comment_fic 696-700: BtVS, SN, Merlin, Avengers, AtS/Leverage
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Title: there but for the grace
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Disclaimer: not my characters
Warnings: post-season 7
Pairings: mentions of Buffy/Angel, Buffy/Xander, a smidge of maybe implied Xander/Jesse
Rating: PG
Wordcount: 130
Point of view: third
Prompt: BtVS, Xander, He played God when he told Buffy that lie in Becoming.
Sometimes, he wishes he could regret it. He really, truly does. He's done a lot of bad things in his life (Jesse, Jesse, oh Jesse), but that one - he made the tough decision.
He saved the world. He really, truly believes that. Buffy would've held back. Angelus would've won, and Angel might've come back just in time to watch the world die.
Was it his choice to make?
Xander looks at Buffy, and then around at the room full of baby slayers, all watching Buffy like she's something amazing. (She is. A part of him will always love her, and look at her like she's sixteen and perfect.)
Even if it wasn't his choice, he made it, and the world is still here.
He'll never regret it.
Title: freezing persons, recollect the snow-first chill, then stupor, then the letting go
Fandom: Supernatural
Disclaimer: not my characters; title from Dickinson
Warnings: pre-series AU; character death
Pairings: none
Rating: PG
Wordcount: 65
Point of view: third
Prompt: Supernatural, Any,
In the sweetest child there's a vicious streak
In the strongest man there's a child so weak
In the whole wide world there's no magic place
So you might as well rise, put on your bravest face
He's on his knees, hands on his belly, bleeding out. There's no way, no how, no chance at all.
Dad's down, Sammy's back at the run-down house pouting in his room (thank fuck) and the thing is circling him, licking its chops.
Their info was wrong. So wrong.
But he lifts his head and watches it come. He won't die afraid.
But he does die.
Title: we'll never be as bright as we are now
Disclaimer: not my characters
Warnings: reincarnation!fic; modern-day
Pairings: Arthur/Merlin
Rating: PG
Wordcount: 105
Point of view: third
Prompt: Merlin, Arthur/Merlin, Gold Forever lyrics by The Wanted
Cause we're
Butterflies, butterflies..we were meant to fly,
You and I, you and I..colors in the sky,
We could rule the world someday, somehow
But we'll never be as bright as we are now.
We're standing in a light that won't fade,
Tomorrow's coming but this won't change,
Cause some days stay gold forever.
The memory of being here with you,
Is one I'm gonna take my life through,
Cause some days stay gold forever.
He remembers while standing in the rain, watching his forever king walk away (only for a moment, to grab the credit card he forgot with the check, but seeing that back go, and the rain, and it was a thousand years ago today).
"Arthur," he whispers, eyes flaring golden.
Ethan looks back over his shoulder. "Did you say something, Dev?"
"Just hurry," he orders. "I have plans for when we get home."
He might be mad. He probably is. But Ethan-Arthur grins and walks faster towards the restaurant, and Devon-Merlin goes to the car.
"I knew I'd find you again," he says, turning the key.
Title: the tongue, a sapphire of ash
Fandom: Avengers movieverse
Disclaimer: not my characters; title from Sylvia Plath
Warnings: AUish for the movie
Pairings: none
Rating: PG
Wordcount: 375
Point of view: third
Prompt: Any, any (no incest please), If you're going to be stupid, you'd better be tough.
Thor is the strongest warrior in Asgard. He's trained for a thousand years, learned from the greatest teachers, honed his stamina and style. If it can be defeated, he can defeat it. He has no equal, when it comes to the battlefield.
Thor is not stupid, not by any means, but books bore him. Pretty words from the courtiers don't impress him. The twists and turns of arguments annoy him. He does not look to the past for learning; he is the king of tomorrow, and history has no meaning.
Mother tells him to pay attention to all his tutors, not just his teachers of battle. Battle strategy he understands and excels at, but the rest - he has no interest in it.
