Geek Love

[Artemis]

Aww, sweet Willow. Brave Willow, too - I've only been in that situation once, and in my case, the drunk guy looking to get uncomfortably close to the girl friends I was with (note the space - my life isn't that interestnig) was just intruding-on-personal-space gropey, not belligerant-and-liable-to-throw-a-punch gropey. And I was still scared out of my wits, I have to admit. Brave Willow, not just standing up, but standing her ground too, even when things got ugly.

And the way she looked at Tara, all tentative and admiring, and sure she'd never have a chance - that's so sweet (and familiar). It's not difficult at all to imagine how awed and touched (and prone to a spazz-attack) she'll be when she finds out that a good deed isn't always just its own reward.

[db]

*sigh*

watty.



It's like you pack life's secret lessons into your stories sometimes.

My god woman!

When I read that scene in the train station – it was so amazing. **all of a sudden speechless** Like you were showing this outsider perspective where… I don’t know exactly how to say this but it’s like you are sending a spot light around the room and showing this array of perspectives and every single perspective was with empathy, instead of distain (Like how Snobby Anya sees things)! That’s kinda the Willow magic – always trying to see the good in people and in a situation… plus I liked that most of the examples you chose were something I myself have experienced/felt at one time.

I think that maybe that’s the point… that we have only seen a tiny glimpse of the protagonists…

… I know that you are going to keep showing me ways that their lives over lap until they are both blissfully in love. I just KNOW it… but their lives seem so incompatible at this point.

And then you go and show brave big-hearted Willow defending Tara in the Train and then I remember that it is just the beginning…

Your image of Tara’s soft skin and the crumpled bloody tissue – and that secret hopeful moment where the differences become less and less important.


It’s agonizing, it is like a drug.

*sigh*


db

[beanie]

Wow! Damn, apologies for not getting to this at the first update. I thought I had left fb but I guess I'm just crazy.

Anyway, it's sort of a given that I love this story. After all, you are the author. Tres obvious fact. Anya's behavior made me frown but then again you always need tension, otherwise we'd all be . The drunk guy had me at the edge of my mental seat. Mean drunkards.

I also really enjoyed your description of the train station because I just came from the train, and that's what it was. Very detailed, very on. What else could it have been? So etc etc Praise Watty blah blah blah, Hail You!

-beanie

[bytrsuite]

Hey watty, I love the start of your story. Willow is going to be thrown for a loop when Tara really does contact her. Great idea. This is a really fun way to have these two meet. Can't wait to read more!

[FineyMcFine]

Willow is so brave! I'm so proud of her in this chapter - despite her fears, finding it within herself to stand up to the bully on the train.

From the description of how Tara [ETA: I am not with it today, I now know that Tara is not the one who said this] talked to her afterward, "I wish more young people were like you," it sounds like Willow is a lot younger than Tara, or that Tara thinks so, or something like that. I'm guessing that they're closer in age than that, though, and that Willow just looks younger since she is, you know, a geek.

Anya, Anya, Anya. Why dost thou have to be such a snob? Alas. Maybe you'll learn a thing or two by the end of the story. Or maybe not.

I'm looking very very forward to what's next, my darling wattster.

[willow_tara_always]

wow love this story so far plz plz update soon.

i love shy willow so cute hehe

xx

[Emms]

Watty, I owe you massive feedback for this last chapter...considering I'm so late. I promise to come back as soon as I can. I just wanted to say right now that I've read the update and I luuuuv it!

xoxo
Emms

[JustSkipIt]

Watty –

Notes: this is based on the Japanese phenomenon, densha otoko ("train man"), which was supposed to be a true story and which begat a book, several manga series, a film, and a tv series. This is also my first attempt at fluff. Hee.

Heck. I don’t even know American Pop Culture so you can bet that I don’t know Japanese. But then… that’s why I have you. And Watty fluff? Bring it on.

in embarrassingly (un)co-ordinated clothing

LOL. Particularly since she’s obviously not embarrassed by it. I guess he is? Or just the average person would be? Awesome. Ok, what do I like about this line? It tells us a lot about who Willow is. She is a person who doesn’t care or is completely unaware of her appearance. We can file it in our brain under the Willow’s appearance heading.

Um? It’s a vegetable cutting mandolin? Like a musical instrument?

Ok, I don’t know who Mina is or if she’s a “real” person but I get the power she has over geeks.

"It takes the heart-rate and measures distances when you're jogging. It has an alarm and even shows the time in six different timezones," Willow said.

Ok, can you get Willow to send that to me if she’s not going to use it? I’ve been looking into getting one—possibly for my birthday and trying to decide if I want to get one and which one.

"I'm ignoring you. Disconnecting audio line-in now," Andrew pouted.

GEEK!

Willow walked a few steps before she answered. "I wish for someone to call my own, someone who can see me for who I am," she mused.

Ahh, how sweet. I can see where this is going…

And wow, the switch to the scene with Cordy, Anya, and Tara is just so complete. Although… Why does Tara have such vapid friends? Not that Xander and Andrew are great catches but it seems like Willow goes with Xander and Andrew at least.

Before she went inside with Anya, Tara cast her eye back to the busy city, as if searching for something, someone, she knew was out there, but didn't know how to find them.

Sweet…

Part 2-

Geez Anya—some compassion and friendliness? What a jerk.

And the very definition of Perfect Woman in Willow's books ... unattainable.

Aww. Poor Willow.

And then… geez, this guy on the train. Is this the phenomenon guy or is he a hero? I hope a hero because this guy really sucks.

Willow looked at the perfect features that had been in her mind and really, how could she resist? She could smell the mixture of the leather of the notebook and a tiny whiff of the girl's perfume and it was making her giddy.

Aww. Poor wonderfully lucky Willow…


I’m loving this story and I’m also wondering about the extent of the class issues in this society. Will it be a major disaster for both of them to be dating outside their class or is it pretty much already hosed by the being both women thing? It will be very interesting to see. Thanks for the new story.

