Hiraeth (pronounced [hiraɪ̯θ])

    AUTHOR: kerk hiraeth

    FANDOM: Buffy the Vampire Slayer

    LENGTH: 200 

    CHARACTERS: Lisa Torres*; Dawn Summers; Martin King (Lisa's Dad),

    'SHIP: Dawn/Lisa,

    SUMMARY: As this is intended for Halfamoon 2025's Day Thirteen Prompt, One Hit Wonders, a little backstory.

                        Lisa is Dawn's companion during her scenes in 'The Body'; only scenes she, Lisa' has in the series. Over the years I have written a lot; A Lot, of stories featuring the two as a couple.

                       This is the first time she has had a surname; this is the case with her Dad as well; hence the different surnames, a fact that will be, hopefully, be explained in a future story. Lisa's Mom died when she was two year's old.
                      Those three facts are the same in every 'verse I've written them into and, the only relevance they have here is that a certain character is alive in this 'verse, and her name is included in the story. Relevant here is that Lisa's Mom and Dad never married and her Dad has been raising her alone since her Mom died.

                      At this point they are somewhere between Homecoming, when they were seventeen, and the second half of their Senior year when they are both eighteen; no particular relevance there, excepting it leaves it open for me to include this story in all my Buffyverses where Sunnydale is destroyed.

A/N: Title is a reference both to Girl in Red's iconic We Fell in Love in October, but also to the original idea for a story I've been working on since, it feels like forever, as far back as lockdown.

     “Butterflies? “

   Lisa managed to breathe, at least, as Dawn's pinky brushed hair from her wet cheek. Grasping the finger she kissed it, smiling as she turned her head.

   “Feet as big as icebergs.”

   Dawn's eyes revealing how young she really wasn't, Lisa was transported back to the first time she'd made Dawn laugh after the death of her Mother.

   “Are we ready?”

   Dawn's query was almost the reverse of hers on Dawn's first day back at School after the funeral.

   Wordlessly touching foreheads they began whispering some of Tara's favourite song lyrics; almost like a prayer to them now.

   The sound of the front door of her house roused them; turning they saw her Dad, trying to look stern with his arms across his chest.

   Demanding an answer.

   “Are We not due a formal introduction?”

   Momentarily confused Lisa rolled her eyes, before realising that this was Dawn's first visit since they'd come out as a couple. Then she took in the formal inquiry.

   Her Dad was talking about her Mom.

   Smiling as a single tear prepared to journey down her cheek, Lisa took their hands in hers; connecting the four of them.

   “My Parents this... This is my Heart revealed.”

    May the Goddess watch over you in these dark time, 
    kerk hiraeth 


     FIRST LOVE 
     by 
     John Clare 
 

   TITLE: Chasing Cars

   AUTHOR: kerk hiraeth

   LENGTH: 200

   FANDOM: GL's / Kdramas

   CHARACTERS/'SHIP: OC's (there are three)

   A/N: This idea is a variation on something I've been writing, and re-writing, in my head for well over two years. Sometimes they are Thai; sometimes Filipina; sometimes Korean. This will also, hopefully become something else one day. Even the title changed several times as I have been trying to write this version. The characters have names. I do not know them yet, and may never do so. All three have pretty full back stories; all in my head ~ some of which is finally down on paper, metaphorically speaking.

          This was written for Halfamoon; intended for 2025 Day 1 prompt; Fashion it actually feels, now that I have this as finished as I feel it can be, more fitting for lasy year's Day 1 prompt Black/White, but particularly, Shades of Grey. 

ADDENDUM: I came to the conclusion this was a good fit for Halfamoon, but it will go up there for Day 14 prompt, First Loves.  

     As with a mirror crack'd my memories are dis... jointed.

   She was wearing a younger boys shorts, and a soccer jersey; at least one size too big.

   For him.

   She was at least a head shorter than me; more than a head taller than me the last time we were together at her eighteenth birthday party.

   She was dressed in red then too; Calvin Klein boxers I'd bought her.

   But I can't remember her.

   What she sees is a ghost.

   I ran.

   She stayed and fought.

   I don't know the woman she became.

   And I do not remember the girl she loved.

   That ghost in her head.

   That girl died the night she got on her knees for the price of a bowl of soup.

