liz_marcs: Jeff and Annie in Trobed's bathroom during Remedial Chaos Theory (Default)
liz_marcs ([personal profile] liz_marcs) wrote2004-11-10 10:13 pm

Living History (COMPLETE!)

Special thanks to [livejournal.com profile] puguita for the icon. She's the web mistress of the Xander-centric archive Map of the Human Heart. Go, visit. It's one of the best collections of Xander-centric stories on the Web with nary a bash-y fic in sight. It's one of my feel-good stops and I'm thrilled she's updating the site again. Hopefully, Living History will be archived there very soon. I just need to read through all my files to make sure they're reasonably free of typos.

Even though in Living History Xander has a fake eye replacing the patch, I couldn't resist using this icon for the final part.

This is it. The end. Finito. I'll be sort of off line tomorrow since I have to make sure the beginning of [livejournal.com profile] nwhepcat's fic is in order. *sigh* Yes, WiP again. That's because I've already hit 100 pages on it. Because I'm stupid. And complicated.

It's something of a loose follow up to Living History, although you don't have to read this story to understand the b-day fic. It merely takes place in the same universe that starts with Whisper and moves on to Living History.

Once again, thank you all. I honestly will try to answer comments on the last two parts this weekend.

Screening anonymous comments are off for this post.

Also, in celebration for this being the end, this is the second disc of the Living History soundtrack. You have seven days to download the tracks. I'll post a warning for both Disc One and Disc Two the day before each one expires. Let me know if there are problems with the links.

Instructions to Get the Music

  • Click on the song title just like you would any other link.
  • Click on the link that will download the file.
  • A dialog box will come up. Follow the instructions there.

  1.  It's My Life by Talk Talk (Xander's Discovery Theme)
  2.  Nightswimming by R.E.M. (Catherine's Theme)
  3.  Don't Walk Away by Pat Benatar (Dawn's Theme with Buffy and Xander)
  4.  Bouncing Around the Room (Live) by Phish (Snake's Theme)
  5.  What's the Frequency Kenneth? by R.E.M. (Willow's Insanity Theme)
  6.  A Sorta Fairytale by Tori Amos (Faith's Theme)
  7.  When I Am King by Great Big Sea (Buffy's and Xander's Reconciliation Theme)
  8.  Wonderwall by Oasis (Faith's and Xander's Theme)
  9.  Ordinary Day by Vanessa Carlton (Catherine's and Xander's Theme)
  10.  Black Balloon by The Goo Goo Dolls (J'Nal's and Willow's Theme)
  11.  Someday by Nickelback (Giles's Theme)
  12.  As Cool As I Am by Dar Williams (Kennedy's Theme)
  13.  Time Passes By by Kathy Mattea (Rona's Theme)
  14.  My Father's Shoes by Cliff Eberhardt (Xander's Theme)
  15.  Time of Your Life (Good Riddance) [Acoustic] by Green Day (Willow's Theme)
  16.  Send It Up by Vertical Horizon (Scoobs' Closing Theme)
  17.  Am I Here Yet? by Billie Meyers (Closing Theme)

You know the drill:

Up to Part 66 is here.

Up to Part 69 is here.

 

Continued from Part 69.

Part 70: In the End A New Beginning

 

The last day was a laid-back affair.

J’Nal managed to convince Andrew to let him have a Cling-On lexicon, making sure to stress how very important it was to have it since Cling-On may be the future’s last, best hope to rescue the universe. Andrew was hooked, lined, and sinkered into turning it over, although J’Nal had to sit through a brief lesson in how to properly speak the language and use the book.

Willow and Giles managed to convince Catherine to part with her family journal and the letter—the one that was made public—so they could do something called “zerocks.” Once they explained that “zerocksing” meant electronically copying the pages they could see in the journal and the letter explaining about the future for future reference, Catherine let them have both after she extracted a promise that she’d get them back.

