The Sorrowful Tale of Miss Kitty Fantastico - Ch.13: Spike,Dawn,Clem
TITLE: The Sorrowful Tale of Miss Kitty Fantastico - Ch.13: by myfeetshowit
Characters: Spike,Dawn,Clem
Summary: Buffy is dead and Dawn’s fifteenth birthday is coming up. A penniless Spike wants to get her the greatest present ever. It proves to be harder than he expected. He encounters kittens, and Clem and nosehairs and learns some valuable lessons about life.
Rating: PG for swearing
Warnings/Notes: A Sunnydale version of a Victorian Morality Play. Inspired by Kipling’s ‘Just So’ stories and served with a side dish of Dr. Seuss. A mixture of humor, angst, and reflection upon the foibles of a vampire who wants to be a good man.
Mr. Spike tries to make a difference.
TSTOMKF 13
Attitude is an ephemeral thing, a construct of the mind, a paradox composed of conflicting opposites - faith in oneself and a lack of faith in oneself. One conceives of the nature that one wishes to show the world and clothes oneself in that seeming. Attitude can add inches to one's height, dimension to one's appearance and gravity to one's words.
Mr. Spike had left Ordinary Joe's tattoo parlor with his attitude intact but he had allowed his human sensibilities to overcome his vampire veneer, and though in reality this made him something more than a mere vampire, he thought it made him less. Left without faith in himself, with only the lack, attitude became act and he was exposed to the world.
Thus the vampire that now returned to Ordinary Joe's was a changed one and the change, though internal, was visible in outward manner. A ruler might have shown his height to be the same, but in the measure of a man's eyes, Mr. Spike was smaller. The appearance that had demanded attention, now seemed to shrink from it. His words, though harshly phrased, were softly spoken. "Need to see her Highness. That gonna be a problem?"
Ordinary Joe simply stuck out his thumb and pointed it toward the stairs. He did not speak but Mr. Spike could see sympathy and sorrow shining in his eyes. He did not note the respect that tempered those more tender emotions and that was because he could conceive of no reason why he should be respected. He had failed again.
His snarl - a threat instead of thanks - was a half-hearted sop to his image and even he was unsure whether he was trying to impress Ordinary Joe or himself.
He was deeply aware of the magic upon the stairs. Mr. Spike was a creature of magic himself - his very existence was not possible without its presence - yet he had a deep distrust of its nature and its practitioners. What if Mau wouldn't listen to his request? What if there was no basket of candles? What if all the candles were useless lumps, slivers of wax with the wicks burnt away.
Vampires need not breathe nor hold their breath but Mr. Spike was given to performing both acts, and he now breathed a deep breath and released it with a dramatic flourish. The basket was there, exactly where it should be. Within it sat a single candle, formed from fine beeswax, with a well-shaped wick. Evidently Mau was in the mood to talk.
No sooner had that cloud of doubt passed from his mind than he remembered the ring. Would he need the inscription? He wasn't even sure where the ring was.
His hesitation was momentary. He was afraid his request would be rejected and, as always, when Mr. Spike was afraid, he cast away all consideration and confronted the thing he feared as promptly as possible. He wasn't about to delay his visit simply to facilitate ceremony and supplication.
Mau would either accept or reject his request.
The room was dark and he made his way to the statue by memory. Choosing not to grope for the box of matches, he gently laid the kitten's body beside the statue and lit the candle with his own lighter. Moments passed and there was no movement save the flicker of the candlelight and no sound save the susurration of his breathing.
Mr. Spike felt a moment of panic. If Mau was no longer interested in the kitten... No, he wasn't even going to even consider that possibility. Maybe the inscription was a necessary part of the magic. He'd just get it and come back. Who had the ring? Clem? Maybe Ordinary Joe.
He realized the candle was burning - he was losing precious time. He reached out to snuff it and an image rose in his mind - Mr. Clem stroking the statue. Couldn't hurt to try.
He slid his hand over the slick bronze, remembering the kitten and her itchy ears and he applied the lesson he had learned. The statue's surface was smooth and cool to his touch and then, so suddenly that he could not tell the moment of change, it became both soft and rough at once, warm textured fur, and a living cat leaned into the palm of his hand.
"Your kitten taught you well, Vampire."
