March Amnesty, Part II
Title: Rodents
Word Count: 200
Fandom: BtVS/HP
Challenge: #001 - Animal Husbandry
Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own these characters. (Or the acromantula, for that matter.)
Faith realized too late that Andrew was heading for her. She had a nasty suspicion why, and she didn’t want to be stuck with that little chore any more than anyone else at Slayer Central. But the others had probably made themselves scarce enough that Andrew had only one choice left…
“Faith! Most amazing and kind hearted of Slayers-“
“What do you want, Andrew?” she cut him off with a sigh. If she let him go, it could be twenty minutes before he got to the point.
“You heard about Borneo, right?”
Andrew looked more pitiful than normal.
“Yeah. You, three slayers, some nasty demon that lives in treetops. Have fun with that.”
“The Ministry of Magic says that the acromantula is native to Borneo, so taking small animals is a bad idea.”
“And this has what to do with me?”
“I need someone to watch Anakin. Dawn’s on vacation, Xander’s allergic, and Buffy’s afraid she’ll accidentally hurt him- last time she watched him, he hid in her weapons chest.”
“Andrew, has it ever occurred to you that maybe you should find the ferret a better home?”
“Please, Faith? I promise I’ll make it up to you. Thanks, gotta run!!”
Title: Show Me What You're Made Of
Word Count: 200
Fandom: BtVS/HP
Challenge: #002 - Character: Buffy
Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own these characters.
Buffy shivered. She’d been warned what Dementors did. But the reality was still worse than she’d expected. Hermione had strongly recommended she take Harry along.
“That doesn’t make you better than us. That just makes you luckier than us.”
Buffy hadn’t been willing to risk Harry. He was still the only one who could kill Voldemort. The mission was what mattered. Have to save the world.
“I'm trying to see your point here, Buff... but I guess it must be a little bit to my left.”
She reached deep. There were more of them between her and her goal. If she triggered the charm Willow had given her too early, she’d have no way to get there.
“Then you can’t stay here, Buffy.”
Failure was not an option, no matter how many of these foul creatures stood between her and the relocated Horcrux she’d been sent to get.
“Mom? Mommy?”
She was close now. She could see it- along with hundreds of Dementors guarding it.
“That's everything, huh? No weapons, no friends. No hope. Take all that away and what's left?”
“Me,” she whispered, cracking the orb and watching as pure light shot out in all directions, incinerating the dementors.
Title: Dinner And A Show
Word Count: 100
Fandom: BtVS/HP
Challenge: #023 - Rubber Duckies
Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own these characters.
“So, Dawn,” Mr Weasley said, “Ginny tells me that you were raised by Muggles. It must have come as a shock to find out about magic.”
“Not really,” Dawn replied. “I lived in Sunnydale, so after vampires and demons, magic was kind of a relief.”
“That’s right, your sister is a Slayer, isn’t she?”
Dawn nodded, hoping the questioning wouldn’t go on too long. Ginny’s mom was an awesome cook.
“I hope you won’t mind me asking, Dawn, but what exactly is the purpose of a rubber ducky?”
“Protection from water demons,” Dawn said blithely. “Pass the potatoes, please, Gin?”
Title: Join the Club
Word Count: 200
Fandom: BtVS/CSI
Challenge: #034 - Nightmares
Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own these characters.
After he’d been abducted, there were only two people at work Nick had felt comfortable admitting the nightmares to- Grissom and Catherine. Grissom had been concerned, and suggested he talk to a counselor if it continued. Catherine had told him he knew where to find her if he couldn’t sleep. It had taken her a couple miserable nights before he’d taken her up on the offer. To his surprise, she wasn’t the only one up when he knocked on the door.
Dawn had looked at him, then spun on one bunny slippered heel.
“We’re in the kitchen.”
“We?”
He followed her. To his surprise, Catherine was making hot chocolate. Dawn slid onto one of the stools at the breakfast bar.
“Do you take yours with or without marshmallows, Nicky?”
“Catherine, I’m sorry if I woke everyone up.”