   I see the love we had in the photographs, but I don't remember her.

   I don't know her.

   Do you imagine I want her to know what I became.

   After twenty years I am not that girl; not even a woman really.

   I am what I became that night.

   Can you hold her?

   If you do nothing else; hold her the way I did once, the way she...

   The way I wish I could.

     I fall before you,

     Here I am,

     I have nothing left

     Though I've tried to forget,

     You're all that I am,

     Take me home,

     I'm through fighting it,

     Broken,

     Lifeless,

     I give up,

     You're my only strength,

     Without you,

     I can't go on,

     Anymore,

     Ever again. 

   (lyrics from October by Evanescence) 

   AUTHOR: kerk hiraeth

   FANDOM: X-over ~ Buffy the Vampire Slayer ( femalehusband!verse ); Good Omens (book);

   CHARACTER(s): Anathema Device; Newton Pulsifer; Tara Maclay; Faith Lehane;

   'SHIP(s): Newton Pulsifer/ Anathema Device; Faith Lehane/Tara Maclay;

   LENGTH: 666;

   RATING: PG (I guess as there's some suggestion of sexual content, but nothing explicit;

   A/N: Just a bit of speculative nonsense; timelines can be whatever you want them to be.

           This is Tara & Faith from ~ a version, at least, of the FemaleHusband!verse & Newton Pulsifer & Anathema Device from a version of the Good Omens Book!verse, set sometime in that world after the conclusion of the book; radio version & TV version totally ignored ~ easily, as I have pretty much forgotten the radio version, and have never seen and have, mostly, been able to ignore the TV version of Good Omens.

          Not sure the punn-y title really works, but I'm sticking with it.

          ~ This is dedicated* to the inestimable  elisi who has given me more help; friendship & hope than almost anyone else in my life.

         I hope she likes this wee thank you; even with all the slippery timey-wimey-ness...

    They were both thinking that having a book of predictions would be a useful thing right now. 

 “Confucius he say, 'the night to come will bear winds of great strength and breadth enough to darken the moon'.'“ 

 Anathema Device temporarily turned her mind from the flat tyre, and frowned at the passenger beside her. 

 “ Did your car just tell us it would be a dark and stormy night? “ 

 Newton Pulsifer attempted to shrug; he did not know how to explain his plastic Japanese vehicle suddenly spouting Chinese; he presumed it was Chinese, proverbs. 

 So he just kind of shuddered instead as he suddenly felt the car, very jerkily, being lifted off the ground; tipping the, safely seat-belted travellers, backwards. 

 He also ignored the fact that a young woman was kneeling to remove the flat tyre, while her companion began knocking on the driver's side window. 


 It was just the two of them; inside and out. 

 Just the two. 

 The woman at the window proffered a bag of cookies. Anethama, smiling, accepted the bag, took a small handful and passed them over to her boyfriend. 

 Fortunately for him, Newton Pulsifer was in too much of a state of shock to display his usual shocked smile that he, Newton Pulsifer, had an actual girlfriend. 

 A real girlfriend that he, Newton Pulsifer, was actually having real sex with. 

 From beside him, a Bostonian accent ~ he had watched Warlock many times as part of his research; certainly not at the behest of his former comrade, Witchfinder Sergeant Shadwell, who would not have approved ~ suddenly yelled, “ Roll me one. “ 

 Before he could point out that his Wasabi had no spare tyre, even in its miraculously reconditioned... er ~ condition... the woman disappeared from the window and rolled a spare tyre under where the front of the car should have been, presumably into the waiting hands of her ~ he had the disturbing notion that the two were lovers. 

 He wondered how red his face was getting as he fought his unwanted imagination; knowing that for certain, his girlfriend would know what was absolutely not trying to creep into his unwanted imagination. 

 He could almost hear Shadwell's admonishments to righteousness. 

 Disturbingly he seemed to be using Anathema's accent... 


 He risked a sideways glance. Finally he heard what she was actually saying. 

 “ … these are really very good. “ 

 They locked eyes. 
  He could see in them that she was well aware his girlfriend; Newton Pulsifer's girlfriend, was well aware the woman was a witch. What the woman changing the non-existent spare tyre was... well a mystery. 

