New Fic - Neverland

[dragonfly]

Hello there,

This update is just hilarious, I couldn't stop laughing. I knew the visit to Anya's store was going to be a lot of fun. At first, I thought Anya was going to embarrass Willow with her colorful comments in the store, and Willow drawing hearts so cute, I hope Tara catches a piece of paper falling out of Will's pocket, that would be interesting, but now that she went to meet Khalil, I doubt it, and what does he want? Please let Willow be back on time for dinner, so that they can talk more before Morgan or Xander happens.

I love the way they are getting closer, even with all the craziness around Anya, they talked and shared memories and moments that connect them more and more. This is the slow, long and very important process and they won't skip it.

The unexpected visit to the sex shop was great, I understand Will's embarrassment, I'd react the same way. At this point I think they both know they care a lot about each other, which is excellent! and Tara should listen to her friend, but no, she wouldn't believe that the object of her affection is kinda gay until Willow herself says so.

Yes, I hope to visit SF during spring break, or summer. That's my plan. Hey, since you know the city very well, would you mind giving me some directions as of what places I should check? There's plenty of time, so whenever you can drop me a line.

Well, Happy holidays, and new year. I wish next year is full of success for you, and all your dreams and goals come true.
Once again thank you very much for this funny update.
Take care,
Love,
Clau

[potential_angel]

*does happy dance*

Yay! Ok I'm cheering and dancing which I should probably stop doing as the people in my IT class are giving me looks cause no one gets excited about IT. I said I would cheer if they got together which they didn't do, BUT they shared a moment which makes me happy. Still much frustration because for two really clever people they are so blind! But them sharing a moment shall keep me sane till they eventually get together. Another great chapter. More please!

Mel

P.S. I can totally imagine Willow's reaction to the sex toys in her hand, and Love the whole Willow sniffing pens.

[The_Lord_J]

Can I just say this fic is a lesson in two things: 1. Patience (it's driving me mad seeing them apart for so long...yet at the same time I'm loving it) and 2. How to write suspense (it's killing me).

I'm in awe (as I have been for some time reading this fic).

This rates as my #1 fic of all time.

More!

[Kaia]

Thanks for the update.
I enjoyed it so much. And I have to agree with the kittens that congratulate you on the way you write Anya. She is hilarious, and brings the oasis of relaxation amidst an ocean of angst and suspense.
Happy holidays and please update soon!! I love your fic.

Karinna

[StarCat]

That was really great. I really like this Anya. The visit was what I expected and more. I am not sure which part I laughed the hardest. It is a three-way tie between: A) When Willow got caught sniffing the scented markers, B) Anya saying "so gay" (which I think both of them heard, but would never admit it), C) When Anya pulled Willow into the sex shop. That was just brillant. <-- i love doing that

Now that they are separated, they can think back on everything that happened. I can't believe how much has happened in one day. Tara may start putting some of the pieces together. Atleast I hope she does. And now look whats ahead. Another big update soon. This is why I love this story. Now we have the big day when Morgan and Xander visits. That is if that happens at all. We shall see.

Thanks for the great update. Hope you have a Happy Holiday and a great New Year.

[watty]

Hi Heather,

My sincere apologies for the absence of meaningful feedback last update. Though the main reasons were: busy time at work, an unexpected business trip and 2 weeks' vacation, I maintain the reason for the long recovery is cos your updates are so darned good! Again apologies.

It's always pleasurable to sit down and read a new Neverland, I feel like I can forget about the work pressures, the RL crap and the cold (yes, it gets cold here since the concept of heating buildings doesn't exist), and know that the next hour or so I can simply sink myself into your words. You do pamper us so.

What I noticed most, and love in this update, are the parallel thoughts and actions. Almost like they have formed some sort of (to use a clichéd and overused word) connection to each other.

How could I have ever doubted that I was gay, Willow wondered, as her heart beat fast in her chest.

and

[Tara] carefully exhaled, attempting to still her now racing heart

I'd like to think that both these heart thumpings happened simultaneously. And both coming to the juncture of wondering why Willow is nervous about the visit of Joyce and Buffy. Again, I'd like to think that their thought processes are becoming synchronized and they'd have that big lightbulb moment at the same time.

Still, it's a long way to go until hugs and kisses. Willow seems to have come further, she's thinking about the reason Tara was upset earlier,

Morgan, her phone call, Morgan.

