August 1: Just Before the Day
Title: Just Before the Day
Series: Many Mothers’
Author: Vashti (tvashti)
Fandom: Mad Max: Fury Road, BtVS
Character(s): Buffy Summers, Faith Lehane, Max Rockatansky, Furiosa
Rating: PG/FR-13
Summary: Buffy and Faith use a moment of reprieve to catch up and regroup.
Length: ~950 words
Disclaimer: Only the words are mine, and that’s probably up for philosophical debate.
Notes: Next part in the series I started for the 2019 FAD. Previous stories are here in the comm, on TTH and AO3.
*-*-*
"Did you see him?" Buffy asked as she joined Faith in one of the larger corridors.
The Citadel-turned-Green Place was under attack. But with a vertical fight happening between combatants used to fighting on the open road, it was slow. It moved in waves.
There was fighting above. They could hear it. There was fighting below. They could feel it. And they were in the eye, waiting for the wind to whip the other way.
"I nearly got him in the solar plexus," Buffy continued, a self-satisfied smirk curling her lips.
Faith twirled the Scythe. "I nearly gutted him."
"Show off."
"You started it, B. Just makin' sure I finish it."
Decades of hard living sloughed off as they parried words. Even when things were good between them, and despite almost a century of friendship things were not always good, they shot quips and insults at each other like comics or magicians testing new skills. Like sisters.
"I didn't recognize him at first," Buffy admitted.
Faith grunted. "They grow'em feral out in the Wastes. Cheedo says he doesn't talk much."
"Cheetos? Seriously? Someone on this godforsaken planet got the name Cheetos and people are *still* giving me major side-eye when I introduce myself?"
"Chee-DO! Chee-DO, Buffy. It's a name from her people." Faith looked her up and down, before adding, "Just like yours is a name from your people."
"Oh ha-ha.'
"Hey, you've had over a hundred years to say it's a nickname but you always claim it loud and proud."
"My mother named me Buffy."
"And Cheedo's mother named her."
Buffy glowered but had nothing else to say, until she thought to ask, "Who is this Chee-Chee person anyway?"
"Chee-DO is the tall Sister-Widow I conscripted to be my helper."
"The skinny scary one that hisses at people?"
"The one who looks like she should be a Slayer...if slayers ever came in packages equal to their reputations."
They shared a vicious smile. Slayers were rarely taller than 5'4" and though often athletic, had very slender builds. There probably hadn’t been a slayer in history, from the First to the last, who hadn’t heard some variation of “I thought you’d be bigger.” It was almost a badge of honor.
Suddenly they looked away from each other, both concentrating. The winds of battle were going to turn soon.
"So what did your Cheedo say about Max?" Buffy asked, getting them back on track.
"Doesn't say much. Him. He doesn't say much."
They were both distracted -- tense and waiting for the coming wave. But when Buffy swore under her breath, Faith knew it was about Max.
"The kid who could talk Dawn under a table and out the front door? Out of words?" She swore again.
*-*-*
“Max! Gun!” Furiosa snapped.
A rifle, freshly loaded, popped up from a ledge just below. She snatched it with her flesh hand before it could fall again, and allowed the empty to drop down in its place. She didn’t bother to watch Max snag it himself. They’d long since established a rhythm. So far nothing had exploded or backfired that wasn’t supposed to.
Quickly, Furiousa carefully scanned the horizon and the levels below her high perch for fresh invaders.
“Fight’s moving back down,” Max growled.
A ululating cry went up over the from the far side of their plateau. “I think that means we’re clear.”
Max looked up and caught Furiousa’s eye. “You don’t know?”
“It’s been a long time. And the first time someone made war on the Green Place in my lifetime my mother and I were kidnapped, so--”
“Sorry.”
“Yeah.”
Abundance came running up to them. “We got’em on’a run like, but now they’s got a head start on us, an we’s got people down below who don’t know whats comin’.”
“Send the cry down tunnels. The whole place is a warren. The sound will carry.”
“ ‘S good for this one,” said Max. “What about the others.”
“Aby, is there a way to signal the women on the other towers to do the same? Quickly?”
Instead of answering, the young ran pell-mell for the edge of the plateau. Max made as if to follow her, probably to stop her, but Furiousa had already learned better. She reached out with her metal hand to stop him. “They’re reckless but not stupid,” she assured him.
Max grunted. He wasn’t convinced, but he didn’t look up for another round of chivalry either. Instead he watched the golden-skinned redhead cup her mouth as she sang a new war cry. Furiousa left him to it. She had things to do. There was still war going on below them.
A much closer war cry startled Max out of his observation. The women’s voices were unlike any he’d ever heard, but it almost felt like he knew them. Like he could add his voice to the discordant song and ground the harmony. Like he should.
Max shook himself, and hoped he got the ghost that had come with that thought.
Furiousa made her call again just as Abundance, Lavender, Thyme and Ribbon joined him from their perches. Each woman held at least a melee weapon. Whether or not she carried a rifle or ammo, or both, depended on her skills.
Abundance rubbed her hands together. “Ready for more, Max the Fool?”
Careful to catch and hold her gaze, Max very deliberately said, “No.”
Aby clapped her hands together loudly as the other girls cheered. Max startled.
The young women hustled past Furiosa and Max, who stared at them with some bewilderment. Abundance hung until she was front of Furiosa. “Man who can war but ain’t keen to make it? This’n’s a keeper, Furiosa.”
The pair in question nearly choked on their spit.
Fin
Note2: Happy August Fic-a-Day everyone!