 Suddenly his Wasabi interrupted his; their?, thoughts with a repeat of her confucing, Confusion... 

 He frowned. 
 His frown doubled its frown when he considered the almost cloudless November sky gleaming back down at him. 
 It wasn't even afternoon. 
 His car had never been prone to weather predictions either. 

 Then the Wasabi was slowly; and much more smoothly lowered to the ground. 

 Newton Pulsifer stared straight ahead, and not at the whispers the Cookie Lady was presenting to her... roommate's ear. The roommate grinned and could clearly be seen ~ but not by him ~ mouthing, 'Again?' 

 He felt guilty that they never even thought of... offering their rescuers a lift, but he was too busy not looking at the woman as she leant into the car; gently refusing to take the bag of cookies back from his, Newton Pulsifer, girlfriend. 

 He successfully fought off a smile once more. 

 “ If I were you, “ she suggested, “ I'd park, “ she paused glancing down, as if seeing the plasticity of the Wasabi for the first time, “ at the Rail Station, and take the train to Yorkshire. “ 

 This time Newton Pulsifer glanced at his girlfriend. 
 Anathema was ~ not staring ~ er, glancing back at him. 

 How had she known they were off to visit Anathema's ancestral home? 

 “ It's going to be a dark and stormy night. “ 

 So intent were they on getting to the Train Station that they didn't see where the two women had disappeared for their... ~ uhm, picnic. 



   

   tio-trile.tumblr.com/post/114108619069/requests-well-we-havent-seen-your-headcanon

That dedication ~ This comes from 'The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry' and consists of a note he is writing to his adopted daughter, Maya, about a story he is reccomending to her. ' Maya, perhaps you don't know that I had a wife before Amelia and a profession before I became a bookseller. I was once married to a woman named Nicole Evans. I love her very much. She died in a car accident, and a large part of me was dead for a long time after, probably until I found you.

( to elisi, there's a lot more, but I wanted to include the first paragraph ~ the rest you can read when you get to the copy of the book I sent to you ~ before I added the sentence that matters most here. Little of this is specific to the two of us, but the intent of what I am trying to say is expressed in these last words. You know more about my life than most anyone else and you still seem to like me. That means more than I can truly express. This story is just a small gift to say thank you. )

' … if you're ever interested in reading more about the things your dad did in another life'.

~ A.J.F.

May the Goddess watch over you and all you love,

kerk hiraeth

   TITLE: Sports Report

   AUTHOR: kerk hiraeth

   FANDOM: Buffy the Vampier Slayer (Jet Wolf's Chosen'verse);

   CHARACTER(s): Faith Lehane; Buffy Summers; *oc; Sam & Riley Finn; Capt. Ben Sisko;

   'SHIP(s): None (Finn's*);

   LENGTH: 1,600;

   RATING: PG-13;

   A/N: This mostly from Faith's POV, with the unnamed Slayer being the little girl seen becoming a Slayer the Series Finale (we do not acknowledge the comics as canon) so, depending on how you age her; this being set on her twentieth birthday, the year in which this is set can be calculated from that.

          This is set in one of my versions of Jet Wolf's Chosen continuation (which one I have yet to make clear to myself, so I have left that vague).

         Hers is, or was, for me the only continuation that truly captured what I felt about the show. Sadly, though she completed an Eighth season, that continuation ended part way through a ninth season and it seems as if she has disappeared from the fandom for good as her various wonderful Buffy stories, on her own sites, have begun to to disappear (I have yet to have the courage to find out if any are archived; being left with the printed & personally archived versions.

       She was one of a handful of fan writers who competed with and, in many cases, bettered what was produced on the show itself.

*Characters/Ships marked thus are only mentioned and may be regarded as uncredited.

     Keeping a tight hold of the reports vital to the mission, Faith wandered down to the quiet clearing in the, now extensive, wooded land at what was the most down hill of the land that constituted the Headquarters of the International Network of Slayers; Watchers and Mystics had a major presence, but their headquarters were on separate continents.

   Trillium; located at the centre of a triangle of hellmouths, with Cleveland being the one most closely watched; only one with it's separate Slayer Command Centre would always be the HQ, no matter where operational HQ was located.

