Original Notes

Episode 12

Basic Plot:
An incubus/succubus assaults the gang, for breeding purposes (?).

Monster o' the Week:
Incubus/succubus

Overall plot advancement:
Everyone (Buffy in particular) comes to the realization that they don't need to have a significant other to be happy.

Scenes:

• The incubus tries to seduce Kennedy but, being male, fails miserably.
• Closing scene: Tara comes home.

Character action breakdown

• Buffy:
• Dreaming (though unknown to the reader). It's very romantic, the traditional seduction setting. The reader is led to believe that this is Angel, however the big reveal is that it's no one we've ever met before.
• At breakfast, talking about her dream. It was very vivid and felt incredibly real; Buffy admits that she had trouble waking up, it was so intense. Willow and Xander share a look and then launch into a rapid-fire routine wherein they pretty much tell Buffy that she's going out on a blind date that they're fixing her up with. And it's just one of several. Buffy is taken aback, and perhaps a tad peevish that they've obviously been planning this for some time. (Willow: "When was the last REAL, normal date you had?" Buffy: "...Well, I went to the movies with Scott Hope...") She is helpless in the face of their insistent enthusiasm, however, and relents. Dawn comes running in and makes a comment before grabbing a piece of toast and running out the door to school.
• Night #2. The dream is picking up, becoming more intense. The seduction is coming along nicely. This time, Buffy's alarm isn't enough to get her up, and she's finally shaken awake by Xander.
• Breakfast. Dawn's downstairs already with Willow, who's reading the newspaper. Upon seeing Dawn, Buffy (although bleary) is adamant that Dawn bring her young beau inside so he can be properly met before taking her little sister out on the town. Dawn is edgy about the meeting, trying to get Buffy to promise not to scare him off; Buffy can only promise to not maim him. Visibly. Dawn leaves to go to school. Xander turns the date talk to Buffy – she also has a date that night with a friend of Willow's. Xander mentions that his own friend is ready to meet her for lunch on Saturday, and that he's sort of hoping that she likes his friend better, since he and Willow have a bet going on. Buffy's really out of it and only barely hears him. Willow starts to read from the newspaper about some sort of sleeping sickness that appears to be going around town. They wonder if that's what Buffy has, to find the Slayer passed out on the counter. They wake her up and Buffy declares that she's going to head to Slayer Central to work out and hopefully wake up.
• Working out, joined by Giles. She brushes off his concerns about the tired thing, simply saying that she isn't getting a lot of sleep. Giles asks if her dreams are prophetic, and Buffy says she doesn't think so, but it sure would be nice to have a prophetic dream revolving around a hunky guy instead of death and terror for a change. She mentions that she's being forced on a blind date tonight, and Giles is excited for her. Their conversation degenerates quickly ("Did you hear so-and-so is going out with this person?" "Shut UP." "No, really!"), and when they realize it, they're both extremely embarrassed. (Buffy: "Uhm, Giles? Are we ... gossiping?" Giles: "Yes, I rather think so." Buffy: "We should stop now." Giles: "And never speak of this again.")
• Opens the door to Dawn's date. Her first test is to see if he's a vampire by simply holding open the door and standing aside. (Date: "Uhh, can I come in?" Buffy: "I don't know, can you?" Date: "Ooookay then.") From there, he's ushered into a chair where he sits uncomfortably facing Buffy, Willow and Xander, all glowering at him. Buffy's intimidation revolves around making sure that the guy knows just how important Dawn is to her and little displays of extreme physical superiority (stuff like utterly crushing a soda can in one hand or between just two fingers, maybe ripping a thick magazine or something). Once they've left, it's her turn, and she reluctantly heads out to meet her date at the restaurant.
• On her date. The guy is nice, but it becomes clear that he's really interested in Willow, and he agreed to take Buffy out in the hopes that he can learn more about Willow. After several threads of conversation inevitably lead back to Willow, Buffy informs that guy that Will isn't really his type, in a broad, gender sense. It takes a second, but he catches on to her meaning. He's disappointed for about five seconds, then gets a gleam in his eye and starts asking about Willow AND Buffy.
• Day #3 (we don't see her dream from the night before): Wakes up via a glass of water to the face to find Xander, Willow and Dawn gathered around her. They're getting seriously worried now (though Dawn took no small amount of glee in the water tossing). Buffy is grouchy from the poor sleep she's been getting (and hormone racing as well).
• At second date, trying desperately to stay awake and make the best of it. Part way through, Xander's friend suddenly has an epiphany and realizes that he's gay. Buffy's self-esteem just skyrockets.
• She comes home to the alarming theory that she (and others around town) is being seduced by an incubus. This is the last straw for Buffy; she's just not having very good male experiences this week. The real question is simple: how do I kill it? Answer: It has substance in dreams, so you have to kill it that way. Doing so should dispel the "sleeping sickness" around everyone else. But the problem is, Buffy is so far into its clutches now, they don't know if they'll be able to wake her up again. Buffy tells the others to make sure that they don't fall asleep until she's taken care of this and goes upstairs to bed.
• In her dream, she fights the incubus, channeling her frustrations in the true Buffy tradition of excessive violence. She kills it and wakes up instantly.
• Day #4: Walking along with Xander the next day, talking about her encounter with the incubus. She's limping – her ankle was hurt in the fight with the incubus. Giles says it's psychosomatic, Buffy thinks she probably slept on it funny. The conversation turns to her date last night and the fact that it didn't go so well. Xander confirms that Buffy didn't like either of her dates, then complains that means he and Willow both owe Dawn $10 (possible future joke for Dawn about how much money she keeps making just by betting on Buffy. Buffy feels like a racehorse.)


