New Fic - Neverland

[She Bopp]

yessss thank you.



danielle.

[ShyTemptress]

YAY!! -goes off to read-

brb

[TemperedCynic]

I just knew the moment Willow touched Tara's pyjamas that the whole scene was a dream. Had to be - nervous Willow is nowhere near ready for that contact. Yet, lol. Grumpy, sleepy Willow is very cute and Tara handled her well with the coffee. Still the convo about Anya was highly strained and will prove to be explosive, I sense. But not to fear, Willow and Tara are destined and the world will right itself eventually - just not too soon, I'm enjoying myself too much! Welcome back, Heather.

---

More than any other time in history, mankind faces a crossroads. One path leads to despair and utter hopelessness. The other, to total extinction. Let us pray we have the wisdom to choose correctly. Woody Allen (1935 - )

[meretricious]

wow, an early in the night update, this will be the first sunday in eons that i won't take my computer to bed so i can check for updates in the middle of the night. so if this is tuesday morning, and there were threeish monday updates, i think, then even if you did crank back up to weekly updates (which is above and beyond, really) buffy won't get home until...mid april. ok, yay, that means lots and lots more neverland.

you really snuck into that dream sequence, but it felt so natural between them. love willow using dream tara to try to work out live tara,very meta, i bet you love charlie kauffman movies. and poor tara, working thru the same set of issues, but having to do it awake without snuggles. she's so afraid to see the truth, trowling for any other reason for willow's attentions, anything to avoid the pain that goes with hope.

i've given up trying to picture the anya interaction, i suspect your knack for doing the unexpected will be in play there. and this khalil guy needs to find something else to do, you do love your obstacles. you probably ran hurdles in high school. although, maybe now there will be a willow centric errand added to their day, bring some balance there.

i'm sure a lot of work goes into making this story seem so effortless, but your writing always flows so beautifully.~mary

hey girl, get on the dance floor
rip it up girl
that's what it's there for~razorlight

[wimpy0729]

Wow Heather, I gotta say you write the inner turmoil better than anyone. These poor girls gotta be dizzy from all that going on.



Of course, gotta give a nod to a wink at the R. Love to see Heather get a little saucy.



Can't wait to see what happens on the trip to get the paints.



Great job, as always.





Pam

"There was plenty of magic." ~ Tara

[singgirl]

Oh Yay! Happiness in abundance Thank you so much for updating! It threw me, when you had Willow dreaming in the beginning. I had to go back for a second and make sure I didn't miss anything. I should have known. All that set-up for a day of errands made me eager to read about it, then, no more fic! I have to wait for an update? Horrors!

Pax! -Bev

[starcat73]

Merciful Zeus !!! You updated. YAY !!!



Awesome, just awesome. Such a lovely dream. When the real thing happens, I will probably think it's a dream . One of the reasons I love this story (and there are many) is the little events you set up. First the pre-gallery party, then the dinner at home, then the dinner at the restaurant, then the party at the evil Morgan's (who better not come back ), then the fairy light hanging, and now its the Tara errand day or Willow kills Anya day (title pending). Little events that keep us sucked in and waiting anxiously (<----wow I spelled that right!) for more. And I still can't tell if you are an Artist, Computer Programmer or Musician. There is so much detail in your writing. Ok where was I? oh yeah update. The Willow and Anya meeting will be an interesting one. Tara has something to compare. Willow's reaction to Anya's words (assuming there is a confrontation <--- is that even a word?) will be compared to Buffy's and that could start another sleepless think fest for Tara. I can't wait to see how this will play out.

I also noticed how Willow is having problems with her program and Tara is not finishing her paintings on time. I wonder if the time they are spending with each other is affecting their work. And how sad is it that Tara thinks Willow is spending time with her because she is lonely. That just broke my heart.

Oh yeah one more thing. COME HOME BUFFY !!! Never thought I would ever say that but Tara needs to stop thinking of Willow as "straight Willow".



Hope all is well.



StarCat

Edited by: starcat73 at: 1/17/05 6:53 am

[Willow18]

*peeks into Different Colored Pens board*



*sees Heather has updated*







*pulls self off of floor to read and write feedback*



First off, thanks for the plug of my artwork. Anya will definitely cause something: hopefully a step in the right direction? Yay!



You do not want to know how loud I squealed at the line where Willow said "Tara?" and Tara responded from Willow's bed. Then I thought as I continued with the scene, wait. No. Too fast, especially when Willow started playing with Tara's pjs. She freaked when they were close on the be in Tara's room and thye did the whole back-away thing.