I've been thinking about why it's taking them so long to turn the twin raging crushes to a real relationship. I mean, the signs are there. If you're sufficiently in tune with someone, and that will inevitably happen if you have a huge crush on them and watch them all the time, how can you possibly miss that they feel the same way? To me, Willow's biggest obstacle is her sense of organization. She has to do things in sequence: come out to Buffy, come out to Joyce, and only then will she consider Tara.

As for Tara, she has a similiar blind spot too.

unless Willow says it, unless the words 'I'm gay' come out of *her* mouth, it's not true

She has conveniently stuffed Willow into a box and she won't allow herself to consider alternatives.

I like this Anya. She certainly has tried very hard, consciously or subconsciously (though I wonder if she has an subconscious, she speaks and talks without inhibitions) she is nudging the girls closer. She plants small seeds of question / confusion in Tara's head. And her "Good Intentions at Good Vibrations" would have worked if Willow hadn't reacted so extremely. I hope that she doesn't get discouraged by how the day has turned out, I was almost expecting her to ask why they aren't kissing when she approached them at the bus stop.

Re: the doodles. In a perfect world, Tara will find them, get the lightbulb moment and run straight into Willow's arms. As it were, the angst writer in me thinks it'll be discovered by someone like Buffy, who will interrogate Willow relentlessly and Willow will go all red in her denials and we're back to square one.

Final thought. LOL about having Smell-O pens being "so gay". *dances happily* Weren't they simply the most awesome and wonderful invention?

As always, thanks for the update.
[br]

[AntigoneUnbound]

Hey Heather--I've been meaning to get immersed in this story for awhile, and I finally took the time to do so. What a remarkable world you've created here!

There's so much to comment, having got caught up with everything, so please don't mistake my brevity for lack of interest or enjoyment. The one thing that stands out so richly to me is your creation and exploration of their inner worlds. You can feel all the questioning, the uncertainty, and intepretations of events whose true meanings the reader can see though they can't. It's a complex story, and you've also drawn in some wonderful supporting characters. Finally, you really mix up the angst and the humor, in really effective ways. So--thank you so much for this great read!

I just have one question:

Large, tacky statues of naked [wo]men, walls done up in some tarty, pre-Rafaelite pseudo porno romp in the English countryside...

When were you in my bedroom?

Mary

[luv4willtara]

Heather, my love goddess... wait.. sorry, Leisha Hailey (Alice off of the L Word) and WIllow and Tara are my current love goddesses... so.. Heather.. my fourth love goddess!! You write wonderfully and amazingly and everytime I read your fic it feels like I'm there, caught in between the two of them. I mean, all you have to do is click on the Neverland link to see how much people like it! You have half a page of fic to every four pages of feedback! You are absolutely wonderful! I love how you are taking your time to get them together.. It makes the fic more enjoyable and realistic.. I find anyway!! Keep going with the awesomeness of the fic! You rock my world!

Katie aka luv4willtara

[rainbowstarletz]

YAY!
wow-- i have to say this story is amazing. you put in a lot of detail and make the situations real, and believeable!

but omg please let tara find out soon that willow is gay and likes her! im gonna die from the suspense! ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. but im sure its coming eventually, and you have a really good plan about how they finally do hook up. hehe. i just have to be patient... its gonna be hard... im bad with the "patience is a virtue" thing...

anywho-- keep up the good work!

[Leafsdude]

I've been very civilized so far, and I will be again, but after this update, I only have the following to say:

MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE!!!!!!

[dreamin of my rainbow]

once again you manage to capture the pure escence of all human emotion. this story is just so wonderful! it keeps me on the edge of my seat all the time. Youre writing is absolutly incredible, and id like to thank you for writing this story, a thousand times over. it truly is a magnificent piece of work. I was wondering....i dont know if has been answered before...but way back when willow gave tara her cds and such...that one cd she was listening to..the main one...do you by any chance actually have a list of songs that it was based off of? and if so could you please tell me? well again this story is wonderful, keep up with the great work!!!!

-Heather

[Miss Kitty Fantastico]

I started reading this story about a week ago and have not been able to stop. I have been skipping my lunch to read this, it is so amazing!

[nerdbert]

I've been wanting to post a review on my favorite fics. Finally got the time, yay!

Neverland is, no doubt, a favorite, but it's also the single most frustrating fic I've ever read. Really, I spent most of the fic biting my nails, willing them to see what's right under their noses but, alas, it was in vain. I have no idea how you can stand to write 40 plus chapters and not have them kiss once. I couldn't do that, kudos for your will power.