[sinkinghearts]

wow... this is such a good story! sorry if this feedback is a bit late even if i've been following this story since day 1. i really, really, really hope this won't turn out to be like other unfinished and forgotten fanfics in this forums *puppy eyes* coz i really, really, really like it - it has potential! love the theme!
sorry, i'm such a hopeless romantic so such situations (people ending up together even if they are from diff worlds) excite me. please do update more.

btw, thumbs up to willow for being so brave. i'm really looking forward to the part where they'd meet again.

please do update more and more and more

[kytzya]

i'm loving this story! i can't wait for an update.

[PancakesinBellies]

Aww, Willow's precious when she's all spazzy. Luckily for her, Tara usually thinks that 'dork' is sexy. Doesn't she? *is worried* Update soon please!

[watty]

Thianne

Yes Will's a hero alright. And Tara is lovely too, if a little aloof, I hope you caught that. Anya ... well, she's Anya, right? How she and Tara interact will become clearer in the coming chapters. Hope you're enjoying your vacation, thanks for reading.

~~~~~

BigBlueEyes

Thank you. Next chapter will be posted this weekend.

~~~~~

Jackie

I envisioned many different ways that they could meet and that wasnt one of them!

I'm glad. Not that I don't like the proverbial "Willow running into Tara in front of the school lockers and spilling mocha over her", I prefer their meeting to be less clichéd. Are they openly gay, is this an accepting universe? Time will tell. Thanks for your continual support I feel like I can always count on you to read my little stories.

~~~~~

Shai

thanks muchly!

I'm a fan of fics where they take time to actually get to know eachother.

I noticed, from yours, heehee. I like to take a little time too, to develop their relationship. I don't believe in love at first sight myself. Sigh. But I'm projecting.

~~~~~

viximon

Yes, the drunk was incoherent and unpredictable, which made him scary. It took Willow a lot of courage to stand up to him, if she stopped and thought about it, I'm sure she'd hesitate. I was trying to portray her action as that of someone who simply couldn't take anymore. And no, of course Tara won't forget Willow. But Willow doesn't have a huge amount of self-confidence at this point of thefic, so she might think that Tara would forget. Thanks for stopping by!

~~~~~

mole

Thanks for the encouragement re: the people on the train, they are just ordinary folks who got terrorized by someone probably not normally threatening. Even the 2 young men were probably bigger than the drunk. It wastue unpredictable factor that I was playing on.

Anya and Tara's relationship will become clearer in later chapters. Suffice it to say at this point that they work in a big corporation. Good catch re: whether Anya will recognize Willow as the nerd girl who she obviously thought was beneath her. I won't reveal anything yet.

Is this a GLBT friendly society? I guess it depends on which part of society we're talking about, not unlike our own. Your observations are very astute, Michelle, thanks for that. And yes, I think most of the questions will be answered eventually.

~~~~~

Krokador

You were in the train? Yay for me, that you're able to picture yourself there.

Thanks for reading!

~~~~~

dixiedarlin83

First, welcome to Pens. Well, are Tara and friends really a upper class snobs? Even in the upper class there are differences, otherwise how can W/T get together? Thanks for reading!

~~~~~

guitar_girl

fan-freggin-tastick

excellent word! Thank you for giving me lots of chuckles, and thanks for reading also.

~~~~~

Pinocchio1940

I'm glad you're enjoying this, thanks.

~~~~~

Chris

LOL re: the story about your girl [space] friends. That is exactly what I was trying to show, that an otherwise harmless little man can, after getting enough dutch courage in him, can cause so much fear in bystanders. It's the not knowing what he will do next, isn't it?

It's not difficult at all to imagine how awed and touched (and prone to a spazz-attack) [Willow]'ll be when she finds out that a good deed isn't always just its own reward.

You know, Chris, that sums up the fic much better than my summary. Thanks my friend.

~~~~~

db!

I dunno 'bout life's secret lessons, I think we do put in a part of ourselves in our stories, but sometimes it's what we want to learn rather than what we want to teach. I'm glad you liked the scenes from the train, I pictured it as a camera swinging from one set of terrified passengers to another. You're right about how Willow always tries to see good in people and in a situation, that's why we love her so much and [confession time] how so many of us identify with her. She's an easy person to write for, to be honest.

Needless to say this train incident will be a springboard for more to come. They have to meet somehow, right? Thanks for reading and more to come soon.

~~~~~

beanie

Long time! Don't worry about leaving fb, I'm only beginning to get back into the whole writing / posting / feedback cycle of a long fic myself, after a bit of an absence. Anya is often in a fic as comic relief, and I'm not saying I won't use her this way, but for this story I'm using her more as Tara's connection with the world that they inhabit. A bit like Tara's snob conscious, if that makes sense.

Glad you like the description of the train and station. It does help that the fic is based on a visual medium, and that's how the TV series showed it too. on the praise, I just hope that you will continue to enjoy this story.

~~~~~

Kathy

Glad you liked how they met. Like I said above, it's a tad different from the "spill drinks over the other in the school hallway" scenario ... not that there's anything wrong with that! And I suppose it's a given that Tara will contact Willow, there's no suspense or angst there? Sigh, I did say this is a fluffy piece after all. Thanks for reading!

~~~~~

Sally

What Willow did is very worth being proud of. I asked myself this question: will I have stood up to the drunk the way she did? And alas the answer is probably not. I'll have to be really provoked. But you never know, I read stories of people lifting cars to save kids trapped underneath, or other adrenalin-induced brave acts, I suppose there is a little superhero (or special friends,yay Cyd!) in each of us?

Anya = snob? Yeah, but that's the circle she moves in. She may learn a thing or two, or may be she'll be Tara's voice of "reason" (read: hindrance)? We'll see.

~~~~~

willow_tara_always

Thanks for reading. Update this weekend.

