UberCon '05 (Updated 11/7/05 - COMPLETE)

[watty]

let's pretend they are British....no offense to British people

ahem Marina, sitting right here Marina.


grrr Faith. What's she playing at? Get into Tara's pants? Then what? Surely she knows that it's only a matter of time before Tara discovers her little ruse. I can see into Faith's character by her 2 posts. First it's all me me me, as witnessed when amazon_hacker is saying she has writer's block and needs time, all the others (even aphrodite with her ograsms) are trying to wish a_h well and being encouraging. And there was 5by5 being all no, you can't do this to me, I need my update. Second is how her mind works, obviously full of naughtiness -- even after mod intervention she puts in her two cents about sex, this girl has a one track mind.

I'm a tad surprised Xander used his full name in the ff reading, this is unusual in a posting board. Well, at least I think so personally -- while many people don't mind sharing their first name, most will keep their last name confidential.

Willow and Tara, sigh. More misunderstandings, but the attraction between them is palpable, I hope they can get over the misunderstanding and for Tara to shake off Faith.

The dance next? Can't wait. This fic is addictive.

[br]

[grimlock72]

Hmm.. okay... so Faith read that on the messageboard. Must have an awfully good memory to remember that about one author, bit to much focus for my liking.

As for what *I* would get Faith for christmas..

will do nicely.

I wonder how Buffy will fit into Willow's costume. There's obviously less space in there, heh. Should attract attention.

Tara doesn't seem comfortable around Faith, can't say I blame her. Faith is very much pushing, probably the only thing she wants is one night with Tara and then on to the next girl (or boy). Bwah. Tara is of course too nice to break if off early, she really should stand up for herself a bit more.

I had expected Tara to notice Willow being all with the sadness. Appearantly Buffy has done a good job of cheering Willow up and some proper make-up to hide the tears and such . If the mutual W/T attraction goes on like this they might end up dancing together by accident, heh. (though Faith might get jealous)

Grimmy

[spells42]

Sally Hi!
Wanted to let you know how much I'm enjoying this story. Your concept is one that I find interesting in that as a newcomer to ff and the online communities that build up around that, I have wondered how much of the real person comes through in the virtual persona. The anonimity gives freedom to express thoughts and feelings that might be suppressed in RL except in close relationships (and perhaps even then), which appears to apply to your W/T. It also gives the freedom to deceive and intrigue, as Faith appears to be doing in this fic. I also think that many personality traits show through without our awareness which make it fascinating to build an understanding of a person without the preconceptions imposed by the physical reality such as age, sex, sexual orientation, appearance, occupation etc...
Your Tara has been bitten already by online deception, and has been cautious in correspondence with Willow. I think she's smart enough to work out the personality portrayed by a_h is just too foreign to Faith for them to be the same person, but perhaps she needs to spend a bit more time with Faith to realise it. I wonder if Faith and Tara will be dressing up for the dance too.... I'm betting Faith would be Xena (there's going to be a lot of Xenas at this dance isn't there? I can't think of many options as I only saw a couple of episodes and it was ages ago that it was shown in Australia that I can recall.) I wonder if Tara sees herself as Athena or one of the priestesses.... either would go nicely with Willow's costume.
Can't wait to see where you take us. Thanks for a great story.

Spells for two

[taralicious]

Sally,
In Xander's story he read at night two of fanfiction readings, did I detect that Joxer had just a trace of the Dread Pirate Wesley a.k.a the Man in Black about him when he didn't want to kill the assassin but couldn't have him following him so he tied him up?
Akin to Wesley sparing Inigo Montoya and tying him up as well or have i just seen "The Princess Bride" once too often if there is such a thing.
Willow wants to sit next to Tara and Tara wants to sit next to Willow but she is just being Tara in not telling Faith to go be a Remora fish with someone else.
I like the imagery of Willow as Xena as the camera lovingly travels up her body as she buckles up her leather straps and secures the chakram.
Willow and Buffy ululating in the Xena war cry is a aural ode to female empowerment.
I hold that even atomic theory can't stand up to the union of Willow and Tara.
Willow should get to the core of Tara's nucleus pretty soon.

[Artemis]

Me? I like Joxer. He's annoying sometimes, but he's also damn hilarious (eg Attis the Ape-men), and those times when, for a moment, the comedy drops and you get to see the poor guy plain, all well-meaning and so often hurt... I feel for the guy. Go Xander

Also, I liked seeing more Warrior Board fun - I was worried that there wouldn't be much once everyone got to the Con, so yay (Translation: I get to have fun playing with HTML.)

Faith... grrr! Well she can sneak all the peeks she likes, there's no way she's getting into Tara's clothes (or rather, getting Tara out of them) - but she's mucking up Willow and Tara, how dare she?!

I loved Willow getting all Xena-ed up - were you doing the Gabrielle-donning-the-armour scene from season one that they put in the main titles? I could see that so clearly as soon as I read that part, it's great. I love how you've woven Xena into this, it's not just a facade, there's a lot for a Xena fan to appreciate.

It will, though, reinforce Tara's mistaken belief that Willow is Buffy, won't it? Oh well, just so long as they get dancing anyway

[sacinema]

Just read the hole story up until now. And just want to say: I love it. Nice idea Willow and Tara meeting online as FF-Writers and finally at a Xena-Uber-con. Wow. You really put in some basic romatic comedy stuff. Misunderstandings and wrong conclusions. Most of that I loved Tara believing that Willow is Buffys xenarulz and that Faith is Willows amazon_hacker. Even it makes me very angry about Faith. Normally I really like her as a character. But in your fic. I have a slightly feeling she has something to do with this mysterious online stalker and that she hacked herself into Taras and Willows chat discussions. Even if I don't know how she did it.

Really hope Willow's Xena outfit won't alienate Tara, because she already believes that Willow is into the martial arts to much. Also wonder if she will go online during the con and sees Willow's message. Fortunately we know that in the end all will be solved for the best. But I'm really looking forward to the way how you will wright it. Keep on, I think you will do as good a job as you already did. And please keep updating so regularly. I'm really looking forward to the ongoing of this fic.

[grimlock72]

Hehe... just re-read this story and guess what song was on the radio?? _Personal Jesus_ from Depeche Mode. Anyone wants to guess which line from that song caught my attention ??

Something to do with

Grimmy

[beanie]

Heya,

Not sure if I dropped by before to send appreciative thoughts, but I doubt it. So after being properly shamed, I send you said thoughts.

Loved Xander's story. Loved, loved, loved, loved. Very adorable. But what got me nervous (besides the whole Faith is a witchy slut whorebag as much everyone else has mentioned) was Willow putting on Buffy's armor. True it's a great confidence builder, because let's face it, it pushes up and out but if she put it on, wouldn't it just further the whole jumble of names and identities and Good God woman that would just lead to Tara kissing the wrong lips.

Or...that was intentional wasn't it! You sneaky sneaky Sneaking Sneakyson. Oh that's wicked. Ahh! That's crazy!

Must find out . . . must read next installment . . .

[the hero factor]

This story is so fun. The Scoobies, and a few non-Scoobs, as Xena fans on a message board? I love it.

The Warrior, the Bard, and the Bad Wardrobe. Hee. Down the Rabbit Hole. Double hee!

Love the graphics of the message board over at Looking Glass. Great work, Chris!

Grrr. I knew that was Faith, and that she had grabbed Willow's pin. Stupid-head Faith.

Oh. My. God. Cordy writes makeover fics. There are no words. That's priceless.

Xander and Anya hook-up, yay! While Willow/Tara is my favorite Buffyverse couple, Xanya is my second fave, and I love seeing them together in Kitten fics. Now, if you just include some Bangel also, I'd squee like a teenaged fangirl.

Aww...poor Willow. In the exhibit hall, with her homade replacement pin. I felt sooo bad for her, I just want to give her a big hug.

And what's Faith playing at? Is she just wreaking havoc because there's havoc to be wreaked here, or what? Poor Tara, thinking the connect she felt with amazon_hacker online isn't there in real life.

Xander's fic sounds like it would make a really good episode.

Can't wait for more.

[Graceland]

I laughed and I cried, I went through a gamut of emotions as I read the last few updates. Xander's story is good and I laughed. The series of misunderstandings made me cry, Willow thinking Tara is with Faith and Tara thinking Willow is with Buffy. Faith makes me mad, that's all. I'm putting my trust in you to bring us resolution ... soon?

[Bug23]

I just found this fic and started reading it today ... I couldn't stop ... it is great ... I love how you are worked Will and Tara into a sotry about what all of us have in common ... fan fiction ... it is absolutly wonderfull ... keep it up

[FineyMcFine]

Hello kittens! The next chapter has come back from the betas and is currently in the Post-Beta Garage, getting a tune-up. I'm aiming to have it posted sometime today. So for now, here are the replies to your wonderful feedback.

[hr]

GayNow

Hello there DIBS QUEEN!

I love that you're taking your time with the story. It could have been so easy to jump directly into the dance for this update. But you are making us wait.

I'm glad that you're liking it - I'm all for making y'all wait! As are certain other authors. I figured hey, the entire story is taking place over the span of three days, so why not take my time with the various scenes to flesh things out more completely. Saturday is almost over, after all!

Maybe she can be dragged away in cuffs...erm...wait...that's not a bad image. Shit! No! Faith is skanky...a skanky skanky ho! Bad Faith!

Yes, she is bad! And not the good kind of bad, either. Actually, I really like canon Faith and I think she's a complex character with a complex set of motivations who was ultimately redeemed. I feel sort of bad that I've reduced her to a jerk skank in UberCon simply for the sake of the plot.

I think they are gonna figure out that they want to get to know each other before Faith is revealed as a fraud. But that's just me. I'm sure I'm wrong.

I'm sure you're right! (But am I sure that you're right about the girls wanting to get to know each other, or am I sure that you're right that you're wrong?)

coming up on the "rift" episodes. I love those!

