The Girl from Away
Wow I could feel the angst vibrating through the story line. I loved the insight into Buffy's thoughts on her acceptance of being stuck in the new dimension and the entire conversation between Faith and her. Great chapter. Really looking forward to the next.
Author's Response:Thank you so much! :) Buffy's reaction was outwardly less severe than Alt-Faith's was, but I think internally she's just as devastated. :( Why did I write such a sad story again?? Haha.
Moar plz.
Read the companion piece to this on BnF and loved it.
Author's Response:Thank you!! :) More coming.
Very good, its a pity no one supported Faith like they did alt-Buffy, its no wonder she had a mental breakdown and went rogue. Good story, now dammit I have to wait a week for the next one. haha
Author's Response:Haha, the week is almost over now though!! :D Thank you very much. I agree, it was horrible to watch Faith's downfall on the show (although compelling too, obviously). I wish she'd had support.
I'm loving this story and it's companion. Please keep up the good work.
Author's Response:Thank you, I will certainly try!! :D
Another great update. Everyone's reaction to Willow trying to get Buffy back is true to charrchter. I wonder if Willow will try without Buffy's knowledge. Faith finally knowing the truth was well written I can't wait to see what happens next. I'm really glad Alt Buffy is staying for Dawn, and sticking by Faith
Author's Response:Are you missing an 's' in your username or am I losing it?? D:
Thank you very much!! :) Next update will be up soon!
Just like buffy says "the English language doesn't even have the words to cover how I feel about her"; the English language doesn't have the words to cover how I feel about this story! In fact none of the languages i know have the words to cover how i feel! But for the sake of my own sanity, in simplistic terms.., it's fucking amazing! I am so blown away by your talent! You should be doing this professionally! In fact I will only advocate a Buffy movie or reprise if you write it!
You definitely make my Fridays special... I don't know how i'll cope when this story concludes... I know nothing lasts forever but fuffy Fridays a la aliceinwonderbra can't end! You must put all life plans on hold and never deprive us of your genius! Lol!
Basically your stories blow my mind!! I actually like this one more that flowers (and you know how much I loved that!)..you are definitely meeting the high expectations.. In fact beyond!
Buffy is so beautiful in this fic... Even I'd fall in love with her!
Your words are so perfectly pieced together.. You make the week long wait so unbelievably worth it!
And so the friday countdown begins...
Author's Response:Thank you, Wixy!! :) And I hope you are getting this notification. :p
Lol, I would not write a Buffy movie because they'd make me use James Marsters and there'd be no fuffy! :p
After this story concludes, there's another half written long fic in the works, never fear. :) Thank you so much! I'm glad you're loving it so far!
I'm going to stop whining about the elusive Easter egg long enough to leave a review because this story honestly makes my whole week. Have you ever been counting down the days until your favorite fanfic gets put up, slugging through your soul crushing job day after day, just knowing that if you can make it to the end of the week you'll be rewarded with a piece of literature so compelling and full of rapture? And then the day comes and you wait for the post, but it's not up. So you wait a few hours, and nothing. You keep checking. Every half hour. Every hour. Every two hours. Nothing. Then at 8:30 pm, just as you're about to lookse your mind and rant and eejsbdindhekl, you realize it's Thursday? Because that happened to me last night. But then this morning happened and it made everything better. So I guess what I'm trying to say is, this story is so perfect and I love it so much that it literally is the only thing getting me through the week. And I re-read the chapter several times a day, and a week until the next chapter comes out, so please don't ever be late. Lol. Seriously keep up the awesome work. And I'm writing this on a phone so if it's not coherent I apologize.
Author's Response:Duckieeeeee! :D I'm happy you found the Easter Egg in the end. ;)
I am sorry there was some Thursday vs. Friday confusion. I hope it doesn't happen again this week--it's Thursday right now! Keep on track! :p
I will try very hard not to be late! *cracks under the pressure* Thank you very much for this awesome feedback!! :) Much appreciated.
Well, this story is going very well. So far I like it better than it's sister story Flowers. I like it better because it seems just a bit less with the people torturing themselves horrifically (like Faith in the other story) and the 'relationship' between Buffy and Faith in this story so far is just so much more enjoyable to read. I like the change that there are for the most part mostly positive feelings as opposed to really angry/sad/bad ones. It's a breath of fresh air and it makes for a good read.
