From: owner-arfic-l-digest@lists.xmission.com (arfic-l-digest) To: arfic-l-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: arfic-l-digest V1 #66 Reply-To: arfic-l-digest Sender: owner-arfic-l-digest@lists.xmission.com Errors-To: owner-arfic-l-digest@lists.xmission.com Precedence: bulk arfic-l-digest Monday, February 3 2003 Volume 01 : Number 066 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 14 Feb 2002 13:54:55 -0800 From: aixla@juno.com Subject: (arfic-l) Temperantia 1/? Title: Temperantia 1/? {Latin for Self-Control} Author: Ailie McFarland E-Mail: aixla@juno.com Feedback: My ego always appreciates it. Rating: PG-13 Distribution: Oh! Well, if it helps at all, I'm gonna say yes. Archive: http://www.geocities.com/aixla/buffy.html Disclaimer: Oz ain't mine. If he was he'd still be with Willow ... or he'd at least be a member of Angel Investigations (tell me he wouldn't be SO cute with Fred). X-Men aren't mine either (although I'd like to borrow Logan for a night or two). AUTHOR'S NOTE: Temperantia is book I of a series I'm planning called "Iunctura," which is Latin for "A joining or relationship." The joining here is the universes of Buffy and X-Men; demons and mutants. In my twisted little universe it is the year 2000, a few months after Oz left Sunnydale for the second time. The mutant phenomenon is just beginning to catch public attention. As for (X-Men) character ages and the like, I'm going to stick closer to the older comic books rather than the more recent cartoons and movie. I think that covers everything ... OH! Since some people's e-mail doesn't support italics, flashbacks will be in //slashes// and telepathy in {brackets} to keep things clear. I hope. CHAPTER 1: WOLVES IN THE WOOD Silver threads hung from overhanging branches, crying icy tears. An occasional drop struck the top of Logan's head, mixing with sweat before trickling down the lines composing his rugged features. The moon was full, the air crisp, and the forest floor had a new carpet of freshly fallen snow. He had just under an hour until the sun peaked its head over the horizon. Mornings like this were what he lived for. Well, mornings like this and the occasional chance to go into combat. Not just fights mind you, brawls. All out fists and claws, no holds barred, winner takes all mayhem. The Professor had taught him control, but you just couldn't take all the beast out of the man. Still, Logan had learned to appreciate the simpler, more serene gifts that life had to offer. Storm had infected him with her love of Mother Nature, and lately Logan just couldn't get enough of her wonderful world. Like most of his fellow X-Men, Logan enjoyed a daily jog as part of a rigorous training program. However, Logan's departure from Xavier's School for the Gifted tended to attract a bit more attention than was normal. // "Hey," one of the newer students elbowed a friend. "Isn't that dude made of metal or something? So ... if he goes out like that, would my tongue stick to him when he came back in?" The older boy sighed. "His skin isn't made of metal doofus. And if you tried to lick him, I think you'd probably lose your tongue. Have you seen those things that pop out of his hands?"// Logan had to admit that his habit of running in sweat pants (and only sweat pants) no matter what the temperature was somewhat odd. Still, "If you're gonna put on all that crap, you might as well run laps inside." //Scott overheard Logan's purposefully loud remark and looked up. His eyes were hidden behind ruby glasses ... and his mouth behind a heavy scarf ... but Logan could read his indignant expression loud and clear. Without a word the younger man strode out the door and into the snow, the thick material of his warm-up suit swishing loudly with every step. Jean just shook her head. "Honestly Logan," she said, looking him up and down. "Shouldn't you at least be wearing shoes?" "Nice to know you care," he smiled slyly. "But you shoulda seen my running outfit in Canada. Wasn't a soul for miles around up there." Logan closed his eyes and projected a mental image of himself. Jean’s mind reading abilities were not her most reliable talent, so there was no way to be sure she received his telepathic pornography. To her credit Jean just smiled and walked away, leaving him to wonder.