Dawn showed up with something called “disposable kammerraz” and made the Cleveland crew and Catherine’s team stand together in groups while she snapped away. She disappeared after she had consumed three of these boxes, only to return a few hours later and hand a stack of images to Catherine’s people with a promise that she didn’t make copies for the present-day people.

Catherine’s team oooed and aaahhhed over the likenesses. Catherine knew she biased, but she thought the best one was the one with her in the middle grinning like a fool with Alexander and Faith on either side of her. Faith had her dimpled, cheeky grin and Alexander seemed on the verge of laughing.

Hunh. She had his smile. She never noticed that before. Looks an awful lot like family, she thought. Catherine’s caution kicked in and she removed the picture from general view by shoving it in her pocket and hiding it until the images were packed away.

All in all, there was a lot of low-key happy natter and chatter, exactly the kind of thing she’d expect after a hard mission.

As the sun set, the time finally came for the household to trudge back to the alley where Catherine and her people made their entrance. At first Catherine was a little nervous that the crowd would attract attention, but she decided that she didn’t care.

Charlie had the Grail, the letters, the likenesses, and Catherine’s family journal tucked in a bag that was slung over his shoulders. Tikri had her MemePad up and recording the good-bye for posterity. J’Nal nervously paced as he concentrated on the spell back home.

“We need to say good-bye,” Ruda said as she tugged on Catherine’s coat.

“I hate long good-byes,” Charlie good-naturedly grumbled as he approached the Cleveland group one last time to do the grip and grin. Catherine noticed he paused to exchange a few words with Alexander, Faith, and Giles, probably offering encouragement about their search for the Polgar Syndrome cure.

J’Nal was a little more reserved, opting to merely wave and smile, although he did make it his business to stand before his ca-Rosenberg, cross his arms over his chest, and bow deeply at the waist to show his respect and acknowledge her superior place in his universe.

Catherine bit her lip to keep from laughing when Willow blew Prima tradition out of the water by clumsily copying J’Nal’s actions. She had no idea that the proper response was to simply accept it with a nod. The icing on the cake was when Willow hugged a shocked J’Nal, whispered something in his ear, and planted a kiss on his cheek.

As J’Nal dreamily retreated past Catherine, the Watcher Honoria couldn’t resist. “Went well?”

“She bowed to me. She bowed to me,” he said with wonder.

“What did she say?” Catherine asked.

J’Nal’s white teeth flashed in his smile. “She said thank you. To me.”

“Go get the spell started, you big old mush,” Catherine teased.

J’Nal’s head was obviously still full of cotton since he did what Catherine said without complaining that he wasn’t a mush.

Tikri was busy glad-handing the Cleveland group when Catherine stepped forward. First she approached Alexander and shuffled, not quite sure what to say.

He surprised her by engulfing her in a hug. “It was nice meeting you Catherine,” he said.

“It was good meeting you…Xander,” Catherine said back.

He leaned back so he could look at her, but didn’t let her go. She thought his smile would split his face in two and his hazel eyes both the real and the fake one seemed to sparkle in the dim light. “Xander. Much better.”

She could feel her own smile as she answered, “Yeah. I think so, too.” Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Faith standing with her hands in her pockets and fidgeting. She held out an arm to the Slayer and said, “Come here, you.”

“You’re a hugger, hunh?” Faith asked.

Catherine reached out and pulled Faith into the combined embrace of herself and Alex—no, Xander, she’ll have to remember that—and said, “It was good meeting you too, Faith.”

Faith stiffened for a moment before finally relaxing into the hug. “Back atchya.” she murmured.

Looks like family. Feels like family,

Catherine thought as she allowed herself a moment to enjoy it.


She reluctantly broke away from them. While she wasn’t all that surprised to see Xander blushing around his smile, the fact that Faith was blushing around her dimpled grin was a shock, a nice shock, but still a shock.

She turned to the next person in line only to come eyeball-to-eyeball with an amused-looking Dawn. “We all going to get one of those? Or do we have to be —rah-sens to get one?”

