Another great chapter. Kaede's storyline that runs backwards, well I thought that was great, but I really like that kind of thing... It wasn't confusing if that was what you were worried about, and the story about Kaede and Takeshi was really poetic. I hope Buffy can learn something from it. I'm curious about where you are going to take this... I'm really looking forward to the next chapter :D ~ Nina

Author's Response: It's good to hear that the backwards time line isn't a pain. I mean, I obviously like it, but I wasn't sure how everyone else would feel. Thanks for the review!

I am liking this story very much, but a couple of things jumped out at me that...I can't say they seemed off exactly but they did strike me as odd.

First, Takeshi's death was certainly tragically romantic but hardly necessary. At least - if it had been Spike or Angel, there's no doubt in my mind that they wouldn't have let a little thing like being stuck at dawn in open country far from shelter get them down and dusty. No - our boys would have taken cover beneath the corpses - of which there seemed to be an ample supply. Hell, worse case scenario they would have eviscerated the slain horse and crawled inside its skin until sundown. The only way I can make sense of Takeshi's calm acceptance of death by sunrise is to assume cultural differences precluded so ignoble a means of survival and demanded that he meet Death With Honor. But I'm just guessing here.

Second - It's a petty detail, I know, but I'm dubious of Spike still being chained in the bathtub post SB, since by the very next episode Hush, not only do we see him unfettered and moving freely about Giles' flat, but rummaging through his cupboards, helping himself to his food and making himself very much at home - all without Giles batting an eyelid, let alone aiming a crossbow at him while he was unrestrained. I always had the impression that soon after SB he'd graduated into more of a "guestage", as Andrew would say, than a prisoner.

Third, I enjoyed Spike's grousing to himself in the bathtub (you do excellent Spike-voice and Spike-speak) but as to his anticipation that he'd be getting blood cold from the refrigerator, even at the beginning of SB, before the spell, he apparently expected and got his blood served warm. He'd still have had the novelty mug to complain about though *g*.

Like I said - these are just petty details and disparities that have occurred to me as I read but have not gotten in the way of my enjoyment. And I'm enjoying very much.

deborahc


Author's Response: After some serious wrist self-slappage for assuming, I'm going to have to add a sentence or two explaining why Takeshi would have never used a corpse to hide. Basically, it was thought that handling corpses of humans or animals (or in this 'verse, demons) tainted a person's soul. That was the reason for the eta in chapter 1. Eta were a class of people charged with handling the dead, and for that they were shunned and hated by pretty much every other caste of society. For a samurai to hide in or under a corpse would have literally been unthinkable. The blood temp thing can be blamed on my own faulty memory. I shall tweak. As to Spike being tied up and Giles' behavior, I'm going to be playing fast and loose with the plot of SB. That's why I called it a slightly AU SB in chapter 1. I'm basically twisting SB so that Spike behaved a little better and Giles behaved a little worse throughout the episode. Thank you for the feedback and the honesty. I appreciate them both greatly.

As long as you don't have too many time-lines and parallel worlds it should be no problem to read. Even if the updates are regularly. (So it's easier to follow.) Awe :) The soul is in the katana? Wonder if it is still there. *sniff* Takeshi stayed and decided to fight even if he knew he could not escape the sun? A hero.. wonder what the Council of Watchers would say to it. Nothing I fear. (I wonder ~ and this is a question ~ if Takeshi fathered the child when he was human or a vampire? If you will tell more about it later, don't bother to answer now. No spoilers please :) ) ~ So Spike didn't know what Giles told about the katanas and the story. Looking forward to the next part. Love it.

Author's Response: There's just the two time lines, any more would get really difficult to handle. Because I will be getting to your other questions later in the story, I'll not spoil you. ;-) Thanks for reviewing!

eeeep love it!!!! love it love it love it!!! seriously... you've done a wonderful work!!! though the japanese story is rather sad, bording on suicidal.. snif... i bet spuffy is going to make it all better ;) thanx so much!! terrific job.... you couldn't update fast enough ;) though i can surely say i'll be glued to my sit till the next installment ;) thanx

Author's Response: The story in Japan is a tragedy, but I give them as close to a happy "ending" as I can, all things considered. (No, I don't mean the events in chapter 1. I won't say more than that.) I guess you could say that Kaede and Takeshi's story is meant to stand as a case study for Buffy and Spike, with the hope that they won't repeat the mistakes of the past. Thanks for reviewing!

