Five Drabbles

[deird_lj]

Five drabbles, first posted at lateseasonlove, open_on_sunday, and still_grrr.

That Was Helpful

 

Two miles above the freeway, she received one final vision.

 

Pictures, flowing fast through her mind,

of balls of fire in the sky,

dirt monsters emerging from sleep,

swords in a graveyard,

Kingman’s Bluff,

prisons shaped like donuts,

magic staining hair in darkness,

snake-tongued statues,

a coven sending power across continents,

and death, death and destruction, and so much sadness.

 

The images came accompanied by a blinding headache – just like they had pre-birthday – and a conviction that only one man could prevent the oncoming disaster.

 

But she was all glowy, and still getting higher, so she couldn’t exactly tell anyone.

 

 

Keeping Score

One girl saved in a dark alley… is equal to one girl murdered in a dark alley.
He tries to keep a tally.
Saving one guy’s life equals ripping a guy’s throat out.
And it makes sense,
Rescued a family from death-by-dissection. That equals the family we slaughtered in Lyons.
in a mathematical kind of way.
Except the french family had two more children… carry the kidnapping…
But then
…multiply by the viscera I used to decorate the…
it starts to get
…subtract the lady I let get away…
confusing.
…does all that equal to protecting a bus of school-children?

 

 

 

Begin Again

 

They sat glumly on the bare floorboards, too depressed even to eat the pizza Gunn had bought.

 

They did nothing – because, frankly, there was nothing to do.

Nothing to unpack, except the one crate of books currently serving as a table. No files to reorganise. No clients to rescue. No phone to answer. No money to buy supplies.

So they just sat there, watched the pizza go cold, and waited for the power to be switched on.

 

Then Cordelia suddenly said, “Well, at least our hair gel expenses are going to be way down,” and they all cracked up laughing.

Building

 

Destruction.

What is destruction?

How much does it take to destroy a life?

 

A school-girl, popular and cute, is handed a destiny.

One life destroyed.

 

But she rebuilds. Uses the rubble of the old life to construct a new life.

So perhaps it wasn’t destruction after all.

 

Then some gypsies run into town, and steal a soul.

And the house comes crashing down.

 

She persists. Begins yet again, using the bricks from the old building.

Until some monks sneak in and change the schematics.

 

She constructs the perfect death.

And finally she can be happy.

 

Then the witch destroys her. 

 

New Mother

“Vampires can’t have children.”
Darla smiled, mockingly. “You know we can’t. I know we can’t. But, we did.”

“You don’t think it’s a bit… weird?”
“That’s mystical forces for you, darling. They tend to ignore basic biology.”
Angel nodded ruefully.
“I mean, if the birth had just been normal, he wouldn’t be our Miracle Child, would he?”
“He’ll always be a miracle.”
“Of course.”

“I just… well, magical biology notwithstanding… I guess I thought that if we did have a baby, you’d be the one who got pregnant.”
“Dear boy,” Darla said affectionately. “You still have so much to learn.”

Comments

[snowpuppies]

Great drabbles, each one. 'That Was Helpful' was so Joss - give you the info just a little too late...

'Keeping Score' was fantastic - A+ for concept and execution ;)

I loved Cordelia's tag in 'Begin Again', and 'Building' was phenominal, beginning to end - I think I commented on this @ open_on_sunday, but it's still great, so... ;)

And the switch-a-roo in 'New Mother' is just hilarious. What I wouldn't pay to see that!

Great job, hon!

[deird1]

Thanks!

I think I'm a drabble addict...

Glad you liked these!

[a2zmom.livejournal.com]

That first one was awesome. Poor Cordelia, her gift useless in the end.

And that last one made me snort. (The others I had previously told you how tasty they were.)

[deird1]

Glad you liked them!

(I have this theory that, post-Birthday, pretty much all of Cordy's visions were Jasminey ones, instead of the authentic variety. Real visions should still hurt, dammit!)

[dreamincolor.livejournal.com]

I don't know how I missed this..but these are awesome. Especially the last one. -giggle-

I don't think I'd seen 'That Was Helpful' either. I've said it before but I'll say it again, you are fantastic with summing up huge events into just a few lines, in a very visual way.

Very nice!

[deird1]

Thanks!

That last one was so much fun...

Glad you liked these!

[snickfic]

Hah, I followed your link over from gabrielleabelle's entry. "New Mother" had me snickering, of course. But "Keeping Score" was, as someone else said, wonderfully executed (and besides, I'm a sucker for mathy allusions in fic) and "Begin Again" beautifully captured that scenario. Bravo!

[deird1]

Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed them!

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

HAHAHA.

WIN.

*loves Darla and Angel and Connor*

Actually, all of these are brilliant. Poor Cordy. That kind of irony is so her.

And the "Keeping Score" one absolutely guts me, as does "Building." Poor Buffy. Will she ever be able to rest?

Then Cordelia suddenly said, “Well, at least our hair gel expenses are going to be way down,” and they all cracked up laughing. Too great!

[deird1]

Glad you liked these!


(Actually, I'm surprised you haven't come across them before. I was vaguely under the impression that you'd seen all of my stuff already...)

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

I did!

(No indeed! You've written so very much. I imagine it's a 50-50 toss-up for each fic, whether I've seen it or not.)