August 21, 2014 - Divination
August 21, 2014 - Divination
Alt Title: Day 21 - Divination Professors Ava and Drusilla
Author: mmooch
Chapter Summary: **For the 2014 LiveJournal’s Twisted Shorts FaD** challenge. It’s more about interpreting prophecies than spouting them.
Chapter Crossover: Charmed
Rating: FR-13.
Word count: 1281
Challenge: for the livejournal 2014 August Fic-a-Day Challenge.
Timeline: after ‘The Eyes Have It’ but before ‘Baby's First Demon’ (same season as when Cole left, as luck would have it)
Disclaimer: BtVS/AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon/Mutant Enemy. HP characters belong to JK Rowling. Charmed characters belong to Constance M. Burge and the WB. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.
Devon
“Thanks for meeting me, Slayer,” Spike started. His twitchy behavior was making Buffy wary. While they’d never be the best of friends, his help in saving Dawn’s life during the Glory saga meant they were closer than a Slayer should be with a vampire - especially a non-souled vampire. But he was acting like it was after he was chipped and before he saved Dawn’s life. He better not have had another robot made in her likeness!
“What’s up, Spike?” she asked, scanning the room for anything out of the ordinary.
“I have a favor to ask of you…one that I would take care of myself, except I only seem to make the situation worse. The Forehead is definitely out because…well, if I’m the ‘baddie of the week’, he’s the ‘year-end apocalypse’,” Spike rambled - actually rambled and used the Scooby villain rating system without mocking it; this was definitely going to be huge.
“Angel hasn’t lost his soul or anything again, has he?” Buffy checked. It didn’t sound like it, but it didn’t hurt to make sure. Seemed like he lost it every few years and she couldn’t remember if it had been two or three years since the last time.
“Nah, Hair Gel is doing fine…for him, anyway,” Spike snarked. “You’ve heard of Mohra demons, haven’t you?”
Buffy thought for a moment, then said, “Sparkly jewel in the forehead that you have to smash to kill them, right?” Spike nodded. “Angel killed one my first year of college when I visited him in LA.”
“Well, see the thing is that their blood has regenerative powers…really strong regenerative powers…” he trailed off uncomfortably.
“Uh-huh, hence the needing to break the ruby in their head since killing them any other way makes them come back bigger and stronger than before,” she interrupted impatiently.
“Right…see the thing is that when their blood mixes with a vampire’s, it makes the vampire human again,” Spike told her haltingly.
Reaching over to grab his wrist, Buffy didn’t feel a pulse. “So it isn’t you, obviously. Who is it? What about their lack of a soul?”
“I don’t know about her soul; she’s too distraught to be able to tell. As for who…”
“Don’t tell me it’s Harmony. I couldn’t stand her as a human, and I doubt that being turned into a vamp and back again would change things. Besides, Angel already inflicted her--” Buffy whined.
“It’s Dru,” Spike stopped her mid-complaint. The gob smacked expression on her face gave him the opportunity to finish his plea, “I know there’s a history between you two, but she needs help! Please, Slayer! She needs you!”
Buffy’s eyes narrowed at his emphasis. “Why does she need me in particular?”
“She said during one of her semi-lucid moments that she needed my Sunshine. You’re the only one she’s ever referred to as Sunshine,” he explained.
“But shouldn’t she be uncomfortable around me?” she asked.
“You don’t make her feel the guilt that she drowns in around me or the fear she’s overwhelmed by near Angel. She says she’ll be safe with you.” The desperation in his voice was chipping away at her resistance.
“What am I supposed to do with her in a school of children?” she asked as a last resort.
“Use her to teach divination,” Cole interjected. He had been sitting there quietly while the two had their discussion, but felt the time was right for him to add his two cents’ worth. “She’s a pretty good seer, but difficult to interpret. When she gives one of her visions, you can have Ava work through it with her classes,” he suggested, mentioning their latest hire.
“She said the stars would talk to her more if she was with you,” Spike added, sensing that Buffy was about to cave.
“I’m so going to regret this!” Buffy muttered. She turned to Cole and snipped, “This is payback for standing up to Piper in your defense, isn’t it? A taste of my own medicine.”
Diagon Alley
Two weeks prior, Buffy was going around to the different stores to get to know the storeowners. She wanted a good working relationship with them since it just made sense for the sake of the school. As much as she wanted to take a blowtorch to Knockturn Alley, she understood the need for a grey market. Didn’t mean she wouldn’t do all she could to get rid of the truly evil stuff in there, though.
She decided to check out one of the bookstores down that way when she saw a young woman coming out of the potion-supply store. A man stepped out of the shadows and approached her in a menacing manner. She quickly made her way over and clamped down on his wand wrist, tightening her grip to the point where he grunted in pain.
“Is there a problem here?” she asked softly.