• Willow:
• At breakfast, listening to Buffy talk about her dream last night. She and Xander decide that this is the perfect time to launch Operation: Get Buffy a Normal Guy. They've been talking about how Buffy's could use a normal-type guy in her life, and have been planning to help (read: force) her on the road towards that. They bombard tag-team style with the idea, the reasons, and the details all at once, so Buffy never really has a chance to put up a fight. One of Willow's friends is first; she has class with him that day and will set everything up, so be ready by 8pm. Dawn tears into the room, makes a few disparaging comments, and then runs out again.
• At school talking to one of her friends. The friend is a bit out of it – she didn't sleep very well last night. She starts to tell Willow about her dream, and Willow remarks on how eerily similar it sounds to Buffy's dream.
• Downstairs the next morning, reading from the paper while the others talk about Buffy and Dawn's upcoming dates. After Dawn leaves, she discovers the article about the sleeping sickness, only to find that Buffy's passed out on the counter.
• Part of the intimidation squad confronting Dawn's date. Willow just levels a steely gaze, maybe letting loose once with a "Don't make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry" comment. She also preps Buffy for her date that night. After everyone's gone, she and Xander commiserate, and then decide to go out together for a friendly night.
• With Xander at a coffee shop. When he leaves, she flips through some of the books she got (either at the library or bookstore). They're high-level science stuff. Her browsing attracts the attention of a pretty girl who strikes up a conversation with Willow. The two hit it off.
• Day #3: With Xander and Dawn as they throw water in Buffy's face to wake her up.
• At the library waiting for her friend from earlier in the episode. The friend doesn't show. Concerned, Willow goes to the friend's place and knocks on the door. The roommate opens it up, yawning. She's been asleep and hasn't checked in on the friend yet. Willow does, to find her friend deeply asleep. They can't wake her up.
• Waiting for Buffy with Dawn and Xander when she comes home from her second date. They have news about what's been affecting people all over town – an incubus. They tell Buffy that she's going to need to kill it in her dreams, since that's where it has substance.
• With the others, each trying to keep the other awake. Maybe they're playing cards. Aggressively wakes Xander up, afraid that he's been caught by the demons. But no – Xander was just having a Xander dream.
• Day #4: Meets her new friend for coffee the next day. They're chatting and hitting it off kind of well when the girl asks Willow out on a date. Willow is flattered, but says she's really not looking for a relationship right now. The girl takes it really well and is clearly happy to just be friends. She goes off to class, leaving Willow alone to flip through her books some more. She's completely engrossed when something attracts her attention. She stiffens and looks around bewilderedly, finally looking out the window at a figure staring at her from across the street. "Tara?"


