Fic: Terra Firma

[Tulipp]

Hey, DMW and Rally, thanks for reading.



And Ruth, yes, a long time coming, but really only one day has taken place since Tara has come back. Holy cow...the last SEVEN chapters all took place in a single day. Where did I pick up this glacial pace?



Edited because "galatial" is not a word.

Edited by: Tulipp at: 8/15/02 12:12:05 pm

[AutumnT]

I love this story.



That is all.

Autumn

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Buffy Season 6: It grated, like something forced in where it doesn't belong.

[tommo]

Quote:

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"galatial" is not a word

---

No, but when you write it perhaps it should be.

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The mature solution is to spend
your whole life telling stupid,
pointless jokes so no one will notice
you're just a scared, insecure little
boy! ~ Xander...or Joss...?

[eccentrictulip]

oh my goodness....

*please use both hands....*

[The Big I T]

Tulipp:



I haven't chimed in since early on in this fic...around the first or second chapter. But I have to say I've hardly budged from this story since you began it...I find myself anticipating and devouring every update as if it's the greatest treasure I can discover in any given day. I keep looking for words to describe the story you are telling here and the extraordinary depth and clarity and sensuality of the language you engage in the telling of it. The pain, the joy, the fear, the hope, the need, the love...and on and on...from every character. It all resonates. It all absolutely resonates with truth. On every level. Beautiful. Simply beautiful. And I just wanted you to know that.

BTW, at this point, if you were to go ahead and use the word "galatial", I'd be open to persuasion that it means whatever you say it means. ;-) ,

[MissQuirky]

OMG!! That was an AMAZIN update!! I LOVE this fic!! Totally can't wait 4 more!!

"Don't warn the tadpoles!...
I-I have frog fear."

[Tulipp]

Okay *clears throat.*



Galatial (adj). Adjective combination of "gargantuan" and "salacious." Usually used exclusively with reference to the strange phenomenon of fan fiction, although its French roots suggest that it can be used in discussions of the lyric, as well, as in sentences like "Baudelaire had a galatial set of...." Oh no, that won't work. Baudelaire didn't write lyrics.



Not my best, but for now....



eccentrictulip and Miss Quirky, thanks.



Autumn...I like the strong and silent type. Not too silent, though.



Big IT: Thanks so much. You're so sweet, and it means a lot.



Edited to add: But I had help in the form of excellent, excellent beta reading. You know who you are.

Edited by: Tulipp at: 8/26/02 10:21:05 am

[Puff]

Wow. That was amazing. Not sure what else too say, I love this fic.

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You know, it's a real deal relationship and that's why people can relate to it
Amber Benson

[Grimaldi]

can't think of anything to say other than i loved that update

Dude, we're surrounded by perverts!

Fucking Windows 98, get Bill Gates in here!

Little pussy gnome, don't call me a pussy. Pussy gnome.

[tommo]

Why didn't Baudelaire write lyrics then? And you know, maybe he should have done. But seeing that reminds me of something I've always thought about this fic. It's lush; the structure of the piece reads like poetry, almost. I love that. It's like eating a really good meal, over and over. And it leaves a great taste in your mouth. I love it when I can "eat" language like that.



Speaking of which...any chance there'll be another little chapter like this latest one? Y'know, with the uh...eating and the um...touching and er...stuff? Please?

----------
The mature solution is to spend
your whole life telling stupid,
pointless jokes so no one will notice
you're just a scared, insecure little
boy! ~ Xander...or Joss...?

[TromDeGrey]

I check out for a few days and come back to not one but TWO lovely updates. But where to begin? Please bear with me Tulipp. This spoke to me on many levels.

Quote:

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Only months before, she and a grief-frozen and bitter Willow had faced off in this very place. They had said cruel things, both of them. But Willow's words had been cruel because she had spoken the truth, while Buffy's had been cruel because she had not, because even at what might have been the end of everything-the end of friendship and life and love and the world-Buffy had held back.

---

For me, there it is. In those sentences lay S6. The characters held back from each other and the creators held back from us. It is a betrayal not easily forgiven in my mind. That you can show the beginning of a resolution to this in a believable way speaks volumes to your knowledge and love of these characters. Another quote...

Quote:

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That wanting had scared her, at times, and it had seemed easier to call the wanting magick. To fear that the magick might consume her, might consume Willow, might consume them both. Burn them alive.