Frustration aside, this is a wonderful piece of writing. The characters are expertly portrayed (I absolutely loved Anya, by the way) and the story is very involving. I think it's hilarious that Tara is so jealous of Xander, who is the only one who knows Willow is gay. Irony is ironic that way.

Funny how they spend so much time watching each other but still have no clue as to their feelings. They are taking so long that I think when they finally figure it out it will be kind of anticlimactic for us readers. I hope not.

And what's with the smell-o pens bashing? I have tons of 'em.

Anyway, thanks for this wonderful fic, it kept me entertained for a good while. I hope to see more of it soon.

[Useful_Oxymoron]

Oh, my. This fic is almost painful to read. Uh, I don't mean that in a bad way, though. It's a wonderfully written and well-constructed story, but it's just this series of unfortunate events and misunderstanding that seem to be conspiring to keep these girls apart. :( That's so frustrating about it. Poor Willow and Tara. They deserve a lot of smootchies by now.

[TinyAnt]

We finally got to read the dreaded Anya day! I admire the way you were able to fulfill the expectations of this meeting while staying true to the way the characters have been drawn and still managing to be surprising. After all, the Anya-crisis didn't go they way the thought it would, but who would've foreseen being dragged into a sex-shop? Anya is definitely unpredictable.
As I wrote this, I realized one of the things I like most about your writing. I guess it has to do with how real, or consistent, the characters are. It's as if you put them in any given environment or situation, and set them free to react in whatever way they would considering their personalities. I hope that made some sense to you.

I don't know if you did it with that purpose in mind or not, but I loved the way you gave us an idea of how much time they were at Anya's store using the young employee's brake. It's a detail, but, in my opinion, it was a contribution to a stronger link between the reader's perception and what you had in mind when writing that scene. And I'm left again hoping you know what I mean

I'm really enjoying Tara's slow discovery of what exactly is going on with Willow. The more the story progresses, the more I think she will figure everything out before Willow has a chance to tell her. And, as it often happens in real life, this would also ruin all of Willow's planning.
I'm not a writer or anything, but in my untrained opinion you're a doing a great job, and I truly enjoy reading every chapter. Thank you for sharing your story.

-Ana

[ShallowLikeUs]

Okay, yes, i actually.. blew off class again today.. which is bad.. bad me. go to class. Anyways. Great update. I almost screamed when i saw there was an update...which would have been bad since i have a room mate who goes to bed at 9:00...every night. anywho! I really enjoy Anya... she infuriates me, makes me laugh, makes me cringe, makes me think of myself sometimes. And there were so many things i wanted to quote and address last night when i read this, but then i realised, i would have ended up referencing the entire update and it would just be fruitless. But good old Anya, and Willow's reactions... So true to the characters, though I feel Willow's reactions are so very heated partially because she feels boxed in and unable to defend herself properly. She's forced on some degree to be dishonest until her mother comes and buffy comes home. But it's hard to be dishonest when you're all about to be really honest and yeah. It's been pointed out to me by my english prof that uh... i have really bad language, i'm intelligent, but i use a lot of useless words and stuff when talking and tend to stray and then i become ineffectual. But i think it makes me quirksome. Anyways, I feel also that i need to go back and reread the rest of the fic because i find that i've forgotten the finer details. I love that Anya is interested in a new man now, but she doesn't have a particular man in mind, just...a construction worker. And Anya, i believe is sort of innocent, like, she's honestly trying to bond with Willow...almost. She's just...Anya.

So many things about this, but for some reason i can't do them justice. I wish that there was more, but that's not a complaint against the writing. the only problem i may have with this is the lack of interaction between Willow and Tara, yet, I can't complain because the small interactions are great, especially when Tara sees Willow sniffing the marker. I guess I'm impatient for them to realise what's going on, but then I'm sad cause then we'll eventually have an ending to our story, which is why i hate reading good books...they always end and i get all pissed off. but, the only thing then i can really complain about is, Willow should have just been all "FINE! I will buy these smerkers( that's what i called them as a child. the smello-markers.)" so then Anya could have been "Yippee!" and she could have done the dance of capitalistic superiority (my spelling is probably off) but all the things that i can find that i dislike, i find that i also love them. I'm a massochist in that way...i hate angst...sorta, but love it too, because usually, there's a happy ending, when there's no happy ending then i don't like angst, but when there's a happy ending, it seems much more fufilling when there's angst to preceed it. This probably lacks the constructive that my last comment held, but this time instead of responding to you know.. 40 chapters i'm only responding to one, so that could be why. that and i'm tired. so i bid farewell to my response and bring it to and end. I love this story and I look forward to the next update.

and by the way, the two papers that i had to write, I got and A on the first one and a B- on the second. all and all, i was pleased with the outcome, since, I spent the time before class reading fanfic instead of working on those papers, but I managed to pull off a B- in the class, and I was happy. thanks for asking.

