Being a Vampire Sucks 5: Curiosity Killed the Cat

[shapinglight]

I think I must be on a roll (a very small one, probably a chocolate mini roll) fic-writing wise this week, because not only did I post something to sb_fag_ends yesterday, but on the way into work this morning, I thought of another ficlet for my series of short fics from last year about minor vampire characters, Being a Vampire Sucks.

This time, it's Holden Webster from Conversations With Dead People. rebcake always said he should be next in line, but I held off because I couldn't see him as a minor vamp. But then I thought, he's only in one episode, and I've done a ficlet about Dalton, who was in several (three at least), so yes, Holden's a minor vamp, no matter how memorable.

Setting: During CWDP
Rating: PG-13
400 words.

Curiosity Killed the Cat



Holden hadn't thought he was bi-curious until the blond guy in the bar hit on him.

Even now, he's not sure why, instead of telling the guy to back the hell off, he'd let him lean in and lick his earlobe. He hadn't pulled the guy's hand off his thigh either, or laughed in his face when he'd said, in a sultry British accent, "My name's Spike. Wanna go out back with me, pretty boy?"

I mean, 'Spike'! What kind of a name is that?

But anyway, looking back now, post-vamping- and call yourself a Sunnydaler, Webs, you should have seen that coming a mile off! - he puts his lack of fear/manly outrage down to him being a Psych major. It's like part of him was standing off to the side with a clipboard and pen, all detached intellectual curiosity, thinking, Oh, this is interesting behaviour, and wondering if the rest of him was willing to go all the way in the name of (social) science.

Not that he'll ever know now. 'Spike,' as it turned out, wasn't so much gay, as hungry.

Or maybe gay and hungry.

Either way, he was a great kisser.

And here in the now, chewing the fat with a girl he was too scared of in school to even try to speak to, he can feel that same intellectual detachment coming on.

It's like the part of him that's connected to powerful all-consuming evil wants to kill her. I mean, really, really wants to kill her, and then do something gross, like bathe in her delicious, spurting blood.

But the detached part - the part that got him killed when he totally should have told that Spike guy where to get off -isn't ready to go there yet. Not until he's done exploring her issues. Which is going to take a while, because she has enough to keep a whole team of shrinks busy for years.

Not cool that she's so certain she can kill him, maybe. But he has his vamp super-strength now to back up his mad tae kwon do skills. Besides, she's so little.

Destined vampire slayer or not, he can take her.

She's fascinating, Buffy Summers. She really is. He could write his doctoral thesis on her.

In fact, if there's such a thing as vamp college - night school, or whatever? - maybe he'll transfer and do just that?

Comments

[sueworld2003.livejournal.com]

*applauds* That was excellent! I loved Holden Webster. :D

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Thanks, Sue. Glad you liked it. :)

[rahirah]

Holden rocks. *g*

[shapinglight]

He does. Or did for a short while anyway. :)

[singedbylife.livejournal.com]

I love this episode. Holden Webster is impossible to forget but even so, you're right. He is a minor vamp character.

I can easily hear him think these thoughts.

So damn nonchelant, so handsome, so So Cal - so smart. And I like the idea of Spike seducing him. I think Spike has great taste in men.

[shapinglight]

And I like the idea of Spike seducing him. I think Spike has great taste in men.

I'd say how do you explain Angel, then, but that'd be mean, and based on comics-related bitterness. ;)

CWDP is a great episode, I agree.

[chasingdemons.livejournal.com]

That was simply delicious! Always a treat to see something from you.

[shapinglight]

Thanks, love. Glad you liked it. I've enjoyed writing this little series.

[cafedemonde.livejournal.com]

Lovelovelove!

[shapinglight]

Thank you!Thank you!Thank you!

:)

[rebcake.livejournal.com]

This is great! I suspect that Spike could turn quite a few fellows bi-curious, but I love the idea that Holden's downfall is his detachment. Every. Time. Heh.

Excellent job.

[shapinglight]

Thanks, love. I'm glad I decided you were right after all.

[angearia.livejournal.com]

Ah this was excellent. His brain's just always going, isn't it?

[shapinglight]

Thank you, and yes, I expect he was analysing the experience even while he was disintegrating. ;)

[shadowscast.livejournal.com]

Hee! Poor Holden. That was nice.

