A heartfelt recommendation

[winter]

Some of you may have noticed that there are 260 comments on my last post. 240 of these are me and fyrie talking about a single story. She fed it to me by spoonfuls, killing me softly just as I was trying to work, or sleep, or just get the vampires out of my head by any means possible.

What Remains - Jossverse and Tanz der Vampire. After LA goes boom, Spike comes back to the last two vampires he knows who might take him in.

If I had to put a label on this, it'd probably be Hurt/Comfort. After the Angel finale, Spike is broken to pieces, and it's up to von Krolock, with Herbert's help, to put him back together. But gods, this is so sweet and heart-breaking, and there's one scene (which I won't spoil) that killed me dead.

Even if all you know about Tanz is that I blather about it a lot, go read it - all you need to know is that von Krolock is Herbert's dad, and that he's a sorcerer and occasional seer. All else speaks for itself.

(She's not finished with the first chronological fic in this series, but it will explain a lot if you read the two she posted previously - Until the Moon is Abed, slash and het Herbert/Spike, von Krolock/Dru, and then Unwritten Words, where pre-Buffy Season 2 Spike asks for advice on helping Dru.)

Comments

[winter]

She really doesn't have any authority she cares to respect, does she? ;)

She might find it difficult to stay in that uniform when staying with three vampires. Canonically, VK isn't particularly fond of even looking at a cross, never mind touching one. And oooh, if he ever gets anywhere with her, she will have to take them off one by one, according to what she wants to allow him to do :>

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

She's never really had a good authority figure, thinking about it - her father walked out on her when she was about 9, when she was 11, her sister ran away from home because their mother threw her out (technically), Giles brought magic and vampires and things to them, Angelus tried to kill her, Spike tried to attack her sister even if he did go good afterwards. Teacher-wise, she sees no reason to respect them when they are blatantly so ignorant about the world around them. Closest she got to respecting anyone really was Tara and (oh, yes, the childhood trauma) she was the one who found Tara's body after everyone else forgot, "oh wait, the kid'll be coming home. We should let her know someone tried to kill her sister and that there's a body on the bedroom floor".

Ah. there arises a problem ;) Taking off the uniform - not difficult. Having him remove all the many protection charms, easy. Bodily removing flesh-coloured ring of crosses that are tattooed around her throat - not so much. My thinking is that she almost got bit and since vamps always go for the throat, she would defend herself practically invisibly there, so if any other vamp did get close enough to bite, the shock of having his gob burned by her skin would give her opening enough to kill him. My Dawn has turned out far too cunning for her own good.

Oh and Spike's headdesking already, because if he even raises his concernsthat VK may be after Dawn, herbie's going to molest him and distract him so dad can do as he likes ;)

[winter]

Oh yeah, can't forget that bit. It's a wonder Dawn turned out as well as she did, really.

Well, that just means there's one place he can't touch her. I'm sure he's inventive enough not to let that deter their mutual enjoyment ;) Maybe she can put on a scarf or something so that she doesn't burn him in bed...

Spike might try and track VK down for a private tete-a-tete, but I think Herbert has good hearing. Then again, I just want to see VK going "Yes, and what of it?" after Spike asks if he's after Dawn :>

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

The way Dawn sees it, in a world surrounded by superheroes, she's got to do her best and prove that even if she doesn't have the natural niftiness that being a Slayer brings, she can kick ass just because she wants to :D Buffy realised that about her at the end of S6, when they fought together in a crypt. She went through an inadequate phase during S7 with all the Slayers, but now, all is well and she's amused that she can fight better than some of the younger ones, because she has been learning longer and has the cunning and guile, while some of the girls are as dumb as posts.

*grins* I was thinking the same thing - it's like anyone who wants to get it on with Rogue in X-Men. Strategically place some strips of silk and lo, you get a new sensation anyway ;)

Spike knows the private chat wouldn't help. He's presently standing, doing pupp-eyes and groaning that she is totally screwed in every which way (you should see the look on his face when Dawn observes that she'd be pretty useless for virgin sacrifices anymore, so no good eying her like she might be) :D (Plus, Herbert just wants to pin him on the table as distract him)

[winter]

Didn't Spike teach Dawn some of her moves? Either way, she's got the advantage of knowing how both sides fight, that shoul also count for something :)

Oi! *pokes* Also, pinning on the table is good and yummy and mmm. Plus, would give VK the opportunity to discreetly escort Dawn out of the room so that he can further charm her...

