God. I am soooo far behind. Sorry, school started and I am in full-on homework-induced panic. I will see you all for more coherant feed back in in the spring of 2012?

Mary - the whole sworn-enemies that can't resist each other was fabulous and I loved it (and plus it was real sexy, which is always of the good). My favorite part was when Anya-discovers the orange tshirt... and also the smut. . I know next to nothing about basketball. The ball goes in the basket or it gets the hose again? Anyway -- it was awesme to see these guys totally unable to keep their hands off of each other. I'd love to see a continuation -- my mind is itching to see just how much animosity could be stirred up between Buffy and Faith! Also, i wondered the *whole* time how you were going to reconcile the issue of one of the teams having to wiln... I thought the escape to the park bench ending was perfect and poetic and I loved it.

Debra... I'm sorry I missed your last shower scene -- I liked the whole play on what was a shower -- and the Buffy perspective added a great little twist to it (Plus, how perfect is it to have Dawn in the yente roll for those guys?!)

This last one is my favorite though -- I loved the follow-up to the first story spin, and this particular version of the Willow/Tara persona is my fave. Willow is so cute when she is uncertain!

Sorry to be so brief guys. I have more than too much to do, and less than too little time.

xo db

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I am, you know.

Mary

Debra mentioned that she got turned on by the smut, which in itself (and IMHO) is great praise. Her remark made me think about how I was affected by this charming story. Here are the facts:

• I don't believe in love at first sight, hate at first sight or anything at first sight
• I have no frame of reference for understanding casual sex
• I find the intensity of American-style intercollegiate sports rivalry mildly amusing

And yet I couldn't stop thinking about your story. It was about something at first sight. Take away the heavy innuendos and we did have the beginning of a beautiful friendship (hee, two can quote Casablanca ). The initial dialogue was punchy and damned funny. I wanted to quote my favourites but it'll be quoting the entire part 2. I will pick out one simple bit:

because I could virtually smell the excitement, watch their breathing become shorter and buckle under the intensity of their gaze. How on earth did Willow calculate the delay to be 3.56seconds? By speed of blinking? Breathing? Distance travelled from standing position to lips in a grind?

Lesser writers than you, oh illustrious one, and their encounter would have been dangerously close to slutty animalistic lust. Instead, we got lust but we also got sweet panic at their being supposedly sworn enemies, embarrassed grilling by room-mates and yearning that was deeper than one night of bombardistic bone-crushing sex. Subsequent scenes just built on that attraction, and I found myself literally cheering them on.

Talking about cheering, I love the ending. What's more important? Fleeting sporting glory for a team they were merely onlookers? Or future happiness, a life together, kids, mortgage with oodles of great sex thrown in? It's a no-brainer.

p.s. by the way, it was sheer genius to put them as the sidekicks in an important basketball match. Buffy and Faith are the athletic ones, and it was refreshing to read about all their supporters.

[hr]

Debra

VERY nice switch to Tara's pov for this part, you know I get excited by the neatness of the bookending. I like how this Tara continues with being direct from #1a, and yet she's so accommodating of Willow's spazziness.

well, naughty once she got over her nervousness.

Intriguing how in the background there's Buffy being slayer-y. Was she hurt? Is there an incoming apocalypse? I feel as if this is another one of your created universes which can develop into something more. And I'm so very glad of that prospect.

Fantastic series of shower scenes, Elvis. Like I said in #4 fb, diverse and thought-provoking.



[br]

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quiet thoughts

hehe. watty likes reading about athletic supporters. [/Beavis&Butthead moment]