Mr. Spike was embarrassed and he pulled his hands back and placed them in his pockets. He liked the sensual feel of the fur sliding against his skin and might start stroking again if he did not restrain his hands.
"You know why 'm here. Take her to heaven or suck up her soul or whatever it is you godly types do."
"A kitten cannot become a demigod so easily." Mau looked directly into Mr. Spike's eyes and for a moment he thought he could see through them, as though he were peering through a window and on the other side he saw something - he could not grasp what - but it was beautiful. When Mau looked away he felt his eyes flood with tears. His chest hurt. If he didn't know that his heart was a dead thing, he might have thought it ached for something it could never have.
Somehow one of his hands had left his pocket and was rubbing Mau's ear. Her rough purrs made the very room vibrate and then she pulled back and grasped his hand between her paws to hold it still. "The kitten was not properly initiated. We can see her soul at the gates but she must enter of her own will to be accepted within. Without the ritual she will not understand what to do."
"That's easy enough. We do the ritual. "
"You cannot. You are corrupt, soulless." Mau arched her head into Mr. Spike's hand, marking it with the musk gland that lay betwixt the ear and the eye, as though to deny her own words. "I cannot remain on this plain long enough and my oracle does not have that knowledge. The ritual must be performed by midnight tomorrow or the soul will be lost. You must deliver the kitten to my priests. There is a place - Greenwood Park."
"I know it. Over to Sunnyvale."
"Go to my oracle. He will give you instructions and means to keep the body preserved until it is time for you to deliver her."
"What? What am I s'posed to do with the body? I can just leave it here and your priests can come get it." Mr. Spike was not certain that he could bear to keep the kitten for so long, her body a silent witness to his guilt.
"Too far. They cannot make it here in time for the ritual." Mau looked at him again. "The kitten will know that you are near. You are the one that she chose and it is only mete that you are present as she begins her new journey. Did she choose unwisely?"
Mr. Spike shook his head slowly. "No."
She did choose unwisely though - the pollywog. He wasn't very good at taking care of his girls.
Thinking of his other girl, Mr. Spike decided to try solving one of his problems. "Look, I came here for the kitten and that's the truth, but I did make the effort. Seems like it might be worth a quid or two."
Mau's tail twitched and she pulled away from contact with him.
The light flickered and Mr. Spike noted the length of the candle seemed suddenly shorter. Afraid that the Goddess misunderstood his motives, he spoke quickly, earnestly, allowing Mau a rare glimpse of his heart. "Money's not for me, see. Someone..." His voice lowered, became shaded with a tinge of affection, "...Dawn. I need to get somethin' for her. I just... I want to even things up. Failed the kitten. Just want to see that someone gets what she needs."
Mau's tone was soft. "I understand that it is not coin you seek. You are the one who must understand your own motives. The child means much to you but you must take responsibility."
The muscles jumped in his jaw as he restrained himself from shouting. Why did she keep saying that? "That's what I'm trying to do."
"You have come far Vampire, much farther than any have thought possible. You still do not understand the full truth behind love but I do believe the... pollywog chose wisely."
The candlelight flickered and went out. His audience with Mau was over.
He stared into the statue's eyes for long minutes, searching for more - he wasn't sure of what - and then he shook his head at his own folly. What was he waiting for? Did he think he was going to get a break? Maybe see that... place beyond her eyes again? He was a vampire and he would solve his own problems.
***
Ordinary Joe gave him directions, a mixture of some magical potion in a spray bottle, told him to mist the kitten's body and how often. No more complicated than keeping a houseplant. He could do that.
Dawn's party was scheduled for 07:00. He hadn't exactly been invited to it and had planned to visit late after everyone else had gone, but best he went before delivering the kitten for the ritual or he might not return in time. He'd drop by at the Summer's house, hang for a few and be on his way. Dawn probably wouldn't want him around for long when she saw he was empty-handed, anyway. He did know she'd understand. She wouldn't give him the look but... she was going to be disappointed. Maybe if he had managed to save the kitten... but he hadn't.
On the way home he smashed the front window at Ronderman's 'Guns To Go', bent the bars, and took the crossbow that shouldn't have been in the window if he wasn't meant to have it.
He'd come up with some story for the Watcher to explain the lack of a receipt. And wasn't really like he was robbin' the joint - he'd only taken the crossbow. Only exactly what he needed. He'd patrol here later - make sure vamps didn't harass the customers. Give value for value. Wasn't theft.