Good job on getting Ang hooked! Cam is sure to follow, one hopes. Hey, that explains what the rift between W&T is in CB - Willow must have protected her demon baby from Tara's magickal attempts to kill it, and then the demon baby killed Tara's long-lost secret son. Whew! Glad to have that cleared up.

Thanks so much for your nice comments, Car-Car. I'm elated that you're enjoying the story and that you're the DIBS QUEEN.

[hr]

YMKA

And CHECK for comedy of errors I hope they'll know who they are before the end of convention...

I promise they will all know who's who by the end of the convention. Cross m'heart.

Anya!??!?!!? didn't literally mean orgasm!?!?!?!?

I know, a little out of character for her, right? Ha. I guess I figured if she's a human and hasn't been a vengeance demon for over 1000 years she might have a teeny bit better of a grasp on human interactions and conversation. But not MUCH better, as we've seen. I'm glad it made you laugh.

I just really liked it. Made me smile actually...

Awwwwww, I'm glad. I'm thrilled that this story can elicit that kind of a reaction. Thanks for telling me.

Damn....that's it?!?! I want more!!!!!

Yeah, this last update was kind of short - the next part (to be posted today) was quite a bit longer and I wanted to break it up a bit. And this part was done, so I figured better to post it now rather than having three weeks go by and then there's a huuuuuge post.

Thank you so much for continuing to read, and to like the story!

[hr]

watson

grrr Faith. What's she playing at? Get into Tara's pants? Then what?

Well, first you get into the girl's pants, and then you usually want to whisper in her ear, and then...wait, maybe we should take this to IM.

Surely she knows that it's only a matter of time before Tara discovers her little ruse.

I think she does know that - I think she's hoping that she can work her way into the honey pot before that happens. Yes, Faith's character is evident in her posts - she's very selfish and doesn't really take other people's feelings into account. I'm glad you commented on that. And she has a lot of chutzpah with the sex-talk after a mod posted, I agree. I might send her an e-mail that says "Faith! Respect the mod's authoritaaaah!" (That's a South Park reference, dunno if you have ever watched it.)

I'm a tad surprised Xander used his full name in the ff reading, this is unusual in a posting board. Well, at least I think so personally

Yeah, I think it varies by person. There are some that share their first name, some that share their first and last name (even if they don't share it, it's usually pretty easy to find out from e-mail addresses and the like), and some who come out of the posting board closet by removing the "hidden" from their handle! (That's supposed to be a gentle joke to nudge you, unless of course you're trying to say that your real first name is watson. )

But about Xander - he doesn't mind because he's sort of an open-book kind of guy, delivering pizzas to get by until he figures out his career, and he has no secrets.

The dance next? Can't wait. This fic is addictive.

Aw, thanks, watty! I'm so, so glad you're enjoying it. Yes, the dance is next and I promise that by the end of the story everyone will know who's who. (Will they figure it out at the dance, or later? You'll have to tune in later to find out!)

[hr]

grimlock72

Hmm.. okay... so Faith read that on the messageboard. Must have an awfully good memory to remember that about one author, bit to much focus for my liking.

Hi grimmy! Yeah, I figured that if she was as into the story as her replies indicated she was, she would remember certain things like a history of writer's block and stuff. I agree it's a little too focused. I would suspect that if Faith got your present, she'd say "Hey, that present is the bomb."

I wonder how Buffy will fit into Willow's costume. There's obviously less space in there, heh. Should attract attention.

They always appear to be around the same size on the show, so I figured it would be an easy thing for them to switch. I think it's safe to say that Buffy will attract a little attention, yes.

probably the only thing she wants is one night with Tara and then on to the next girl (or boy). Bwah.

She probably does. I think you're right. All about the thrill of the chase.

Tara is of course too nice to break if off early, she really should stand up for herself a bit more.

I agree!

I had expected Tara to notice Willow being all with the sadness. Appearantly Buffy has done a good job of cheering Willow up and some proper make-up to hide the tears and such .

I also think that Willow was across the room, and Tara was far enough away and didn't want to stare too much. Willow leaning on Buffy for comfort may have looked like regular old snuggling at first glance.

If the mutual W/T attraction goes on like this they might end up dancing together by accident, heh. (though Faith might get jealous)

MAYBE! Heehee. Thanks for reading, grimmy! And PS - of course the line from "Personal Jesus" was "Reach out, touch faith, yes?"

[hr]

spells42

Sally Hi!

Hi spells! I'm so glad you're enjoying the story, thanks for letting me know! It's something I've wondered about too - how much of the real person comes through on the internet. When I was in college and grad school I spent a bit of time here and there online, and most of the people I met were pretty close to how they appeared online. People tell me I'm pretty similar in RL and online as well. But I know from others' experiences that there are plenty of people who are masquerading - either as an escape from their real-life shyness or whatever, or just plain old trying to mislead people.

In online ff communities, I think that probably most people are pretty close to how they are in real life, but that's just a guess. As in, as opposed to a general AOL chat room and the like.

but perhaps she needs to spend a bit more time with Faith to realise it.

I think that's probably true. Tara's past online deception wasn't exactly about being misled, as it was with someone who was a little overzealous in their attempts to correspond with her. So she is probably not expecting or looking for Faith to be lying here - plus, I think she's got a fairly trusting nature, even if she is introverted.

I wonder if Faith and Tara will be dressing up for the dance too.... I'm betting Faith would be Xena (there's going to be a lot of Xenas at this dance isn't there?

They will be dressing up, and Faith will not be Xena. But I won't reveal who she is, until later today when I update!

I wonder if Tara sees herself as Athena or one of the priestesses.... either would go nicely with Willow's costume.

That's true. But there's no mystery, I think she sees herself as Gabrielle (hence her online handle wiccanbard). But the priestesses - that's an intriguing idea! The only priestess I can think of offhand are the Hestian priestesses, and I don't think any of us want Tara to be a Hestian virgin. "Pwaise Hestia!"

Thank you so much for your very thoughtful feedback - I'm so glad you're enjoying the journey.

[hr]

taralicious

did I detect that Joxer had just a trace of the Dread Pirate Wesley a.k.a the Man in Black about him when he didn't want to kill the assassin but couldn't have him following him so he tied him up?

Blayne, yes indeedy - I was wondering if anyone would pick up on that! That's a direct quote from the Princess Bride when Wesley fought Fezzick and had to knock him out after the fight. I figured that Xander is a pretty game writer, but occasionally unwittingly slips into a little "borrowing" here and there, probably subconsciously. He means no copyright infringement!

Willow wants to sit next to Tara and Tara wants to sit next to Willow but she is just being Tara in not telling Faith to go be a Remora fish with someone else.

Ah, yes, just like in "Fins" by Jimmy Buffet. Good image of a Remora fish.

I like the imagery of Willow as Xena as the camera lovingly travels up her body as she buckles up her leather straps and secures the chakram.

You got that too! That was from the opening credits, more or less, with a little "other" thrown in. I'm glad that came through - I wasn't sure if it would be reflected in the text that I was trying to mimic the camera traveling up her body. Yay! Thank you for reading!

[hr]

Artemis

Me? I like Joxer. He's annoying sometimes, but he's also damn hilarious

I like Joxer too. When I first started watching the show, I was like "Who is this?" but grew to like him. And I have to say that Ted Raimi's a good actor - he makes it believable. I feel for him too - although I have to say that he ended up in an okay situation later on (for a time anyway)...I always really identified with his unrequited love for Gabby.

Also, I liked seeing more Warrior Board fun - I was worried that there wouldn't be much once everyone got to the Con, so yay (Translation: I get to have fun playing with HTML.)

You know, I love the Warrior Board fun too and I'm tempted to put in even MORE flashbacks than I was planning just to see your AWESOME graphics!

I loved Willow getting all Xena-ed up - were you doing the Gabrielle-donning-the-armour scene from season one that they put in the main titles?

Yes, exactly! I'm so glad that came through - I didn't know if it would. I was trying to wed the opening credits and then the episode where Gabby had to impersonate Xena (with the strap popping out from the breastplate).

It will, though, reinforce Tara's mistaken belief that Willow is Buffy, won't it?

Weeeeelllllllllllllllll, it might. But rest assured, at some point all the masks will fall away and folks will find out who's who. Thank you so much for reading, Chris - I'm truly glad that you are liking the story and appreciating all the Xena bits. (Mmmmm, Xena bits...)

[hr]

sacinema

And just want to say: I love it.

I'm so glad! I have been a reader who has read whole stories up to a point and then left feedback for authors, and I have to say I never thought I'd actually be on the other end of it! Thank you soooo much.

Most of that I loved Tara believing that Willow is Buffys xenarulz and that Faith is Willows amazon_hacker.

Yeah, the romantic comedy mistaken identity stuff is always amusing, at least in my book - all the way back to I Love Lucy. There had to be SOME conflict, or else the story would be over too quickly

Even it makes me very angry about Faith. Normally I really like her as a character. But in your fic.

I really like Faith as a character too and I do feel a little bad that I've made her out to be so one-sided in my story. I guess I rationalize it by saying that if she never hooked up with the Scooby gang in this universe, she never got a chance to learn about doing the right thing and redemption. At least yet. Maybe she'll get redeemed, I don't know.

Really hope Willow's Xena outfit won't alienate Tara, because she already believes that Willow is into the martial arts to much.

I would hazard a guess that Willow in any outfit, even a Joxer outfit, wouldn't alienate Tara. They just have that instant attraction to each other, and chemistry and such.

Keep on, I think you will do as good a job as you already did. And please keep updating so regularly. I'm really looking forward to the ongoing of this fic.

Thank you so much! I will definitely keep updating regularly - 7 to 12 days seems to be my standard, so as long as the muse keeps producing, so will I! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave feedback - it makes my day.

[hr]

beanie

Not sure if I dropped by before to send appreciative thoughts, but I doubt it. So after being properly shamed, I send you said thoughts.