“Not anymore,” the young lady said with a grateful smile. The odd thing was she appeared to recognize Buffy, but Buffy didn’t think she knew her, although she did look like a detective from the TV show, CSI: New York. “May I join you while you shop?” she requested.
At first Buffy thought it was because she was nervous about being accosted again, but as they walked, she found out differently.
“The cards told me that I was to seek you out. My name is Ava Nicolae, and I am the Shuvani of the Nicolae Gypsy clan,” she explained. “I am new to the role of Shuvani, but grew up learning the magic of my ancestors.”
“I’m sorry,” Buffy interrupted her. “I have some experience with gypsies, but haven’t heard the term Shuvani before. What is that?”
“High priestess,” Ava clarified. “You know of gypsies?”
“I knew a member of the Kalderash clan,” Buffy replied with a hint of pain showing in her response. “She was a good woman and a helpful ally.”
“I’m sorry for your loss,” Ava said sympathetically. The deaths of Teresa and Lydia weren’t that distant, so she still felt the sharp pang of mourning when she allowed herself to think of them. Once the moment passed, she continued, “The spirits of my ancestors told me to embrace my heritage. For a time, I thought that meant creating a clinic for other gypsies. I’m a doctor, by the way.
“But when I did a Tarot reading, it made it clear that while the clinic was a noble cause, it was for others to continue. I was supposed to use my family’s talents to help the magical world in a more magical way. A tea leaf reading showed me the Slayer’s Scythe. I went to the Hellmouth first, but another reading led me here.”
“So you’re actually skilled in divination?” Buffy asked. “Can you explain how to interpret signs to others? I have a Divination professor right now, and while she seems to know the subject, all she does is drink sherry and predict the students’ deaths. Not exactly the morale booster that you want in a boarding school.”
“You can’t teach somebody to have the gift of seeing the future,” Ava warned. “You either have it or you don’t. I have the gift to a limited degree; I wouldn’t consider myself a seer. What I can do is interpret signs.”
“I’m guessing that’s what the class is for, interpreting sign. Like you said, you can’t teach people to have visions, so there’d be no point in having a class for it,” Buffy said.
Ava nodded. While she felt bad about leaving San Francisco before Piper had her baby, her destiny was calling her to be with the Slayer, and she was through fighting her destiny.
A/N: Seems like this is a good explanation for why Ava wasn’t the gypsy to train Phoebe and Paige to be midwives.
Tomorrow…I have what I hope is an amusing candidate for Care of Magical Creatures (even more than Fester Addams).
Alt Title: Day 21 - Divination Professors Ava and Drusilla
Author: mmooch
Chapter Summary: **For the 2014 LiveJournal’s Twisted Shorts FaD** challenge. It’s more about interpreting prophecies than spouting them.
Chapter Crossover: Charmed
Rating: FR-13.
Word count: 1281
Challenge: for the livejournal 2014 August Fic-a-Day Challenge.
Timeline: after ‘The Eyes Have It’ but before ‘Baby's First Demon’ (same season as when Cole left, as luck would have it)
Disclaimer: BtVS/AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon/Mutant Enemy. HP characters belong to JK Rowling. Charmed characters belong to Constance M. Burge and the WB. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.
Devon
“Thanks for meeting me, Slayer,” Spike started. His twitchy behavior was making Buffy wary. While they’d never be the best of friends, his help in saving Dawn’s life during the Glory saga meant they were closer than a Slayer should be with a vampire - especially a non-souled vampire. But he was acting like it was after he was chipped and before he saved Dawn’s life. He better not have had another robot made in her likeness!
“What’s up, Spike?” she asked, scanning the room for anything out of the ordinary.
“I have a favor to ask of you…one that I would take care of myself, except I only seem to make the situation worse. The Forehead is definitely out because…well, if I’m the ‘baddie of the week’, he’s the ‘year-end apocalypse’,” Spike rambled - actually rambled and used the Scooby villain rating system without mocking it; this was definitely going to be huge.
“Angel hasn’t lost his soul or anything again, has he?” Buffy checked. It didn’t sound like it, but it didn’t hurt to make sure. Seemed like he lost it every few years and she couldn’t remember if it had been two or three years since the last time.
“Nah, Hair Gel is doing fine…for him, anyway,” Spike snarked. “You’ve heard of Mohra demons, haven’t you?”
Buffy thought for a moment, then said, “Sparkly jewel in the forehead that you have to smash to kill them, right?” Spike nodded. “Angel killed one my first year of college when I visited him in LA.”
“Well, see the thing is that their blood has regenerative powers…really strong regenerative powers…” he trailed off uncomfortably.
“Uh-huh, hence the needing to break the ruby in their head since killing them any other way makes them come back bigger and stronger than before,” she interrupted impatiently.
“Right…see the thing is that when their blood mixes with a vampire’s, it makes the vampire human again,” Spike told her haltingly.
