XLIV--video, backdated to the first minutes after port starts;

[breakmychest]

[Locked to Elphaba]

[Spike holds up his warden item which is no longer registering Elphaba.]

Congratulations, Miss Not-so-Wicked Witch of the West. You're a free woman.

[Locked to Fred]

[Spike is grinning almost maniacally, looking like he's on the verge of tears.]

I did it. God, I can't believe it. My inmate's graduated.

[Locked to Buffy]

I just graduated my inmate. After port, I'm going to go home for a bit. I have to.

[Public]

Just thought everyone should know, Elphaba Thropp graduated.

Comments

[most_feared]

Good for her. Congratulations to the both of you.

[bigbad]

Thanks, mate. I think after port I'm going to take a little vacation.

[most_feared]

You will thoroughly deserve it. It gets tiring.

[bigbad]

Got to make sure my deal was carried through too. I wasn't doing this for the food rations, after all.

[strangehistorian]

Yes! Congratulations. You've both pulled off something quite remarkable, I hope you know!

[bigbad]

Yeah, I really do know.

[vinkus-witch.livejournal.com]

I have to admit, I wasn't expecting that.

[bigbad]

Well, your biggest problem was not caring about people. You've gotten a lot better there.

[vinkus-witch.livejournal.com]

I suppose you're right. I hadn't really noticed while it was happening.

[bigbad]

I don't think anyone ever notices themselves changing until it's too late.

[Private]

[slayage]

Gotta see if your deal was made? [She still doesn't know what it is. But she isn't sure she wants to, what with him being from the future and all.] ...This deal has nothing to do with me, right?

[Private]

[bigbad]

[He shakes his head.] No, nothing to do with you, and yeah, I gotta make sure the Admiral followed through. It's... it's important.

[Private]

[slayage]

I get it. Go back to the future and get me a postcard. [Semi-awkward silence.] How long?

[Private]

[bigbad]

I don't know. Not... probably not forever. But you know how home is. Things happen.

[Private]

[slayage]

[She blinks.] ...Oh. [... And slumps a little. Abandonment issues. Oh the abandonment issues. Then in a big show of PFFT I DON'T CARE, IT'S TOTALLY COOL, she waves a hand dismissing it.] Yeah, no, I know.

[And softer.] You do what you gotta do.

[Private]

[failedcreator.livejournal.com]

She has truly done this thing?

[Private]

[bigbad]

No, I'm playing a practical joke on the barge.

[Private]

[failedcreator.livejournal.com]

This is a most unkind practical joke.

[Private]

[bigbad]

...that was sarcasm. Of course it's not a joke. I wouldn't joke about that.

[Private]

[failedcreator.livejournal.com]

Was this sarcasm not a joke on the matter?

[Spike]

[http://users.livejournal.com/_fredless/]

Spike, that's ...[His grin is so wide it borders on ridiculous. But it's also infectious] That's wonderful.

[Fred]

[bigbad]

Yeah. It really is.

I've got to go home for a bit now, you know. Make sure everything worked out.

Re: [Fred]

[http://users.livejournal.com/_fredless/]

[She can't help but think of Cordy, of her own arrangement. Only she still doesn't even have an inmate yet, and Spike's getting to...

She's proud of him]

You mean with what you were working towards? What was it Spike, I don't think I ever asked...

[How had they never gotten around to that?]

[Fred]

[bigbad]

[He sighs and gives her a bit of a smile.] Had to save a girl. You know how it is.

[Spike]

[http://users.livejournal.com/_fredless/]

[Her thoughts naturally stray in one particular direction]

...Buffy?