• Xander:
• At breakfast with Willow and Buffy, listening to the dream from last night. At some unseen cue, he and Willow assault Buffy about accepting their fix-ups. She is helpless against them. Xander will talk with his friend Wayne(?) about taking Buffy out the next night since Willow's friend is going first. He is similarly affronted by Dawn's passing comments about being too old to date.
• Wakes Buffy up.
• At breakfast that morning. He talks to Buffy about her upcoming date with Willow's friend, but shamelessly pushes his own friend, making it clear that he hopes Buffy likes him better since Xander has a bet going with Willow.
• Arrives at Giles' office while Giles is on the phone with Wood. The two talk for a bit after he hangs up about the ominous news Wood has (he's been researching the missing Slayers). Xander tells Giles about Buffy's sleeping, and Giles is concerned. He leaves to talk to Buffy and Xander decides to putter around his workshop since there's nothing that needs fixing.
• In his workshop. A Slayer enters (one we've seen before? A new one?) and asks Xander if he maybe wants to go to dinner and a movie that night. She's sweet, polite and more than a little shy. Xander is surprised, and quite flattered, but lets the girl down easily, letting her know that he simply isn't ready to date yet. She's disappointed and perhaps a little embarrassed, but Xander is sincere and they part well. He goes back to his work and Andrew enters, asking if Xander wants to go to dinner and a movie that night (although in a considerably more obscure date way). Xander is not so flattered this time, and disturbingly taken aback at the conversational similarities.
• Part of the scary intimidation group that confront Dawn's date for that night, trying to use the eye patch to show that he is big and macho and not to be trifled with where Dawn is concerned. (Perhaps they should all be very wary of the date's jacket?) When Dawn and her date leave, he and Willow turn their attentions to Buffy, who is on her way out to meet her own date at the restaurant. When she goes and it's just Xander and Willow, they talk about how they're both dateless, but okay with that. They decide to go out together, in a friendly way.
• At a coffee shop with Willow. They're just chatting, have a grand ol' time. Xander leaves the table briefly (to go get more coffee, go to the bathroom, something) and when he returns, he sees Willow deeply embroiled in a conversation with a not unattractive girl. Pleased that Willow is hitting it off with someone, he asks someone at the front counter to let Willow know that he's leaving and to have fun, and then starts the walk home. He's maybe a little lonely for Anya, but not bitter about it. He sees Faith walking the other way, and the two stop. They talk about the plans for the evening that went awry, and decide to hang out together. Xander makes sure first that Faith isn't planning on choking him as part of her night o' fun. She says that she isn't planning on it, so long as he can keep his smart-ass comments to himself.
• Day #3: With Willow and Dawn when they throw water in Buffy's face to wake her up.
• Part of the group that wait for Buffy to come home after her second date and tell her about what they're facing and how to fight it.
• With the others, trying to keep themselves awake. He nods off but is violently woken up by Willow and Dawn. They're worried that he was falling under the demonic influence, but alas no, it was just really nice dream.
• Day #4: Walking with Buffy, talking about the incubus and eventually Buffy's own recent dating adventures. He learns the last one didn't go so well and pouts – now he and Willow both owe Dawn $10.