Series: Many Mothers’
Author: Vashti (tvashti)
Fandom: Mad Max: Fury Road, BtVS
Character(s): Buffy Summers, Faith Lehane, Max Rockatansky, Furiosa
Rating: PG/FR-13
Summary: Buffy and Faith use a moment of reprieve to catch up and regroup.
Length: ~950 words
Disclaimer: Only the words are mine, and that’s probably up for philosophical debate.
Notes: Next part in the series I started for the 2019 FAD. Previous stories are here in the comm, on TTH and AO3.
*-*-*
"Did you see him?" Buffy asked as she joined Faith in one of the larger corridors.
The Citadel-turned-Green Place was under attack. But with a vertical fight happening between combatants used to fighting on the open road, it was slow. It moved in waves.
There was fighting above. They could hear it. There was fighting below. They could feel it. And they were in the eye, waiting for the wind to whip the other way.
"I nearly got him in the solar plexus," Buffy continued, a self-satisfied smirk curling her lips.
Faith twirled the Scythe. "I nearly gutted him."
"Show off."
"You started it, B. Just makin' sure I finish it."
Decades of hard living sloughed off as they parried words. Even when things were good between them, and despite almost a century of friendship things were not always good, they shot quips and insults at each other like comics or magicians testing new skills. Like sisters.
"I didn't recognize him at first," Buffy admitted.
Faith grunted. "They grow'em feral out in the Wastes. Cheedo says he doesn't talk much."
"Cheetos? Seriously? Someone on this godforsaken planet got the name Cheetos and people are *still* giving me major side-eye when I introduce myself?"
"Chee-DO! Chee-DO, Buffy. It's a name from her people." Faith looked her up and down, before adding, "Just like yours is a name from your people."
"Oh ha-ha.'
"Hey, you've had over a hundred years to say it's a nickname but you always claim it loud and proud."
"My mother named me Buffy."
"And Cheedo's mother named her."
Buffy glowered but had nothing else to say, until she thought to ask, "Who is this Chee-Chee person anyway?"
"Chee-DO is the tall Sister-Widow I conscripted to be my helper."
"The skinny scary one that hisses at people?"
"The one who looks like she should be a Slayer...if slayers ever came in packages equal to their reputations."
They shared a vicious smile. Slayers were rarely taller than 5'4" and though often athletic, had very slender builds. There probably hadn’t been a slayer in history, from the First to the last, who hadn’t heard some variation of “I thought you’d be bigger.” It was almost a badge of honor.
Suddenly they looked away from each other, both concentrating. The winds of battle were going to turn soon.
"So what did your Cheedo say about Max?" Buffy asked, getting them back on track.
"Doesn't say much. Him. He doesn't say much."
They were both distracted -- tense and waiting for the coming wave. But when Buffy swore under her breath, Faith knew it was about Max.
"The kid who could talk Dawn under a table and out the front door? Out of words?" She swore again.
*-*-*
“Max! Gun!” Furiosa snapped.
A rifle, freshly loaded, popped up from a ledge just below. She snatched it with her flesh hand before it could fall again, and allowed the empty to drop down in its place. She didn’t bother to watch Max snag it himself. They’d long since established a rhythm. So far nothing had exploded or backfired that wasn’t supposed to.
Quickly, Furiousa carefully scanned the horizon and the levels below her high perch for fresh invaders.
“Fight’s moving back down,” Max growled.
A ululating cry went up over the from the far side of their plateau. “I think that means we’re clear.”
Max looked up and caught Furiousa’s eye. “You don’t know?”
“It’s been a long time. And the first time someone made war on the Green Place in my lifetime my mother and I were kidnapped, so--”
“Sorry.”
“Yeah.”
Abundance came running up to them. “We got’em on’a run like, but now they’s got a head start on us, an we’s got people down below who don’t know whats comin’.”
“Send the cry down tunnels. The whole place is a warren. The sound will carry.”
“ ‘S good for this one,” said Max. “What about the others.”
“Aby, is there a way to signal the women on the other towers to do the same? Quickly?”
Instead of answering, the young ran pell-mell for the edge of the plateau. Max made as if to follow her, probably to stop her, but Furiousa had already learned better. She reached out with her metal hand to stop him. “They’re reckless but not stupid,” she assured him.
Max grunted. He wasn’t convinced, but he didn’t look up for another round of chivalry either. Instead he watched the golden-skinned redhead cup her mouth as she sang a new war cry. Furiousa left him to it. She had things to do. There was still war going on below them.
A much closer war cry startled Max out of his observation. The women’s voices were unlike any he’d ever heard, but it almost felt like he knew them. Like he could add his voice to the discordant song and ground the harmony. Like he should.
Max shook himself, and hoped he got the ghost that had come with that thought.
Furiousa made her call again just as Abundance, Lavender, Thyme and Ribbon joined him from their perches. Each woman held at least a melee weapon. Whether or not she carried a rifle or ammo, or both, depended on her skills.
Abundance rubbed her hands together. “Ready for more, Max the Fool?”
Careful to catch and hold her gaze, Max very deliberately said, “No.”
Aby clapped her hands together loudly as the other girls cheered. Max startled.
The young women hustled past Furiosa and Max, who stared at them with some bewilderment. Abundance hung until she was front of Furiosa. “Man who can war but ain’t keen to make it? This’n’s a keeper, Furiosa.”
The pair in question nearly choked on their spit.
Fin
Note2: Happy August Fic-a-Day everyone!