(no subject)
Title : Old Year’s Dying
Author : petzipellepingo
Characters : Drusilla, Spike
Setting : Pre-Series
Fandom : Buffy
Rating : PG-13
Full knee-deep lies the winter snow,
And the winter winds are wearily sighing:
Toll ye the church bell sad and slow,
And tread softly and speak low,
For the old year lies a-dying.
Alfred, Lord Tennyson
The snow is piled in mammoth drifts and Spike staggers along amusing himself by taking deep breaths and watching his frosty breath emerge in plumes.... He’s been enjoying his precious time alone with Dru ever since Darla took Angelus off to Budapest despite Angelus’ clear desire not to be parted from his broken Princess. Spike had listened to the shouting, the slapping and then the moaning from the next room and the following evening Darla announced that they were leaving for a little trip together - just the two of them. Everyone was to gather together after New Year’s in Bucharest but until then Spike and Dru were on their own. He and Dru had been going on the Grand Tour that he had always wanted to take Mother on but never could because of her worsening consumption.
They had laughed, danced and eaten their way through Paris then boarded the Orient Express to Munich where Dru insisted they get off and visit the countryside.
She was fascinated by the snow, clambering through drifts, cheering at the sight of the horse drawn sleighs and their tinkling bells and she insisted on staying in small inns dotted through the countryside with their feather beds and fat, delicious innkeepers.
Tonight was New Year’s Eve and they were outside a town called Bad Tolz where Dru decided that a soak in their iodine springs was just what she required. She called it a baptism and insisted that the attendants join her in the steaming water where their blood turned the water a soft pink. Spike had taken a sleigh and a team of horses away from a courting couple and he and Dru had been riding around the countryside until Dru decided to drive the sleigh into a tree, smashing it and allowing the horses to bolt off into the distance. You’d think these bloody Bavarians could make a sleigh of better quality Spike sighed. He’d left Dru wrapped in the sleigh blankets while he set off to find somewhere to spend the day. He’d been hearing the sound of bells and chains in the distance and oddly enough the scent of fish and cinnamon in the air.
He rounded a corner and came upon an amazing sight, a group of men dressed in clothing made of straw and wearing masks ringing bells and ratting chains sounding for all the world like Jacob Marley in that book by Dickens. He immediately decided they would make the perfect New Year’s gift for Dru. He shouted “Hallo!” to them and they came clanking over, bowing and nodding at the Englishman who seemed to be lost. Spike displayed his purse making sure they could hear the sound of the coins and motioned them to follow him.
Dru was already on her feet, the blankets pooling around her ankles and her eyes shining like stars at the wonderous sight Spike had found for her. Seeing the beautiful woman in the snow the men began to caper and make menacing noises while Dru clapped her hands and jumped up and down. “ They’ve come to drive away the evil spirits but the stars have steered them in the wrong direction and now they are mine.” Dru brought out her demon and in the bright moonlight the men suddenly realized that their harmless entertainment had gone horribly wrong. Screams filled the air as Spike and Dru chased the small group of men through the snow rending the straw and tearing off the masks to reveal youths quaking with fear and crossing themselves in their last moments.
Spike couldn’t remember a happier New Year’s Eve celebration . If only every New Year’s could be like this, just his Dark Princess and himself. Now all they had to do is follow the trail of the men back to were they came from. There was bound to be village or an inn in that direction. Maybe the innkeeper would have young daughters; Dru could dress them up and braid and re-braid their hair for hours.
Spike smiled into the darkness and thought of hot punch and featherbeds. This Grand Tour was much more enjoyable than the original one he had planned.
This is the only photograph I could find of the Buttenmandl
Author : petzipellepingo
Characters : Drusilla, Spike
Setting : Pre-Series
Fandom : Buffy
Rating : PG-13
Full knee-deep lies the winter snow,
And the winter winds are wearily sighing:
Toll ye the church bell sad and slow,
And tread softly and speak low,
For the old year lies a-dying.
Alfred, Lord Tennyson
The snow is piled in mammoth drifts and Spike staggers along amusing himself by taking deep breaths and watching his frosty breath emerge in plumes.... He’s been enjoying his precious time alone with Dru ever since Darla took Angelus off to Budapest despite Angelus’ clear desire not to be parted from his broken Princess. Spike had listened to the shouting, the slapping and then the moaning from the next room and the following evening Darla announced that they were leaving for a little trip together - just the two of them. Everyone was to gather together after New Year’s in Bucharest but until then Spike and Dru were on their own. He and Dru had been going on the Grand Tour that he had always wanted to take Mother on but never could because of her worsening consumption.
They had laughed, danced and eaten their way through Paris then boarded the Orient Express to Munich where Dru insisted they get off and visit the countryside.
She was fascinated by the snow, clambering through drifts, cheering at the sight of the horse drawn sleighs and their tinkling bells and she insisted on staying in small inns dotted through the countryside with their feather beds and fat, delicious innkeepers.
Tonight was New Year’s Eve and they were outside a town called Bad Tolz where Dru decided that a soak in their iodine springs was just what she required. She called it a baptism and insisted that the attendants join her in the steaming water where their blood turned the water a soft pink. Spike had taken a sleigh and a team of horses away from a courting couple and he and Dru had been riding around the countryside until Dru decided to drive the sleigh into a tree, smashing it and allowing the horses to bolt off into the distance. You’d think these bloody Bavarians could make a sleigh of better quality Spike sighed. He’d left Dru wrapped in the sleigh blankets while he set off to find somewhere to spend the day. He’d been hearing the sound of bells and chains in the distance and oddly enough the scent of fish and cinnamon in the air.
He rounded a corner and came upon an amazing sight, a group of men dressed in clothing made of straw and wearing masks ringing bells and ratting chains sounding for all the world like Jacob Marley in that book by Dickens. He immediately decided they would make the perfect New Year’s gift for Dru. He shouted “Hallo!” to them and they came clanking over, bowing and nodding at the Englishman who seemed to be lost. Spike displayed his purse making sure they could hear the sound of the coins and motioned them to follow him.
Dru was already on her feet, the blankets pooling around her ankles and her eyes shining like stars at the wonderous sight Spike had found for her. Seeing the beautiful woman in the snow the men began to caper and make menacing noises while Dru clapped her hands and jumped up and down. “ They’ve come to drive away the evil spirits but the stars have steered them in the wrong direction and now they are mine.” Dru brought out her demon and in the bright moonlight the men suddenly realized that their harmless entertainment had gone horribly wrong. Screams filled the air as Spike and Dru chased the small group of men through the snow rending the straw and tearing off the masks to reveal youths quaking with fear and crossing themselves in their last moments.
Spike couldn’t remember a happier New Year’s Eve celebration . If only every New Year’s could be like this, just his Dark Princess and himself. Now all they had to do is follow the trail of the men back to were they came from. There was bound to be village or an inn in that direction. Maybe the innkeeper would have young daughters; Dru could dress them up and braid and re-braid their hair for hours.
Spike smiled into the darkness and thought of hot punch and featherbeds. This Grand Tour was much more enjoyable than the original one he had planned.
This is the only photograph I could find of the Buttenmandl