Dawn snorted.
“Who was asleep?” she mumbled.
“Lindsey’s sleeping at a friend’s house, Buffy’s out, and you’re not the only one who has nightmares,” Catherine replied.
He glanced sideways at Dawn and saw she was staring at the counter in embarrassment.
“With marshmallows, please. What was your nightmare about, Dawn?”
“The usual. The asshole who got stabbity with my abdomen. What was yours?”
Title: In Whose Mighty Company
Word Count: 200
Fandom: BtVS/LotR
Challenge: #052 - Tokens
Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own these characters.
Dawn tried not to giggle at the solemnity on the faces of the Galadhrim. This was a serious moment, a formal occasion. Levity would be out of place- it wasn’t as if the elves weren’t usually merry enough.
This was the day she was formally accepted as one of the Eldar, and not as just any elleth, but as the daughter of Galadriel and Celeborn, sister to Celebrian. This adoption made many of the people in the songs she had learned- Gil-Galad, Luthien, and Fëanor- her kin.
Celeborn gravely set on her brow the circlet that he himself had made, as Galadriel clasped the cloak she had woven around Dawn’s shoulders.
“Know all ye elves by these tokens that the elleth Minuial, once called Dawn, is now our daughter, one of the kindred of Finarfin and of Thingol.”
Dawn saw the bittersweet look in her foster mother’s eyes. Celebrian had already departed into the West. Whether Galadriel herself would be permitted to make that journey was doubtful. Dawn’s fate, however, was already foreseen: Minuial would be the last of her kindred to depart from Middle Earth, and would be allowed to take ship only once Sauron had been utterly overthrown.
Title: The Departed
Word Count: 200
Fandom: BtVS/LotR
Challenge: #084 - Anniversary
Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own these characters.
In the beginning, she’d been certain that Buffy would come for her. Every day she expected to see her, or Willow, or maybe both, come stomping out of the woods sniping at Haldir. She’d cried herself to sleep every night for weeks when her sister failed to appear. Galadriel had let her come to terms with it on her own. Eventually, Dawn had resigned herself- she had become a creature of Arda.
On anniversaries of her arrival in Lothlorien, she remembered her sister. After a while, she wondered what, if anything, Whistler had told Buffy. Or if the memory of her had faded, her sister and her friends magically forgetting her as they had once magically remembered.
Tonight was the fiftieth anniversary.
“They didn’t forget you, kid.”
“Whistler!”
“Shush, I had to argue long and hard to get both the Powers and the Valar to allow this, and I have to make it quick. But I thought you’d want to know- she thought about you every day, right up to her last.”
“Buffy’s-“
“Time’s…different there. It’s been longer a lot longer than it has for you.”
“She didn’t forget?”
“None of them did. And they never gave up on you.”
Title: What Happens In Vegas...
Word Count: 200
Fandom: BtVS/Ocean's 11
Challenge: #062 - Things That Go BOOM
Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own these characters.
Buffy sighed. She missed the old days. See vampire, stake vampire. Wash, rinse, repeat. These days she got the complicated assignments. Routine patrols were a fond memory.
“Ok, so I’ve got building plans, entry and exit points, security bypasses, stealth equipment, and a solid alibi. That just leaves a diversion. What do we have?”
“You’re going to like this one,” Xander told her with a grin. “An unexpected explosion in the parking garage. It’s slated for demolition the next day anyway, so it’s already been cleared.”
Buffy blinked.
“I don’t do explosives. Who are we getting to take care of that?”
“We’ve got our eye on a guy who’s got extensive experience,” Dawn told her. “Name’s Basher Tarr. If it goes boom, he’s used it at some point. Unfortunately, there might be a slight problem with availability.”
“Don’t tell me, he’s already got a job lined up that night.”
“Something like that. I think he’s robbing a casino.”
“How do we know this guy again?”
“Remember that thing in Belize?”
“Wait…does that mean his friends are here too?”
“Probably.”
“Then why exactly am I breaking into this vault? Can’t we just hire them to do it? Call Rusty and ask!”