Father says that a king needs to be more than a warrior. Asgard is a head above the rest of the realms and must remain so, and king is a politician, not just a war chief.
Thor always replies, "Isn't that what Loki is for?"
Loki, little brother, so clever, so swift. Loki, who has outsmarted their tutors since they were still toddling around. Loki Silvertongue, the greatest magician in Asgard. Thor does not understand him most of the time, but Loki always has a way out. Thor is the brawn and Loki the brains - that's what many have said, time and again. It doesn't bother Thor at all; he knows where his strengths lie.
When he is king, Loki will be his adviser. Loki will charm everyone and Thor will keep them in line.
At least… that is what he has always imagined, but now he asks Heimdallr quietly, "Can you see him?"
Loki has gone to ground, in the wake of the Avengers' victory. Whether he is somewhere on Midgard or elsewhere in the Nine Realms, Thor does not know. And Heimdallr replies, "No, I cannot. He is again shielded from my sight."
Thor sighs and turns, walks out onto the bridge. He is still the strongest warrior in Asgard, and his brother is still the greatest magician. But he no longer wishes to be king.
He wants only his brother to again laugh beside him, and then explain the intricacies of the prank, so that he may laugh, too.
Title: when death comes with its hood we won't be polite
Fandom: Angel the Series/Leverage
Disclaimer: not my characters; title from Anne Sexton
Warnings: takes place during AtS finale and pre-Leverage
Pairings: none
Rating: PG
Wordcount: 90
Point of view: third
Prompt: Angel, Lindsey/author's choice, trust.
When it all comes down to it, all you can count on is family. Lindsey's choking on blood, watching Lorne walk out the door, dying by Angel's order and Lorne's regret.
Thank fuck for failsafes, and the fact that Lindsey only trusts one person (being?) in any realm.
Gotta kill 'em both at the same time to kill either, and he feels his brother's rage in the back of his mind, sending strength and love and determination.
I'll be there by morning, his brother swears, and Lindsey lets his eyes close.
.
.
Title: there but for the grace
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Disclaimer: not my characters
Warnings: post-season 7
Pairings: mentions of Buffy/Angel, Buffy/Xander, a smidge of maybe implied Xander/Jesse
Rating: PG
Wordcount: 130
Point of view: third
Prompt: BtVS, Xander, He played God when he told Buffy that lie in Becoming.
Sometimes, he wishes he could regret it. He really, truly does. He's done a lot of bad things in his life (Jesse, Jesse, oh Jesse), but that one - he made the tough decision.
He saved the world. He really, truly believes that. Buffy would've held back. Angelus would've won, and Angel might've come back just in time to watch the world die.
Was it his choice to make?
Xander looks at Buffy, and then around at the room full of baby slayers, all watching Buffy like she's something amazing. (She is. A part of him will always love her, and look at her like she's sixteen and perfect.)
Even if it wasn't his choice, he made it, and the world is still here.
He'll never regret it.
Title: freezing persons, recollect the snow-first chill, then stupor, then the letting go
Fandom: Supernatural
Disclaimer: not my characters; title from Dickinson
Warnings: pre-series AU; character death
Pairings: none
Rating: PG
Wordcount: 65
Point of view: third
Prompt: Supernatural, Any,
In the sweetest child there's a vicious streak
In the strongest man there's a child so weak
In the whole wide world there's no magic place
So you might as well rise, put on your bravest face
He's on his knees, hands on his belly, bleeding out. There's no way, no how, no chance at all.
Dad's down, Sammy's back at the run-down house pouting in his room (thank fuck) and the thing is circling him, licking its chops.
Their info was wrong. So wrong.
But he lifts his head and watches it come. He won't die afraid.
But he does die.
