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 Post subject: S6 - Where the Heart Is - Ch 6.2, Glamour
PostPosted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 2:43 am 
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4. Extra Flamey
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So nice, it posted twice.

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When you find the good kind of magic, when you find your true partner in casting it, don't let her go into the Nether Realm alone... Interludes.
The rise of the greatest Seeyo in the history of Humanity in the Cosmic. The Coven.
I doodle too. GRAPHICS


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 Post subject: Re: Season Six etudes - Where the Heart Is - updtd April 7,
PostPosted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 5:21 am 
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Hi Binky,

Quite the ambitious project you have going. Yet another reason I'm glad I finally switched to DSL. ;-)

You've set up the story nicely and I'm looking forward to the angst which is sure to follow. Yep, I'm an angst junkie.

Overall the artwork is very good. But, a few panels really stand out for me:
The solo shot of Spike on page 3 is spot on as is the solo shot of Buffy sitting alone, also on page 3.

The last three panels on page 4, Tara and Willow holding hands and moving forward into a kiss are lovely. You've captured the emotion within both of them - the slight shyness and love and desire...all very nicely portrayed.

And finally, the close-up of Willow toward the end of page 5 is terrific. I can see the angry glinting in her eyes.

Looking forward to the next upload of pages. Great work, Binky.
Michelle

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 Post subject: Re: Season Six etudes - Where the Heart Is - updtd April 7,
PostPosted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 11:43 am 
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DUDE!! COOOOL!

Awesome artwork! Great start! I can't wait for more!

Cheers
DW

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 Post subject: Re: Season Six etudes - Where the Heart Is - updtd April 7,
PostPosted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 3:11 pm 
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8. Vixen
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Wow, didnt expect you to turn the story into a comic! Really cool idea.
Your Spike looks pretty realistic. Everyone else too of course.
:pinky Great artwork, more soon?

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 Post subject: Re: Season Six etudes - Where the Heart Is - updtd April 7,
PostPosted: Mon Apr 10, 2006 1:44 am 
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8. Vixen
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Dude, the comic is fucking fantastic!

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 Post subject: Re: Season Six etudes - Where the Heart Is - updtd April 7,
PostPosted: Mon Apr 10, 2006 3:23 am 
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I'm speechless. I can't draw to save my life so these drawings simply blow my mind away. Not only have you captured the expressions and personalities of the Scoobies; with a few simple words of dialogue you're spot on with their "voices" too. You know where you're going with these etudes of yours, there is no doubt about that. I'm happy to be able to come along on the ride.

Quote:
B: Do you guys not know what the meaning of Be Quiet is?

:lmao

The lovebirds naturally are so sweet. This being S6, they hadn't gone down the magicrack addiction / memory suck suckage yet, though Willow's tendency to fiddle around with spells is already apparent:
Quote:
T: "Flame on?"
W: I was getting bored with "Incendere!"


Love the absence of dialogue in Page 3. I hate Spike and you made him look cool in Panel 2. Buffy's despondency is telling. Xander and Anya wrapped up in themselves. And Willow and Tara in their own world too. The intimate :wtkiss in Page 4 was so lovely too.

And yes, I can totally see Willow turning Jack into a frog.

I think this is the second (?) illustrated story I've come across. Thank you for sharing and yes, I do get it, not all the time since I have no nuance or subtlety, but at least I try.
[br]

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 Post subject: Re: Season Six etudes - Where the Heart Is - updtd April 7,
PostPosted: Fri Apr 14, 2006 9:11 pm 
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Uh, okay. It's 12:05 AM, so technically, I didn't make it. Ran into a snafu--yeah, yeah. But it's visible. I lettered with a different font and didn't realize it until this morning. Egads. Oh well, I'll fix it when I get a few spare moments.

Also, I'm very grateful for the feedback for the first 5 pages but I'm a bit tired right now. I'll reply in a little bit. Without further delay, here's the script for pages 6-10.

Preface notes for Glamour 4/14/06 – 4/21/06

Fanfic based on Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Tara, Willow, Buffy, Spike, Xander, and Anya are property of Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. I am not making nor will I accept any money from this fiction.

Note1: If you prefer to read the whole story in one sitting rather than the 5 or 6-page installments, please come back after April 21. The completed story from cover to page 16 should be up by then in PDF, printable format.

Note 2: WARNING FOR LOW BANDWIDTH USERS - large graphics files

Title: Glamour
Author: binky
Genre: behind the scenes; illustrated short story
Rating: M (Mature), for sex and mild violence. And for godsakes, if you’re at the office right now and you’re not the boss of you, read something else! Something without pictures!
Setting/background A cemetery, the Bronze, the Summers house, shortly after the events of season 6, episodes 1 and 2, “Bargaining” parts I & II
Summary: Post-slaying downtime. Willow’s control is tested.
Spoilers: up to and including "Bargaining II"
Feedback: Right here, please!

CLICK HERE to begin reading Glamour, the illustrated story. Otherwise, continue for the script only.

binky


GLAMOUR (pages 6 - 10)

PAGE 6/7 – Summary: Montage of W & T’s bedroom
PANEL 1 – W’s eyes, closeup
Dialogue:
W: Yeah. That’s what I heard.
PANEL 2 – on bed, sitting up
PANEL 3 – against door
PANEL 4 – on bed, silhouette
PANEL 5 – T, with bed hair
PANEL 6 – T & A talking.
Dialogue:
A: It’s not like I bring up the e-word all the time just to irritate Xander. It’s just that it was an important part of my life for so long…
T: Um, e-word?
A: Evisceration. But it’s better than the c-word, don’t you think? Speaking of vengeance, Tara, you know it’s already been close to a year. There is a statue of limitations on these things—
PANEL 7 - T senses something is wrong.
Dialogue:
T: Um, excuse me, Anya…
PANEL 8 – W, closeup, smirking
Dialogue:
W: Jealous, huh?

***

PAGE 8 – Summary: T joins W who shields her from J. W quips about getting girls. X & B at table; X is trying to get B to open up. They’re interrupted by the noise of J pushing W to the floor. T defends W as J stands menacingly above them.
PANEL 1 – T behind W, J to the far right.
Dialogue:
W: Y’know, if you’re looking for tips on getting women, I really can’t help you. Mine only work on ones with brains. And taste.
T: Will…
J: You’d better get Butch here outta my face, girl.
T: Baby, come on. Let’s go.
PANEL 2 – X, closeup
Dialogue:
X: C’mon, Buff. What’s wrong? Talk to me.
PANEL 3 – B, profile, looking down
Dialogue:
B: There’s really nothing to say.
PANEL 4 – X & B, interrupted by noise
Dialogue:
T (off-panel): Will!
X: What the—? Will!
PANEL 5 – W on floor, T kneeling beside her, J standing some feet away, arms crossed
Dialogue:
T: Is that the kind of man you are? Pushing women around?
J: You know what? You’re kinda cute for a dyke, honey. Any time you want a real man, let me know.
PANEL 6 – W, getting up, eyes dilated
Dialogue:
W: Why? So you can pass on his number?

***

PAGE 9 – Summary: X & B insert themselves between W& T and J. B holds J at bay while X gets T to get W away.
PANEL 1 – W & T getting up from floor, X helping them. B standing in front of J
Dialogue:
X: Hey, you two alright?
W: Well, aside from being covered in the filth normally only associated with the floor of the Bronze...
T: W-We’re fine, Xander. That…drunk jerk confronted Willow. (whisper) I think she’s had a little too much to drink, too.
W: Hey, standing right here… Or at least trying to.
J: What is this? The fucking Queer Liberation Front?
PANEL 2 – B, closeup.
Dialogue:
B: That’s exactly what this is.
PANEL 3 – T & X are book-ending W.
Dialogue:
T: Come on, Willow. Let’s just go home. It’s already late.
W: No way! I wanna see Buffy kick the dumb guy’s ass!
PANEL 4 – same as Pl3, X turned to W
X: Okay, I vote, no. Number 1, it’s late, and you need to take your girlfriend home. Number 2, the Slayer ass-kicking is reserved for dumb guys of the demon variety…
PANEL 5 – T & W, face to face
Dialogue:
T: Baby, let’s just go. Walk me home, okay?
W: Okay.

***

PAGE 10 – Summary: X gives T his car keys. J feels vindicated as the gang leave. W leaves a parting gift.
PANEL 1 – same as P9pl4, but X is now turned to Tara, W is standing on her own
Dialogue:
X: Tara, no. Wait for us in the car. I’ll just get Anya and we’ll wait for Buffy then we’ll drop you guys off. It’s late, anyway, and we’re all slayed out.
PANEL 2 – J, smirking
Dialogue:
J: What’s this? A harem situation? Or are you a punk, too?
PANEL 3 – X, scowling
Dialogue:
X: Buddy, you don’t know how close you came tonight… Say, you wouldn’t happen to have any demon blood in you, wouldja?
PANEL 4 – J’s eyes, scowling
Dialogue:
J: What’s that supposed to mean?
PANEL 5 – B’s eyes, emotionless
Dialogue:
B: We’re trying to figure out if I can get to work.
PANEL 6 – J’s eyes, surprised and a little scared
PANEL 7 – T leads W away
Dialogue:
T: Come on, sweetie.
PANEL 8 – W & T’s hands – fade from separate, W’s hand – V sign, W’s hand – H sign, T’s hand clasping W’s

MTF

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When you find the good kind of magic, when you find your true partner in casting it, don't let her go into the Nether Realm alone... Interludes.
The rise of the greatest Seeyo in the history of Humanity in the Cosmic. The Coven.
I doodle too. GRAPHICS


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 Post subject: Re: Season Six etudes - Where the Heart Is - updtd April 14,
PostPosted: Sat Apr 15, 2006 6:34 am 
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3. Flaming O
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Those drawings are awesome! the bedroom montage was just beautiful!

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 Post subject: Re: Season Six etudes - Where the Heart Is - updtd April 14,
PostPosted: Sun Apr 16, 2006 2:58 pm 
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Hi, replies to feedback now. Last update this Friday, as planned.

Michelle, DW, WillowRulz, Amy, watson, Boadecia – thank you for taking the time to leave comments. This chapter, it’s probably obvious, is the most labor-intensive I’ve tried. I probably could’ve written at least 2 regular stories using the same amount of effort so reader feedback to this one is in a way more significant to me.

Hi, Michelle. Yup, it’s on the ambitious side as far as putting myself on a schedule. The script itself was put together pretty quickly after a few days of mulling over the basic plot, but the graphics are sooo time-consuming. To make matters worse, I can only work on some of the pages in the daytime. I do most of my fanficking (?) during my lunch break at my very corporate job so I couldn’t really do any of the intimate scenes there so a good part of the graphics has to be done at home. I normally only post a chapter when it’s finished and now I’m thinking I should’ve just done that here, even if I couldn’t post it until the end of the month. Thank you for pointing out particular panels you liked. That’s always good to know which particular ones worked better than others.

DW – Wow, you startled me. In a good way, though. Thanks, bud!