“Dawn!” Xander exclaimed.

“She’s right.” Catherine forced herself to look comically serious. “There’s enough of me for everyone.”

Which is how Catherine ended up hugging almost everyone in the Cleveland crew. When she finally reached Robin, she stopped.

He shook his head with a grin and said, “It’s fine. You don’t have to hug me.”

Catherine studied him a moment. “I know your family. Well, sort of. I’ll tell them I met you.”

Robin started, although Catherine wasn’t sure if it was because he was surprised he had descendants, or that she admitted to knowing he had descendants, or if it was because she said she’d contact them about him.

“Try not to be too hard on me, hunh?” he said lightly.

“I’ll tell them the truth,” Catherine promised. “I will say that you are a brave and honorable man who passionately believes in the mission.”

A beatific smile spread across Robin’s face. “Thank you. That’s all anyone can ask for.” He held out his hand for her to shake.

“You’re welcome,” she said quietly as she gripped his hand momentarily before turning away.

In the meantime, Ruda was engaged in a flurry of hugs with everyone in the Cleveland group, but when she got to Buffy she stopped short. As Buffy nervously shuffled from one foot to the next, Ruda drew herself up to her full height and, with as much dignity as she could muster, formally stuck out her right hand.

Buffy looked at it a moment, as if not sure what it meant. The gaze traveled from hand to face. Whatever Ruda’s expression, it prompted a warm million-dollar California smile from the blonde Slayer as she just as formally reached out and grasped the proffered peace offering.

Since formality and Ruda were at the best of times nodding acquaintances, the dark-haired girl engulfed Buffy in a lingering hug before bouncing to Catherine’s side. Through the whole business Buffy’s grin didn’t dim one jot and even widened when she saw the Watcher Honoria place an arm around her charge.

“J’Nal says everyone needs to back up a little,” Charlie announced.

The Cleveland crew shuffled a few steps back.

Catherine could hear J’Nal’s chanting rise in tone and pitch behind her until there was a distinct sound of a pop followed by a subsonic roar. She turned around and saw the swirling pool of pure light hanging in midair. She could swear that she could see home on the other side despite the glare.

J’Nal got to his feet. “I’ll anchor us. Hopefully the ride won’t be as rough as the last time.” With a final wave at the Cleveland group, he stepped into the portal without looking back.

“C’mon,” Ruda said as she grabbed Tikri. “I’ll make sure we don’t get too bruised.”

“All systems ready, back to the future we go,” the witnesser agreed as she stepped through the portal arm-in-arm with the Slayer.

Catherine Anastasia Harris-Lanoire-rah paused and took a final glance back, eyes searching the Cleveland group until she found the particular two people she was looking for.

She couldn’t help it.

She wildly waved.

And yes, her heart skipped a beat when those very two people waved back.

“Will you miss this?” Charlie asked.

“No,” Catherine firmly said as she turned back to the portal.

“Are you disappointed?” Charlie asked.

An illuminating grin—her inheritance from across a few hundred generations and a few hundred light years—spread across the Watcher Honoria’s face.

“Never,” she softly replied.

And then she stepped into the light.

END

[identity profile] nikitangel.livejournal.com 2004-11-11 03:58 am (UTC)(link)
I'm typing this while trying very hard not to look at the tempting words above. I am very very behind on this fic, but I'm so glad that you've finished it and someday I WILL catch up and glory in it with you :-)

[identity profile] liz-marcs.livejournal.com 2004-11-11 04:42 am (UTC)(link)
Heeee! Thanks.

But if you want Muzak, you only got seven days to get it. :-)

Liz...

[identity profile] http://users.livejournal.com/_finn_/ 2004-11-11 04:07 am (UTC)(link)
Thank you for your work, your time, your story. This has been one of the most entertaining rides in fanfiction, and Living History should be placed as a MustRead for any BtVS fan.

