A twisted form of penance? Or just more insanity? At least he’s taking it out on himself & not innocent bystanders. 

wow self, horrible timing for this episode today.  I'm sorry!  Merry Christmas!

characters: Xander

episode recap: 

  Well you thought the drinking was bad.  Now he’s getting medieval.  Kore wrecked his self-confidence tonight, that’s for sure.  Why he owns a fleam at all is a good question.  He’s got his own ideas about physics and science, so maybe he figures there is something in the sanguine arts.  Where’s the leech jar?  However, he decides against the fleam and rips his own arm open with his fingers, non-coincidentally exactly like he did to Kore earlier tonight.  When that happened it was just healed so fast, did it mean anything at all?  Kore moved on from it without hardly missing a beat, but Xander’s still there.  Stuck in that moment when he proved to them both that her past has utterly destroyed her hope for a future…and his.