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Frivolous Views

The Hoop and the Harm
Never having had even a drop of school spirit in my entire life, I am at a loss to fathom the excitement and anxiety which people get swept up in over sporting events.
I am gratified to see another of my theories being validated, however, as I always knew that there was more action to be had on the periphery of these contests than on the actual court itself.
Willow and Tara's revulsion at being the Montagues and the Capulets of the Women's NCAA Tournament is wonderfully countered by their feral and concupiscent attraction towards each other.
After their first anonymous fuck, their encounter at the bar was entirely as it would have played out as they were each role-playing and trying to one-up the other in a very butch throw down version of "playing the dozens."
Their subsequent meeting back at Tara's suite will be replayed in my mind for some time as a very concentrated hardcore sex scene with no pleasantries or preliminaries, which can sometimes just use up time which could be spent better giving each other tongue baths.
As the artists at the top of their craft, in whatever medium they compose in, you paint in very complex and intricate tones weaving this way, that way, and leaving the reader wondering how on earth Willow and Tara will ever resolve such arbitrary societal differences borne of the different colors of their chosen teams.
Yet, in the end, as the time clock not only counts down the seconds in the game but also the window of opportunity they both have to choose to transcend their solitary existences with the chance of having been part of something really unique and special, they both seize the clarity of the moment and find themselves placing their own happiness and lifepaths before the vicarious pleasure in seeing their friends rather more pedestrian and ephemeral goals of a championship.
Willow and Tara have more balls between the two of them than in the entire locker rooms of all the teams in the league combined.

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I can deny chicks in chainmail nothing.
Amberhol-from the land of sky blue waters.
No Mere Music Hall, This my novel available directly from rosestindog@gmail.com.

Shower Scene #1B
Now that, as the kids of five minutes ago are so fond of saying as who can keep up with street lingo these days, is what I'm talkin 'bout.
The first flush of love and burgeoning, blossoming relationships from "wanna come back to my place" to "let's go back to our place" as Tara shows us her point of view in the aqua-chronicles.
Willow and Tara in the shower, their complimentary body types molded against one another, their bodies gliestening and gleaming from the rivulets of water lovingly trickling down their cleavage is gold medal material indeed.

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I can deny chicks in chainmail nothing.
Amberhol-from the land of sky blue waters.
No Mere Music Hall, This my novel available directly from rosestindog@gmail.com.

Hey kids--gonna reply to "H&H" fb first, then reply to Debra's Shower Scene. I'm gone for a week and won't have access to a computer, but while my subsequent replies will be delayed, they'll show up!

Ceridwen: Thanks so much. I'm glad you enjoyed it, and I appreciate the kind words.

dline: Ah, the elusive nature of good smut...I'm so glad this met your criteria! Thanks.

Shiraz: Amy and Anya were fun to write. I think they both make great side characters, and while I typically "see" Anya has heterosexual, I liked her as gay in this one. Thanks for the kind words.

SJ: Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks.

Spells42Hey, nice to see you! Thanks for the good thoughts.

Boschi: Perilous driving? Well, a total skank would make some tawdry reference to wet conditions but not me...I'm glad you enjoyed it; thanks for letting me know.

Sara: I'm glad you enjoy the dialogue; I admit, it's one of my favorite elements of writing. I'm pleased that it sounds realistic. And like you, I don't always go for the "they saw each other and knew in that instant" kinda stuff. Connection, yes; utter knowledge, not so much. Thanks for the good thoughts and for giving this a look.

Debra: Hey girl--how's it going?

Thank you. My work here is done.

You know, I really thought about the end of the game. Yeah, there's a definite risk of later tool usage in just the way you described. And that's what makes it a risk. I think it's an even greater risk for Tara b/c it's clear (or hopefully clear) that Faith had the rougher end of the tournament deal. Buffy won last year; this is Faith's last chance and clearly Tara is her best friend and ally. I think there's a definite chance that Faith would be disappointed that she wasn't there. So I really struggled w/ that b/c, as a total sports (esp. hoops) freak who has some idea of just how much sacrifice elite athletes make (not that I'm one, or ever was one), I didn't see this as an easy decision at all. I was actually kicking Willow for refusing the cell phone number exchange, even though I sorta made her do it and it was necessary for the climax. (!?!) But hell yeah--I would've been dialing her up.

Thanks for the great feedback, Debra. You always leave thoughtful stuff.

Diamondforever: Who won?

They're still playing. They're in the 78th overtime and Buffy and Faith are the only two left standing. They have 231 and 232 points, respectively.