// Something startled Logan from his daydream. There was a scent on the air, something he had never encountered before. Heavy, musky, he would have sworn it was an animal if not for a hint of ... deodorant? But there was something else intermingled with that. Something dark, unnatural. He paused and closed his eyes in concentration. That's when it hit him; a freight train plowing into his right side. Growling, Logan was back on his feet in an instant, adamantium claws unsheathed. His foe was huge, a six foot wall of muscle and matted fur standing on two legs. Threads of saliva hung from three inch canines, and the muzzle that held those powerful teeth was covered in blood. “Well bub, looks like you already got a taste of something out here,” Logan said as he circled his opponent. “But you ain’t gonna get a bite of me.” With that he lunged forward, hoping to drive the creature to the ground. The wolf-creature dodged quickly to the left, leaving Logan moving forward and off balance. It dug its claws into Logan’s shoulder and leg, and using his forward momentum to toss the man into a nearby tree trunk; a move that would have broken Logan’s back if not for his metal laced spine. Shaking his head to clear it, Logan regained his footing. “That’s twice you’ve gotten me on my ass. Won’t happen again.” The wounds he received were already beginning to close as he moved in again, more cautious this time. Logan faked to the left and then darted by the creature’s left side, just barely raking its arm with the tips of his claws. Razor fine slits appeared, oozing blood in fine rivulets. Bellowing in rage and pain, the wolf-thing wheeled about just in time to see Logan slip by on his opposite side, this time gouging a much deeper wound in its back. The battle continued in this manner for some time. The beast was large and strong, but just not quick enough to keep up with Logan. In a manner of minutes it the trampled snow was fouled by its deep red blood, and no part of its body was unscathed. Weakened by loss of blood, the creature fell to the ground. Logan was on top of him in an instant. “Told ya it would end this way.” The blood-lust was strong in his veins, and he had his arm raised to deliver an artery-severing blow to the neck when the strangest thing happened. All the joints in the monster’s body began to pop. Startled, Logan jumped back. He watched in horror as its limbs contorted in all sorts of unnatural positions, as if the poor bastard was nothing but a marionette on strings. Hair receded, teeth and nails resumed normal proportions, and suddenly Logan found himself standing over the body of a man. “Just a kid,” he said softly, eyes widening. “It’s just a kid.” He knelt to examine the damage. What seemed like small cuts on the large beast were large gashes on the boy’s 5 foot frame. Long red hair was coated in blood, and the rise and fall of his chest as he struggled to breathe was barely perceptible. He was hanging on to life by a thread. “Hold on kid,” Logan muttered as he lifted the boy into his arms. “I’m gonna get you some help.” {Professor!} He screamed mentally, legs pumping faster than he thought possible as he headed back toward the school. {Emergency!} ~*~*~*~ “Ah, the prodigal hobbit returns.” A deep voice chuckled in greeting as Logan crossed the threshold of the mansion. “Hank,” Logan was out of breath. “Not now. Get Jean. Quick.” Henry McCoy looked up from his book, noticing his friend’s bleeding burden for the first time. “Good heavens!” He scrambled to his feet and took the unconscious boy from Logan’s arms. Exhausted, Logan slumped to the floor. “Are you sure you are alright, my friend?” Hank asked with concern. Logan lifted his head. “I’ll catch up in a minute. Get him to the infirmary.” Nodding gravely, Hank gently cradled the boy in his large blue arms and lumbered off. ~*~ Ailie McFarland ~*~ It could be witches! Some evil witches ... which is ridiculous 'cause witches they were persecuted, Wicca good and love the earth and women power and I'll be over here. ~ Xander I may be a cold blooded jelly doughnut, but my timing is impeccable. ~ Oz ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/. - - To unsubscribe to arfic-l, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe arfic-l" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 17 Feb 2002 03:31:34 +0000 From: "Mandi Ohlin" Subject: Re: (arfic-l) Temperantia 1/? Ailie - Oz and Logan! In the same fic! EEHEHEHEHEHE!! More, please! I must have more! Insane sugar-induced giggling aside... this is great. You've got me on the edge of my chair anticipating more of this crossover! Sorry I can't provide more profound feedback, but I hope this bolsters your ego enough to keep you going on the story. :) - -- Mandi Ohlin (Mandolin) member of the SisterHood of Evil fanfic fanatic and nitpicker extraordinaire Michael: What *are* you trying to say? Theo: No turkey, no stuffing, no pie. No nooky. Happy Thanksgiving. --N&A, "Pulp Turkey" http://weirdweb.net _________________________________________________________________ MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx - - To unsubscribe to arfic-l, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe arfic-l" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 17 Feb 2002 17:25:18 GMT From: Ailie Subject: Re:Re: (arfic-l) Temperantia 1/? *LOL* Thanks! Those are two of my favorite people too ... although you notive I went to great lengths to include Beast in the opening chapter. He's definately my favorite X-Man. Still, a guilt ridden Logan is always wonderful ... tee hee I have an orchestra concert this afternoon, but have no fear, chapter 2 coming afterwards. Thanks for the feedback! Ailie - ---------- "Mandi Ohlin" writes: From: "Mandi Ohlin" To: arfic-l@lists.xmission.com Subject: Re: (arfic-l) Temperantia 1/? Date: Sun, 17 Feb 2002 03:31:34 +0000 Ailie - Oz and Logan! In the same fic! EEHEHEHEHEHE!! More, please! I must have more! Insane sugar-induced giggling aside... this is great. You've got me on the edge of my chair anticipating more of this crossover! Sorry I can't provide more profound feedback, but I hope this bolsters your ego enough to keep you going on the story. :) - -- Mandi Ohlin (Mandolin) member of the SisterHood of Evil fanfic fanatic and nitpicker extraordinaire Michael: What *are* you trying to say? Theo: No turkey, no stuffing, no pie. No nooky. Happy Thanksgiving. --N&A, "Pulp Turkey" http://weirdweb.net _________________________________________________________________ MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx - - To unsubscribe to arfic-l, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe arfic-l" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. Ailie McFarland ~*~*~ "What do you fear, lady?" he asked. "A cage," she said. "To stay behind bars, until use and old age accept them, and all chance of doing great deeds is gone beyond recall or desire." ~ The Return of the King ~ ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/. - - To unsubscribe to arfic-l, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe arfic-l" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 17 Feb 2002 17:38:35 GMT From: Ailie Subject: (arfic-l) better article, more details, sad story Actor Kevin Smith dies after fall in China 16.02.2002 Leading New Zealand actor Kevin Smith has died in a Beijing hospital after he was critically injured in a fall. His agent, Robert Bruce, confirmed that the 38-year-old actor had died. "I received a call from Kevin's family to say that he passed away in his sleep. "It's a shock to us all, and a major shock to the family. They're just trying to come to terms with it all." Mr Bruce could provide no further details. Auckland-based Smith was injured in the Chinese capital 10 days ago and doctors treating him were concerned that he would not recover from serious injuries. The accident occurred on February 6, the day after the actor finished work on a joint US-Chinese production, and as he was preparing to return to NZ. The hunky local star was then to have headed to movie "boot camp" to prepare for what many believed would be his big break, a role in a Hollywood blockbuster starring Bruce Willis. The doctor treating Smith told the Herald last night that staff from China's top movie production house, Beijing Film Studio, rushed him to the Beijing Union Hospital after the fall. Smith was believed to have been on a life-support machine before his death. The doctor, who did not wish to be named, said Smith had suffered a severe injury to his skull and had been in a critical condition. Acting sources have said he was injured when he fell from a great height, possibly six storeys. Li Hao, a spokeswoman for one of the companies involved in Warriors of Virtue II, said Smith, who had completed his film contract the day before the fall, had made a big impression. Smith's wife, Suzanne, and his parents, Geoff and Yvonne, are understood to have been with him. In addition to his wife, Mr Smith leaves his three children, Oscar, 11, Tyrone, 9, and Willard, 3. Mr Bruce said last night that the actor's family wanted to thank everyone who had sent messages of love and support. Smith starred in many New Zealand stage, television and feature films and is perhaps best known for his role as Ares in Xena: Warrior Princess. His ambitions to break into the American movie market were realised when he scored a role in the $US70 million ($166 million) Bruce Willis action film Man of War, due to start filming in Hawaii next month. He had leaped at the chance to go to China because the role allowed him to learn from the stuntman who worked on Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Smith, Auckland-born but Timaru-raised, got into acting when his wife and childhood sweetheart saw a casting call while he was sidelined by concussion during the rugby season. He was soon a leading man, happy to laugh at his beefcake image. "A nicer guy you wouldn't find anywhere," said friend and Comedian Mike King. - - STAFF REPORTERS Ailie McFarland ~*~*~ "What do you fear, lady?" he asked. "A cage," she said. "To stay behind bars, until use and old age accept them, and all chance of doing great deeds is gone beyond recall or desire." ~ The Return of the King ~ ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/. - - To unsubscribe to arfic-l, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe arfic-l" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 17 Feb 2002 17:39:23 GMT From: Ailie Subject: (arfic-l) better article, more details, sad story Actor Kevin Smith dies after fall in China 16.02.2002 Leading New Zealand actor Kevin Smith has died in a Beijing hospital after he was critically injured in a fall. His agent, Robert