Fire Bad, Tree Pretty (Buffy ficlet)

[jadesfire]

This story is part of my multi-fandom Halloween costume for karaokegirl's Come as you aren't party, being held all this week. The index of stories can be found here

Title: Fire Bad, Tree Pretty
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Characters or Pairing: Buffy
Rating/warnings/spoilers: G/none/Graduation Day
Word Count: ~240

Summary: This too shall pass.



Fire Bad, Tree Pretty

You stole the sun straight from my heart from my heart from my heart
With no excuses just fell apart fell apart fell apart

It was supposed to be easier on both of them this way. He'd just be gone, disappearing into the distance, never forgotten but no longer here. And Buffy has to admit that he does it with style, vanishing into the clouds of smoke, with barely a backward glance.

She sits on the damp grass, watching her hands and the water that's running down the sidewalk and the smudges of ash and mud on her pants. Everything is distant, not dreamlike because dreams don't hurt with every breath, but not entirely there, either. They did it. Again. They saved the world, or at least the school. Well, the people from school, anyway. The building, not so much, but buildings can be repaired. They saved the people. This is important. If her brain would fire more than one neuron at a time, she's sure she'd remember why.

There's a murmur of voices all around her, no doubt saying terribly important things that she should be listening too. Instead, she watches the last of the dust settle across the school buildings, feeling as though she's lost half her soul. She thinks that that might be ironic in some way, but she can't for the life of her work out why. And so she sits and stares at the trees as the world goes on around her, waiting for the emptiness to fade and for the night to dissolve dawn.

Comments

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

If her brain would fire more than one neuron at a time, she's sure she'd remember why.

Perfect, absolutely perfect

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

*blushes* Thank you!

[unfeathered]

Oh, this is lovely! More fire! And again, so very much what she must be thinking at this point.

he does it with style

Of course he does! *g*

Loved the line about losing half her soul too.

Typo: not doubt saying terribly important things - no doubt

Also, I don't know the song the quote's from, but is there supposed to be another 'my' before the last 'heart'?

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

Oops, both corrected, thanks :) The song is great - a real angst-fest in itself, but with a surprisingly bouncy tune...

Thank you so much! I really like writing Buffy, just for the language as much as anything :) Glad you liked.

[unfeathered]

I like you writing Buffy too. You do it very well, and I miss new Buffy fic.

Have you done any Buffy stuff, other than the Jack crossover which I still haven't read yet and the one or two drabbles I've seen since?

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

Not that I can think of. I kind of lost track of it in S6, and it co-incided with my leaving school for university, at which point I had other things on my mind! But the Jack crossover, and the associated 'missing scenes' that I was coaxed into writing, are quite long, as crossovers are wont to be.

I'm definitely going to have to write more, though, because she's a female character that I can write without worrying that she's just me in disguise :)

[unfeathered]

it co-incided with my leaving school for university

Oh, God, that makes me feel old! :-(

Really, really must put the Jack crossover on my reading list, then.

And you must definitely write more!

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

*sheepish* Sorry! I'm the same age as Buffy (according to her headstone ;))

I'll add 'more Buffyfic' to my writing list...at this rate, I should be done some time in 2020 :D

[unfeathered]

*Works it out* OK, that's about how old I thought you were, I just didn't realise how much younger that is than me, iyswim! :-)

[rustydog.livejournal.com]

Oh, this is really nice. The sense of dissociation is perfect for Buffy and perfect for the situation.

watching her hands and the water that's running down the sidewalk and the smudges of ash and mud on her pants

I like those details a lot.

Just a teeny thing, I think you've got an extra 'o' - terribly important things that she should be listening too

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

Oops, I'll correct, thanks.

I love 'Graduation Day' and I'm so glad this worked :) Thanks!

[crystalshard.livejournal.com]

You do a very good exhausted Buffy, and the fandom is just made for angst. Which you did brilliantly.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

*blush* Thank you!