WillowRulz – Thank you! I’m still on target with the third date of this coming Friday, New York time, knock on wood.

Amy – You know how I'm looking forward to putting this project to rest, but it's been great getting betas back from you. This one felt weird, like I was lone-wolfing it again without you and Trom offering step-by-step suggestions. But I'm happy you're finding it entertaining as a plain old reader, too. Thanks!

Hi, watty. I have to say, the writing part of this was pretty alien. I actually had to (gasp!) cut back on using words to make story-telling room for the graphics. Compressing the script like that, the “Author” in me is pouting about all the elisions I had to make to the dialogue/exposition just for the impact of what might end up being little more than a minor eye candy effect. Then again, I probably wouldn’t have tried to write this chapter as a regular fiction. The characters are a little too flat and the time frame too brief for how I normally write so it lent itself to something more visual. Too bad, I’m not an action writer, either, so this’ll strike comic connoisseurs as being very girly with too much talking as well. It feels a bit too after-school special about name-calling rather than the operatic Glamour, Vengeful Heart, my inner Artiste would aspire to, but then there’s nothing wrong with after-school specials, or plain old ka-pow!-filled comic books. Jack’s payback will be coming in the third and final act.

Boadecia – thank you much. Re. the bedroom montage. It was kind of necessary for the story, but I’m still a bit squeamish about it, that it might be too voyeuristic. The bed and door scenes are actually okay because they’re kind of generic without the faces, but the bed-hair Tara panel… Oboy. That one came out closer to Amber Benson than I normally would’ve wanted, but the effect was so what I was trying for—a mental image of Tara that only Willow would’ve seen—that I couldn’t bring myself to alter it after I put the pencil down. Here’s the original panel without the Willow blue-memory treatment: HAPPY TARA.

Actually, the likenesses to the actual actors is something I struggled with philosophically. When writing I don’t visualize the actors necessarily aside from the basic sense of their physical characteristics being associated with the character they play but obviously this story’s a little different if I want to interest a fan of the TV show. I ended up just looking at some stills of the actors then free-handing from that point. At the end of the day, I’m happy if the readers are able to tell which character is which without needing the dialogue to confirm their assumptions.

Thanks again, guys. I am really curious how people are reacting to this story, as a story and just the artwork—please keep the feedback coming. It’s really what makes the effort worthwhile.

binky

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When you find the good kind of magic, when you find your true partner in casting it, don't let her go into the Nether Realm alone... Interludes.
The rise of the greatest Seeyo in the history of Humanity in the Cosmic. The Coven.
I doodle too. GRAPHICS


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 Post subject: Re: Season Six etudes - Where the Heart Is - updtd April 14,
PostPosted: Sun Apr 16, 2006 4:39 pm 
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God, that guy is a jerk!
You really drew Willow dead on! Looks just like her.
Can Xander please kick some ass? Or Buffy? That might bruise that guy's ego even more.
Neat artwork :pinky

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 Post subject: Re: Season Six etudes - Where the Heart Is - updtd April 14,
PostPosted: Sun Apr 16, 2006 6:05 pm 
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:wave Hi,
:smash Okay 1, Jack's homophobic asshole. I really wanted B to kick his ass. :smash But steady still, :banana lovin the story and I cant wait for the next update :eatme ...

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 Post subject: Re: Season Six etudes - Where the Heart Is - updtd April 14,
PostPosted: Sun Apr 16, 2006 7:17 pm 
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Sometimes I can be long-winded, but sometimes I can write terse (I hope), but good point about having to cut back with the words and let the pictures tell the story.

The bedroom drawing is brilliant. Again I have no clue when it comes to shading or strokes (hee, I said strokes) or stuff like that. I just know that it's full of love and intimacy and I especially like the way they were holding hands.

LOL about Panel 7 -- Anya being big knowledge woman, and Tara knowing instinctively she was needed at Willow's side. The Scoobies coming to the rescue is so great too.

Anyway, like Willow will be in the morning, I'm kinda hungover too. Looking forward to the next parts.
[br]

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 Post subject: Re: Season Six etudes - Where the Heart Is - updtd April 14,
PostPosted: Sun Apr 16, 2006 9:57 pm 
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Slap me and call me stupid. I was so excited to see your update and then I saw the written dialogue of the post. And I Freaked. Out. I was like "AHH!! Binky changed the formatting of her stories. AHH!! Binky wrote no descriptiongs. AHH!! There are no quotation marks!!" Freaked out, for sure. Then of course I scroll my way back up to see your link.

Whoops.

Now, I am just boggled by the fact that you can draw and write so well. Boggled by, you know, inhuman envy as I often am. I'm not an avid drawing, comic-y kind of person so I have difficulty identifying who's who in each box, but I found your depictions so on that, no trouble at all! I didn't even need visual cues like hair color! Imagine that!

Um . . . but "nice ridges"? You can tell if a vampire's hot by the "ridges"? And Willow's just a goof. A big magic-y, drunken goof. It was a nice change to see a different environment around the gang though, mainly Willow and Tara. I always wondered about how they could have a relationship in such a small town and not encounter mean mean meanies. Yet voila, you have shown us such a situation which makes it all the more real. The, uh, drawings help too. A little. Oh by the way, the whole nakedness interlude, dear Lord! Good Lord! My God! Speechless, I am. It really got the point across though. Willow's got the hot girl and the drunken asshole doesn't. Score one Willow.

So . . . what's next?

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 Post subject: Re: Season Six etudes - Where the Heart Is - updtd April 14,
PostPosted: Mon Apr 17, 2006 6:39 am 
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Excellant artwork and the story is just about the exact way real life is , minus the demons and slaying and such,but there is always some a*&$^#@ that has to put his two cents in if he sees two women kiss or be closer than he thinks they should be. I look foreward to the next update.


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 Post subject: S6 etudes - Where the Heart Is - Glamour - feedback replies
PostPosted: Sat Apr 22, 2006 9:41 am 
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[saunters in late, whistling]

Thanks for the responses!

Willowrulez – Yes, he’s a jerk. I think if this were a real story, he’d have a little more depth, though, not be so one-sided. Perhaps he is jealous, as Willow said. Maybe he’s bitter because he’s lonely. Or he could just be a mean-spirited bigot.

willowbaby05 – Alas, no slayer ass-kicking. There is a badass Wicca on-premises, though. I’m not sure who I’d rather face, a furious Willow or a depressed and lifeless Buffy.

hi watty – Thanks again for being specific. I hope you had help getting you through the aftereffects of your overindulgence, like Willow did, heheheh. Sorry.

beanie – Hi! I’m glad you found the comic version and didn’t give up. LOL. I know what you mean, though. I loved reading dramatic literature when I was a student, but I can’t really read it for leisure these days. My slow, unfortunately adult brain needs exposition. I'm sure there are some really fine examples of that format in fanfic (Chris’ adaptation of Midsummer is the best I’ve come across) but in general, I see dramatic script and I think, uh, no. Next, please.

I will be redoing the whole booklet in May in full color and completely adapted to a web-format rather than the printable pages, so it’ll probably scan easier then—Willow’s hair will be red and Tara’s eyes will be baby blue. But I’m glad it still works for you as is.

lottagay – thanks. Like beanie, I always thought they must’ve been harassed at some point. Granted, southern California college town, probably not as bad as where Tara came from originally, but still, every college town has townies and not all townies are like Xander. I actually kind of patterned Jack after some of the students I met from my own campus experiences. Otherwise good guys coming from small town/suburbia, suddenly put into a fairly liberal setting ethics-wise, and some of them don’t react well. If I had to build up his back story, I might try something like that, though I’m glad I don’t have to. Really not a pleasant individual to try to get to know, I imagine, ‘cause he’s already set himself up to be hostile from the start.

Sorry for the lateness. I went out with some buds last night and came back with a few less brain cells.

Okay, the third and final set of pages will be up in a little bit.

binky

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When you find the good kind of magic, when you find your true partner in casting it, don't let her go into the Nether Realm alone... Interludes.
The rise of the greatest Seeyo in the history of Humanity in the Cosmic. The Coven.
I doodle too. GRAPHICS


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 Post subject: S6 etudes - Where the Heart Is - GLAMOUR updtd April 21
PostPosted: Sat Apr 22, 2006 9:47 am 
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Note1: If you prefer to print the story rather than read it off the web, the completed book as first issued (i.e., mostly black and white, standard page format) from cover to page 16 with a few bonus posters (yes, just like a real comic book!) is available on my website as a PDF file (200 dpi, 10MB). Go to the Glamour index page linked below, right-click on the appropriate link, and save the target file to your hard drive. You will need Adobe Acrobat reader to view/print the file. The PDF file will be available until April 28. After that I’ll be taking it down and putting up a web-only version that will be less of a bandwidth hog.

Note 2: WARNING FOR LOW BANDWIDTH USERS - large graphics files


Fanfic based on Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Tara, Willow, Buffy, Spike, Xander, and Anya are property of Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. I am not making nor will I accept any money from this fiction.

Title: Glamour, Act III
Author: binky
Genre: behind the scenes; illustrated short story
Rating: M (Mature), for sexual situations, profanity, and mild violence.
Setting/background A cemetery, the Bronze, the Summers house, shortly after the events of season 6, episodes 1 and 2, “Bargaining” parts I & II
Summary: Post-slaying downtime at the Bronze is interrupted when a homophobe confronts Willow.
Spoilers: up to and including "Bargaining II"
Feedback: Right here, please!

CLICK HERE to begin reading the Glamour, the illustrated short story. Otherwise, continue for the script only.



PAGE 11/12/13 – Summary: X & A drop off W, T, & B at Summers’ house. W&T discuss the confrontation and W’s behavior on patrol. W coaxes T to sex.
PANEL 1 – T in foreground at bureau, undressing. W sitting on bed, already in tank top.
Dialogue:
T: It’s not funny, Willow. That guy was so drunk, he could’ve really hurt you without thinking twice about it.
PANEL 2 – T undoing her hair, W behind her, pulling her shirt off her shoulder.
Dialogue:
W: Baby, the only way he could’ve hurt me is if he hurt you. I wish you’d just let me handle it.
PANEL 3 – T, over her shoulder, upset
Dialogue:
T: Handle it how? Let him toss you around until he slipped in your blood and knocked himself out?
PANEL 4 – W, frowning
Dialogue:
W: Hey, I can handle myself. I did two and a half vamps myself tonight, remember?
PANEL 5 – T, still at dresser, W on bed.
Dialogue:
T: I’m just saying, you take too many chances, Willow.
W: Oh, so it’s my fault? Some drunk bigot starts harassing me ‘cause he sees us kissing, and it’s my fault?
PANEL 6 – T sitting next to W on bed
Dialogue:
T: No! That’s not… That’s not what I meant. Of course it wasn’t your fault. What I mean is… You’re not a superhero, Will. You’re not… You’re not a Slayer.