-Dani

[the hero factor]

So it's finally happening... Tara thought with a roll of her eyes, Willow is finally driving me crazy.

Heh. Poor Tara. She's so confused. I really like seeing her try to figure it out. She's getting closer, she's just got to let herself believe what she's thinking.

Willow was so cute with the doodles. I, too, have to wonder if those will come up later.

And Anya. She was just so very Anya. I love her. And she wants a construction worker. Yay! Or, I hope it's gonna be something to 'yay' about. Me = Xanya shipper.

Instead, she slid her foot over and rested it against Willow's.

Oh, wow. So simple, yet it's one of the sweetest, most romantic things I've ever read in fic, and I have no idea why. I just love it.

"Buffy's 20th birthday..." Tara led, nodding her head slightly, her eyes wide. "The present you bought her..."

Willow's face scrunched up as she tried to remember the gift. "Buffy's--" The innocent redhead turned to look at her roommate. "That was a battery-operated back massager, i-it was portable, you know, instant gratification for all of her little acheys and oh my god!"

Oh my god, indeed. Poor Willow. That's frickin' hilarious.

Great update (as always), Heather.

[willowspiritus]

Just wanted to let everybody know that there is a new album by Tina Dico! This wonderful fic (to be exact Willow's Me list) got me to download her first small album Far and i loved it. Now a new full album called In the red. I just downloaded it from the itunes store and so far it's great! Different version of Warm Sand but the rest is new.

Still loving the fic and the suspense Loved the last update and Anya is just too much fun. The dildo incident had me laughing hard but i felt so bad for Willow. My god imagine someone being like that!

Thanks again for the great work.

[k-prime]

willowspiritus, I have to totally agree with you about the music! Tina Dico and "4:35 AM" by Gemma Hayes have me completely hooked. I will be sure to check out Tina's new stuff, if it's anywhere near as good as what I've heard so far, I'll have a new favourite album.

[mag]

hey, well I want to say that you are an amazing writer, please continue soon, I am feeling like I am watching this on television, so real and so emotional, I love that, your are doing this in a real time life eh, willow and tara are taking this slowly but what if Anya helps willow in a tacit way to come out without willow knowing,and tara can see that signs without willow knowing what she is doing, to tara notices that, I dont know how that works, but Morgan can be a shoot too, I like Morgan she is interesting in Tara and Tara is not dead to feel and like that attention, she is a human being and has feelings, this can be good, take both in a brief relatinoship more than friends but not like lovers, and i want to see how willow can react to that, without telling she is gay, and maybe willow can do things to Tara that makes tara realizes and chooses willow everytime that Morgan wants to do a move on tara ( that things not in a lesbian specific things, if not a general very freindly relationship, well a little more than that, who makes willow a little desperated so that she is seeing that tara is being taken away from her by Morgan, and tara would seems like she is liking what morgan is doing to her(tara).

but please, update soon if not this story will take ages, hehe

see you soon and congratulations from South America-Ecuador
please forgive my spelling, English is not my native language

mag

Note: please Can you write "the L world" episodes?? ;P I dont likee what the writer is doing to tina and bette, not because they cant break up if not how they are going to break up. Thanks

[ShallowLikeUs]

what can i say? I'm impatient...and I'm supposed to be working on an essay that is critical to my passing of english comp 1...since i dropped the class last semester...yet here i am, checking back.. probably every hour... just in case... I felt the need to recontribute.

I really love this story. it's all angsty... but i'm a glutton for punishment. update soon please?

-dani

ps. i just had nothing better to do that write a little posty wosty.

[singgirl]

Okay, I do love this fic, though i haven't left feedback in a while. I just can't take the breaks in between, so I'm saving the updates to read in a lot, but I'm like the kid with $10 in her pocket, it's burning a hole, and I wanna spend it now!!

