![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kerk_hiraethTITLE: 900 Days
AUTHOR: kerk hiraeth
FANDOM: Buffy the Vampire Slayer ( *verse );
CHARACTER(s): Willow Rosenberg; Silja Rönnensbarn (OC);
'SHIP(s): Willow/OC (Silja);
LENGTH: 899;
RATING: NC-17;
A/N: This is written for the halfamoon.dreamwidth.org/392164.html prompt #1 Under the Light of the Moon, and is set in a previously unexplored buffyverse, which is a close cousin to the world in which I set It's Easy to be Noble (When You're Not) in Constantinople kerk-hiraeth.dreamwidth.org/3891.html . Silja is a presence in that, though she does not appear, and the Willow in this is literary kin to the one in that story.
They are in the Philippines having met just after Willow split with a previous lover, and two days after the anniversary of Tara's death in Seeing Red. They have never; at least not directly, spoken about Tara and, though Silja knows who she was, has never heard Willow speak Tara's name in her presence. Silja comes from the Swedish-speaking areas of Finland; thinks of herself as Finnish, though Swedish is her first language.
There are references to the BtVS Season Five episode, Listening to Fear, as well as some specific inspirations from a Philippines lesbian series called Lulu https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sFpvAMe1NI .
The Emily Dickinson poems between them started the train of thought that, eventually, led to this story.
Willow moaned as Silja reached for her lips.
“Dos iz onvarfn,” she complained as the unlit fag was sent flying into the moonlit South China Sea night.
About the only word she recognised in her lover's offensive response was the Finnish for Yiddish, she thought; only having started learning that less than a month previous, not that her grasp of Swedish was improving tremendously.
Apart from a few very important phrases.
“No fair, “ Willow bid fair to point out to Silja as her complaint was cut off, “I'm still trying to learn Swed... “
Instead of pointing out the deliberate... mistake, Silja hisspered into her ear; in synch with the two fingers, into her mouth, that had so recently made her cum.
“Babae ko yan, “ which Willow recognised as a sentiment, even if she didn't know the words.
Shit, Rosenberg! You can recognise Indigo Girls lyrics in a dozen dead languages, but...
Distracted by the task of cleaning the fingers she put aside phantom grievances and let herself lean back into her lover's chest as they reached their free hand over to stroke the boob they could reach.
Stubbornly enjoying the discomfort Silja must be in she closed her eyes and let herself enjoy what she was doing.
Task completed she allowed herself a surly grunt as tik-silja raised herself up onto an elbow and whispered, “That's three she owes me. “
Wishing mightily the full moon; heavenly and Heavenly, was not making her so horny; Willow suddenly turned tables on her equally horny lover and, after a significant pause as they stared into each other's eyes, began teasing Silja's collarbone.
“Long way short of that record, my tik-silja.”
Silja snarled back, “Devorah's.. or hers.” Then screech-laughed as Willow took revenge at the name of the woman she'd broken up with; they'd broken up with each other truthfully, roiling a nipple between her teeth, before they headed down between her legs for what was not destined to be a gentle session under the light of a beautiful filipino moon.
Gleefully she gave in to the fuck she'd been after.
~
Finally able to enjoy a fag unmolested Willow lay back on the sand enjoying the satisfaction of Silja getting some control over her breathing again.
Seeing something cross the face of the glistening moon above she suddenly took in the star formations and. almost out of nowhere, one of the phrases she had been practicing escaped, albeit imperfect, her lips.
“Vad? “ Silja managed to gasp, before Willow tossed her cigarette away and raised her arm pointing at one of the constellations visible on the night of a full moon.
She couldn't see all of them, and they weren't the same ones, but the memories they evoked did not care.
“Den stora ananasen. “
“Den... Va... What? “
Willow switched arms and, as she lay her arm over Willow's torso, Silja followed the line of that arm. She had no great knowledge of her own night sky; let alone this one over the moonlit South China Sea, but she found the constellation being pointed out.
Sensing something important was happening she stayed silent, and kissed Willow's shoulder as she felt a choked off sob behind their breathing as they whispered.
“The big pineapple. She said the actual constellations made no sense, so... She made up her own. “ Then their gazes followed Willow's pointer to another set of visible stars. “Húdié... Butterfly. I made up some of my own and; when we came back from seeing that at an Asian Film Festival in Frisco, saw that in the sky.