***

PAGE 12 – Summary: Same as last
PANEL 1 – same as P11pl6
Dialogue:
W: Is that what this is about? Patrol tonight? Look, Tara, Buffy’s been back less than two weeks. I just want to keep an eye out for her until she gets her bearings. She still seems a little… off. Okay?
T: Okay.
PANEL 2 – same as Pl1
Dialogue:
W: Anya was right, though. There’s no need for you and her and Xander to go out with us anymore.
T: Us? You’ll still be going? Why, Will?
PANEL 3 – W closeup
Dialogue:
W: I don’t want to leave Buffy alone with Spike. Something’s off about him, too. I’ll stop when things have settled down, gotten back to the way they were before.
PANEL 4 – T closeup
Dialogue:
T: Just… let Spike and Buffy do the dangerous stuff? Promise you’ll be careful.
PANEL 5 – same as Pl2
Dialogue:
W: Got it. No pulling a Riley. Buffy’s the superhero, although…
PANEL 6 – W closeup
Dialogue:
W: You can be a hero tonight, if you want. A Dutch heroine?
PANEL 7 – T and W on bed, W’s arms around T’s shoulders
Dialogue:
T: W-What?
W: Stop a flood. Stick a finger in a dyke.

***

PAGE 13 – Summary: Same as last
PANEL 1 – W inviting T into bed
Dialogue:
T: I… can’t believe you just said that.
W: I can’t believe I’m getting away with saying it.
T: Who says you’re getting away with it?
W: Well, you’re getting into bed with me, aren’t you?
T: Maybe it’s just to punish you.
W: Oo, you gonna spank me?
T: Are you sure Faith didn’t break out of prison and get herself another body-snatcher charm?
W: Hey, now that was uncalled for… Heheh… You said ‘snatcher.’
T: Goddess, you’re like a machine.
W: I can’t help it. I think it’s that double-H thing. I didn’t get it all out of me just dancing.
PANEL 2 – T and W on bed, face to face.
Dialogue:
T: Hon, I thought we straightened this all out. That’s just for slayers.
W: Hey, no one said anything about only slayers being able to use that excuse.
T: Did I ever give you the impression you need an excuse?
W: Good point. Queer me up, baby.
T: I beg your pardon?
W: I wanna punk you.
T: You expect me to… do things with that potty mouth?
W: Be gay with me… please?
T: Sweet talker.
PANEL 3 – T’s hand reaching for lamp switch
PANEL 4 – W’s hand over T’s, stopping her.
Dialogue:
W: Leave it on. I want to see your face.

***

PAGE 14 – Summary: The Bronze. J is at the bar, still drinking. The bartender approaches him.
PANEL 1 – J at bar, with several empty bottles in front of him
Dialogue:
J: Queers and freaks. Goddamn place is full of them…
PANEL 2 – bartender in background, J in fore.
Dialogue:
Bartender: Don’t know if you’re new in town, but you oughtta just steer clear of those kids. Just give ‘em a wide berth. Trouble tends to follow them—
J: Yeah, yeah. I know. I was there. Hey, get me another one of these…
Bartender: Sorry. Last call was ten minutes ago. We’re closing in five.
J: Great.
PANEL 3 – J heads for the men’s room. Pushing door open
PANEL 4 – urinal

***

PAGE 15 – Summary: J at urinal. He sees something that scares him and screams. Across town, in W & T’s bedroom, T wakes from a nightmare.
PANEL 1 – J at urinal, shot from rear as he undoes his zipper
PANEL 2 – J’s eyes, bloodshot, looking down
PANEL 3 – J’s eyes, wide open, looking down
Dialogue:
J: Oh, God… What the FUCK? (scream)
PANEL 4 – T asleep, W at her side with her arm draped across T’s chest.
PANEL 5 – T wakes up in foreground, W in background, waking
Dialogue:
W: Tara? Baby? What is it?
PANEL 5 – T closeup
Dialogue:
T: A-A nightmare. Just a nightmare.
W: A nightmare? About Glory?
T: Gl-Glory? N-no. That guy, at the bar…
PANEL 6 – W, sitting up, reaching for lamp
W: That jerk? Aw, baby, don’t worry. It’s over. Y’know, I really gotta hunt this guy down and make him pay, if he’s giving my baby nightmares.

***

PAGE 16 – Summary: W & T’s bedroom, discussing T’s nightmare
PANEL 1 – T, closeup, looking uncertainly at W
Dialogue:
T: Willow, you didn’t…?
PANEL 2 – W, still sleepy, playful
Dialogue:
W: What?
PANEL 3 – W, realizing, frowning
Dialogue:
W: What? No! Tara, I can’t believe you’d even—
PANEL 4 – T hugging W, profile with T in front
Dialogue:
T: I’m sorry. No. You’d never… I’m sorry, Willow. Forgive me, sweetie?
PANEL 5 – still hugging, T’s back showing, W’s face.
Dialogue:
W: There’s nothing to forgive, baby. Everything’s good. No more nightmares. Especially not about that jerk. He’s not worth it. Let’s just go back to bed, ‘kay?
PANEL 6 – W turning off light, T over her shoulder
PANEL 7 – W & T in silhouette
Dialogue:
W (thought): He wasn’t worth it. It was just a glamour.

***

END

_________________
When you find the good kind of magic, when you find your true partner in casting it, don't let her go into the Nether Realm alone... Interludes.
The rise of the greatest Seeyo in the history of Humanity in the Cosmic. The Coven.
I doodle too. GRAPHICS


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 Post subject: Re: S6 etudes - Where the Heart Is, GLAMOUR - updtd April 22
PostPosted: Sat Apr 22, 2006 10:38 am 
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I can't believe I haven't left feedback for Glamour, I thought I had! My bad totally, binky. I love this - your creativity is awesome here. I didn't quite clue in at first that this is a comic book series until I clicked through to your site, but then of course it all came clear. What a great story! I love how the words and the action and the pictures all work together to convey what would take much longer with prose. GREAT job, binky.

Oh, and the banter with the Dutch heroine and everything cracked me up. Very Willow, and very funny. Much applause and admiration, and requests for more!

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 Post subject: Re: S6 etudes - Where the Heart Is, GLAMOUR - updtd April 22
PostPosted: Sat Apr 22, 2006 5:00 pm 
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Hihi, Dutch heroine...
I liked that Tara set Willow straight (no pun intended lol) again.
"Be gay with me please" :smash
Haha, so that's why the story is called Glamour... :kdevil Nice!
Hope you will post another art-y story like this again! :pinky

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 Post subject: Re: S6 etudes - Where the Heart Is, GLAMOUR - updtd April 22
PostPosted: Wed Apr 26, 2006 7:33 am 
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Hi! I’m back with some more self-analysis and therapy. Oh. And responses. Before I go there, though, here’s my revised update schedule from here on out:

6.2.x – Glamour (just finished posting a few days ago)
(Breathe cancelled)
6.12.x - The Departure of Wicca’d Red (posted last September)
6.13.x – Endgame (drafted, will be posted Friday)
6.18.x – Coming Home (posted last September)

I feel some bad Sinatra karaoke coming…

I sound like a broken record, but sincerely, thanks to the folks who dropped a comment. Particularly you guys who came back time and again even if it meant having to rack your brains to offer something, anything, anything at all. I really feel I’ve been having good conversations with readers throughout this entire process since August last year, and that’s been a nice bonus aside from the sense of accomplishment finishing each chapter gave me. Each one’s been like a small, smaller, smaller still, oh that one was bigger, back to small, downright intimate (ahem), small dinner party, though I wouldn’t have minded a loud and obnoxious kegger every once in a while. Never happened, but, what the hell, we laughed, we joked, we drank too much, we made weepy inebriated confessionals, then left for home full even if a bit embarrassed sometimes, anyway. What? Whaddaya mean that’s not how dinner parties are supposed to go…?

Sally – Eek, I feel so guilty. I’ve been meaning to read and leave feedback for half a dozen stories, yours foremost. Now that I’ve finished my own project and can become just a casual reader/lurker again I will be good and do just that.

Thank you for the kind and encouraging words. This chapter was a real bear to finish which is why I guess I saved it for last, so I’m glad it’s over. Actually I think what you said about it being an efficient method for the storytelling captured why I’m feeling a little frustrated with this chapter. It was a lot of work for me but to a reader, it’s over in a few minutes. It hardly seems fair. [pout]

WillowRulez – I’m glad you enjoyed the chapter. I’m very happy you took the time to say something after each installment, thank you very much. I admit I was being cute with the title, playing off the popular women’s fashion magazine, in addition to the witch-fu type of glamour. No one commented about the cover. I’m a little sad. The cover was the very first graphic I penciled after I had my script. Anyway, I take pride in my titles. I think coming up with a clever title is one of my best talents, aside from my natural modesty.

Okay, now for the self-analysis (a/k/a embarrassing confessional), so feel free to tune out of the thread if cheese and whine don’t agree with your karmic diet. Please do drop by Friday for the final chapter, though—a normal one with just words, promise.

I canceled the musical theater chapter “Breathe” since I can’t see the point in writing one other than to have the chapters spaced evenly, which I admit will irk me since I have this OCD thing about making the series symmetrical with five chapters per season, but heck, part of me already considers the comic as a two-in-one anyway. It was enough work. I didn’t get as much bang for the buck, so to speak, with it as I wanted. I think it’d be even worse dabbling in a genre (musical) that I don’t really have any real interest or known skill in. It would be, to quote OMWF, going through the motions.

Being dispassionate about it, I know I put too many eggs in the Glamour basket, but that was part of the point for me. I didn’t feel dispassionate about it while I was planning it, and even while I was penciling it. It didn’t become a chore until the last two weeks.

I’m still holding out hope that the comic didn’t make an impact because the big files were too much. I have a cable line but I do remember the painful days of dial-up. Eventually I’ll put up a less bandwidth-demanding version by breaking the pages up by panel over the summer. I also might as well try to learn proper inking and coloring while I’m at it—if anyone would like to spare me the trouble and collaborate on that with me, please by all means email me. Honestly, though, I have no intention of using the comic-book-making skills I did learn doing this project again (storyboarding, lettering, perspective, and yes, drawing under deadline) unless it’s to pencil someone else’s script or script someone else’s pencils (if you want to collaborate, send me etc. etc.). Another thing that says to me, “it wasn’t worth it.”

Also, Breathe would’ve been set right around OMWF, easily my least favorite part of BtVS even though the episode itself was brilliant, the show itself went on a runaway train downhill after that. Instead, I’ll just be posting the final chapter, Endgame, which is already drafted, went through beta a while back, and just needs some polishing up. That’ll definitely be up by the end of the month.

Which brings up another point… The other possibility about why Glamour failed that I prefer not to think of is that the story itself was not worth pursuing. I mean, I know Willow doesn’t come out looking the best in it, but I think it was at least true to a pretty crappy season in canon. That scares me, cause guess what? It’s even worse for the last chapter. That’s set in the second half of Season Sux! Just call me Daffy, “Shoot me now! Shoot me now!”