Once I started delving into the backstory, I knew it wasn't gonna stop at 10--but I had no idea I'd end up with 30+!

Glad you enjoyed, and thanks.

Thianne: It appears the sex worked for you; I'm so happy! Thanks for the kind words.

Jixer: Hey Jix--how's it going? Good to see you! So you could hear the crowd, eh? And how long have these auditory hallucinations been troubling you? Ah, I jest...I appreciate your good thoughts, and that you took the time to leave them.

Db: So school started, eh? I remember those days fondly.

Actually, let's drop the adverb in that last sentence.

Yeah, the "irresistable pull b/w two people who should hate each other" always gets me, too--glad you feel likewise! Anya and Amy were just great fun to write; they sorta wrote themselves, actually. (I need to thank them for that, although Anya will probably try to charge me for the effort.)

I really thought about the ending a great deal. I knew I didn't want the ending to be known, but I played around with different ends to that means. I'm glad it worked for you.

Thanks for the good thoughts, Db!

Watty Most Naughty: Hello, great techno-calculus goddess on high!

So, you have no frame of reference for casual sex...Here, let me see if I can help.

Imagine that Angelina Jolie rings your doorbell and says, "Hello. I'm interested in casual sex." You invite her in.

Does that help? It always does me, though probably not in a socially-appropriate way.

Sweetie, Willow calculates everything, using multiple analyses. Surely you understand that and yes, I just called you Shirley.

Your adverb suggests that this would have been problematic. Hmm...

I love various Kittens' responses to the fact of their mutual departure from the game; you use the phrase "no brainer." Ah, my dear--I would have been in an absolute agony and--I'm almost afraid to confess this--I can't really say I would have gone. I mean, I would have gone, but quite possibly after the game. Would have been in agony, true--but leaving? I don't know if I could have done it. (What can I say? I'm a total hoops junkie.)

Yeah, Amy and Anya make great sidekicks. It was fun to use them. (Car? Any comment?)

Thanks for the great feedback, Watty. As always, your rockage both humbles and inspires me.

Car: You're very naughty. Good for you.

Taralicious:

That's what I was thinking. If I go a day without getting my concupiscent on, I suffer for it.

It was fun to build on the initial encounter, and I just sort of saw Willow's ears perk up at the mention of Tara's musical aptitude--a sort of "Huh, that's interesting, and it's interesting that I find it interesting." The scene at the bar was just good fun and I had a kick writing it. I saw them as being so ready to go at it--one way or another. And we went the other.

As I said to Watty, I'm cracking up as I read all of the replies from people who wouldn't find it a struggle to leave that game. Me--I'd be a mess.

Thanks for the very kind and very literate feedback, TL. Brought a smile to my face.

Again--subsequent replies when I return next week and thanks for reading, folks!

Mary

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I always wanted to be somebody, but I realize now I should have been more specific. Lily Tomlin

Hail Debra, HoBiscuit of all Things Showery:

OK, let me just say that this is one of the funniest lines I've read here, and I've read some good ones:
I have to admit, I envisioned the production and found that I would have bought tickets.

I enjoyed Tara being a little...cooler, I guess, would be the world. She's into Willow, but also capable of moderately rational appraisal. It's so easy to make Tara just a goddess of wisdom and compassionate discernment.

I think this is a great example of worlds colliding, and I love that we see it from Tara's point of view. Buffy's still the Slayer and Willow her sidekick, but Tara doesn't know the score yet. But while she's disconcerted, she's not inching away. I loved your description of Willow's "dammit" expression. Yep, girl, you're busted. Talk to Buffy about the bleeding and its overt evidence.

You've really done some great things with this theme, Debra, and I've greatly enjoyed readint them!

Mary

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I always wanted to be somebody, but I realize now I should have been more specific. Lily Tomlin

Another hot shower scene,great read.

Hey Deb!

Another fun trip into the shower (which sounds nicer than a trip to the bathroom, but that's what I started to say). Huh? Never mind. You know the routine by now.