   It was operating as Operations Command for the moment, simply because Buffy was in situ; as were others in close touch with Faith who was the Slayer; though Buffy was The Slayer. She recalled getting drunk the first time she realised she had noticed the difference in one of her own reports to the Council Afrchives.

   Today was much more important.

   Approaching the end of the path; now shaded by as many trees as Faith had seen before she had become the Slayer, she began to slow; unconsciously allowing the grief control her pace. She felt her hand touch her jacket pocket; hard leather covered object strapped against her hip.

   Then she spied the Sapling; still called that, and always capitalized, even though it had children all over the world now; even one at a, mostly, secret base on Antarctica.

   Stepping into the clearing she pulled the object from its harness; removed the flask from its leather cover and took a sip of the Rum within.

   Five months since the kid; always a kid to her, had been killed protecting two of her charges and Faith still needed to take a drink whenever she had to deal with that.

   The flask had been a gift from her mother; handed to her at the memorial she wished she could forget.

   No body. No funeral.

   Her mom bore no malice; proud of the woman she had become, and as proud as Faith of the warrior she had become.

   Faith still could hardly bear to think of the tiny, fiercely determined, child she had picked up when she had arrived in Florida all those years ago.
   The child had become an adult before her eyes; graduated with honors, from three of the world's finest Universities, as well as being made an honorary member of the Baseball Hall of Fame; never to have the chance to play the sport she loved professionally. Faith recalled the day that baby had come screaming with joy at the Rockford Peaches replica uniform some movie star had sent her.

   Faith had still not cleared her room; would not allow anyone to do it.

   Not yet.

   She couldn't.

   She took another sip from the flask as she recalled the drunken tirade she had hit 'B' with when she had discovered the age of the child she had to train.

   Watchers, every one from the dawn of time, were the target, but the blows; five of them, rained on Buffy's face, which no hands were raised to protect, until her inebriation had resulted in a glancing blow to the side of 'B's head and Faith going ass over tit into the swimming pool; from which Faith had to be rescued, the younger Slayers had built ~ almost with their bare hands ~ in world record time.

   Sometimes; even today, she still wanted to knock 'B' onto her backside.
   Mostly now it was because 'B' would tap the side of her head and complain about bells in a bad Charles Laughton voice.

   Five months since she had died; five months that seemed to have changed Faith beyond her own recognition, even more than the years since this place has been set up and she had returned to take a full role in it's operation had done.

   It would have been her twentieth birthday; no cruciamentum nowadays, this would have been the day she would have discovered she been promoted to an operational command; officially made a full Slayer, with a place on the Council and command over a small army of Slayers; Watchers; Mystics and a larger force of ancilliary personnel.

   Faith had put her on the list of candidates for that post when she had turned eighteen.

   Even though no one under twenty five was usually considered for a command like that these days, Faith was one of the few who could make a recommendation like that, and she had not hesitated.

   Gratefully she had handed over the decision on that post to Buffy; unable to bear naming a replacement; only one besides Giles; Willow; Kenn... and... 

   It would never happen.

   She took another sip and knelt down in front of the Sapling; dropping the flask on the ground.

   Buffy told her who the replacement would be; More than forty months older than she would have been, the replacement had been one of Faith's charges too; same squad as a matter of fact.

   She had taken two years out to become a mother, but had kept up her training; actually considered becoming a Watcher, but accepted Buffy's request ~ after some intense discussions with her partner ~ which 'B' had told her about less than half an hour before.

   'B' had offered Faith the opportunity to inform her, but Faith had politely, but forcefully, declined.
   Buffy had smiled and handed her the folder she was now leafing through.

   It was full of important reports; for this mission, from every command in the world even, she noted, the Finns - wherever they were in Central America - had sent reports.
   She smiled at the different styles of the recs; especially the shade that Sam aimed her way and the detailed stats of the different operations teams in their 'league' ~ which had never yet completed a season.

   Even 'Sailor Boy' Sisko had sent a report up from Baton Rouge; complete with a set of Navy Knickers for her.

   *note to self. Whup him upside the head next time you see him, Lehane.

   As Faith recalled the pride in the pictures all three had sent her when she got her latest medal from the Secretary of the Navy, she could still hear the excited little girl waving the Peaches uniform; leaping about Faith's office as if she'd just just had her cheek kissed by some teen pop star crush.