PREV NEXT
Characters: Spike,Dawn,Clem
Summary: Buffy is dead and Dawn’s fifteenth birthday is coming up. A penniless Spike wants to get her the greatest present ever. It proves to be harder than he expected. He encounters kittens, and Clem and nosehairs and learns some valuable lessons about life.
Rating: PG for swearing
Warnings/Notes: A Sunnydale version of a Victorian Morality Play. Inspired by Kipling’s ‘Just So’ stories and served with a side dish of Dr. Seuss. A mixture of humor, angst, and reflection upon the foibles of a vampire who wants to be a good man.
Mr. Spike tries to make a difference.
TSTOMKF 13
Attitude is an ephemeral thing, a construct of the mind, a paradox composed of conflicting opposites - faith in oneself and a lack of faith in oneself. One conceives of the nature that one wishes to show the world and clothes oneself in that seeming. Attitude can add inches to one's height, dimension to one's appearance and gravity to one's words.
Mr. Spike had left Ordinary Joe's tattoo parlor with his attitude intact but he had allowed his human sensibilities to overcome his vampire veneer, and though in reality this made him something more than a mere vampire, he thought it made him less. Left without faith in himself, with only the lack, attitude became act and he was exposed to the world.
Thus the vampire that now returned to Ordinary Joe's was a changed one and the change, though internal, was visible in outward manner. A ruler might have shown his height to be the same, but in the measure of a man's eyes, Mr. Spike was smaller. The appearance that had demanded attention, now seemed to shrink from it. His words, though harshly phrased, were softly spoken. "Need to see her Highness. That gonna be a problem?"
Ordinary Joe simply stuck out his thumb and pointed it toward the stairs. He did not speak but Mr. Spike could see sympathy and sorrow shining in his eyes. He did not note the respect that tempered those more tender emotions and that was because he could conceive of no reason why he should be respected. He had failed again.
His snarl - a threat instead of thanks - was a half-hearted sop to his image and even he was unsure whether he was trying to impress Ordinary Joe or himself.
He was deeply aware of the magic upon the stairs. Mr. Spike was a creature of magic himself - his very existence was not possible without its presence - yet he had a deep distrust of its nature and its practitioners. What if Mau wouldn't listen to his request? What if there was no basket of candles? What if all the candles were useless lumps, slivers of wax with the wicks burnt away.
Vampires need not breathe nor hold their breath but Mr. Spike was given to performing both acts, and he now breathed a deep breath and released it with a dramatic flourish. The basket was there, exactly where it should be. Within it sat a single candle, formed from fine beeswax, with a well-shaped wick. Evidently Mau was in the mood to talk.
No sooner had that cloud of doubt passed from his mind than he remembered the ring. Would he need the inscription? He wasn't even sure where the ring was.
His hesitation was momentary. He was afraid his request would be rejected and, as always, when Mr. Spike was afraid, he cast away all consideration and confronted the thing he feared as promptly as possible. He wasn't about to delay his visit simply to facilitate ceremony and supplication.
Mau would either accept or reject his request.
The room was dark and he made his way to the statue by memory. Choosing not to grope for the box of matches, he gently laid the kitten's body beside the statue and lit the candle with his own lighter. Moments passed and there was no movement save the flicker of the candlelight and no sound save the susurration of his breathing.
Mr. Spike felt a moment of panic. If Mau was no longer interested in the kitten... No, he wasn't even going to even consider that possibility. Maybe the inscription was a necessary part of the magic. He'd just get it and come back. Who had the ring? Clem? Maybe Ordinary Joe.
He realized the candle was burning - he was losing precious time. He reached out to snuff it and an image rose in his mind - Mr. Clem stroking the statue. Couldn't hurt to try.
He slid his hand over the slick bronze, remembering the kitten and her itchy ears and he applied the lesson he had learned. The statue's surface was smooth and cool to his touch and then, so suddenly that he could not tell the moment of change, it became both soft and rough at once, warm textured fur, and a living cat leaned into the palm of his hand.
"Your kitten taught you well, Vampire."
Mr. Spike was embarrassed and he pulled his hands back and placed them in his pockets. He liked the sensual feel of the fur sliding against his skin and might start stroking again if he did not restrain his hands.
