FIC: Feather Roads- Talking the Talk
Mad-Hamlet
(Grrr..rarrr)
Drain Brameged Inc. Proudly Presents
A Mad-Hamlet Production
We walk the roads that fate lays before us. More often than we'd like
that path is strewn with blades and teeth. Shadows with claws that try
to gut us from within, most of us struggle foward, over, under,
through all these obsticles hoping, even in the face of all evidence,
that we'll be stronger for it.
On occasion, through mercy, or mayhaps the whim of Gods needing
entertainment, allow Fate's way to be softened. Cool breezes flow over
our skin, all the living things around seem to speak to us and our
existance is not only possible but worthwhile. The road is soft and
comfortable and we can rest as we journy onward, wounds heal, blood
stops and strength returns..just so we can face the next shadowy
terror with a far too wide, sharp, grin just around the corner.
On occasion we're gifted with Feather Roads. This is theirs.
Feather Roads
Talking the Talk
"Give me the remote." I say.
"No." Buffy smiles holding it away from me. With her other hand she
dips into the bowl of chips and munches a handful.
"Give me the remote!" I say again, I try and use my 'resolve' face to
add power to the command but her smile, and slow wink makes me giggle
instead. This is just no fair.
"Please Buffy, give me the remote." Puppy dog eyes, that'll do the
trick.
"No go babe. I got the Anti-Puppy factor going for me." She smirks.
"That being what?" I say with a pout.
"I have your feet." She says and her grip slams around my ankles.
"Oohh no no no no no no no no!" I beg..in vain. I know where this is
going and I love every second of it.
Nonchalantly she puts the remote down, still safely out of reach.
"Why what do we have here?" She says with a fake look of surprise.
"Helpless and defenseless Willow feet!"
"No no no no no no no please Buffy..no no no no.." I'm still begging.
She's too good at this.
"We all know what happens to unprotected Willow Feet don't we?" She
asks with a lecherous grin.
"No no no no please no no no oh Goddess save your..." I'm interupted
by Buffy's truimphant shout of "TICKLE MONSTER!"
And I can't say anything for the next few minutes.
It takes me about ten minutes to regain my composure..er..catch my
breath..
"Please can I have the remote?" I ask quietly.
"Sorry lover." Buffy quips. She's sat back on her end of the sofa,
eating another handful of chips, "But it's my house, so my rules..I
grew up watching this show and I want to re-live some of the good old
days. So there." And she sticks her tounge out at me.
"But..but..but.." I stammer. "Betwiched? I mean..that show is
so..insulting to witches and..and..that nose thing? I mean..who
believes that..and all this matter just popping in and out. And
Samantha's mother, what respect in her right mind would dress like
that? I absolutly adore you Buffy and knowning tonight we'll be making
mad passionate love does make me feel all warm and tingly but if you
actaully try and make me watch this whole 'Bewitched' marathon I'm
gonna-"
"Uh..Hi! Mom!" Buffy says loudly.
"Wish the Earth will swallow me up right this very second." I squeak.
Please be kidding, please be kidding, please be kidding, please be
kidding...I look at Buffy. Back ramrod straight, eyes big and wide,
mouth kind of slack..oh..this is so not good.
Turn the head..slowly..slowly..don't want to be all panicky if she's
faking, she'll think she got me, I'm not going to let her get me,
and..and..if..she..oh big time trouble no..if she isn't faking I have
too..have too..look..oh..oh oh oh...no.
"H-hi..Mrs...ah..Summers." I stammer out.
Then fall out of the sofa.
"Willow?" I hear.
"Willow? Can you hear me?" Don't think I recognise the voice.
Mmm..sleepy.
"Mom, give me some room." Hi Buffy..what are you doing in my dream?
"Buffy, what was that Willow was saying..making..."
"Not now Mom, later. I promise..just let me get Willow on the sofa."
"Here, put this blanket on top of her. I'll get some water." Ah..now
I recognise that voice..that's Buffy's mom, Joyce. She's nice though
she did have rather bad timing coming back home unexpectedly just when
I was telling Buffy about how..
I sit bolt upright.
"IwasjustkiddingMrsSummersIswearwhateveryouheardwaswrong!" I blurt
out.
"Shhh..." Buffy's on her knees beside me. Stroking my hair..it's
nice... I can feel my heart hammering really loudly, but still her
hand feels nice. I lean into the touch.
"Oh..oh that was scary." I say to Buffy, closing my eyes. "I dreamed
your mother came home and..."
"Here's the water and..oh..Willow. You're awake. Are you alright
dear?"
Eep.
"YesImquiteallrightMrsSummersthanksforaskingBuffyitsbeenfunbutIreallyreallyreallythinkIhavetogonow!"
Panic!
Panic!
Panic!
Panic!