Hey, I'm just glad that you're leaving feedback now! No shame. I'm glad you loved Xander's story. When I was making notes for this section I had had him writing some bit of fluff where Xena and Gabrielle fell in love with Joxer and there wasn't much of a real plot. However, when I set out to actually write it, it just didn't seem right. Xander the character was kind of speaking to me saying "Hey, don't use me just for comic relief or just for some stereotype. You can do better." So my wife helped me think of this scenario for Xander's story and it was probably the easiest of all the characters' fanfics to write.

but if she put it on, wouldn't it just further the whole jumble of names and identities and Good God woman that would just lead to Tara kissing the wrong lips.

Well yes indeed, it would totally further the whole mistaken identity situation. Sneaky Sneakyson at your service! But no fretting, it wouldn't lead to Tara kissing the wrong lips - because I don't want my fic kicked off the kitten. And besides, I don't want Tara kissing Faith under false pretenses - or any pretenses, actually. Just

beanie, thank you so much for taking the time to leave feedback. I appreciate it very very much.

[hr]

the hero factor

This story is so fun. The Scoobies, and a few non-Scoobs, as Xena fans on a message board? I love it.

Hee hee, when I was coming up with the initial idea and discussing things with my wife, we were chortling about all the various combinations and interactions and inside jokes we could come up with. It's so fun to write, and I'm glad to hear that it's fun to read.

Oh. My. God. Cordy writes makeover fics. There are no words. That's priceless.

I thought - hey, in character, eh? I'm not sure if Xena is really Cordy's kind of show, except for the opportunity to spruce up the gals a little bit.

Xanya is my second fave, and I love seeing them together in Kitten fics. Now, if you just include some Bangel also, I'd squee like a teenaged fangirl.

I love Anya, and Xanya also (that's the first time I've ever seen someone write "Xanya," that's so clever). I think that while W&T are my favorite characters, Anya is definitely my other favorite, and I love writing her. I approach the WT parts wanting to get it totally right, so it takes some time and has a little anxiety attached to it, but Anya just flows. Love her. Bangel? Get out of my brain!

Aww...poor Willow.

I just wanted to give her a big hug too - the image in my mind's eye was so pitiful, so forlorn.

Is she just wreaking havoc because there's havoc to be wreaked here, or what?

I think so, yes. It might say something about her inner character and her driving motivations, however...

Xander's fic sounds like it would make a really good episode.

That's exactly what my wife (who came up with the concept - she's so smart) said! I think Lucy Lawless would have played it so well - she's such a great comedic actor. Thank you so much for your feedback - I totally appreciate it!

[hr]

Graceland

I laughed and I cried, I went through a gamut of emotions as I read the last few updates.

Really, like literally, or figuratively? Wow. Either way, I'm impressed!

Trust me, I'll bring everyone to resolution (but first there's the rising action, then the climax, then the denouement). Wow, I never realized how naughty the descriptors of fiction plottage are, or maybe it's just my mind. But yeah, I figure that anticipation and frustration are the spices that will make the resolution all that more sweet. I'm so glad you're liking my story, Grace - thanks for leaving feedback!

[hr]

Bug23

Heather - I'm sooo glad that you like my story! When I knew I wanted to write a story, I had several ideas but wanted to start with something I knew really well for the first one. And the fan fiction/message board universe seemed like the best place to start, both for me to write from my experience and for readers to understand. Thank you so much for letting me know that you're liking the story - it means a lot to me.

[FineyMcFine]

Title: UberCon '05

Part: 9

Author: SallyMcFine

Feedback: Yes, feedback makes me uber-happy.

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters and am not profiting from this story. No copyright infringement is intended.

Setting: AU. No magic, no vampires or slayers. Everyone is attending a three-day convention, UberCon '05 for their favorite TV show Xena: Warrior Princess. The convention takes place in a hotel about 2 hours away from Sunnydale. Today is Saturday, the second day of the con - and tonight is the big dance!

[hr]

Part 9 - Who Are You?

Tara adjusted the bodice of her blouse and viewed the results in the mirror. The blue of the shirt contrasted nicely with the rust color of the long skirt she wore. She tugged the collar higher, and then turned around to see how it looked from the back. The material was thin linen and clung gently to the curves of her breasts and waist. With the front of her shirt pulled up so far, the back hung down baggily.

"That blouse is made to sit lower on your chest, Tare," Anya said, entering the hotel bathroom. "It's not a crewneck."

"I know," Tara answered, and sighed. She readjusted the blouse so it fell normally over her torso, exposing an expanse of skin around her collarbones and upper chest. Her blouse was not daring - it was even a little conservative by many people's standards. She fiddled with the string that laced up the neck of the blouse, and retied it so it was more securely closed.

"So what are you going for with this costume? Season one Gabrielle, or schoolmarm?" Anya asked, eyeing the double knot.

Tara shot her a rueful look. "I know. I would have thought that tonight, of all nights, I'd want to look different from how I normally do. I mean, a little more...attractive."

"Sweetie, you don't need to look different from how you usually do to look attractive. No, really," Anya said in response to Tara's dubious look. "All you have to do is to be yourself. Confidence is the biggest turn-on."

"But that's the problem," Tara said. "I don't really want to turn anyone on tonight. The only person I want to come home with tonight is you."

Anya looked at Tara through lowered lashes. "Why, Ms. Maclay. I didn't know you cared."

Tara cracked a smile, momentarily erasing the lines of worry around her mouth and eyes. "In an I'm-sharing-my-hotel-room-with-you sense, not an I-want-to-bed-you sense, thank you very much."

"Much to my chagrin, and yours too if you knew what you were missing," Anya retorted playfully. She turned to the mirror and carefully applied eyeliner to the bottoms of her eyes.

"Not too much," Tara said. "They always wear too much on the show."

"I know," Anya said. "But Alex never does." She finished touching up her eyeliner, and surveyed her reflection. "Gorgeous."

Tara laughed. "One thing no one will ever accuse you of is false modesty."

"I'm just honest," said Anya.

"I can't believe you're going to wear that in public," Tara said. "You can see right through it!"

"That's the point," Anya said. She twirled around in a circle, and her sheer pink nightgown flared out. The material was see-through, and showcased the pink panties and matching bra she wore. Her stomach and thighs were clearly visible through the nightgown. "As the pre-eminent smut writer on the Warrior board, and with my handle being Aphrodite, it's expected that I'll dress like this. I can't disappoint my fans. Plus, I won't be nineteen forever. I always say, when you've got it, flaunt it."

"Well, you've got it," Tara said. "Xander's going to faint when he sees you."

Anya smiled at the mention of his name. "He's a sweet boy." She left the bathroom. "Now where did I put my slippers?"

Tara gave herself one last look in the mirror. She had pulled her hair back on the sides and fastened it on top with a clip. She hesitated, and then removed the clip. Her hair fell down around her face and neck, partially covering her exposed collarbones. She turned off the light and left the bathroom.

Anya was looking through her suitcase. "I know I brought those slippers; now where the heck are they?"

Tara walked over to the closet and reached in the back, producing a pair of high-heeled open-toed slippers with a fuzzy pink fringe on the top of the shoe. "You unpacked them yesterday," she said, handing the shoes to Anya.

"Thanks," Anya told her. She looked at Tara's hair. "Hey, that's not canon. Gabrielle had her hair up for most of Season 1."

"I know," said Tara, looking down. "I just thought I'd be more comfortable with it down."

Anya sat down on the bed to pull on her shoes. "You're really not looking forward to this dance tonight, are you? Like, not even a little bit."

Tara sighed. "Not really. Honestly, I'd rather stay in the room. Do you think it's too late to say I have a stomachache?"

"It's never too late," Anya said. "But do you think you'll feel any better if you stay up here alone all night?"

"Well, no."

"Why don't you just tell her you're not interested and leave it at that, then?"

Tara bit her lip as she considered the idea. "Well, I guess I could. But it's not that simple."

"What's not simple about it? No chemistry, no relationship, and thus no Sapphic kisses in the broom closet."

"Who said anything about a broom closet?" She sighed. "It's just that we've been chatting for so long now, every day, and even though I'm not feeling, you know, the chemistry right now, that doesn't mean that I won't eventually, right? And even if it doesn't end up in a relationship, I really value her friendship. The person I got to know over the internet is an interesting, funny, warm person - and I keep thinking, what if she's just having a bad weekend, or something. I feel like I owe it to her - and to myself - to give her a chance."

Anya stood up and walked over to where Tara sat, and took her roommate's hands. "Listen, I may not be the actual Goddess of Love, but even I can tell you this: if you're this unsure, it's probably not right."

Tara nodded. "I know, you're right, but..."

They were interrupted by a knock at the door. Anya held Tara's gaze for a moment longer, and then stood to go open the door.

Anya opened the door to reveal Xander standing in the hallway. He wore a warrior costume, the most prominent feature of which was a circle of metal on his chest that appeared to have been cobbled together out of a flattened vegetable steamer. On his head he wore a pointy woven hat with makeshift earflaps.

"Well come in, Xander - don't just stand there," Anya told him.

He stayed firmly rooted in place, eyes firmly rooted on Anya's see-through costume. "Uh..." he said.

Anya rolled her eyes, but also had a pleased smile on her face. She reached out, took his arm, and pulled him through the doorway.

"This is my friend Tara," Anya said by way of introduction. "Tara, this is Xander."

"Pleased to meet you," Tara said.

Xander shook his head. "Pleased! Meet! You too!" He cleared his throat. "Very nice to meet you, Tara. Sorry about that - my brain seems to have taken momentary leave of my body."

Tara nodded, a hint of mirth playing about the corners of her mouth. "That tends to happen to people around Anya. With that costume tonight, you're going to have to beat them off with a...stick."

Anya dimpled at this. "I don't think I'm going to let Xander beat anyone off tonight, so to speak," she said, coming to her embarrassed date's rescue. "We'll just keep the self-lovin' for the fan fiction."

"I really enjoyed your story tonight," Tara said, finished with her teasing. "It would have made a good episode."

"Thank you," Xander replied. "I had help. My friend Willow thought of the concept, and spent time talking things through with me. She also did the beta work."

