Lasarhiona
When I first started this archive, I had a certain view of the type of story I wanted here. I wanted stories "that give us a glimpse into ... how a Watcher can pursue the demons of the night, all the while knowing that some demons live within."
Lasarhiona must have looked into the future and seen that paragraph before it was written. Her peek into Giles' nocturnal horror show is poignant, terrifying, and in one instance, snarkily funny. (I wasn't even going to archive funny stuff! "Angst!" I cried. But I couldn't resist... besides, far be it from me to break up a series.)
But, you say, others have done the nightmare thing. Why is this one so different? The answer? Variations on a theme, each with its own universe, rules, and outlook. She blithely destroys convention, dashes hopes, and goes straight for the jugular. Her writing is dark dark dark, violent at times, and entirely gripping.
It's the rare Buffy fan that doesn't wonder about the history between our favorite vampires. Who sired who? When? Why? (We know the how, heh heh.) "1898" is a glimpse into the past, back to Angelus and Darla's glory days, and the first meeting with Spike. (Note: this was written before "Fool for Love" and as such, doesn't quite fit into the Buffyverse as it stands today. In this story it is Angel, not Dru, who sired Spike.)