~~~~~

Emmy

You're never late, my dear Horsey Pants, you're always fashionably ... in control of your own time. And I don't know what I'm saying LOL. Thanks for stopping by.

~~~~~

Debra

I'm not fully with the Pop Culture either, whether it's American or Japanese, but I try. I have you for other things though, so don't sell yourself short! Good pick up on the lack of embarrassment re: Willow's attire. That's how she and her friends are like, and she doesn't know anything else.

re: vegetable cutting mandolin, i visualize it like those washing boards that people 100+ years ago use. I confuse myself. Anyway here is a picture.

re: Mina. She's a made up anime / comic character. But yes, she has enormous power over certain geeks. Think about their obsession with Mina as equivalent to my fanaticism about macs.

Anya is annoying and like you said, vapid, alright. Is she acting that way because it's expected of her? I dunno. Your point about class issues. Yes I was trying to show the differences between the geeks and the snobs, although no one is a complete geek or a complete snob. And the parallel train of thoughts that W and T went through, about wanting someone for themselves. More about that in later chapters I hope.

this guy on the train. Is this the phenomenon guy or is he a hero? I hope a hero because this guy really sucks.

It's the hero, although of course in our case it's "train girl" because it's Willow. But you get the gist anyway ...

~~~~~

shane

Thanks for reading and feedback is much welcome but no obligation! Will this turn out like other unfinished and forgotten fic? I can promise ... definitely not, because the fic is completed. Glad you're enjoying the hopeless romantic situation, I think you'll like where this one is going. Thanks again!

~~~~~

kytzya

Thank you! Update this weekend.