I mean, they're not the same stars. Not really, but they kind of remind me of them. “
Resting her head against Willow's belly, Silja could feel the emotions that were being released after so long.
“Suuremmat ja pienemmät yksisilmäiset viksut. “ Clarifying; giving her love's belly a kiss. “The greater and lesser one-eyed vixens. “
Stroking Silja's short, and very Marie Fredriksson looking hair, Willow began humming the only bit of a Roxette song she could recall. It was expanded upon, with added finger drums, as Silja used her cheeks as an inpromptu soundbox, humming into Willow's belly; around, and along with what with they were remembering.
After a few more minutes where they could only hear the waves; birds and a distant prop plane... and each other's breathing, Willow lifted herself up slightly, and they held hands.
Both hands.
Willow gripped tighter as she found some well of inner streng... no peace, and spoke softly; almost as of she were speaking to some distant, ghostly, memory.
“Nine. Hundred. Days, “ turning her head to look Silja directly in the eyes, in a way she never had before. We've been together nine hundred days. “
Silja tried, but did not succeed in choking off her own sob as Willow whispered, “We've broken that record. “ Then they kissed Silja deeply, and more passionately than ever before.
Adding, after they broke the kiss, “Vi har slagit det rekordat, my tik-silja.
Niohundra dagar. “
An Hour is a Sea
Between a few, and me ~
With them, would harbor be ~
(Emily Dickinson, c.1864)
I gazed - as at a stranger ~
The Lady in the Town
Doth think no incivility
To lift her glass - upon ~
(Emily Dickinson, c.1862; from poem #629)
May the Goddess watch over you and those you love,
kerk hiraeth
no subject
Date: 2023-02-03 04:16 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-02-03 05:32 am (UTC)After several weeks of different attempts to write a fic about these two; beach and moonlight being a part of it from before the news about halfamoon; that first prompt started something moving. Then I could almost hear someone talking about the big pineapple, and even though it took me a while to recall the alien arriving I began to see stars *smiley face*
After that this final version (well I've spotted a couple of typos, but they're easily fixed) came together pretty quickly, if a couple of days late. Doing the word count and have it come so close to the 899/900 and writing a quick filler scene, which came in at exactly the number I needed (had to take out one word) was almost magical.
Still not had proper sleep; did wake up to find the lights on and hot chocolate waiting patiently to be made. I'll do the fixes, and post to halfamoon later in the day.
Nice problem to have, but sometimes having too many ideas can be troublesome itself.
kerk
no subject
Date: 2023-02-03 04:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-02-03 05:19 am (UTC)It does mean a lot getting a response like that from you.
Was glad to hear your good news.
kerk
no subject
Date: 2023-02-03 05:28 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-02-03 07:12 am (UTC)(And adoring Roxette, those references hit me hard. I wonder what the song was? I presume 'It Must Have Been Love' since that's the one everyone knows.)
Not awake enough, but just wanted to say how lovely this was.
no subject
Date: 2023-02-03 07:19 am (UTC)Couple of differences, of course, but the moment I realised what Willow was doing I could see the hair. Twenty years and I finally discovered that!
The magic of writing, eh!
And yeah, someone like Willow, who liked them, would likely remember that song. Naturally, as a 'real' fan, Silja would tease her about it...
There's a backstory to how they met; which has nothing to do with 80s pop though music is very much involved. Think Jenny and where she took Giles for a date...
kerk
no subject
Date: 2023-02-03 06:27 pm (UTC)And the magic of writing indeed.
Would definitely be interested in the backstory if the muse decides to be co-operative. :)
no subject
Date: 2023-02-05 03:16 pm (UTC)My muse she does have a sense of whimsy :-)
kerk
no subject
Date: 2023-02-05 07:02 pm (UTC)Funnily enough that's probably one of my least favourite songs of theirs - possibly because of the over-exposure. But it is a great song, and uniquely fitting, considering.
My muse she does have a sense of whimsy :-)
That is a good thing!
no subject
Date: 2023-02-06 02:23 pm (UTC)I remember Marie Fredriksson more than the music if I'm honest.
I like to think that Silja, if she knew them would play it for Willow.
kerk
no subject
Date: 2023-02-07 05:52 pm (UTC)