Okay, my impersonation of Achilles in his tent is over. Endgame will be up in a couple days. It was drafted and beta’d a while ago and I’m just doing some final polishing. I’ve grown rather fond of it as it’s gestated (ew), even if it’s one of the darker chapters. Anyway, I hope you all give it a chance (remember, Coming Homein all its soppy sentimental glory is set to take place after it!). And if there are any other lurkers hanging around this thread, that you’ll come out of your shell and give me even the illusion of a kegger to send me off.

And now, the end is near. It’s time to face the final curtain…

B is for binky, grumpy as a crazy Alaskan polar bear that mauls people and has to be put down

_________________
When you find the good kind of magic, when you find your true partner in casting it, don't let her go into the Nether Realm alone... Interludes.
The rise of the greatest Seeyo in the history of Humanity in the Cosmic. The Coven.
I doodle too. GRAPHICS


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 Post subject: Re: S6 etudes - Where the Heart Is, GLAMOUR - updtd April 22
PostPosted: Wed Apr 26, 2006 8:45 am 
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binky wrote:
Actually I think what you said about it being an efficient method for the storytelling captured why I’m feeling a little frustrated with this chapter. It was a lot of work for me but to a reader, it’s over in a few minutes. It hardly seems fair. [pout]


I understand the sentiment, but don't despair, binky - the visuals that you create make a lasting impact in a different way than prose. First, it's very different than most of the fan fiction that I read, which is usually prose - I understand that there are quite a few fanfic comics around, but I don't usually read them. So for me and other readers you have who are used to reading your text stories on Pens, this is very likely making an impact on all of us in a markedly different, visual way.

And second, the thing about comics is, you are more constrained, but you are also more free - free to communicate things "nonverbally", as it were. You know what they say about a picture being worth a thousand words? You can convey something through the expression on a character's face, the tilt of their head, the body language - that would be very different as prose.

But I think I understand the plight of the artist - drawing so many panels is a LOT of work, and there's not always an efficient way to capture the range of emotions and reactions that people have to both the story and the art in feedback on a message board. Guess what I'm trying to say is, rest assured that your hard work will have a ripple effect on many readers beyond what you might hear back in posts, email, etc.

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Last edited by FineyMcFine on Mon Jul 16, 2012 8:21 am, edited 1 time in total.

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 Post subject: Re: S6 etudes - Where the Heart Is, GLAMOUR - updtd April 22
PostPosted: Wed Apr 26, 2006 9:34 am 
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binky first wrote:
I’m still holding out hope that the comic didn’t make an impact because the big files were too much.

and then wrote:
The other possibility about why Glamour failed that I prefer not to think of is that the story itself was not worth pursuing.

Excuse me, young lady. Didn't make an impact? failed? wtf? You mean you didn't get as many comments and feedback as you expected? Or were you thinking that the comic-story didn't work in your mind? Am I reading what you wrote properly? There must be something wrong with my judgement then, because I liked this comic-story. Feedback is nice of course, but sometimes it's best to take a "whatever" attitude towards it.

This format of telling the story you wanted is tough. It's time consuming for sure and I can't even begin to comprehend the amount of effort, hair-pulling and teeth-grinding that you put in. It's something you invested and immersed in, but the payback doesn't seem proportional. Well it is. Take it from me, I will come back to this again and again.

Re: the new pages, I can feel and see the rumblings of "something wrong" with Willow that would lead to their temporary breakup (I reminded myself and re-read 6.12.x). The relationship is still intact at this point, but may be I'm being weird, but they're avoiding the burgeoning problem of Willow's inability to let go of the "I can save the world" attitude. Look how quickly Tara backed down and turned the convo into sex talk, it's like sex solves everything. But it doesn't.

On another note, I get what you said about Breathe. A musical episode is a huge undertaking, and if you don't think now is the right time, let it be. about having the same number of eps per season, this is the type of "properness" that anal!watty knows all too well.

Ramble. Ramble. I better stop. Looking forward to Endgame.
[br]

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Last edited by watty on Mon Jul 16, 2012 8:21 am, edited 1 time in total.

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 Post subject: Re: S6 etudes - Where the Heart Is, GLAMOUR - updtd April 22
PostPosted: Wed Apr 26, 2006 10:48 am 
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9. Gay Now
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Binky -

Forgive me in my late feedback. I am just blundering my way through the files here on the Kitten Board and I just found Glamour -- ooh and I have so, so much to say!

So. Listen here.

First and foremost I need to tell you that you are so, so very brave. You just put it all out there… and let me tell you – there is nothing out there in the illustration world that is like this… and there needs to be. Thank you.

And also – oh my god, you are so very talented.

And, oh yeah, also, personally, an inspiration to folks like me who dream of doing illustrations but never have the direction or wherewithal to get it together to actually do it.

So let’s start with the more specific feedback.

I often find that it is just so hard, when drawing two women (or more, as you have) to really get the ‘feel’ of them as womanly and yet, different people, with different personalities and features – but you do it – and SO well! You start off bam with your cover art – and here you capture it all. The different personalities – and the womanliness of them. You caught the busy busy buzziness of Willows mind as she lays there in Tara’s arms… awake and contemplating. …and Tara – she is cradling Willow’s head in her arms, at complete peace. This cocooning loving presence that wraps itself around Willow both physically and emotionally.

… and you do it all with line and composition. You don’t use color to differentiate the regular characteristics we associate with these women. You do it all with line and with feeling/personality. Do you have any idea what a huge, huge accomplishment that is? Hat goes off.

Never able to get panel art myself, I am in awe of your composition skills – I never ever had any question about who was saying what, who was feeling what or what panel followed another in the sequence (note to self: I need to read more comics). Hey – have any recommendations??

On to the story line (excuse my insecurity - personally I feel just totally incompetent speaking to that. Bleh, it is the story that always holds me back from making stuff myself)

You capture the love & the divide between Willow and Tara.

You get it. The magic – it is what they share and it is what breaks them (the magic of majicks; the magic of being in love)… and you do it so well!

Does the guy deserve a glamour? Well. I say yes. I mean, if It were in my power – would I? Yup. Stupid homophobic bigot!! Pushing Willow like that and saying mean things! Who cares where he is coming from… well, Tara does. You caught that. Tara always takes the high road – both in love and in disagreements. I really think you caught that.

… and the W?T relationship. You caught the nuances of that too… but that you did with line and synergy. Tara just loves Willow. She is so greatful to Willow for – well everything – for giving her (Tara) a family, for making her (Tara) feel loved. It is so good that Tara (mistakenly) feels that Willow is only good. Who among us is? I always kind of felt that Tara must have learned her lesson as a child with her mom to teach her… but Tara never taught willow that lesson – maybe it isn’t in Tara’s nature, but more likely, Tara didn’t feel it was her place – Tara wanted equity in the relationship, and was coming from a kind of ‘one down’ position so I think she was reluctant to become a teacher (especially on a moral front, since she thought she was bad for so many years). Alas – the lesson Tara fails to teach is ultimately what Willow needs – and it was a lesson that really, only Tara could teach. She failed Willow in this. I didn’t realize it until I read this comic that I have kind of been harboring a resentment/felt cheated that the show never addressed this. I felt I got the first hint at this through Glamour. Thank you for giving me something I didn’t even know needed.

The thing about both Willow & Tara is that their strengths were also their weaknesses. We got to explore that in Willow via BtVS – and through your depiction of Tara – you show the seed – the underlying bit of disconnect. You show us how Tara’s empathy for the different places that people are coming from ultimately undermines the thing she values most.

And finally. Yup. I downloaded it. Why you might ask? Oh. because, hello, I want to keep this beautiful, inspirational work of art available to me as personal inspiration at, like, all times! …now where did I put that? … oh yeah, in my “illustration inspiration” file folder.

Please keep this up – it is so very good.


db

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 Post subject: Re: S6 etudes - Where the Heart Is, GLAMOUR - updtd April 22
PostPosted: Wed Apr 26, 2006 2:14 pm 
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Really? No one commented on the cover? Well, let me change that! I thought it was obvious we all love it. At least I do. :pinky
Oh and I forgot last time: I really loved Willow's eyes in the last update... that closeup on page 11. Very cool. :x

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 Post subject: Re: S6 etudes - Where the Heart Is, GLAMOUR - updtd April 22
PostPosted: Wed Apr 26, 2006 5:34 pm 
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Dude, binky, the comic thing rules! I can't imagine embarking on such a project. Your creativity astounds me. Thank you for taking the time to share it with us.

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As one, they turn to the soda machine. It flies back into the door like a cannonball. Willow looks at it, at Tara. She doesn't let go of her hand.
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 Post subject: Re: S6 etudes - Where the Heart Is, GLAMOUR - updtd April 22
PostPosted: Wed Apr 26, 2006 9:09 pm 
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Binky! (I had to use an exclaimation point because the word seems to me that it should always be shouted.) I can't tell you how much I loved the comic. I'm a bit of a comic nerd, but not because I know anything about them, just because I've found myself immersed in them and loving them. And yours? Great! I think you captured the essence of these women, these characters, very well. So Willow comes out looking like kind of a jerk, yeah, but I remember watching season six and thinking she was being a total bitch the whole time, so it fits exactly in the time you set it. These characters have flaws, and you aren't afraid to show them. I've read so many fics where Willow and Tara are nearly perfect, and their relationship even more so. But they're not, and it isn't. Sometimes I think that people are afraid to explore that less hugs and puppies version of W/T, but I am all about the psychology of these people, and so I love to see them having problems (you know, provided that It's All Okay In The End.)

Also? A friend and I have been kicking around a comic of our own (not at all Buffy related, a completely original work) for a good long while now, and I've only just started scripting. Comics are HARD, man. I love the medium because it allows for so many things, but holy hell. It's kind of a pain in the ass to actually DO. So big big love to you for this. I shall download and save and maybe print several copies so I can color them with my shiny new set of 96 Crayola crayons.

-Kate

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 Post subject: Re: S6 etudes - Where the Heart Is, GLAMOUR - updtd April 22
PostPosted: Wed Apr 26, 2006 10:26 pm 
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Sorry! I completely spaced on feedback. Glamour was awesome! The artwork was beautiful and the storyline interesting. I liked the playful banter between W/T. "Dutch heroine" hehe. I would buy that comic if it were published.

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 Post subject: Re: S6 etudes - Where the Heart Is, GLAMOUR - updtd April 22
PostPosted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 11:09 am 
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Eh, this is embarrassing. You guys couldn’t say all this before I posted my mini-rant? Kidding! Thanks for the thoughtful replies.

Hey, Sally. I dunno. I’m thinking I should just stay away from this genre altogether. Comics are supposed to be loud and obnoxious and young, and, dare I say it, popular. I don’t think my effort here really took advantage of the strongest aspects of that genre. There’s something to be said for expanding beyond the limits of a tradition, but I don’t think there was much of a point with how it turned out here. I mean, on the story front, no action, too much sex, too much talking, too much moral ambiguity—wait. Did I just say too much sex? Strike that part. But the other points I think are valid. At the end of the day, I should probably just stick with the occasional illustration and just plain text. That way, the writer/reader contract is clear from the word go. Either that or not do all the work myself so my investment in the outcome isn’t too much ‘cause then I can blame my collaborators—JK! Email me potential co-author(s)! I’ll be good!

