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crack_van2009-01-15 10:14 pm
moscow-watcher.livejournal.com) wrote in crack_van2009-01-15 10:14 pm
Entry tags:
Worth A Thousand Words... by Kantayra (R)
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Pairing: Buffy/Spike
Length: approx. 20,000 words.
Author on LJ:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
kantayra
Author Website: Lunar Solstice and Other Nonsense
Why this must be read:
There is a lot of fics that right the wrongs of season 6 by changing its storylines. Kantayra finds a unique way of fixing the problems that plagued the characters in season 6 without changing anything within the canonical story. The events of Worth A Thousand Words... take place after season 6. Buffy finds the Trio's surveillance tapes and gets a chance to revisit and rethink her relationship with Spike. Intrigued, she starts to look for other sources, such as Buffybot's memories; she talks with her friends as she tries to figure out what has happened between her and Spike; and, finally, when he comes back, she is ready to face him. But is he ready to face her?
Skilfully combining such traditional plot devices as "fill in the blanks" and "another POV" Kantayra manages to switch the canon into the unreliable narrator mode. The scenes of the past as well as the interactions between Buffy and her friends in the present include many juicy details; the characters are written harshly but convincingly; plus, the writer deftly exploits one of the most common human weaknesses - the fascination of peeping at other people.
“Sometimes I feel like no one appreciates me,” Buffy confessed, looking up into his eyes. “No one realizes how much pressure I’m under.”
“Whole world restin’ on your shoulders,” Spike agreed in that soft, rough voice he got in his more tender moments. “Yeah, that’d be tough.”
The real Buffy smiled softly. The conversation brought her back to the girl she’d saved tonight. Spike was right; it was tough doing the work she did with so little thanks, but every so often it was worth it…
“I’m the sure the Big Bad vampire thing is difficult, too,” Buffy’s voice went on. “Keeping up that sexy, dangerous image without killing humans. Must be hard.”
“’m still sexy an’ dangerous?” Spike asked softly.
“Oh god, yeah,” real Buffy couldn’t help but say slightly breathlessly.
Her voice echoed her sentiments. “Yes. You are still the Big Bad. And I love you for it.”
“You love me?” Spike’s voice sounded ragged.
“Yes. I love you, Spike. I’m tired of fighting it, of being alone. And I think you’re tired of being alone, too. So we should not be alone anymore. Together.”
“Tell me you love me again,” he demanded, sounding needy, more desperate than she’d ever heard him before.
“I love you.” The words sounded plastic, sterile, the way they were uttered.
“I love you…” The real Buffy couldn’t stand to let the phrase stand as it was and so imbued her own words with every fiber of her being.
Spike was sobbing softly. “You ‘ave no idea how much I wanna hear…” he trailed off.
“Shh,” the artificial, not-quite-Buffy voice sounded again, “don’t worry about it. I’m here now, and I’m not going to leave you. I love you. I’ll make everything better.”
The program record came to an end then, and Buffy wondered what had disturbed it. Was that when Glory’s minions had come in? Or had it been something else?
Absentmindedly, she detached Willow’s playback module from the Buffybot’s severed head. Her likeness smiled up at her beatifically, its eyes empty now that it was deactivated.
Worth A Thousand Words...
Pairing: Buffy/Spike
Length: approx. 20,000 words.
Author on LJ:
kantayraAuthor Website: Lunar Solstice and Other Nonsense
Why this must be read:
There is a lot of fics that right the wrongs of season 6 by changing its storylines. Kantayra finds a unique way of fixing the problems that plagued the characters in season 6 without changing anything within the canonical story. The events of Worth A Thousand Words... take place after season 6. Buffy finds the Trio's surveillance tapes and gets a chance to revisit and rethink her relationship with Spike. Intrigued, she starts to look for other sources, such as Buffybot's memories; she talks with her friends as she tries to figure out what has happened between her and Spike; and, finally, when he comes back, she is ready to face him. But is he ready to face her?
Skilfully combining such traditional plot devices as "fill in the blanks" and "another POV" Kantayra manages to switch the canon into the unreliable narrator mode. The scenes of the past as well as the interactions between Buffy and her friends in the present include many juicy details; the characters are written harshly but convincingly; plus, the writer deftly exploits one of the most common human weaknesses - the fascination of peeping at other people.
“Sometimes I feel like no one appreciates me,” Buffy confessed, looking up into his eyes. “No one realizes how much pressure I’m under.”
“Whole world restin’ on your shoulders,” Spike agreed in that soft, rough voice he got in his more tender moments. “Yeah, that’d be tough.”
The real Buffy smiled softly. The conversation brought her back to the girl she’d saved tonight. Spike was right; it was tough doing the work she did with so little thanks, but every so often it was worth it…
“I’m the sure the Big Bad vampire thing is difficult, too,” Buffy’s voice went on. “Keeping up that sexy, dangerous image without killing humans. Must be hard.”
“’m still sexy an’ dangerous?” Spike asked softly.
“Oh god, yeah,” real Buffy couldn’t help but say slightly breathlessly.
Her voice echoed her sentiments. “Yes. You are still the Big Bad. And I love you for it.”
“You love me?” Spike’s voice sounded ragged.
“Yes. I love you, Spike. I’m tired of fighting it, of being alone. And I think you’re tired of being alone, too. So we should not be alone anymore. Together.”
“Tell me you love me again,” he demanded, sounding needy, more desperate than she’d ever heard him before.
“I love you.” The words sounded plastic, sterile, the way they were uttered.
“I love you…” The real Buffy couldn’t stand to let the phrase stand as it was and so imbued her own words with every fiber of her being.
Spike was sobbing softly. “You ‘ave no idea how much I wanna hear…” he trailed off.
“Shh,” the artificial, not-quite-Buffy voice sounded again, “don’t worry about it. I’m here now, and I’m not going to leave you. I love you. I’ll make everything better.”
The program record came to an end then, and Buffy wondered what had disturbed it. Was that when Glory’s minions had come in? Or had it been something else?
Absentmindedly, she detached Willow’s playback module from the Buffybot’s severed head. Her likeness smiled up at her beatifically, its eyes empty now that it was deactivated.
Worth A Thousand Words...