Word Count: 200
Fandom: BtVS/HP
Challenge: #001 - Animal Husbandry
Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own these characters. (Or the acromantula, for that matter.)
Faith realized too late that Andrew was heading for her. She had a nasty suspicion why, and she didn’t want to be stuck with that little chore any more than anyone else at Slayer Central. But the others had probably made themselves scarce enough that Andrew had only one choice left…
“Faith! Most amazing and kind hearted of Slayers-“
“What do you want, Andrew?” she cut him off with a sigh. If she let him go, it could be twenty minutes before he got to the point.
“You heard about Borneo, right?”
Andrew looked more pitiful than normal.
“Yeah. You, three slayers, some nasty demon that lives in treetops. Have fun with that.”
“The Ministry of Magic says that the acromantula is native to Borneo, so taking small animals is a bad idea.”
“And this has what to do with me?”
“I need someone to watch Anakin. Dawn’s on vacation, Xander’s allergic, and Buffy’s afraid she’ll accidentally hurt him- last time she watched him, he hid in her weapons chest.”
“Andrew, has it ever occurred to you that maybe you should find the ferret a better home?”
“Please, Faith? I promise I’ll make it up to you. Thanks, gotta run!!”
Title: Show Me What You're Made Of
Word Count: 200
Fandom: BtVS/HP
Challenge: #002 - Character: Buffy
Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own these characters.
Buffy shivered. She’d been warned what Dementors did. But the reality was still worse than she’d expected. Hermione had strongly recommended she take Harry along.
“That doesn’t make you better than us. That just makes you luckier than us.”
Buffy hadn’t been willing to risk Harry. He was still the only one who could kill Voldemort. The mission was what mattered. Have to save the world.
“I'm trying to see your point here, Buff... but I guess it must be a little bit to my left.”
She reached deep. There were more of them between her and her goal. If she triggered the charm Willow had given her too early, she’d have no way to get there.
“Then you can’t stay here, Buffy.”
Failure was not an option, no matter how many of these foul creatures stood between her and the relocated Horcrux she’d been sent to get.
“Mom? Mommy?”
She was close now. She could see it- along with hundreds of Dementors guarding it.
“That's everything, huh? No weapons, no friends. No hope. Take all that away and what's left?”
“Me,” she whispered, cracking the orb and watching as pure light shot out in all directions, incinerating the dementors.
Title: Dinner And A Show
Word Count: 100
Fandom: BtVS/HP
Challenge: #023 - Rubber Duckies
Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own these characters.
“So, Dawn,” Mr Weasley said, “Ginny tells me that you were raised by Muggles. It must have come as a shock to find out about magic.”
“Not really,” Dawn replied. “I lived in Sunnydale, so after vampires and demons, magic was kind of a relief.”
“That’s right, your sister is a Slayer, isn’t she?”
Dawn nodded, hoping the questioning wouldn’t go on too long. Ginny’s mom was an awesome cook.
“I hope you won’t mind me asking, Dawn, but what exactly is the purpose of a rubber ducky?”
“Protection from water demons,” Dawn said blithely. “Pass the potatoes, please, Gin?”
Title: Join the Club
Word Count: 200
Fandom: BtVS/CSI
Challenge: #034 - Nightmares
Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own these characters.
After he’d been abducted, there were only two people at work Nick had felt comfortable admitting the nightmares to- Grissom and Catherine. Grissom had been concerned, and suggested he talk to a counselor if it continued. Catherine had told him he knew where to find her if he couldn’t sleep. It had taken her a couple miserable nights before he’d taken her up on the offer. To his surprise, she wasn’t the only one up when he knocked on the door.
Dawn had looked at him, then spun on one bunny slippered heel.
“We’re in the kitchen.”
“We?”
He followed her. To his surprise, Catherine was making hot chocolate. Dawn slid onto one of the stools at the breakfast bar.
“Do you take yours with or without marshmallows, Nicky?”
“Catherine, I’m sorry if I woke everyone up.”
Dawn snorted.