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This spoke to me deeply as a Wiccan. It is the one aspect of the show that has always bothered me no matter the season. To blame something so neutral as magick, black and white Buffyverse be damned, has always irritated me. In my experience, Wicca is a surprising mix of spirit and science. To me, Tara is the spirit and Willow is the science. They must move together to be most effective. You showed that beautifully throughout. Willow says, "You know me so deep." Tara responds with,"You open me, Willow." Perhaps Glory divorced them, but the magick, in my opinion, did marry them. More than that - it binds them. It is not something Willow can simply flush from her system like a drug. To do so would be to wash away Tara as well. ME seems to have completely missed that. Whether you did so consciously or not, Tulipp, you seem to understand that the magick is not some separate being that somehow brought them together. It is a living breathing part of their humanity and their love for each other and everything around them. Bravo, my dear. Bravo.

"Live or die, but don't poison everything..." -Anne Sexton

Edited by: TromDeGrey at: 8/15/02 4:24:51 pm

[BoredNow99]

Wonderful, as usual, Tulipp. The thing that really stayed with me was Tara wondering what was really her and Willow, and what was Glory.



She's trying to make sense of everything - of coming back, of all they've been through in the past - and that's hard enough, but then she has to deal with the Glory aspect.



But still she has her love of Willow which resonates within her, and gives her the strength she needs. And I adored the fact that she just stayed awake so she could stop the nightmare before it got started.



And what happened afterwards was beautiful.



Thanks for sharing this.

Willow...It's Glenda in a bubble power, not Margaret Hamilton on a bicycle power

[Lusciousbr]

I could try now to focus on the plot itself, the key, the Glory issue (which are all very important to the story, I know), but ok, I'll be honest with myself: Willow and Tara giving themselves to love, or should I say opening themselves to love? Quoting Giles: "Dear Lord!". I'm the one who's gasping now



And by the way, Dawn and the power that lies beneath her, I'm afraid of what's coming (afraid in a veeeery good way, just in case you would doubt my faithfulness to this wonderful fic)

[LeatherQueen]

Gorgeous chapter, Tulipp. I could feel the heat of their wanting just rising from your words. Lovely.



But what I'm really interested in is what Dawn was about to say before Anya and Xander walked in. Hmmmm...





Edited to add: Oh and just wanted to pop back in and say thanks for the birthday greetings a few days back. I had a lovely one!

--------------------------------


"But when they're playing your song on the jukebox in Hell, you might as well dance." - K. Simpson


"Futile... like a FOX, baby!" - Tara in The Late Shift by wiccachica

Edited by: LeatherQueen at: 8/15/02 7:01:03 pm

[Tulipp]

Puff, thank you.



Grimaldi, thank you, too.



Ruth, you know I made that part up about Baudelaire, right? Like, what I know about Baudelaire you could…do something very…small…with…um. But hey, you made me hungry. J



TromDeGray: Wow, thanks for your really thoughtful response. I really felt the need for a Buffy-Willow reconciliation, and so much about their confrontation in Two to Go just rang incredibly false for me, from the situation itself to the dialogue. But I am most grateful for your comments about magick; I loved your idea that if Willow throws out the magick, she throws out Tara. Yes, yes. In Wrecked, when Willow told Buffy that Tara didn’t know the girl she’d been before, there was so much more to that comment than Buffy could understand or respond to. The magick is part of their relationship, and it is a force. I love the idea of spirit & science combined. I don’t know very much about magick, I’ll be honest, but I think I understand more about it now from your comment, so thanks for that. Truly.



BoredNow99: Hey, thank you. Tara is in such a strange position right now; to her, she has just had another night with Willow in a series of three or four nights beginning with the night of Entropy; she is still emotionally back there, and so the possibility of Glory affects her in a very particular, pre dark magic willow way. Motivations for everything are suddenly up in the air again. And you know, I just didn’t want Willow to have a nightmare on this night. And neither did Tara. She might not have fully registered the passage of time, but she sees its effects. I think that the Glory connection might even make her feel the effects through Willow, in some way….



Lusciousbr: Ooh, a gasp…cool. But you know, Dawn or no Dawn, key or no key, the plot itself is always W and T. Opening doors or doing whatever. Everything else just makes it possible. Okay, that’s not entirely true; the other stuff is plot, too…but thanks!



LeatherQueen: Hey, good to see you and glad you had a good 27. Yes, in some ways Dawn’s comments here didn’t progress much further than they did in chapter 12, but every tiny little thing matters. Or it’s supposed to. Not that I’m teasing or anything. Not me.



Thank you all for the lovely comments; you all really make posting this so rewarding. Good night, Kittens!

[singgirl]

Oh wow! That was so awesome! The way you wrote the love scenes...it wasn beautiful... it wasn't degrating in any way, it was lovely.

[SlayerTazz]

Great update Tulipp!! I love this story!! I can't wait for the next update!!

A dream is a wish the heart makes.

Willow: "You had two eggs, sunny-side-up. I remember because they were wiggling at me like little boobs."

Tara: "Sassy Eggs."

[mollyig]

Dawn's destiny becoming clearer. I liked her little suggestion that maybe her power was to open car doors, said specifically to annoy big sister of course!



The image of Tara standing guard over her sleeping Willow was beautiful. It conveys the utter devotion she has for her, and shows us how very strong she can be. Sad though that she is pondering if that strength has been derived from Glory, rather than trusting herself.



What a way to drive Willow's nightmare away! Wonderful how you wrote of the intrinsic need each had for the other.

Adding up the total of a love that's true, multiply life by the power of two
Indigo Girls

[tommo]

Quote:

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you know I made that part up about Baudelaire, right? Like, what I know about Baudelaire you could…do something very…small…with…um. But hey, you made me hungry.

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You made it up? Oh my god, because I so couldn't tell...



And I made you hungry. Well, that's something, I guess. You just be sure and eat something fulfilling this weekend eh?

----------
The mature solution is to spend
your whole life telling stupid,
pointless jokes so no one will notice
you're just a scared, insecure little
boy! ~ Xander...or Joss...?

[Tulipp]

Just checking in from a Kinko’s in Burlington, Vermont….on vacation but couldn’t stay away….



Singgirl: Thanks. You know, degrading never even entered my mind. Should it have?



SlayerTazz: So glad you liked this.



Mollyig: Thanks for noticing the image of Tara watching over sleeping Willow; that was something that had been in my head for a while. Tara does have so much strength and devotion, but she’s also confused right now, I think, and she needs to be held up and watched over herself, but I’m not sure Willow can do that right now. Soon, though….



Ruth, oh damn, so I blew my own cover. As for eating this weekend, well, the vegetarian restaurants in Burlington are fabulous. That’s what you meant, right? Vegetarian eating?



Edited to add: I'll be mostly off the board for a few days while I'm in VT, but please, don't let that stop anyone from responding if you want to. It won't be long....

Edited by: Tulipp at: 8/17/02 7:39:56 am

[tkheaven]

Quote:

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They lay quietly for a moment, both panting. Willow trailed her wet fingers across Tara’s lips and then her own. Tara watched Willow press her fingers into her mouth, tasting her, and desire shuddered through her. She wanted to open all the doors between them.

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Geez, I have such a perved mind, cuz right after reading this my brain went into stealth mode... 'So if Amber Benson is a vegetarian..' Ok, I'll stop there..



I actually got this avitar from Jennpurr..ain't it a beaut! Amber in a bra with the 'I wanna feel dirty...' WHEW! ok, so I spotted another nice W/T avitar I'm gonna ask about...I think I'm going for quite the collection, here...



Edited to add: And I would like an update, please.. Actually, I got my gf into the fic, she's absolutely loving it...

Tk's new and improved "GrrArgg"

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Tara was similarly riveted, her body on slow burn as Willow's lips parted and her mouth opened, the food slipping inside and being consumed. Never in her life had Tara ever wanted to be a chicken casserole so badly...Later that night..."It's good to be a chicken casserole," Tara murmured, before passing out. ~ Answering Darkness by Sassette

Edited by: tkheaven  at: 8/17/02 8:46:00 am

[AmberBensonRockzMyWorld]

Wow...This story is amazing...I just caught up with the entire thing, that was a whole lotta reading. But well worth the time. I can't wait for the next part, I love this story.

Much Love,

Lisa

Must I dream and Always see your face.~ Jeff Buckley "Last goodbye"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Recomended Reading: IttyBittyKitty's fic...
"7th Hellvan"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[VampNo12]

First Tulipp I hope you are having a relaxing/fun vacation, and as for the update it was sensual, moving, and intriguing (in regards to Dawn's powers as the key). In the beginning of this part I get the sense that Willow is resigned to the fact that after everything with the magick (even knowing that a part of Glory could of been "clouding" her decisions) she believes that ("We don't get easy anymore."). And I loved the beautiful/poignant image Tara paints with her saying, ("That door might have been shut, sweetheart, but it isn't locked. It's never locked. We'll get it open again.").



I too loved that Tara was watching over Willow in order to wake her up the first signs of her experiencing a nightmare. And I thought it was poginant how Tara remembered for herself a peaceful sleep was a "gift" Willow bestowed on her. Or in other words, before finding Willow, she was always on guard because of her fear of her family, and now with Willow she found that peace/calmness that allows Tara to enjoy her sleep. Also I found Tara's thoughts on Glory actually "divorcing " them intriguing, (ie "enhancing" not only her resolve to stay away, but also in some way allowing her the ability to become "stronger/more confident" as a person).



Lastly, this line ("A gust of wanting that reached inside her like fingers, that lived on her tongue, that beat back all the closed doors between them), was just a wonderful/sensual image to convey the depth of their relationship/connection. Really the intensity of the "want" between W&T with Tara saying ("You open me, Willow) was not only hot, but a powerful expression of how together a form of "easy" is something they can rediscover for their present/future (ie not something of the past as Willow feared). Can't wait for the next part!

Edited by: VampNo12  at: 8/17/02 2:32:10 pm

[Tulipp]

Okay, another quick response from the very rainy city of Burlington, Vermont, and then I'm back to my search for the perfect vegetarian restaurant...



TK, I said vegetarian! Cool that your gf is reading! Thanks for that. I read my gf all of "Touchstone" in the car ride up here last week. It's nice to share.



Lisa, by now that's a lot of pages...thanks for telling me you liked it. I'm always so glad to know when people are reading. The next update won't be for a few days, but I hope you'll stick with it.



VampNo12, I love reading your responses. Yes, I think that on some level, Willow IS resigned to things being hard and dark. And in some ways, with her habit of thinking, having Tara back is such a gift and such a miracle that she would almost be expecting other things to go wrong. In some way, Xander's bad feelings are what she expects. But it's also important to me that she is starting to believe that Tara is back. And as for Tara, she is understanding more and more, I think, how necessary she is to Willow but also how necessary Willow is to her. This is explored a little more in the next chapter.



And speaking of the next update, I'm thinking Monday (if my lovely, gorgeous, kind, and generous beta readers don't mind a quick turnaround ), and I hope that people will still feel like reading it by then. That's the longest I'll have gone without updating, but vacation calls.



hugs from vermont!

[Tiggrscorpio]

Tulipp, just catching up on the last two updates. Some really wonderful stuff here.



Thank God Buffy finally woke up and realized how easily she can reassure Willow, just by being the friend Willow has always adored. What a powerful scene and something that has been lacking from the show for quite some time. Thanks for that.



Enjoying how Dawn's story is unfolding. Caught your backward word for the name of the book - loved it. Liked Dawn's line about her key maybe opening car doors. Totally something Dawn would say.



Beautiful love scene with our girls. I do wish it was always easy for them. Thanks for a great story!

*****

She's my everything!

[wolliw]

Return, return, Tulipp, refreshed from vacation, to continue to take us on this amazing and profound journey!

[moominmamma]

I really like how you unify each chapter with a common metaphor. The metaphor of opening doors works changes in each section, until your erotic, and literal, conclusion.



I especially liked this:

Quote:

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She lifted her head to the flaming place between Willow’s thighs and tasted the salt of shell-pink, the rose-smooth of wet, the pulse of red under her tongue. She knew that her lips were touching real body parts, that her fingers were gripping real skin, and she knew somewhere that these parts had names, and she wanted to think them as she touched them, to name them, but she only felt them now, felt them translated into color and sense: Hot. Thirst. Red. Swell.

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I sometimes feel like my reactions to Terra Firma are similarly impressionistic: Sad. Funny. Sexy. Smart. Addictive.



Thanks.

[Tulipp]

Tiggrscorpio, you know, at times I worry that I am sugarcoating these characters too much, that in fact Buffy wouldn't be so very tender with Willow, that in fact EVERYONE would not be so tender with Willow, that friendships aren't so deep and intuitive, that people hold grudges longer, etc. And then I think, what the hell? My story. I can make Buffy as loving as I want to. And Dawn as much of a teenager, even with her growing sense of some kind of power, as I want to. It's what I want right now, and it often feels right. Those characters have been lost to the show for awhile, but they're in there.



Edited to add: Oh, and I'm so glad you saw the backwards thing. I actually did that a few chapters ago with Joss and Marti's names, too, but I can't remember if anyone caught those or not. But yay.



Wolliw, I'm back, I'm back! Thanks for such a kind note. Back from vacation with chapter 14 ready to go, almost. We're moving toward the end now....



Moomminmama, oh, I love that you went to one of my favorite parts of this chapter. I'm maybe a little too addicted to the whole metaphor per chapter thing, but it's fun to write that way, and I love to know when people notice things like that.

"The sight of you is good for sore eyes"
--Jonathan Swift"

Edited by: Tulipp at: 8/25/02 9:48:35 am

[Loco2]

ok, i've just caught up and bloody hell!



this is amazing!



ok, i don't even have words for how good i think this is, um... only thing that comes close:



bravo!



it's so true to the characters.



thanks



steph

"I'm not gay - I'm just Trevor's bitch." - some drunken guy about his sexuality
"Oh, bugger off, you BROLLY!" - Anya to Giles on his use of the english language
"We'll all be a lot happier without the constant whining....Mom, Buffy, Tara, Waah" - DMW to Dawn

[snippygal]

But you know who this story is missing? Because it's finally come to me. It really is near perfection, the whole thing is absolutely beautiful. If only it had Riley in it ...



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- "Nice beaver"

- "Thanks. I just got it stuffed."