Bruce, confirmed that the 38-year-old actor had died. "I received a call from Kevin's family to say that he passed away in his sleep. "It's a shock to us all, and a major shock to the family. They're just trying to come to terms with it all." Mr Bruce could provide no further details. Auckland-based Smith was injured in the Chinese capital 10 days ago and doctors treating him were concerned that he would not recover from serious injuries. The accident occurred on February 6, the day after the actor finished work on a joint US-Chinese production, and as he was preparing to return to NZ. The hunky local star was then to have headed to movie "boot camp" to prepare for what many believed would be his big break, a role in a Hollywood blockbuster starring Bruce Willis. The doctor treating Smith told the Herald last night that staff from China's top movie production house, Beijing Film Studio, rushed him to the Beijing Union Hospital after the fall. Smith was believed to have been on a life-support machine before his death. The doctor, who did not wish to be named, said Smith had suffered a severe injury to his skull and had been in a critical condition. Acting sources have said he was injured when he fell from a great height, possibly six storeys. Li Hao, a spokeswoman for one of the companies involved in Warriors of Virtue II, said Smith, who had completed his film contract the day before the fall, had made a big impression. Smith's wife, Suzanne, and his parents, Geoff and Yvonne, are understood to have been with him. In addition to his wife, Mr Smith leaves his three children, Oscar, 11, Tyrone, 9, and Willard, 3. Mr Bruce said last night that the actor's family wanted to thank everyone who had sent messages of love and support. Smith starred in many New Zealand stage, television and feature films and is perhaps best known for his role as Ares in Xena: Warrior Princess. His ambitions to break into the American movie market were realised when he scored a role in the $US70 million ($166 million) Bruce Willis action film Man of War, due to start filming in Hawaii next month. He had leaped at the chance to go to China because the role allowed him to learn from the stuntman who worked on Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Smith, Auckland-born but Timaru-raised, got into acting when his wife and childhood sweetheart saw a casting call while he was sidelined by concussion during the rugby season. He was soon a leading man, happy to laugh at his beefcake image. "A nicer guy you wouldn't find anywhere," said friend and Comedian Mike King. - - STAFF REPORTERS Ailie McFarland ~*~*~ "What do you fear, lady?" he asked. "A cage," she said. "To stay behind bars, until use and old age accept them, and all chance of doing great deeds is gone beyond recall or desire." ~ The Return of the King ~ ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/. - - To unsubscribe to arfic-l, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe arfic-l" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2002 09:15:43 -0500 From: "Michele Bumbarger" Subject: Re: (arfic-l) better article, more details, sad story A reminder that news stories and warnings of this nature are not permitted on this list. I am trusting listees to use common sense and moderate themselves as I am currently busy and will continue to be so in the future, and I can not always police the list in a timely fashion. I would hate to have to close this list down due people forgetting the rules, or assuming that they no longer apply. Thank you, The List Owner, Michele Bumbarger _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp. - - To unsubscribe to arfic-l, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe arfic-l" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 27 Feb 2002 19:52:05 +0000 From: "Mandi Ohlin" Subject: (arfic-l) Alternate Realities down? Hey, all - Maybe it's just me and the lovely token-ring network at my work, but I was checking out Alternate Realities on my lunch break and got "403 Forbidden" errors for everything I tried. Is anyone else having this problem? Thanks, Mandi _________________________________________________________________ Join the world’s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. http://www.hotmail.com - - To unsubscribe to arfic-l, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe arfic-l" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 27 Feb 2002 17:50:14 EST From: SunStar77@aol.com Subject: Re: (arfic-l) Alternate Realities down? - --part1_158.9abe22e.29aebca6_boundary Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I'm getting a forbidden message when I try and go there. Sun "What are you doing now?" "We're averting our eyes, Oh Lord." "Well, don't. It's just like those miserable psalms, they're so depressing." God and King Arthur, Monty Python and the Holy Grail - --part1_158.9abe22e.29aebca6_boundary Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I'm getting a forbidden message when I try and go there.

