Puca Dentata

I love, love, love "Our House". It's such a strange gathering of people - Giles, Oz, Tara, Spike, Xander - and Devon was just wonderful. His character gave the story a kind of "outsider's touch", a sense of belonging and not-belonging at the same time. How did you decide who would escape from Sunnydale?

Well, from the start I knew Buffy would die. Because if she didn't, you know they would have stood their ground. At the time I wrote that tale, the scoobies were dealing with the entire "Waiting until Buffy Says Simon" kind of thing. Not making a move without her.

Mostly I just picked the characters I felt would show the widest range when it came to emotion reactions to the situation. And I choose Devon as narrator for *exactly* the reasons you mentioned above. He's an outsider. He has a blunt yet lyrical outlook at life. (Or at least he does in my head.)

I'm always intrigued by the "failure" stories, those that don't let the good guys win. What is it about this genre that draws you?

Because the good guy *doesn't* always win. No one does. On a show where the good guy triumphs, it's intriguing to ask, "Well, what if they hadn't won?" Because for me, frankly, it's easier to love the sad misfits that struggle along like the rest of us.

Let's talk about Oz and Devon. We don't know much about either character, Devon especially. I'm thinking that the lack of knowledge or backstory could make them either extremely easy to write, or an incredible challenge just to find the right voice.

OK...big admission here...I've never seen an ep. with Devon.

Seriously. it's a case of reading him in a fic and reading the transcripts and using the persona built up by other authors. Hell, until I saw a pic of him I imagined him in my head looking like Jonathon Rhys Meyers. And still do. <g>

Oz is fun to build on because he's such an enigma. He's got some brains, some loyalty, some talent, some genious. But he also has some rage, some self-hatred, some problems facing reality. He's this person who speaks as little as possile, nearly always when he has something witty or helpful to say. I think he wants so *badly* to be cool. like he has this mental image of himself, and tries ever so hard to live up to it.

Here's a pretty obvious question - what is it about the Buffy series (and Angel of course) that makes you want to continue the story?

They are all befuddled. they're whiny, they are wanton, they have issues and loves and hates and remind me ever so much of people I have met.

It's that entire FUBAR thing. Take relatively normal people and place them in a situation "fucked up beyond all recognation." See what happens.

Now I'm going to steal a question from Maayan (with permission). There's canon and there's fan-on - ideas and themes that have some nebulous basis on the show, but which have grown into their own. (Angel siring Spike, this random notion of purring vampires that's so prevalent these days.) Any thoughts at all on this phenomenon?

Well, what Joss says goes. I wish Angel would have sired Spike, 'cause that's just tragic and lovely and even more FUBAR.

But Dru did. So.

I *like* that vampires could purr. They can growl, so why not purr? I'll live by that one.

I'm all for Fan-non until Can-non decides the rules once and for all. And then, don't fuck with it. At least not the little things or unless you are doing a total AU. Don't throw a hissy fit and do it as you will, i guess. You know?

What do you love to read in fanfiction? What makes you run to the Delete button? Favorite authors or stories?

Love? I love twisted looks into the minds of a character where cliches are abandoned and you are left with a new vision of the character. I love darkness. Ok, I'll admit it: I'm a kinky girl. So i love Angelus/Spike bondage smut. That's my secret weakness!

I hate any fic where Spike is a frolicking pansey-ass who is kissy-kissy with Xander. Where *any* of the characters are just too sweet for words. I never read Ethan, cause, well, I just don't get it. Willow Spike where Spike ends up punching out Xander for not treating Willow like a "Bud of Beauty" or some such shit. You get the pic.

I love Kita's "Blue on Black/Black on Blue". She writes the best Angel out there. _-Sun-_ wrote a thing called "8 o' Clock in the Morning", which is just to die for (Spike/Dru). Sandycat, Sandycat, Sandycat. She inspired me into this fandom in the first place. Hth writes the best Oz, as seen in her "Gonzo Sunset." And Wax Jism! And Rowan writes the best Spike. Read her "Stranger's Portrait" and "Snapshots" (I think that's what it's called.)

Finally, just so I can have a little nosy into your life, what CD is in your stereo now? What books are you reading? Last movie seen?

Um. Richie Hawtin, AKA "Plastikman". He's the God of techno. Yumma-yumma. He's best live, though.

Movie? Moulin Rouge. What a trip. It's a musical, and not everyone's cuppa tea. But I adored it. the most visually stunning film ever, except perhaps for "Requiem for a Dream.

I'm reading "Skinny legs and All" by Tom Robbins. He uses language wonderfully. His metaphors are to die for. i think he does drugs and has alot of sex. He must, to write like he does.

You can read more of Puca's fanfiction at Penny Dreadful or (diminished ninth)