Apparently I Cannot Drabble
First response to the "Drabble" meme. It think it might be more of a ficlet...
For goddessvicky , who requested Faith and Echo (BtVS/Dollhouse crossover)
“It’s hella creepy,” Faith said, looking through the observation window at the passive figures down below. None of them moved faster than a sedate walk. She could see them exchange pleasant smiles and almost-whispered words whenever they encountered anyone else. Then their faces would go blank again.
“According to your own Mr. Giles, it is the best option,” Adele DeWitt said from behind her.
“Why can’t we just dress up one of the other Slayers? We did the same thing with Buffy.” She knew the answer. Giles had explained it to her.
“It is my understanding that the Ragn’rob employ psychic interrogation techniques before intrusting a negotiator. Whoever takes your place at the meeting must believe that she is you.”
And it had to be Faith because she was the one who had managed to save the Ragn’rob head cheese’s kid. She was the only one they would trust.
She cursed the situation. The Ragn’rob species for being so fucking paranoid. Giles for finding that stupid prophecy that said that she had to be halfway across the world, duking it out with some big bad, at the only time of the year that the Ragn’rob would hold negotiations. The Ragn’rob, again, for being overly pious, paranoid imbeciles who were also the only source of some really rare spell thing that Giles also insisted they had to have access to. Making this deal with the Ragn’rob would possibly get them a much lower price, thus making Giles happy. Only a quirk of fate, a doll at the infamous Dollhouse that looked enough like her to pass, made both possible.
“Can I meet her? The girl you’re putting my brain into.”
“If you would like. Most clients prefer not to meet the actives before they have been imprinted. I believe that the term they use most often is ‘creepy’.”
“Meeting her once she’s me would be a bad idea,” Faith pointed out. “I wouldn’t deal well with that sort of thing.”
“I suppose that is true,” DeWitt said before moving to the phone and speaking quietly into it. Almost immediately someone down below approached one dark-haired female and started to lead her up the stairs.
Faith turned and watched the “active” as she ascended the stairs. She didn’t move like Faith did, at least not yet. DeWitt had explained that she would, once the imprint occurred.
The doll, because that’s what she was, Faith realized. A living, breathing doll, just waiting for someone to dress her up, disappeared from view. Faith turned to the door and waited for her to appear.
She was softer somehow, Faith realized once the door opened and the girl’s handler led her through. It wasn’t just that she weighed a few more pounds than Faith, or that her body moved more like a dancer than a warrior. She didn’t have that little line Faith had noticed in the mirror just yesterday, the one that lead from the outer corner of her right eye. She’d never thought she’d make it to wrinkles, so she was rather proud of the little one that was just beginning to appear.
“Echo, I would like for you to meet Faith.”
“Hello,” the girl said, her voice pleasant and just slightly curious. “You’re pretty.”
“Thank you,” Faith said.
There was an awkward silence before DeWitt nodded at the handler. “Echo, it’s time for yoga,” the man said.
“I like yoga,” Echo replied and followed him out of the room.
Faith suddenly longed for a cigarette. Or a shot of whiskey.
“Faith,” DeWitt prompted after a few minutes.
“Yeah, OK,” she whispered. She had no other choice.
For goddessvicky , who requested Faith and Echo (BtVS/Dollhouse crossover)
“It’s hella creepy,” Faith said, looking through the observation window at the passive figures down below. None of them moved faster than a sedate walk. She could see them exchange pleasant smiles and almost-whispered words whenever they encountered anyone else. Then their faces would go blank again.
“According to your own Mr. Giles, it is the best option,” Adele DeWitt said from behind her.
“Why can’t we just dress up one of the other Slayers? We did the same thing with Buffy.” She knew the answer. Giles had explained it to her.
“It is my understanding that the Ragn’rob employ psychic interrogation techniques before intrusting a negotiator. Whoever takes your place at the meeting must believe that she is you.”
And it had to be Faith because she was the one who had managed to save the Ragn’rob head cheese’s kid. She was the only one they would trust.
She cursed the situation. The Ragn’rob species for being so fucking paranoid. Giles for finding that stupid prophecy that said that she had to be halfway across the world, duking it out with some big bad, at the only time of the year that the Ragn’rob would hold negotiations. The Ragn’rob, again, for being overly pious, paranoid imbeciles who were also the only source of some really rare spell thing that Giles also insisted they had to have access to. Making this deal with the Ragn’rob would possibly get them a much lower price, thus making Giles happy. Only a quirk of fate, a doll at the infamous Dollhouse that looked enough like her to pass, made both possible.
“Can I meet her? The girl you’re putting my brain into.”
“If you would like. Most clients prefer not to meet the actives before they have been imprinted. I believe that the term they use most often is ‘creepy’.”
“Meeting her once she’s me would be a bad idea,” Faith pointed out. “I wouldn’t deal well with that sort of thing.”
“I suppose that is true,” DeWitt said before moving to the phone and speaking quietly into it. Almost immediately someone down below approached one dark-haired female and started to lead her up the stairs.
Faith turned and watched the “active” as she ascended the stairs. She didn’t move like Faith did, at least not yet. DeWitt had explained that she would, once the imprint occurred.
The doll, because that’s what she was, Faith realized. A living, breathing doll, just waiting for someone to dress her up, disappeared from view. Faith turned to the door and waited for her to appear.
She was softer somehow, Faith realized once the door opened and the girl’s handler led her through. It wasn’t just that she weighed a few more pounds than Faith, or that her body moved more like a dancer than a warrior. She didn’t have that little line Faith had noticed in the mirror just yesterday, the one that lead from the outer corner of her right eye. She’d never thought she’d make it to wrinkles, so she was rather proud of the little one that was just beginning to appear.
“Echo, I would like for you to meet Faith.”
“Hello,” the girl said, her voice pleasant and just slightly curious. “You’re pretty.”
“Thank you,” Faith said.
There was an awkward silence before DeWitt nodded at the handler. “Echo, it’s time for yoga,” the man said.
“I like yoga,” Echo replied and followed him out of the room.
Faith suddenly longed for a cigarette. Or a shot of whiskey.
“Faith,” DeWitt prompted after a few minutes.
“Yeah, OK,” she whispered. She had no other choice.