I finally got the chance to start reading this (I had mid-terms and birthday parties), and I have to say, you've swayed me. I had a squick around Dawn before I read this, and I tried to figure out why. I think it's because in canon she's so infantilized. But really, she's the same age as Buffy was with Angel.
And what's swayed me is your characterization. Dawn is a fully-formed person, as opposed to a plot device. your Dawn is better than canon's. I actually like your Dawn!
This is perfectly in character and believable: “I’m the deviant?? You’re the one with the pervy skin mags!” She paused in front of the entry to the hallway. “Dear Penthouse,” she pretended to read, “I’m a single unemployed vampire, and…”
Nicely snarky and plot-hingey. And the beginning was so eloquently sad. Love your non-AU, unsouled Spike. like here:
"spoke longingly of times when he didn’t have to worry about sickness and death other than inventive ways to inflict it."
and here:
"About the ways that he missed the Slayer and loved her and hated her, and about how it was right somehow that she was at rest again, because she wasn’t happy, those last months. Her secret pain."
He's so well rendered- grieving for love lost, and an amazing hero fallen. So good.
you have a knack for writing so clearly, that the style fades away, leaving just the tale. I can just fall into it, and it carries me along. It feels real. I like the pacing of this, and the glimpses into Spike's inner turmoil. He's spot on, with the soulessness, in his desire for Dawn, yet still holding back, because he's Spike.
Am loving this! I hope to devour the rest tonight.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2006-10-29 08:00 pm (UTC)And what's swayed me is your characterization. Dawn is a fully-formed person, as opposed to a plot device.
your Dawn is better than canon's.I actually like your Dawn!This is perfectly in character and believable: “I’m the deviant?? You’re the one with the pervy skin mags!” She paused in front of the entry to the hallway. “Dear Penthouse,” she pretended to read, “I’m a single unemployed vampire, and…”
Nicely snarky and plot-hingey. And the beginning was so eloquently sad. Love your non-AU, unsouled Spike. like here:
"spoke longingly of times when he didn’t have to worry about sickness and death other than inventive ways to inflict it."
and here:
"About the ways that he missed the Slayer and loved her and hated her, and about how it was right somehow that she was at rest again, because she wasn’t happy, those last months. Her secret pain."
He's so well rendered- grieving for love lost, and an amazing hero fallen. So good.
you have a knack for writing so clearly, that the style fades away, leaving just the tale. I can just fall into it, and it carries me along. It feels real. I like the pacing of this, and the glimpses into Spike's inner turmoil. He's spot on, with the soulessness, in his desire for Dawn, yet still holding back, because he's Spike.
Am loving this! I hope to devour the rest tonight.
thanks for sharing!