Fic: Shanshu 48: The Box
Sep. 13th, 2015 10:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dragonyphoenixTitle: The Box
Fandom: BtVS
Prompt: 478 - Slow Suicide
Rating: PG
Summary: Another chapter for Shanshu
Word Count: 1351
Note: The final chapter so maybe I should have called it The End. ;-)
Spike rose and turned his back on the Slayer’s academy. Time to move on.
“Going off alone, that’s one long, slow suicide.”
Spike stopped and spoke before turning. “Webb.” He started to pat at himself, searching his jacket for cigarettes as he turned. Will hadn’t smoked. Will also hadn’t even remembered much less worn a leather jacket for the past six years. Spike glanced down at WIll’s jeans and sweater, which were grungy after weeks of imprisonment in a dungeon. The flicker of fire from Webb’s lighter highlighted the faded letters on the old t-shirt. “Agnostic Front? Don’t you think it’s time for a new wardrobe?”
Webb brought a joint to his lips, dragged in the smoke, and exhaled before replying. “Always go with the classics, man.”
Spike had meant to hunt down Webb and interrogate him, but hadn’t expected to run across him so soon. No time like the present for finding out what the man had been up to. “Inviting me to Dracula marathons? Asking if I wanted to watch Buckets of Blood? You couldn’t have found a less subtle way to tell me I was an amnesiac shanshued vampire?”
“I had to prepare you, man. The Three Sisters were on your tail. They were gonna use you hard. You needed to know what you were up against.”
Webb held out the joint and Spike thought, “What the hell.” Maybe getting in on Webb’s wavelength would help him follow what the lunatic was saying. “Wouldn’t telling me straight up have been a tad more efficient?” Spike took a drag off the joint.
“I had to get you into the vibe, man.”
The vibe. Spike handed the joint back. Perhaps Webb’s wavelength wasn’t such a good idea after all. “Vibe?”
Webb toked on the joint. “It’s all about perceptions, what you’re willing to take in. Your mind, it can only accept what you already believe so I had to work on your box.”
“My box?”
“Yeah, you know man, it goes like this: What’s inside the box is known. What’s outside the box is unknown. Who made the box?”
“Presumably I made the box?”
“Exactly.” The exaltation in Webb’s voice suggested he thought he’d actually explained something.
“And the box meant you couldn’t tell me about vampires.”
“Right, man, they weren’t part of your mental landscape so you weren’t ready to accept them. See, you weren’t ready to believe in vampires, shanshues, and demonic apocalypses. I was trying to open your mind.”
That did make some sort of odd, non-logical sense, but of course it created more questions than it answered, such as Who are you and how did you know I’d shanshued when I didn’t? The answers didn’t seem worth knowing, not when he’d have to work through the vague mire of Webb’s words. “Thanks for that.”
“No problem, man.”
Spike stared as Webb took another toke. The man had completely missed Spike’s sarcasm. “Well, good night then. Good life to you and all that.”
Of course he couldn’t get off that easily. Webb called after him. “It’s a hard road, being alone.”
Spike’s head jerked to one side at the words. When he looked back, Webb was inhaling with obvious enjoyment. Perhaps he hadn’t seen. “I’m not alone. I’ve got friends. Charlie. Millay. Little Joanie and all her skater pals. Morgan. Ash.” Except Ash was dead and those people he’d listed, they were Will’s friends. How were they going to feel about a vampire showing up to claim their friendship?
“Wasn’t talking about you.”
Webb couldn’t be talking about himself. Yeah, the man spent a fair amount of time alone but he never lacked for companionship when he wanted it. There were the cronies with whom he’d originally taken the abandoned building, the one they’d turned it into apartments. He had his movie night gang. Hell, Webb even hung with the skaters, risking his old bones freestyling his board over concrete. Spike could have left. He could have turned his back and walked on, but he had to know. “Who then?”
“The girl.” Webb held the joint out to Spike.
“No thanks. What girl?”