I love the fact that despite your admitted dislike of certain characters, there was no bashing in this fic, a feat hardly seen in fanfic nowadays and refreshing for its usage.

You have expanded our views on minor characters, building them up with stories, and histories to be almost as fully fleshed out as the main characters. You have presented a plot, that normally can be quite confusing in terms of using time travel, with a resolution that makes sense and works. You have created original characters that although, are original, have traits that breed true.

In short, you have written a story worthy of the bards.

Bravo, Brava, Bravura.

Re: Liz...

[identity profile] liz-marcs.livejournal.com 2004-11-11 04:41 am (UTC)(link)
Thank you very much. Especially the make sense part. There were times I had to walk away from the story and go back and read to make sure that it still made sense after not writing it.

What helped is that I wrote backwards (the end first). I'm pretty sure it's the only way you *can* write a time-travel story. At least it kept me focused on all the different story threads for all the characters.

But, I want to especially thank you for the praise on the not-bashing part. I know bashing drives me positively up the wall. I worked very, very hard on it and it was probably the hardest part of doing this right.

Thank you for reading and for hanging in there. I know it was a long wait to the end.
gloss: woman in front of birch tree looking to the right (series)

[personal profile] gloss 2004-11-11 04:25 am (UTC)(link)
Congratulations on finishing!

Thanks also for the link to Map...; I'd never heard of it before. I live in a strange, strange Xandery world apparently.

[identity profile] liz-marcs.livejournal.com 2004-11-11 04:35 am (UTC)(link)
But you live in the Oz/Xander world! That's a nice world! *pats world*

My brother who's not a huge slash fan even agrees with me: Xander/Oz really work on a lot of levels. *He* does not read slash. But he reads Xander/Oz slash because he thinks it makes canon sense.

*heh*

Not so strage. More like fuzzy and warm like a blank-y. I just can't write slash to save my soul.
gloss: woman in front of birch tree looking to the right (dude o/x)

[personal profile] gloss 2004-11-11 04:44 am (UTC)(link)
It's a very small world. Which fits Oz, I guess, and somehow Xander folds himself up to fit, too.

But, dude. It's like...*counts on fingers*...six of us? I think. And our Xander, whoever he is, does not seem to appeal to the regular Xander fan. So I'm psyched as hell to hear that it makes sense to other people.

I shall read LH as soon as I can. Mmm, Faith.

[identity profile] http://users.livejournal.com/_finn_/ 2004-11-11 05:56 am (UTC)(link)
What?

Xoz is so the comfort food of Buffyslash. It's the warm comfy afghan on a cold day next to the fire playing softly on the guitar. I love it cause Oz is just so quiet and calm, and while Xander can be more energetic, he sort of wraps himself around Oz and nothing more need to be said...

Xoz just gives me the warm fuzzies.

All Good Things...

[identity profile] nocturnalista.livejournal.com 2004-11-11 04:30 am (UTC)(link)
I really didn't want this to end. It was wonderful from start to finish.

Thank you.

Re: All Good Things...

[identity profile] liz-marcs.livejournal.com 2004-11-11 04:36 am (UTC)(link)
Thank you for reading.

I'm glad you stuck through the long ride. I know it wasn't easy.

[identity profile] silly-dan.livejournal.com 2004-11-11 04:57 am (UTC)(link)
Thanks for the great story!

(waits for another)

[identity profile] othercat.livejournal.com 2004-11-11 05:35 am (UTC)(link)
This? Was *very* damn good. ((Though, I'm *dreadfully* curious about how successful the Future!Scoobies will be with their apocalypse. Loved this fic to pieces.))

[identity profile] hpchick.livejournal.com 2004-11-11 05:41 am (UTC)(link)
Thank you for this story. I'm so sad to see it end.

I love the universes created by you, nwhepcat, huzzlewhat, and annakovsky. There's a part of me that hopes that ME never uses the character of Xander again. The less we know about him post-Chosen, the easier it is for me to believe that he is in Cleveland wigging out over the fact that he is now a Watcher and has to work with Faith. I just don't trust ME with Xander. He's much better off it your hands.

