Addendum to the . . . well, further information: the "Summit Venture" was a ship in the St. Pete area back in the eighties, the site of one of the larger accidents in the Dead Zone history. There's lots of information on the web and in "Tampa Triangle Dead Zone" by Capt. Bill Miller (copyright 1997), available on ebay if no where else (a fun read for strange enthusiasts of the Tampa area), but I'll sum up a bit here. Basically, the Venture was a large vessel, that one morning was set to sail under the enormous Skyway Bridge south of St. Petersburg. It somehow ended up 800 feet off course, and crashed into the bridge supports, taking out a large chunk of the highway. A few cars and a greyhound bus went over the edge, and everyone in them were killed. Interesting side note, this tragedy put the Eckerd College Search and Rescue team on the map, as the students were brought in to aid the Coast Guard in pulling up the bodies. It's a dark story, and the reason why a lot of people avoid the Skyway bridge. Not as fun as EC freshmen racing the British Navy down Frenchman's Creek, but it's a tale of Eckerd history, nonetheless.
And: O.A.R. is a MD-based band. They rock. Check them out. The song I use here is "Crazy Game of Poker". Highly recommended.
Roads Less Traveled
by Casix Thistlebane
Story 4: the Scottish Play
Part Five
Xander swigged back a gulp of his Smirnoff, watching various cast members gyrate to O.A.R. Some of the girls seemed determined to impress him with their stripper-style moves, and he was in no position to complain. Mike had spent the early part of the evening quizzing Xander on all things supernatural ("Vampires? Really? What about werewolves? NO way! Leprechauns? Oh. Well, score one for the sceptics, anyway."), but was now busy in some other part of the house with Jane. He smiled, bittersweet memories of post-apocalyptic coitus with Anya filling his head. Dawn was dancing with the girls, and he downed another large swallow, reminding himself that, technically, she was still only five years old. He did not want to turn into Uncle Cracker.
"I say revolution and you say dja-da-da-da-DAAAA!" The girls raised their glasses high above their heads. Ang swayed her hips slowly to the floor, then pounded her hand down and shot, ass first, back to her feet. Xander could tell by the look on Dawn's face that she'd be practicing that move in the hotel room for weeks to come. He grimaced.
Not only would it be wrong, and illegal, Buffy would kill him. He shook his head, and decided to find another place to sit.
He found Emma sitting out on the front porch, chatting with Nancy. Naomi wandered by, holding her hands out in front of her in a desperate attempt to keep the barely re-attached but still thoroughly sloshed Martin from falling over. Martin, looking like his neck had been snapped, leered over his shoulder at her.
Xander plopped down next to Emma. "Looks like they're going to need to work on that spell."
Nancy grinned. "Lucky you had the contacts to get it to them in the first place. I knew Naomi was flighty, but this takes the whole fucking bakery." She glanced at Emma, then at her feet. "Pardon my french."
Emma patted her shoulder reassuringly. "I'm not going to be your teacher for much longer, Nancy. And I'm well aware that my students like to use harsh language."
"I can't believe you're leaving!" Nancy flung her arms out to the sides. "What does Cleveland have that Eckerd doesn't?"
"Snow?" Emma shrugged. "I doubt I'd get tenure down here anyway, I'm still considered to be rather young for a professor. Xander's private school just sounds like the right direction for me right now." She glanced up at him. "Besides, I'm looking at a substantial pay raise, RIGHT?"
Xander chuckled weakly. "Sure! If you go right now, you're looking at half our teaching budget. You only make 12 grand a year down here, anyway, right?"
Emma decided on a change of subject. "So where are you and you're 'sister' off to next? Back to the home office?"
"We've barely begun. We probably won't get back until after you do." Xander shrugged. "Willow says we're aiming for Gainesville next, so it's a short drive at least. She couldn't give us much more than that."
"This school sounds like its run by teenagers." Nancy frowned into her rum and coke.
"Of course not." Xander tried to look affronted, but suspected he failed. "It's run by an accredited administrator, and funded by a long standing English tradition. It's just mostly staffed with teenagers."
Nancy laughed, but Emma, realizing it wasn't quite a joke, simply smiled. She leaned back against one of the porch pillars. "You know, I thought I was done moving around. Tim and I were talking about kids. Guess that's going to postponed for a bit."
Xander sighed. "You don't have to go, Emma."
