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Thursday, August 31st, 2006 01:15 pm
Yes, two updates! It seems to work out that way. Anyway, you can find chapter eight of Drowning Not Waving there at [livejournal.com profile] douse_house. Be warned!

This Neverland update is a little short, i admit, but hey...sometimes that's just the way the storyline breaks! Was sick again, better again - getting so very tired of it but man, every test i've taken is 'normal normal normal' so...wtf? Whatever, blah. Don't wanna dwell. Cool and lovely here, sixties in the night, overcast and rainy and just - *nice*. I'm ready for autumn, ready to turn the ac off for *good*.

To everybody out there who said they were gonna read 'Peter Pan' because of this - or who might be thinking about it...that just makes me *smile*. I am such a geek.

Previous chapters here.

Enjoy!





The feast was - bizarre. Six more boys came - Nibs, Curly, John, Michael and the Twins, who were nothing like twins at all. And a girl, sullen and silent. Wendy. They along with Tootles and Xander - Spike had decided to call him that instead, to irritate Peter - and Pan himself sat down at the table and ate...nothing. Peter described a huge feast of mangos and breadfruit, fish and honey and roasted bear and all manner of delicacies. But there was nothing. They all pretended to eat from empty plates - drink from empty cups - with a desperate sort of look on their thin faces. Except for Wendy, who crossed her arms and scowled and stared at Spike who was sitting up in Xander's hammock, smoking.

"Why isn't the new...boy eating with us, Peter?" one of the twins asked - the black one.

Peter made a show of chewing and swallowing a mouth full of air. "Because - he's not a real boy. He's something else. He's going to help us defeat the pirates once and for all!" A ragged cheer went up, and then the other twin - an Asian-looking boy with a missing front tooth - looked up from his plate.

"If he's not real, then - what is he? Is he a - a spook?"

"No -" Pan said, and Xander interrupted him.

"No - he's something much worse."

Peter sent a scowl Xander's way. "He's better. Boys - look at him! With him, we're going to send Hook down to Davey Jones' locker! He's a vampire!" The boys cheered again but now the looks they sent Spike were speculative and a little wary and Spike deliberately let his eyes gleam golden in the dusky half-light of the tree house.

"Vampires ain't real," Wendy said, glaring at Spike, and Peter smiled.

"Of course they are, Wendy! We've played vampires before. And William the Bloody is a vampire! I heard this old man talking about him. They were talking about how terrible and evil he was - all the killing he'd done!"

"Who was talking?" Xander asked, and Peter shrugged.

"I don't know - this old man with glasses and these three girls. No - four girls. I wanted the quiet blonde one for our mother since this mother won't do the Spring cleaning."

"It ain't Spring," the girl said, narrowing dark eyes at Peter. She sounded East Coast - was black, with her hair cropped in a ragged afro that stuck out around her face like a fuzzy corona. She looked maybe fifteen, with fairly large breasts all but spilling out of a too-small top. The top, Spike realized with a little jolt, that she'd probably been kidnapped in. It was something a younger girl would wear; pink and white with little strawberries and it strained across her chest and didn't meet the waist of her too-small jeans. Spike figured he knew why Peter wanted a new Wendy. This one was too...grown up. All of them were. Xander looked the oldest – maybe eighteen – but the youngest was past puberty and all of them taller than Pan.

*No wonder he thins them out so often. Grown-ups in Neverland…*

"I say it is," Peter hissed, standing up, his hand on his knife hilt. All the boys tensed and Wendy looked nervous - but still pissed off. "And if I say it's Spring, then you do the Spring cleaning!"

"I ain't -" Wendy was cut short by Tink darting madly into the room, shrilling something at Peter.

"What is it, Tink? Oh!"

"Peter, what is it?" Tootles asked, eyes bright, and Peter turned to him with a grin, bouncing up out of his chair and hovering several inches above it.

"It's Hook! He's captured Tiger Lily! Tink says they're rowing her out to Marooner's Rock!" Tink flew in wild loops and figure eights around Peter's head, tinkling wildly.

"We must save her!" Tootles cried, and Peter crowed loud and long.

"Come on, boys; get your bows and arrows! We'll lure them into the rocks and see them drown! And when we save Tiger Lily and bring her back to her camp, the redskins will want us to feast with them!"

