BtVS Double Drabble: Almost Ready

[badly_knitted]

 


Title: Almost Ready
Fandom: BtVS
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Buffy, Angelus.
Rating: PG
Written For: Challenge 411: Give Me Time at drabble_zone.
Spoilers/Setting: Second half of Season Two.
Summary: Buffy was almost ready to deal with Angelus. All she’d needed was enough time for love to turn to hate.
Disclaimer: I don’t own BtVS, or the characters.
A/N: Double drabble.
 


 

One little spontaneous act, something that should have been the beginning of the next stage in her first serious relationship, had turned Buffy’s entire existence into a kind of surreal nightmare. The gentle, caring boyfriend she’d made love with had turned into a sadistic monster, and since that night, Angelus had dedicated himself to tormenting her, threatening her friends, her mom… He’d even murdered Ms Calendar, all because she’d been trying to recreate the curse responsible for restoring his soul the first time.
 

Maybe he was trying to drive her insane the way he had with Drusilla, but if that was the case then he’d seriously misjudged her. She wasn’t going to lose her mind, no matter what he did. All he was doing was making it easier for her to see that he was no longer the man she’d loved. Every cruelty, every taunt, just made her hate him more.
 

She probably should have killed him right away, but it wasn’t that simple. She’d been too off-balance at first, not ready to accept that Angel was gone for good. She’d just needed time to adjust. Now, though…
 

She wanted him to suffer, to hurt him as he’d hurt her.
 
 

The End
 



 

Comments

[badly_knitted]

Us older folks know how to have a proper conversation 😁

I think everyone who writes learns from doing, we get better at things we might not have been great at to start with, so now you're finding it a bit easier to write descriptions. Keep ay it! Not that all stories need a lot of description. It all depends on the story you're telling. Some things work better as mostly dialogue, other ideas work best with no dialogue at all.

I saw the original trilogy at the cinema when it first came out, bit I could never get into the other movies. Some of the acting was just so bad. I grew up with the original Star Trek, that's why it holds a special place in my heart. I remember watching it at 6 years old, and Spock was my first crush. I also grew up watching Doctor Who, so my fate as a fan of SF was sealed. 🤣

You're right, B5 really was ahead of its time, and the acting, the characters, the situations, all still hold up today, even if the CGI is somewhat dated now. I just watched two more episodes today, so powerful!

I have a soft spot for the broodier characters, I think.

Poor Martin, that must have been such a shock for him to find out like that!

It's always hard when someone you admire dies, even when they're in their 80s or 90s. Christopher Lee, David McCallum, John Hurt, so many others. Half the B5 cast are gone too, I think Mira Furlan was the most recent and that really hit hard. She was only 65.

Have you seen Who Dares Wins, the movie where Lewis played an SAS soldier? I remember him being really good in that, although I haven't seen it since pronably the 80s or something.

[kitarella_imagines]

Yes, well done us for conversing!

Thanks for your writing encouragement 🤗The story that started my long descriptions was about a Viking and a Saxon and they didn’t talk much, there was more scene setting and interior thoughts. Then a story about Bodie and Doyle, who sometimes don’t talk much either.

Same here with Star Wars! My heart belongs to the original films…Couldn’t really get into the prequels or sequels. I think Star Wars was what got me into Sci Fi, also Blake’s 7. I did fancy Spock though, he’s lovely isn’t he! Although I do tend to fancy alien men generally😅 And we totally agree about Babylon 5.

Aha, the broodier characters, then you should have preferred Doyle!😅

Yes, I'm sure it was journalists who told Martin that Lewis had died, as he came out of acting in a play that evening. He was gobsmacked. He probably didn’t even know Lewis was ill, as he kept it quiet.

Oh I heard about Mira Furlan, that was a shock!

I think I did watch Who Dares Wins but I can’t remember a thing about it. Like you it was probably many years ago and I'm not especially interested in action films like that.

[badly_knitted]

We're really good at it, aren't we? 🙃

Some characters are the taciturn type, in which case actions often speak louder than their few words.

