regain the initiative, Edwin offers a proposal. "I think I can safely say that the one thing we agree on is the need to further Doris' education. However, public schools are simply not up to the challenge." Helena was forced to concede that there might be some grain of truth there. "Therefore," Edwin continues, "I suggest we might take the task upon ourselves. When you were a student, did you prefer language or maths?"

"Language. And art, obviously."

"Obviously. You may handle those, I will handle maths, and once she has grounding there we can move on. Doris, on the top shelf, second from the right is a primer in Latin. Why don't you start there."

Helena bites her lip. "I don't read Latin."

"Then you may both learn. Doris, please return home by sunset for this evenings training in your other capacity." He watches his charge leave with that infuriating woman before collapsing into his chair. Since the Slayer had activated before he'd found her this assignment was bollixed up already; best to make do with what he could.

To be continued

Comments

[whswhs.livejournal.com]

Somehow it does seem that people like stories about Slayer/Watcher mismatches better, doesn't it? The Slayer and Watcher in Boca del Infierno are not well suited to each other at all, and of course Giles and Buffy were the prototype for this, though they developed a closer bond over time. . . .

[brianrogers.livejournal.com]

Some sort of mismatch is essential in a narrative sense, I think, as it gives an excuse to force the characters to further explain themselves to both each other and the audience.

In this case I don't think the mismatch is a great as the one in Boca (where I began to wonder about the Watcher's presence); left to her own the Emotionally Dependent Doris would likely come to idolize a watcher who lavishes such attention on her. The real tension and mismatch comes in the conflict between Edwin and Helena, who are designed to fight like divorced parents trying to control the destiny of their very special child. The needy, poorly educated object of their affections should be torn between them until she can either reconcile them or learn to stand on her own - which will hopefully play like classic Buffy female empowerment.

Fortunately the Progressive Age they occupy makes that story arc credible. Of course, if I'm going to put this on the next prospectus I'll have to do a lot more reading on the time.