Sun
"What are you doing now?"
"We're averting our eyes, Oh Lord."
"Well, don't. It's just like those miserable psalms, they're so depressing."

God and King Arthur, Monty Python and the Holy Grail



 - --part1_158.9abe22e.29aebca6_boundary-- - - To unsubscribe to arfic-l, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe arfic-l" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 28 Feb 2002 13:54:11 US/Eastern From: gsi16228@gsaix2.cc.gasou.edu Subject: Re: (arfic-l) Alternate Realities down? Hi, Mandi: Already to talked to our list mommy about this. Alternate Realites is temporarily down and will resume service probably in early March. Passing the word along, Caroline > Hey, all - > > Maybe it's just me and the lovely token-ring network at my work, but I was > checking out Alternate Realities on my lunch break and got "403 Forbidden" > errors for everything I tried. Is anyone else having this problem? > > Thanks, > Mandi > > _________________________________________________________________ > Join the world’s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. > http://www.hotmail.com > > > - > To unsubscribe to arfic-l, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" > with "unsubscribe arfic-l" in the body of the message. > For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send > "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. > - --------------------------------------------- This message was sent using GSWeb Mail Services. http://www.gasou.edu/gsumail - - To unsubscribe to arfic-l, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe arfic-l" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 13 Mar 2002 00:19:32 -0800 From: aixla@juno.com Subject: (arfic-l) There and Back Again 1/2 (Willow POV) Title: There and Back Again 1/2 (Willow's POV) Author: Ailie McFarland E-Mail: aixla@juno.com Rating: PG-13 Timeline: Post "Wild at Heart" Disclaimer: The lyrics belong to Enya, the characters belong to Joss, the rest belongs to me! Distribution: Oh! Well, if it helps, I'm gonna say yes. Archive: www.fanfiction.net eventually my site www.geocities.com/aixla/buffy.html but I'm way behind on that right now. Disclaimer: Please. Pretty please? With sugar and whipped cream on top? Author's note: This song and the song in part 2 left a deep impact on me, and the stories wrote themselves once I contemplated the lyrics for a few moments. If you don't know what movie they came from, you've been living in a hole since December 19th. *L* This part is also part of my ongoing attempt to portray Wicca in a realistic light through my writing. Let me know how I do. P.S. Those of you waiting for part 2 of Temperantia ... it's coming! Promise! School's just kicking my butt right now. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ May it be an evening star Shines down upon you May it be when darkness falls Your heart will be true You walk along a road Oh how far you are from home Mornië utúlië [Quenya: 'Darkness has come'] Believe and you will find your way Mornië alantië ['Darkness has fallen'] A promise lives within you now May it be The shadow's call ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ The woods are dark and peaceful. My footsteps are a soft crackle, counterpoint to the song of the last few crickets of warm weather and the occasional hoot of an owl. Nighttime in Sunnydale is not safe; I know that better than most. But there's something I have to do, and nothing is going to scare me away. "Oz, don't you love me?" "My whole life, I've never loved anything else." We spoke those words this morning, but already it feels like a lifetime ago. Every moment without him here is an eternity. Every second carries him further away. I spent most of the morning walking around his room, trying to soak up his scent, his presence. Eventually I moved my moping back to the dorm, and talked to Buffy for a while. That helped a little. She told me I needed to get out, clear my head, and get my mind off everything. After all, there was nothing I could do. It was that last part that got to me. After Buffy left on patrol I rummaged through the trunk at the foot of my bed. The supplies weren't that exotic, and the research was fairly basic. This would probably one of the simpler spells of my Witchy career, and also one of the most important. I pick up the few remaining ingredients along the way; a few leaves here, some water from the creek there. It's kind of nice being out in nature, gathering what I need instead of paying money at a store. More like the old ways, like the old ones. And for a moment I can almost forget why I'm out here in the first place. Almost. Finally I reach the clearing. I don't think there ever was a more perfect spot created for working magics. Tall trees worship the sky with leafy arms, allowing just enough space between for silver moonlight to trickle through and illuminate the 10 feet or so of ground space. Ferns and grasses grow in a protective wall up to the edge of the trees, but past that point there is nothing. Just a soft bed of mosses and pine needles. Stepping into this place changes you. The noises