Whispering Gallery (PG)
Title Whispering Gallery
Author Brutti ma buoni
Rating PG
Words500
Setting s7, during Chosen
Prompt voices whispering (I utterly fail at spooky interpretations of prompts, btw. Go and read shapinglight's stuff if you want to be appropriately freaked out.)
Human beings are amazing. They're all going to die. They really are. They're about to open up the seal of Danzalthar and walk into the Hellmouth to fight the ubervamps and the First Evil, and they are armed with:
1) Two Slayers
2) One scythe
3) One witch who may be able to do something with the scythe. If the spell works.
4) One semi-crazed vampire in shiny jewellery
5) One former watcher
6) One former demon
7) One former super villain
8) One former Key-to-the-destruction-of-the-universe
9) One still-a-carpenter
10) One high school principal
11) Twenty seven assorted potential Slayers, all under 18
They have, literally, a one in a million chance of living to see 9am today. And yet at 6.45am, the sixteen people already assembled in the kitchen of Revello Drive swivel as one to watch Buffy and Spike coming out of the basement. Their full attention could hardly be more riveted: even an ubervamp attack probably wouldn't receive more focus.
Not a word is spoken, after Giles says, "Good morning, Buffy. Spike."
He watches as Spike heats his pigs' blood. Buffy finds cereal and milk, eventually, though hordes of Potentials grazing for breakfast has in recent days pretty much exhausted Revello Drive's resources.
The eyes of all sixteen people follow them. Buffy spoons Lucky Charms into her mouth, refuelling mindlessly. Spike vamps out while drinking from the blood bag, but no one stirs. The vampire in the kitchen is old news.
It's evidently unnerving enough, being so completely observed, to make them escape the kitchen with indecent haste. "Weapons… plans… got to check the-" The excuses-slash-reasons tumble from their lips as Spike heads for the basement arsenal, Buffy to the strategic command centre (aka couch).
The second, the very second that they have left the kitchen, the whispers begin.
Was she down there all night? She was totally down there all night, right? Did you see how he looked at her? Did you see how she looked at him? He was totally wearing the same clothes as- He always wears the same clothes, moron! Also, he lives down there, so… Yeah, but did you see the hickey? What? Who had a hickey? You mean you missed it? Totally oblivious, like always. How could you miss the hickey - it was, like, this big! I knew they were still- You did not! I thought she was over him- There is no way he's over her. And also, I hear when you go vamp, you never go back. Oh my god gross! Hey, they were screwing all night last night. Like, under our feet.
Giles drinks his coffee slowly, attempting to meditate in the darkness of the brew, and pretending that the whispers are inaudible to persons over the age of twenty. Also, the giggles.
He has, in fact, observed both the way Spike and Buffy looked at one another, and the not insignificant lovebite on the vampire's throat. However, they are all going to die in (he checks his watch) just under two hours' time, and he finds himself at this latest of late junctures quite unable to spoil anyone's fun.
People are amazing. They're all going to die, and one last night of comfort between former lovers can send the teenage population into spasm.
Giles is rather glad to see it.
*
Author Brutti ma buoni
Rating PG
Words500
Setting s7, during Chosen
Prompt voices whispering (I utterly fail at spooky interpretations of prompts, btw. Go and read shapinglight's stuff if you want to be appropriately freaked out.)
Human beings are amazing. They're all going to die. They really are. They're about to open up the seal of Danzalthar and walk into the Hellmouth to fight the ubervamps and the First Evil, and they are armed with:
1) Two Slayers
2) One scythe
3) One witch who may be able to do something with the scythe. If the spell works.
4) One semi-crazed vampire in shiny jewellery
5) One former watcher
6) One former demon
7) One former super villain
8) One former Key-to-the-destruction-of-the-universe
9) One still-a-carpenter
10) One high school principal
11) Twenty seven assorted potential Slayers, all under 18
They have, literally, a one in a million chance of living to see 9am today. And yet at 6.45am, the sixteen people already assembled in the kitchen of Revello Drive swivel as one to watch Buffy and Spike coming out of the basement. Their full attention could hardly be more riveted: even an ubervamp attack probably wouldn't receive more focus.
Not a word is spoken, after Giles says, "Good morning, Buffy. Spike."
He watches as Spike heats his pigs' blood. Buffy finds cereal and milk, eventually, though hordes of Potentials grazing for breakfast has in recent days pretty much exhausted Revello Drive's resources.
The eyes of all sixteen people follow them. Buffy spoons Lucky Charms into her mouth, refuelling mindlessly. Spike vamps out while drinking from the blood bag, but no one stirs. The vampire in the kitchen is old news.
It's evidently unnerving enough, being so completely observed, to make them escape the kitchen with indecent haste. "Weapons… plans… got to check the-" The excuses-slash-reasons tumble from their lips as Spike heads for the basement arsenal, Buffy to the strategic command centre (aka couch).
The second, the very second that they have left the kitchen, the whispers begin.
Was she down there all night? She was totally down there all night, right? Did you see how he looked at her? Did you see how she looked at him? He was totally wearing the same clothes as- He always wears the same clothes, moron! Also, he lives down there, so… Yeah, but did you see the hickey? What? Who had a hickey? You mean you missed it? Totally oblivious, like always. How could you miss the hickey - it was, like, this big! I knew they were still- You did not! I thought she was over him- There is no way he's over her. And also, I hear when you go vamp, you never go back. Oh my god gross! Hey, they were screwing all night last night. Like, under our feet.
Giles drinks his coffee slowly, attempting to meditate in the darkness of the brew, and pretending that the whispers are inaudible to persons over the age of twenty. Also, the giggles.
He has, in fact, observed both the way Spike and Buffy looked at one another, and the not insignificant lovebite on the vampire's throat. However, they are all going to die in (he checks his watch) just under two hours' time, and he finds himself at this latest of late junctures quite unable to spoil anyone's fun.
People are amazing. They're all going to die, and one last night of comfort between former lovers can send the teenage population into spasm.
Giles is rather glad to see it.
*