"Oh, Willow!" Tara said. "I've met her. She's very nice."

"Yeah, good ol' Will," Xander said. "She and Buffy should be down at the dance any minute now."

"Is Buffy the girl she was sitting next to tonight?"

"Yep, that's Buff. We're all staying together."

"Three people in one room would be a little much for me," Anya said. "I need my privacy."

"Yes, you sure needed your privacy last night," Tara said innocently.

"They're both in college, so we're trying to save a few bucks by tripling up," Xander said with a deep blush. "It's working out okay."

Tara nodded. Except for the snoring, according to Willow, but maybe that was just a one-time thing.

"So Tara, do you want us to wait for you?" Anya asked.

Tara shook her head. "You guys go ahead. Faith seems to be running late, so there's no telling how long you'd have to wait. I'll be down soon enough."

Anya reached over and gave Tara a quick hug. "Hang in there," she whispered in Tara's ear. She turned and clasped Xander's arm as they left the room.

"Nice meeting you, Tara!" Xander said over his shoulder as they left.

Tara cast around the room for something to take her mind off the impending evening after left, but it turned out that she didn't have long to wait. Just a couple of minutes later, there was another knock at the door. She crossed the room and opened the door.

Faith stood there, dressed in black leather. Her outfit showcased her cleavage to the fullest extent, and she wore a short skirt to match. A portion of the tops of her breasts peeked out from a split in the leather of the bodice. She was still wearing her red lipstick, though a slightly darker shade than she had worn during the day.

Tara studied her outfit curiously. "Callisto?" she asked.

Faith nodded as she strode into the room and surveyed the surroundings. "Nice digs ya got here."

"Oh, is your room different than this one?"

Faith laughed. "No, I was just kidding. It's exactly the same. I'll show it to you later, if you want." There was a trace of suggestion in her comment.

Tara avoided answering the question. "I would have thought you'd be dressed as Ephiny or Melosa, or one of the other Amazons."

An even smile spread across Faith's face. "I just felt like mixin' it up tonight. I'm into trying new things lately. Variety being the spice of life and all."

Tara didn't have a response. "Well, I guess we should get going." She scooped up her room key from the table and they left the hotel room.

[hr]

Even though they arrived just ten minutes after the dance was supposed to start, it was already in full swing by the time Willow and Buffy walked in.

Music was thumping and the ballroom was dark. The dance floor was crowded with several people grooving to the beat of something which sounded like a Madonna remix. Leather was everywhere, and metal glinted off the reflections that the strobe light cast.

"So much for being fashionably late," Buffy remarked.

Willow smiled. "Buffy, we're at a Xena convention, and about a 90% of the people here are dressed in a costume of some sort from the show. Mostly fake armor that doesn't actually do anything to protect a person's body if they were really in a swordfight. I think it's safe to say that fashion has gone out the window."

Buffy laughed as she conceded the point. "It's kind of refreshing, isn't it?"

Willow looked around the room. "Yes, it is. Everyone seems to be having fun, and not overly concerned about what other people think about them."

Buffy pointed to a buffet set up along the side of the ballroom. "Ooh, punch!"

She and Willow walked over to the punch bowl and poured themselves a couple of glasses. Willow surveyed the room as she sipped her punch.

"What are you looking at?" Buffy asked.

"So far I've counted 27 Xenas, 19 Gabrielles, 15 Amazons of indeterminate origin, 12 Callistos, 10 Ares, and 5 unidentifiables. And that's just the people I can see from here."

"Show me one of the unidentifiables."

Willow pointed to a person several feet away. "See what I mean?"

"Totally. What's your best guess?"

"Well, the leather skirt makes it seem like a warrior woman of some sort. But I've never seen any of them wear a shirt quite like that. And what is that thing on her head? Hard to say."

"Oh, look! There's a Season 1 Gabrielle! You don't see many of those anymore - everyone wants to show a little skin." Buffy pointed to the ballroom doors.

Willow looked across the room and saw Tara standing there with the girl she had been sitting next to at the fan fiction reading that night. "I know her. That's Tara. I met her last night in the coffee shop."

"What were you doing in the coffee shop?"

"Oh, I couldn't sleep," Willow said. "Someone in our room was snoring."

Buffy gave her a rueful look. "Sorry, Will. Dawn says I could wake the dead with my snores."

"And I wasn't even mildly stunned." Willow laughed. "Don't worry about it - if you hadn't been keeping me awake, I wouldn't have had the chance to meet Tara. And she's about the coolest person I've met so far here."

Buffy raised an eyebrow. "Cool, huh?"

Willow reddened slightly. "We had a nice chat."

"I think someone has a bit of a crush! Why don't you go talk to her? You can forget about...you know, and get your mind off things."

"Well, maybe. But she's with someone, see?"

Buffy squinted. "Whoa."

"I know. What a cleavage-y slut-bomb, huh?"

"Well, it's hard to say without talking to her, but her outfit sure is revealing. Although I guess mine - yours - is too."

"True," Willow said, with a glance at Buffy's exposed torso and legs. "But it's different somehow. I think the way you carry yourself - something about body language."

Buffy leaned against the table as she continued to observe Faith with Tara. "I think I see what you mean. She seems very...proprietary."

"Yeah. Well anyway, I don't know if I'm up for trying to get in between someone like that and her girl tonight. Even on my best day that's not really my style. If I even have a style. Oh, let's face it, Buffy - I don't have a style."

"Willow, that's one of the greatest things about you - you're just yourself, no games. What you see is what you get."

"WYSIWYG!" Willow said, grinning. She pronounced it "Wizzy-wig."

"Huh?"

"It's a web acronym that describes a type of HTML editor. What you see is what you get. WSYIWYG. You must have computer genius lurking just below the surface."

Buffy gave Willow an affectionate, but uncomprehending look. "Lurking pretty far below the surface, since I didn't even understand that first sentence. What I do have lurking AT the surface right now is a strong desire to dance. Dance with me?"

Willow demurred. "I don't know if I'm up for dancing yet. Would you be crushed if I sat this one out?"

"No problem, I don't mind dancing alone."

"Did someone say dance?" an unfamiliar, low voice spoke behind Buffy.

Buffy turned. There stood a tall, muscular man with brown hair and deep brown eyes. He stood several inches taller than Buffy, clad in leather pants and a nondescript black top with two leather straps criss-crossing his chest. Any menacing effect, however, was more than mitigated by the two large wings affixed to his back where the straps crossed his shoulder blades. When he moved, the wings moved with him, spanning a distance of about four feet above his shoulders, white feathers fluttering.

Buffy smiled. "Cupid, I presume?"

The man smiled. "My name's Angel - and yes, I'm Cupid. I didn't mean to eavesdrop - I just came over for some punch and couldn't help but overhear."

"Your name is Angel and you're dressed like Cupid?"

Angel smiled. "It's a family name. It was either this costume or Ares, and I'm not the brooding type. I'm a lover, not a fighter."

Buffy laughed. "I think you chose this costume just so you could make cheesy jokes about it."

"Maybe." He smiled at her, and then turned to Willow, who stood watching the scene with amusement. "Hi, I'm Angel."

"Willow," she replied, shaking his hand.

"Would you both like to dance?" he inquired. "I love this song - Nerfherder is the best."

Willow exchanged a glance with Buffy. "Actually, my friend Xander just walked in, so I'm going to go say hello. But you two go ahead!"

Buffy turned around and grinned at Willow as she followed Angel onto the dance floor.

Willow had actually seen Xander come in some time ago - with Anya by his side, he was hard to miss. Plus, he was one of a very few people who were dressed as Joxer. He'd been dancing with Anya off and on for the past few minutes while Willow and Buffy were people-watching, and was taking a break now.

"Hey Xander!" Willow said as she joined him and Anya.

"Will!" he said. "What are you wearing?"

She regarded her costume. "Buffy thought I could use a little extra encouragement tonight, so we swapped."

"Looks good on ya. Hey, this is Anya," he said.

"Hello, Anya - I'm Willow."

Anya turned to face Willow. "Oh, wonderful! All we need now is Gabrielle and we've got most of the cast for The Quill is Mightier than the Sword!"

Willow grinned. "Although that would mean I'd have to become obsessed with fishing, and leave the dance for most of the night."

"Good point," Anya said. "And I'd have to stop showering. That doesn't sound appealing."

"My favorite line from that episode is when Aphrodite is messing with her bangs and says 'Why won't it stay UP?' That gets me every time," Xander said.

The three continued to discuss their favorite Xena episodes, falling into an easy camaraderie.

Across the room, things were not going quite as smoothly. Tara wasn't having a bad time, exactly, but she felt hyper-aware of her surroundings and the time. This was familiar - when she was uncomfortable in a situation, she kept a close eye on the time, counting down the minutes until she could leave.

She felt that she didn't have much to say to Faith, and it was confusing to her. Gone was the easy conversation and banter they'd had online. In the past day and a half, whenever she brought up a topic that they had talked about extensively in chat, Faith smiled vaguely but didn't engage much. Finally, Tara asked her about it.

"L-listen, can I ask you something?"

"Sure," Faith replied.

"It seems like you aren't really interested in t-talking about any of the things that we've talked about in chat. Every time I bring something up, you kind of brush it off."

Faith's face instantly assumed a sincere expression. "I know, I've been doing that. Listen, I don't mean to be uncommunicative. But it's like this: I figure that we've already discussed so much online, this weekend we should explore new topics. I just want to live in the now, you know?"

Tara nodded. "I can understand that, I guess."

Faith took her hand. "Speaking of living in the now - let's dance."

Tara followed Faith out onto the dance floor. She would sometimes accompany Anya out dancing, and always enjoyed herself if she was in the right mood. The beat of the music would seem to infiltrate her body, pouring itself through her veins and breaking down the barriers of her self-consciousness until all that remained was the music, the beat, and the rhythm of her body.

Somehow, she didn't think she would have that experience tonight.