“Who was asleep?” she mumbled.
“Lindsey’s sleeping at a friend’s house, Buffy’s out, and you’re not the only one who has nightmares,” Catherine replied.
He glanced sideways at Dawn and saw she was staring at the counter in embarrassment.
“With marshmallows, please. What was your nightmare about, Dawn?”
“The usual. The asshole who got stabbity with my abdomen. What was yours?”
Title: In Whose Mighty Company
Word Count: 200
Fandom: BtVS/LotR
Challenge: #052 - Tokens
Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own these characters.
Dawn tried not to giggle at the solemnity on the faces of the Galadhrim. This was a serious moment, a formal occasion. Levity would be out of place- it wasn’t as if the elves weren’t usually merry enough.
This was the day she was formally accepted as one of the Eldar, and not as just any elleth, but as the daughter of Galadriel and Celeborn, sister to Celebrian. This adoption made many of the people in the songs she had learned- Gil-Galad, Luthien, and Fëanor- her kin.
Celeborn gravely set on her brow the circlet that he himself had made, as Galadriel clasped the cloak she had woven around Dawn’s shoulders.
“Know all ye elves by these tokens that the elleth Minuial, once called Dawn, is now our daughter, one of the kindred of Finarfin and of Thingol.”
Dawn saw the bittersweet look in her foster mother’s eyes. Celebrian had already departed into the West. Whether Galadriel herself would be permitted to make that journey was doubtful. Dawn’s fate, however, was already foreseen: Minuial would be the last of her kindred to depart from Middle Earth, and would be allowed to take ship only once Sauron had been utterly overthrown.
Title: The Departed
Word Count: 200
Fandom: BtVS/LotR
Challenge: #084 - Anniversary
Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own these characters.
In the beginning, she’d been certain that Buffy would come for her. Every day she expected to see her, or Willow, or maybe both, come stomping out of the woods sniping at Haldir. She’d cried herself to sleep every night for weeks when her sister failed to appear. Galadriel had let her come to terms with it on her own. Eventually, Dawn had resigned herself- she had become a creature of Arda.
On anniversaries of her arrival in Lothlorien, she remembered her sister. After a while, she wondered what, if anything, Whistler had told Buffy. Or if the memory of her had faded, her sister and her friends magically forgetting her as they had once magically remembered.
Tonight was the fiftieth anniversary.
“They didn’t forget you, kid.”
“Whistler!”
“Shush, I had to argue long and hard to get both the Powers and the Valar to allow this, and I have to make it quick. But I thought you’d want to know- she thought about you every day, right up to her last.”
“Buffy’s-“
“Time’s…different there. It’s been longer a lot longer than it has for you.”
“She didn’t forget?”
“None of them did. And they never gave up on you.”
Title: What Happens In Vegas...
Word Count: 200
Fandom: BtVS/Ocean's 11
Challenge: #062 - Things That Go BOOM
Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own these characters.
Buffy sighed. She missed the old days. See vampire, stake vampire. Wash, rinse, repeat. These days she got the complicated assignments. Routine patrols were a fond memory.
“Ok, so I’ve got building plans, entry and exit points, security bypasses, stealth equipment, and a solid alibi. That just leaves a diversion. What do we have?”
“You’re going to like this one,” Xander told her with a grin. “An unexpected explosion in the parking garage. It’s slated for demolition the next day anyway, so it’s already been cleared.”
Buffy blinked.
“I don’t do explosives. Who are we getting to take care of that?”
“We’ve got our eye on a guy who’s got extensive experience,” Dawn told her. “Name’s Basher Tarr. If it goes boom, he’s used it at some point. Unfortunately, there might be a slight problem with availability.”
“Don’t tell me, he’s already got a job lined up that night.”
“Something like that. I think he’s robbing a casino.”
“How do we know this guy again?”
“Remember that thing in Belize?”
“Wait…does that mean his friends are here too?”
“Probably.”
“Then why exactly am I breaking into this vault? Can’t we just hire them to do it? Call Rusty and ask!”