Writing just to write, don't know if I'm ge. Basic idea is how character motivations can change the course of a story:

Title: A Prologue of Motives
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Everyone is motivated by something.

Greed, inspiration, a lifetime's long goal, everybody moves forward for something. And what this something does to a person has lasting effects that would send ripples into the people around them.

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Fear.

That's how he felt and lived ever since that January day he had met one Buffy Summers.

Gut wrenching, heart stopping, brain numbing, fear.

He now lived in fear of a world he thought was false and a fairytale. He lived in fear of the dark and of what monsters could be lurking within its corners.

And most of all he looked on in fear at those who could ignore it all. Wondering how they could have ignored it, how he could have ignored it all, and how things would be if people continued to ignore it. If people continued refusing to help.

He supposed that's why he decided to help Buffy despite all his fear.

That and lust. A whole lot of lust.

But it was that fear that motivated him to take that step into the library with a half scripted plan and ask the school librarian for a favor.

"Hey, uh, Giles? You got a minute?"

"Hmmm?" The English man half hummed as he paused in his arranging of the recently destroyed library and gave the teen his attention, "I suppose I could spare a few. What can I do for you Xander?" The boy's presence was a more than welcomed distraction from the frankly droning and draining work of picking up after the 'gang vandalism'. Besides, if the boy wanted to waste his lunch period talking to the old man in the library then Giles could at least indulge the teen.

The boy fidgeted where he stood, mouth opening a few times as he failed to start what he wanted to say rendering him effectively speechless. A first in Giles' memory.

Still, he waited patiently for the boy to get the words out, mildly reveling in what was most likely a once in a lifetime sight.

"Okay, here's the thing," The boy said, seeming to have recovered from whatever indecision that was plaguing him, "I want to help with the whole 'things that go bump' deal and more than just the whole read old dusty books capacity. Not that there is anything wrong with that, it just not my cup of soda."

And amusing as the boy's rambling was Giles felt he needed to put an end to it. "The point, please Xander."

"Alright, yeah, sorry." Xander said, sounding somewhat abashed, "Okay so the thing is, I, well… I kinds remember all the things Mrs. Madison could do and what the Zoo keeper guy did, sure both of them were off the deep end but what they did was cool, and could be majorly useful. Like, if we used it."

"Yes, that's true…" Giles trailed warily with a half idea of where their conversation was leading, "A-and you are bringing this up because?"

"I," He straightened his back a little and added a bit of steel to his as he gained a little bit more confidence after getting a bit of build up going, "Would like to learn magic. And I was hoping you would teach me."

Giles clamped down on his voice and took off his glasses to polish, trying to calm himself as his mind racked over the request. "I-I must say Xander, that is quiet an unusual request. May I ask what brought it on?

"I, I need to be able to do more, to be better." He said, obviously irritated by something. "I could barely hold my own against those vampires. I had to rely on that corpse to save me." His fist tightened till the knuckles turned white at that thought, "I need to be able to do more than get flung around like a rag doll."

Giles could understand that plight, he honestly could, but magic was dangerous. It wasn't like on the telly or fantasy books where you just waved around a stick and things happened as you demanded. It was like fire. Beautiful, warm, helpful but it could harm you like no other.

But at the same time he'd rather the boy try where it could be observed and nurtured. To keep the fire in the fire pit as it were.

"Very well." Giles said resignedly, ignoring the surprised and elated look on Xander's face. "But first we must run, ah, an aptitude test of sorts. It'll, ah, take me a while to get the needed ingredients but it should be ready with the week."

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Intrigued.

Utterly and totally.

This was a constant state of being for Willow, especially after she had met Buffy.

Demons, magic, boys. The blonde had shown her so much of the world that she barely even thought of before. But this was different, this was more wondrous.

This was magic!

It had started a few days before Summer Break when Xander attempted to get some magic lessons from Giles. Attempted being the key word.

Apparently her childhood friend had no aptitude for the subject, at all. With a little luck and training he may be able to light a candle but that would most likely be his limit. He had less than no talent and that ticked her friend off to no end.

The bright side to all that though is that Giles still agreed to tutor Xander in Demonology and even give a bit of weapons training when he had the time. He recommended that the boy find a local gym, dojo or some other martial art school to help complete his studies while Giles was otherwise occupied.

Which turned out to be a lot apparently.

If he wasn't on the phone with the Council, over some matter none of the Slayerettes were privy to, then he was going over patrol routes with Buffy. They seemed to trying to cut down on the night life population just enough for him to handle while Buffy was in LA with her father.

And since he was so busy Willow thought it would be rude to intrude on his work, so she asked went and asked someone else for help. One of the only other people in the whole school who she knew could help her with magic.

Ms. Calendar.

The computer teacher at first seemed hesitant but had quickly warmed up to the idea, most likely falling victim to Willow contagious enthusiasm.

They hadn't gone over anything major in the following weeks, focusing on the basics and the philosophy of it all. Willow found it especially exciting on how Ms. Calendar was trying to use modern technology to strengthen and improve her spells.

Willow had asked several questions just on that idea.
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An:
And I lost steam around Giles and his Guilt/Duty motivation. Buffy would have been Destiny.