Trusting ME

[identity profile] keith5by5.livejournal.com 2004-11-11 08:35 am (UTC)(link)
The way ME went over the last few years I wouldn't trust them with any of the chars. The only one who got a decent ending was Cordy who died to put Angel back on the path, the rest.....

Anyway, great story Liz (but you knew that).

Anymore Where Fools Go?

[identity profile] midnightsjane.livejournal.com 2004-11-11 05:41 am (UTC)(link)
**sighs, closes book reluctantly.**
Damn, that was good. Mom, will you read it to me again? :)
Liz, this will take its place in my library on the shelf marked "favourite stories". It's one I know I will return to again, and again. FYI, I print out the stories I really enjoy; there is something about having them on paper that I like. This one fills a huge 3 ring binder. I'm going to have to get bigger bookshelves...
Thanks for writing this. I'm looking forward to reading the semi-sequel.

LIving History Complete

(Anonymous) 2004-11-11 06:34 am (UTC)(link)
I am sorry it’s over. Outstanding story. A nice simple plot with lots of complicated story getting from the beginning to the end.

The original characters grew and expanded and got the chance to begin to get over the shock and loss of Sunnydale to where they heal and move forward or begin moving forward again. Characters that were originally pretty much “cannon fodder”, the rookies like Kennedy, Rona and Vi, finally got some real development and became “real” people. Your original characters came out of the gate as fully realized, 3 dimensional people, with their own strengths, weaknesses and pre-conceptions, about themselves, about the past.

In an earlier review someone said you made it possible to like certain characters again after what had been done to them especially in S6 & S7 and to not actively dislike certain other characters as much as they had previously. I agree and also with what you said about there not being a real villain in the story. I liked that you told a great story without bashing anyone. Perhaps that could be turned around and say that by not bashing anyone you were able to tell a great story.

There is something missing and thinking about it, I saw it as an opportunity. In a shorter story (oh..say less than 70 parts), what happens after Catherine & Co. step out of the portal 834 years in the future. Not with the grail and the ‘Great Evil’, but with the things you hinted at in the story.

Things like the letterhead with the 6 seals and Catherine’s new name. How the various organizations responded to the first hand information, interviews, etc., of the various “Founders” and what they did with it. How the team members were responded to by individuals and the organizations. How the old families like the Harris-Lanoire’s reacted and what is in the hidden journals.

Just a thought.

Anyway great story and I can’t wait for the follow-up(s).
ext_27865: (Default)

[identity profile] uninvitedcat.livejournal.com 2004-11-11 08:59 am (UTC)(link)
I just have to say a huge "Thank you!" This has been an excellent read from start to finish. You have told a fascinating story with wonderful characters, and I've enjoyed every chapter of it!

[identity profile] butterflykiki.livejournal.com 2004-11-11 10:10 am (UTC)(link)
Wicked.
Cool.
Wonderful.
Over? Wahhhhh...!

*sigh* Great job, Lizbeth. Loved every minute of it, but something about those last few chapters just felt even better; the brakes going on the roller-coaster, and you know the ride's almost over, so you pay even more attention, so you don't miss any of it.

I *heart* all your versions of the BtVS characters, and I want to hug Catherine, stubborness, biases, Harris-Lanoire inherited insanity and all. Kudos to Willow for breathing through the knowledge of what the future probably still will be; hugs to Dawn, for not calling them all on it. And I adore your Giles, adore adore, and envy Zoe, whoever she is, for what she's getting. You made me like *Kennedy*, who always struck me as extraneous, damnit.

I, like the reader above, would love to see the reactions at the other side of time to the new infor that the team brings back... but I understand if that's not possible.

*throws popcorn, confetti, and streamers at you*

Kudos for finishing this monster, Liz. Gonna rec it everywhere I can tomorrow.