Anyway, great shower story. I'm not gonna do the quote thingy, basically cause everyone else already got the good ones. I love the bookendedness (like the word?) of using this story as the last one tying the whole series together with a big, soggy, scrubbie-shaped bow. Nicely done, as usual.

Diane

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The dlline Short Fic Thread

Eek, I'm totally late with feedback

AntigoneUnbound: That was a great story. I always like a good star-crossed-lovers style story. I like the way they're irresistibly drawn to each other while being repelled by the thing the other supports.

I did once toy with a similar story idea. In it Willow worked for thr Free Software Foundation, while Tara worked for Microsoft.

But I digress. You portrayed their conflicting emotions very well. The ending was very tense. I'd have been in a quandry as to what to do. Not so much from wanting to see the end of the game but from having to choose between my best friend and my potential girlfriend.

Deb: That was a really good shower scene. I like seeing things from Tara's point of view. Seeing her reactions to things that were quite normal to Willow and Buffy.

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02/28/2007

SithLordWiccan – I’m glad you liked both shower scenes. Yes, one hot and one funny. Thanks.

diamondforever – Thanks for enjoying it.
Sorry for the confusion. It was part #1B or the continuation the next day and from Tara’s pov of the first shower scene. So they had just met at the gym.

Thanks.

db – No problem. I understand how busy life can be. Speaking of which, Happy New Year. Tee hee on the wedding shower one. Want to know a secret? That was my favorite shower scene.

I totally get what you’re saying about the cute/unsure Willow persona. Very fourth season. Thanks so much.

watty – Hey there. Thanks so much. Yes, I knew people like you and me would really appreciate the #1 from Willow’s pov/#1B from Tara’s ending to the series. And yes, Tara is quite direct but she likes Willow being a spazz too.

Most definitely. I mean she may be a shy and a spazz but she’s still totally hot for a gorgeous woman.

Yes, Buffy is the slayer. She’s hurt but it’s nothing major and there’s no impending apocalypse. She’s just working her job/calling in a universe where she doesn’t have that much help from Slayer #2, or Spike or anything. So she’s out there battling on her own.

Thanks so much.

taralicious – Wow. So very well said. I don’t think I’ll quote it because I’m at work but thanks for everything.

Mary – Oh thank you. I may be HoBiscuit of all things Showery but I still think you deserve the righteous HoBiscuit award for this particular series. (I feel like there is a fake advertisement to be had here somewhere: “That’s right. Biscuits now made with 10% more Hos!”)

I’m so glad that you enjoyed the exorcist line. You know that I find praise from you on dialog or turn of phrase more than gold.

I totally agree. The thing is that the reason the creators of BtVS brought Tara onto the scene was that they needed a new damsel in distress. It was apparent that Willow couldn’t play that role very effectively any longer and they still needed the role filled. So here comes Tara, shy and awkward, and all that (and boy did she have distress). And while I appreciate that Willow fell in love with that incarnation of Tara, I find it more fun to write a more confident Tara.

And you’re entirely correct that Tara has no idea about the Slayer, Giles, Xander, sidekicking, any of it. Can you imagine that conversation a few hours/days/weeks down the line. “So Tara… I um wanted to kind of talk to you about something. Well not something so much as something about my best friend. Well about my best friend and me. Not that’s there’s a best friend and me thing, so much, you know?” Like a nightmare.

Thanks so much.

SJ – Thanks so much.

Diane – Tee hee. Yeah, I know what you’re saying.

Ok, no quotes. I can live with that. Yes, you’re right that bookends is exactly my point. Thanks.

Justin – Thanks for your thoughts. I’m glad you liked.

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Menorah Tales | Working It Out | Random Bits

OMG The Hoop and the Harm...words fail me...

not to mention and then some!

THE HOOPS AND THE HARM

It was all so wonderful even tho the best woman BBall player in America, Candice Parker, isn't mentioned. Tennesse and UConn, what can be more exciting except.......the hot, hot sex. I have a passion for basketball but it always gets trumped by the steamy side of life. I got both my fixes in your story.