By the way, Willow was pretty scary with her arrogant Witch-Fu tirades. That was creepy!
I have no idea where this is going, I'm not sure how/when/why Faith will get out of prison but seems like a sure bet she will eventually. Can't wait to see how things between the two of them develop. Lovely story, looking forward to the next update :)
Author's Response:Thank you. :) It is definitely a different vibe between the B/F here, and I hope the two stories end up feeling very different.
Willow is creepy! :p And also a jerk for talking to Giles like that. >:[ I wanted to smack her in canon, so at least she gets a bit of comeuppance here. :p
Update coming soon!
Wow.
Best chapter yet - of either of the two related fic's, and one of the BEST chapters of any 'Fuffy' I've ever read - you had me tearing up - and really enjoying the argument with the Scoobies, and I love how touching the entire scene in the prison was. It was so CLEAR in my mind, the looks, the twitches and the body language - you described it perfectly enough to paint that picture so clear it was like watching it on TV.
Brava!
I can't wait for more - so stop holding out on this 'crack-fic' and write faster damn it!!!
Author's Response:Thank you!! High praise. :) I'm writing as fast as I can! D: *watches fingers disappear into nubs* Hey, I gotta go to work sometimes, who else will support all my cats!? :p
The scene with the whole gang was just fantastic! It was great that especially Tara stood strong about her opinion with the spell. It felt like her words were key in the decision. Of course, Dawn was so moving. Loved her interaction with Buffy and that she didn't want to lose her again.
I don't know why Buffy's strength keeps surprising me but it does. I just love her strength, especially when it comes to Faith. No one's opinion changes how she feels about her and I love Faith's reaction to hearing the Buffy was in a relationship with Faith in the other dimension. "A little bit gay?" Loved it!
Looking forward to the next chapter! :)
Author's Response:Thank you!!! :)
Tara should have been more firm with Willow on the show, I think, so I wanted to give her the opportunity to do it now. Poor Dawn is really having a terrible year, between finding out she's the key, almost dying, losing her mom, etc. If she's got a choice, I don't see how she'd be willing to let Buffy go, knowing it's dangerous and she could be left alone. :(
Buffy should ask Faith more about that little bit gay thing... ;)
Wow... Powerful chapter.
Willow really did want to risk everything to get Buffy back. Oh this is season 6 Willow who struggles with her magic and control. Will she do the spell on Buffy without telling anyone?
Must have been hard for Tara to go against Willow though. And poor Dawnie...
Loved seeing Buffy and Faith again and that they got to talk not through a phone this time. Glad that Buffy told Faith about her relationship with her Faith, and they got to hug at the end too!
When will Buffy tell the gang about her relationship with Faith? And when will she bust Faith out of jail so they can be together!!!
Looking forward to next weeks update!!!
Author's Response:Thank you!! :) It's coming soon.
Tara at least was able to stand up against her, which is something I wish she had done on the show. She knew that spell was messed up, and she went along with Willow. None of them wanted to acknowledge her issues until it was too late. :( The other Scoobs will find out soon about the Faith relationship. :) As for your other questions... not telling. :D
hope willow keeps her magics to herself! have a feeling she won't though. got to feel bad for dawn, she wants her sister even if its not her sister. liked buffy bring faith ho-hos, and thinking somethings are the same everywhere, nice. i like the way they both understand that its not their soulmate that is present and yet there is something there. good up-date.
Author's Response:Thank you, ma'am! :) Ho-Hos are delicious, so I'm in agreement with Faith on that.
