Two Double Drabbles
Mar. 24th, 2016 12:28 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
quaggy posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
giles_shortsSo I honestly did try to get these down to 100 words, but it pretty hard to write an AU successfully with such a limited word count. So these are double drabbles, both clocking in at 200 words exactly. They are linked, so you'll have to read the first to understand the second. All you really know is that I dislike Season 6 intensely and yet somehow responded by writing a scenario that was arguably just as dark and depressing.
Giles closed his eyes. So he had guessed right.
He thought it was him. That he couldn’t reconnect with his Slayer because he was no longer worthy. A price needed to be paid for Ben’s death, after all. It was only on the airplane that he let himself wonder if the reverse was true. That it was Buffy. Or rather that it wasn’t Buffy at all.
All sources agreed. Not even the blackest of magics can rip a soul from heaven. The best that the spell could then do was create a near perfect copy from the dust of her bones. A copy that might reasonably assume that she’d been in heaven, thanks to an echo that Buffy’s soul left behind.
But the copy would lack Buffy’s fire and, having no drive of her own, would then become what those around her wanted her to be. Xander’s hero. Anya’s protection. Spike’s... Oh God....
Dawn? In her heart of hearts maybe what she really wanted was a big sister who wasn’t so perfect. Willow might as well, for her own reasons.
All he wanted of Buffy was something a copy couldn’t do. Giles sighed. He needed to fix this, but how?
"Giles, what have you done?!"
“I had to, Buffy. It was—”
“The fastest way to undo the damage of Willow’s spell. I know. But Giles! At what cost?!”
He never could keep secrets from her.
It was a conscientious and circumspect spell, only calling the soul of a loved one back if she was willing. The purpose was temporary, to convey last instructions and farewells. To nullify necromantic meddling. It was only considered black magic for the cost on the spell-caster’s own lifespan. The longer Giles kept the spell going, the shorter his life.
“It’s worth it. Not just for countering effects of the spell.”
Her eyes were soft and understanding. “Giles, I’m safe. I’m fine.”
“I know. I can see that now.” And he could. She was gold and glowing.
“Then let the spell go.”
“. . . I miss you.”
“What? And you think you’re never going to see me again? Wait… You do! Giles!! Don’t you know you’ve more than earned your place beside me?!”
“Then... I’ll be seeing you soon. Doctors said I had a year at most.”
“Oh God! That’s why you—”
“It’s fine. Without you, it wasn’t much of a life anyway.”
Okay, now please excuse me while I go write something fluffy.
Title: Oh, To Be Wrong!
Author: Quaggy
Word Count: 200
Last line prompt: Giles closed his eyes
Notes: This veers off canon shortly after Tabula Rasa
Notes: This veers off canon shortly after Tabula Rasa
Giles closed his eyes. So he had guessed right.
He thought it was him. That he couldn’t reconnect with his Slayer because he was no longer worthy. A price needed to be paid for Ben’s death, after all. It was only on the airplane that he let himself wonder if the reverse was true. That it was Buffy. Or rather that it wasn’t Buffy at all.
All sources agreed. Not even the blackest of magics can rip a soul from heaven. The best that the spell could then do was create a near perfect copy from the dust of her bones. A copy that might reasonably assume that she’d been in heaven, thanks to an echo that Buffy’s soul left behind.
But the copy would lack Buffy’s fire and, having no drive of her own, would then become what those around her wanted her to be. Xander’s hero. Anya’s protection. Spike’s... Oh God....
Dawn? In her heart of hearts maybe what she really wanted was a big sister who wasn’t so perfect. Willow might as well, for her own reasons.
All he wanted of Buffy was something a copy couldn’t do. Giles sighed. He needed to fix this, but how?
Title: Just To See You Once Again
Author: Quaggy
Word Count: 200
Last line prompt: "Giles, what have you done"
Notes: The title is from the song "Everything I Own" by Bread, which fits Giles's mental state a bit too well.
Notes: The title is from the song "Everything I Own" by Bread, which fits Giles's mental state a bit too well.
"Giles, what have you done?!"
“I had to, Buffy. It was—”
“The fastest way to undo the damage of Willow’s spell. I know. But Giles! At what cost?!”
He never could keep secrets from her.
It was a conscientious and circumspect spell, only calling the soul of a loved one back if she was willing. The purpose was temporary, to convey last instructions and farewells. To nullify necromantic meddling. It was only considered black magic for the cost on the spell-caster’s own lifespan. The longer Giles kept the spell going, the shorter his life.
“It’s worth it. Not just for countering effects of the spell.”
Her eyes were soft and understanding. “Giles, I’m safe. I’m fine.”
“I know. I can see that now.” And he could. She was gold and glowing.
“Then let the spell go.”
“. . . I miss you.”
“What? And you think you’re never going to see me again? Wait… You do! Giles!! Don’t you know you’ve more than earned your place beside me?!”
“Then... I’ll be seeing you soon. Doctors said I had a year at most.”
“Oh God! That’s why you—”
“It’s fine. Without you, it wasn’t much of a life anyway.”
Okay, now please excuse me while I go write something fluffy.