• Giles:
• Talking to a group of Watchers, getting input about the Slayer training and their progress. They file out and his ex comes in, maybe to find out about the status on her assigned Slayer, or perhaps with some sort of information? Depending upon what exactly it is that Giles brought her there for (we will need to decide this). Whatever it is, she presents him with a report on whatever it is that she's doing. The two begin to trend towards a bickering, a clash of sorts. The ex likes this, though – the fire in Giles is something she loves, and she adores bringing it to the surface. She asks him out to dinner that night (possibly remarking that he clearly has lost the idea of dating, since that makes it twice now that she's asked him).
• In his office talking to Wood on the phone. The conversation is obviously a tad grave, and Giles says that he'll see Wood later that day when they can discuss more details. Xander comes in part way through the conversation. They talk a bit once he's off the phone; Xander passes on his concerns about Buffy perhaps being sick and then asks if there's anything that needs fixing. Giles reports that, amazingly, things are relatively intact that day. Xander leaves to go tinker around in his workshop and Giles goes to find Buffy.
• Finds Buffy working out. He's concerned about the sleeping thing, but Buffy brushes him off, simply saying that she's been dreaming a lot. Giles wonders if these are prophetic dreams, but Buffy assures him they're not the same kind. When she mentions that she's being fixed up on a date tonight, Giles is excited for her. Their conversation then becomes gossipy, embarrassing them both horribly.
• Rushes into the Summers home, anxious to have not missed out on the intimidation session with Dawn's date. He catches the last part, and makes some appropriately scary Ripper-esque looks and comments. He heads out quickly after that, though, as he is going out with his ex again.
• Brief flash to Giles' date. They're drag racing.
• Night #3: Talking with Wood in his office. They talk about all the data they've been collecting from around the world. Giles says that he's spoken to a Devon Coven representative, who warned him about a massive magical buildup, but it's cloaked and they can't pinpoint its origins or its target. There's obviously something big going on, and it doubtless has to do with the missing Slayers. Their talk is interrupted by an alarm going off. They run towards the Slayer's quarters.
• They enter to a room in chaos. At the center stands one girl who is fighting (and holding her own) against six or seven Slayers, including Faith and Kennedy. She's impressive, but slowly losing – it's only a matter of time. When she sees Giles and Wood, she decides to leave, with the parting comment of "We're not strong enough now. But we will be." Giles quickly takes control of the situation, ordering the junior Slayers who can still walk to help those that can't to the infirmary. He and Wood go to Faith and Kennedy, getting as many details as they can about the attack. Giles is obviously extremely concerned.


• Dawn:
• Runs into the kitchen to catch the last of the conversation with Buffy. She hears that Buffy will be accepting a blind date, and makes a comment about Buffy (and therefore, by extension, everyone else in the room) being too old to date. Everyone becomes offended. Dawn wonders aloud if Buffy even knows how to date guys that aren't dead, and then grabs a piece of toast and runs out of the house on the way to school – some friends of hers have their license already. (Of course, some friends of hers can actually drive. Poor driving seems to be a Summers gene.)
• Arrives to school with her friends. They chat about girlie-type stuff, when one of them points out to Dawn that she's being seriously checked out by one of the geeky-but-in-a-cute-way guys. He comes up and asks Dawn if she wants to go out with him this Friday night. Dawn is a little flabbergasted but recovers well and agrees. She's very excited; this is her first date (although she probably doesn't admit that to her friends).
• Day #2: At breakfast with the others, talking about her and Buffy's upcoming dates. She leaves to go to school.
• Date night. Mortified to come into the room and find her family intimidating the hell out of her date. She rescues him quickly and then apologizes profusely as they leave. He's actually cool about it, though, which impresses her – he says that they weren't so bad, and that Dawn should wait until she meets HIS family. "My kid brother does things with his mashed potatoes that you wouldn't even BELIVE."
• Day #3: With Willow and Xander when they wake Buffy up. Dawn is worried with the rest of them, but took no small amount of joy in flinging a cup of water into Buffy's face.
• With the others, waits until Buffy comes home to deliver the news about what's affecting the town.
• Wakes Xander up with Willow. Possibly overly excited at the prospect of throwing more water, and being a little disappointed when he wakes up easily.