Faith led her out to the middle of the dance floor, and began a series of slow, gyrating motions to the song that was playing. She was clearly at home on the dance floor, and a few of the people around her and Tara cast appreciative glances at her - whether at her dancing or her skimpy costume, Tara wasn't sure.

Tara swayed back and forth, not trying to match her movements to Faith's. Faith noted Tara's distance, and moved in closer until she was right in front of Tara.

"Loosen up, T," she said. "You've got hips - move 'em."

Tara smiled weakly. Rather than putting her at ease, Faith's comments only served to make her more self-conscious.

Faith moved sinuously around Tara until she was standing behind her, and wrapped her arms around Tara's waist. She pressed her body up against Tara's, and guided her in a series of movements which mostly resulted in Faith's hips gyrating against Tara's bottom.

Tara's inner barometer of discomfort, already strained, shot off the chart. Disentangling herself from Faith's grasp, she turned around. "Listen, I'm thirsty. I want to get some punch." She strode away from the dance floor toward the punch bowl, not waiting to see if Faith was following.

Faith did follow. Tara poured herself a glass of punch with hands that were trembling slightly, but she managed not to spill any. She took a drink, not looking at Faith.

Faith watched her, and seemed to make some assessment. "Listen, T. I forgot something up in my room. I'm gonna go get it. Shouldn't be longer than ten or fifteen minutes, okay? Unless you wanna come with me."

Tara shook her head.

"All right," Faith said. "I'll come find you." She walked away.

Tara watched her go, trying to figure out her reaction. She had definitely not enjoyed the last five minutes - but why? It wasn't anything necessarily different than the way many people behaved out in the clubs she had been to with Anya. Dancing by nature was an intimate act, and presumably even more so when you were technically "with" someone at a dance, as she was "with" Faith.

It was hard to put her finger on, but she thought she had some idea, at least. Faith didn't seem to sense how she was feeling, nor did she ask. "Let's go to lunch," "Let's dance," - as if Tara would automatically agree to whatever Faith wanted.

Which she had, so far. Well, not for long. It's about time I started to speak up.

She looked across the room, having finished her punch and now at a loss for what to do with her hands. She spotted Xander and Anya, and caught a flash of red hair. That's Willow.

She walked over to the three, who were laughing about a Xena episode.

"And then, like the fifth time when Joxer opened the barn door, and Xena and Gabrielle looked out from underneath that haystack all mussed with those guilty looks on their faces - you just KNOW what they were up to, don't you?" Willow was saying.

"Rampant lesbianism!" Anya said. "And speaking of rampant lesbianism, I think you already know Tara."

Tara blushed as Willow turned around. She was used to Anya's patented blunt comments at awkward moments, but Willow didn't seem embarrassed. Rather, she was smiling a wide grin at Tara.

"Yes, we met last night," Tara said. "Hi Willow. Hi Xander."

"Hi!" Willow said, her eyes sparkling. "We were just talking about Been There, Done That."

"I love that episode," Tara said. "It's like that movie Groundhog Day."

"Oh, I love that movie!" Willow enthused.

Anya regarded the two girls with a twinkle in her eye. "And I love this song," she announced. "Xander, will you dance with me?" Not waiting for a response, she walked away, holding his hand so he was forced to follow.

"You love the extended remix of Good Vibrations by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch?" he asked as he was dragged along.

Tara watched them go, knowing what Anya was up to - taking Xander away so she could talk to Willow alone. She turned back to the redhead.

"So how are you doing?" she asked.

Willow smiled. If she only knew what an effect such a simple question has on me. I'm glad I'm wearing this breastplate or else I'm sure she could see my heart beating so fast. "I'm doing fine, and you?"

Tara smiled. "Me too." She gazed at Willow's costume. "So Xena, huh?" I knew it.

Willow smiled ironically. "Yep, that's me - all with the big, bad, and butch. Warrior Princess Central here."

Tara detected the irony, but didn't understand the source. Deciding to change the topic, she asked "So how is the convention going for you so far?"

"I'm enjoying it - well, most of it," Willow replied. "I've been to some cool workshops, but there are some other parts that haven't really worked out like I was expecting."

"How so?"

Should I tell her? I feel like I could tell her anything. But I can't just bust out with 'I was supposed to meet this girl from the internet who I've been chatting with for three months, and she stood me up. I'm totally crushed, but talking to you is making me feel better than I have all day.' Not only would that make me sound totally pathetic, it also might totally scare her away.

"Oh, um, just, you know, the people," Willow offered lamely. "There are so many of them, and it's really crowded."

"Is it because, um, Buffy? Is that her name? Is it because she's over there dancing with that guy?"

Willow was momentarily confused. "No, I'm glad that Buffy's having a good time, that she met someone."

"So you two aren't...together?"

A light dawned on Willow's face. "Oh! I see. No, we're not together at all. Ha! Buffy's as straight as, um, a really straight chair. We've been best friends since high school." She laughed.

Tara laughed along with her, internally rejoicing. Yes! They're not together!

"So what about you? Are you having a good time?" Willow asked.

Tara nodded, a little hesitantly. "Yeah, pretty much," she said. "I think I'm in the same boat as you - having fun at the workshops, but other parts of the con aren't really what I expected."

Willow smiled. "Well, if we're in the same boat together, then it must be a fun boat." She offered Tara a little grin, and was rewarded with a brilliant smile from the blonde.

Their eyes met, and Willow found herself helpless to make more small talk. Somewhere in the back of her mind a voice was talking insistently, saying that she was staring at Tara and should look away, but instead she continued to gaze into Tara's eyes.

A slow song came on, and couples around them began to walk toward the dance floor to start swaying together. The area around them cleared out fairly quickly, and Willow and Tara were left alone together.

"Um," Willow cleared her throat. She blinked, finally breaking eye contact with Tara, and looked down, then quickly up again, gathering courage. "Would you like to..."

"Hey, T," said a husky voice from right behind Willow. The redhead jumped, startled, and turned around to see the slut-bomb she and Buffy had spotted earlier.

The dark-haired girl, dressed in a black leather Callisto outfit, deftly stepped between Willow and Tara to end up at Tara's side. She stood with her hip thrust out, clearly staking her claim.

"So who's your friend?" Faith asked Tara.

"Willow, th-this is F-faith." Tara cursed internally as she stumbled over the words. Her stutter only exerted itself in times of stress or when she was feeling uncomfortable, and Faith's abrupt return had shaken her. She felt sure that Willow had been about to ask her to dance, and Tara wanted desperately to dance with Willow.

"Nice to meet you?" Willow said.

Faith didn't smile, or return the sentiment. "Listen, T, I'm sorry I was gone so long. I didn't mean to just leave you here. You must have been lonely without me." She stared at Willow as she said it, with a look that was clearly meant to intimidate.

Willow took the hint. Though she had been about to ask Tara to dance, the return of her possessive date had taken away the courage she had summoned up, and the draining events of the day had sapped her emotional strength. The last thing she felt like dealing with now was an unfriendly, possessive lesbian who thought she was out to steal her girlfriend. Which I was, I guess.

"Listen, I need to go find Buffy anyway," Willow said. "It was nice talking to you, Tara. Faith, nice to...um, take care." She turned and made her way across the room to look for Xander and Anya.

Tara was fuming. Not only had Faith been incredibly rude, but she had pretty much intimidated Willow into leaving. We are going to have it out.

Faith walked a few steps behind Tara to the punch bowl, and slopped punch into two cups with the ladle. She busied herself with them, and then turned around.

"Punch, T?"

Wouldn't I like to. "Listen, let's go sit over there. I want to talk to you about something." Tara indicated some tables and chairs that were set up in one corner of the ballroom where people weary of dancing could rest, or just sit and talk.

They walked over to a table that was unoccupied except for a single blonde occupant dressed in black leather. Tara smiled at the girl as she pulled out a chair on the opposite side of the table from her. Even though they wouldn't have complete privacy, it was a large enough table that if she spoke in a low voice she wouldn't be overheard.

Faith had other plans, however. "Hey! Blondie! You mind? We'd like a little privacy."

The blonde girl looked over, annoyed. "It's a public table, and I have every right to sit here."

Faith lifted her hands in mock surrender. "Okay, Ms. ACLU. Whatever. Who are you supposed to be, anyway? Wait, don't tell me. I can guess. Minya, right?"

The blonde stood up. "Are you seriously joking? Helloooooooo - I'm Callisto!"

Faith crossed her arms. "Could have fooled me."

Offended, the blonde girl stood up and pushed in her chair. "Well you're just a...jerk!" With that rejoinder, the stomped away.

Faith turned back to Tara and sat down.

"That was mean, Faith," Tara said quietly.

"Well, we've got the table to ourselves, don't we?"

Tara wrinkled her nose. She detected the faint odor of whiskey on Faith's breath. Great. She went upstairs to drink whiskey. Could this evening get any worse? Annoyed, she reached for her glass of punch and took a drink.

She immediately spit it out. "Did you put whiskey in my punch?"

Faith raised her hands in a placating manner. "C'mon, T, don't get all Temperance Society on me. I just thought you could use a little somethin-somethin to loosen you up. You're way too high strung."

"Listen to me. First of all, my name is Tara. Not T. Tara. Second, I can't believe you'd spike my drink without telling me. That borders on illegal. And third..."

"And third, did I mention you need to loosen up?" Faith repeated. She leaned forward and grasped the tie at the top of Tara's shirt that held her collar closed. "Starting with this." She gave it a yank and Tara's collar fell open.

Tara smacked Faith's hand away and stood up. "I have had enough!" she shouted. A few people nearby looked over. "You just have no respect. I can't believe you're the same person I got to know these last three months. I don't know what you thought was going to happen tonight, but listen to me - the only thing that's going to happen between us is me telling you not to bother me ever again. Not in person, no private messages, and no chat. You got it?"

Faith shrugged. "Uptight," she muttered, and downed her punch.

Tara shook her head, turned, and walked away.

[hr]

[GayNow]

*puts crown on head...looks at scepter*

It's good to be da' Dibs Queen!