Reaching over to grab his wrist, Buffy didn’t feel a pulse. “So it isn’t you, obviously. Who is it? What about their lack of a soul?”
“I don’t know about her soul; she’s too distraught to be able to tell. As for who…”
“Don’t tell me it’s Harmony. I couldn’t stand her as a human, and I doubt that being turned into a vamp and back again would change things. Besides, Angel already inflicted her--” Buffy whined.
“It’s Dru,” Spike stopped her mid-complaint. The gob smacked expression on her face gave him the opportunity to finish his plea, “I know there’s a history between you two, but she needs help! Please, Slayer! She needs you!”
Buffy’s eyes narrowed at his emphasis. “Why does she need me in particular?”
“She said during one of her semi-lucid moments that she needed my Sunshine. You’re the only one she’s ever referred to as Sunshine,” he explained.
“But shouldn’t she be uncomfortable around me?” she asked.
“You don’t make her feel the guilt that she drowns in around me or the fear she’s overwhelmed by near Angel. She says she’ll be safe with you.” The desperation in his voice was chipping away at her resistance.
“What am I supposed to do with her in a school of children?” she asked as a last resort.
“Use her to teach divination,” Cole interjected. He had been sitting there quietly while the two had their discussion, but felt the time was right for him to add his two cents’ worth. “She’s a pretty good seer, but difficult to interpret. When she gives one of her visions, you can have Ava work through it with her classes,” he suggested, mentioning their latest hire.
“She said the stars would talk to her more if she was with you,” Spike added, sensing that Buffy was about to cave.
“I’m so going to regret this!” Buffy muttered. She turned to Cole and snipped, “This is payback for standing up to Piper in your defense, isn’t it? A taste of my own medicine.”
Diagon Alley
Two weeks prior, Buffy was going around to the different stores to get to know the storeowners. She wanted a good working relationship with them since it just made sense for the sake of the school. As much as she wanted to take a blowtorch to Knockturn Alley, she understood the need for a grey market. Didn’t mean she wouldn’t do all she could to get rid of the truly evil stuff in there, though.
She decided to check out one of the bookstores down that way when she saw a young woman coming out of the potion-supply store. A man stepped out of the shadows and approached her in a menacing manner. She quickly made her way over and clamped down on his wand wrist, tightening her grip to the point where he grunted in pain.
“Is there a problem here?” she asked softly.
“Not anymore,” the young lady said with a grateful smile. The odd thing was she appeared to recognize Buffy, but Buffy didn’t think she knew her, although she did look like a detective from the TV show, CSI: New York. “May I join you while you shop?” she requested.
At first Buffy thought it was because she was nervous about being accosted again, but as they walked, she found out differently.
“The cards told me that I was to seek you out. My name is Ava Nicolae, and I am the Shuvani of the Nicolae Gypsy clan,” she explained. “I am new to the role of Shuvani, but grew up learning the magic of my ancestors.”
“I’m sorry,” Buffy interrupted her. “I have some experience with gypsies, but haven’t heard the term Shuvani before. What is that?”
“High priestess,” Ava clarified. “You know of gypsies?”
“I knew a member of the Kalderash clan,” Buffy replied with a hint of pain showing in her response. “She was a good woman and a helpful ally.”
“I’m sorry for your loss,” Ava said sympathetically. The deaths of Teresa and Lydia weren’t that distant, so she still felt the sharp pang of mourning when she allowed herself to think of them. Once the moment passed, she continued, “The spirits of my ancestors told me to embrace my heritage. For a time, I thought that meant creating a clinic for other gypsies. I’m a doctor, by the way.
“But when I did a Tarot reading, it made it clear that while the clinic was a noble cause, it was for others to continue. I was supposed to use my family’s talents to help the magical world in a more magical way. A tea leaf reading showed me the Slayer’s Scythe. I went to the Hellmouth first, but another reading led me here.”
“So you’re actually skilled in divination?” Buffy asked. “Can you explain how to interpret signs to others? I have a Divination professor right now, and while she seems to know the subject, all she does is drink sherry and predict the students’ deaths. Not exactly the morale booster that you want in a boarding school.”
“You can’t teach somebody to have the gift of seeing the future,” Ava warned. “You either have it or you don’t. I have the gift to a limited degree; I wouldn’t consider myself a seer. What I can do is interpret signs.”
“I’m guessing that’s what the class is for, interpreting sign. Like you said, you can’t teach people to have visions, so there’d be no point in having a class for it,” Buffy said.
Ava nodded. While she felt bad about leaving San Francisco before Piper had her baby, her destiny was calling her to be with the Slayer, and she was through fighting her destiny.
A/N: Seems like this is a good explanation for why Ava wasn’t the gypsy to train Phoebe and Paige to be midwives.
Tomorrow…I have what I hope is an amusing candidate for Care of Magical Creatures (even more than Fester Addams).