The cheer that rang out was stronger this time - more real - and Spike wondered why. The boys scrambled up, diving into the corners and shadows and coming out with weapons in their hands. Knives and bows and arrows, a long bone club for Tootles and a staff for Xander in addition to a bow and his knife. He was grinning. Wendy was looking pissed. She got up and stomped away - swung herself out and up, and Spike could just see her through a crack, crossing a rope bridge to another, smaller house.

As the boys stomped and danced around Peter, crowing and shouting, Spike grabbed Xander by the scruff and dragged him into the darkest corner.

"Why in bloody hell is everybody so fucking excited about this Tiger Lily?"

Xander shivered under his hand, twisting a little but not trying to get away very hard. "If we save her and smoke the peace pipe with the redskins they'll invite us to feast with them." Xander's eyes were bright - the red in his cheeks hectic and almost fevered looking. "The redskins have real food."
Thursday, August 31st, 2006 06:40 pm (UTC)
Peter's crew starving and growing up, eating imaginary food. Brr. I wonder how long Xander's been there. Wonder if Spike's chip works on Neverland pirates? This is frighteningly good.
Thursday, August 31st, 2006 07:23 pm (UTC)
I admire you more and more everytime I read something new from you. You create such atmosphere with sparse elegance, and such reality with your words. This here is such a dark, distanced view of desperation and ...something. Not sure what. I love "Wendy." I love that she's too old. That they're all too old. I wonder how Peter is going to fix it. The last line "the red in his cheeks hectic and almost fevered looking. 'The redskins have real food.'" is just such a great image of the whole group. Wonderful.

*Oh, and I am reading Drowning, Not Waving, but it hits so close to home that I can't properly form an opinion yet. I am, in a twisted way, enjoying it, it's so spot on, but as I said, there's so much emotional impact I'm not ready to really say much. It is good.*
Thursday, August 31st, 2006 07:24 pm (UTC)
Only happens when I'm at work....

Okay, that's it! Boss gets here, I'm heading down the street to the ubs to get a copy of Peter Pan. This version is just freaky.... Kinda Manson-like freaky. Or maybe Jim Jones kinda freaky (him I really remember).
*No wonder he thins them out so often. Grown-ups in Neverland…*
That line just made me shudder...
Thursday, August 31st, 2006 07:48 pm (UTC)
This is just so weird and wonderful. I'm agog.
Thursday, August 31st, 2006 09:35 pm (UTC)
Wow, what a twisted fairy tale. I like the meglomaniac Peter, reality is whatever he decides it should be...creepy, very creepy. Wonderful story!
Thursday, August 31st, 2006 09:41 pm (UTC)
Such fun!

You are brilliant, Tabi.

*adores*
Thursday, August 31st, 2006 10:26 pm (UTC)
This is delightfully creepy, and I love it.
Friday, September 1st, 2006 02:04 am (UTC)
*shivers*

No wonder Xander's so skinny and starved looking - imaginary food! Oh, I hope they manage to save Tiger Lily so they can eat.

Love it!
Friday, September 1st, 2006 03:04 am (UTC)
I swear I'll never look at Peter Pan the same way. Not that I was a huge fan, but still. This puts a twist to it that's way dark & twisted. Spike's gonna have fun messing with Peter.
Friday, September 1st, 2006 04:25 am (UTC)
Gaaaaahh! you scared the hell out of me! How horrible--Peter without blinkers on, hunh? *shiver* I'm not going to forget that feast....
Excellent update, lovey! Just--fabulous.
Friday, September 1st, 2006 04:44 am (UTC)
Heh, loved the sullen Wendy. And I'm assuming Peter keeps them starving on purpose -- stunts their growth and makes them more eager to fight? A pretty miserable existence for his band. Lost boys indeed.
Friday, September 1st, 2006 06:05 am (UTC)
Poor poor boys and girl *pets them* Trapped with that lunetic :p
Marie
Friday, September 1st, 2006 03:36 pm (UTC)
I love this! And I'm one of the people who've started reading Peter Pan because of you.

You've done such a great job of making Peter and his world so creepy it makes my skin crawl and the images stay with me for days. Can't wait for more!
Saturday, September 2nd, 2006 01:37 pm (UTC)
Oh Gods, he's starving them....? Is that Peter canon? Did it happen all the time, or was it just the once, to cheer them up?
And they are growing up. Do they do that in the book? I assumed that the Lost Boys also stayed young in Neverland.
Looking forward to the next bit and, hopefully, a bit of Xander back story...?
Sunday, September 3rd, 2006 03:17 pm (UTC)
"I don't know - this old man with glasses and these three girls. No - four girls. I wanted the quiet blonde one for our mother since this mother won't do the Spring cleaning."