Hi watty (can I still call you watson?) Okay. I may have phrased my frustrations imprecisely. What I said above in response to Sally kind of covered the technical theoretical bits. Now, for the vaguer touchy-feely stuff…

Quote:
Feedback is nice of course, but sometimes it's best to take a "whatever" attitude towards it.

I’d normally agree with that and in fact it’s why I kept writing even when the positive reinforcement in the form of feedback petered out the past few months. Being a bean counter about it, I’d say it was an 80/20 split of personal satisfaction/entertaining people back in August when I was writing mostly to prove to myself that I could. It’s kind of ironic but as I got more confident about the writing it became more about communicating with other fans and getting a response. Then the echoes would erode the self-confidence I’d gotten as a writer. So in a way, it is all about numbers—feedback and hits are a manifestation that you’re not in a void.

The point about the story maybe not being worth telling—maybe I was being a little melodramatic. Personally, I’m ready to leave the canon story behind. It’s been months since I saw a BtVS episode. You may have noticed since you’ve been with this thread from the start (thank you, sincerely, btw), I’ve been moaning about how I’ve been struggling lately liking Willow. Plus the next chapter, kinda more of the same. Strangely, I feel a little guilty about it. I mean, for crying out loud, I’m on a Willow and Tara fanboard! This is the cutest lesbian couple in popular television, like, ever! What’s wrong with me? Anyway, I’ve de-funked for the most part but this being my season six, maybe it’s coming out again. I hope I’ve managed to make her look at least a little heroic again in the chapter I’m about to post.

Finally, LOL. Yup, don’t take this the wrong way, but you strike me as the type to understand the OCD comment. :0P

Hi, db. Wow. You talk a lot. Good! Good good good! Thank you for posting.

You have me blushing here. It’s not pretty. My ears are extremely red and I look like I have indigestion.

Quote:
I often find that it is just so hard, when drawing two women (or more, as you have) to really get the ‘feel’ of them as womanly and yet, different people, with different personalities and features – but you do it – and SO well!

I mentioned earlier that my goal wasn’t to go for a 100% likeness to the actors. For one thing, I always find it a little creepy to find your name and/or likeness someplace you don’t expect it. Sometimes it’s a good thing—you’re nominated for an award, won the Lotto, or some other type of honor. Other times, not so much (car accident report, gossip/rumor, etc). Maybe actors and other celebrities are more used to it, but still, it give me personally the wiggins. So I tried to convey character more than the actress. Aside from fanfic which is a new obsession, I custom-build toys, and I’d made a Vampire Willow action figure and LEGO Buffy characters for my LEGO town. The LEGO characters especially, I looked at a lot of cast photos and came up with stylized, cartoony versions of all the characters, so I already had a visual shortcut to each, especially Willow. I have some pics on my website, but here’s just a version of Vamp Will and Tara since this is a W&T board:

Image

Anyway, it gave me a head start with the faces/features.

Quote:
… and you do it all with line and composition. You don’t use color to differentiate the regular characteristics we associate with these women. You do it all with line and with feeling/personality

Thank you for that. I have to say, the expressions were in fact mostly borrowed from the actresses. They are very talented, even if Aly tends to mug too much nowadays. It actually helped in something like this.

Quote:
Never able to get panel art myself, I am in awe of your composition skills – I never ever had any question about who was saying what, who was feeling what or what panel followed another in the sequence (note to self: I need to read more comics). Hey – have any recommendations??

Ah, this was really the hard part. Perspective and composition—not my strong suit, so what you said means much to me. Thanks. I’m not sure how much better I got at it, but I do know I started experimenting a bit more with the framing and such in the last set of pages, so I did “feel” I was learning and improving my skills on that score.

I used to read comics regularly when I was a teenager (I’m in my 30’s now). Unfortunately, I stopped about 15 years ago (egad, I’m old). I don’t even watch anime like I used to just a few years ago, so I’m behind the times. I read the W&T as well as some of the Buffy books and Fray, and also picked up Joss’s X-Men compilations, but really just because of the Whedon connection. To be honest, I think they’re mediocre at best. The Angel comics, though, Joss apparently put his stamp of approval on them and the ones coming out now are “official” post season-5 AtS stories! Yay! We’ll get a glimpse as to how season 6 might’ve been handled, if they’d been renewed as they planned. I’m excited, cause, hey, they’re back, even if it is in a limited format. But again, don’t know anything else about what’s going on with the industry really. Anyone have any suggestions for what’s good these days?

Okay, story bits:

More blushing. Thank you.

Hmm, I’m still on the fence about whether Jack deserved the punishment he got from Willow. Messing with someone’s mind—can be more devastating than a physical blow. I got the idea from a greeting card, of all things, I once saw for a “get well” occasion. The cover is a cartoon of a hospital patient sitting on a gurney, peeking under a bedsheet they’re holding up over their bottom half . The caption is “IT’S GONE!” I mean, it’s supposed to be funny, but after the initial chuckle, it’s like. “Hey, that’s not funny.” So I’m still a little squeamish about it. But that’s probably a good sign, if it makes even me uncomfortable.

Gosh, the stuff about Tara's character and Willow's psychology, that is straight to the center of the earth deep. If you got that from the comic, I’m really happy. And satisfied. Thanks, db. I hope I haven’t scared you off posting more by gabbing and gabbing back to you. Really, thanks.

WillowRulez – How’d I know I could count on you? LOL. Thanks.

Amy – thank you. I’m starting to think it was worth doing after all. Why am I such a drama queen? It’s an illness, really.

Hi Kate. Thank you. I know that’s why I’m a little bit insecure about this story. Willow was my favorite character for five seasons. I get the lack of interest in season 6 given this is a Willow and Tara board, but it was part of the story. To be fair, they did give Willow an added dimension by bringing her character so low. In a ham-fisted way, but still… Very mixed feelings, to be sure. But yeah, I do stop at Entropy, so all is fine in my version of the story.

Quote:
A friend and I have been kicking around comic a comic of our own (not at all Buffy related, a completely original work) for a good long while now, and I've only just started scripting.

Ah, you know the pain of which I speak, friend. I send positive vibes your way. Best of luck to you and your cohort. One thing, though. Crayola Crayons? That’s funny. You know, I actually bought a box myself and was going to experiment with them over the summer. I’m also going to try watercolors and regular ink and marker.

Guppy, thanks. Page 12 was probably the most difficult to script/storyboard, because of the talking head thing. By the time I’d mapped it, I looked at the page and thought, tic-tac-toe! It made me redo page 13, which was actually supposed to be quite similar in layout. I’m glad I changed it. Page 13 came out much better than the original. Plus I got to use some of my many store up off-colored jokes!

Whew. Okay. Again, thanks for leaving feedback, folks I will be posting the next chapter very shortly.

binky

_________________
When you find the good kind of magic, when you find your true partner in casting it, don't let her go into the Nether Realm alone... Interludes.
The rise of the greatest Seeyo in the history of Humanity in the Cosmic. The Coven.
I doodle too. GRAPHICS


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 Post subject: S6 etudes - Where the Heart Is, ENDGAME
PostPosted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 12:35 pm 
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Joined: Sun Jul 24, 2005 4:05 pm
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Well, here it is. The LAST chapter. I’m pretty confident saying that, though I’ve said it before, and well, here I still am. Right now, though, I’m plum canon-ed out and can’t imagine re-opening this series in the near or distant future. I want to break free! I want to break free-e-e! Apologies to you Freddie Mercury fans out there. I’m feeling a little giddy.

6.2.x – Glamour (posted a week ago)
6.12.x - The Departure of Wicca’d Red (posted last September)
6.13.x – Endgame (this chapter—the LAST installment)
6.18.x – Coming Home (posted last September)

Alright, sobering up a bit, cause, you know, this is a very serious chapter, for the FINAL go. Mwuhahahaha! Get a grip, binky.

Disclaimers and preface notes for ENDGAME:

- This story is rated AO (Adults Only), i.e. NC-17 for graphic sex.
- Setting/background & summary: Set after “Dead Things,” the Warren-murders-Katrina-and-frames-Buffy episode. Willow is in the basement of the Summers house, doing laundry, feeling sorry for herself and thinking about Tara. She reminisces about their first time.
- Warnings: Crazy, creepy, weepy Willow alert. Did I mention I’ve been feeling ambivalent about her character? It really shows in this chapter. Very little humor—what there is is mostly of the dark variety.
- Thank you, Trom and Amy, for betaing. I’ve very much enjoyed and am grateful for the company and the assistance over the last few months.

Remember! I recommend reading Coming Home if you’re left in a black mood after reading this chapter. You can find Coming Home on my website. CLICK HERE.

I’ve got to break free-e-e…! Yeah…

binky

***

Fanfic based on Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Tara and Willow are property of Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. I am not making nor will I accept any money from this fiction.

Title: Endgame
Author: binky
Genre: behind the scenes
Rating: AO (Adults Only), for graphic sex
Setting/background: The Summers’ basement, shortly before Buffy’s birthday party in “Older and Far Away.” (S6E14)
Summary: Willow contemplates the consequences of her addiction.
Spoilers: up to and including "Dead Things" (S6E13)
Acknowledgements: Beta-ed by Trom and Amy. Thank you both.
Notes: Emphasis in italics. Strong emphasis/raised voice in ALLCAPS.
Feedback: This is your last chance for the foreseeable future to give it to me, so, uh, give it to me!



ENDGAME
6.13.x

Round and round and round you go. Where it stops, nobody knows.

Tiny bubbles in the wine. Makes me happy. Makes me feel fine… Could use a drink right now. Darn headaches… Head feels like it’s gonna explode. And not in a good, literal, wholesome Gentlemen-go-boom kinda way.

Extra large capacity Whirlpool washing machine, 3.2 cubic feet basket. Tide concentrated laundry detergent with bleach alternative. Safe for colors. One small capful will handle a full load of laundry. That means two capfuls for my double load in our extra large capacity Whirlpool washing machine. Maybe a little more. I forgot to pre-treat Buffy’s blouse. This demon goo won’t come out. Yuck. I hate when they just don’t go poof! This is just gonna stick to the blouse, infecting the rest of the load with its corrupting demonic mojo and quite possibly staining or even corroding the inside of the extra capacity 3.2 cubic feet basket. Perhaps all wearing the corrupted clothing would develop mystical rashes, or maybe even become possessed with said demonic energy. Why, we might be impregnated by wearing such tainted clothing. Even Xander’s got a jacket in here—don’t know why. Mister Looks-like-I-made-it has a Laundromat in the basement of his complex. Huh. He’d look funny, pregnant with some kind of demon spawn. What to do, what to do? Could magick it out, lickety split, like I used to. Send it back to the dimension of evil from whence it spawned. Yeah, they were all fine with that once upon a time. Go Willow, Wicca extraordinaire! Just come up with a spell. You’re the best at what you do! That thing you do. Whatever it is. You can do anything. As long as it saves money on professional dry cleaning… God, what hypocrites.

