Buffy the Vampire Slayer: "Bend in the Road" by cmk418

Apr 26, 2009 10:23

Title: Bend in the Road
Author: cmk418Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer ( Read more... )

fandom: buffy

Leave a comment

Comments 15

roguemarch April 26 2009, 23:54:26 UTC
Oh what a beautiful fic! This is a very unused pairing and yet I find it incredibly sweet and yeah, hot. I love what you said about not closing to love, no matter what form it takes and that labels works both ways.

Absolutely loved it!

Reply

cmk418 April 27 2009, 00:00:54 UTC
Thanks, March! It means a lot that you liked this. It's always been one of those "what if" scenarios that makes my head spin, and not closing to love is one of those things that's important to remember.

Reply


helenkacan April 27 2009, 01:48:05 UTC
Please forgive me if I'm a little incoherent, but my wonky eye is giving me a lot of pain.

This was very sweet. When I saw the prompt you'd chosen, I was hoping that it would be Giles i/o Xander. There are a number of reasons why it makes much more sense for a potentially new partner to be older. And wise. One of the transformative effects of Giles's presence is that he is the exact opposite of Tara's menfolk (jealous, misogynistic, controlling) whereas Giles is logical, devoted and protecting.

It may not be cool to ascribe certain life events as affecting one's sexual orientation; however, in Tara's case, I could certainly see her embracing being a lesbian because of the solidarity she'd already experienced with her mother as a female victim. She certainly wouldn't be the first woman to reject ALL men based on the behaviour of a few. So it's extra special that she likes Giles.

I enjoyed the way you wove canon with your own AU: when I got to the bullet part, I had to go WHOA, because Tara was supposed to be dead at that point ( ... )

Reply

cmk418 April 27 2009, 15:36:55 UTC
Thank you so much for your very well-thought-out comments. (No incoherency here - I hope your eye is feeling better ( ... )

Reply

helenkacan April 27 2009, 16:57:59 UTC
Oh, oh, oh.
I just remembered.
I also wanted to point out the other reason why I was happy that you chose Giles. When he and Tara are singing the same words in OMWF, "I don't want to go," it just seems perfect that they would have something else in common (even though their reasons for leaving are different).

As for the whole approving of the bend theory, I didn't want to signify that huge life changes aren't significant or worth serious contemplation; I just thought it was nice to be able to have one without all the drama!

And the snail mail was so appropriate as a form of communication between these two.

Oh, oh, oh.
I can't stop 'membering. It was sweet, Giles's reaction to Tara's mentioning Sleeping Beauty. But what did he murmur in Latin? That's not fair. ::pouts::

I think I should go now.
Before I remember anything more.
::giggles::

Reply

cmk418 April 27 2009, 23:55:32 UTC
*giggles* All your excitement has got me excited. And I'm working backwards through your comments.

I had intended for the Latin to be the words ending the spell, but it could be anything you want it to be. I have a feeling that your imagination could take that to much more interesting places (maybe he was saying "close your eyes and think of England" in Latin).

I love the idea of snail mail - e-mail would have been the most practical solution, but Giles isn't the most computer-friendly guy and I'm not sure I remember ever seeing Tara at a computer (mainly because that was Willow's thing).

I think they've been through enough drama in their respective pasts that something should be easy every once in a while.

The fact that they are both leaving behind significant relationships is definitely something they have in common.

I'm really glad you liked this and if you remember anything else, feel free to tell me. *giggles*

Reply


(The comment has been removed)

cmk418 April 27 2009, 15:00:12 UTC
Thanks! I'm glad those moments of internal confusion worked for you. Thanks so much for taking the time to read and comment!

Reply


munin April 28 2009, 06:27:45 UTC
You know, this isn't a pairing I see too often but whenever I see it I read it. I think for me, Tara and Giles is sort of the het version of Xander and Giles. They fit together in my head perfectly.

Those bends in the road... hard to see coming sometimes.

Really lovely. I love that you had Tara be the one to save Buffy. Because it would hurt Giles to lose her again. Beautiful.

Reply

cmk418 April 28 2009, 15:17:49 UTC
the het version of Xander and Giles
Those two are my OTP so I love the parallel.

I saw the bends in the road being those moments where one looks straight ahead and seems to see one road coming to an end, but really it's just going in a new direction, but, yeah, one doesn't usually prepare.

It's such a contrast to how that moment felt on the show - Willow doing it out of some sense of hate and revenge as opposed to Tara working from a place of love.

Thank you so much for reading and commenting. I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Reply


Fic: Bend in the Road secondsilk May 1 2009, 19:34:24 UTC
Oh, this is lovely in Tara's quiet questioning and self-understanding.
The only other Giles/Tara I've read was really dark, and I like the way they suit each other here.

Also, the AU - that bend - was much appreciated. I really liked Tara considering just cutting through the relearning with Willow, as she did.

Reply

Re: Fic: Bend in the Road cmk418 May 1 2009, 20:15:00 UTC
I'm really glad you enjoyed this and that the questioning and self-understanding worked.

I did a previous ficlet with the two of them, but it was a friendship h/c fic.

I wanted to include that moment from the series, because it's so powerful, but at the same time, I knew I had to keep Tara away from that window, so Anya's dialogue (the only line I borrowed from Joss) came quite in handy.

Thanks so much for reading and the wonderful comments!

Reply


Leave a comment

Up