ETA: Okay....Faith? Not a true Xenite. No way. She's about ogling women and smut rather than characters and storylines. (I mean, there's nothing wrong with ogling women and smut...nothing at all. But there's more to life than that...isn't there? ) She's definitely not about commuynity. The people I've met at Xena Cons (and there have been many cons) are some of the friendliest, most community oriented people I've ever met. Faith is so not like that.

I'm so intrigued -- what's the reasoning behind this plot of hers?

So I'm thinking Willow and Tara are going to go back to their rooms to change and settle in for the night -- feeling all sad and depressed. Not being able to sleep, each will go back to that coffee shop or roam around and run into each other. They'll talk all night -- then kisses and gay love.

OR...Tara will come across a hotel computer and log in to find Willow's PM waiting for her. At which point she'll become all confused. Then Willow will show up -- thinking she would check her mail or send another PM to wiccanbard -- and Tara will confide in her about what happened. Willow will then say, "Hey! The same thing happened to me!" They will reveal that they are wiccanbard and amazon_hacker -- then kisses and gay love. And then Faith gets her ass kicked by Buffy once Willow and Tara tell her what happened.

So, am I right?

As always, Sally, fabulous update.

Car

[justin]

That was a great update.

"I think I see what you mean. She seems very...proprietary."

And as any open source advocate will tell you being proprietary is very bad. *laughs* *stops an looks around* Why isn't anyone else laughing?

"It's a web acronym that describes a type of HTML editor.

This is probabkly being all pedantic and dorky but WYSIWYG isn't a web acronym. It was used before the web had taken off to describe certain word processors.

and I'm not the brooding type.

I loved that line

But bad Faith, spiking Tara's drink like that. Bad bad Faith

Though I have to say it's quite a change to see a fic with Faith as a villain. I think this is the first one that I've read.

Now I have a worry. What happens if Tara, for some reason, doesn't get Willow's message and the next time that Willow tries to talk to her online she's all "I thought I told you I didn't want to have anything to do with you." ?

That couldn't happen, right? *gulp*

[grimlock72]

The problem is indeed at the end " Not in person, no private messages, and no chat.", which could easily make Tara never wanting to read any PM Willow send her (even though the time/date on it should tell her it was much earlier send).

It's interesting and typical to see Tara being much more annoyed at how Faith treats other people. I do wonder how someone like Faith would ever manage to live life for say a year or so. She's incompatible with most of the human population I think

Spiking a drink with just whiskey isn't illegal I think, putting something like GHB in it would be though. Faith must be pretty stupid to think someone like Tara wouldn't notice strong whiskey like that, come to think of it why does Faith have whiskey on her room ???

Did Tara yell all of the last lines or just the 'get lost' part? Should be interesting if Willow heard those. Hmm.. come to think of it, if Faith would have slept with Tara that would have been on false identity.. should make an interesting case for date-rape.

If Willow heard the upset but not the words she'll get over to Tara to make sure she's alright no doubt. They hit it of during a short conversation already, MUCH better than Tara ever did with Faith, ha! With any luck Faith will get drunk in her hotelroom and fall down the stairs

I think Willow needs to comfort Tara after her outburst, she'll be soooo embarresed. Anya will be proud probably I can so easily see Xander drool over a typical Anya dress. Heh. I like how Anya looks out for Tara, some bluntness would do wonders for Tara .

P.S. Yeah, that was indeed the line from Personal Jesus I meant, though I interpret 'touch' more like punch, Tara got the right idea.
Grimmy

[Willow~Rosenberg]

Wow. I just read your story from start to the latest update and I am really enjoying it. What a tangled web you've woven here. First off, I'd like to smack Faith for what she's done to Tara over the course of the day. Second, poor Willow with the missing Tara and then having Fatih interrupt what little time she had with Tara. I really want to read more and know how you're going to resolve this.

[the hero factor]

The image of Tara dressed as season one Gabrielle is so cute. And how she kept trying to cover up more. Awww.

Angel! Did I squee? You bet I did! You totally made my day, Sally. Not the brooding type. Ha!

"You love the extended remix of Good Vibrations by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch?" he asked as he was dragged along.

Hee!

Grrr, again. Willow was about to ask Tara to dance, and Faith interrupted. But the two of them were so cute together, with the talking, and stuff. *sigh*

Well, at least Tara is rid of Faith. Now she can go find Willow, and goodness will follow. I hope.

[watty]

So you just had to post half an hour after I went to bed, didn't you. tyvm.

While Xander, Anya and Buffy (hey! Angel is here! yay!) all seem to be having a good time, look at poor Willow and Tara.

Tara in the beginning still seems to be living in denial that Faith will turn out to be the amazon_hacker of her dreams.

we've been chatting for so long now, every day, and even though I'm not feeling, you know, the chemistry right now, that doesn't mean that I won't eventually, right?

It's disappointing when the person you really want to have something special with turns out to be so different face to face. Like you said in your replies, the majority of people in online communities seem to be genuinely themselves. I can only say for myself, but I find that certain aspects of my personality come out more online. So I'm more outgoing and wittier than in real life. Like that T-shirt Chris wore on Kitten Race ep 10: [font=monospace]I'm much hotter on the internet[/font].

I'm glad she finally stood up to Faith, cos the cleavagey slut bomb has been treating her with absolutely no respect up to now. Her reasons for not talking about the chat stuff (apart from the fact that it wasn't here) are so lame. I mean, the first thing you'd do when you meet an online friend is try to talk about what you have in common, to establish a bond, right? Plus spiking Tara's drink, intimidating Willow, all sorts of intolerable behavior, Tara's outburst is too gentle.

Not in person, no private messages, and no chat.

Like grimmy I imagine that the next time Tara sees a PM from amazon_hacker she'll delete it without reading, and similarly don't think she'll keep a_h on her IM friends list for long. Ooooh, let's hope she and Willow get things straightened out before long.

The contrast between Tara's interaction with Willow can't be more ... contrast-y. They are obviously drawn towards each other, and would happily have spent the dance together if not for Faith.

if we're in the same boat together, then it must be a fun boat

A love boat? Heehee.

Now I just have to mention

So far I've counted 27 Xenas, 19 Gabrielles, 15 Amazons of indeterminate origin, 12 Callistos, 10 Ares, and 5 unidentifiables.

Willow, oh Willow, a number freak ... a girl after my heart *swoon*

Wizzy-wig

and this too! I can say that with a straight face. Sigh.

Happy now.
[br]

[spells42]

Sally
I actually yelled 'woo-hoo!' when I saw there was an update to this story. I'm loving this UberCon.

Ok, sad story. I'd actually written quite a long fb earlier today, but when I submitted it I lost it - I think my log in had timed out or something. I don't think I can reproduce it and unfortunately I'm in a bit of a rush now, so can't give it much thought.

Anyway, great update. Faith finally got the heave-ho for bad behaviour - she was lucky, anyone else would've smacked her I think. But I'm worried now: W & T have only until the end of the Con to sort out the identity confusion. I hope Tara realises that there's no way that Faith could be a_h, but I s'pose it's asking a bit much to expect someone as gentle and honest as Tara to suspect anyone of such low behaviour. I'm thinking we can take Faith's statement that she's 'trying something new', to liven things up this weekend, at face value.

I agree with you that online personalities, esp. in forums like the Kitten board, do seem to stay true to the RL person, but as Watson says, some aspects may be enhanced or diminished - a sort of distillation. I think my online self is more like the one in my head, than the one I project in person. F'rinstance - online my language is more casual and yet more structured. Casual 'cos I use the fanfic vernacular, structured 'cos I'm incapable of writing anything without trying to be grammatically correct (note I said trying). Also I use words like 'vernacular', which if used in conversation would have everybody looking at me like I was weird. Whereas if you guys think I'm weird, I'm comfortably unaware of it (and happy to remain that way, ok?). Umm, anyway, back to the fb...

Give W&T 15 minutes uninterrupted conversation and I reckon they'd get a clue as to their real online persona's, and even if they didn't perhaps it'd be enough for them to decide to get together after the Con. Pleeeease Sally?

Can't wait for next update. Thanks.
Anne

[taralicious]

Sally,
This is the chapter which adresses Onanism in the realm of fanfiction and is the literary equivalent of an episode of "Are You Being Served>' what with even more double entendres per capita than Friday's proceddings at the con.
_____________________________________________________________
Anya dimpled at this. "I don't think I'm going to let Xander beat anyone off tonight, so to speak," she said, coming to her embarrassed date's rescue. "We'll just keep the self-lovin' for the fan fiction."
____________________________________________________________

"My favorite line from that episode is when Aphrodite is messing with her bangs and says 'Why won't it stay UP?' That gets me every time," Xander said.
_____________________________________________________________

Sally, you also have a very journalistic way of giving expansive atmospheric details about the costumes of the attendees and the layout of the ballroom so having attended a few dances at Buffy Cons, I can say that yes, there are quite a few people who dress in costumes of indeterminate origin.
I love the visual imagery of each attendee: Willow, as stated last chapter doijng the opening credits Xena dress-up, Tara as Season One Gabrielle, the demure shy look fits her persona so perfectly, Fath, as cleavagey slut bomb Callisto.
Tara was finally putting two and two together and coming to the conclusion that even if Faith were different from her online persona, too many discrepancies couldn't be coincidental.
I love how she asked Faith shouldn't she be Ephiny or one of the other Amazon women to put her more in line with her message board epithet.
AT LAST! Tara finally had had enough and told Faith that she, Tara,had come to the con to chew bubble gum and kick some ass and she was all out of bubble gum.
My resolution for this would be that Tara will block all online correspondence from Amazon_hacker(sp?) and Willow will be despondent and confide in Tara that her online chum has blocked her for some reason and all will be made clear.
They can then slip off to the broom closet for some Sapphic Kisses.