Too much thinking. Gotta stop that. Off to the side you go, demon-goo-shirt. Hopefully not cleaning you won’t be as fraught with danger as cleaning you seems to be. It’s all a delicate balance. The yin and yang of optimal laundering. Dawn likes all her clothes extra soft, though, so remember, 3 capfuls of fabric softener, definitely.

Round and round… tiny bubbles.

Flash o’ blue. Baby blue. Tara’s eyes. We like to sort sort sort sort sort. Whites whites, darks darks. Uh, delicate? Or a white? How the frilly heck do you go, friend? Tag’s torn out. Buffy’ll have a fit if I ruin it.

Aw, Buffy can do her own damn laundry.

Deep breaths.

“…Approximately one ounce of detergent per kilogram of laundry in ten litres of water…” What the—? You have got to be kidding me. Where the heck did he buy frickin’ metric Tide? Probably had it shipped from Canada, just on principle. Unbelievable. He took off, skedaddled back to the mother country, and left nothing but metric household sundries in the Summers garage where it eventually will disseminate and infiltrate our very American existence. Accomplish what good, proven, centuries-old imperialism and colonialism couldn’t. Well, two can play that game, mister. Your British-slash-Canadian laundry detergent works just as well in our big honkin’ American extra large capacity Whirlpool washing machine. And see? I’m a big enough American jerk to just go ahead and assimilate it without conscience! Like a red, white, and blue Borg! Or, uh, something like that.

In ya go, kiddies! You too, unmatched red argyle sock. Maybe the Powers That Be will be kind to you and the mysterious occasional otherworldly portal at the bottom of the tub will suck you in and reunite you with your long-lost mate. Maybe one of us can be happy again.

Yes, ma’am. I remember. “Don’t overload, the cleaning is really done by the water not the detergent. No amount of extra detergent will help if you overload. Here, let me show you.” You pretty much ended up doing it yourself. Let me try, baby? Just show me and then I’ll do it. You cooked breakfast already this morning. You shouldn’t be doing all the housework yourself.

“Um, sweetie, maybe you haven’t noticed but I’m kind of the homemaker in this family.”

Oh God I wanted to take you right there against the Whirlpool. Pull your sweatpants and boxers down and let you sit on top of it during the spin cycle and eat you out right there, with your thighs shaking and your hips thrust toward me and you coming all over my lips and tongue.

Hm. Too big for Buffy. Maybe Dawnie? Not mine—oh.

Not mine. She must have left it, or…

I stole it. Remember now. It was lying in the chair next to the bed. It was soft and I was cold and it smelled like her. She had left for her morning class and I was still in bed. Made love that night. Woke up, she was gone and it had gotten cold. She’d put a blanket around me, though. But no warm Tara. I stole it, wore it all day. She left for good a… week later? On Tuesday. Her art history class is Monday morning, 8:00AM. She left on Tuesday, so a little over a week later.

Can’t remember seeing her wear it that week. Maybe Dawn found it after. Always borrowing stuff, that one. Can’t find half my shoes these days. Little shoe monster… Or, uh, big shoe monster. Or little shoe big monster. I’ll be happy when the growth spurt finds its way to her feet. Gotta have a talk with her about that… Huh. It kinda smells like Dawnie now.

Ugh. This is just… pathetic.

Just toss it in. Say goodbye for good. There. Close the lid. Wash it clean. Give it to Buffy. She’ll give it back. No scenes. No shouting. No hurt feelings. No feelings at all.

Liar.

Do you still think of me, Tara? Will you give me another chance? Will you wait for me? Can you do that for me? I’m trying so hard, but sometimes I don’t even know what for. Before, I didn’t have anything but school. And Xander, yeah, and Buffy, but it seems like I lost them both some time ago. Or it feels that way. We hardly talk anymore. Xander’s always with Anya, talking about their wedding, and Buffy… God. I can’t even look at her anymore. Not after… But I wouldn’t even care. I still had magic… and you. I’m giving up the magic, but I still don’t have you. I don’t want to be alone again, Tara.

Are you still mine, or am I now all jealous stalker-girl now, ‘cause you’re not, but I still think of you all the time anyway? I wonder what you’re doing, if you’re in class or the library or maybe painting or listening to the radio while you clean up after dinner like you used to do when you were here with me. Do you sleep alone at night, or do you have someone else now?

She won’t love you like I did. Do. I still do, Tara. Does she treat you right? Better than I did? It wouldn’t be hard, I know. But no one can love you more. I tried my best. I really did. Wasn’t it good enough? Can I call you now? Hear your voice? Sometimes I want to call you just to get your answering machine. I want to do that right now. But maybe you’re home, and you told me not to call. I don’t want you to be mad at me anymore. I’d do anything to make it right, Tara. Anything so you won’t have that disappointed look in your eyes, anything…

Anything? Oh God… Didn’t I try that already?

I can see you wearing it. I remember. You wore it the third time we met. To lend me one of your magic books… One of the codecs of God knows what Babylonian mystic that I’d never heard of but sounded good to read ‘cause it meant you’d have to meet me again to lend it to me. Maybe our hands would touch when we exchanged the book, and I’d feel that spark I felt whenever we touched. And then we could just naturally hang out before your afternoon class. You stuttered when you said my name. W’s were always the hardest for you. Ironic, huh? I gave you a hard time from the start. You had trouble just saying my name.

“W-Willow… sweetie…”

Is this alright, Tara? Am I doing this right?

“W-Willow, honey…”

Lover. Call me lover, Tara, please.

“Lover…”

Was this the one? There were no lights, ‘cause we’d taken out the power to break Oz out. And you were sitting alone, waiting, in the dark.

I’m so sorry, baby. So sorry I put you through that. Made you wait. You didn’t deserve that, thinking you weren’t loved. ‘Cause you were. Are. And he ran you down, earlier, hunted you. And you still came to find me? To help him, even after…

It wasn’t that one… It was the other one, my zip-up sweatshirt. You borrowed it from me, when I came to visit you after you saw Oz in my room that morning. It’s how he figured us out. Me, all over you. How ironic is that? That he knew before I did? Or not ironic. Typical. I was so clueless, not knowing before my ex-boyfriend did. And making you wait, too. Alone in the dark.

I said I’d make it up to you, starting that night. But it was hard to see anything. The extra-flamey candle only gave so much light. And I didn’t know what I was doing, but you could probably tell that already. I ran my hands from the top of each flap, down, down, to the middle of your chest, the anticipation building with every inch my hands moved. You were breathing so hard, you brushed against my fingertips every half-second because I didn’t pull my hands away. I remember I thought it was rude of me to keep my hands there after I’d undone the zipper but I really just needed to feel you, even if it was through your bra. I had to draw out the moment just before I’d see you completely revealed and open and knowable to me. Big knowledge woman. Your body is full of secrets. And you know me, super-nerd Willow. I just need to know everything.

“W-Willow?”

Yes, Tara?

“Um, are you alright?”

I slipped my hands under the sweater to your shoulders and ran my hands down your arms. Your skin is so soft and warm. While you pulled the sleeves down, my hands moved from your upper arms to your front, cupping you from the front. Holding position. So you could take off the sweater. I’m fine, Tara. Finey McFine. That’d be me. All fine with the lesbian…

Kissing. Lesbian kissing? Uh, just kissing. Tara-kissing. Starting with familiar ground is good. Oh, yeah. I’m fine with that. Real fine. Very fine. Your lips are so soft, Tara, your breath wet and warm on my lips. Thank you for this. For waiting.

I’ll let go so you can take off your t-shirt, okay? And I’ll do the same.

“O-Okay.”

Gyah! As soon as my undershirt is off, the air is cool against my hot skin. We step back into our embrace to stave off the chill. Now this is something new. The awkward first-time bra un-hooking ritual, times two. Uh, I think Oz was better at it than me. But he had other girls before me. Uh, sorry. That didn’t sting, did it? More kissing. This must be what tying a tie on someone else’s neck must feel like for a guy. Uh, except it’s really not. Completely different point to that… C’mon, snappy plastic loop thingy!

I’m getting impatient. Why can’t I be smooth at this? Isn’t this something I should be good at? I’ve been doing it on myself, like, forever. Or at least a few years. God, when did I become this complete freak, this breast-obsessed… guy-type person? My mouth is watering. I’m actually drooling, trying to get to her boobies… C’mon! C’mon! And…

Oh, wow. Yay for cold air.

I’d dreamed about your breasts so much, so often. Maybe because my breasts are so much smaller than yours. I hope you’re not too disappointed with mine. You’re not? Really?

But I like your hips, too. Let me? Tara? Please? I want to do that…

I love your wide hips and big, soft boobies… You have so much nice, soft padding, in all the right places. Your body was made to be a mother, not like mine. Sometimes I feel—felt… I felt guilty, thinking that’s not something we can have together. You’d be a wonderful mother, I know it. Don’t know how I’d be. When we fell in love, I started to think about that, even though I never used to with Oz. Weird, huh? Kinda got that backwards. But who am I kidding? I couldn’t even take care of your cat. Anya better not expect me to babysit if she and Xander start a family. She can pay Dawn to do it. Mistress Payback, yes, she can be a bitch. Give Dawnie a taste of her own medicine…

Ugh. What is this? What am I?

I’m tired of trying to make everything up to Dawnie. It doesn’t matter anyway. Nothing I do is good enough… And I can’t stand being around Xander anymore. I don’t know when he became Mr. Responsible. It makes me sick. Like he did so much more than I did, with so much less. I don’t know what’s worse, his pity or that I-knew-it-all-along smirk of Anya’s. Thank God it’s almost over. Maybe they’ll move out of town after they get married. I don’t know if I’d mind so much.

God, bitter much?

“Willow… What are you doing?”

I’m having a talk with you.

“Um, baby, whatever you’re saying to me down there, I can’t hear from way up here.”

Well, actually I’m just listening in this conversation.

“Oh Goddess…” Rubbing my ear against you. Freak. “O-Okay.” Later, you’d lick my ear, just like I’d wanted.

Do you wanna freak with me?

Great. Perfect. Now I’m gonna have that fucking song in my head all day.

Bzzzzzzzzzt.

Oh, fabric softener!

Three capfuls for Dawnie. I should just go get my textbook and re-read that stupid Chem chapter already. It’ll take my mind off her.

“Remember, wait for the tub to fill with a little water first, don’t dump it directly on the clothes. It’ll spot.”

Dumped.

Oh GOD, Tara. How could you do this to me? How could you leave me like this? Just when I needed you most, you leave? The first time I make a mistake, it’s “I don’t think this is going to work” and you’re out the door? What happened to always? Didn’t it mean anything to you? Were you leading me on? How fair is that? How fair are you? Do you know what you’ve done to me? Do you know what I’m going through?

Leave then! Better I know now, than when I really need you, that I can’t rely on you. You’re just like the rest of them, always asking for everything, then leaving after you get it… Godammit. Leave me, then, you… you… Oh God.