"If what you've told me is true, then I really do." She glanced over at Nancy. "Be a doll, would you, and fetch your director another beer?"
Nancy saluted. "It's your last chance to order me around as your stage manager, so I guess that's fair." She shuffled into the house. Emma turned to face Xander.
"Tell me more about Sunnydale, and the slayers." Emma smiled. "I want to know exactly what you're dragging me into."
Xander tossed back the last of his Smirnoff. "I'm going to need some more liquor for that."
end part five
tbc in "Gator-Slayers"
And: O.A.R. is a MD-based band. They rock. Check them out. The song I use here is "Crazy Game of Poker". Highly recommended.
Roads Less Traveled
by Casix Thistlebane
Story 4: the Scottish Play
Part Five
Xander swigged back a gulp of his Smirnoff, watching various cast members gyrate to O.A.R. Some of the girls seemed determined to impress him with their stripper-style moves, and he was in no position to complain. Mike had spent the early part of the evening quizzing Xander on all things supernatural ("Vampires? Really? What about werewolves? NO way! Leprechauns? Oh. Well, score one for the sceptics, anyway."), but was now busy in some other part of the house with Jane. He smiled, bittersweet memories of post-apocalyptic coitus with Anya filling his head. Dawn was dancing with the girls, and he downed another large swallow, reminding himself that, technically, she was still only five years old. He did not want to turn into Uncle Cracker.
"I say revolution and you say dja-da-da-da-DAAAA!" The girls raised their glasses high above their heads. Ang swayed her hips slowly to the floor, then pounded her hand down and shot, ass first, back to her feet. Xander could tell by the look on Dawn's face that she'd be practicing that move in the hotel room for weeks to come. He grimaced.
Not only would it be wrong, and illegal, Buffy would kill him. He shook his head, and decided to find another place to sit.
He found Emma sitting out on the front porch, chatting with Nancy. Naomi wandered by, holding her hands out in front of her in a desperate attempt to keep the barely re-attached but still thoroughly sloshed Martin from falling over. Martin, looking like his neck had been snapped, leered over his shoulder at her.
Xander plopped down next to Emma. "Looks like they're going to need to work on that spell."
Nancy grinned. "Lucky you had the contacts to get it to them in the first place. I knew Naomi was flighty, but this takes the whole fucking bakery." She glanced at Emma, then at her feet. "Pardon my french."
Emma patted her shoulder reassuringly. "I'm not going to be your teacher for much longer, Nancy. And I'm well aware that my students like to use harsh language."
"I can't believe you're leaving!" Nancy flung her arms out to the sides. "What does Cleveland have that Eckerd doesn't?"
"Snow?" Emma shrugged. "I doubt I'd get tenure down here anyway, I'm still considered to be rather young for a professor. Xander's private school just sounds like the right direction for me right now." She glanced up at him. "Besides, I'm looking at a substantial pay raise, RIGHT?"
Xander chuckled weakly. "Sure! If you go right now, you're looking at half our teaching budget. You only make 12 grand a year down here, anyway, right?"
Emma decided on a change of subject. "So where are you and you're 'sister' off to next? Back to the home office?"
"We've barely begun. We probably won't get back until after you do." Xander shrugged. "Willow says we're aiming for Gainesville next, so it's a short drive at least. She couldn't give us much more than that."
"This school sounds like its run by teenagers." Nancy frowned into her rum and coke.
"Of course not." Xander tried to look affronted, but suspected he failed. "It's run by an accredited administrator, and funded by a long standing English tradition. It's just mostly staffed with teenagers."
Nancy laughed, but Emma, realizing it wasn't quite a joke, simply smiled. She leaned back against one of the porch pillars. "You know, I thought I was done moving around. Tim and I were talking about kids. Guess that's going to postponed for a bit."
Xander sighed. "You don't have to go, Emma."
"If what you've told me is true, then I really do." She glanced over at Nancy. "Be a doll, would you, and fetch your director another beer?"
Nancy saluted. "It's your last chance to order me around as your stage manager, so I guess that's fair." She shuffled into the house. Emma turned to face Xander.
"Tell me more about Sunnydale, and the slayers." Emma smiled. "I want to know exactly what you're dragging me into."
Xander tossed back the last of his Smirnoff. "I'm going to need some more liquor for that."
end part five
tbc in "Gator-Slayers"