A Simple Life Drabbles

[garnigal]

Cross-posted to open_on_sunday. A bunch of early series drabbles.

Simply Xander

Another night in a graveyard, ambling along behind Buffy. Part backup, but mostly target, Xander thinks about simpler days. Playing with Jesse and Willow, then getting too old for “playing” and just “hanging”. Hitting on girls and getting shot down. Living life the way normal teens lived life.

Going to a funeral every couple of weeks. Calling to make sure everyone got home safe and sound. Not knowing what was out there, but knowing that something was.

Maybe simpler wasn’t better after all.

A hairy fist comes out of nowhere and Xander hits the dirt.

Then again, maybe it was.

Just Buffy


Buffy yearned for a simpler life. No more struggles with her biology homework. No more struggles with vamps. Exchange broody, slightly over-protective, dead boyfriend for happy, fun, live-in-the-moment, alive boyfriend. Get along with her mom. Get to see her dad. Perfect body and perfect wardrobe, so no worries about what to wear.

The kind of life she had in L.A.

Then she remembered about reality. There was always homework. There was always danger. Live-in-the-moment boyfriends cheated on you. Mom was always working. Dad was always claiming to be working. And no matter what you wore, someone would cut you down.

A Difference of Opinion (Willow and Giles)

Life was hard.

Not school, school was easy. Just the rest of life was difficult. Making friends, coping with meanies, unrequited crushes, all the basic social stuff that being smart in no way prepared you for.

Surely magic could help simplify her life.
*************
Life was hard.

Danger lurked around every bend. If not vampires, demons. If not demons, humans. Manipulative superiors and power-mad old men tried to control his life. And that was just work. Throw love and personal issues in there and things just got worse.

That’s why he stayed away from magic. It only muddled things up.

Comments

[sandraregina.livejournal.com]

I like. Good illustration of the 'life is always greener' principle. I also like how Buffy and Xander both realize their desire for a simple life is a wish for something that doesn't and didn't exist...but Willow doesn't (Giles is the counterpoint instead of her own experience).
Hm.

[whatawookie.livejournal.com]

I think this format suits the Buffyverse very well. And, as always, you choose your language to suit the characters.

However... just to be picky... was Giles not at one point a heavy magic user? Would that change the last sentence at all?

[spiralleds.livejournal.com]

I like the flip side of the coin with Giles and Willow. Captures their realities and highlights just why they butted heads about it so often and hints at why Giles never actively connected Willow with a mentor for her magic.