~~~~~

highlandlass25

Does Tara think dorks are sexy? Not telling yet. Update this weekend, so not long to wait.

~~~~~
[br]

[watty]

Title: Geek Love
Author: watty
email: hiddenwatson@gmail.com
Distribution: please email me first
Rating: PG-13 to R
Disclaimers: BtVS characters and concepts belong to Mutant Enemy, Fox, The WB, UPN and others. Densha Otoko characters and concepts belong to Fuji Television, Toho Ltd and others.
Summary: Contemporary AU. Shy geek rescues and falls in love with perfect woman. No, does not compute.
Notes: this is based on the Japanese phenomenon, densha otoko ("train man"), which was supposed to be a true story and which begat a book, several manga series, a film, and a tv series. This is also my first attempt at fluff. Hee.
Notes 2: the IRC channel #geeklove actually exists on irc.blitzed.org, thanks to MistressWashi for setting it up for me.


Part 3

[blockquote][01.17] Connecting ...
[01.17] Logging in ...
[01.17] *** Welcome to CGI:IRC 0.5.3 (2003/10/29)
[01.17] -pizza.cgiirc.blitzed.org- *** Looking up your hostname...
[01.17] -pizza.cgiirc.blitzed.org- *** Found your hostname, cached
[01.17] -pizza.cgiirc.blitzed.org- *** Checking Ident
[01.17] -pizza.cgiirc.blitzed.org- *** Got Ident response
[01.17] *** --pizza.cgiirc.blitzed.org- *** Got Ident response
[01.17] *** - This is a CGI:IRC server connected to the Blitzed IRC Network
[01.17] *** hiddenred [www-data@n20407818022] has joined #geeklove
[01.17] *** mode/#geeklove [+nt] by ChanServ
[01.17] *** Topic is: geeks need love too
[01.17] *** Topic set by wattysbrain [Sat Aug 05 04:07:56 2006]
[01.17] *** Channel created on Sun Aug 20 09:26:19 2006

hey willow

hi will, you made it back, we were worried about you

hi

hi Willow

*harley pounces on Willow and gives her a big wet noogie (on the cheek!!!)

hi, did you get the Mina stuff? my action figure? [/small begging voice]

hi watty, cam, elvis, sally, chris I'll send you an email about the action figure and ewww car, get your tongue off my face

lol

lol

lol

thanks

see what you've done, harley?

LOL Sally, she lurves it, dontcha Will

(changes topic) what were y'all talking about?

boobies of course

*they* were talking about boobies, justin and I were talking zombies

oh shush Chris, you were listening to the boobie talk, don't deny it

drat, that transparent was I?

well you can't hang around us and *not* get obsessed by boobies lol

yes Chris, boobies obsession is required in this group, it's a hard cross to bear

guys I need to go soon, but I want to hear about Willow's day/night. So you're up, Will

okay, let's see. I bought a bunch of useless gadgets, went to the book-signing ... Karin was grrrrreat, Xander's drool reached the floor

lmao

lol

did he wipe it with a "Mina"-ature mop?

*harley groans

Sally the pun strikes again

lol sally. he would've wiped it with something, but anything Mina related is sacrosanct

but enough about Mina (I know, gasp) I have something VERY IMPORTANT to report

something just ... wow!

should I break out the popcorn?

share!

I'll even delay bedtime

well, on my way home this old drunk started harassing other passengers on the train

he was really disgusting, and he had his attention on the most beautiful girl I've ever seen, his filthy hands on her and his stinky breath all over her

okay this is gonna be a "dashing hero-prince saves beauty and they live happily ever after" story isn't it

watty ...

yes car

shut up and listen to Willow's story

sorry will

np ... finally I stood up and told him to stop it, I'm sure my voice was shaking ... no, I was shaking all over

I've never been in a fight before

the police came just in time to take him away, and I had to go to the station to make a statement

and two ladies asked for my address ... one was the pretty girl the drunk was attacking, she's my Perfect Woman *dreamy*

wow, I'm impressed that you stood up to a drunk

Perfect as in amazon perfect?

did you get her details?

um no ... I mean yes chris, amazon perfect and no elvis I didn't ask for her contact details

I'm kicking myself, but I've never gotten so close to such a beautiful girl and I was so nervous. she's really beautiful *dreamy again*

beautiful how? share!

vicarious lovin', Sally?

if she's perfect like an amazon, I want to know too

all I remember is perfect everything ... fine blonde hair, the most expressive blue eyes I've seen, lips that are more luscious than Mina's, translucent skin, there seems to be an angelic aura about her, sigh

lol Will, you're gonna start writing smutfic soon

I'm never gonna see her again :(

if she asked for your address, she's sending you a thank you gift

car's right, pretty girls don't usually ask geeks like us for our addresses, she's sending you a present

word

check your mailbox often, you never know what surprise you might get

no, no, no ... I shouldn't get my hopes up

stay positive, Will. she has your address now, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you. but now I have to go, bye all

night elvis

night, sorry i kept you up later than expected

don't worry, night

I should go too, I need to get up early for a staff meeting tomorrow :(

good luck Will

night Will

night, check your mailbox!

[02.08] *** Closing Link hiddenred [cgiirc@n20407818022] (Quit: CGI:IRC 0.5.3 (2003/10/29))
[02.08] *** Disconnected from IRC
[/blockquote]

*****

"You're late!"

"Huh?! Oh hey, sorry," Willow said to two eight year old boys who had run up to her on her way to the station to commence her daily commute.

"We need help, Chief. The door won't open," one boy handed Willow his PSP with a worried frown on his face.

Willow took the PSP and knew the answer immediately. "You can't open this door with your jail key, you need the golden key. It's in the tower of light, you know how to get to the tower of light?" she explained.

"Yes, thanks!" the boys shouted as they ran off toward their school bus.

Willow continued her trudge to the office. She managed not to bump into any furniture when she squeezed into her tiny cubicle. She stowed her backpack under her desk and powered up her computer to check the day's emails. Soon the helpdesk phone starting ringing like crazy as the usual Monday madness started in earnest. She was kept busy all morning, dealing with problems like printer jams, unplugged hardware and countless forgot password inquiries. She tried to be courteous, but some users really irked her with their attitudes. It was a thankless job. Everything was IT related, and every system glitch IT's fault.

At the staff meeting her boss ran through meaningless stats and metrics for the week. She would rather have been back at her desk, dealing with inept users. As soon as the meeting finished, she escaped back to her cubicle, avoiding the small talk and posturing that punctuated staff meetings.

To add insult to injury, she was told to babysit a technician who was transferring to her department. Faith came as a package with one purpose only -- to shock. Willow wasn't sure if her attitude was suitable for technical support. It was going to be a long day.

Finally it was lunchtime, and she took her sandwich and juice to her usual spot at the park bench, surrounded by pigeons. It was nice to sit outside, though she sometimes wished that she could be enjoying the food at the upmarket outdoor café that overlooked the flower garden. It seemed so expensive, and Willow would feel out of place there anyway, even if she were invited. One time, she and Xander looked at the menu; it was like reading a foreign language.

The same sandwich every day, then.

*****

Meanwhile, at one of the tables at the café, otherwise know as L'Orangery, three familiar women were starting on their salads.

"Tara, I need you to come with me after lunch to buy a new powder brush," Anya said.

"Okay, I can do that," Tara nodded.

"This very annoying person ran into me last night, so rude. My stuff fell out of my wallet, and got mixed in with her stuff. I mean, they were stupid cartoons and comic books! She's in her twenties! So childish," Anya continued.

"Oh, your white leather wallet? I hope it isn't spoiled," Cordy commiserated.

"No, it was fine. But my favorite pure llama fur brush was coated with all sorts of grime and dust. And the nerd girl had her hands all over it. I threw it into the nearest trashcan, just to show her how much she ruined my brush," Anya harrumphed.

"You threw it away in front of her?" Cordy asked.

"Ha, Cordy. If it were you, you would have thrown it straight at her!" Anya said indignantly. "I can't believe how she could have gotten it to such a state in such a short time."

"Geek magic," Cordy snorted.

The two of them snickered. But Tara was quiet.

"Come on, Tara. Don't tell me ... geeks and us ... oil and water," Anya said.

"Well, you know there are people who like those geek types. They're supposed to be harmless, more loyal than a puppy and they fix your computer," Cordy added. "Tara's not like that. Are you, Tara?"

"Hm? I think, each to their own," Tara replied.

"No, no, no. This is just wrong. You cannot end up with some loser who wears heavy metal band t-shirts and doesn't color their hair, that's unthinkable," Cordy shuddered to add to the effect.

"Don't even go there, Cordy. Besides, where is Tara going to find someone like that?" Anya concluded. And the topic was closed.

*****

Willow returned from lunch to a stack of urgent messages from Larry in Purchasing. She hurried upstairs to be greeted by a tall, awkward jock-type in an ill-fitting suit.

"I heard you have a problem with one of our staff members?" she asked timidly.

"I wouldn’t exactly call it a problem. Are you Faith's supervisor?" Larry said, slightly flustered. He motioned for Willow to join him behind some cabinets, where there was a little more privacy.

"Um well, since this morning," Willow hesitated.

"Okay, then I guess it's a problem," Larry said cryptically.

"Did she make a mistake? I'll get someone else up here to install the new software," Willow offered.

"No, not that." Larry leaned in and whispered conspirationally. "There's a rumor going round that she's been fooling around with the head of corporate services."

"Fooling around?" Willow repeated.