[identity profile] ffutures.livejournal.com 2004-11-11 11:35 am (UTC)(link)
A wonderful end to a wonderful story. Leaves me wanting MUCH more. Started re-reading last night, got through about 25 chapters, it's still about the best pure BtVS story I can remember.

Were you serious about a possible sequel?

[identity profile] booster17.livejournal.com 2004-11-11 11:45 am (UTC)(link)
*deep sigh*

It's over. Finally over, and just like all the best stories you never want it to end. But it has a ending that works for everyone and at the same time comes to that natural finish. The only thing you can do then is flip back to page one, and enjoy it all over again.

Thank you for taking the beaten down Scoobies from the end of season 7 and fixing them up, dusting them up and setting them back up on their feet again. And all without bashing any characters.

Thank you for exploring the minor characters so well, lighting them up with personalities, quirks and making them human. Exploring Rona's background, Vi's future and making me like Kennedy dammit!

Thank you for creating one of the most fun bunches of time travelers ever - each with their own hang-ups, screwed up perceptions of the past, and letting them loose to play in our playground. Ruda's bounce and obvious joy in what she does, Catherine's heart and winning smile, Charlie's glee at being able to help and Tikri's fast brain and inquisitive nature. Thank you for making them just as flawed as our bunch of heroes.

Thank you for a roller-coaster ride of fun, chills, plot twists, humour and glimpses into the future. You've made me laugh, you've made me fret, you've made me think.

It's been a great, great ride.

Thanks, Liz.

[identity profile] norwegianne.livejournal.com 2004-11-11 12:16 pm (UTC)(link)
It truly is a great story.

And I'm so pleased that it got the ending it deserved. It felt right, somehow.

Now, I have to go reread it all, again, you know...
ext_11766: credit mara_sho @ livejournal (Default)

[identity profile] mara-sho.livejournal.com 2004-11-11 07:11 pm (UTC)(link)
I don't know what to say that won't sound like a pale echo of what everyone else has already said.

I didn't want this story to ever end, but it was a natural ending and it was done beautifully.

I will miss Catherine, Ruda, Tikri, J'Nal, Charlie. I'll miss the little skipped beat my heart always does when I see a new part of Living History posted, I'll miss this. More than you'll know.

Great story, fantastic story, I can't say enough good things about this story. It's just... breathtaking.

Thank you.

(Anonymous) 2004-11-11 08:56 pm (UTC)(link)
Finishing a great book is always sad. Now what do I have to look forward to, you have ruined me for almost all other fanfiction.

Great way to end it all though, happy and a little sad with questions left unanswered. *sigh* Nothing deep to add just thank you for many months of great reading.

-Andrew

(Anonymous) 2004-11-11 08:57 pm (UTC)(link)
Finishing a great book is always sad. Now what do I have to look forward to, you have ruined me for almost all other fanfiction.

Great way to end it all though, happy and a little sad with questions left unanswered. *sigh* Nothing deep to add just thank you for many months of great reading.

-Andrew

[identity profile] smhwpf.livejournal.com 2004-12-07 03:00 am (UTC)(link)
Just finished Living History and just Added you, hope you don't mind! (I was pointed in your direction by the lovely [livejournal.com profile] mara_sho.)

Absolutely loved every minute of it. :) Screamingly funny, really liked what you did with the characters, as well as a bunch of well-rounded, believable and likeable new characters - and the musings on history, myth and life in the last several chapters really sent shivers down my spine. I am truly in awe. (I also read Whisper, beautiful, had my eyes watering in several places.)

Living History

[identity profile] herewiss13.livejournal.com 2004-12-08 06:11 am (UTC)(link)
Ye Gods! You have to put a warning on this fic. Something along the lines of "Do not start reading this story after sunset unless you want to still be at your computer at sunrise." Nearly seven straight hours of addiction, followed by maybe six of mandatory slumber and then up again for a last 3-4 glorious hours of reading and then it's OVER! I've been hooked bad by fics before, but it's been a looooooong time since I've gotten this caught up with one.