dim, the air grows warmer ... other rites have been performed here, I can feel it. You can practically see the energies moving and swirling, waiting to be worked and woven. My blue terry cloth robe slides from my body. I'm naked by conventional terms, "skyclad" according to the magic users. I never really understood that term until now. Not true. I suppose I had the intellectual understanding of what it meant to wear the air or the sky, but somehow in this place, for this purpose, it all makes more sense. The stars seem so much brighter now. Moonlight and shadows play across my pale skin. Breasts grow taught as bend my head to look over my body. There is no self consciousness, only reflection. And memories of the last time he touched me ... I arrange the votive candles from my bag in a circle and kneel in the middle. The final candle, white, is placed before me. My favorite photo of Oz lies underneath. He's wearing the shirt I bought him for his birthday, and his hair is as close to his natural color as I've ever seen it, I think. I don't need to turn it over to remember the writing "I call on the Goddess Danu," my voice is a hushed whisper as I strike a match and hold it to the wick. "Mother of all gods, creatrix of earth, giver of live, death and rebirth.. Within your great hands you hold the keys to all knowledge and magic. Hear the request of your humble servant, accept my offerings. Grant your protection to the one for whom I plead tonight." I stare into the flame of the solitary candle, transfixed by its wind dance. Seconds, minutes, hours ... unknown time passes as I fall into trance. It's almost like watching myself from above, as if someone elses hands take the candle from its place and pass the flame to the yellow candle on my left. "I call on the Guardians of the Watchtowers of the East. Powers of air and thought." Time for the offering. I light a small charcoal tablet and coax it to a warm glow with my breath. Then it's time for resin; Frankincense and Myrrh. When I burned this stuff in my parents' the smoke was so thick it set off every fire alarm in the house. Out here the tendrils of smoke just curl up into the sky, and the sweet smell is nowhere near as overpowering. "Wind, carry to Oz my thoughts of devotion, blow all harmful spirits from his path. Help him to find his way through the mental maze to the answers he seeks." Still kneeling I turn to my left. This time a red candle awaits me. "I call on the Guardians of the Watchtowers of the South. Powers of fire and passion." In a perfect world I would light a large bonfire as my gift to the spirits. But their's a no-burning ordinance in affect and the last thing I need is to have the police track the source of the smoke to a naked girl in the woods. So I offer fire stones; the ruby earrings my dad gave me for my sixteenth birthday. After burying them at the base of the candle I continue. "Burn to remind Oz that the home fires still burn as well, and that my love for him remains true. Burn with fiery vengeance those who would harm him, and keep him warm through the cold, lonely nights." My back is to the yellow candle, a blue one before me. "I call on the Guardians of the Watchtowers of the West. Powers of water and fertility." The thirsty ground soaks up the water I gathered from the river earlier. Over this I lay one of many tissues that gathered my tears today. "Carry on your tides my sadness, my longing for Oz's return. Put out the hellfires that reach to lick at his heels. Help him to be an open vessel in which the seeds of newfound knowledge can grow." The final candle stands just behind the white. It is green. "I call on the Guardians of the Watchtowers of the North. Powers of earth and stability. Elemental home of the Great Mother who watches us all." I tie three oak leave together with red thread, placing them reverently before the flaming candle. "In all living things, send the message to Oz that my love grows as well. Holy mother, smite those who may stand in his path. Send him whatever he may need to become the man he needs to be." "Goddess, Mother, Creator, grant your protection to this lowly traveler." The white candlewax has all but obscured Oz's face, so I close my eyes and hold his image firmly there. "May his path be straight, his journey swift, and his homecoming happy. So mote it be." Sometimes magic isn't spectacular. Flames don't leap and dance, balls of light don't appear, and there's no visible evidence that anything has changed. There's just this ... release. This is one of those times. The energy gathered in the circle passes through me. The intense focus and concentration is suddenly gone, replaced by weariness and a feeling of accomplishment. I fall forward onto my hands and knees, and take a moment to collect myself. Being a witch is about shaping energy, control and balance, but sometimes it's like every other religion ... it's just a matter of faith. I have to allow Oz his free will, to let him do what he needs to do and then come back to me when he's ready, so I have to accept that this blessing and my faith are enough to speed him on his way