Your hips are so wide. I slipped your pants off by undoing the button first, pulling down the zipper, and slowly working the fabric off them. In the almost dark, with the extra-flamey candle, I can just about make out the triangular patch of hair down there. Oh God, Tara, I can smell you. Do you taste the same way? Is this really happening? Am I really doing this?

Her arms around my shoulders, my hands all over her body. So much skin. Almost automatically, my hands find their way to her breasts. I cup them, and they’re heavy in my hands. So different from my own when I feel mine, when I touch myself, thinking of Tara, before tonight. Before that night. Before, when I thought about Xander, cupping my own breasts never occurred to me. But this feels right. It feels right, it feels good, holding your breasts, feeling their softness and their weight, squeezing, tracing your nipples. They tighten at my fingertips.

What am I?

Nerd. Brainiac. Jew. Pagan. Witch. Freak. Addict. Dyke. Queer. Honey. Sweetie. Baby. Lover. Yours.

“A-Are you alright, W-Willow?”

I’m fine. Finey Mc… Uh, I’m scared.

“It’s okay if y-you don’t want this, W-Willow… W-we can just keep going the way we are…”

Don’t you want to—?

“Oh yes! Um… I mean, I do, if you want to. If you don’t, it doesn’t matter…”

What do you mean, it doesn’t matter? I mean, holding hands and kissing and the… the feeling, the touching, that’s nice and all… I mean, it’s great, but don’t you want someone who can be, uh, sexual with you? I don’t want to hold you back from someone who’ll…

“But I don’t w-want anyone else, W-Willow.”

Am I all or nothing?

“Y-Yes.”

Which is it? All? Or nothing?

I’m nervous, Tara. I mean, I’ve never… I’ve had crushes, but never anything like this… and I’ve wondered. A whole lot. And there were dreams, before? You know? And I get excited. And… and I want. I want so bad. But I’m scared. If it’s not as good as… or what if I can’t… Maybe I’ve thought about it too much and I don’t really know what I should be expecting. I mean, we kiss, which is so good. Your lips are so sweet and soft. And when it’s not your lips, your skin… I had no idea I liked the taste of skin so much. I mean, yours is so soft and I can taste you under your vanilla soap. And… And I… but what if…

“W-Willow…”

I-I’ve been doing some research? ‘Cause, you know, it’s what I do. I’m Research Gal. So I went online to read a little about it?

“Um, okay…”

And I found this tip.

“A-A tip?”

For, you know, uh, how to… proceed with this, uh, process?

“Okay…”

And basically, it’s something called mirroring. Because we’re, uh, both females? So, theoretically, it should work out between us. Hypothetically, that is. ‘Cause, you know, I’m all big with the theory. Gotta check out the theory before practical application, ‘cause, uh, all kinds of badness can happen by just pushing random buttons…

“Uh, how does it…?”

Well, we do everything together, y’know? I mean, I’ll just do whatever you’re doing to me back to you—assuming of course, it’s alright that you, uh, lead? Since, uh, you’ve been doing this longer? Not that I’m saying you’re some big experienced slut or anything! But… but you’ve… uh…

“W-Willow, it’s a-alright. W-We can try it that w-way? A-Anything y-you w-want, okay?”

That way, we can, uh, figure out what we like to do? And it’ll be a way to let the other person know what we want. ‘Cause, you know, sometimes it’s hard to say what you want. Though for some reason, I can’t seem to shut up sometimes, like now… So eventually, when we figure it out, we can start, uh, improvising more? What do you think?

“I-It sounds fine, W-Willow…”

Uh, maybe, I should, uh, get with the disrobing, ‘cause, hello, there you are, all in your nakedness, and here I am, still in my jeans. I mean, how rude. Of me, that is. So, uh…

Tara’s lips! Oh. Tara’s lips. Soft. They’re pressed, slightly parted, against mine. I guess I need to shut up now.

“W-Well, actually, you did for me…”

Hands! Now hands!

Okay. You can help. Please. Thank God at least one of us knows what she’s doing. My jeans and underwear complete the small pile of discarded clothes.

We’re still kissing and groping like horny teenagers which, okay, we are, as I back her up, steering for the both of us toward her bed. But you know, the word horny just doesn’t do this—this thing, this wanting and aching and absolute needing between us justice. She’s letting me lead again. I’m nervous, but very excited. Her touches are making me more so. I can hear us both breathing hard and little noises are coming from our throats. Oh God, it’s so much sexier than a cheesy porno soundtrack like the one Oz and I rented that one time, on a whim. But maybe I shouldn’t be thinking about that just now. Does it make me a bad lesbian, that my first love was a man? Or is it just the last love that counts? Dammit! Why do I have to be thinking all the time? Pay attention, dummy! Remember this. It’s important. First times only happen once! Uh, obviously…

She’s sinking to the bed, and I lower myself down on top of her. Something takes over inside me, some natural instinct, and I’m breaking from our kiss to dip my head toward her heaving chest. My tongue is out of my mouth, licking her nipple and before I’m even aware of it, I’m sucking at her beautiful breast. Yup, it’s official. I’m a breast gal.

“Sweetie? I-I can’t do that at the same time…”

Huh? There’s a little pop! when I let her nipple go.

“Um, it’s just that you said, w-we’d do everything together?”

Oh. Yeah, that was the plan, wasn’t it? Sorry. I guess I got carried away. At least we can laugh about it. Maybe we should take turns instead? I sit up a little, but my hands are still running all over her chest and sides.

“I-I don’t know if I can keep still w-while you do that.”

I hesitate, thinking it means she doesn’t like me touching her that way. But she actually meant she wants to touch me, too, and she’s not willing to wait. I’d blush with pleasure, if all the excess blood in my body hadn’t already gone south. She pulls me close again, so our breasts mash together. Her nipples are poking into mine, erect and hard. Wow. She’s got strength. I like. Very much. Her hands roam from my neck down my front and sides to my hips. Her breath is hot on my cheek. We kiss. Just lips at first, then my tongue finds its way past her lips to taste her teeth.

We manage to maneuver onto our sides without stopping the smoochies. Kissing and touching like this, I can only breathe through my nose. Oooooh God… I can smell her. Or is that me? I haven’t had sex in so long—not counting all the masturbating I did after Oz left, first thinking of him, then later, of her. I’m really, really wet, so much that I think I might even be dripping. Plus I’m so hot down there, so maybe it’s me. But it could be her. I want to know. My hand moves between us, to between her thighs…

As I’m about to touch her pussy, she kind of pulls away from me, breaking our kiss. But she stays close, her forehead pressed to mine, and we just lean into each other, starting to sweat and breathe hotly into each other’s mouths. I look at her, questioning, even though it’s too dark to see her clearly. She’s trembling.

“I-I’m sorry, W-Willow. I’m just… It’s just that I-I’m… w-wet. And I…”

Is that all? But that’s okay, Tara. That’s better than okay. That’s good. Goody good good, in fact. Wet is what we want… uh, good thing I said that and not you, huh? You know, with your stutter, and all the w’s? Sorry. Inappropriate quipping seems to be one of my natural spaz defense mechanisms against nervousness. But you’ve probably noticed. Uh, here. I’ll show you, okay? Feel me. I take her hand from my waist and guide her between my legs. Her fingertips just brush against my wet lips and my clit and my pussy begins throbbing, wanting to be touched more. I moan and my eyes close.

For the first few seconds, my hand covers hers showing her what I like but then I let her go to hold her hip. Her hand stays, expertly caressing me like she’s been doing it forever. Or at least since I was ten. She moans, as if she’s touching herself. But actually, it’s me. My hand found its way between her legs and this time, she didn’t pull away. She’s wet, too. Very wet. Like me. Our hands are gentle, we use our fingertips lightly, exploring first, then our touches become heavier, more massaging. Her hair is just a little less coarse than mine as I scratch across her mons, then go lower, tracing her slit, sliding easily in all the moisture. All the while, my clit screams every time she touches it as her fingers flutter around my inner lips. There’s so much wetness and it’s so easy to slip my middle finger into her pussy, just to the first knuckle. Little smacking noises join the sounds of our panting and small moans. I circle her clit with my thumb with increasing pressure while I’m entering her, ‘cause I know that’s how I keep aroused and excited when I’m being penetrated shallowly, like what she’s doing now, before my g-spot is found. I hope our fingers are long enough.

Is-Is this alright, Tara? Does it feel okay?

She just nods quickly, her lips pursed together. In the dim light, her expression is illegible. She’s either on the verge of coming, or in incredible pain. The last thought fills me with panic and I slow down.

Tara, breathe through your mouth, baby. It’s okay. Tell me if you don’t like how this feels. Let me know, okay? We can try something else, if you don’t like it.

“I-I like it, W-Willow. I-It feels good, having you inside me? I-It feels really good.”

Good. I like what you’re doing, too, okay? A whole lot.

“O-Okay.” There’s a moment of silence before she says, “I love you, Willow.”

It’s almost enough to push me over the edge prematurely, but I hang on. I want to get there with her. The effort to quell myself keeps me quiet for a second, but I know there’s no anxiety in her at the pause ‘cause we’re in synch by now, and she knows why it takes me an extra second to say back, I love you too, Tara.

The words stop as we concentrate on the pleasuring. She’s panting in short breaths. Mine are longer. I force myself to go slow. Something tells me she hasn’t been penetrated deeply before, so I take my time, using just one finger for a while, until she gets more comfortable. But Oz was of course bigger than Tara’s slim finger, so I need a little more. Tara, baby, can you use two fingers? It feels so good, what you’re doing, but you can press a little harder, too, upwards, maybe, toward you… Oh God, there it is. She found it.

More kissing, more touching. I can’t get enough. We’re gasping for air, but beyond the immediate moment of our hungry touches, something else, some missing piece of a puzzle I didn’t even know I was trying to solve, just falls in place with a small click inside me. It’s not in my brain where I usually try to keep everything, the important stuff and the not-so-much. It’s more in my gut, and between my legs. Before I’m even aware of what I’m doing, I’m leaving her, but just so I can bring my fingers to my mouth and lick her wetness from my fingertips. I’ve tasted myself before. When I thought about her, before, thinking this might happen, that we might become lovers. I wanted to know I could handle it. I mean, I was curious before, when Oz did it to me that one time, but I didn’t have the incentive like I did for this, to make sure… So I tasted myself, to see if I could do it, that it wouldn’t be a turn off and I wouldn’t react badly and hurt her feelings. But I know it’s different, when it’s someone else. Another girl—another woman.

It is—different, I mean, than how I tasted. I go back to her for more.

She actually tastes a little sweet, faintly like the raw honey I tried during our fourth grade field trip to a local apiary.

She’d stopped touching me, had stopped all movement, to watch me sucking her juices from my fingers. My eyes had adjusted better to the dark. I could see her swallow, hard. I’ve cleaned off my fingers so my lips are free to press against hers again. I wonder if she can taste herself on my lips, taste what I would do because I love her. Not that it’s a chore or anything. In fact, I’m feeling kind of greedy. For once I won’t miss out. And I won’t share. I go back to see if I can get a third helping, hoping she’s had a chance to lubricate again.