Panic!
"No, you better stay here Willow." Mrs. Summers says sitting next to
me. "You did just suffer a fainting spell after all."
Her smile is warm and friendly but her eyes are really serious. What
I can see of them, I'm not exactly looking her in the face as my chin
is trying to merge with my breastbone.
Panic!
Panic!
Panic!
Panic!
Panic!
Panic!
Panic!
"Buffy..what was that Willow was saying as I came in the room?" Mrs
Summers asks. I can't really tell how she's looking. My fingers are
very, very intresting right now.
I hear Buffy sigh. I know that sigh it's the, 'Okay here we go this
should be a real bucket of laughs.' sigh.
"Yes mom, Willow and I are lovers, yes mom I'm sure, no mom I havn't
tried not being in love with her, yes mom I'm going to stick with her,
yes mom we should have told you, yes mom I'm sorry but we were scared.
I'm sorry." Buffy says in one breath.
I try real hard not to giggle.
"Oh." Mrs. Summers says. I glance at her. She's still sitting next to
me, looks relaxed enough, she's not looking at either me, or Buffy,
just..off into space.
"Mom?" Buffy asks.
Mrs. Summers doesn't say anything.
"Mom?" Buffy asks again.
Still nothing.
"Did..did..we break her?" I ask quietly.
"I..don't think so." Buffy leans foward. "Mom, this is the part where
you smile and say 'Whatever makes you happy dear.' right? You're not
going to go homophobe on us are you?" Buffy waves her hand in her
mother's face a few times.
Mrs. Summers snaps back. "Are you really sure Buffy? Lord knows I
experimented in College when.."
I give a loud yelp and pull the blankets over my head, stick my
fingers in my ears and loudly beging to hum 'These Boots are Made For
Walking' as loudly as I can. Doesn't work.
"Mom!" Buffy interupts her. "If you never, ever finish that sentence
I swear I'll not bring up the band candy incident ever again!"
"I was going to say with dope Buffy." I peek my head out from under
the blanket.
"You tried marijina Mrs. Summers?" I ask hesitantly.
She smiles at me. She still looks a little serious but nowhere near
'crush little jewish girl who you just discovered has been having sex
with your only daughter' class homicidal.
It's the quiet ones, I remind myself..gotta watch out for the quiet
ones.
"Once Willow." That was enough. She looks at the two of us with that
'mom' look that somehow they learn from..somebody.
"I take it..." She says slowly. "This was not a one time thing."
"About a year mom." Buffy easily replies. How can she be so relaxed?
If my parents find out they'll have me excommunicated! No..wait..we're
Jewish we don't do that..well..it'll be bad.
"And...you love Willow, is that correct?" Joyce asks her daughter.
"Do you..." Buffy replies. She seems to be thinking. "Do you remember
what I told you about Angelus mom? About two years ago?"
Slowly Mrs Summers nods. Where is Buffy going with this?
"Let me put it like this then." Buffy says. "If I had had to do to
Willow, what I had to do to Angel, I would not have gotten on the bus
leaving Sunnydale.
What?
"Buffy, I'm afraid I don't.." Mrs. Summers begins.
"I would have let it run over me." Buffy finishes.
Aww..what a sweet thing to say..oh..wait..no it isn't..well..maybe I
mean..but..suicide..that's bad..but feeling so strongly so..that's
good and..uh...mmm..
"Ah." Mrs. Summers says. She's using that tone of voice that parents
use when they want to appear 'wise'. "I see." She pauses, eyebrows
creasing. "I think."
"I love Willow mom." Buffy says very matter-of-factly, taking my
hand. "Nuff said."
"And..you..Willow..you love Buffy?" She turns to me.
Ohmygoshshe'slookingrightatmeandI'mgonnadie!!Helphelphelpehelphelp!
"Yeah!" I say loudly. I'm sure I'm waring some manical grin.
"She's..she's..Buffy's..ah..sweet..really sweet..and no..that didn't
come out right I mean she's very, very, nice and I love her a lot can
I go to the bathroom please?"
"Do you have too?" Mrs. Summers asks very quietly, using that Wise
voice again.
"NotreallybutIthinkI'mgoingtocombustI'msoembarrssed!" I squeak.
Mrs Joyce pats me on the head. Hey! I'm no kid I'm in college, I'm an
adult, I'm mature, I'm..I'm..not hyperventilating anymore. Neat!
"Nothing to be that embarrssed over Willow." Mrs. Summers says
quietly. "Okay, so it was kind of alkward. Myself walking in at just
the wrong time..." She pauses. "Or the right time maybe."
She turns to her daughter. "When exatly were you going to share this
with me?"
Buffy turns bright red and flaps her hands around helplessly. She
shoots me a pained look, a plea for help but I'm barely hanging on as
is.
