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fandomweekly2016-02-12 08:22 pm
charliewhiskey) wrote in fandomweekly2016-02-12 08:22 pm
Entry tags:
[#002] A Convincing Shot (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
Theme Prompt: Practice makes perfect
Title: A Convincing Shot
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Rating/Warnings: None
Bonus: Yes
Word Count: 955
Summary: Willow is trained on how to use the crossbow.
Whoosh!
Willow burst through the doors of the library and into the hall. She had never been so frustrated. Schooling had always come easy to her. Though, she supposed this type of education was pretty far out of her wheel house. She strode up to her locker but instead of opening it, she turned and leaned against it.
When she’d told Giles that she wanted to learn how to use the crossbow, she thought convincing him would be the hardest part. She’d paced by her locker for almost half an hour trying to get her thoughts in order. She imagined him using too many “Good Lords!” and furiously cleaning his glasses.
Buffy had supported her even though she didn’t like the idea at first. It was still second nature to try and protect her and Xander. But Buffy knew that if danger was afoot and she tried leaving them behind, they’d follow along anyway.
Giles had flustered about as he explained to her that she was a civilian who shouldn’t be partaking in these activities at all. He’d then schooled Buffy again on the responsibilities of a slayer, including the line about ‘one girl in all the world’, not two. Her argument that recent events like Spike and his gang attacking the school and getting kidnapped by the Master’s minions, made her realize how incredibly unprepared she was.
“The crossbow is a perfect compromise,” she’d explained. “It’s still a vamp-killing weapon but it’s distance-y.” Giles had finally conceded after much sighing and Buffy relentlessly telling him everything would be okay.
Now she felt like a failure. Buffy had stood up for her. Even though it was her first training session, she’d been at it for almost two hours and she’d yet to hit the target.
She took a deep breath and walked back to the library. As she opened the doors, Buffy and Giles had begun sparring, but they stopped as she approached.
“Hey. You okay?” Buffy asked.
“Yeah,” Willow nodded. “Just had to clear my noggin.” Buffy smiled.
“Willow, are you certain to wish to continue training?” Giles asked. “You don’t have to. In fact I’d prefer...”
“No, no!” Willow interrupted. “I... I can do this!” she said, surprisingly confident. Giles’ face seemed defeated but he continued.
“All right. Buffy perhaps we should cease training for now. Best to be watchful in case of loose arrows.”
The target was set up on the table the gang usually did their research at. Willow reached for the crossbow and walked to the center of the foyer, where Giles had taped a stand-behind line on the floor as a starting point. She raised the bow, aimed, took a deep breath in and pulled the trigger. The bow jerked only slightly this time as she was more prepared, and the prod rang out as it straightened. In the time it took for Willow to blink, the arrow landed on the target.
“Fifth ring! Points for Willow!” Buffy exclaimed. Willow blinked repeatedly to see if her eyes were deceiving her, but she had actually landed an arrow in the blue field.
The library door squeaked open and Xander came slowly walking in. “Whoa!” he managed in a hoarse voice. “Nice job, Will.”
“Thanks!” she smiled gleefully. Xander knew that she was training today. Willow nearly talked his ear off the night Giles had agreed to let her train. He’d been off sick for two days with the flu, but he’d promised that nothing would stop him from coming in to see how she was doing.
“Yes, yes. Let’s try it again, shall we?” Giles interrupted. He walked over and pulled out the arrow, while Buffy took the bow from Willow and loaded a new bolt. Both Willow and Xander watched her pull it back with only her fingertips.
“Looks easy enough,” Xander said nasally.
“It’s not,” Willow told him. “Giles said that pulling that string back is like lifting 150 pounds straight up.” Xander didn’t say anything but nodded, impressed.
“All right Will, you got this!” Buffy said excitedly. Willow once again stepped up to the line, took a deep breath in, but something was different. She felt more nervous this time. She took another deep breath, but couldn’t ignore the butterflies in her stomach. She pulled the trigger but the arrow flew too high over the target, sliced off a sliver of railing and flung into the stacks.
“Yikes! What happened?” Willow asked herself. Buffy smiled and said,
“It’s no big. You just over-corrected ‘cause last time you were a little low. But you’re still good.” Willow nodded although she didn’t think that was the reason.
The phone rang in Giles’ office, and he excused himself to go answer it. Buffy took the bow from her again and went to reload. Willow glanced and smiled at Xander, who was sitting on the counter pulling tissues out of his pockets. Willow took back the bow from Buffy and checked her footing. She raised the bow and aimed for a compromise between the last two shots. She drew in a deep breath... and then Xander sneezed violently.
Willow, who was partially startled and partially concerned for Xander’s well-being, made an attempt to turn to face him, but ended up pulling the trigger. The arrow shot through the glass window into Giles’ office. The girls screamed but were unable to move.
The unnerving silence that followed seemed to stretch for an eternity. Finally, Giles appeared in the doorway of his office.