Quote:

---

"I think you like me. Or, that you're starting to like me, at least. In a maybe, more-than-friends way..." Willow paused as Tara continued to gently rub her back. "I want to fit into your life, Tara."

---

Keep the train rolling on that track Willow. Darn her phone interrupting her time for reflection.

Quote:

---

Wish someone could click on me and instantly wake me up...

---

Don't we all? LOL. That line had me laughing. Could picture Aly delivering this line in a tone similar to the conversation in Normal Again: "I press my lips against my friends all the time."



I like the Tara reflection where she says that the two of them "fit together." Sigh.

Quote:

---

The blonde had to admit that it was sort of funny when Anya wound Buffy up; challenged her 'straight cred', implying that all Buffy really needed was a little sapphic safari to reveal her inner gay.        

---

I think it was the "sapphic safari" line that got me... LOL!



Oh! Tara grabbed Willow's hand and sparks were definitely flying!



Wow. To Anya's they go... That ought to be "interesting." Cause we all know Anya's very "interesting." LOL. You really made my day with the update. I was having withdrawals from this fic. All better now... for the time being.

Edited by: Willow18 at: 1/17/05 7:27 am

[DarkWiccan]

You updated! You updated!! And it was fabulous!!



(And I'm not just saying that because I am three sheets to the wind and haven't been to bed for 36 hours)



Seriously, Heather, awesome stuff.



I'm glad you're feeling better and I look forward to your next update.



Cheers

DW

[snuggle79]

Yay you're back! I missed this story sooo much!

Sorry to hear that you were ill, hope youre feeling better now.

Ok, you got me confused big time at the beginning. I was really wondering "is this again a dream or maybe they are really just spend the night together in bed, in a very innocent friendly way", lol. But uh, when things got a bit different i finally got it.

Poor girls, they are both thinking very hard about ways to make it as good as possible for Willow to get through the meeting with Anya. Honestly, i can't wait for it, cause i kinda wish, that Anya is going to say something in the typical Anya way she does, of course without being rude to Willow. Hey, who knows, maybe she would do some helping! Very curious here!



Thanx for asking about my "be brave mission". Yes i was brave, but im not sure in which direction it's going now.



Awesome update!

s79

The greatest thing you'll learn, is just to love and be loved in return.

Edited by: snuggle79 at: 1/18/05 6:44 am

[serendipitous]

Yeah for the update! And what a great one at that. I love how you are able to intermix the themes (I'm not sure whether that's the word I'm going for, but you get the idea) within the updates. You have the updates that are filled with angst. But then you have the updates that really show up the inner Willow and Tara. And then you have the updates that just let's us into the everyday lives of the two. You're really able to control that emotional rollercoaster so that we are satisfied with the update (or on the edge of our seats!), but can't wait for the next one. It's always something new and exciting! I hope that you're feeling better and that your dad is okay. We all anxiously await your next update! Cheers

[Irishgrl3]

Glad you're feeling better. And so happy there's an update. See me jumping for joy?



It seems the more Willow gets to know Tara, the more Willow's dreams appear to be shifting a bit. She is seeing more intimacy in them as opposed to just sex. (Don't get me wrong, I like that part too!) It was interesting how they conversed about Willow's fears of what Anya might say and the "I think you like me" comment all the while intimately touching and caressing like it was an every day thing.

Well thought out and well written.



Hopefully Tara will get past making these internal excuses for Willow spending time with her and realize that Willow might be doing it because she actually cares for her. These girls, they think too much. Looking forward to what happens on errand day.

Take care,

-anna

Edited by: Irishgrl3 at: 1/17/05 9:42 am

[WitchFu]

I've never, in my life, done drugs. But I felt like I was drug-addicted to this fic when I casually looked in at the board to see if there was a change and almost fell out of my chair at the unassuming "Neverland" followed by "72".

Then I tried to be all not-caring so that, just in case it was feedback and not an update, I wouldn't pout.

It's great how you work the analytical aspect of their uncertainties into the narration.

I must say, it surprised me to read that you aren't an artist, you speak of it so naturally, like there's no effort to the genre or ideas.

This is an interesting situation I find myself in... the wanting of something more, but the excitement of knowing what's sure to come (didn't initially intend a pun there...). Like when I saw that there really was an update, I paced myself, and read some of the comments idly, until I couldn't stand it anymore.

