Cordelia wishes for a chance to do it all over again. She can make things better.
Right?
Is Fate ever that friendly?
Actually, though, Cordelia hasn't done that badly.
Despite their best efforts, no eldritch horrors have yet dragged the earth bodily into realms of terror, vile beyond the imagination of even the most depraved demon.
The global death toll is under a million, so far, and while it's likely to rise it's unlikely to exceed a 100 million, as long as Cordelia makes no more mistakes.
Sunnydale and environs have sufffered some minor structural damage but a mile-deep pit is a lot healthier for the neighbourhood than the buried ruins of a temple holding the nascent avatar of a dread power, and that's one office building LA won't miss.
A few people have died who shouldn't have, some quite close to Cordelia, but others have lived who would have died, and not all of them are evil to the core.
Cordelia herself hasn't suffered significant injury, yet - a little psychic stress, but nothing can't she cope with, and no permanent physical damage.
Admittedly, watching your rooting flesh ooze off your living bones is not a popular hobby, but it didn't hurt, much. (The cure hurt more.) Few people who have a close encounter with a dread abomination feared even by gods get off so lightly.
'The Price of the Wish' is not a fluffy romp through sunny pastures, there are enough of those already, but it is only lightly tinged with darkness. Cordelia could have done better (not wishing on the hellmouth would have been a good start) but she could also have done worse, much worse.
However, not many people want a tour of the nether hells, and I have few enough readers already, so I'm keeping the story fairly lighthearted, with just enough grim patches to keep it from getting fluffy. (Lovecraft is a strong influence, but not the only one. Look closely and you can see traces of Tolkien, Dr Who, and many other sources, most of them less pessimistic than Lovecraft.)
And thanks, ECSNorway, it's always nice to see my little story recommended.
Right?
Is Fate ever that friendly?
Actually, though, Cordelia hasn't done that badly.
Despite their best efforts, no eldritch horrors have yet dragged the earth bodily into realms of terror, vile beyond the imagination of even the most depraved demon.
The global death toll is under a million, so far, and while it's likely to rise it's unlikely to exceed a 100 million, as long as Cordelia makes no more mistakes.
Sunnydale and environs have sufffered some minor structural damage but a mile-deep pit is a lot healthier for the neighbourhood than the buried ruins of a temple holding the nascent avatar of a dread power, and that's one office building LA won't miss.
A few people have died who shouldn't have, some quite close to Cordelia, but others have lived who would have died, and not all of them are evil to the core.
Cordelia herself hasn't suffered significant injury, yet - a little psychic stress, but nothing can't she cope with, and no permanent physical damage.
Admittedly, watching your rooting flesh ooze off your living bones is not a popular hobby, but it didn't hurt, much. (The cure hurt more.) Few people who have a close encounter with a dread abomination feared even by gods get off so lightly.
'The Price of the Wish' is not a fluffy romp through sunny pastures, there are enough of those already, but it is only lightly tinged with darkness. Cordelia could have done better (not wishing on the hellmouth would have been a good start) but she could also have done worse, much worse.
However, not many people want a tour of the nether hells, and I have few enough readers already, so I'm keeping the story fairly lighthearted, with just enough grim patches to keep it from getting fluffy. (Lovecraft is a strong influence, but not the only one. Look closely and you can see traces of Tolkien, Dr Who, and many other sources, most of them less pessimistic than Lovecraft.)
And thanks, ECSNorway, it's always nice to see my little story recommended.