"Uh..that is..the..er..right time?" She says helplessly.
Mrs. Summers sighs. "Well..I suppose now will do. I didn't discover
about Angel for nearly two years so I should be used to it by now."
"Well..that and Parker." I chip in..oh god no I said exactly the
wrong thing. Buffy levels a 'I will kill you later' glare my way.
"Uh..did I say Parker? I meant..umm..barker..yeah..don't see too many
good carnival barkers these days, what with there being no Carnivals
to bark for I mean..wow..television really killed them huh. Intresting
that.
Mrs. Summers doen't buy it.
"Parker?" She looks at her daughter with a raised eyebrow crossing
her arms over her chest.
"College experiment mom. Failed..big time. Savor the irony." Buffy
says in reply, also crossing her arms. Like mother, like daughter.
"Another time then." Mrs. Summers says. She looks betweent the two of
us again.
"Just exactly how did this start?" She asks.
NO! Don't wanna remember, won't remember..just..push it
back..breathe..breathe..shh shh...
I feel Buffy wrapping her arms around me, take strength from Buffy,
Buffy's here..shhh..shhh..you're alright..you're alright....
"Not a good question mom. Let is drop okay?"I hear Buffy saying. She
sounds a little far away.
In one two three
Out one two three
In one twho three
Out one two three
Breathe..relax..breathe..relax..okay..I'm okay..
I open my eyes and look at Mrs. Summers. She's wearing a look of real
concern, she's shifted foward a little and looking me in the eyes
ernestly.
"Are...are you sure honey?" She asks.
"I'm sure." Buffy says.
"Surley sure." I echo.
"Hey." Buffy kisses the top of my head. "Welcome back."
"Did I leave?" I ask.
"Zoned for a second, but ya toughed it out." She replies back to me,
I can hear her smile. I can also hear her heart too. It's hammering
like mine, so..she's not the only nervous one. Still..it could have
been the 'question' not getting caught.
I inhale deeply..ah..Buffyscent. Much, much better.
"So..let me get this straight." Mrs. Summers says. "You two are
engaged in a lesbian relationship, have been for nearly a year, are
deeply in love and you can't tell me how it all started?"
"Uh..yeah?" I answer her quietly.
"That about sums it up mom." Buffy says.
"So much for grandchildren." Mrs. Summers sighs.
"MOM!" Buffy says loudly.
"Sorry dear." Mrs. Summers says.
I, personally, find the entire exchange quite funny.
"Well..ah..mm..you never know..Mrs. Summers. Her first love was a
vampire, mine was a werewolf, we've beaten vampires, demons, nearly
been sacrificed, involved with a goverment conspiracies, and fought
things that would make a terminator seem like a teddy ruxpin." I
shrug. "What's the big deal of two women having children?"
Mrs. Summers gives me a pained smile. "Well..I suppose so Willow."
"You can stop helping me at any time you know" Buffy says.
I tilt my head and kiss the tip of her chin. "But I like helping." I
say with an arched eyebrow.
Buffy just groans and buries her face in my hair. Tingly!
"Oh, Betwiched is on." Mrs. Summers says. "Remember when we used to
watch that together Buffy?"
"Sure thing mom!" Buffy says letting me go and squeesing into the
space between me and
Mrs. Summers. "How about we catch up on times huh?"
"Sounds like fun." Mrs. Summers says and makes herself more
comforatable on the sofa.
Buffy turns her face to mine and mouths the words 'Neener, neener.'
I stick my tounge out at her but accept my fate.
We watch the television for a few minutes.
"Your boyfriend was a werewolf?"
Authors notes: A little short, a little rushed..but a friend was in
desperate need of a WAFFY fic after reading Sundowning. I _live_ for
those moments.
Mike Zimbouski or...
First of all, I really enjoy your work. I thought _Prisms_ and _Forge_
were a really brave, convincing treatment of a very difficult subject, I
think you get all the characters' voices just right, and as someone who's
not really into unconventional relationship fanfic, I'm amazed at how well
you pull off Buffy and Willow together.
_But_.
Your stories would be _so_ _much_ _better_ if you took just a little more
time out to pay attention to spelling and punctuation. Some people may
disagree, but I think that a writer can be Shakespeare, Samuel Beckett,
and Arthur Conan Doyle rolled into one, but if he doesn't pay attention to
the _presentation_ of his work as well as the content, it hurts the work.
I find it very difficult to read stories with wrong punctuation. It's like
a bad picture on the TV screen; it makes it hard to care how good the show
is.
Here, let me give you an example:
> "Nothing to be that embarrssed over Willow." Mrs. Summers says
> quietly. "Okay, so it was kind of alkward. Myself walking in at just
> the wrong time..." She pauses. "Or the right time maybe."