Your making me want to go to SF a lot. Is it nice there? Do you even live there? That would make sense, you're so good at writing like an artist, but you're not. And you write so well about the city that you don't live in.

Wonderful update. I reread the part about Tara making Willow's coffee all of four times. I love that she didn't think anything of it. I love that she even knew the favorite mug... very well written.

I'm glad to see that you're feeling better (I assume, due to the update...?). And that your dad is hanging in there.

... bananas are good for you on those recovery days...

Oh, and I couldn't get this one Beach Boys song out of my head after that really witty phrase "saphic safari." Do you know the one I'm talking about? It's goes something like "gonna surf, surf. Surfin' safari..."?

Well, thanks again for the great read!

mary

[TromDeGrey]

Why do I have the distinct impression that we're coming out of the eye of the storm? This update just smacked of Happy Oblivious Willow and Silently Tortured Tara again. I love rollercoasters, but I'm definitely getting queasy here. Sneaky dream there too, but I like how Willow uses them to work things out. I have to wonder if she would have begun to question Tara liking her if it hadn't ocurred to her in the dream first. Tara's brain just felt all over the place there for a little bit. (Daylight and some sleep made it clearer to me though. ) It all keeps coming back to Xander for her, doesn't it? I was as startled by Tara's revelation as she was when it came to realizing that adding a third party threw things into the Awkward Zone. It makes me wonder what isn't quite right yet. I have to assume the problem is coming from Willow, but I'm just not sure yet. And yay for Tara recognizing she keeps putting Willow in uncomfortable positions (Minds outta the gutter!). Interesting setup. I sense impending doom and that was before I talked to you last night too. Glad to see you getting into the swing of things again, as you said. Looking forward (tentatively) to more!

[terra21]

*Terra rolls over with a big ole nappy head of hair, snakes arm across Tara's tummy and snuggles into her shoulder. .*



Willow - Who the hell are you?



Terra - It's just me terra, hi. *smiles wide*



Willow - *slaps Terras' hand* Get your hands off her.



Tara - Excuse me, but what are you doing here?



Terra - It was just so comfy and loving, and comfy. I just needed a nap.



Willow - Well, nap in someone else's dream sequence.



Terra - I sorry.



****************************************************



Heather, you are truly a talented writer.



I can't wait for the Anya interaction, gosh it's gonna be good.

[Wired vixen]

Heather's back! You're back! You knew that....I missed this fic sooo darn much! I hope you are doing well and everything is fine

So next are we gonna see a big tell-tell scene that Willow likes Tara? EEEE!! The suspense is makin me crazy! But its a good crazy...a crazy everybody loves...shadding up now.

More soon of the soonish variety? hehe



Take care!



Stace xXx

I've been waiting, for things that never come.... -VD

[littlecrazy80]

Wonderful update!



Their inner turmoil is making me crazy. Why are they too blind to see that they are in love? Hopefully Anya will push them a bit in the right direction.



*lil´c*

"I am S-E-X-Y" Amber at the FedCon



SweetAmber ~~~ Sam´s melody

[sam darls]

Yay..you updated..woohoo!! . Wonderful update, so cute. Hope everything's ok. Love sam xx

"Sometimes things happen between people that you don't really expect. And sometimes the things that are important are the ones that seem the weirdest or the most wrong. And those are the ones that change your life." - Jessie Sammler (Evan Rachel Wood)

[LizPuRR]

yayyyyyyy!!!!!

great update!

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

dripped through the hallway casue we started in the shower, we didnt finish til we hit the kitchen counter...

[Grimlock72]

What I most wonder about is why anybody would continue to respond and/or talk to Anya. One polity rejection of whatever she says should do, after that just ignore her (since she's obviously baiting you by then). Responding to Anya is probably the best way to keep her talking.... stop responding and the baiting will stop, easy enough



That is a bit more difficult if Anya says something about Willow and Tara feels the need to 'defend' her. That would result in some might odd stuff .



Anyway... about this update... appearantly Willow doesn't have the day off, which is odd. How can she go with Tara doing errants if she's supposed to work ? I know the feeling of a phone ringing when you're half asleep.. best to keep it near your bed OR turn it off, just make the choice



I understand Tara's way of thinking but she activly blocking her own chance at happiness isn't she ? She's basicly denying that it would even be possible, assuming lots of things about Willow. The one hopefull thing was that she wonder IF Willow and Xander were fighting.