[shapinglight]

Thank you. And :waves: Always lovely to see you.

[helenkacan.livejournal.com]

This was delightful! Oh, yes, the delusions of the young (vampire). Sure, go ahead and try, especially because she's SO little. ::snickers at the silly vamp-boy::

[shapinglight]

Yes, silly him. But at least Buffy regretted having to kill him. ;)

[trepkos.livejournal.com]

Great analysis!

[shapinglight]

:)

Holden likes this comment.

[lynnenne]

Or maybe gay and hungry.

This made me sporfle. Heeeeeee. Holden is so much fun!

[shapinglight]

Thanks. :)

He is fun. A pity it wasn't for long.

[estepheia.livejournal.com]

Yay!!!
Good roll!

[shapinglight]

Thank you. :)

[(Anonymous)]

Wonderful! I can totally see Holden not being able to resist Spike's advances out of scientific curiosity (mixed with another kind of curiosity). And I love the idea of him considering to write a thesis on Buffy!

DD

[shapinglight]

Thank you very much, DD.

[treadingthedark.livejournal.com]

This was great!! Thanks

[shapinglight]

Thanks for reading. Glad you enjoyed. :)

[waddiwasiwitch.livejournal.com]

I loved Holden and Conversations with Dead People has to be one of my fave Buffy episodes. This was wonderful. I loved his sense of detachment.

[shapinglight]

Thank you. Glad it worked for you. :)

[kidcyclone.livejournal.com]

This was a nice little piece and I really like Holden's voice. I also love the idea of vampire college. I have played with the idea for a while of Angelus being bored and taking on a semester being an instructor for a night course at a community college.

[shapinglight]

Really? What would he teach, do you imagine?

[brutti-ma-buoni.livejournal.com]

Fabulous! Poor Webs - so interesting, and so very dead.

[shapinglight]

Yes, it's a shame. Mind you, if he'd ever caught up with his sire, I suspect Spike would have thought him too clever by half and dusted him himself. :)

[slaymesoftly.livejournal.com]

Wonderful! He is such an interesting character. I can just see him following Spike out into the alley for the sake of scientific curiosity. Unfortunately, he's totally misjudged Buffy's abilities, so he'll never have a chance at that vampire Phd. :) Well done!

[shapinglight]

Thank you. Yes, he was probably thinking that curiosity couldn't get him killed twice, silly boy.

[sibilant.livejournal.com]

Poor Webs, who thinks he still has a future, and that it leads not to ugly death but to academia.

The stories of the poor buggers Spike sired in Season 7 deserve to be told and this is a lovely little vignette.

Yay for new fic from you!

[shapinglight]

Thank you! :)

I'd do more of them, but unfortunately Holden is the only one with a name.

[sueworld2003.livejournal.com]

*applauds* That was excellent! I loved Holden Webster. :D

[shapinglight]

Thanks, Sue. Glad you liked it. :)

[rahirah]

Holden rocks. *g*

[shapinglight]

He does. Or did for a short while anyway. :)

[singedbylife.livejournal.com]

I love this episode. Holden Webster is impossible to forget but even so, you're right. He is a minor vamp character.

I can easily hear him think these thoughts.

So damn nonchelant, so handsome, so So Cal - so smart. And I like the idea of Spike seducing him. I think Spike has great taste in men.

[shapinglight]

And I like the idea of Spike seducing him. I think Spike has great taste in men.

I'd say how do you explain Angel, then, but that'd be mean, and based on comics-related bitterness. ;)

CWDP is a great episode, I agree.

[chasingdemons.livejournal.com]

That was simply delicious! Always a treat to see something from you.

[shapinglight]

Thanks, love. Glad you liked it. I've enjoyed writing this little series.

[cafedemonde.livejournal.com]

Lovelovelove!

[shapinglight]

Thank you!Thank you!Thank you!

:)

[rebcake.livejournal.com]

This is great! I suspect that Spike could turn quite a few fellows bi-curious, but I love the idea that Holden's downfall is his detachment. Every. Time. Heh.

Excellent job.

[shapinglight]

Thanks, love. I'm glad I decided you were right after all.