Title: we'll never be as bright as we are now
Disclaimer: not my characters
Warnings: reincarnation!fic; modern-day
Pairings: Arthur/Merlin
Rating: PG
Wordcount: 105
Point of view: third
Prompt: Merlin, Arthur/Merlin, Gold Forever lyrics by The Wanted
Cause we're
Butterflies, butterflies..we were meant to fly,
You and I, you and I..colors in the sky,
We could rule the world someday, somehow
But we'll never be as bright as we are now.
We're standing in a light that won't fade,
Tomorrow's coming but this won't change,
Cause some days stay gold forever.
The memory of being here with you,
Is one I'm gonna take my life through,
Cause some days stay gold forever.
He remembers while standing in the rain, watching his forever king walk away (only for a moment, to grab the credit card he forgot with the check, but seeing that back go, and the rain, and it was a thousand years ago today).
"Arthur," he whispers, eyes flaring golden.
Ethan looks back over his shoulder. "Did you say something, Dev?"
"Just hurry," he orders. "I have plans for when we get home."
He might be mad. He probably is. But Ethan-Arthur grins and walks faster towards the restaurant, and Devon-Merlin goes to the car.
"I knew I'd find you again," he says, turning the key.
Title: the tongue, a sapphire of ash
Fandom: Avengers movieverse
Disclaimer: not my characters; title from Sylvia Plath
Warnings: AUish for the movie
Pairings: none
Rating: PG
Wordcount: 375
Point of view: third
Prompt: Any, any (no incest please), If you're going to be stupid, you'd better be tough.
Thor is the strongest warrior in Asgard. He's trained for a thousand years, learned from the greatest teachers, honed his stamina and style. If it can be defeated, he can defeat it. He has no equal, when it comes to the battlefield.
Thor is not stupid, not by any means, but books bore him. Pretty words from the courtiers don't impress him. The twists and turns of arguments annoy him. He does not look to the past for learning; he is the king of tomorrow, and history has no meaning.
Mother tells him to pay attention to all his tutors, not just his teachers of battle. Battle strategy he understands and excels at, but the rest - he has no interest in it.
Father says that a king needs to be more than a warrior. Asgard is a head above the rest of the realms and must remain so, and king is a politician, not just a war chief.
Thor always replies, "Isn't that what Loki is for?"
Loki, little brother, so clever, so swift. Loki, who has outsmarted their tutors since they were still toddling around. Loki Silvertongue, the greatest magician in Asgard. Thor does not understand him most of the time, but Loki always has a way out. Thor is the brawn and Loki the brains - that's what many have said, time and again. It doesn't bother Thor at all; he knows where his strengths lie.
When he is king, Loki will be his adviser. Loki will charm everyone and Thor will keep them in line.
At least… that is what he has always imagined, but now he asks Heimdallr quietly, "Can you see him?"
Loki has gone to ground, in the wake of the Avengers' victory. Whether he is somewhere on Midgard or elsewhere in the Nine Realms, Thor does not know. And Heimdallr replies, "No, I cannot. He is again shielded from my sight."
Thor sighs and turns, walks out onto the bridge. He is still the strongest warrior in Asgard, and his brother is still the greatest magician. But he no longer wishes to be king.
He wants only his brother to again laugh beside him, and then explain the intricacies of the prank, so that he may laugh, too.
Title: when death comes with its hood we won't be polite
Fandom: Angel the Series/Leverage
Disclaimer: not my characters; title from Anne Sexton
Warnings: takes place during AtS finale and pre-Leverage
Pairings: none
Rating: PG
Wordcount: 90
Point of view: third
Prompt: Angel, Lindsey/author's choice, trust.
When it all comes down to it, all you can count on is family. Lindsey's choking on blood, watching Lorne walk out the door, dying by Angel's order and Lorne's regret.
Thank fuck for failsafes, and the fact that Lindsey only trusts one person (being?) in any realm.
Gotta kill 'em both at the same time to kill either, and he feels his brother's rage in the back of his mind, sending strength and love and determination.
I'll be there by morning, his brother swears, and Lindsey lets his eyes close.