I think Tara is over-thinking things a bit. She can't think herself (and Willow) out of the expect Willow/Anya clash. It will just happen and she can't do much about it. Just make a short list of paints and you'll be in and out of that store in under 5 minutes



Good to hear you're getting better/well btw. Keep it up .



Grimmy

--
"You hurt Tara," Willow said too calmly. "The last one who tried that was a god. I made her regret it." -- Unexpected Consequences by Lisa of Nine

[Tempest Duer]

I'm looking forward to an interesting turn of events. Now Willow, being her cutely stubborn self, just won't be able to resist forcing herself to have a polite conversation with Anya. This is goign to be so great.

I got bitten by a drunk lesbian! Does that mean I'll turn into one?



~my friend Mary

[thebardgirl]

*says in very haughty bad british accent*



Oh, hurrah!



This'll take the load off that aweful stretch without a tad tidbit of fanfic.

It was fabulous to read the thoughts of our two heroines...if only for once, they thought them outloud. *sigh*



Looking forward to seeing Anya...*snickerdoodleloo*



And I'm only "crazy," as you call it, when I have a lack of fanfic and the oncoming fear that the whole world's internet system has crashed permanently and I'll never know what happens in the story.





-elizabeth



p.s. *blush blush* Thankyou. Truthfully? I've been secretly pondering how I could go about sketching a scene from this story for over a month now...and just...couldn't think how to put your words through my pencil. So, if you were ever wondering, "Why don't she sketch for me?!" your story sort blew all my creativity out of the water....*sigh* in a wonderfully delicious way, of course. I think I'll reread that last update now. *scampers off*

You shanked my janga ship!

[desertgrl]

Heather, Heather, Heather! Once again a most excellent update. I just love the way you write their thoughts. It is just so real. Their insecurity can be felt in your well-thought, well-crafted writing. The imagery is beautiful. I am quite envious of your talent , and grateful that you choose to share it with humble readers such as myself and my dogs . Thank you. Hope you are feeling better. Take care.

[Reallybigpineapple]

Heather, you cruel, cruel woman... Every update just makes one want MORE goddamit! I don't think my heart can take it for much longer...Do you suppose it would work to sedate myself for a couple of month and then rise from the coma to read it all at once? NO, it frickin' wouldn't, would it, since I LIKE the torture... Bollocks...

You objected last time when I said you were a brilliant writer, but trust me when I say that if you re-read a passage about someone making a cup of coffee for themselves, that's good writing... I luuurrrved it when Willow talked to imaginary Tara about her fears... So sweet... I do it often myself Don't be too hard on Anya, please? I love her to bits... YOU STILL RULE SUPREME Sorry that I go on so much. Ignore me and keep writing...

Les Savy Fav 4-ever!

M.J

[Willster]

Glad to have you back, it wasn' the same without your lovely updates



I hope you feel better. It's that time of the year whever everybody's sick, including me.. But we'll survive the winter!



That was a great update. I expecially enjoyed Willow's dream, it really was cute!



Can't wait to see how it'll go with Anya, anything is to be expected with her.

[JustSkipIt]

Hello Heather,

Well like the rest of the Kitten universe, I'm glad that you're feeling better. Actually I kept seeing notes that said people were sorry that you were sick but never saw the one from you. Confused but took it on the authority. Glad to see you back.



This update...



Well done but such a hard one to read after such a long break. It's an interlude of a sort. Willow dreaming and thinking about Willow and Tara doing the same. Of course Tara does seem to be moving closer to understanding as does Willow. I'm starting to wonder if the pieces of the puzzle will fall into place just as it no longer matters. Quite a funny sense of humor if so. Well done and welcome back. Debra

Sign the ACLU Refuse to Surrender Pledge

"The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” - Martin Luther King

[WillowRulez]

Oh what an update! Every time i think it can't get any better... it does.

Tara preparing Willow's coffee just the way she likes it, so sweet!

I actually started re-reading the story between this and last update... kinda confusing but now i see some things i didn't see before.

Update soon please!!!!!!

"There was always this thing in the back of my head. This, you know, voice, saying, like,’what if things get bad, I mean really bad? And what if you can’t handle it?’

[WillowWise]

Woot, Im glad about the update, its about darn time... -giggles- Just kidding, I really liked the update, and ooo I hope Anya shoots her mouth off, but not about Willow liking Tara and wanting to be 'Orgasm buddies' but the fact that Tara likes Willow and wants to be more than friends, be a nice twist since she knows her friend and can tell when she wants more....