   Faith wiped dust from her eyes, and had another sip from the flask.

   Leafing through the reports trying to decide which one to start with, she suddenly lay them on top of the flask; making a sudden decision.

   Hesitating for a few moments, Faith took a heavy breath and...

   A red crested bird, several thousand kilometres from where it should have been, suddenly dropped on top of the papers; stared up at her, and hopped over to one of the water vessels filled several times a day by all the personnel at HQ, it was needed.

   Nobody came here without water.

   Except for her.

   Today.

   Faith couldn't recall ever hearing of a bird using that one.

   She watched it as it drank; occasionally lifting it's head.

   Was the wee bastard glaring at her?

   The creature hopped back on top of the papers again; cocking its head as if it was waiting for Faith to start.

   Faith felt her breath leaving her for a second.

   She couldn't take another sip; not in front of...

   Get a hold of yourself, Lehane. It's a bird.

   Just a bird.

   Her favorite bird.

   Faith managed to glare back at the creature before she gathered her senses and began speaking.

   “Thought you'd enjoy getting it from me, but the Red Sox got swept by the Marlins; means they secured at least a wildcard. Red Sox need to win at least five of their remaining games to get one.

    Kid sister got a sports scholarship to Notre Dame, but has decided to go to Smith College instead. I quote, 'can't play professional, so I might as well work on my noggin instead.' I will be having a word with her watcher about the words she's teaching her pupils.

    Oughta let you know one of your old squad will be taking on the command I had you greenlit for before you got slack and let your ass get kicked.

   The two slayers you saved returned to full duty last week and want me to pass on their thanks.

   Your mother donated the money we sent her to a dozen public schools in your city, and the neighbouring counties. 

   Don't tell her but we tripled it. 

   Billie passed her exams and will be refereeing in Professional Soccer leagues in Scotland. She asked me to tell you she misses you; her wife passed on her thanks too for convincing Billie that not being an active Slayer was the best choice. She's still on the reserve, but you were right and I think it's obvious she's better suited to be a tutor and watcher in the future. You got the better of me on that one too.

   Last thing. I bought your family World Series tickets; all seven games, assuming the Marlins make it that far. One seat to be left empty, or given to someone else. 

   Be wanting the cash if they don't,

   If the Red Sox make it I'll expect nothing less than a barrel of Blood Wine and a lifetime's supply of Fenway Dogs.

   Right, I've got a lot of these mission reports to get through; so I'd better crack on. “

   *note to self, stop listening to that bloody watcher's verbal reports, Lehane.

   “Since the one replacing you is from there; I'll start with Taslima's. She's home in Dhaka and it's all bloody Cricket of course! She's all about their youth team winning their group at the world cup; apparently she's expecting them... “

   The tiny bird, having needed refreshment, had left when she had mentioned money; returned when she got on to the subject of food. It began to sing a bit when she mentioned Taslima, and made her smile when it seemed to nod excitedly.

   Sun shining through the treeline, she appreciated it's warmth even more.

   Faith grinned, zipped up her jacket and tilted her head in appreciation before continuing. 

   Sharp eye on her, she sat straight and behaved. 

     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KV9Mo_b1C1s

     Footage of the Bangladesh Women winning the 2018 T20 World Cup



      May the Goddess watch over you and those you love 

      kerk

    AUTHOR: kerk hiraeth

    FANDOM: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (FemaleHusband!verse)

    CHARACTER(s): Faith Lehane; Tara Maclay;

    'SHIP: Tara/Faith;

    LENGTH: 150;

    RATING: NC-17;

    A/N: After two days of trying to write a Faith/Tara fic in another series, a song kept on popping up (pun very intended) and demanded to be dealt with. Thusly we get to a piece of fluffy smut.

           The body of the story is about the sentiment in the title of that song www.youtube.com/watch ; title of the fic is from a song for my favourite fanvid  www.youtube.com/watch for another couple in another fandom entirely.

           Putting the two together seemed to fit as the two fandoms and two couples are as different and alike ad Faith & Tara.

     Faith crawled into bed; tired and pissed at letting a sitch with a Junior Slayer get so out of hand; she caught the time on the obscene garishness that was the K/S clock that dweeb Andrew had given her last year.