"Living History" is, in my experience, the best example of a "future canon" story since Alicia McKenzie took on her gi-normous Cable & the X-men arc. While smaller in scale than that, your work may have even greater character development. Truly gorgeous stuff.

I ran into this fic via NWhepcat, who's mentioned the sequel in her blog (the sequel is also excellent, btw, and works perfectly fine as a stand-alone, as I'd no idea a prequel existed until you mentioned time-travellers in chapter 12). NWHepcat was the last author I friended based solely upon their work and I have not been disappointed. I hope you don't mind if I friend you for the same reasons and with the same high expectations.

Besides the B5 episode "Deconstruction of Falling Stars", I found the language of "The Remembering" (a most striking passage in a striking work) also reminded me a great deal of Diane Duane's stories...especially where her characters encounter a particular Deity or Immanence. It's a cadence that carries a great deal of power and, again, I commend you on your skillful use of it.

Aside from the current story of Xander-knapping, I hope you continue to pursue stories this timeline. You've established such a richly detailed (and yet open) historical outline with such vividly conceptualized characters, both major and minor, that it'd be both a shame and a waste to abandon it all. Vi and Kennedy and Dawn all deserve to come into the potential you've given them. Andrew needs to blossom into the enigma you've described and Xander and Faith...well, they just deserve a break, don't they!? All the episodes and apocalypses you touched on hold enough promise to merit further exploration.

So, in conclusion, I thank you for a sleepless night and the promise of more sleepness nights in the future. Well done.

[identity profile] waleli.livejournal.com 2005-06-06 11:05 pm (UTC)(link)
This story has taken me so long to read seeing my schedule has been so crazy and now that it's done I actually had tears in my eyes....this was amazing. You are such an amazing writer and i can't tell you what a joy it has been to read this. You capture the essence of the characters so well, and your description is amazing. I could see what was going on in my head almost as though I had a television screen in front of my face. You should be nominated for every writing award there is!!!!!

[identity profile] nandibble.livejournal.com 2005-08-21 11:26 pm (UTC)(link)
An excellent and thoughtful tale. Thanks for alerting me to its existence, Liz. I rarely (if ever) read over at FanFiction.net, so I would not have known of this earlier and substantial work except for your mention and link.

Your characterization, dialogue, and vivid realization of scenes are all excellent. And I now see how many of the themes of "Living History" are reappearing in "Water Hold Me Down." I look forward to seeing more of your work, whether new or old from my perspective.

[identity profile] jedishadowolf.livejournal.com 2006-05-05 03:56 am (UTC)(link)
Thanks to the [livejournal.com profile] rec50 community I found your fic. My goodness you are an amazing writer and I absolutely love your characterizations. They are in line with everything I enjoyed about cannon Buffy and so much more fulfilling than what we were left with. It's lovely to see how their story continued. I can't wait to read more of your work. Bravo.

[identity profile] alixtii.livejournal.com 2006-11-05 10:46 pm (UTC)(link)
Spent yesterday and today re-reading this (yes, pretty much ALL of the weekend) and yeah, I teared up at very many stages of the way, but I was outright crying by the end (and not at the line I would have expected to!). Thank you again.

Still loving Living History

(Anonymous) 2007-03-21 11:06 am (UTC)(link)
Well I just spent the better part of the last 16 hours re-reading LH for about the eleventy-billionth time and it's still wicked cool. I'm marginally concerned that saving all 70 chapters to hd and cd goes against your no-archiving without permission policy so I'm formally asking... just in case.

What, more than anything else, stood out to me most in this re-reading was how the individuals of the future team seemed to mirror Scoobies past and present. Ms. Tikri, for example, was very much the Cordelia-behind-the-Queen C-mask and her thing with Charlie was so very Xander-Cordy that I'm surprised none of the Scoobies mentioned it. Of course she also shared that Dawn-Xander moment with Cathrine. Way cool btw.