Dawn is definitely a character who suffers a lot in these two fics, and without Faith involved in their lives, she's got it a bit worse in this dimension. That was one of the great things I think about season 5. The loss of their mom was very well done in how they both reacted. *Tear*
I love this story! I think its one of my favorite Buffy and Faith fanfics ive read so far, I hope Buffy tells the scoobys about her and Faith soon, Im looking forward to that scene. Great chapter, looking forwad to the next update! :)
Author's Response:Thank you very much! The scene you want is coming up. :)
Oh man...such a hard hitting chapter. Gotta tell you, I got this crazy happy smile on my face when the automated message came over the phone saying that Faith was calling the Summers house. It was just soo cute and so something I think the Faith from the show would have done if she thought Buffy truly cared for her and she had confirmation of that you know? "This is the end she never saw coming. Death isn’t the great unknown—not for slayers. When you spend night after night chasing it, courting it, flirting with it, you don’t fear death. But this wall she can’t break through, this separation she can’t find and beat and kill and fucking slay, this, she never imagined. Her mind gallops forward, the future here unfolding before her. It’s a cemetery filled with open, yawning graves, and all of them are for her. It’s gone. It’s all over. Everything she loved and dreamed, falling from her fingers like damp earth dropped to a lowering coffin."--loved that paragraph. It is just worded so beautifully and it so simply captures the life and death mentality of a slayer and how even they are still human and not fully prepared for situations like this. Just such great sentences. You almost make me want to frame it! XDWhen I read the line about Buffy confessing to have killed Allen Finch, I did a double take and reread it just to make sure I was getting it right. I had expected huge differences in the two worlds, but not that. I never even imagined that and to have this Buffy here, admitting that to Faith, and that the only difference between her and cannon Faith was that she had people to love her and guide her, just broke my heart cause that is the thing in the series. Faith and Buffy are meant to be the flip sides of one another, the dividing difference is that Buffy came from a background where there was love and that was what made the difference in their lives. And I don't think it has ever so blatantly or poignantly been driven home than in that moment. That was...just wow. Good work. Then the afterwards, when Buffy tells Faith that they are not interchangeable gave me a whole new respect for Alt-Buffy. When I started reading about this Alt-Buffy at first, I so thought this cannonical world was going to eat her alive because she is so much softer than cannon Buffy, you know? But she does have strength in how you've written her, serious, individual strength that is independent of her circumstances and is completely her own and I loved how you wrote that so wonderfully in that line where she talks about the two faiths and how, "there aren't words in the English language" to describe how Buffy felt about her Faith, it was just so true to what you've written these two Alt-characters having together that just that one line really makes it clear how much the Alt Buffy and Faith love one another. And it is just so heartbreaking. This is one of the best compliments I have ever given any writer, but those words literally just hit me like a stake in the heart and that is a compliment because that one line was the longest short line in the history of fanfic because of all of the emotion crammed into it. It was just wow. This update was just wow. Keep it up. Now that you've raised the bar unintentionally I am so going to expect lots from you in the future. No pressure or anything. ;) Great work.
Author's Response:*Cracks under the pressure* Ahem, uh, cough, I... *runs away*
It's interesting that you say Alt Buffy is softer. Did I say that to you before, or was that just a random impression? I intend her to be like that but a few people said it so now I can't tell if I mentioned it enough that people are just going with me. :p
The line about the English language... I wrote it and then I thought, do I really want to say it because it sounds so over the top? But let's face it, Buffy was prone to exaggerating declarations (I loved Angel more than I'll ever love anything in this life, for instance), so I went with it, and I'm glad it rang true. :D
I hope your heart has healed from the stake. :p So I can rip it out again soon, of course. :D
Thank you, thank you, Bruteaous, oh she of fancy Latin sounding name. Very kind feedback. :)
I'm as captivated as ever. Not much else i can say that I haven't gushed about when reviewing previous chapters or stories by yourself. Keep up the good work.
Author's Response:Thank you, kind sir. I do like your gushing though. :p I shall attempt to keep up the good work (current chapter is languishing... :X).
aww...i feel bad for buffy, it's sure is hard to see your lover behind bars.... i hope she thinks of someing to help faith...love this fic! hope you post more soon!
Author's Response:Thank you! Although she's not technically her lover. ;)
Good chapter, its good to see what was happening in the Original buffy's dimension. Cordy's death makes sense as with no angel to help, she would have been dead but it would likely have been from Russel rather than the Haxel beast.
Author's Response:Thank you! I don't think everything would have happened to Cordy in the same time sequence, so I just kind of went with one I remembered well. :p
Love this story. Can't wait for the update!