   Nearly a quarter past.

   “Happy birthday.”

   She started as she realised Tara had spoken her disgruntled thought aloud.

   Then she was being kissed; hand stroking her face and her lips before she could apologise for fucking up the evening they'd planned.

   Last thing she heard was Tara crooning her to sleep.

   Something was poking her awake; turning to abuse the bast..

   Tara just lay there; evil grin on her face, sporting a rainbow strap-on.

   A Gilbert Baker Rainbow Strap-on.

   A much more substantial than usual Gilbert Baker Rainbow Strap-on.

   Before Faith could recover her equilibrium, Tara was leaning over and whispering in her ear.

   “Good morning, Mornin' Glory.”

     May the Goddess watch over you and those you love,

     kerk hiraeth  

  AUTHOR: kerk_hiraeth

  FANDOM: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (FemaleHusband!verse)

  CHARACTERS: Faith Lehane; Tara Maclay; Buffy Summers;

  'SHIP(s): Faith/Tara; Buffy/Angel;

  LENGTH: 200; 

  RATING: R (for strong language); 

  A/N: Set in the FemaleHusband!verse (centred around a Faith/Tara relationship); this may be the start of a new series within that 'verse.

         The idea for this began in another fandom altogether; another poet too. My mind was on a Korean web series called She Makes My Heart Flutter released in November; also on the characters of Yun Sol & Seo Ji-wan and their friends Yu Na-bi & Oh Bit-na, from another Korean series, Nevertheless.

        Most of the story in the former takes place in a bar named after Emily Dickinson, but the original thought; which will likely inspire stories, evolved into stories inspired by Elizabeth Barrett Browning's Sonnets from the Portuguese.

       There's always been the thought behind this 'verse that; even though Faith & Tara become lovers; then a couple, that Faith does not see herself as a lesbian; neither does Tara. I've always wanted to explore that idea and now; finally, that may be coming to pass. Only time will tell on that, but both the title of this story, and the overall title of the series; should that happen, come from the first of the sonnets ~ a copy of which Angel gave Buffy as a gift in Helpless.

     Faith often wondered why, after she and Tara had become lovers; not friends or guarded and guard bitch, she still got creamy over dick.

  For fuck's sake; she'd teased 'B' enough times!

  But always ~ Always! ~ she'd needed to go out and fuck some piece of ass until he was barely able to function.

  She even thought of dick when she and Tara were fucking.

  Even now her brain would flood over some dick she'd fucked back in the day.

  Back in the day...

  She'd been barely a kid herself; fucking with girls to get some dick hard.

  And Tara was all woman.

  All woman.

  Stamina she had too; strapping Faith, a Slayer, until she herself could barely function.

  And what Tara could do with her...

  Fucking witchcraft was what it was.

  And yet.

  And yet...

  She never got wet over other women.

  Not even 'B' got her creaming.

  She never used toys.

  Always the real thing.

  Only what was the real thing anyway?

  She wasn't sure anymore, but still got wet over dick; not pussy.

  Something 'B' had said came to mind.

   'Guess now who holds thee?

    Death, I said.

    But then the silver answer rang,

     Not Death, but Love.'

   from Sonnets from the Portuguese (1845-6)

    by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

     one

   I thought once how Theocritus had sung

   Of the sweet years, the dear and wished-for years,

   Who each one in a gracious hand appears

   To bear a gift for mortals, old or young;

   And, as I mused it in his antique tongue,

   I saw, in gradual vision through my tears,

   The sweet, sad years, the melancholy years,

   Those of my own life, who by turns had flung

   A shadow across me. Straightway I was 'ware,

  So weeping, how a mystic Shape did move

  Behind me, and drew me backward by the hair,

  And a voice said in mastery while I strove,

  Guess now who holds thee? - Death I said. But, there

  The silver answer rang: Not Death, but Love.

   May the Goddess watch over you, and those you love, 

   kerk hiraeth 

   Think I saw this on Jools Holland's show long before I saw the video ~ Have Visa No Have Rice by The Cambodian Space Project 

   

  And, for a_phoenixdragon ~ who kindly sent me hugs on the previous video collection (I did try to put this in a comment, but it would not take, so here it is instead. 


   

 



   kerk