and keep him safe. It's hard, knowing that I have the power to do more but unable to do anything. But if I did it wouldn't be right, and the person coming back wouldn't be Oz. So ... Faith. Worry, pain, heartache, loneliness ... and faith. And love. Quietly and quickly I dissolve my circle, dismissing the spirits and thanking them for their presence. "Stay if you will, go if you must." It's comforting to know that no matter how alone I may feel, there are always spirits, elements, and other forces watching over me. Now they watch over him as well. Soon my supplies are all packed, the clearing picked free of candle wax drippings. I allow myself one more moment of my almost-full moonlight bath before I pull my robe back on, then it's time to get back to the dorm. Buffy will be worried. The last item to be collected is Oz's picture. I kiss the photo before placing it in my pocket, next to my heart. "Be safe," I whisper. "Come home. I love you." Although the moon is my only witness, somehow I know he knows. Ailie "What do you fear, lady?" he asked. "A cage," she said. "To stay behind bars, until use and old age accept them, and all chance of doing great deeds is gone beyond recall or desire." ~ The Return of the King ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/. - - To unsubscribe to arfic-l, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe arfic-l" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 02 Apr 2002 16:35:12 -0500 From: "Michele Bumbarger" Subject: (arfic-l) ADMIN: Announcement from List Owner April 2, 2002 I was going to post this yesterday, but realizing that it was the notorious April Fools' Day, decided against it because I didn't want this dismissed as a joke. The Alternate Realities site is still down at this time. I am currently seeking another home for the site, perhaps even a free server, and there is a good chance that the site will not be restored before May. There are other reasons for this, aside from the locating of a new home for Alternate Realities. My time, energy, and resources at this time are severely limited and tied up in other things that, yes, are taking priority over the website. On November 17, 2001 I learned that I would be a mother. This is a development that I am very, very happy about and I look forward to the day of my daughter's birth everyday. My due date is July 28, 2002 (although if anyone wants to pray for me to go a week or two early, I won't stop you!), and I have, for obvious reasons, been otherwise occupied. Pregnancy, while wonderful, is also draining and tiring. It's hard work growing a person! I am very much hoping to get the website up again, and possibly relocated by mid-May so that I can breathe easier over the summer months and during my maternity leave when I will be bonding with my little girl. However, due to the changes in my life, it is safe to guess that the archive portion of the website will be closed to new stories and updates indefinitely. The list will still be functional, and you may submit fan fiction to your heart's content. List Owner, (and Mommy to be to Stephanie) Michele _________________________________________________________________ Join the world’s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. http://www.hotmail.com - - To unsubscribe to arfic-l, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe arfic-l" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Oct 2002 15:13:08 -0400 From: "Michele Bumbarger" Subject: [none] test _________________________________________________________________ Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com - - To unsubscribe to arfic-l, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe arfic-l" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Oct 2002 15:28:49 -0400 From: "Michele Bumbarger" Subject: (arfic-l) test test _________________________________________________________________ MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx - - To unsubscribe to arfic-l, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe arfic-l" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Oct 2002 15:31:02 -0400 From: "Michele Bumbarger" Subject: (arfic-l) test test _________________________________________________________________ Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com - - To unsubscribe to arfic-l, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe arfic-l" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 3 Feb 2003 08:42:29 -0500 From: "Michele Bumbarger" Subject: (arfic-l) ADMIN: Activity Announcement This is a multi-part message in MIME format. - ------=_NextPart_000_0020_01C2CB60.2F7E4AE0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable February 2, 2003 If you are receiving this message, it's because you are subscribed to = the Alternate Realities Fan Fiction Mailing List (arfic-l).=20 If you wish to remain subscribed to this list, you need to do nothing = and simply ignore this message. If you do not wish to remain subscribed to this list, you will find = instructions to unsubscribe at the end of this message. 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