"Yes. That they've been having quote unquote lunch together and they're eating more than sandwiches," he winked.

"Oh, she ate more than her fair share?" Willow tried to clarify.

"Let's just say she filled her plate with a large portion," he added in a conspirational tone.

"So, you want me to speak to her?"

"Yes, take care of it, will you."

And with a friendly pat on the back, Larry went back to napping at his desk.

When Willow tracked Faith down the brunette was flirting with a maintenance engineer. Willow motioned for Faith to come with her and they found an empty office.

"What do you want? I need to get back to work," Faith said.

"Um, Faith, well ... they want me to ask whether you can stop eating with the head of corporate services," Willow tried to explain.

"What? You dog, you can't phrase it better?" she smirked.

"That's the only way I can think of," Willow confessed.

"Geez, just ask if I'm sleeping with him," Faith said.

"No, no. That's not what I meant!" Willow stammered in shock. Beat. "You slept with the head of corporate services?"

Faith was cracking up. "You didn't know what you were talking about, did you?"

Willow blushed all over, and could only look at Faith incredulously. "I'm s-s-sorry."

"I fucking can't believe it. Let me tell you though, I didn't sleep with that loser. But I can't stay here, you'll need to get someone else to do the installations, my rep's shot in this department," Faith shrugged.

"But everyone's busy, can you hang on for another afternoon?" Willow asked.

"No way. I'm outta here." And with that Faith sauntered out of the office, blew a kiss at the maintenance engineers and wriggled her ass out of the area.

Willow couldn't find a replacement, which meant she had to install the software herself, while trying to juggle the helpdesk calls that were her responsibility.

It was late when she finally dragged herself out of the office. Her walk from the train station to her home was slow. It was like every step needed an enormous effort.

Her parents were nowhere to be seen when she reached home. A note on the fridge told her that dinner was in the oven and that Ira and Sheila would be leaving early in the morning for a convention in Las Vegas.

She didn't feel like eating, so she packed the food in a container and made her way back to her room.

She didn't notice it at first, she was so engrossed in her miserable day that she barely had the energy to throw her backpack to the floor and collapse in a heap on the bed. Gradually her attention shifted to a rectangular package on her desk. It was neatly wrapped in blue flowery paper and had her name and address on it.

She leapt out of her bed and immediately started tearing at the wrapping paper. She couldn't wait to see what it was.

*****
[br]

[BigBlueEyes]

Eek! How could you stop there? I need more...pretty please. I love this story!

[Shai]

Aaaah Watty, Watty...*grins* Have I told you how much I'm lovin' this fic?! Because I really am! I'm liking how you're setting up how different their worlds are, not to mention how different the people they deal with are, before you actually start developing a relationship between Willow and Tara themselves.

I'm also praying that the present isn't from the old lady!

Oh and one questions...no Buffy in this fic?

So yeah, wonderful work Watty! I'm really pressed for time but I still make time to look for updates, and I;m glad I found one!

Cheers!

[willow_tara_always]

awww great update! want sum willow and tara loving pronto! xx

[sinkinghearts]

is the package from tara? from tara??? waaaaa... hope it's from tara - i'm excited now, weeee!!!

btw, please ignore my offensive language, but cordy and anya. hmppp!! they're soooo BITCHY!

@watty : so this fanfic's already completed, eh? yay!!! another reason to be happy you have just brought a HUGE smile on my face. whopeee

[beanie]

Erm...so I cheated a little bit. I just went to your website and read the entire fic in one go, so I kind of already know what happens. But wow, was it good. A worthy addition to your already fantabulous collection of works. It was goooooooooooood.

At this moment though, I particularly liked the whole chat/I don't have friends in real life thing. It's all sort of bittersweet since they're all so far away from our hiddenred. Now Faith, just bitter. Same goes for Cordy. But hey, everyone needs a bitch in their lives. [See wattysbrain . . . just kidding! [[no, really . . . ]] ]

The computer geek thing for me was hard to adjust to at first because in the beginning, I had a completely wrong picture of the atmosphere around Tara. I was thinking olden days with like horse carriages and poop. That it was not. But not that I have seen the error in my ways, I embrace the truth! Dude we do not have an embrace emoticon. *Mods, get on it!*

Thank you for showing me the light. and workfriendly.net. Huzzah.

-beanie

[Thianne]

it's the package from the lady, i just know it! and sweetie....the chat was HILARIOUS!!!! LMAO!

[WillowRTaraM1]

Watty! Sorry my feedback is so delayed.. I just got back (with a terrible sunburn may I add) from spending the weekend at the Newport Folk Festival It was amazing.. and what a nice suprise to come back to!

So.. Comic books, anime, installing computer software, video games, chat rooms...living with the parents? Wow Willow is really the cliche geek in this story isnt she I loved that Faith was in this part.. who doesnt love Faith? Also.. the chat cracked me up haha.

I can't wait to find out more about Tara's world.. and about the package! The frequent updates are so refreshing!! Keep em coming

[Krokador]

Hehe, Yay! I finally ended up going on your site to cheat and read the whole story as well (stayed up til 3 am to finish it actually).. The chats, they remind me of... some of the chats I've had on the kitten chat, no joke, LOL!

I love this story! And I'd kick that damn Faith's butt for being such a pain to Willow.

So, in no time everyone who wants to know whats next will be going to your site and search for the story, why dontcha post it all here if its completed? (sorry, just that im an impatient person, and my logic goes that way ) Maybe your purpose is to torture the lazy people?

you gotta tell when you come up with another fic Cuz i'll defo want to read it.

[FineyMcFine]

watty, I <3 chapter 3!

First of all, uberqueen in that chat is VERY nosey. People like that who want to know all about other people's personal lives need to stop living vicariously through others. Thanks for including me, ya big galoot. *noogies*

I love how droll and dry and wry this line is:

Willow wasn't sure if her attitude was suitable for technical support.

Reading about Willow's experiences working at the company make me think of Dilbert. Hee! Ya gotta be nice to technical support, they help you out, man, I tellya. And we have support at my office - they LOVE their metrics and stats. I mean, they make the case for corporate so they get what they want, but I can see not loving them (metrics and stats, that is).

I also love the last line of the lunch section:

The same sandwich every day, then.

Sums up her life so perfectly!

Then switch to Anya, Cordy, and Tara having lunch. It strikes me - does Tara know she's gay? Do Anya and Cordy? The "doesn't color their hair" comment makes me think yes, but I'm not sure.

I can't wait for Willow to find out what's in the box!!!

[db]

Watty.

I have been very very naughty with my lateness in giving feedback. I am sorry. RL has been kicking my butt a little lately.

First of all I too must confess that I skipped ahead - so I am kind ain the know about what is going to happen - but I am re-reading as I go... but just you never mind that and on with the feedback...

OMG! The chat stuff was *so* frickin' hilarious, it made me snort out loud!

OK pretty much everything to do with Faith *or* the chatting was a stitch.

No fair, you warned of fluff, but *not* that it was comedy too!

I love that Willow is this technical support geek. It is true to who she is, and, god, Faith. I think that in her heart of hearts Faith really likes Willow ok she's just an uber bitch, but the interactions between them? Hillarious.

Mostly I just can't wait for Willow to find out what is in the package!

I love this story...

Sorry I was so late w/ the feedback. I'll post before and after photos of my self flaggelation with various pasta products later, after I finish studying for this cotton-pickin' exam (which I *so* should be doing *right* now!)

db

[sadie]

Awww I loved how this started out POO @ posh snobbies! Willow's all cute, I can totally picture it

[SithLordWiccan]

watty, I'm so, so, so sorry for not leaving feedback for the last chapter, so let me do that first before I leave feedback for this one.

First off, as I said to Sally in the DD thread, there are times that I really hate Anya, both in canon and in fic. This is certainly one of those times. Of course, I have to hand it to you and your quite excellent writing for making me hate her so much. Or maybe it's because I hate anyone who would harm Willow. Yeah, I'm a softie. I try to hide it, but it just doesn't work.

And speaking of Willow...yay, Willow!

Now, onto Chapter Three...

Loved the IRC conversation, especially since I recognized quite a few familiar faces. It's sad to see Willow stuck in a routine. I can sympathize with her a great deal.

And more booing and hissing to Cordelia and Anya as they rag on Tara. Nobody who does that should be able to get away with it.

Can't wait to see what was in the package Willow got.

[kivrin]

heeey!!!
poor willow, freaks rock!!! he he he I'm paranoid I know.
like it very much ! continue soon please.!

and by the way, who said Lara Croft was history??? Lara will live in our hearts and our tired thumbs for eternity, 'cause myths give us the hope and faith we need in our lives.....well as she would say .."This is... very touching but you'll not gonna get anything" oh...Goddess....i'm a geek tooo.
just for the record.... my Tomb raider's collection of videogames are crying of joy 'cause you talked about them. I thank you in ther name

[watty]

BigBlueEyes

Heehee, dontcha love us writers and our cliffhangers? we're evil. Next update this weekend.

