In Dreams ~ Drabble (1/4)

[clawofcat]

It was suggested to me that I experiment with my style, so this is an exercise in doing just that. This drabble is the first in series of four that will each focus on a member of the Fanged Four and what they dream of when they think of possession. The idea was partially inspired by Neil Gaiman's Sandman.

Title: In Dreams (Drusilla)
Author:

Comments

[shapinglight]

I like that very much, and Dru is so hard to write. I think you managed that here in a way that's poetic and yet also true to the character.

[clawofcat]

She always spoke of stars and the heavens, refered to herself as princess searching for her knight, so I just tried to incorporate those aspects of her personality into a dreamy, figurative thought process. Or, a nightmarish recall, maybe. Later we saw a doting Dru on Angel, but I can't imagine she was always that way. He had to twist and pervert any sense of pleasure/pain, lover/tormenter she had in order to make a woman feel for him what she did. Poor dear. How horrible it must have been for her in those early years.

[zoesmith]

It's not easy to be in Dru's head. You did an excellent job, that was very touching and powerful.

[clawofcat]

Thanks! I imagine she must have endured some incredibly intense suffering at the hands of Angelus in the early years. Just like he made Spike, I think he had to make Dru, as well. And a transformation like that can't be born through anything but pain. It just makes me think how strong she really must be to have any wits left at all.

[cafedemonde]

Very nice, the last line brings on shivers.

And Angelus really was a dick, wasn't he?

[clawofcat]

Very nice, the last line brings on shivers.
And she got what she wanted, didn't she? Stuck her snares into Spike and didn't let go for a long time. Clever girl.

And yes, Angelus was a supreme dick. I think what he did to Dru was the most unconcionable thing we saw him accomplish in canon. This was meant to represent a youngish sort of Dru, one who was terrorized and tormented to mold her into the vampire we later saw. But just like Spike always had his spark of humanity, I think Dru did too, which is why Angelus tortured her above all else. Because it hurt and she was powerless to stop him.

[mere_ubu]

She dreams of a knight to make hers alone, at last someone to scream her name.

Ooh, this gives me the shivers--that first line repeated and augmented. Gorgeous imagery and creepy as hell. I know she's a monster, but I always feel so sad for her. You captures Angelus' profanation of her so well; she really is a horrifying creation. Can't wait to read more of these.

[clawofcat]

Yeah, she goes from wanting to be saved to wanting to exert her control over someone. Ultimately, Dru got both from Spike in the end.

Glad you enjoyed. Dru sort of speaks in poetry, never totally literal. So, her thought process, I imagine, would be full of fantastic figurative language mixed with the nightmarish experience of being tormented. And I always feel sad for her too. Such a force of good twisted into a force of evil. I wanted to show how horrible that transformation must have been for her, how painful. I think Dru is a testament to what an utter, evil bastard Angelus was.

I'm trying to figure out if I want to keep the structure of each drabble the same or switch it up. I'll probably try and use language that's representative of each character. Don't think William's dreams would be a loopy as poor Dru's.

[louise39]

"...a white knight to call her own"

I think that Drusilla as a young girl had a head full of dreams and girlish fantasies. Her 'visions' came, then Angelus...and pain.

You did a great job showing the nightmare that her unlife was and how she embraced it. But somehow, in a place Angelus couldn't touch, she had a dream to mold her own creature.

[clawofcat]

But somehow, in a place Angelus couldn't touch, she had a dream to mold her own creature.
If I'm going to stick with Sandman references, there's a story arc where Dream goes to battle the Devil for a sacred helmet of his. When he walks away, seemingly victorious, the Devil tells him, "What is hell without hope?" It's those dreams of solace that make the reality of pain that much more accute and perhaps Angelus knew this. But then, what's the saying about women and the secrets of their heart? That they're unknowable, perhaps?

I'm glad you enjoyed the brief foray in Dru-thought. I just posted William, still need to figure out Angelus, but I think my favorite drabble so far has been the one I wrote for Darla. Can't wait to put that up.