When she sees that, she hesitates just a fraction of a second before her hand moves back down between my legs. She parts me, enters me, her fingers rub my smooth walls. Then she leaves me, and brings her hand slowly to her mouth. Her lips part, but I don’t want it to be an obligation. It’s no longer a game. You don’t have to, Tara. If you don’t want to, you don’t have to, just because I…

She looks me straight in the eye, to make sure I understand that she knows that, and takes her wet fingers into her mouth.

My heart swells. I can’t help it. I moan.

She leans backward as I go forward. Another piece of the puzzle falls into place with an inaudible click inside me, another mystery solved. I push her legs apart and settle myself between them. Her hands circle my waist at first, to keep me close. I’m not going anywhere, Tara. I plant my arms on either side of her chest, pinning her down with my own spread legs. When I start thrusting my hips against her in the classic way, her hands move to my ass and squeeze and pull to let me know how fast she wants me to go. I try my best.

I ride her at first. I know it’s this rather than any other way because the kinky hairs on her mound scratch at my sensitized clit while hers is kissed between my cum-soaked inner lips. Our moans become loud. And my arms start to tremble with the effort of keeping my weight off her.

I make a small adjustment, lengthen the vertical stroke, and feel her hard clit against mine, my cum slipping down into her, to mix with hers. It’s an odd kind of frenching that only two women can do. There’s something about that thought that makes me strangely happy. That there’s part of me, something, that can only be for her. That I saved something for her—something I couldn’t mess up and not save for her.

Her hands leave my backside and go to my small breasts hanging between us. She pinches my nipples and rubs my skin, damp with sweat. The friction and the heat and all the wetness… The feelings are so intense, I’m almost outside my body with love and lust. T-T-Tara…

With the gentlest of pressures on my shoulder blades, she urges me down. My arms are shaking so badly, but I don’t want to let go and violently collapse and hurt her. Our hips are still thrusting in synch. Bending one elbow at a time, I manage to safely lower myself down on top of her. We’re both covered in sweat above the waist and cum below. We start kissing as I come. Or she’s kissing, now at my chin and cheeks and jaw. She had to let my mouth go because I’m panting and gasping and moaning and I need air, my womb contracting and squeezing as I’m coming so hard, as I’m coming all over her…

OhgodohgodohgodTaraTaraTara…

She’s holding me close, kissing at my closed eyes and cheeks and my open mouth. She’s whispering my name, stroking my sweaty hair. “Willow, Willow, honey, sweetie, baby, lover, love you, love you…”

Her hips stopped moving as she comforts me, her arms around me, forgetting herself. But that won’t do. My body hasn’t stopped shuddering. I’m exhausted, like everything liquid’s been poured out of me, like my very soul seeped out from between my legs and was left glistening on Tara’s sex and thighs. But I’m a woman on a mission. I’ve been without real purpose much of my life, but that’s all changed. In the span of twenty minutes, my life has changed, and now I know where I belong. Lie back, baby?

My only regret is that I have to leave the comfort of her arms. But that’s okay. Her legs will do just fine. Her fingers are still running through my hair, pushing damp strands from my face as I descend, and I begin. I start at the top of her mound, using the width of my tongue through her wet curls, cleaning my spendings from her as she patiently lies still. I make my way downward, avoiding her clit as much as possible. It’s still hard, it hasn’t calmed. It’s peeking out from its hood, demanding attention, But I give it just a light kiss, my promise to pay it mind shortly, and move on instead to stiffen my tongue to run down the soft folds of her left side, to the nadir of her sex, back up in a similar manner up the right. I spread her pussy lips with my tongue, then plunge inside to harvest her honey.

“W-Will? Stop a second, please?”

I have to exit her to answer. What is it, baby? Doesn’t it feel good? She might need me to talk again so rather than putting my tongue back into her pussy, my lips latch around her clit and I suck on the pulsing nub instead.

“O-Oh Goddess… It feels w-wonderful. I’m so happy. But I w-want… I want you up here, my first time? Is that okay?”

Her first time? Really? Pride. I’m her first! Joy. She wanted me to be her first! Relief. She doesn’t have anyone to compare me to! I can suck as much as I have to! Not that I’m trying to… uh, suck. I mean be bad at this. I want to be very, very good at this. Very good, for her.

“W-Willow, please. Come up here? I-I don’t think I can hold o-on much more… Y-You’ve got me so close… Please, Willow?”

My baby never needs to beg. I’m coming, Tara. She sits up and moves backward to lie back against the headboard of her bed. I climb up her body, placing my hand between her legs, massaging her. With the other hand I adjust the pillow at her back. We kiss some more but then she breaks our kiss as her face scrunches up. Her eyes close, but I want to see them. She closes her thighs so tightly that I can’t move my hand. I won’t leave you, Tara. Open up, spread your legs for me, baby. You’ll still feel it. I promise. She does, and I do my best to keep my word, make her feel everything. My other hand goes behind her neck to keep her close to me. She’s panting, very, very close. I’ve brought her to the edge. I tell her, I love you, Tara. I’ll tell her every day.

“L-Love y-you, Willow…”

She comes, hard, her shoulders shaking starting waves of shudders through her whole body that I can feel in my fingers still held in place by the strength of her sex. She keeps me for over a minute, still trembling, then lets me go so that I can hold her. I ease us both back down to the bed, sweaty and exhausted and deliriously happy and pull the blanket at the foot of her bed up over us. I’m the happiest I’ve ever, ever been. I’ve found my calling! And I know, now. It’s your last love that counts. Within ten minutes of just holding each other, we’re asleep.

I’m crying. My face is wet with tears. I’ve been standing here, crying for God knows how long. The wash is done, don’t know since when. It could’ve been ten minutes, it could’ve been two.

I blew it. I’ve lost everything.

The phone rings. No one’s here but me. I’m feeling too exhausted to get it and decide whoever it is can leave a message if it’s that important. Probably just a bill collector, or a charity. The door at the top of the staircase is open. I can hear Buffy’s message, then the beep.

“H-Hello? Is anyone there?”

Clothes fly through the air as I literally throw the laundry basket, half-filled with t-shirts from the last load, to the side. I almost trip on the last step, scrambling to get to the phone from the basement, before she hangs up. Hello?

“H-Hello? Willow?”

Tara? Oh God. It’s Tara. How have you been holding up, sweetheart? I miss you, baby. Have you missed me, too? It’s so good to hear your voice. I miss you so much, half the time I feel dead inside. The other half I wish I were. H-Hi. I was just thinking about you. How have you been?

“Fine. I’m fine, Willow.”

Fine. The universal word for ‘no comment, is anyone else there?’ Well, this sucks. But keep her on the line. I wanna listen to her voice a little while. Make small talk… But what do I say? Uh, nobody is home right now, Tara. Dawnie hasn’t come home yet and Buffy’s working. Oh, great, genius! That was brilliant! Remind her that neither of the two people she called to talk to are available—

“Um, actually I was calling for you… Is that alright?”

For me? Huh? What’s this? Huh?

“Willow?”

I-I’m sorry, Tara. Did you say you were calling for me? Maybe she forgot something. Like her sweater, maybe?

“I, um, just wanted to see how you were doing, Willow.”

Really? I’m fine, Tara. WTF? Fine? Didn’t you just say fine was the universal word for ‘no comment, go away please?’ Fix this, stupid! Tell her! I, uh, still have some bad times, but I-I think I’m getting better.

“Good. That’s really good, Willow. I’m happy to hear that—”

I miss you, Tara.

Silence.

Blew it. Too much, too soon. Why the frilly heck do I—?

“I’ve missed you too, Willow.”

You have?

“Um, I don’t know if you think it’s too soon, but, um, did you want to maybe go for coffee? I want to catch up with you, a little. That is, if you’re free? Before Buffy’s party Saturday? Maybe Thursday, third period, before your lab?”

Oh God. Is this happening? S-sure. The, uh, Espresso Pump okay?

“Y-Yeah. That’d be great.”

My chest hurts. I love you, Tara. I’m sorry, baby. Sorry I messed up. So sorry I hurt you. So sorry I… I violated you. It won’t happen again. It won’t ever happen again. I want you to come home. Will you please come home?

“Will? You still there?”

I’m still here! I’ll always be here, for you.

“Well, um, I guess I should let you go.”

NO!

“It was… really good hearing your voice, Willow. I’ll see you Thursday.”

Don’t hang up yet.

“Bye.”

Bye, Tara. But you’re already gone. My chest hurts. Ow. My heart’s racing. Why? Is this a—? Am I dying? Is this a heart attack? I can’t die yet. I have to live until Thursday. I have to see Tara. She wants to see me. She wants to talk and catch up. She called me. She wants to see me. I can listen to her voice again. I can look into her eyes. I can tell her how sorry I am. I can’t be… I can’t be…

It’s my heart. It’s only my heart, breaking and bursting again. How many times can it do that? But I did it this time. I was the cheater. I was the one who didn’t trust her. Who didn’t have faith…

Deep breaths. Deep breaths. Feel… See… The fibers knitting back, stronger. It’s stronger. Whatever doesn’t kill you… It’s only getting stronger. I can be strong, Tara. I can be better. I’ll be better…

I’m seeing her Thursday! Yay! I’ll see her Thursday! Thursday, love. I’ll see you then. And you’ll see, too. I can be better. I will be better—for me, and maybe one day, for you.

***
END

_________________
When you find the good kind of magic, when you find your true partner in casting it, don't let her go into the Nether Realm alone... Interludes.
The rise of the greatest Seeyo in the history of Humanity in the Cosmic. The Coven.
I doodle too. GRAPHICS


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 Post subject: Re: S6 etudes - Where the Heart Is, ENDGAME - updtd April 28
PostPosted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 2:14 pm 
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8. Vixen
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Joined: Tue May 03, 2005 12:41 pm
Posts: 767
Location: Bottom half of Cali
Oh, wow! How beautifully written. I'm dumbstruck right now...I can't even make put order to what's floating around in my head. I'm truly in awe. The range of Willow's emotions that you've so eloquently described, going from the ramblings in her mind to hopelessnes to the bitterness she feels about Tara's perceived abandonment, then ending it with Willow's hope for a better future with Tara. Wow. The way you described their first time as lovers was, IMO, very tender. I love the way you juxtaposed the beginning of their relationship with the promise of a second chance.

I loved every word of this series and I hope I've made some sense here. :D

I'm off to re-read the whole thing again!

Thank you for sharing.

~Del


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 Post subject: Re: S6 etudes - Where the Heart Is, ENDGAME - updtd April 28
PostPosted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 3:25 pm 
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13. Big Knowledge Woman
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Posts: 1861
Location: Italy
oh god, that was beautiful....i'm crying like a baby now....so touching....
you're great. you have real talent, you managed to convey willow's anguish, but more than that, their first time sounded so....real. it was so beautiful that made my heart ache in my chest. really, it's wonderful.

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