~~~~~

Shai

I'm so glad you're enjoying this little story. They are from different worlds, but I don't want it so that they're completely removed and alienated from each other. Even so, when they meet under better circumstances, they will need to adjust. Who sent the present? Read on, it'll be revealed soon!

Will Buffy appear? Yes, but only briefly. I couldn't really "place" her for some reason. She doesn't completely belong with the snobs, but she was definitely not a member of the geek squad.

Thanks again for reading!

~~~~~

willoa_tara_always

want sum willow and tara loving pronto!

Σ(willow, tara) = ?

*scratches head* update this weekend.

~~~~~

shane

Who is the package from? That seems to be a popular question. Hee. It'll be revealed soon. Cordy and Anya are bitchas because that's how they think they ought to behave. And yes, completed, and posting regularly, I sincerely hope you can stay around till the end. Thanks for reading!

~~~~~

beanie

I forgot that my website is more well known now. I don't mind people reading ahead, provided they keep feedbacking chapter by chapter of course (hint hint).

I think the chat group is particularly poignant. If you've ever ventured into KB chat, you'll find that we're basically those people that hiddenred met online. Friends but yeah, far away.

LOL about Tara and horsey carriages. It's my fault for not being as clear, there's a lot I've left unsaid in this fic. I guess I prefer my readers to come to their own imageries and settings. Oh, embrace emoticon coming right up:

~~~~~

Thianne

Glad you're enjoying the story. And no, I'm not telling about the package, yet.

~~~~~

Jackie

Don't worry about fb, I'm so happy you're reading. Hope you had a good time at the folk festival, lol at the sunburn, but it's worth it, no?

You're so right, we're piling on the clichés for Willow aren't we. You liked Faith here? But she's so... annoying and tactless. Oh wait, that's normal for her, and she's hot so it's okay.

There's less of Tara's world in this story, because it's really just that ... a bunch of snobs. And snobs are less interesting than geeks.

~~~~~

Kro

Wow, 3am. You shouldn't be up that late, you need to get better! I didn't realize so many people knew about the website, I don't mind people reading ahead, provided they still leave fb when the chapters are posted here. why don't I post them all at once? Patience, my friend, patience. I don't want to overwhelm the readers.

The chats remind you of kb chat? where do you think I cut my teeth chatting? A lot of the geeks that hiddenred chat with (wattysbrain, harley, historygeek etc) are, or were, chat regulars you know. Faith is a pain to Willow, but that's her beautiful personality isn't it?

~~~~~

Sally

Yeah, that uberqueen, she's so nosey, but she has a heart of gold and is very sweet in person. Really.

OMG Dilbert! In one of my previous jobs, our global head looks *exactly* like the head of HR in Dilbert's company. Me and my colleagues got a big kick out of that. And yes, you have to be nice to tech support, but not everyone in the company thinks so. I'm golad you picked up on the metrics and stats, no surprise that I love those.

Does Tara know she's gay? Do Anya and Cordya? Fear not, that will be addressed in one of the later chapters (I can't remember which one). Re-reading the story, I realize I haven't gone into a lot of detail about our characters' backgrounds and motivations. I guess I'm trying to keep this light.

Thanks for reading and your support!

~~~~~

db

Hope RL is treating you better, Ms doodlebug. Heh, another skipper-aheader. I don't mind. Like I said to Kro, as long as the skipping ahead doesn't preclude fb-leaving, I'm okay.

I'm quite happy about this first chat. I wasn't sure if the readers will find it funny, and not too inside-jokey. You also hit the nail right on the head with Faith, she's annoying but not vindictive ... it's just her personality. Willow doesn't really have much clue, she's still a relative innocent in this world.

What's in the package? It'll be revealed soon, don't fret.

~~~~~

sadie

Hiya!

POO @ posh snobbies

@ POO!

Willow is cute, that's a given. Thanks for stopping by!

~~~~~

Sith

Don't worry about fb, Alex. I'm so glad you're reading.

Anya is annoying, but that's the world she lives and has been brought up in. She is a good friend to Tara, as I will show. Trust me.

I'm glad you enjoyed the chat, I'm hoping it isn't too inside-jokey. I used familiar names because, well they are familiar to me. And though I could use canon characters I didn't see them as particularly IRC type geeks.

What's in the package? You'll find out next chapter, coming soon. Thanks for reading.

~~~~~

kivrin

freaks rock!!!

freaks or geeks? We're all geeks here, so make yourself at home. Thanks for reading!

~~~~~
[br]

[Artemis]

Hee, I recognise a few people Fun online banter all around.

I liked the rest of the chapter too - Willow's cute geek naivete And even though she's sadly quit, I just looove the idea of Faith doing tech support, she'd be the Buffyverse's Bitch Operator From Hell Even though I'm more often in the position of the clueless user myself, I sympathise more with the people who have to deal with us.

