A couple things plus ... Fic: Voodoo Chile

[rebcake]

First I want to wish Happy Birthday! Good Health! Happiness! to sockmonkeyhere, whose birthday it might not be, since the little minx doesn't post that particular tidbit anymore. I also want to take this opportunity to beg her, again, to give us more In Dreams. Chapter 11 just won't leave my head, what with the the Willow jumping to an Angel/Oz conclusion, and

Comments

[riccadonna]

As I opened the comment box, Media Player randomly picked Long Hot Summer Night--I'm not making it up, I swear--and still I haven't words to tell you how much I liked this. A list: Spike and Dru were very lifelike so I could really see them, you didn't overdo Drusilla's abilities, and Spike was just merrily lethal and carefree and enamored with the world.
I loved the different gigs and the remark about the Albert Hall, and the way you described Spike's intoxicated state at Woodstock was perfect.
Next thing I do on the internet, I'm going to look for that choker, and this is the best ever way Spike could have acquired his lighter.
PS: Thou too, Rebcake! It's Townshend, not Townsend.

[rebcake]

Ack! It's fixed. Thanks for the save. There I was, worrying I was going to mess up with "Wight" and I didn't even see it!

I'm so pleased you liked this. All the gigs are real ones, though I did combine a couple of events. Thanks for your very kind comments about my characterization of these two! I didn't describe them much, since I didn't think Spike would be going on about hairdos or outfits, somehow. (I admit, I'm curious to know what his style would have been at this point.)

I might be doing a series of stories about the various ways Spike got the lighter, as I keep coming up with new possibilities. It's a subject that obsesses interests me.

The choker is clear in all the Isle of Wight footage on YouTube, so have fun. I did!

[mere_ubu]

Sweet fancy Moses, woman, how do you come up with this stuff?! I adore your Spike and Dru, and, as always, I immediately found myself nodding and thinking, "Well, of course Drusilla would form some deep, mystical bond with Jimi Hendrix. And where else could that lighter have possibly originated?" You sell it so well, and Dru's connection with Jimi is terribly (by which I mean wonderfully, of course) touching.

He knew he could make love to it, the way it deserved, the way nobody ever had before.

Bwah! Dood, you are trippin'! Thank you for a) giving us a glimpse of Stoned!Spike and b)sparing us any description of what he might be wearing at any of these, er, happenings. The thought of him in beads and a dashiki is too distressing to contemplate for long. Also? I giggled out loud at Spike's sheepish admission to himself about "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes." (Can CSN ever be applauded in any way but against one's will?)

[rebcake]

Heh! I figure Spike'd be fighting all his romantic impulses when sober, but once the stops were pulled, he'd be lovin' the whole wide world, the big softy. Of course, he'd be extra pissed-off once he came down.

And no, I really don't want to know what he might've been wearing, though we all know Dru had to have been a full-on Pearl-type hippie goddess, with long skirts, lace, floppy hats, and probably even granny glasses. However, MiAmor reports being at Newport (at which he claims to have seen Hendrix play, I kid you not), where he was approached by "the world's most beautiful hippie man", who was wearing jeans, boots and pinwheel eyes, but naught else. Although I wouldn't mind if Spike decided to take that tack, I know wishful thinking when I'm thinking it

[snickfic]

This was neat, although I think I'm not old enough to appreciate everything you have going on here - I know pretty much nothing about Jimi Hendrix. Still fun, with excellent character voices, as usual.

And I'm amused by the fact that when Spike's stoned, he's the one who obsesses about the stars. I think Spike stoned might be almost as much fun as Spike drunk...

[rebcake]

Ah well, history is history, once it's happened. WWII or Woodstock, it's all past now. Mini Hendrix primer: leading edge guitar god, worshiped by his peers (Townshend and Beck among them), often tripping on psychedelic drugs, with an affinity for naming songs things like Gypsy Woman, Spanish Castle Magic, Purple Haze, Stone Free, and of course, Voodoo Chile. Can you see why Dru might have keyed into his headspace? Died in 1970 at 26 (27?). There's more, of course, but that's about what I had before doing the research.

I think Spike stoned would've been brilliant and sweet and open, which is why he would absolutely HATE it once he came down. Heh. Not that I have any, you know, distant experience with such things. Not at all. *cough*

[snickfic]

Okay, I did know at least some of that stuff about Hendrix, so that makes me feel better.

I think Spike stoned would've been brilliant and sweet and open, which is why he would absolutely HATE it once he came down.

Now I *really want to see this,* both during and after.

I ran across this fic once that spent a little time on Spike and Dru at Woodstock, and mentioned that while he was stoned Spike had his only completely lucid conversation with Dru, which was a detail that I just loved. How appropriate! :p

[rebcake]

Just to clarify, what we have been calling stoned is more accurately termed tripping on powerful psychedelics. A far, far more intense experience than settling in with a little reefer. I know the story you mean, and it was fantastic! I think a_pretty_fire did it for a seasonal_sd round. It was a bit of inspiration for this, though hopefully I didn't cover the same ground. Thanks again for your helpful and encouraging comments!

[a_pretty_fire]

Hehe, I loved this! Spike's reactions to the music - Hendrix in particular - seemed perfectly real for the character, and I loved the way he and Dru sailed through life, just enjoying themselves. It's exactly how I like to imagine their relationship, and experiences, before Sunnydale. He was so casually bloodthirsty and cool and all of the other things I loved when I first watched him sail onto the screen in Season Two.

[rebcake]

I know you know where I'm coming from!

About the music, I wanted to give Spike an aesthetic reason to turn to punk, which I remember as being partially a reaction to the (seemingly) endless guitar solo. Having watched Hendrix essentially from beginning to end would certainly be reason enough to say "heard it", and be ready to move on. I imagine him getting really excited by jazz and that rockin' early rhythm and blues, as well. He's a guy who likes innovation and really expressive art, in my book.

As I was discussing with snickfic in another thread, how I go about capturing that casually bloodthirsty air (great description!) is to make the slaughter incidental to their other activities. No more important to the story than grabbing lunch would be for anybody else, in most cases. In over a hundred years of existence, there had to be plenty of things more memorable than what you had for dinner, right? Of course, there is the occasional really special *cough*slayer*cough* repast, and those are worth mentioning, as well

[shapinglight]

Oh boy, I'm so glad you linked to this! I love it. Absolutely perfect.

Bliss!

[rebcake]

Eeek! Look at your icon! OMG! I'm so happy that you liked it! Thanks for letting me know it made you happy!