Tired

Okay, the new chapter of Perdition is almost finished. I need a fresher pair of eyes than the one I have right now to check if it really works. So, I won't post now, but give it some more attention "tomorrow" morning, which is in about 5 hours.

This chapter was/is difficult for several reasons:
a) Xander is drunk, but also the narrator, so his ability to interprete events (and Spike) should by rights be impaired, but not to an extent that the reader doesn't get what's really going on.
b) Xander is drunk and behaving less responsibly. His moral compass is off kilter, which might make it look like he's out of character. Reckless!Xander is tricky.
c) *I* know what's going on in Spike and why he reacts the way he does, but Xander doesn't (not just because of the booze but because of canon knowledge Xander doesn't have). Will the reader get it?
d) Souled Spike is still a bit of a wild card when he's sane. Crazy!Spike is easy to write, but how does Souled!Spike react to change? Like a "big fluffy puppy with bad teeth?"

Ack, going to bed now. Maybe sleep will help untangle my brain.

Tired but awake

Okay, fresher eyes now. There's nothing like a good 4 hours of sleep to reboot the brain into a nervous freshness. Getting up is difficult, but once I sit in front of my computer I perk up.

The first conscious thought this morning, when I opened my eyes concerned Perdition and was: How can I wrap the whole Spike/Xander history up to the kiss and beyond into one Spikey insult that is both sad and nasty?

I so need a life.

Perdition

*Estepheia does her happy dance*
I just finished the next chapter of Perdition Catch my soul. Actually I cheated, because I cut the intended chapter in half. It seemed a logical cut for several reasons, even though that makes the resulting chapter just a little bit short.

Unfortunately, Mr. Estepheia isn't around to upload my stuff to my own site. The Upload software is on his notebook. So, the only place I could currently send interested readers to is the mirror site at Geocities. I think I will save all the uploading till later and just post chapter 10

( here )

Smallville

I just watched Smallville 2x12 - Insurgence. I thought it was a really good episode with a lot more tension than usual. The mistrust and rivalry between the two Luthors and the animosity between Lex and Jonathan worked very well. I still want to hit Jonathan over the head with a shovel for being such a sanctimonious jerk, but I think that's what I'm supposed to feel. This episode made it again painfully obvious that villains aren't born but made.

Interesting was the Kents' choice to turn the tables on Lionel Luthor. It will be interesting to see, if a more active form of secrecy will taint them. It's one thing to keep one's own secrets. Spying on others - even if it's a pre-emptive measure - has in itself a lot of corruptive potential. There's great opportunity for conflict. So far the Kent's had to struggle with finances and their pride, now temptation and curiosity might be added to the mix.

Lex suffered a number of blows: his father's spying, the lost deal, the argument with Jonathan, the inability to influence the hostage drama, the nasty scene with his father after the rescue. He's like a sword on an anvil, being tempered into a cutting weapon. There are sparks of temper, but he's getting harder and edgier. Which is probably how things will progress from now on. I'll be sad to see him lose his amiable and eager!puppy side.