>
Now look at a cleaned-up version:
> "Nothing to be that embarrassed over, Willow," Mrs. Summers says
> quietly. "Okay, so it was kind of awkward; myself walking in at just
> the wrong time." She pauses. "Or the right time, maybe."
Doesn't that look so much better? Cleaner, easier to read, and just better
written. Good spelling and punctuation inspires confidence in the writer;
it lets the reader know that the person writing this knows what they're
doing.
Now, obviously any writer will have an occasional lapse in spelling or
punctuation; I'm sure I'm guilty of it somewhere in this very post. The
important thing, as the Mayor observed, is to keep it under control. You
may just not be all that good at spelling and such; some people aren't. In
that case, I encourage you to have other people look your stories over and
make corrections for you. Hell, I'll do it if you can't find anybody else.
There's also a book by a couple of guys named Strunk and White called--oh,
crap. Somebody help me out with the title? I think it's _The Principles of
Punctuation_ or something like that. Anyway, it's only like a hundred
pages long; you can usually find it in used bookstores for cheap, and
it'll tell you more than you ever wanted to know about proper sentence
formatting and punctuation. I definitely recommend it.
One other thing, while I'm here; this may be just me, but I personally
think the world would be a better place if people resolved to only use one
set of ellipses per calendar year. They're ugly, they clutter up the page,
and they're unnecessary. Again, allow me to demonstrate:
> Aww..what a sweet thing to say..oh..wait..no it isn't..well..maybe I
> mean..but..suicide..that's bad..but feeling so strongly so..that's
> good and..uh...mmm..
> Aww, what a sweet thing to say. Oh, wait; no, it isn't. Well, maybe. I
> mean, but suicide, that's bad. But feeling so strongly, so that's
> good and, uh, mmm--
Doesn't that just read better? Your eye floats across the sentences more
easily; there aren't these huge gaps between each word that it has to
leap across.
I'm not trying to rip you a new one, really; I wouldn't be going on like
this if I didn't like your stories. I just think they deserved to be
treated better, is all.
Mike Z
--
kye...@earthlink.net
Ta'Teria
"Mike Zimbouski or..." <ch...@the.sig> wrote in message
news:check-26070...@dialup-209.246.99.18.dial1.newyork1.level3.net..
.
> > Aww..what a sweet thing to say..oh..wait..no it
isn't..well..maybe I
> > mean..but..suicide..that's bad..but feeling so strongly so..that's
> > good and..uh...mmm..
>
> > Aww, what a sweet thing to say. Oh, wait; no, it isn't. Well,
maybe. I
> > mean, but suicide, that's bad. But feeling so strongly, so that's
> > good and, uh, mmm--
>
> Doesn't that just read better? Your eye floats across the sentences more
> easily; there aren't these huge gaps between each word that it has to
> leap across.
I'd disagree here. The way it is, it reads like how Willow would say it.
Just my lil cent and a half...
Mad-Hamlet
> "Mike Zimbouski or..." <ch...@the.sig> wrote in message
> news:check-26070...@dialup-209.246.99.18.dial1.newyork1.level3.net..
> .
> > > Aww..what a sweet thing to say..oh..wait..no it
> isn't..well..maybe I
> > > mean..but..suicide..that's bad..but feeling so strongly so..that's
> > > good and..uh...mmm..
>
> > > Aww, what a sweet thing to say. Oh, wait; no, it isn't. Well,
> maybe. I
> > > mean, but suicide, that's bad. But feeling so strongly, so that's
> > > good and, uh, mmm--
> >
> > Doesn't that just read better? Your eye floats across the sentences more
> > easily; there aren't these huge gaps between each word that it has to
Greetings,
I hate having to explain this. It's complicated but it makes sense in
a twisted way. I have a degree or two in English so I agree with you
completly along the lines of spelling. Grammer, Semi-Colons and
what-not _can_, IMO, interfere with the 'Telling' of a story to a
certain degree. So I'm going to have to agree with Ta'Teria on that
angle. Words are a very limiting forum and we have to be a bit
more...creative to tell what would normally be told using tone of
voice, facial expressions, backround music and camera angels.(Among
other factors.)
THE SPELLING on the other hand...
Well..As I said I have several degrees in English but I live, now and
for the last three years, in Eastern Europe.(Hungary to be precise.)
ALL the systems around here are, of course, Hungarian versions of
Windows and no matter _WHAT I DO_ I cannot get any version of Winword,
WinOffice, Office 2000, to accept and use a US/English dictionary with
the spell checker. SO..if I want to check my Hungarian, it works fine,
if I want to check my English it tells me every word in the bloody
page is misspelled.
All is not lost as I will..sooner..or later..be getting a US Windows
based system.
So..that explains a lot huh.
At least I think.
I remain, as always,
Mad-Hamlet