Death's Second Self, Part 3 of 3

[desoto_hia873]

Title: Death's Second Self, Part 3 of 3
Setting: BtVS S5, post-The Gift
Word count: 2197 (this part)
Rating: PG-13
Written for adecadeofbuffy.
Disclaimer: Joss likes fanfic. He said so.

Hugs and smooches to flurblewig for making this better than it was.

Comments

[red_satin_doll]

Here from rahirah's rec - and from su_herald's link to her rec (which may explain how you got so many comments to this chap?) Also, new Buffy fan here (as in, less than a year), and this was new to me. THIS was one of the most chilling post The Gift and/or Buffy becomes a vampire fics I've read. One-setting stories can be tricky, especially more than one chapter of same) but this is perfect for it. It's like a stage set, but also clausterphobic - the reader, like Dawn and Spike, have very limited options.

The reference to Faith's line is PERFECT. I often think of those very words when watching Buffy in Smashed, etc; and my fanwank is that being inside Faith's body in WAY had lasting effects down the line (just as being inside Buffy's body affected Faith and probably is what started her on the road to redemption - very literally, when she leaves Sunnydale on the train.)

And the demon's obsession with finding and killing Dawn is really brilliant here. The only other story I've seen that in specifically is snowpuppies' "Fracture" and Buffy isn't a

[desoto_hia873]

Wow. You leave great feedback!! Thank you so much!

I like your fanwank about the body switching--I hadn't thought about it that way. My motivation for having Buffy go after Dawn was different than what you said, but I like what you said! I haven't written all that much, but it's always interesting to hear what others see in what I've done. Makes me feel brilliant. ;-)

I think I have to go and read "Fracture" now.

[red_satin_doll]

You're welcome! I worry I overdo it with the comments. I need to pare back. (There's a lot of stories that I don't leave feedback for because they leave me "meh", so usually when I do it's something I've really enjoyed. So much fic, so little time

[desoto_hia873]

You don't need to pare back your comments! Every fic, no matter how short, represents so much time invested--I've spent days writing 100-word drabbles. Long feedback like yours is the best reward!

I lovelovelove Faith's arc in BtVS S4 and AtS S1. It is without question one of my favourite parts of the two series. Eliza Dushku was born to play that role, and everyone involved in those episodes hit a home run. I cry every time I watch them, and I have watched them a lot"Believe the tale and not the teller." I like that. I really haven't written all that much, and I'm not claiming any real brilliance, but I'm surprised at how much of what I have written comes from somewhere other than the conscious part of me. People, like you, point out things that I didn't know were in there. I even find things I didn't know were in there myself when I go back and read them months or years later. Curious

[timeofchange]

You posted new fic! Thank you! It's wonderful and intense and I love it.

[desoto_hia873]

I did! Believe me, no one is more surprised than me. I've even been working on my other WIP. Clearly the apocalypse is nigh.

Thanks for the nice words! Great to see the little white dog again. :-)

[red_satin_doll]

Thanks for the friend request, I've friended back!

[desoto_hia873]

I just saw! And I just wrote you an answer that's even longer than your comment. :-) Best BtVS conversation I've had in years!

[red_satin_doll]

*attempts best willow voice* That's what I do! I just saw your nifty comments (comments are love) and will have to answer tomorrow.

[spikesjojo]

Wow - amazing. Loved the way you managed to use so many of Buffy's quirks, speech patterns - but even more you touched on that core of ruthlessness Buffy has as the Slayer. It's the purest tragedy for Spike - so horrific to have to realize this was a demon like his mother had been. Even worse, when , he sired his mother when he was nothing more than a fledge - now he knows more, his eyes are clear even if his heart is breaking

And Dawn - pure terror!

You know, I wonder if Dawn's blood would be special?

[desoto_hia873]

Thank you! Vamp!Buffy was a lot of fun and surprisingly easy to write. Good question about Dawn's blood. I'll have to think about that.

[comlodge]

I just stumbled on this going through spikes_fic. I fess I am not a fan of vamped Buffy or any of the scoobies but this story is so excellent. Such a heartbreaker for Spike. A repeat of his tragic turning of his mum. Vamp Buffy is so like Angelus, single minded delight in the monstrosity of being a vampire. Her pursuit of Dawn, her reasoning ;

“I finally get why vampires go after those who were closest to them first,” And in the next sentence, the same misunderstanding of Spike that she had when alive:

"I bet you did the same thing to your family, didn’t you?” She could not have said anything better to remind Spike of his promise.

'Her scent was the only thing left of the woman he’d loved. He wouldn’t be able to hold on to that, either.' Such a very Spike thing to do and think.

Poor Spike. He sure is unique in the vampire world.

[desoto_hia873]

Ooo--unexpected nice review! Thanks so much!

'Her scent was the only thing left of the woman he’d loved. He wouldn’t be able to hold on to that, either.'

That's actually a sort-of shout-out to another one of my fics. I don't have a 'verse, and the stories don't fit together in any way, but it amuses me to reference myself. :-)

[comlodge]

Well now I am just have to go find that fic 'cos I quite liked that line:D

[desoto_hia873]

The fic is Balm, and it's here: http://desoto-hia873.livejournal.com/17619.html . It was my second-ever fic, and the first of three that centred around events from The Gift. As I said, none of them are related to one another, but I stole bits and pieces of Balm for the other ones, just because it amused me. :-)