“The girl,” he said as if repeating himself would help. “The little tree.”
Willow? “Red’s fine. She’d got her Scoobie pals and all those junior Slayers and witches to train up.”
Webb just stared like a teacher waiting for him to make a connection.
Spike thought about what Willow had told him down in the dungeons. She’d spoken of traveling to Rio, Paris, and Hong Kong. She’d spoken of moonlight romances on the beach, of clubbing and dancing until dawn. But that life, exciting as it sounded, could be hollow if you didn’t have anyone to share it with. She’d also said, bed-to-bed and lover-to-lover. There was no one, no stable point in her life. She hadn’t said that, but he’d heard it.
“Some people can’t stand being alone.” Webb’s words interrupted Spike’s thoughts. “She thinks she can handle anything, and she can handle a lot, but isolation, no one’s strong enough to handle that load.”
And so Spike returned to the Jenkin’s School for Gifted Girls. He followed the music to a large gym and moved past Andrew who as at the door paying for pizza. Buffy and Angel were nowhere in sight, not a surprise given their interest in generating rugrats. A bunch of Slayerettes were dancing, partying, celebrating. Willow stood near a wall surrounded by another set of Slayerettes who seemed to be listening as she spoke. Spike shook his head. Trust Willow to use a party as a chance to give a lecture. He moved in closer to hear what she was saying. “No, no, no. Calcination is a process of revelation; separation, of choosing.” Yep, she was in teacher mode alright. Even after saving the world, the girl couldn’t resist lecture mode. Spike grabbed her arm and pulled her from the group.
“Hey! I’m busy here.”
The Slayerettes stood as one. “You need help ma’am?”
Oh yeah, they were definitely minions, underlings, and not friends at all. “Can I have a word, Red?”
Willow waved the minions off. “I’m fine. I’m fine. Give us some space, okay?”
The minions didn’t like it, but they did back off.
“What is it, Spike?”
He couldn’t tell her that she needed a friend. She’d see that outstretched hand as condescension. “Bit loud in here, don’t ya think?”
She didn’t seem to know what to make of that.
“I know a place that makes the best blooming onions in town. Well, it does the nights I’m cooking ‘em. Oh, shit.”
“What?”
“My job. I’ve been gone for weeks, haven’t I? Have to be fired by now.”
“No, no, there was a time differential. It’s only been a day or two here.”
Spike thought about showing up to The Red Fox Tavern after missing two days worth of work, not to mention looking, and smelling, as if he hadn’t bathed in weeks. No, tonight wasn’t about work. He’d cross that bridge tomorrow. “Listen, I know a place that’s got the best Thai in LA. You up for it?”
“But …” Willow gestured back toward the party, the one that she wasn’t a part of. Even if she had to be alone in a crowd, she wanted to stay.
“Here’s the thing. I, I need someone to talk to. Will, he, or I mean me as Will, I had all these people in my life and I don’t know how …” if “… they’re going to take me as a vampire. I need someone who understands. I need a friend.” As do you.
“Oh, right. Sure. Thai sounds fine”
Of course the Slayerettes charged, but Willow calmed them down. As they walked through the gym, Spike had an urge to take her hand but that would say more than he was ready to say. He offered his arm instead and Willow linked hers through his. Together they left the chaos of the party behind as they walked into the comforting darkness, well semi-darkness given the light pollution, of an LA night.
Fandom: BtVS
Prompt: 478 - Slow Suicide
Rating: PG
Summary: Another chapter for Shanshu
Word Count: 1351
Note: The final chapter so maybe I should have called it The End. ;-)
Spike rose and turned his back on the Slayer’s academy. Time to move on.
“Going off alone, that’s one long, slow suicide.”
Spike stopped and spoke before turning. “Webb.” He started to pat at himself, searching his jacket for cigarettes as he turned. Will hadn’t smoked. Will also hadn’t even remembered much less worn a leather jacket for the past six years. Spike glanced down at WIll’s jeans and sweater, which were grungy after weeks of imprisonment in a dungeon. The flicker of fire from Webb’s lighter highlighted the faded letters on the old t-shirt. “Agnostic Front? Don’t you think it’s time for a new wardrobe?”
Webb brought a joint to his lips, dragged in the smoke, and exhaled before replying. “Always go with the classics, man.”
Spike had meant to hunt down Webb and interrogate him, but hadn’t expected to run across him so soon. No time like the present for finding out what the man had been up to. “Inviting me to Dracula marathons? Asking if I wanted to watch Buckets of Blood? You couldn’t have found a less subtle way to tell me I was an amnesiac shanshued vampire?”
“I had to prepare you, man. The Three Sisters were on your tail. They were gonna use you hard. You needed to know what you were up against.”
Webb held out the joint and Spike thought, “What the hell.” Maybe getting in on Webb’s wavelength would help him follow what the lunatic was saying. “Wouldn’t telling me straight up have been a tad more efficient?” Spike took a drag off the joint.
“I had to get you into the vibe, man.”
The vibe. Spike handed the joint back. Perhaps Webb’s wavelength wasn’t such a good idea after all. “Vibe?”
Webb toked on the joint. “It’s all about perceptions, what you’re willing to take in. Your mind, it can only accept what you already believe so I had to work on your box.”
“My box?”
“Yeah, you know man, it goes like this: What’s inside the box is known. What’s outside the box is unknown. Who made the box?”
“Presumably I made the box?”
“Exactly.” The exaltation in Webb’s voice suggested he thought he’d actually explained something.
“And the box meant you couldn’t tell me about vampires.”
“Right, man, they weren’t part of your mental landscape so you weren’t ready to accept them. See, you weren’t ready to believe in vampires, shanshues, and demonic apocalypses. I was trying to open your mind.”
That did make some sort of odd, non-logical sense, but of course it created more questions than it answered, such as Who are you and how did you know I’d shanshued when I didn’t? The answers didn’t seem worth knowing, not when he’d have to work through the vague mire of Webb’s words. “Thanks for that.”
“No problem, man.”
Spike stared as Webb took another toke. The man had completely missed Spike’s sarcasm. “Well, good night then. Good life to you and all that.”
Of course he couldn’t get off that easily. Webb called after him. “It’s a hard road, being alone.”
Spike’s head jerked to one side at the words. When he looked back, Webb was inhaling with obvious enjoyment. Perhaps he hadn’t seen. “I’m not alone. I’ve got friends. Charlie. Millay. Little Joanie and all her skater pals. Morgan. Ash.” Except Ash was dead and those people he’d listed, they were Will’s friends. How were they going to feel about a vampire showing up to claim their friendship?
“Wasn’t talking about you.”
Webb couldn’t be talking about himself. Yeah, the man spent a fair amount of time alone but he never lacked for companionship when he wanted it. There were the cronies with whom he’d originally taken the abandoned building, the one they’d turned it into apartments. He had his movie night gang. Hell, Webb even hung with the skaters, risking his old bones freestyling his board over concrete. Spike could have left. He could have turned his back and walked on, but he had to know. “Who then?”
“The girl.” Webb held the joint out to Spike.
“No thanks. What girl?”
“The girl,” he said as if repeating himself would help. “The little tree.”
Willow? “Red’s fine. She’d got her Scoobie pals and all those junior Slayers and witches to train up.”
Webb just stared like a teacher waiting for him to make a connection.
Spike thought about what Willow had told him down in the dungeons. She’d spoken of traveling to Rio, Paris, and Hong Kong. She’d spoken of moonlight romances on the beach, of clubbing and dancing until dawn. But that life, exciting as it sounded, could be hollow if you didn’t have anyone to share it with. She’d also said, bed-to-bed and lover-to-lover. There was no one, no stable point in her life. She hadn’t said that, but he’d heard it.
“Some people can’t stand being alone.” Webb’s words interrupted Spike’s thoughts. “She thinks she can handle anything, and she can handle a lot, but isolation, no one’s strong enough to handle that load.”
And so Spike returned to the Jenkin’s School for Gifted Girls. He followed the music to a large gym and moved past Andrew who as at the door paying for pizza. Buffy and Angel were nowhere in sight, not a surprise given their interest in generating rugrats. A bunch of Slayerettes were dancing, partying, celebrating. Willow stood near a wall surrounded by another set of Slayerettes who seemed to be listening as she spoke. Spike shook his head. Trust Willow to use a party as a chance to give a lecture. He moved in closer to hear what she was saying. “No, no, no. Calcination is a process of revelation; separation, of choosing.” Yep, she was in teacher mode alright. Even after saving the world, the girl couldn’t resist lecture mode. Spike grabbed her arm and pulled her from the group.
“Hey! I’m busy here.”
The Slayerettes stood as one. “You need help ma’am?”
Oh yeah, they were definitely minions, underlings, and not friends at all. “Can I have a word, Red?”
Willow waved the minions off. “I’m fine. I’m fine. Give us some space, okay?”
The minions didn’t like it, but they did back off.
“What is it, Spike?”
He couldn’t tell her that she needed a friend. She’d see that outstretched hand as condescension. “Bit loud in here, don’t ya think?”
She didn’t seem to know what to make of that.
“I know a place that makes the best blooming onions in town. Well, it does the nights I’m cooking ‘em. Oh, shit.”
“What?”
“My job. I’ve been gone for weeks, haven’t I? Have to be fired by now.”
“No, no, there was a time differential. It’s only been a day or two here.”
Spike thought about showing up to The Red Fox Tavern after missing two days worth of work, not to mention looking, and smelling, as if he hadn’t bathed in weeks. No, tonight wasn’t about work. He’d cross that bridge tomorrow. “Listen, I know a place that’s got the best Thai in LA. You up for it?”
“But …” Willow gestured back toward the party, the one that she wasn’t a part of. Even if she had to be alone in a crowd, she wanted to stay.
“Here’s the thing. I, I need someone to talk to. Will, he, or I mean me as Will, I had all these people in my life and I don’t know how …” if “… they’re going to take me as a vampire. I need someone who understands. I need a friend.” As do you.
“Oh, right. Sure. Thai sounds fine”
Of course the Slayerettes charged, but Willow calmed them down. As they walked through the gym, Spike had an urge to take her hand but that would say more than he was ready to say. He offered his arm instead and Willow linked hers through his. Together they left the chaos of the party behind as they walked into the comforting darkness, well semi-darkness given the light pollution, of an LA night.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2015-09-14 02:48 am (UTC)Gabrielle
no subject
Date: 2015-09-14 01:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-09-14 03:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-09-14 01:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-09-14 11:08 am (UTC)“Some people can’t stand being alone.” <...> “She thinks she can handle anything, and she can handle a lot, but isolation, no one’s strong enough to handle that load.”
Truer words were never spoken. And the next part with the lecture at the party is also a perfect Willow )
no subject
Date: 2015-09-14 01:27 pm (UTC)That bit about isolation describes me to a T. I'm bit on the I can do this by myself logic. I'm glad the Willow lecture works. I love hearing when I've done something right!
no subject
Date: 2015-12-28 04:20 am (UTC)I loved all of the OCs, particularly Webb and his distinctive style of thinking/speaking. I also liked Will so much I was a little disappointed when Spike reappeared (and not because I dislike Spike).
I particularly liked the ending. Willow and Spike both have a need-to-be-needed (for lack of a better word), and I liked that it gave both of them a little nudge in the right direction.
no subject
Date: 2015-12-28 05:04 am (UTC)Eeee! Thanks for the comment about Webb. I've gotten comments that I've gotten characters right before, but this is the first good-characterization comment about a character I've created. *does happy dance*
I also liked Will so much I was a little disappointed when Spike reappeared. That is the sweetest thing to say. Thank you so much!
Thank you!