• Faith:
• Walking down the street at night when she sees Xander, also walking alone. They stop and talk about interrupted plans for that night – Wood was supposed to arrive back that night and they were going to go out, but something came up and he had to cancel. Since they're both without something better to do, they decide to go friendly clubbing together.
• In the rec room when Kennedy enters. Faith is reading comic books, which she confesses she stole from Andrew's stash. It's pointed out that Andrew will go ballistic when he sees how she's manhandling them, but funnily enough, Faith doesn't really care. Faith asks Kenn if she's going out that night, but she has no plans – she TiVo'd the last Survivor and plans to settle in for an hour of fake physical prowess. As for Faith, she has plans to go out with Wood that night, soon as he finishes up with Giles. The restful moment is shattered when the door explodes inwards when one of the Junior Slayers who was out on patrol is thrown through it, badly beaten. One of the Super Slayers enters the room after her, her mark clearly visible under the tank top she's wearing. The assorted Slayers in the room all leap into action, Kennedy at the front of the charge ("Of course, instead of fake physical prowess, I can always go for the real thing.") Faith slaps the alarm near the wall, and runs to join the battle.
• Fighting against the Super Slayer when Giles and Wood rush in. They're all taking a beating, but eventually, they WILL defeat her. The Super Slayer runs out and after the Junior Slayers help their comrades, Faith and Kennedy are left to give the report. Faith makes mention about how they would have beaten her, and is clearly irritated (as is Kennedy) that they didn't get the chance to prove that fact. Faith says that the thing was wicked strong and had phenomenal moves and wonders what kind of demon it was.


• Kennedy:
• Night #3. The dream sequence plays out. We think at first that it's Buffy's dream, but it turns out instead to be Kennedy's. The setting and the guy are exactly the same, but when the reveal comes that it's Kennedy instead, we see how this new seduction play is failing miserably. Kennedy has no problem in belittling the incubus.
• Wanders into the rec room to join Faith on the couch. She has no plans for the night, save watching the TiVo'd Survivor episode from Thursday. They never get the chance to enjoy it much, however, as the Super Slayer attacks. Kennedy leaps immediately into the fray.
• Fighting the Super Slayer when Giles and Wood arrive. They drive her off, and Kennedy remains behind with Faith to debrief.

Episode 12 Breakdown – "Loves, Labor, Lost"

• Teaser
• Buffy dreaming. Very seductive setting. Has trouble waking up to alarm.


• Act One
• Morning. Buffy talking about dream. W/X tag team about setting her up on date. Dawn comment about how they're too old to date before going to school. Mention of Buffy's birthday here? Still need to work in Dawn's headaches. Maybe next scene?
• At school, Grip asks Dawn out.
• Willow at school with friend Erin. Erin having disturbingly vivid dreams. They'll meet Saturday for studying at library.
• Hannah and Giles. Giles sending Hannah to Sunnydale in few days. Hannah wants dinner first.
• Dream #2. More vivid. Alarm not enough to get Buffy up this time, Xander shakes her awake.


• Act Two
• Morning #2. Willow sees sleeping sickness around town. Family insistent that Dawn brings Grip in to be met first. Buffy falls asleep while others are talking. Her date's that night too.
• Giles and Xander scene, re: Business. Giles offers money, Xander says he wants to try to get as much of it on his own first if he can. Mentions Buffy's sleeping, Giles concerned. Goes to find her.
• Buffy/Giles scene. They gossip. This disturbs them both.
• Xander in workshop. Junior asks him out, which he politely declines. Andrew asks him out in much the same way. Xander is uncomfortable.
• Dawn date intimidation scene. Giles hurries in to be part, but can't stay long. Dawn leaves, and then Buffy goes on her date. Xander and Willow decide to go out together themselves.


• Act Three
• Scenes from Buffy/Dawn dates.
• Willow and Xander's night out. Willow hits it off with girl, Xander quietly exits. Meets up with Faith – Wood's busy getting ready for his mission. They hang.
• Night #3. Seems much the same as the others, but turns out to be Kennedy. She's SO not impressed. Buffy wakes up, though, with water to the face.
• Buffy date #2.
• Willow at the library. Her friend fails to show up. Will goes to investigate, and finds out her friend won't wake up.
• Slayer Central. Kennedy watching Survivor, Faith reading Andrew's comics. Base is attacked.


• Act Four
• Buffy comes home. Finds out what's going on. Goes to sleep to fight incubus.
• Wood, Hannah, Giles talking. Final checklist. Alarm rings out. Slayers vs. Super Slayer.
• Buffy vs. incubus
• Will, Dawn, Xander waiting for Buffy. She rejoins them later, limping.
• Monday – two days later. Buffy and Xander. Aftermath.
• Willow getting coffee with new friend. Friend asks her out, Willow politely declines. Left alone, gets tingle. Looks up. "Tara?"