[Artemis]

Go Tara! Faith's behaviour was inexcusable - ignoring Tara's lack of comfort, manipulating her to try to get into her pants, trying to get her drunk... She should count herself lucky Tara didn't have a staff as part of her costume (or a breast dagger ) - I'd have no objection at all to Tara showing her, the hard way, just how useless Calli's armour is.

Nice symmetry to Xena, too, with Gabby standing up to the in-theory-stronger Callisto.

Well, Tara's going to be pretty darned upset - she pulled it together and told Faith off in style, but I have no doubt she'll be in tears once she's in private, over the opportunity that (it seems) has gone down the drain, thanks to her 'friend' turning out to be nothing like she seemed. Hopefully she won't be so in private that Willow can't accidentally stumble over her and offer comfort.

Angel as Cupid!

[FineyMcFine]

GayNow

*puts crown on head...looks at scepter*

This just begs the question, what does your scepter look like? (I just love the COMMENTS people have written!)

I'm so intrigued -- what's the reasoning behind this plot of hers?

Hm, I hate to burst the bubble of intrigue, but I'm seeing Faith as more an agent of the random (to steal a phrase from Stephen King). She's all about "Want. Take. Have." and saw an opportunity to cause some trouble. So I don't think she has a long history of reasoning, or a vendetta or anything. I do think it says something about her self-image or self-confidence that she gravitated so quickly toward impersonating someone else simply for the thrill of the chase instead of meeting someone as herself and working on a two-way relationship etc.

So, am I right?

Your two scenarios are interesting. Are you right? Read on to see. And thanks for your consistent feedback and thoughtful comments, Carleen.

[hr]

justin

And as any open source advocate will tell you being proprietary is very bad. *laughs* *stops an looks around* Why isn't anyone else laughing?

Don't feel bad, I get this reaction all the time from my jokes.

This is probabkly being all pedantic and dorky but WYSIWYG isn't a web acronym. It was used before the web had taken off to describe certain word processors.

Poor Willow, she seems a little less smart than she actually is because she has to rely on me for her tech knowledge, LOL. The sad part is that I think I actually knew that it started as a word processor acronym before the web was around. Oh well, c'est la vie!

Though I have to say it's quite a change to see a fic with Faith as a villain. I think this is the first one that I've read.

Really? I would have figured there were more of them, it seems like such an easy leap, almost a cheap shot.

the next time that Willow tries to talk to her online she's all "I thought I told you I didn't want to have anything to do with you." ?

Well, that presupposes that Tara won't find out that Willow is the REAL amazon_hacker until the convention is over and she's gone back home and checked her private messages. I hope no one wants that - I sure don't!

[hr]

grimlock72

The problem is indeed at the end " Not in person, no private messages, and no chat.", which could easily make Tara never wanting to read any PM Willow send her (even though the time/date on it should tell her it was much earlier send).

Two people have picked up on this! I admit that it seems leading or like a plot jumping-off point, when I stop to think about it, but pretty much when the convention is over, the fic is over - so I do plan to have the truth be revealed before they go home.

Spiking a drink with just whiskey isn't illegal I think, putting something like GHB in it would be though.

I think that Faith is 19 or 20, and Tara is also 19 or 20, so since they're not of legal drinking age in the USA I guess it's kind of illegal. Why does Faith have whiskey in her room? Cuz she's a baaaaaaaaaaaad girl.

Did Tara yell all of the last lines or just the 'get lost' part?

I don't think she yelled them all, probably just the first line and then the rest in a raised voice.

With any luck Faith will get drunk in her hotelroom and fall down the stairs

LOL!

[hr]

Willow~Rosenberg

Thanks for reading! I appreciate the feedback very very much. It's as frustrating for me to have Faith interrupt W&T as I'm sure it is to read about it. This tangled web will get resolved, unwoven, or maybe just blasted apart. Thank you for letting me know you're reading!

[hr]

the hero factor

Angel! Did I squee? You bet I did! You totally made my day, Sally. Not the brooding type. Ha!

Hee hee! By all rights Angel should have been the brooding Ares and Spike should have been Cupid (the bleached hair and all) but I just couldn't pass up the chance for the Angel/Cupid symmetry. And hey, if Angel never became a vampire and then got a soul back, maybe he wouldn't be a brooding guy, eh?

Well, at least Tara is rid of Faith. Now she can go find Willow, and goodness will follow. I hope.

Yes, finally the Faith Factor is out of the way of W&T finding each other. (Or IS it?)

[hr]

watson

So you just had to post half an hour after I went to bed, didn't you. tyvm.

Ah, wattypants, I'm so sorry. I just wanted you to have something to read when you woke up. Yeah, that's the ticket.

Tara in the beginning still seems to be living in denial that Faith will turn out to be the amazon_hacker of her dreams.

Yeah, it's hard to let go of something that you really wanted, and not to spend more time trying to make it right, especially when you're younger. It's hard to let go of a dream. The anticipation is sometimes the better part of such things.

Like grimmy I imagine that the next time Tara sees a PM from amazon_hacker she'll delete it without reading, and similarly don't think she'll keep a_h on her IM friends list for long. Ooooh, let's hope she and Willow get things straightened out before long.

Yes, they had better get it straightened out before long or else they won't have met by the time the convention is over, since Tara doesn't have a computer and doesn't care about being online while she's away. (Heresy!)

A love boat? Heehee.

Yes! Soon they'll be making another tour.

[hr]

spells42

Anne, thanks! Oh, that stinks about the long fb and the timeout - that has happened to me and I hate it.

I s'pose it's asking a bit much to expect someone as gentle and honest as Tara to suspect anyone of such low behaviour.

I agree. Hopefully someone else can help her figure it out.

a sort of distillation.

That's a cool way of looking at it. Yeah, I think some parts of people's personalities come through online easily and others probably not at all. I would never think anyone was weird for using the word "vernacular" either in verbal conversation or online, btw.

I know, our girls really need to have 15 minutes together by themselves. I hope TPTB allow it.

[hr]

taralicious

Well, I had to look up "Onanism." It means masturbation, or coitus interruptus? LOL.

Tara was finally putting two and two together and coming to the conclusion that even if Faith were different from her online persona, too many discrepancies couldn't be coincidental.

I think she was putting two and two together and arriving at the conclusion that she didn't want to spend any more time with Faith. She's not QUITE there yet on the Faith-isn't-who-she-says-she-is bit.

Your resolution is interesting. It's certainly one possibility!

[hr]

Artemis

(or a breast dagger )

Oh, that would have been totally priceless! I love that part where it just falls out of her bodice. Kind of too bloody though for our purposes...

Nice symmetry to Xena, too, with Gabby standing up to the in-theory-stronger Callisto.

Ah, you know, I hadn't even planned that consciously. Just goes to show how these shows are sort of similar, I guess.

but I have no doubt she'll be in tears once she's in private, over the opportunity that (it seems) has gone down the drain, thanks to her 'friend' turning out to be nothing like she seemed.

Yeah, she's holding it together pretty well right now, and I'm sure she'll have a lot to contemplate in private, as well as shedding some tears.

Angel as Cupid!

Heh! Glad you like the image. I found it amusing also. Canon Cupid was a lot broodier than the Angel Cupid I envisioned here.

[FineyMcFine]

Title: UberCon ‘05

Part: 10

Author: SallyMcFine

Feedback: Yes, feedback makes me uber-happy.

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: I don’t own any of these characters and am not profiting from this story. No copyright infringement is intended.

Setting: AU. No magic, no vampires or slayers. Everyone is attending a three-day convention, UberCon ‘05 for their favorite TV show Xena: Warrior Princess. The convention takes place in a hotel about 2 hours away from Sunnydale. Today is Saturday, the second day of the con.

[hr]


Part 10 - Splitsville

Tara breathed deeply as she walked away from the table. The intensity of her anger surprised her - she normally dealt with upsetting situations by rationally figuring out the source of her distress, and then taking methodical steps to deal with it. But Faith's actions had provoked a purely instinctive response. She didn't like the feeling - such raw anger made her feel out of control.

She spied Anya in the middle of the ballroom dancing with Xander. Weaving her way through the throng of people, she reached out and grasped Anya's arm.

Anya turned. "Hey!" she said, instantly registering Tara's emotional upset. "Something happened, didn't it?"

Tara nodded.

"Are you okay?"

She nodded again. "I'll tell you all about it tomorrow morning. Right now I just wanted to let you know that I'm leaving the dance. I'll probably go up to our room or walk around or something."

"Do you want me to come with you? You just say the word, and I will."

Tara almost burst into tears - not that she was surprised by her roommate's offer, but because her emotions were on a roller coaster anyway. "No, you stay here with Xander. I'm just going to unwind and think a bit - I'll be fine."

"Promise?" Anya didn't push, knowing knew Tara well enough to know that she wouldn't have hesitated to ask for companionship if she had wanted it.

"Yes." The two exchanged a hug, and Tara quickly found the path of least resistance from the ballroom to the nearest exit.

[hr]

Willow sighed as she walked back into the ballroom from the restroom. The high point of her night, talking to Tara, had been cut mercilessly short, and the next hour she had spent at the dance was singularly unsatisfying. She hadn't seen Tara again, and she was rapidly tiring of playing third wheel to Xander and Buffy's newfound love interests. Her friends didn't make her feel like she was intruding, of course, but she was painfully aware of being the only sword without a sheath. Maybe that's not the right image - the only yin without a yang. She had turned down five offers for slow dances from Xander and Angel - and one from Anya. Endless cups of sugary punch made her feel slightly sick, and the only silver lining to her many bathroom trips was that she had an activity to keep her busy. Normally being solo wouldn't faze her, but this weekend had definitely not been the best of times.

Buffy was engrossed in conversation with Angel, who hadn't left her side all night since asking her to dance. Wanting to let her friend know she was leaving, she approached them and cleared her throat to announce her presence.

"Hey, Will!" Buffy said, turning from Angel and facing Willow.

"I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to go upstairs," Willow said, with an apologetic glance at Angel.