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

Definitely. Buffy assumed that because Dawn wasn't out on patrol with her every night that she was helpless. How wrong one sister can be ;) Spike was the one who initially taught her, so she knows how vampires think, where they aim for first and what is the best target to hit on them (hence the knuckle-duster from hell with spikes and crosses across it ;D Take out the eyes with that then work on clean up)

I'm also starting to suspect the seduction is going to take place over several days/weeks, while Dawn stays and hangs out with Spike, to catch up and do their old chummy thing :) She's missed him a lot after 3 years of his constant presence. Buffy and co. are going to get a random mail, which is when they find out that "oh crap! Dawn's gone and got snared by uber vamp"

[winter]

Oooh.

Have you got another excerpt?

(Also, I just got a tentative job offer and reserved EXCELLENT Tanz tickets for 5 shows. Today is a very good day.)

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

Am working on it as we speak :D Will toss you some as soon as I have more (am officially technically trying to do homework. Have research so that counts for something ;D)

(yay for Tanz tickets! :D Give VK a big grin from Scotland ;))

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

(also yay on the job! EEH! What is it?)

[winter]

Same team I'm interning on - but a permanent post with twice the pay, quite a bit of advancement opportunity (I know people who made it to partner after 15 years or so), and most of all very, very valuable experience. Plus, all the nice co-workers, including J, who's snarky in all the ways I like :)

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

Woo! That's great :D And definitely a good place to go rather than having to start somewhere new and intimidating in all kinds of different ways. plus, its always nice to work with someone you know :)

[winter]

With the seats I have, I'll be able to give him a bloody hug. As he walks to the stage for Gott Ist Tot and later off the stage, he walks in the audience in the aisle in front of row seven. Guess who's sitting in the centre of row seven FOUR TIMES in one month?

(Note to self: look up restraining order regulations in Poland...)

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

OMG YAY! Here's a word of advice - take a long piece of rope and tie yourself to the seat, just to be sure you don't do anything silly ;)

[winter]

Have to mind my legs most of all. Wouldn't do for him to trip over my long legs and land in my lap, after all ;)

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

...

Not that you've been putting too much thought into it ;)

[winter]

I've already had a seventh row centre seat once. That was when Dziedzic first noticed me, mostly because that's the place he stares at during most of Gott Ist Tot, and I was doing the gaspy starry-eyed holding-my-chest thing rather obviously ;)

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

BAHAH! You know, I would love to see this show with you just so I could sit and watch your reactions :D (as they creep backstage and say "the crazy staring girl is back again...")

[winter]

Mother says I'm better than a cabaret in that regard. During the first show, when Herbert first emerged and threw his cloak back revealing the ruffly shirt and whatnot, I went "squee" out loud. I also regularly freak out the Ewigkeit ensemble by grinning widely instead of cowering in fear ;)

You should have seen Dziedzic at Wocial's recital, though. He threw me these little looks from time to time, like "I know that hair, but where did I meet her? O_o"

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

*grins* Apparently, I'm the same :D I think it's one of the reasons my family refuse to go anywhere with me, because when I start bouncing with glee and making happy squeaky noises I think it embarrasses them :D Admittedly, I try and restrain myself more now, usually by biting on my knuckles and vibrating on my seat to refrain from excess bouncing.

*grins* if he didn't remember before, I'm pretty sure he will after this run :D

[winter]

Well, I'm not usually like this. Tanz is special. Very special :D

As long as he doesn't run from me on sight, I'm happy ;) I still have the back up of "come on, you can't throw me out, I know the theatre director for Lucifer's sake..."

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

*g* I can readily admit I've been a musicals geek to the extreme since I was 10. Admittedly, the main one that had me tipping sideways with glee was Phantom, but there's nothing like a live overture for anything, no matter how much the show sucks, for making me hyper :) I love the atmosphere, the sound of the first chords, the lights dimming.

Kinda glad I avoided working in theatre now, because tipping over with glee at every show would have been bad :D

[winter]

Mother recently insisted I should sign up for a postgrad course on culture management and use my old connections to get the theatre to hire me for a management post, but I used the same excuse. Can't be harsh during salary negotiations when all the lead artist has to do is throw me a soulful look and I melt in my chair...

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

*grins* Every time they had a problem, they would send the pretty in and you would be entirely screwed :D