Yeah. He's not the only one.

much removed cereal:

I'm running a nice and shiny Old Skool ficathon for BtVS/AtS seasons one through three. If you're interested, sign up; we'd love to have you.

(cross posted in fic thread.)

Munch POV

I really don’t know what a weird scene we’re in for, until a demon sees Kay and bows.“Mistress, I abase myself to you,” he says and kisses her foot. Which, shoot me, I notice has red painted toes. I feel like I’ve discovered something secret that she likes, if you know what I mean.
Kay struggles with the demon’s attention. “Uh, thank you?”

I shake my head slightly and she says “Not thank you. As well you should, slave.”

She’s bitchy, snappish, and demanding...the hottest I’ve ever seen her. And she’s got that gorgeous hair pulled up showing off her vulnerable neck.I swear I felt my heart beat. I have to think of the names of the Warren Commission to be able to greetmy fellow creature-features. I have a job to do after all.
But then, this female demon comes up to us. “Katrina! Hi.” She says and pecks Kay’s cheek. Kay gives me her famous puzzled eyebrow. I don’t know any better than she does. Friendly but Gruesome waits a beat then says “You don’t remember me, do you?”

“I’m sorry...business has been so good this year.” Kay bluffs.
“No, no, it’s Hallie? Halfrek on my business cards.The justice demon. We met at that convention. You were so great And you haven’t changed at all! What’s your secret?”

“A little help from my friends.” Kay says and smiles at me, that way, and puts her hand on my arm. I could die right now. Again.

“You never told me you had a guy! Teleport and see a person.” She gave me a very sharp look. “Have we met?”

“I don’t think so,”
“No, I bet I’ve seen you someplace...I never forget a face.”
“A lot of people think I look like Brad Pitt. Inside out. Justice demon...what’s that? Law enforcement?” We could have a powerful ally in her.

“No. I swear out vengeance mostly. Cheating lovers, mooching brother-in-laws..that whole deal. We just changed the name because if I’m at your door, mostly? You deserve it.”

“You never have any good news to give anyone. Ever.” Oh, crap, she probably does know me. Felicia, Gwen(probably not Gwen) Nancy or Maria. Or somebody in between. God.
“I don’t know about that. My clients are quite satisfied.”
“Mine too,” Kay says. And smiles an evil smile which, had I known she had the capacity for before my death might have haunted me. “Let’s go, John.”

“Yes, Mistress.”

“John?”

“Just a hunch, but I figure Munch requests might be in her top 40, huh?”

“You don’t know that!”
“I think I do. You’re welcome to take your chances, though.”

I’m busted. And I know it. “The extent to which you’re right depresses me. But you didn’t have to jump so fast to the right conclusion. You could’ve pretended she was captivated with me.”
”Ok, next time I’m a demon whore at an evil office party and we meet a vengeance demon, you do all the talking.”
“My unlife is scary cause that just made sense.”

“Mistress, I abase myself to you,”

Yes, that's exactly how I feel. You sure you've never been to a fetish party, Erika? As always, when nothing else works, a shot of your fic puts a grin on my face.

Love and hugs and great big grins to you, my dear.

Not in this life, Karl. Sometimes, I wonder if in my last life, I wasn't like that Leather Chain chick. Cause she said under the control of someone else, she was free. I wonder if I said that, and God said "How do you like these apples? How fun is it now?" Not always, thanks. No abasement required, but I'm glad you like it. And I couldn't resist the Halfrek thing.

Halfreck!

Oh damn. This is getting to be so much fun...

Thanks. You just know somebody would get pissed enough at the Munchkin to send a demon his way, huh? Damn...I do that too much.

Today's Open on Sunday drabble challenge is the Tarot, either the individual cards or the meaning behind them.

I used the Devil for my first one. Justine.

Significator: The Devil

Bound in a closet, Justine fights her history.

She fights against looking beyond the woodgrain of the closet door. On the other side is a room, where the Devil lives. She’s always had Him with her, ever since her sister died. First He came in the body of Holtz. She killed that body, at His own command. Now the Devil is younger, handsomer, with the means to control her and damned good reasons to do so.

Sometimes she cries, bitter weeping, biting hard to stifle the noise. Eventually He will come and feed her, and bring her a slop bucket.

Second tarot drabble.

Significator: the Hierophant

In a place between dream and understanding, she walks the cool sand of a predawn desert, following a large tawny wildcat.

There is smoke in the still air; somewhere nearby, someone has lit a fire. The big cat turns, regarding her with golden botttomless eyes. She blinks her own eyes, hazel-green, and follows the cat.

There is fire, and the First Slayer dancing. Here is the grandmother of her tribe: dangerous, violated, holding the knowledge of power. In Sunnydale, Buffy’s community waits for her. Here, another community dances and yearns.

Each woman is here to teach, and each to learn.

Still the Munchkin's POV

“Could you get what you’re looking for, so we could just go? I’ve been pinched, squeezed and I think sucked by tentacles...what has my life come to that I’m praying for tentacles?”

“Well, Detective,” I say, trying to distance myself from the tantalizing glimpses of white flesh visible from her cleavage. “these are lawyers...I doubt ‘destroy democracy’ is on a sticky note in the conference room.” Kay’s heart is in there, I tell myself. That same strong heart they picked the bullet fragment from. But then, I remember I’m a vampire, and that same heart just pulsates with blood. Damn it, Howard, you’ve got me coming and coming here.

“Kay, if you don’t think you can handle it...” I say, both being soft and baiting her. I lean against the wall like a smoke break in high school.

“Of course, I can handle it! I’d like to kick all their asses...but that’d just...just...” And she sputters, and her chest heaves. I take an unneeded deep breath.

“Encourage them,” I prompt.

“No, no, that’s not it.”

“Yes, Mistress. Whatever you want, Mistress.”

”Will you shut up before I put a foot up your demon ass?”

“I see what you mean,” I say, dryly. “This really is a big stretch for you.”

I look over to gauge her reaction, as I always do, even when I fake that I don’t. I’m confused by the silence and absence of projectiles. Her shoulders are shaking and she won’t look at me. “My God, Kay...are you crying?”

Silence means yes, when we get emotional. But she takes a beat, says “No.”
“That pollution must get everywhere, babe. And you used to complain about the smell of Balmer.”

“I called you a demon, John. A demon.” She still looks stricken, though she is trying her damnedest to cover, and I don’t want her to know it wasn’t perfect. Unbelievable. She grieves for me.She, who should be in a seperate phylum from me altogether, thinks humanity lost something when it lost John Munch. Heavy, as we used to say. A vain little voice tells me this makes it all worth it.

“I think I am a demon, Kay. Or some kind of weird hybrid...my research hasn’t been conclusive...I suspect a conspiracy.”

“And the Pope’s Catholic, huh?”
“Rumor has it. But I don’t believe anything he says either.”

“I know what I was gonna say now. I remembered.”
”I’m all ears...well, not all.”

“Yeah, yeah.’ I could kick their asses but it would give them a happy.’”

“A happy what?”

“You know, a thrill...visit to Orgasm Country.”

“I used to want a time-share there. But you better get home before you forget how to speak.”

“That’ll never happen. Hon. But Cordy-talk does get contagious.”Kay sniffles, despite herself.

“Would it totally screw up your reputation to carry your own Kleenex?”

“Where, in this rig?”

“Oh, well, here.” I say and hand her one.

“But I thought vampires didn’t...well, couldn’t...you know.”

“Your theory about my secretions is right on target, Detective. Gee would be impressed. If I concentrate really hard, I can squeeze out sympathy tears, which might’ve saved my second marriage.”