The original Star Wars trilogy was a revelation. Really, George Lucas should have left it t that instead of trying to milk the franchise for all he could get. I loved Blake's 7 too, but by the time that came on I was already a dedicated SF fan.

Spock was indeed lovely! When I was a kid I thought I must be part Vulcan because one of my ears has a bit of a point, so in my child mind Spock was related to me 🤣 It made perfect sense to me.

Perhaps you're right, but the curly hair put me off. I was so shallow back then 🫤

That's awful. Poor Martin.

Mira was so talented, it was an awful loss. There aren't all that many of the original cast left. Aside from Mira and Andreas, we've lost Michael O'Hare, Steven Furst, Jerry Doyle, Tim Choate (Zathras), Rick Biggs, and I think Jeff Conaway. So sad.

I probably wouldn't have watched Who Dares Wins if Lewis hadn't been in it, but I did enjoy it at the time. I'll have to look up what else he was in. There was the SitCom The Cuckoo Waltz, but I'm not sure of anything else.

[kitarella_imagines]

I seriously think people need conversation lessons now days. So many of them have zero idea how to converse. My in laws are terrible, they just lecture and don’t know how to take turns.

Yes, my Viking and Saxon guys were not talkers, they just got down to it.

I agree about Star Wars. The original 3 films of the 70s/80s were fantastic, the others seemed to be cobbled together with not much thought. Although I was interested to see the prequels with Anakin Skywalker’s history and how he became Darth Vader, but I wasn't really interested in the sequel films. Apparently even Mark Hamill wasn’t very impressed with those!

That is funny and cute about little you thinking you were related to Spock.

I know what you mean, I've never liked curly hair but that doesn't seem to bother me anymore, I just like men as a species😂 And now days I appreciate Doyle/Martin more because he’s quite unusual looking and has that lanky type of body I like. But Bodie/Lewis wasn’t exactly fat was he. Really, I like both of them now.

Yes, there was a video on YouTube of Martin walking out of the theatre and finding a bunch of journalists waiting for him. He was obviously confused, and they shouted, ‘what do you think of Lewis Collins dying today?’ He was shocked and stumbled over his words. I can’t find the video now of course, it was so long ago. But it was a really nasty thing to do, all so the media could get a reaction.

It’s so sad about the lost Babylon 5 actors, it really makes you feel old doesn’t it, when favourite actors die...

I remember my parents watching the Cuckoo Waltz but I was about 5 so I've no idea what it was about. I really can’t remember what I thought of Who Dares Wins, it was so long ago. I do remember watching the real Iranian Embassy Siege live on TV though at the time, that probably put me off watching a film about it😅

[badly_knitted]

I agree. It's like everyone has forgotten how to communicate except by text. In the end, even when they're together, people are just going to be texting.

I like Mark Hamill, it's a smart guy with good sense, so I'm not surprised he wasn't impressed.

I guess it's part of why his death, on top of mum's, hit me so hard. It was like losing another relative.

I'm still kinda picky about which men I like. There are some pretty awful ones in the world, and I'm not talking about how they look. (I like long legs and a nice ass ;) Also the eyes. Nive eyes are important).

The fact that the press were filming it... That's ghoulish!

It really is. So much talent, gone too soon. I watched a couple of episodes of B5 last night and I realised every one of the actors who have died were in the episodes I watched. It's... an odd feeling.🫤

I only saw a few episodes, and I probably only watched for Lewis. I don't remember much.

Was that what Who Dares Wins was about? I can't remember, I just know it was SAS. Strange what sticks in the mind and what doesn't.

[kitarella_imagines]

They already do that, don’t they. Young people sit together looking at their phones and not speaking to each other.

I love Mark Hamill! He doesn’t take himself too seriously does he.