Which, naturally brings me to THE SHOWER stories, all of them. Myself needing a shower at the moment, a cold one that is, I found Antigoneunbound's shower action to be top notch, steamy, wet and wild. I wanted to be there (Betsy is breathing heavy) I'm trying to read as much fanfic as possible and I don't seem to be able to be any where near catching up. I almost feel it's unfair to single out just one person since I've yet to read a bad story at this site but I have become attached to the adventures in the shower.

*scurries in, very late*

Elvis: Love the completion of the shower scenes. Funny thing (well, embarrassing for me, funny for other people), I read #4 the first time without it occurring to me that it was a play on 'shower' - that was a nice little bonus chuckle I got at the end, when I finally realised. And the last one was a nice bow tied on top of the series. There's also a quality to it, which a lot of your stories have (the 'Elvis Touch', maybe) - there always seem to be more 'moods' going on than just the dominant one of the story. It gives your stories a very 'real-life' feeling.

AntigoneUnbound: Yay sexual tension! I really liked the idea of Willow and Tara getting wrapped up in the team rivalry from the sidelines, via their friends - they're both such loyal, eager-to-please characters that it fits in perfectly. And it gave a wonderfully fun result, with the two of them so determined to maintain their 'inherited' team loyalty against each other, regardless of having no actual, personal reason to, that the attraction simmers and bubbles over and finally explodes. Very sexy, and refreshingly novel - not changing their essentially reserved natures, but giving them this avenue to have wild one-night-stand sex on their first meeting... quickly turning into next-day-stand, and so on. A really fun way to get them together, without undermining their characters - the more serious, character-driven finale really paid off.

Thanks to both of you, and to all the RKT team, and everyone else Looking forward to our next project.

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Chris Cook

Through the Looking-glass - Every world needs a Willow and Tara.

@ JustSkipIt

I am not sure how you do it, but everything that I am not a huge fan of I just suddenly want to be a fan of! Seriously, I think because of this you might have inspired me to finish the series. Don't tell anyone cause I am the anti Hogwarts fan. "Shame on me". "I am a terrible person". "I am going to hell". "How do I live with myself". I've heard it all. *sigh*

But quidditch is the only thing I loved about Harry Potter. I thought it was so cool how they played a game with flying on brooms and a complex point system. It's the only part I actually like watching in the movies.

HOWEVER! This story was so cute! I sighed and awwed almost ever paragraph. Yes you've gone and messed with my heart, just when I thought Willow and Tara couldn't get any cuter I find this story. Great job.

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Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut.

betsy O'shea – Wow. I just never saw this comment and I’m so sorry for that. I don’t know if you’re even on the board anymore. Still, my bad.



I’m so glad you enjoyed all the shower scenes. Thanks so much for your comments and affection for the shower scenes.



Chris – I’m glad you enjoyed the remainder of the shower scenes. That’s funny about your not realizing that #4 was a shower. Thanks for saying that about the theme of my stories. I guess I think of a lot of back-story and characterization that lies behind it and which I never write down. But it makes me feel like I know the characters a bit better.



WrongObsession – Hello again. That’s a hysterical thought. I don’t think you’re a terrible person for not liking/finishing HP. I just don’t really understand because I really really love the series. At the time that I wrote this series, I put that slight explanation of Quidditch and I was genuinely shocked at how many people hadn’t read or seen the HPs. Recently my son and I were reading the first book and he was asking some question about the book and would mama know too and then he started listing people and literally every grown-up that he knows has read the books and loves them. So I didn’t really know that there were a lot of people who don’t like them. I learned though.



Anyway, I’m glad you liked Quidditch. We recently saw the #6 movie and I did not like a lot about it (included the wrong things left out the necessary things) but I was very happy to see some quidditch again. But I’m also glad that you found the story so cute and that it touched you. Thanks.

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Menorah Tales | Working It Out | Random Bits

Oh. Sweet. Dorks. You've found people who've never read Harry Potter? Suddenly I feel like a saint compaired to those people. The 6th movie was horrible! Ususally I am down with the movies, but that one...oh gosh, made my head spin. Well I am glad you're not sick of my comments yet. Thanks again for being awesome!

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Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut.