Will be reading the novel at the weekend - time permitting - but have to say (having just read your author notes) I'm gobsmacked that you wrote this in a month AND I'm in awe of your research - then again, I'm a research ho' myself so I know how that bug can bite.

I'm glad you were finally able to get this all together, I know you worked hard on it :) And I hope that whatever problems may have occurred, they have been resolved (you know what I'm talking about), but I would appreciate an email back as well. I also appreciate the credit you gave me...you've constructed a great story, and crossovers aren't easy, not in the least.

And don't forget...I still have request fic to write for you! I'll get there, I promise...

Hey, no problem...I just want things to be settled. I bear/harbor no ill feelings, things happens, miscommunications come about. And bleh...apartment cleaning. That I certainly don't envy you. ;)

Wonderful story! As throwaway explanations for Bob's corporeality go, "Willow" would be enough deus ex machina for me to accept it without elaboration, but the detail and complexity you put into this made it really satisfying. It was lovely seeing Bob blackmail Mai, and I like the idea that he and Harry gain friends who understand their world and don't have to be protected from the truth. All in all a lovely story. Thanks for sharing!

Oh my goodness, this was long and lovely! Ignoring the fact that I'd forgotten Willow was with Kennedy--even though it's listed right in the pre-post thingy I enjoyed seeing the Buffy kids around. ^^ We owe so much to Buffy, especially the making of new words and speech patterns XD. Also, I loved Bob's mindscape, that was way cool. I'm a dork, I know. But the idea about how he kept memories stored made me squee.

You win cookies! <3

Just, where to start? I am certain i can't do justice to such a magnificent story-- i kinda feel like trying to write a review to a book in a short newspaper column. This was really beautiful. I read it in one sitting and stayed up WAAAY too late to do so but i just couldn't put it down, you know what i mean?

So-- first. Your entire relationship with Harry and Bob is extremely touching-- from the very beginning.

I want all the things I tried to not even dream of in the last couple of years for they used to be impossible.
I want...
I bumped into Kennedy's back and received my share of her current glare. Oh. We'd arrived at my car

(i laughed out loud when i read this-- thoughts about Bob put me in a daze too, and i don't even have a chance with him!!)

I looked up into a pair of gray-green eyes full of unholy amusement and something else I couldn't name. "So you, ah, drool over me?"
I blushed a deep red and for a mad second contemplated suicide by fork.

You have a priceless way with internal monologue-- seriously, i almost spit coffee on my monitor. And then the discussion about Winefride is just achey-- *aches* I hurt for them both here. Although Bob's fears of relating are... *dies* :D

The plotline is fascinating. I am a big Buffy fan, although i've been out of it for a while, and I agree with luvmeanddespair-- it's nice to see them, and you work the story so well! Willow's magic is HELLa more powerful, in some ways, and your explanations are nothing short of brilliant. Raise the dead? Sure, we can do that. No body? Weelll, okay. Really really good stuff here! And, Giles is ♥

Right. But wait! There's more!

When we kissed, he smelled of aftershave, not perfume. The chest pressing against mine was undeniably male. No, I couldn't deny I was kissing a man. When he moaned, I knew I was kissing Bob, for even throaty as it was, I would have recognized that voice anywhere.

I love that you detailed this out-- so very important, so very gorgeous. I forget this-- the newness. Glad that you didn't, because it's incredibly sensual. I could quote the rest of the sex back at you *g* suffice to say, it was stunning. i had the whole deer in the headlights thing going on. You win at life! tenderness, hesitancy, and when Bob cried at the end of it all... i was a little shellhocked, too. Beautiful.


Your Harry!voice- Guh!

My uncle would be salivating about now.

I felt a little bit ridiculous stalking him, but I hadn't lied. I was hard, and if I didn't kiss him in the next few seconds, I was sure I'd fucking well die.

Yeah, it seems wizards are easy to domesticate. When they meet the right partner. This gave me all sorts of interesting images!!

Hell's Bells, I wanted to introduce him to Murphy and watch the speculation creep over her face. That plus Kirmani's discomfort would keep me entertained for weeks. *laughs* Oh, that would be so so much fun to write!

And Bob!Voice!

"Did I tell you to stop?" a sleep-roughened voice demanded irritably.
I love this line!

"No," he said firmly. "I will not leave a single button undone if it causes you to lose all control over your hands." Dom!Bob *smacksmack* :D

...

I could go on and on... this is just amazing. A labor of love. Memming, obviously. I hope that you aren't burnt out and that you continue to write!! *glomp!hugs* *showers you with confetti*

love,
mender

I've read your notes and have begun to read the story. I am very impressed by (and envious of ;)) your written style and characterisation of Harry. Neat, expressive and very enjoyable. The detail you appear from your notes to have put into this fic is enough of a reason for me to give this a go. I don't know Buffy canon all that well, though, so I might have to do a bit of research to understand the background. Perhaps not the best approach for me to take, but....I like the look of this too much to let the fact that it's a crossover to put me off.

Just finished reading your story and wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed it.

The charatures where all well rounded and I enjoyed how you brought Bob back from the dead and explained the story behind the cures.

I hope to see more of your work posted ^^

This is wonderfulwonderfulwonderfulwonderfulwonderfulwonderfulwonderfulwonderful wonderfulwonderfulwonderfulwonderfulwonderfulwonderfulwonderfulwonderfulwonderful
wonderfulwonderfulwonderfulwonderfulwonderfulwonderfulwonderfulwonderfulwonderful wonderfulwonderfulwonderfulwonderfulwonderfulwonderfulwonderfulwonderfulwonderful
wonderfulwonderfulwonderfulwonderfulwonderfulwonderfulwonderfulwonderfulwonderful wonderfulwonderfulwonderfulwonderfulwonderfulwonderfulwonderfulwonderfulwonderful
wonderfulwonderfulwonderfulwonderfulwonderfulwonderfulwonderfulwonderfulwonderful wonderfulwonderfulwonderfulwonderfulwonderfulwonderfulwonderfulwonderfulwonderful
wonderful...

I adored this fic, for character, dialogue, romance... damn for everything but especially the way you captured Bob (no pun intended ;-)

I needed to unwind at the end of the day yesterday and chose you above TV, which was a good choice. I do think that you did a wonderful *grin* job evoking Harry's place and making Willow and Kennedy's presence seem utterly normal and part of the world we watched on TV. And I think that you managed to encapsulate a great deal of Dresden's world-building and Bob's tragic backstory without it ever feeling like and info dump.

So yes I was a little incoherent. But it the main that was probably because you were so good at capturing Harry's retisence, thoughts feelings and fear and it's that emotional turmoil that the reader most identifies with... somehow.

And the weekend? Well it's the last Doctor Who in the Series...

...WOW. I mean, seriously: HOLY SHIT. You are made of awesome. This fic? Total win. I had to do a bit of Wiki research on Buffy-and-friends before reading it, but I'm glad I did. I actually read this a couple days ago and stayed up til three am to finish it, but was too tired to comment at that point. Now I'm trying to remember everything I wanted to say. One of my favorite parts was definitely the bit about the romance novels... here it is:

Let me tell you, seeing black smoke rise out of a paperback with a lurid cover and reform into the buttoned-up image of a man with widely dilated eyes and tears on his cheeks is deeply disquieting.

Who am I kidding? It's arousing as hell.

That was the point when I realized I loved you. srsly. *glomps and squees* LOVE YOU!!!!

On a more serious note, I wanted to make a few "intelligent" comments about your style... Loved Harry's voice, loved the characterizations, had a love/hate thing going for the few times Harry gets ahead of himself in the storyline, and totally loved the sex... Except that I think Bob would be a little less quick to go from "I love you Harry, but I've never even considered sex with a man" to "Fuck me now"... But it was still way hot, so I love it anyway. (I'm a whore, what can I say) Um.... Usually don't leave reviews this long, but your story was so long I figured I should make the effort... But I think the bit you "nailed" the best was really Harry's voice. Oh, and even though most of your monster of a fic takes place over only a few days, the plot still moved along with a good pace. The dialog and the details made it *totally* worth it. This one not only rates a mem, I'm copying it to my hard-drive. W00T!! *more hugs*

~Amira

P.S. ~ Hope you don't mind the "constructive criticism" - I save that stuff up for the fics that I really love so you should take it as a compliment that I even bothered. *is lazy*

P.P.S ~ The love-hate thing for Harry getting ahead of himself was mostly love because it's so Harry but a little hate 'cause I wanted to whap him on the head and tell him to get on with the story but I couldn't 'cause it's a story... very frustrating. *pokes Harry* Didn't you pay attention to Bob's lessons on creative writing? No wonder his hair turned white. Oh wait, it's been white for a millennia... nevermind

/rant

continued from part 2

...and totally loved the sex... Except that I think Bob would be a little less quick to go from "I love you Harry, but I've never even considered sex with a man" to "Fuck me now"...

Actually, I blame my research on that.

According to the multiple sides I browsed, at the times Bob was alive the Catholic Church hadn't yet damned homosexuality as severely as it would happen later. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Emperor Justinian's laws that had been passed in the 6th century, ordaining death by burning for the "sin against nature", were no longer upheld.

And until the 13th century, there were no laws against homosexual sex in Europe, although between 569 to 1008, the so-called "penitentials" (handbooks of penances) were introduced. They were not secular law and only reglemented the penance required of members of the Catholic Church who had committed any of the "sins of Sodom". The basic penance consisted of exclusion from the sacraments, self-mortification (though younger boys were beaten with rods at the hands of older clerics), fasting on bread and water on holy days (which included most days), and general discomfort. The Penitential of Theodore the Archbishop of Canterbury in 670 required 1 year for inter-femoral contact (penis between thighs); 3 years for all lesbian activity, undifferentiated; 7 to 15 years for anal intercourse; 7 to 22 years for fellatio; and, for comparison, 7 to 10 years for murder; 15 years for infanticide (reduced to 7 years if the mother was a pauper). If caught kissing, boys under the age of 20 were subject to 6 special fasts; 8 fasts if it was "licentious kissing"; 10 fasts if it was "kissing with emission"; more if it involved mutual masturbation; and much longer if the partners were over the age of 20. Sometimes the penance was greater for the insertor than for the receptor.

In 1051, Saint Peter Damian, a member of the circle of papal reformers, denounced homosexuality, especially among the clergy. Pope Leo IX., however, questioned the severity of the penances, but did not deny the condemnation itself.

All that changed with the Crusades. The Catholic Church proclaimed that sodomy was rife in the Islam, and used that claim to denounce its enemy and gain support in the kingdoms in Europe. Beginning in 1116, the same claim was then made against heretics like the Henricians, the Albigensians, and later the Knight Templars in 1307. The reasons behind that were more an interest in the wealth amassed by the order than a true revulsion against the male/male orgies they did most likely take part in.

Anyway, that change was felt everywhere, and between 1250 and 1300 homosexual sex turned from a sinful, if legal, practice into a criminal act punishable by death.

My Bob lived before 1066 (the Norman conquest of England). I decided to make 972 the year of his death, which means that during his lifetime, male/male sex used to be legal and more or less common. He might have experienced the introduction of the penitentials, but I doubt he was a very devoted Christian, and I see him as getting several offers once he came into a tavern to book a pallet for the night - two or more by women, and perhaps one by a man. Bob, oversexed as he is *g*, would have accepted the most attractive of the available women and not given much thought to the men. Not because the idea of homosexual sex disgusted him, but because he already had all he could ever wish for with a knowledgeable wench to warm his bedding.

Later, after being cursed, I think he would have been amused at the Church's crackdown on homosexuality, and even more amused whenever one of his "masters" turned out to be a stuck-up upholder of moral standards, and secretly recall the most shocking actions he had ever been a witness to, wishing he could detail them out loud in order to gross out one of the early Morningways.

So, no, I don't think Bob would have anything against homosexual sex, not morally and not personally. I think he'd value feelings far more than morals that never applied to him during his lifetime anyway.

Wow, loved this. :-) Willow and "No, sorry, as people who sat on their asses while we were saving the world you *don't* get to judge me." and Blackmail!Bob, and GettingLostInHisOwnHead!Harry and... sooo much fun. :-D

The ironic part is that I've been working on a DF/BTVS crossover for about a month or a month and a half myself, and only have about 12K words down. It's probably going to be pretty damn huge, too. *sigh* The future bits that are only written in my head bear a resemblance in some areas to certain elements of yours... GMTA, huh? *grin* I'm either going to have to re-work them or just put in a disclaimer that I did actually come up with them before you posted yours. :-P


Fantastic fic, and I hope I see more out of you!

Nice, very very nice.

I haven't found a lot of DF fic out there so it's a treat to run across one, especially when it's so written & thought out. Your 'Dresden' voice is a good mix of the TV verse with just a bit of the book verse to flesh it out (can't do a lot of 'fleshing' with only 12 eppies).

I hope you're planning on (or a rabid plot bunny attacks) another visit to your DF/BTVS verse. For some reason I keep wondering which of the Scoobies could knock Morgan for a loop ('TV' Morgan is much more flexable than 'book' Morgan).

I'm torn between Xander or Faith. I'd love watching him get all flustered.

Anyway, thanks for a great read.

This is a really wonderful piece of work! You've got all the voices down very well - the Dresden characters as well as the BtVS folks - with only a few slips here and there (mostly spots where I think Bob would sound more formal). I'll certainly be looking for more of your work.

~Ruby

I read this the other day and was blown over by how good the story was. I didn't care about the Buffy characters having never seen the show but I loved how caught the nuances of Harry's speech and his character. Well done!

It worked fine. You gave enough about each Buffy character that I was able to get the general idea.

Just wanted to say that I am ecstatic that this took over your life as it was just a wonderful read. I miss Buffy and seeing these well-known characters interacting in such a realistic and well realised manner with one of my new fav shows was a joy. Plus a plot that I could get my teeth into and Harry/Bob as well. Am now totally spoilt and wanting to offer you all the chocolate/alcohol/kittens (for poker) in the world as a thanks.

Hi

Not bad at all!

I haven't watched Buffy since season four, but I still really enjoyed reading this crossover! Willow always was one of my favorite characters, and Harry could certainly use friends and a little support within the magical community. It was great to read someone doing good things for him, instead of Harry always being the one to stand up for others, no matter what they thought of him.

My favorite scene, even though my heart was in my mouth through it, was definitely Bob's resurrection. CPR! I've never read it done that way before and I thought it made a lot of sense (well, as much as magic can) and was very dramatic.

Thank you for sharing!