I'm not surprised that Leonard Nimoy’s death happening so close to your mum’s hit you so hard. I'm so sorry that double bereavement hit you (((hugs)))

Of course, I don’t like every man in the world. I mean that I don’t have a long checklist of things that rules them out, as I did when I was younger. I just admire attractive men, but if they have horrible personalities, no thanks. I tend to like unusual/weird looking men tbh, not the typical model type, models look boring to me. Martin and Lewis don’t/didn’t have horrible personalities, nor were they boring models. They were quirky and interesting.

Yes it was ghoulish. It’s inhumane to suddenly spring news of a death on someone like that. I felt really sorry for Martin having that thrown at him out of the blue. It’s lucky he wasn’t a young guy, but old enough to cope, he did really well. I don’t know what to think about Martin after he supposedly blocked the repeats of The Professionals but that day really made me sympathise with him.

I think that might be another reason I don’t watch B5 for a while—it’ll be too sad!

Yes I think WDW was about the SAS storming the Iranian embassy for some reason. Presumably to get rid of terrorists.

[badly_knitted]

I don't venture out all that much, but when I do, there are so many people glued to their phones. It's mind-boggling. I don't even have one.

He has a wicked sense of humour too!

Thank you *hugs back* It was rough. Hard to believe it's been over 9 years now.

Sometimes, I find myself attracted to voices, or accents. They get me and it's like, I don't care what he looks like, his voice is so HOT! I'm a sucker for hands too. 🤣

In a way it's understandable, because the Professionals was a pretty violent and sometimes people want to disassociate from shows they were in that were more violent than they're comfortable with in later life, but it wasn't the violence of the show that appealed. It was the characters.

I like seeing and remembering the great actors who have been lost. The shows they were in are their legacy, and something like B5 just illustrates how talented they were.

That makes sense. Maybe some day I'll watch it again, just out of curiosity.

[kitarella_imagines]

I have a phone because it’s useful in an emergency, but I'm never glued to it, I can't understand people who are. I mainly use it as a calendar or stopwatch. Actually I do write stories or take notes on it sometimes if I get a sudden idea!

Oh yes, men’s voices, men’s hands, men’s arms, men’s hair. Definitely the hair! But it can be anything really!

It’s funny, of course I've been reading a lot about the Professionals recently and everyone says it was the characters that made the show, not the silly plots. Obviously it was! If it had been two boring actors who had no spark, it would have been dire. One good quote was:
‘The plots were thin, but the love/hate relationship between Bodie and Doyle was full of fun.’
So true!

I don’t tend to rewatch shows or films if I can help it. I tend to move on, like a shark who never stops swimming. That is quite a good metaphor for me! I just thought of it. I'm like a shark who keeps on swimming, devouring films and shows and stories in my path. 🤣

[badly_knitted]

I hardly ever go anywhere, so my home phone is fine. My sudden ideas get jotted on scraps of paper. Then I either lose them, or I can't read them later. My system isn't terribly efficient 🤣

Arms, yes, broad shoulders, nice butts.... *sigh*

That's very true. Chemistry between characters is what makes TV shows work. They light up the screen.

I love your metaphor (and I love sharks). Not sure what metaphor would work for me. I find comfort in familiarity. I enjoy being able to quote dialogue along with the characters. I do watch things I've never seen before, but I have certain shows and movies that are favourites and that reward re-watches with me noticing things I missed before, especially shows with plot and / or character arcs, or understanding things that went over my head when I was younger. 🙃

[kitarella_imagines]

Oh dear, not the scraps of paper!😅I used to have a notebook to write my ideas in but when I got a phone, the Notes app is so perfect for writing ideas down and keeping them together.

Yes, anything about men is attractive really isn’t it. I think that’s why I'm favouring Doyle instead of Bodie these days. Because I saw this photo of him, OMG. 🤤

https://www.tumblr.com/ali15son/140851464761

Talk about ‘hello, ladies, here I am.’ What a lovely shape he is there. I need to find one of Bodie standing like that too.