I really like the glimpses of Kaede's and Takeshi's lives together. I'm looking forward to seeing how the two storylines meet. Good job!

Author's Response: Well, I'll be spinning out a little more with each chapter, but the real convergeance of the two stories happens in the final installment. I hope you'll stick around. :-) Thanks for reviewing!

Great fic! Please update soon!

Author's Response: I will, I will. ;-) Thanks for reviewing!

Really enjoying this story! The Japanese slayer and her husband are turning into very interesting OCs. Well, they aren't Meret; but interesting none the less!

I'm liking the technique; and the Kierkegaard quote is perfect. So the husband has just been vamped? And somehow he kept his soul due to the sword. The sword which Giles just obtained. Hmm! Now why do I think that might be important? And I'm curious about the Japanese slayer's pregnancy, too. Are we foreshadowing?

As always, you leave me eager for more!


Author's Response: If I made them scaly with feathers, would that make you like them more? ;-) Their whole story is a blend of foreshadowing and forewarning for Buffy and Spike. Fair warning, I love a happy, but open ended, finale (which I'm sure was the cause of so much of the screaming after ILwS was completed). As for the other questions, I promise I'll get there! Thanks for reviewing!

Happily hooked. I'm so glad you're back with another fic. I adore S4 Spuffy - they're at their snarkiest, sparkiest best - and that goes for all the characters.

So, I'm already wondering and greatly intrigued about how the Japanese Slayer became pregnant by her vampire lover. And speaking of vampire lovers, where was Spike when Giles was debriefing Buffy and Willow about the artifacts and the rituall? Chained up and uncharacteristically silent in the bathtub? In SB, after after Willow ended the spell and they returned to Giles' place, Spike is shown with only the token restraint of his torso (and possibly feet) tied to a chair. And to the best of my recollection, that's the last I recall of seeing him restrained while at Giles' at all. Where was he? Where was Xander for that matter.

One little unsolicited beta comment:

...oooh - never mind. It was the concealed - s/b concealing thing, but I just went back to copy and paste and see you've already corrected it.

Anyway, it's a great beginning and I'm very much looking forward to following this story through to its completion.



Author's Response: Yeah, I saw that mistake and proceeded to introduce my face into my desk. That's what I get for partially changing a sentence at the last second, huh? I'm pretty much working without a net, so any future unsolicited beta advice will be appreciated. I'm going to be swapping perspectives each chapter, so I promise you'll find out exactly what Spike is up to in chapter 2. The reason, other than the obvious part, why Kaede is pregnant will hopefully start becoming apparent as well. Here's a little spoiler for you about the rest of the story: the part set in modern times only covers two days. That means I cut it down to only a few characters, so Xander gets mentioned but is otherwise AWOL throughout this piece. Sorry. Thanks for the review!

OH! A new story from you :) *big smile* Seems as if the start (Kaede's and Takeshi's story) would made a great story itself. Even if it is a very sad one. Even if they are a having a child. ~ I wonder if the katana's are Kaede's. A letter from Quentin Travers? Sounds not good. Oh no.. resurrection. Then one of the katanas belonged to Kaede and the other to Takeshi. Love it so far. Looking forward to more.

Author's Response: I will be telling a piece of Kaede and Takeshi's story at the beginning of each chapter. (That's where the angst in the warnings comes into play.) Thanks for leaving a review!

Enjoying the little touch of fact and fiction melted into a B/S story. See we are having another culture
lesson-like it.

And how much of this history will repeat itself with the slayer and vampiric consort ? Waiting to read more.





Author's Response: I was corrupted by my two historian parents as a child, I can't help it. ;-) As for history performing a repeat, that stands on our couple's ability to learn from the past. Sorry about the non-answer, but I'm being covetous of my spoilers. Thanks for reviewing!

Brilliant start. I did the Tokugawa period at uni and really enjoyed it. Looking forward to more.

Author's Response: You'll have to keep me honest then. History books love the battles and mostly ignore the commonplace. I hope I don't mangle the culture beyond repair. Thanks for reviewing!

OHHHH, interesting concept. I wonder who's going to bring forth the idea of Spike being Buffy's consort.

Author's Response: Who... or what? D'oh. Mini-spoiler. :-D Thanks for reviewing!