[watty]

Chris -- thanks for your graphics for the chat on LG, it makes it look soooo real! Glad you liked the banter, I'd like to think that I've captured the personalities of this particular group of individuals. I did think whether it'd be too narcissistic and whether I should use canon characters but decided that Buffy et al aren't chatters. Faith = Buffyverse's Bitch Operator From Hell? How apt! She has no customer sevice savvy, it will be a riot.

[hr]

Title: Geek Love
Author: watty
email: hiddenwatson@gmail.com
Distribution: please email me first
Rating: PG-13 to R
Disclaimers: BtVS characters and concepts belong to Mutant Enemy, Fox, The WB, UPN and others. Densha Otoko characters and concepts belong to Fuji Television, Toho Ltd and others.
Summary: Contemporary AU. Shy geek rescues and falls in love with perfect woman. No, does not compute.
Notes: this is based on the Japanese phenomenon, densha otoko ("train man"), which was supposed to be a true story and which begat a book, several manga series, a film, and a tv series. This is also my first attempt at fluff. Hee.
Notes 2: the IRC channel #geeklove actually exists on irc.blitzed.org, thanks to MistressWashi for setting it up for me.



Part 4

[blockquote][21.35] Connecting ...
[21.35] Logging in ...
[21.35] *** Welcome to CGI:IRC 0.5.3 (2003/10/29)
[21.35] -ezcheese.cgiirc.blitzed.org- *** Looking up your hostname...
[21.35] -ezcheese.cgiirc.blitzed.org- *** Found your hostname, cached
[21.35] -ezcheese.cgiirc.blitzed.org- *** Checking Ident
[21.35] -ezcheese.cgiirc.blitzed.org- *** Got Ident response
[21.35] *** -
[21.35] *** - This is a CGI:IRC server connected to the Blitzed IRC Network
[21.35] *** hiddenred [www-data@n20407818022] has joined #geeklove
[21.35] *** mode/#geeklove [+nt] by ChanServ
[21.35] *** Topic is: geeks need love too
[21.35] *** Topic set by wattysbrain [Sat Aug 05 04:07:56 2006]
[21.35] *** Channel created on Mon Aug 21 19:50:34 2006

Willow!

as far as I'm concerned there's only one Dar. hi Will

Sally's Dar love knows no bounds. Hi Willow

'sup stranger?

hi everyone. hi T, where have you been? music talk tonight?

specifically the hotness that is Dar

guess who's going to a Dar concert?

so when's the concert again?

Friday, wanna join?

sure, it's only half an hour away, i'll check my shift schedule

excellent!

been working on my new website

that's what? #6?

yeah

back, oh hey will

wb

wb

wb

ty ... what did I miss? do we have an update from Willow?

were we expecting an update from Willow?

as I recall she was supposed to check her mailbox everyday and report back

I was?

what mailbox? a late valentine's? a letter from her soulmate from another dimension?

Willow was so brave last night, she rescued a fair maiden from an evil drunk demon and as a result said fair maiden asked for her address so she could send over a thank you gift befitting such a heroic act

ah, that *is* brave and heroic

actually there was a package waiting for me at home tonight

WOOT!

that's awesome



go you!

spill it, what's in the package?

It was from the matronly lady, the first one who asked for my address, she sent it on behalf of the other 2 ladies she was with. it was a box of chocolate, with a nice note too, handwritten ... who handwrites letters anymore?

I thought it was from the pretty younger girl, the Ms Perfect, but no

don't give up yet

may be the older lady likes willow

don't even suggest it, sallypants. I'd love a relationship as much as anyone in this room but I draw the limit on matronly ladies who are most likely married with grandchildren

the fact that she has grandchildren proves she has skillz and I'm so going to hell for that comment

darn it T, you say the most shocking things!

lol I try *bows*

but what Willow wants is what she can't get ... the young Ms Perfect

sigh, yeah. I let it all go to my head, I was having a fantasy that things would go like this:

I save her --> she is grateful --> she sends me a present --> we start going out --> smoochies --> more smoochies

it's perfect (in my mind)

it might still happen

yeah, it's only been 24 hours, maybe she's shy too?

I agree with cam and watty, you should wait a day or so before starting that pity party

yes, because when you have the pity party you've got to invite all of us

lol yes car, pity party invite all prepared, just waiting to be sent out

nononono, no self-pity, not allowed

sigh, I can't get her out of my mind

hang in there buddy

yeah. say, where's elvis tonight?

think she's doing taxes for people at the center

imagine that, voluntarily spending time with tax returns ... other people's returns to boot (if not boot then adidas gazelle)

I have enough problems with mine

don't complain cam, I have to file ...

-snip-
[/blockquote]

*****

"May I speak to Willow?"

"Speaking."

"This is Harmony from Accounts Payable."

"Hello Harmony, what can I do for you?"

"We received an invoice from your department, it was allocated to your cost center."

"We get vendor invoices all the time. Is there a problem?"

"It's for $252 payable to staples.com."

"Yes, we order our stationery from them, most departments do."

"In my system there is a Staples Inc., but not staples dot com, are they the same?"

Willow almost dropped the phone. With gritted teeth she managed to eek out one word, "yes."

"Then could you please ask them to reissue the invoice on Staples Inc. letterhead?"

"Harmony, this was an internet order. Through staples.com. Which is an arm of Staples Inc., which we've used before."

"It doesn't match my system. I had to check with you, I'm not responsible for checking vendors."

"Harmony, you've heard of Staples haven't you? It's not an obscure company. You must recognize the logo and everything."

"I only follow instructions. The names don't match and I have to follow up."

"It's not the first time we've had invoices from staples.com, Harmony."

"Well it's the first time for me."

"I doubt they'll send another invoice on another letterhead because we ask them to, what else can I do?"

"Can you countersign this so I know it's been verified by someone and I didn't process it without checking?"

"Verified?"

"That I have your signoff to use the same vendor code for this invoice."

"I suppose common sense isn't a valid code in your system?"

"What code?"

"Never mind. Internal mail me the invoice, I'll sign it."

