National Quote Your Own Fic Day

[aadler]

 
This one seems to have been started by nwhepcat. A little egotistical (at least, it is when I do it), but too much fun to pass up.

Quotes Follow

[ From “Each Proud Division”: Joyce-the-Slayer and Cordelia-the-Slayer are raiding a demon stronghold with Tara’s help. ]

Cordelia tossed the bow and quiver to Joyce, and drew the sledgehammer from the sling she had rigged across her back. She hefted it, took a stance before the gates, and paused to tilt a challenging eyebrow at Joyce. “Sure you know which end goes where?”

“I’ll work it out.” The older woman nocked an arrow with casual ease. “Although I don’t doubt that you’ve handled many, many more shafts than I have.”

Tara stumbled in the chant — for a second she was afraid she would choke — and Cordelia stood for a frozen moment before producing a tight, dangerous smile. “It’s not the number that counts,” she murmured. “It’s the quality. Stand clear!”

****

[ From “In Ev’ry Angle Greet”: Catherine Madison, freed from the cheerleading statuette, is being treated very carefully by the Scoobies in the SHS library. ]

It was interesting to watch the way they dealt with the woman: courteous, cautious, restrained. Quite familiar, actually, though it had been years since anyone had treated her with any such deference. Not that it was difficult to figure out why: she had lost her power when she regained her humanity, whereas Catherine Madison currently possessed both.
…
It was really very annoying, all these people standing around and no one willing to bring up the main thing on their minds. “All right, then,” Anya said. “Now that you aren’t a bowling trophy anymore, will you be trying to kill everybody, or did you have other plans?”

****

[ From “Dusk Over Pompeii”: Xander and Buffy make conversation as they await an apocalypse. ]

That brought her eyes to him. “Why, Xander, you do know how to make a girl feel special.” Dropping the affected lilt, she added, “You waited till after I was dead to decide you loved me?”

“Not after,” he corrected her. “Just that night. The prophecy said you’d die if you went looking for the Master; so, naturally, you had to go after him. And I just …” He waved his hands, fumbling for words. “You were right, I wanted you the first time I ever saw you, but that was wanting. When I knew you were going out to get yourself killed … I let go. I would have died for you, if it would have helped, but it wouldn’t have, so I went to Angel. When I did that, when I decided I’d let him have you, if it would keep you alive … that’s when I knew.”

Buffy sighed. “You really hated him.”

Xander nodded. “I really did.”

****

[ From “Whisper of a Moment”: A potential Slayer, her heritage temporarily activated during a crisis, feels the power starting to recede. ]

… They’ve just watched me go through dozens of their comrades like a threshing machine, they know they’re no match for me … but these are tough, proud, desperate men, any one on his own might back down but under the eyes of their buddies it’s just not possible for them. I’m blocking them from the escaping prisoners, and even as I watch they begin to gather themselves for what they think is a hopeless charge, the sprinklers still hissing spray onto the bleeding, moaning, broken men that litter the concrete between us.

I laugh. I can feel my arms trembling, see the grayness beginning to edge my vision; the enzymes are nearly exhausted, I only have seconds of activity left in me, and then I’ll be done. I’m about to die, and some creepy crazy part of me has never been happier. They flinch at the sound of that laugh, but they keep edging forward, nerving themselves for the final rush.

A wolf’s grin stretches my lips, and a voice I don’t know croons, “C’mon, lickwicks. Show me what you got.”

And they do.

Close Cut

Everybody else jump on. I’d love to see the selections.

Comments

[vastid87.livejournal.com]

I'd kind of like to see you place a bit from "Dusk Over Pompei".
I don't remember exactly how it goes, but something to the effect of "'Did you really sucker-punch Parker?' Buffy asked. 'I didn't plan to, but I was kind of pissed and he was in the middle of a conversation with somebody else, and it just seemed like more effort than he was worth to step around to where he could actually see it coming.'" Xander replied.