[mole]

Hiya Heather.

I've just finished re-reading Neverland. It's such a fantastic story (and much more entertaining than the Econ homework I should be focusing on). There are so many things that draw me into this story:
Tara's painting process (I'm a sucker for detail), Willow's struggle to come out and wanting to do it just right (in the proper order, etc.), Anya's crass observations, the sweet tension between W/T, all the great indie music. I could go on, but I'll spare you and the rest of the kittens my blathering.

I'm anxious to see what Khalill has for Willow? I'm thinking it has nothing to do with work and everything thing to do with a surprise for Tara. Also looking forward to Willow's reveal to Sheila, Buffy and, most importantly, Tara. Should be full of angst. Also curious as to what happens on Thursday when Morgan comes over for Tara's help with her portfolio.

Ah hell, who am I kidding? I'm looking forward to all of the story as it unfolds.

Keep up the great work. Hope the muse is currently perched on your shoulder, whispering details of scenes and dialogue.

Michelle

[tarawhipped]

Sorry to bump you back to the high visibility/pressure spot, Heather, but I never left feedback for the last chapter. And in my usual egocentric way, I hope it will precipitate an update.

Once again you’ve thrown in a boatload of lovely, funny, awww-inducing descriptions. The image of little Willow crying at her lack of artistic ability had me all verklemt. The Smell-O-Pens! incident was hilarious from all three perspectives, and I was lmao at Willow’s horror that she inadvertently bought Buffy a vibrator. Tara comforting Willow after the Close Encounter of the Silicone Kind was very sweet (and hopefully foreshadowing). Mostly, though, this update was wonderful for Anya (and I never thought I’d say that).

I love how layered your Anya is. Rereading Willow’s surprise at how orderly Anya’s store was, the word “shrewd” came to mind. Anya knows her clientele, and what they want, but she can also be a shrewd judge of character. It’s her decision-making and actions that make her seem so rude and insane, but her observations seem mostly right:

she obviously is here in the hopes that you'll see how much she wants to have sex with you

I say ‘mostly right,’ but honestly, who’s to say all those other people didn’t want to sleep with Tara? I like how her inappropriateness seems tied to a lack of understanding between how people interact with friends as opposed to aquaintances. Anya’s “no one will tell me why” speech in The Body is my favorite canon Anya moment, and you’ve captured that here, with Tara trying to explain why it’s not okay for her to drag Willow into a sex shop, and Anya just not getting it. And oh my, Anya has her sights set on a construction worker, hmm? *starts taking up a collection to ship Xander to San Francisco*

Now if only Tara could get into Willow’s pants. Err…you know, to find the notes. I don’t suppose tomorrow could be laundry day, could it? *puppy dog eyes*

Wonderful as ever, Heather. Take care.

-Cam

[db]

Oooh, this is my first ever feedback! I just found the kitten board a few weeks ago (I know, slow on the uptake),

I just wanted to let you know that this story is wonderful - WONDERFUL.
Really. You paint with words.

just one example:

" her denials appearing as puffs of steam in the cold air filling the space between them".

Magic. I can see it; feel the angst. Your story makes me root for them in my heart. So thanks - your story has really drawn me in, and I am so excited to read what you have in store for my favorite couple-to-be.

Thanks for writing!

D

[sinkinghearts]

i can't believe i just noticed this fan fic now! i have read a lot of w/t stories, but this one... it's just MAGNIFICENT. i do hope you continue with this... can't wait for your next update.

...thanks for your sharing this gift with us

[taraforever]

Hope to read the next update soon. This fiction is really great

Please keep on writing it

[PuddleOfL0ve]

I started this fic months ago.. and stopped when there were no updates for awhile.. and now i seem to have gotten off track.. i do not remember where i left off... i would like to re-read... but is this posted as a story anywhere else with the story as a whole (so far) rather than broken up by comments and such?

[k-prime]

Yup. It's available at http://www.uberwillowtara.com (Artemis's site). That's where I first discovered it, and that story actually led me here.
p.s. I love this story! I've read through it multiple times! I hope an update is coming soon!

[PuddleOfL0ve]

Yup. It's available at http://www.uberwillowtara.com (Artemis's site). That's where I first discovered it, and that story actually led me here.
p.s. I love this story! I've read through it multiple times! I hope an update is coming soon!

thank you so much