It was that sort of day. If Mad Monday was bad, it was nothing compared with Terror Tuesday. Which was yesterday. Or Wretched Wednesday, today. Faith was a handful. She would flirt unashamedly with any warm body with two legs and it was up to a harassed Willow to constantly unwind the so-called work she turned in. Her boss wasn't interested in hearing any of it. She suspected that he couldn't handle Faith and decided to dump her onto the one person who was never able to say no.

Willow Rosenberg. Old Reliable. Boring. Old. Reliable.

The only bright spot was a call from her friend Buffy. They had gone to high school together but after graduation Buffy went away to college on the East Coast. They didn't keep in close touch, exchanging the occasional email, birthday present or short visit if either of them was passing through town.

"Willow, how are you?"

I'm in a dead end job with an unmanageable employee and I met the most gorgeous girl on the train last Sunday and she's so completely beyond my reach. I don't even know her name, her address or even if she'd be interested in someone like me. Probability = zero. Negative zero.

"The usual, I'm fine."

"I'm in L.A., Angel has a client conference and I'm trying to set up meetings with some production company executives. I'll be in Sunnydale on Saturday, visiting Mom's grave. Want to come by the house for dinner? I need to take a look at the place, see what condition it's in."

"Sure, I'd love to meet up. Should I bring Xander?"

"Let's make this a girls' thing only. No need to include the boys."

"Um, okay."

"Excellent. I'll order take-out. Pizza or Chinese?"

"I don't mind."

"Always so decisive. I'll see what I feel like when I come to order."

Willow wondered why Buffy kept the house, since it was empty most of the year. It probably held memories for her. She was never entirely sure why Buffy kept in touch with her either, their worlds seemed to have diverged as the years wore on. Buffy had become successful at her business which sold something to the entertainment industry that Willow couldn't quite understand.

"Buffy, I'll talk to you later. If not I'll come by on Saturday. My boss is giving me the evil eye, I'm sorry."

Buffy laughed heartily. "Go. I'll see you in a few days."

*****

"You did what?" Willow exclaimed.

"I threw them away, they were sticky and dusty," Faith shrugged.

"Did you check with anyone before you did that?"

"Should I have?"

"They were backups, Faith. Important data stored inside."

"Well you people sure have an interesting way of treating important data. Those boxes were stacked four high, they don't look like anyone's used them since computers were invented. How was I supposed to know?"

"Usually we only need to retrieve backup disks if there's a crash or a subpoena. They're not the type of disks we need day in day out, but they're essential."

"Well how the hell was I supposed to know?"

"The labels on the boxes say 'backups -- do not remove' don't they?"

"I didn't notice. Look Wilma, if you want me not to touch anything, you gotta tell me."

"I didn't tell you to touch anything. When will you start listening to anything I say? And my name isn't Wilma!"

"Whatever, Red."

Willow threw her hands in the air in frustration. "I can't talk to you now. I just can't."

She knew that if she continued the conversation with Faith she'd be in danger of losing her temper. She wasn't sure she had a temper at all, but the experience on the train last Sunday had made her realize that perhaps she was capable of non-wimp behavior when provoked.

Faith shrugged nonchalantly and promptly disappeared, muttering that she was going "for lunch" with the audit manager. Willow now knew what that euphemism was but was too exasperated to be outraged.

She had to report the loss of the data disks to management and it was the most humiliating and depressing few hours in her entire life. By the third meeting with department supervisors, where she was interrogated relentlessly and hung out to dry by her boss, she was ready to quit. She called Xander, wanting to hear words of encouragement from a friend, but he was at the site and not able to talk until after work. Andrew, being unemployed, would not understand her job frustrations anyway. She had no other friend to talk to.

Disenchanted, she packed up her stuff, and watched the clock all afternoon. At 5.30pm she sneaked out via the side door. She needed to get away but she didn't know how or where. All she knew was that she was fuming and teetering on the edge of hysteria ... and rage ... she seemed to be full of unfamiliar emotions nowadays.

She walked without paying attention to where she was.

When she looked around again she found herself at the roof of her office building. She had no real recollection of how she got back there. Despite her fear of heights, and with her inner emotions running riot, she stepped closer and closer to the edge and leaned over the railings to peer down at the street below. The railings were high enough that she wouldn't accidentally fall off unless she climbed over them. But they were low enough so that her head and shoulders were suspended above the ground, nothing but air between her and the concrete sidewalk 30 storeys down.

The queasiness and spatial disorientation she felt as vertigo hit gave her the shock to the system that she needed. After a few seconds, she pulled herself back and slumped down onto the ground. She was never going to endanger herself, but this act of recklessness was so unlike her usual passive geeky self.

Geek.

A nice name for loser.

Someone who was always at the fringes of society. Would never know the meaning of success. Yes, a failure. Loser.

That was her, for as long as she remembered.

She was still in a dark mood when she met Xander for a quick drink at their usual café. She scowled as she discovered that it was more crowded than usual because most of the floor area was taken up by a huge wishing tree. For a small donation, patrons could write their wishes on a slip of paper and hang it on the branches of the tree. Xander, always a sucker for promotions like these -- plus he wanted to increase his karma -- enthusiastically added his wish.

Normally Willow would not bother, but she was so depressed that she was ready to try anything that could improve her life. She always had one secret wish she held in her heart, and perhaps it was time to ask for it. Whether a gimmicky tree in a coffee shop was the right instrument, she wasn't sure. You never know, she thought to herself as she added hers to the groaning branches. Knowing my luck, I'll be the one to break the tree.

The dark sky reminded her that she needed to head home. Slowly and listlessly she made her way to the darkened house, skipping dinner yet again. She walked up the stairs and to her own room; she kept the room dark, deciding that the lights would stay off tonight. She felt so unhappy that she didn't even switch on her laptop, usually the first action upon entering her room.

Feeling utterly miserable she threw her backpack violently on the floor so it landed with a thud. Pulled her jacket off so it almost ripped and threw it in the same heap as the backpack. Finally threw herself on her bed and buried her face in the duvet. She wanted to cry but she seemed to be failing in even that.

She didn't notice the package wrapped in neat brown paper that was sitting on her desk.

*****
[br]

[BigBlueEyes]

ACK! *Scowls* So not cool! So more please and soon. Rock on!