Meant to FBFB on that last post, but since we're on a new page already, I'll talk here.
Chapter 26 FBFB:
JujuDeRoussie: Congratulations on the dibsiness. The chapters are becoming more Willow/Tara focused, which is a real treat to write. I don't see this changing any time soon. Donny at first doesn't really think anything of Willow--she's just a friend of Tara's. But as they interact more, I expect Donny form bonds with some of the Scoobies. As far as what he saw/thinks/knows from his glimpse of their closeness during Clue, that will come back around. You are always welcome, sweet Kitopian. ^_^b
Cardoza: Tara's mentioning that she liked "their version" better makes me wonder what words they were putting into the characters' mouths before Donny entered! That's one of those things best left to the minds of the readers. *I* like to think it was sassy dialog. ^_^ I love that you love the story. Makes it all worth writing.
SickSadGirl: Hey, there. ^_^ New face. Clue's one of my favorite movies, too; definitely my favorite comedy. Like Willow and Tara, I've said many times that I could probably recite the whole thing by heart. But between you and me, I probably couldn't. Don't be so hard on yourself; nothing good comes of it. ^_^ Thanks for chiming in; the feedback (and ego boost) really makes my day!
JustSkipIt: No doubt about it: Tara's in a bad spot. There is resolution coming, of course--and in the meanwhile, at least we get some Willow/Tara screen time. Chapter 28 *will* come faster than the prior ones. Gotta break this slow update cycle.
Sadie: Yep, the girls might not be together all the time, but I'm also planning on picking up the pace of the story a bit, so make faster the spaces in between their visits. Hopefully it'll balance well without being too jarring a shift. What Donny thinks about what he saw will be a subject in a near-future chapter. Probably 29ish.
love_2003: Maybe, although that would break her 10PM curfew. Thanks for the FB!
Sami: There will be. Upcoming chapters are a lot more W/T-centric. (At long last!) I'm looking forward to their next *totally* along meeting as well, particularly after Chapter 27.
Chapter 27 FBFB:
JujuDeRoussie: Another dibs! You're on a streak. Was waking up at 5AM worth it? ^_~ I had a *lot* of fun getting inside of Tara's head and seeing her frustration with wanting Willow and the timing of the breakup and ... generally being on edge. So, yes, they've admitted they're into each other; didn't seem terribly hard to do so, particularly with their bodies offering lots of evidence to help out. I don't think Mr. M would be keen on overnights (despite how keen we might be!). 93? That's biotastic! Yes, Tara's got her painting muse. *hug*
Zampsa1975: The way that Tara's awful situation gets resolved might come as something of a surprise.
sadie: Tara seems to have the desire to "do the right thing." (Like she thinks: does that ever really work?) However, this is nicely balanced by Willow's impatience.
taranwillow4ever: Hey, there. ^_^ Nice to see you in here! Thanks for the kind words. This story's been a blast to write. By the way,
whetted.
Rachel: Really. It was about time, wasn't it? Don't you worry: Tara's getting out of that apartment one way or another. (probably another, though ... )
sadie: Let me know if anything's different!
JustSkipIt: Holy crow, that's a lot of feedback. It's got ... paragraphs! So, yes, I'm going to be speeding up the story (which was going at a snail's pace) now that I've gotten a bit more comfortable with writing and these characters. Hopefully the pace shift isn't jarring--most people listed the slow pace as a complaint, so hopefully this'll turn out better. ^_^ I don't talk much about what's going to happen with Tara's dad because it was one of the earliest story arcs I planned out, and it has a few surprises. But feel free to continue to guess ^_~ Sadly, Mr. Maclay is based on several parents I've had the displeasure of meeting in the real world.
Cordelia's not the most diplomatic in her communication (one of the few characters in this story for which this is true), but I think her motives are good.
Yes, Tara was wearing makeup for Willow. It's kind of strange, writing characters from a TV show and trying to determine whether they'd be the type to wear make--since *everybody* on TV shows does. They wake *up* with perfect makeup. Since it was something I'd had her do earlier in the story--and had Willow think it was strangely out of character for Tara--I stuck with it in this scene.
I wish I could say he was being understanding and reasonable, but for the hyper-controlling, making allowances like these are almost a form of currency.
I started watching Xena a couple months ago (thereby breaking my vow to not start any new TV shows until I'd finished this story), and, like Willow, thought it was *very* silly and kind of bad--but watchable. I've got a weak spot for characters. If I like the characters, I can watch *anything*, no matter how terrible. There are a few episodes that are gems, particularly the really funny ones that have little to do with the season arcs.
I like the idea that Willow and Tara are comfortable enough with each other to talk about anything--including how they feel about each other. Plus, I just get *so* tired of "W likes T but can't imagine T liking her back; ditto for T; they secretly pine for each other for ages" plots. In my original disclaimer, I promised that there would be life angst, but *no* relationship angst between the girls. Direct is best.
Despite her admission, Tara doesn't feel right about the timing of Willow's breakup. Almost like she ... like she wanted to call dibs on Willow, but felt like there should be some undefined mourning period. Luckily, Willow's impatience (often depicted as a flaw) will do some good on that front.
This is the problem with writing one chapter a month: earlier chapters get forgotten (or feel like they occurred ages ago, while really the entire story has only spanned a few weeks). The flash vision Tara had on the deck is actually a memory from a dream she had in an earlier chapter.