[fic] her bark is worse than her bite

[kwritten]

fic: her bark is worse than her bite (lightning always flashes brighter than the sun)
fandom: btvs
pairing: buffy/tara; dawn
recipient: : red_satin_doll for the October meme
word count: 1860
prompt: thunder/courage; tara being as flawed and human, not a golden goddess of perfect wisdom and forgiveness; keyverse okay
setting: : sometime in the s6/7 range;

Comments

[fluffyfrolicker]

This is the most adorable, wrecking, tired piece of domestic anything I've read, like ever. Go away.

[kwritten]

domesticity is exhausting, we like to pretend that it's not - but it is

[red_satin_doll]

ETA: I just… I don’t want anyone else to leave.

The haunted look in Dawn’s face made Buffy feel old - so old. She was much too young to be responsible for something so young and so fragile.

Break my heart why don'cha?

THANK YOU FOR THIS KELSEY! Buffy/Tara + Dawn messy, imperfect domesticity is comfort food right now. Comforting one another? Yes Please. Tara, confused, angry, frustrated, receiving rather than giving consolation? YES PLEASE. (Even in my Round 3 set for 20in20 I had five focusing on Tara on giver of comfort and I'm annoyed with myself for falling into that trap But the show doesn't give us much the other way around.)

It doesn't hurt that I've had my own bouts of hurt lately so.. and kitchen "accidents" so I <3 my girls very very much

[kwritten]

SO TICKLED THAT YOU ENJOYED IT!

I was so WORRIED that I had unintentionally made Tara too perfect still! But there's this sense that I get (and I think this explains fandom/canon) that Tara really, really WANTS to be perfect. Perfect in domesticity and the 'angel in the house' way that her abusive dick of a father pressured her to be her whole life. Probably the type of woman that her mother was. Someone who is told so often that she doesn't matter, that the idea of putting herself first just seems like the worst possible thing that you can do. And even after a day when she feels awful and wants to wallow, the one thing she can think about is: I messed up. I hurt someone. I didn't keep it together.And I think for some people, that kind of determined selflessness looks like wisdom

[red_satin_doll]

ONE MORE THING:

you’re kind of like a superhero.

I didn’t mean to lash out at Dawn today… I was just so tired.

She’s already forgiven you.

I didn't know how badly I needed this until you wrote it.

[kwritten]

Tara hung the moon in the sky just for Dawn.

((I desperately want to figure out a fic in this 'verse where Tara somehow - with magic and storytelling - literally hangs a moon in the sky for Dawn.))

[red_satin_doll]

((I desperately want to figure out a fic in this 'verse where Tara somehow - with magic and storytelling - literally hangs a moon in the sky for Dawn.))

YESSSSSSSS!!!

[snogged]

This was such an adorable piece of domestic fic. Loved it.

[kwritten]

Domestic fic is so underrated. I'm so glad you liked it!

[happyg_rl]

This is awful and terrible so perfect...
Because it feels so real. And it's so interesting to see this little piece of weird happiness, despite the bad day, because the really bad stuff is still there. Just hiding.
(Also I read "go to bed dawn!" in your voice.)
((Also this is so fluffy and precious I might throw up. Or cry. I'm undecided.))

[kwritten]

(Also I read "go to bed dawn!" in your voice.)
(Dawn always has your voice in my head in pieces like this.)

I'm so GLAD you liked it!

I thought of you a lot while I was writing this. I'm certain I've done something like this to you and Killian without meaning to and felt awful about it. It felt so visceral, like for sure I've sent Kenna to bed without dinner because I fucked up and couldn't deal.

Tara is my spirit animal.

[clockwork_hart1]

how have i never ..

i suck at discovering things unless you throw them in my face apparently which is why I TOTALLY APPRECIATE YOU DOING THAT

this is delightful & you are amaze

[kwritten]

GO READ THIS IMMEDIATELY!

Basically after writing this piece, I realized that I wanted a more ~edgy Tara and so I wrote THAT ^^ which I think you will adore.