"It ain't Spring," the girl said, narrowing dark eyes at Peter. She sounded East Coast - was black, with her hair cropped in a ragged afro that stuck out around her face like a fuzzy corona. She looked maybe fifteen, with fairly large breasts all but spilling out of a too-small top. The top, Spike realized with a little jolt, that she'd probably been kidnapped in. It was something a younger girl would wear; pink and white with little strawberries and it strained across her chest and didn't meet the waist of her too-small jeans. Spike figured he knew why Peter wanted a new Wendy. This one was too...grown up. All of them were. Xander looked the oldest – maybe eighteen – but the youngest was past puberty and all of them taller than Pan.

*No wonder he thins them out so often. Grown-ups in Neverland…*

"I say it is," Peter hissed, standing up, his hand on his knife hilt. All the boys tensed and Wendy looked nervous - but still pissed off. "And if I say it's Spring, then you do the Spring cleaning!"

"I ain't -" Wendy was cut short by Tink darting madly into the room, shrilling something at Peter.


I think Tink just saved "Wendy"s life.
*shudders*

"Come on, boys; get your bows and arrows! We'll lure them into the rocks and see them drown! And when we save Tiger Lily and bring her back to her camp, the redskins will want us to feast with them!"

Ye, Gods, and that's when I knew, as soon as I saw the word feast. . . .

The cheer that rang out was stronger this time - more real - and Spike wondered why.

Jeebus--

"Why in bloody hell is everybody so fucking excited about this Tiger Lily?"

Xander shivered under his hand, twisting a little but not trying to get away very hard. "If we save her and smoke the peace pipe with the redskins they'll invite us to feast with them." Xander's eyes were bright - the red in his cheeks hectic and almost fevered looking. "The redskins have real food."


I fucking hate Peter Pan. I can't even read the eBook anymore. He's a bastard. And you--jesus, but you can take a story/character/idea and make it your own. I am constantly in awe of you.

And I totally wanna see Spike kill Pan.

I'll settle for Spike beating the shit out of the little snot, though.

But I'm curious . . . I thought time stopped for everyone in Neverland, that none of the children grew up unless they left. So . . . why did Xander, and "Wendy" grow up, and all the rest? Is Pan losing his mojo? Is that something to do with the pirates? I wonder if Captain Hook is even the same Captain Hook. . . .

I can't wait to read more. Hint, hint =D
Sunday, September 3rd, 2006 08:33 pm (UTC)
Now I'm really wanting Spike to rescue the Lost Boys and Wendy, not from Hook but from Peter. The allusions to thinning them out, how they never leave but somehow disappear anyway once they get too old -- how ominous it is all building up to be. And the imaginary food, and the desperation to get real food... That's so painful.

I know Spike's not looking to be a hero but I'm hoping he manages to be one, if only by accident. Maybe he can fall on Peter and just accidentally land on him with his fangs in Peter's neck?
Sunday, September 3rd, 2006 08:34 pm (UTC)
Now I'm really wanting Spike to rescue the Lost Boys and Wendy, not from Hook but from Peter. The allusions to thinning them out, how they never leave but somehow disappear anyway once they get too old -- how ominous it is all building up to be. And the imaginary food, and the desperation to get real food... That's so painful.

I know Spike's not looking to be a hero but I'm hoping he manages to be one, if only by accident. Maybe he can fall on Peter and just accidentally land on him with his fangs in Peter's neck? :-)
Monday, September 4th, 2006 12:28 pm (UTC)
Argh, LJ hates me sometimes... I got an error message the first time, hit the back button and then the submit button again, and lo and behold there the comment was twice.

LJ has its little twitches from time to time.
Friday, September 8th, 2006 12:41 am (UTC)
Oh, my.

How long until Spike realizes that Peter is as mad as Dru, and starts using the same skills to get around him?

Julia, the imaginary feast is really macabre
Tuesday, September 19th, 2006 01:54 pm (UTC)
I just want to repeat what everone else has said. That was truely disturbing with so many striking images. The imaginary feast, the black girl in her too small top, sullen Wendy and Spike's realisation why Pan needs to thin out his court when things get too grown up.

And the comment about the "real food" just cut me too the bone.

Scuttles of quickly to read the next part.