But Woot, great update and I liked that you brought the dreams back!



Aly.

[Artemis]

Yay updatey goodness



You know, I got to the end of this chapter and was suddenly completely stunned to realise that all that'd happened was that Willow and Tara woke up and had coffee. There was so much in the chapter - and none of it repetetive, which is pretty amazing considering how much of Willow and Tara's thoughts have been in every chapter.



Firstly, Willow's dream - I love how her dreams have developed over the course of the story, from that first fantasy-scene one through to now, where they're so integral to what's going on in Willow's head. It's really interesting how she dreams - it's like her subconscious is using dream-Tara as a sounding board, and a conduit for any advice her conscious mind isn't quite getting. Like "you don't really hate her" with Anya - I agree, it's just that Anya can be stupendously annoying and confronting, so it's not easy to get past that on first meeting her. But there must be more to Anya than that, she's Tara's friend and I doubt Tara would stay friends with someone who only tries to get a rise out of people. On some level Willow must realise that too, and through dream-Tara she's communicating that to herself.



Plus, the dreams are a great way to get some lovely hot, tender Willow/Tara lovin' into the story, without skipping past all these pre-hotness chapters. Which gives me the opportunity to do the first 'field test' of my new Neverland Willow/Tara Hotness smiley:



It's also quite amazing how coherent Willow is in her dreams, yet thanks to the set-up of the previous dreams it's perfectly believable. It makes for some great scenes, with her able to discuss her thoughts about Tara with herself.



I'm curious about this situation with Khalil calling about Willow's program - this isn't going to develop into something that keeps Willow from her Tara-time, is it?



Tara making coffee was... well, I don't think I've ever seen such an involved, enjoyable coffee-making scene. I love how every action and motion is there, turning on the stove, boiling the water and so on - it gives a great 'you are there' feel. And it was very sweet how she made Willow's coffee for her, just right



Her thoughts were a little less encouraging, but naturally she's still got the Willow-is-straight problem, and that's not going to change until Willow comes out. I thought it was interesting though that, having started out thinking perhaps Willow was spending time with her out of loneliness, and after she'd chastised herself for starting to hope for a relationship, she was then more unsure of her earlier conclusion. In a situation like that, where she's consciously trying not to think about the possibility of Willow maybe having a more I-love-you-Tara reason for spending time with her, you'd think it'd be tempting for her to just conclude "Yep, loneliness, not at all love", dispiriting as that would be - it'd be a firm conclusion, at least, and that's something. But it seems she's aware, at least subconsciously, that there's more to Willow than that.



It's easy to see why she'd want to 'prime' Willow for meeting Anya again, even though it was incredibly awkward. Standing there while Willow protested her straightness, "No offence Tara", that'd pretty much be Tara's equivalent of Willow seeing her come down from the roof with Morgan and her top re-tied. I wonder how it's going to go with Anya - hopefully no disaster, and if she delivers one of her trademark zingers to Willow, I hope Willow reacts in such a way that Tara's left wondering, not dismayed and heartbroken. It was promising that Willow considered the possibility of her having a knee-jerk 'I'm not gay!' reaction, with Tara standing there - she recognises that that'd be terrible for her chances to build a relationship (even if she doesn't realise what effect it'd have on Tara, and why), and the fact that she's considered that reaction suggests that she'll be able to avoid it if Anya puts her on the spot.



Their exchange about the titles of the paintings was sweet, Willow showing that she understood Tara's insistence on getting the titles right. Oh, and Willow glancing over her shoulder at Tara's swaying departure That's definitely the sign of a great romance, even the simplest things can be so sexy.



Great work, thank you

Chris Cook

Through the Looking-glass

A Willow and Tara for every world.

Edited by: Artemis at: 1/30/05 8:25 am

[outofhabit]

I can not even explain how uber-anxious I was for an update! And then, when I least expect it... bam, you hit us. And, of course, I love it. I found this fic at first on the Looking Glass website and I thought I had stumbled upon a perfect little gem that no one else knew.



Then I finally get my ass over to this board and find out that quite a few other people knew what I did all along; that this is one of the best pieces of fan fiction ever. I am continually amazed by the depth of emotions your writing evokes and the care you take to be true to the characters' personalities. You are a truly superb writer, so thanks for bringing this story to life. The only thing that could possibly make it any better would be some W/T snuggles... but I can be patient.



::twiddles thumbs while "being patient"::



Thanks again!