"You know why 'm here. Take her to heaven or suck up her soul or whatever it is you godly types do."
"A kitten cannot become a demigod so easily." Mau looked directly into Mr. Spike's eyes and for a moment he thought he could see through them, as though he were peering through a window and on the other side he saw something - he could not grasp what - but it was beautiful. When Mau looked away he felt his eyes flood with tears. His chest hurt. If he didn't know that his heart was a dead thing, he might have thought it ached for something it could never have.
Somehow one of his hands had left his pocket and was rubbing Mau's ear. Her rough purrs made the very room vibrate and then she pulled back and grasped his hand between her paws to hold it still. "The kitten was not properly initiated. We can see her soul at the gates but she must enter of her own will to be accepted within. Without the ritual she will not understand what to do."
"That's easy enough. We do the ritual. "
"You cannot. You are corrupt, soulless." Mau arched her head into Mr. Spike's hand, marking it with the musk gland that lay betwixt the ear and the eye, as though to deny her own words. "I cannot remain on this plain long enough and my oracle does not have that knowledge. The ritual must be performed by midnight tomorrow or the soul will be lost. You must deliver the kitten to my priests. There is a place - Greenwood Park."
"I know it. Over to Sunnyvale."
"Go to my oracle. He will give you instructions and means to keep the body preserved until it is time for you to deliver her."
"What? What am I s'posed to do with the body? I can just leave it here and your priests can come get it." Mr. Spike was not certain that he could bear to keep the kitten for so long, her body a silent witness to his guilt.
"Too far. They cannot make it here in time for the ritual." Mau looked at him again. "The kitten will know that you are near. You are the one that she chose and it is only mete that you are present as she begins her new journey. Did she choose unwisely?"
Mr. Spike shook his head slowly. "No."
She did choose unwisely though - the pollywog. He wasn't very good at taking care of his girls.
Thinking of his other girl, Mr. Spike decided to try solving one of his problems. "Look, I came here for the kitten and that's the truth, but I did make the effort. Seems like it might be worth a quid or two."
Mau's tail twitched and she pulled away from contact with him.
The light flickered and Mr. Spike noted the length of the candle seemed suddenly shorter. Afraid that the Goddess misunderstood his motives, he spoke quickly, earnestly, allowing Mau a rare glimpse of his heart. "Money's not for me, see. Someone..." His voice lowered, became shaded with a tinge of affection, "...Dawn. I need to get somethin' for her. I just... I want to even things up. Failed the kitten. Just want to see that someone gets what she needs."
Mau's tone was soft. "I understand that it is not coin you seek. You are the one who must understand your own motives. The child means much to you but you must take responsibility."
The muscles jumped in his jaw as he restrained himself from shouting. Why did she keep saying that? "That's what I'm trying to do."
"You have come far Vampire, much farther than any have thought possible. You still do not understand the full truth behind love but I do believe the... pollywog chose wisely."
The candlelight flickered and went out. His audience with Mau was over.
He stared into the statue's eyes for long minutes, searching for more - he wasn't sure of what - and then he shook his head at his own folly. What was he waiting for? Did he think he was going to get a break? Maybe see that... place beyond her eyes again? He was a vampire and he would solve his own problems.
***
Ordinary Joe gave him directions, a mixture of some magical potion in a spray bottle, told him to mist the kitten's body and how often. No more complicated than keeping a houseplant. He could do that.
Dawn's party was scheduled for 07:00. He hadn't exactly been invited to it and had planned to visit late after everyone else had gone, but best he went before delivering the kitten for the ritual or he might not return in time. He'd drop by at the Summer's house, hang for a few and be on his way. Dawn probably wouldn't want him around for long when she saw he was empty-handed, anyway. He did know she'd understand. She wouldn't give him the look but... she was going to be disappointed. Maybe if he had managed to save the kitten... but he hadn't.
On the way home he smashed the front window at Ronderman's 'Guns To Go', bent the bars, and took the crossbow that shouldn't have been in the window if he wasn't meant to have it.
He'd come up with some story for the Watcher to explain the lack of a receipt. And wasn't really like he was robbin' the joint - he'd only taken the crossbow. Only exactly what he needed. He'd patrol here later - make sure vamps didn't harass the customers. Give value for value. Wasn't theft.
PREV NEXT