It is amazing how some actors have chemistry and some just don’t. Whatever good or bad relationship they have offscreen, it’s different onscreen. The camera does something to people. I noticed that the minute Martin and Lewis acted together in that New Avengers episode before the Professionals, something happens when they look at each other. I don't even know what it is, but *something*.

It’s funny, I've always hated and been terrified of sharks, so it is a strange metaphor for myself. But I keep on swimming like they do 🤔

[badly_knitted]

I tried a notebook but I didn't get along with it because everything from different fandoms would up jumbled together. I used to be much more organised when I was younger. No idea what happened 🫤

Nice pic! (I'm going by the icon since I don't have a tumblr account so I can't log in to view pictures.

Chemistry is something that can't be forced or manufactured, characters and actors either have it or they don't. I don't think I've seen that New Avengers episode, I've only seen a few and that was decades ago.

The metaphor works anyway. Sharks get a lot of bad press, but I find them fascinating. Mind you, that's true of most wildlife, whether on land, or sea, or in the air. I love nature documentaries 😀

[kitarella_imagines]

What I did with a notebook was have sections for different fandoms. I used to have a ring binder with dividers, I also used to be more organised. I think we just got old, my friend.

Glad you noticed the icon. Sorry I didn’t know it was one of those Tumblrs you need an account for, how annoying that you can’t see it full size. Oh yes that photo does something to me. He’s -so- asdfghjkllZXcvbnm... I've lost the power of speech.🤣

Isn’t it mysterious though. Chemistry ~happens~ whether people like it or not.

Here is the episode of the New Avengers with them both in. I hope the sound is okay, it was a bit squeaky on my laptop. But yes…I think I can see why they were chosen to act together:

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x898iie

I used to like nature documentaries but I got a bit bored with them. Maybe I've got ADHD as well? as I don’t stick with anything? 😅

[badly_knitted]

That sounds very organised! Not sure it would work for me. By the time I found the right place, I would have forgotten what I wanted to note down. 🤣

I just refuse to sign up for more social media accounts, so if I have to miss certain things *shrugs* Not gonna worry about it.

Chemistry can make or break a show. I love when actors just click and magic happens.

I'll check that out when I have time.

Maybe you have, who knows. It's mostly David Attenborough that I watch, because I love his voice, very relaxing, and his passion for the subject. He's a national treasure and has been for decades. The only problem is, sometimes I fall asleep listening...

[kitarella_imagines]

Oh yes I used to be so much better organised. But part of the appeal was the beautiful arty notebooks I used to buy, it was such a special occasion to write in them. Like scrapbooks. Such a shame we’ve all gone digital now days and the magic of handwritten things is gone. But I like having notes on my phone, I can write them anytime.

Yes definitely don’t sign up for Tumblr, you won’t like it. I signed up in April, got involved for a few months but people were so nasty that I stopped participating and made my account private. I only post things on there for me to look at now, no intruders! I can satisfy my constantly changing obsessions by finding nice photos and GIFs of them.

It's very mysterious isn’t it, when people click onscreen (or even offscreen) and magic happens. I think when The Professionals came out people thought it was ‘just another crime show’ but it’s lasted and lasted…all due to mysterious chemistry!

I love David Attenborough! Such a lovely man and so knowledgeable. He’s nearly 100 years old, we must make the most of him!

[badly_knitted]

My handwriting was never good to start with and is only getting worse, so I've always been hesitant to write in pretty notebooks because my writing spoils them 🫤

Thanks for the warning, I'll definitely stay away! I don't get why people on some platforms have to be so nasty 😠

It really is! Martin and Lewis were so good together. I started reading the first Professionals novelisation last night, and so far it's pretty good, except the writer keeps describing Doyle as the fair, tousle-haired one (outsider POV at the start). He's got Bodie down pat in the descriptions though.

We really must, he is a wonderful man who revolutionised nature documentaries and inspired so many to do their part for conservation. Irreplaceable.

[kitarella_imagines]

Aww that’s a shame you feel like you can’t write in pretty notebooks! One thing about typing, at least it makes everything legible.