My question is, were the parallels deliberate or were the incidental? My cat-murdering curiosity demands satisfaction.

D
next_to_normal: (SNL Palin/Clinton)

[personal profile] next_to_normal 2008-10-29 11:38 pm (UTC)(link)
Hi there, me again with the random popping up on your journal. Props to you, by the way, for being able to write epic-length fics - I just looked back and couldn't even remember how long ago I started reading this fic, but you had me hooked for however many weeks it took. :)

I've been admiring the way you've used unreliable narrators in your other fics, and this whole story feels like a meta commentary on the concept, illustrating how things get remembered and passed on, and how it all comes down to perspective. It makes me want to a. write a fic with an unreliable narrator, and b. think more about thematic stuff like that in my own writing.

Also, I *heart* your theory on time travel. It's one that's always made the most sense to me (others often make my head all spinny), the concept of going back in time not to change what happened, but because you've already DONE it, and you have to go back to make things happen the way you know they happened, so the future turns out the way it's supposed to. I'm a Red Dwarf fan, too, so I definitely see that influence, where they know pieces of the future, but not how they'll get there, and often, their attempts to avoid the future end up making it happen anyway.

Random question, which I know most authors hate, but I'm going to ask it anyway - are the other fics in the Whisperverse abandoned? I noticed they were WIPs from a few years ago, which makes me sad because "Water Hold Me Down" has got me really, really interested.
katekat: (xander - pretty man)

[personal profile] katekat 2010-03-15 03:47 am (UTC)(link)
*waves* hi! I'm dropping by for two purposes. the first is to thank you for writing something so absolutely splendid that I was up until 4 in the morning devouring every word. You have such a talent at not only building worlds but giving them weight in nuanced and complex ways - I adore the mythic post-history you created for the future team and for the characters themselves. And this drew me in despite myself (as I tend not to go for gen). You do such an amazing job of delicately *beginning* to resolve emotional issues between the Sunnydale characters, leaving none of them out, and I particularly adored the way you also didn't tie things up on a bow in really honest ways (like with Xander & Willow's relationship, which we see rebuilding itself but not in a finished form, and the seeds of Robin Wood becoming the man who left a different legacy, etc.)

The second, is that I open up these graphic posts where people can ask for banners to be created for their favorite fics, and [livejournal.com profile] martzin requested one for Living History. I was absolutely lost in all the best ways in that fic, an I only hope the poster does it a little justice!



Thank you again for writing it (even if it has been many years since it was finished!) and I hope you like the poster!

[identity profile] liz-marcs.livejournal.com 2010-03-15 01:43 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, my God! That's beautiful!

Thank you so much for this! Even if someone else asked you to do it. :-)

And thank you for the high praise for my writing. It means a lot, especially when people who don't normally read gen enjoy my writing.

The funny thing is, I just recently found the soundtrack I had created for this fic (I had thought it lost in a computer crash and it turned out I had stored it on back-up media) and was toying with re-uploading it.

The problem? No art. Puguita left fandom (and I think LJ completely) so I had no way to ask permission.

Would you be okay if I used this instead for the art to go with it? To be honest, I really love this cover you created and it would be fantastic if I could include it with credit for the soundtrack.

Either way, thank you so much for this!
katekat: (xander - pretty man)

[personal profile] katekat 2010-03-16 02:53 am (UTC)(link)
Oh YAY! I'm so pleased you like it! And you are very welcome - I was so worried - it's very hard to try and create an image to represent such an immense story with such great arcs.

And I'd be absolutely *delighted* if you wanted to use it for the soundtrack art! Would you prefer a version that lists the track names or anything? I can fairly easily & quickly modify the text if you'd like. Just let me know if you'd like any modifications.

You are very welcome! I'm just delighted you're happy with it.

[identity profile] vitruvian23.livejournal.com 2011-04-20 07:38 pm (UTC)(link)
Okay, now how on Earth did I never read this story until now? Absolutely fantastic...