Fic: Carnival Dream

[the_wiggins]

Title: Carnival Dream (Anywhere But Here)
Author: the_wiggins
Era/season/setting: Season 2, canon divergent AU
Rating: M
Warnings: swearing, some violence, reference to the fact that Spike and Dru are still technically together, and I guess there is one minor reference to cannibalism too
Author's Note: This can be read on it's own, but is a continuation of

Comments

[thenewbuzwuzz]

What I most admire about this is that you went as weird as you wanted/needed without ever losing sight of the concept. Take that image of the town melting away around them while the marsh remains. *Brilliantly* trippy; and also powerful on a symbolic level and works to bring Spike towards what he needs to understand. Cryptic unreadable message from elusive past self, ditto: A+ dream reality, also compelling character study, also petition to drive all plots this way

[the_wiggins]

Wow, didn't expect such a detailed comment from you after all the feedback you'd already given me as a beta. Thank you so much! <3

[thenewbuzwuzz]

Well, my last email comment before you posted had all the enthusiasm of "Seen", and I didn't want to end on such a note. So this was a Just In Case I Hadn't Made Myself Clear comment. :D

[anonymous]

The imagery here is brilliant. I loved the way you described the atmosphere and Spike's dream. Each word really pulled me into the story. -Electric Heart

[the_wiggins]

Thank you so much for your sweet comment!

[pricelessspike]

Beautifully written and so evocative of Venice and how I imagine a masked ball would be.

[the_wiggins]

Thank you! Obviously it was a very sinister masked ball but I'm glad it captured the right ambiance for you. I had fun doing "research" by looking up YouTube clips of every movie or TV show I could think of with some kind of masquerade scene. Labyrinth, Phantom of the Opera, etc.

[relurker]

Gorgeous dream sequence, what a great imagination you have.
<3

(Will the Spike and Buffy of the beginning of this story ever get out from under Angelus' thumb?)

[the_wiggins]

Aw, thanks!

And yes! They definitely will. Though there may be some complications. And getting out is only the first step.

Thanks for the interest and support! I'm outlining and such now, but hope to get to the point where I can start posting chapters by maybe late summer? I'm still kinda figuring out my process.

[double_dutchess]

This was really captivating, great imagery, and so full of symbolism! I also found it very realistic as a dream sequence, meaning that the weirdness is just the kind you'd experience in a dream. Great to hear that Anywhere But Here is going to be a longer fic. Yay!

[the_wiggins]

Thank you so much! Really pleased that the symbolism and, um, dreaminess? worked for you. I agonized over a lot of it. And, of course, buzwuzz's feedback was invaluable!