Yes, Tumblr is one of these social media sites where you write something innocuous and everyone jumps down your throat, those are too silly and tiring for me to bother with. That’s most of them except Dreamwidth and Mastodon IMO. Also Tumblr is passive aggressive—you can’t really reply to people. You just post something and people reblog it with a snarky comment. It's like people talking behind your back.

Martin and Lewis were indeed good together. Even though they insisted they never got on well with each other, the behind-the-scenes photos and videos are just them mucking around and laughing, so I'm not sure whether they got on well or not.

Oh let me know what the novels are like! I'm keen to know. Apparently they are full of slash, get your magnifying glass out to check. And see if the author stops calling Doyle the fair, tousle-haired one. He’s not fair! His hair is as dark as Bodie’s! Maybe the author is fantasising.

Yes I remember when I used to be on Twitter, every time David Attenborough’s name trended, everyone panicked in case he’d died.

[badly_knitted]

Yes, I can barely read my own handwriting but when I type, everything is wonderfully clear! Plus, typing is less painful. My fingers lock up when I grip a pen for more than a few minutes.

Yuk, definitely staying away from all these new-fangled social media platforms. I like places where people can exchange ideas and discuss things in a civilised manner, accepting that not everyone is gonna share their opinion.

It's impossible to know, but even if they were never close friends, they worked well together, and they lit up the screen.

I haven't got very far yet, there's only been one scene so far with Bodie and Doyle, and their names aren't used because it's an outsider POV who doesn't know their names. I usually read in bed before going to sleep, but I was up late night before last because a concert I wanted to watch on TV was bumped back two hours - didn't finish until after 1.30am - and then last night I was so tired I fell asleep before I'd read a page! The author, Ken Blake, is going a good job with descriptions, characters' thoughts, and characterisation of the criminals, he's really fleshing out the episode, so if he does as well when Bodie and Doyle are centre stage... and if he gets the description right for Doyle... We shall see.

It's always a worry when someone gets to be his age.

[kitarella_imagines]

Oh yes learning to touch type was one of the best things I ever did!

I've definitely had more than my fair share of insults and abuse on those social media sites. No more.

Yes, it is impossible to know, especially as Lewis and Martin kept changing their stories about whether they were friends or not!😅They were great together though.

I shall eagerly await your review of that book! I saw some for sale on eBay, maybe I'll buy them.

I'm not looking forward to losing David Attenborough 😣

[badly_knitted]

I don't touch type - I'm a one-finger typist! 🤣

No one needs that kind of abuse in their lives.

The liked to keep everyone guessing.

Might take me a while, I'm reading three or four other books, but I'll get there.

Me neither. That will be the end of an era.

[kitarella_imagines]

I did a touch typing course when I was 18 because I was bored one summer, and it has served me well all my life.

Ohhhhhhhh so they were keeping everyone guessing on purpose, I see! Cheeky devils.

Don’t worry, tell me about the book anytime! No pressure. I'm kind of hoping it's full of flowery prose and Bodie pressing Doyle to his manly chest, etc. 😂

[badly_knitted]

My mum was a touch typist, but I never learned. Doesn't really bother me, I'm quite fast with one finger 😜

It's as good an explanation as any!

Somehow I doubt that will happen since the books are novelisations of episodes, pretty sure this first book is the first episode, but still fun to read.

[kitarella_imagines]

So no pressing to manly chests, just the usual groping and flirting then 😅

Or as Martin Shaw said in that video, he hadn't spotted any love between Doyle and Bodie in the Professionals until he watched the spoof the Bullshitters. Yes Martin, we believe you totally.🤥😅

[badly_knitted]

Sadly, probably not, but the other stuff, I can hope!

Heh, right, you just keep telling yourself that, Mr. Shaw!

[kitarella_imagines]

It will be interesting to see what a male author writes about all the groping and flirting that Martin didn't notice! 😅

[badly_knitted]

Been so long since I read the books (I was still in my teens), I don't remember... 😀