Buffy's face took on a concerned look. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just think that I've had all the fun I'm going to have for tonight, and hey - I should go out on a high note." Willow's tone belied the irony behind her words.

"Listen, I'll come with you! We'll all come! Party time in our room!"

Willow smiled. "No, you don't need to come with me, seriously. I'm fine. I think I'm going to work on my fan fiction, so no need for a party."

Buffy studied Willow's expression. "Are you sure?"

Willow nodded, knowing that Buffy needed to believe that Willow truly wanted to be alone in order to feel comfortable with letting her go. Truth was, she was ambivalent about whether or not she wanted Buffy's company - she could be equally happy bemoaning the events of the day again with Buffy, or stewing by herself. But Buffy's clear happiness at talking to Angel had decided the matter for Willow - she didn't want to take Buffy away from that.

Willow turned to Angel. "Angel, it was very nice to meet you. You make a wonderful Cupid."

He smiled. "I appreciate that. And you're a very convincing warrior princess."

Willow smiled, and with a quick hug from Buffy, she headed toward the stairs.

Buffy and Angel watched her go. "Think she'll be okay?" Angel asked.

"Oh, yeah," Buffy said. "Will is resilient. Sometimes I call her Iron Will."

Angel laughed. "You're funny, you know. You slay me."

[hr]

Willow unlatched the breastplate from the shoulder straps and let the armor fall to the ground. Removing the rest of her costume, she pulled on a pair of boxers and a T-shirt and settled onto the bed with her laptop.

While the machine was booting up, she leaned back into the pillows and sighed. Instead of feeling energized and excited, she was feeling drained. She had been painfully aware of herself tonight at the dance - her body, her hands - experiencing a level of social anxiety that she hadn't felt in years. Growing up she had always felt like the odd one out, but high school and college had done a lot to help her like herself and to stop the constant commentary of self-criticism in her head. But the events of today had taken her back to that place. She had felt aware of every step she took, had felt too self-conscious to dance, and worried the entire night about how others were perceiving her.

Well, not the entire night, she amended. She had enjoyed talking about Xena episodes with Xander and Anya, and people-watching with Buffy. But Xander didn't really count - he was her oldest friend, and she shared an uncommonly close friendship with Buffy. It was being around the other people that had caused her the anxiety.

Except for Tara. Talking to Tara had made all her anxiety just melt away like an ice cube on a hot sidewalk. What was it about the blonde that put her at such ease? Willow pondered this as she called up the blonde's features in her mind.

Her eyes. Her eyes are amazing to look at - they're so penetrating, as if she can see right through me and she understands exactly what I mean. And she always looks right at me when we're talking - she pays attention better than most people, and she's never looking at anyone else. It makes me feel like I'm the only person in the room.

Her ears. They're so cutl, and they stick out a little bit when she tucks her hair behind them. She's a great listener - when we were talking downstairs she didn't seem distracted at all. At least, not until Faith got back and interrupted us.

Her mouth. She has such full lips - substantial, without being pouty. And she has such a sweet smile, when she smiled at my silly joke about being in the same boat. Wouldn't I like to be in a boat with her.

Willow considered this last. From what she could tell, Tara hadn't seemed to be enjoying herself with Faith. They appeared to be together, but it didn't seem to Willow that Tara was necessarily happy about it. She wondered if they were a long-term couple that had become disenchanted with each other. That didn't seem likely - even couples who were on the rocks had some degree of familiarity and comfort with each other, and Willow had sensed none of that.

Truth is, if I had gone downstairs at noon and it was Tara who was there, I would have been thrilled. She's the kind of person who I was hoping or expecting wiccanbard to be. What if - by some crazy coincidence - Tara IS wiccanbard?

Willow was momentarily caught up in this seductive fantasy. What if something happened, and she's the person I was supposed to meet, but for some reason she was late, or chickened out?

She sighed. Well, she's a wonderful person, and that's almost proof positive that she's not wiccanbard - because the Tara I've gotten to know just isn't that type of person. I can't see her standing anyone up that she had plans with. I guess I'll just have to accept that whomever it was that I thought I was going to meet, she's not the person I thought she was.

The line of thought was depressing her. Her laptop was fully booted up now, and she called up the latest draft of her story. She had completed the draft, and planned to read it tomorrow night at the Sunday fan fiction reading. There were a few details she wanted to flesh out, however, so she arranged the pillows behind her on the bed in a comfortable pile and leaned back, settling the computer onto her lap.

Okay, I haven't really set this story anywhere - all the descriptors are generic. I think it would help the story to feel more real if I could fill in some of the details about the town, the places, and the people.

Where would a vampire story take place? Well, Transylvania, obviously. But I don't know anything about that part of the country, and then it might feel too much like Dracula anyway. Besides, the characters are mostly American-type people so it should be somewhere in the United States.

What city would be logical for vampires to live in? Somewhere dark and depressing, maybe, like Cleveland. Or...um...Crawford, Texas. Ha. Hmmmm. Only problem is, I don't know much about those cities, and I don't really think spending hours on Google finding out authentic details will do wonders for my mood.

Why not Sunnydale? It's totally the last place anyone would think of for vampires, being southern California and all, but maybe that can be part of the irony of the story. And I know all about it so I can fill in street names and places without it sounding made-up.

Excellent. Okay, now about Xena the Vampire Slayer. Obviously, she kicks ass, but what kind of personality should she have? If she's a California girl, she's gotta have a little bit of the Valley thing going on. Canon Xena is all broody, but plenty of the comedic episodes let Lucy Lawless really go wild with Xena's silly side. I don't think it will deviate too far from canon to play up some of her more lighthearted qualities. I can add some humorous lines here and there about clothes, boys, and makeup, since she's supposed to be a teenager in this story.

I can take a lot from Buffy's life, actually. Willow smiled to herself. I wonder if Xena would have been more like Buffy if her brother hadn't been killed when she was young and she became a warlord and all. Buffy certainly has her dark side, what with her parents' divorce and moving right before high school and all, but it's more like her playful side masks her dark side, rather than vice versa.

That takes care of Xena. Now, about Gabrielle. I don't really see any difference here, except that instead of being a fighter, she's going to use magic to help Xena fight the vampires. And Gabrielle's character has always been sweet and innocent with a feisty streak. I think that will work pretty well here.

As Willow considered the character, her mind drifted to thoughts of another blonde. Tara was dressed like Gabrielle tonight - I wonder if she sees herself as like Gabrielle. She seems innocent, but not prissy, and sweet, but not saccharin. Hard to tell if she's feisty, though, with Faith around. Speaking of which, who would want to dress up as Callisto? I mean, really. Hmmm, I think I'll make Callisto a vampire, and have Gabrielle stake her. Or cut off her head. Or burn her. Maybe all three.

Willow shook her head, trying to clear her mind and concentrate on her story. She paged through the story, filling in part of the setting with familiar details from Sunnydale, and fleshing out the Xena character. Gradually she became absorbed in the work and was able to temporarily push aside any other thoughts, a welcome relief.

[hr]

In a different room on a different floor, Tara tossed restlessly, caught up in a dream where she was running through the forest in pursuit of a red-headed warrior princess who was always just out of reach. Relentlessly pursued by a dark-haired Callisto, she leapt over streams, sprinted up hills, and dodged under fallen trees - always one step in front of her pursuer, and one step behind the object of her desire.

[GayNow]

YAYAYAYAYAYAYAY!

UPDATE!!!

[binky]

Ya big tease! I was thinking, they're simultaneously going up to their rooms! The perfect setup for hot elevator monkey business. Oh well. They only have one day left to fix this. Right? Right?

binky

[grimlock72]

Hehe... I like Willow's idea concerning Callisto. Wonder if she'll work those into her story when she reads it sunday-night. Will anybody pick up on the far from subtle hints ??

Would have been nice if Willow could have comforted Tara after her falling out with Faith. I guess that was too easy for some writer . You might plan to fix all problems before the convention ends but not much before that now do you ??

It's just to bad Willow didn't get most of what Tara said to Faith. If anything she would have gone over to Tara and try to comfort her. Willow doesn't like her friends hurting and I'm fairly sure she considers Tara a friend at the very least.

Hmm.. wouldn't she like to have Tara's name on the board so they can chat after the convention ??

Grimmy

[justin]

That was a great update.

Though, like a few people, when they both left the dance at the same time I was hoping they'd both bump into each other *sigh* it just wasn't to be

Well there is always the possibility that Xander will mention his friend being depressed because she was supposed to meet someone at the convention who didn't show up, and Anya saying about Tara being depressed because she was supposed to meet someone who turned out different from how she expected, and then them putting two and two together.

I wonder what Faith's next tactic will be. After the effort she put in so far, I doubt she'll give up easily.

Oh and regarding this being the only fic I've read with Faith as a villain, I think that's because I only read fics on this board. Faith seems to be rather popular here.

[watty]

You're not gonna give us our smoochies until just before the con ends are you? Evil, evil woman. You're becoming like Car, with her cliffhanger updates (even though I'm a fully fledged participant in those antics). To have them both going upstairs, heh, I see through your rouse, they'll never run into each other.

At the edge of her consciousness, I think Willow is close to figuring out that Tara is her online friend.

What if - by some crazy coincidence - Tara IS wiccanbard?

Yes, Willow's subconsciousness! Think some more, make the connection!

btw, a Xena the vampire slayer crossover set in Sunnydale? Who in their right minds set a vampire story in Southern California? And a vampire slayer who is a teenager always talking about clothes, boys, and makeup? So unrealistic. Silly Willow, no one will read her story.

[WillowRTaraM1]

Hey Sally!

I just wanted to jump in and say how much im truly enjoying this fic! It is so cute..and the similarities to our kitten board is thoroughly amusing Your writing style is smooth and easy to follow, I love the small interactions between Willow and Tara thus far!! They are just so darn adorable. I cant WAIT for the fic reading when willow announces her handle as Amazon_Hacker!!!

Eagerly awaiting the next update!



<3 Jackie

P.S- Wheres my Wiccanbard!..anyone...anyone ?