Author's Response:Thank you! It's coming soon!
Great update!
Was good to see Buffy visiting Faith and them having a little talk and catch up. Was cute when Buffy put her hand on the glass and Faith did also.
"She just wishes she could talk to Faith, her Faith. She doesn’t always have the right words to fix Buffy’s problems, but she’s always ready to hold her hand through them. Buffy needs that unwavering strength and love right now. They’ve spent years developing a rhythm together, and now suddenly Buffy’s tossed out on her own."
This broke my heart a little, knowing that they had been together for years and rely on each other for so much and that Buffy will probably never get that again, well not with her Faith anyway.
Looking forward to next weeks update! BTW i think once-a-week updates are not enough... Post every day... K? :)
Author's Response:But then we'd run out of chapters?? D:
Is it mean to say I'm glad to break your heart? :p Buffy's story is definitely just as heartbreaking as Faith's, even if she's keeping it together a little better so far.
Hey :) as i said on ur last story, Im definitiely gonna keep reading this one as well hehe. Its going great :) cant wait for more!
Author's Response:Hey girl. :) thank you very much.
Loved this chapter! I wish I could write domestic fics like you do :p Liked seeing this Faith, she is mature in comparison to S3, but then again, she's had time to adjust to her new lifestyle and she's willingly in there to try and redeem herself.
It's obvious from how this was written this Faith has a strong attraction to Buffy, and it was sad when she realised she was meeting alt Buffy because she was nicer. :( Can't wait to see what more you write!
Author's Response:Ruh roh, how'd this end up on chapter 1?? D:
This is a domestic fic?? How so? :p Curious.
Faith's been in prison for about a year now, so definitely, she's had time to mature and grow, although not completely, as you see with some of what she says. :)
Loved the chapter especially Buffy and Faith meeting. Can't wait for the next.
Author's Response:Thank you!! It'll be up soon. :)
Joss's Buffy always got a lot of stick, particularly towards the end seasons of the series (5,6&7 anyone?!) for being whiny / preachy / arrogant... She rarely topped any 'favourite character' polls. But she was always my favourite though - you could see how and why Buffy became the way she was, through the experience of becoming an adult, failed relationships and generally growing up. I thought that (one of the many) underlying messages, that leaders aren't always popular, but they should always do what's right. For the show, it was an important message but got lost a little (or should I say it was overdone) by some of the show's writers...That made her unlikeable. But the progression was essential.
I feel like you've demonstrated in AU Buffy how it could have been done with sensitivity and kindness to the character. This Buffy is kind, considerate, stoic in the face of incredible personal sacrifice and loss and incredibly mature. She's also got her head screwed on in the face of an unspeakably difficult situation...
I spent a lot of time thinking about how GfaW Buffy would fair whilst reading FFaG, and felt in my heart of hearts she was much better equipped to deal with the switch than Buffy from FFaG. I think this is being proven -- it makes perfect sense that this Buffy would see that there are ways to adjust and rectify the present. I am looking forward to her realisation that she is 'stuck', and the inevitable melt-down that surely must product (it is after all healthy, and the natural progress of grief). But I think Buffy being in the driving seat here will propel her forward in repairing the relationship with Faith of this universe. I am excited to see this unfold!!
Author's Response:Thank you! I agree with you. Buffy was always my favorite, even when they wrote her as doing unlikeable stuff, I loved her. The show really did throw a lot of crap at her, didn't it? Alt Buffy's kind of nicer, gentler approach is what I think Buffy would be like with a steady person to back her up and really get her. The Scoobies tried, although obviously had their own issues, but so many times Buffy did the 'it all comes down to me/I am the slayer alone' type schtick. With Faith, she'd never have to, and she fared better for it.
I hope the finding out she can't go scene lives up to the expectations, as well as the other chapters!! :)
I really like this (and the paralell) fic. They show the Fuffy that SHOULD of happened but didn't because Angel showed back up in season three. Pretty awesome. And alter-Buffy is adorable. Great Job, kudos.
Author's Response:Thank you!! :) What do you like so much about Alt Buffy? :)
Love. Love. Love. Can't wait for the next chapter!
Author's Response:Thank you very much. :)