“I’m all right,” he said coolly. “But perhaps we should cease training for today? Hmm?” Willow could only nod, and as Giles stiffly turned back into his office, she could see his tweed jacket was slit open on the sleeve.
Title: A Convincing Shot
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Rating/Warnings: None
Bonus: Yes
Word Count: 955
Summary: Willow is trained on how to use the crossbow.
Whoosh!
Willow burst through the doors of the library and into the hall. She had never been so frustrated. Schooling had always come easy to her. Though, she supposed this type of education was pretty far out of her wheel house. She strode up to her locker but instead of opening it, she turned and leaned against it.
When she’d told Giles that she wanted to learn how to use the crossbow, she thought convincing him would be the hardest part. She’d paced by her locker for almost half an hour trying to get her thoughts in order. She imagined him using too many “Good Lords!” and furiously cleaning his glasses.
Buffy had supported her even though she didn’t like the idea at first. It was still second nature to try and protect her and Xander. But Buffy knew that if danger was afoot and she tried leaving them behind, they’d follow along anyway.
Giles had flustered about as he explained to her that she was a civilian who shouldn’t be partaking in these activities at all. He’d then schooled Buffy again on the responsibilities of a slayer, including the line about ‘one girl in all the world’, not two. Her argument that recent events like Spike and his gang attacking the school and getting kidnapped by the Master’s minions, made her realize how incredibly unprepared she was.
“The crossbow is a perfect compromise,” she’d explained. “It’s still a vamp-killing weapon but it’s distance-y.” Giles had finally conceded after much sighing and Buffy relentlessly telling him everything would be okay.
Now she felt like a failure. Buffy had stood up for her. Even though it was her first training session, she’d been at it for almost two hours and she’d yet to hit the target.
She took a deep breath and walked back to the library. As she opened the doors, Buffy and Giles had begun sparring, but they stopped as she approached.
“Hey. You okay?” Buffy asked.
“Yeah,” Willow nodded. “Just had to clear my noggin.” Buffy smiled.
“Willow, are you certain to wish to continue training?” Giles asked. “You don’t have to. In fact I’d prefer...”
“No, no!” Willow interrupted. “I... I can do this!” she said, surprisingly confident. Giles’ face seemed defeated but he continued.
“All right. Buffy perhaps we should cease training for now. Best to be watchful in case of loose arrows.”
The target was set up on the table the gang usually did their research at. Willow reached for the crossbow and walked to the center of the foyer, where Giles had taped a stand-behind line on the floor as a starting point. She raised the bow, aimed, took a deep breath in and pulled the trigger. The bow jerked only slightly this time as she was more prepared, and the prod rang out as it straightened. In the time it took for Willow to blink, the arrow landed on the target.
“Fifth ring! Points for Willow!” Buffy exclaimed. Willow blinked repeatedly to see if her eyes were deceiving her, but she had actually landed an arrow in the blue field.
The library door squeaked open and Xander came slowly walking in. “Whoa!” he managed in a hoarse voice. “Nice job, Will.”
“Thanks!” she smiled gleefully. Xander knew that she was training today. Willow nearly talked his ear off the night Giles had agreed to let her train. He’d been off sick for two days with the flu, but he’d promised that nothing would stop him from coming in to see how she was doing.
“Yes, yes. Let’s try it again, shall we?” Giles interrupted. He walked over and pulled out the arrow, while Buffy took the bow from Willow and loaded a new bolt. Both Willow and Xander watched her pull it back with only her fingertips.
“Looks easy enough,” Xander said nasally.
“It’s not,” Willow told him. “Giles said that pulling that string back is like lifting 150 pounds straight up.” Xander didn’t say anything but nodded, impressed.
“All right Will, you got this!” Buffy said excitedly. Willow once again stepped up to the line, took a deep breath in, but something was different. She felt more nervous this time. She took another deep breath, but couldn’t ignore the butterflies in her stomach. She pulled the trigger but the arrow flew too high over the target, sliced off a sliver of railing and flung into the stacks.
“Yikes! What happened?” Willow asked herself. Buffy smiled and said,
“It’s no big. You just over-corrected ‘cause last time you were a little low. But you’re still good.” Willow nodded although she didn’t think that was the reason.
The phone rang in Giles’ office, and he excused himself to go answer it. Buffy took the bow from her again and went to reload. Willow glanced and smiled at Xander, who was sitting on the counter pulling tissues out of his pockets. Willow took back the bow from Buffy and checked her footing. She raised the bow and aimed for a compromise between the last two shots. She drew in a deep breath... and then Xander sneezed violently.
Willow, who was partially startled and partially concerned for Xander’s well-being, made an attempt to turn to face him, but ended up pulling the trigger. The arrow shot through the glass window into Giles’ office. The girls screamed but were unable to move.
The unnerving silence that followed seemed to stretch for an eternity. Finally, Giles appeared in the doorway of his office.
“I’m all right,” he said coolly. “But perhaps we should cease training for today? Hmm?” Willow could only nod, and as Giles stiffly turned back into his office, she could see his tweed jacket was slit open on the sleeve.
Thank you!