#here have some season 6 spuffy

[though-you-try]

[lurkingshan]

SHIPPER TAG GAME

Tagged by @negrowhat to give away all my fandom secrets. I came up in the US, so most of these will be Western shows. Also be aware that I'm old and been around in fandoms for decades, some of you youths might not even recognize these ships.

1. What ship were you completely obsessed with when you were a teenager, but now you don't care anymore?

Felicity and Noel. I was very into them (and very anti-Ben) when I was first watching this show at the tender age of 14, but then I rewatched it as an adult, realized Noel was a classic Nice Guy with some clear warning flags, and settled into Team Ben.

2. Which ship would you consider your first one?

Hmm maybe Elizabeth Wakefield and Todd Wilkins? I think I started reading Sweet Valley High at, like, age 8. For TV, I was a sitcom kid and I was obsessed with Dwayne Wayne and his flip-up glasses as a child. I loved him and Whitley. Damn now I want to rewatch.

3. Your first fanfic belonged to which couple?

The first I read? I am pretty sure the honor goes to Buffy and Spike.

They were the first ship I remember having that classic fanfic brainrot combo of 1) captivating me entirely with their dynamic and 2) canon leaving me unsatisfied. I lost months of my life over at Elysian Fields.

In terms of the first fanfic I wrote, the honor goes to Ian and Mickey.

I was big into Shameless for its first four seasons. But then the show went way off the rails, the fandom went with it, and I quit watching and scrubbed all my fandom activity off the internet.

4. Do you remember the first couple you saw a fanart over?

I honestly have no idea. Probably something Buffy, I was doing a lot of internet dwelling for that show.

5. Did you ever get into ship discourse?

Getting into discourse is my whole entire thing LOL. I have survived many, many ship wars and let me tell ya you haven't seen unhinged until you've been knee deep in the tags in a long-term fandom with multiple ships for the protagonist. One of the things I love about BL and nearly all Asian dramas is that we go into every show knowing who the main pairing is, so we don't have to fight about ships.

6. Did you used to have any no-otp or have it currently?

Hmm I was a big Buffy/Angel anti and that was before Spuffy was even a twinkle in my eye. I never liked that man in a romance until he got hooked up with Cordelia in his own show (but then they ruined it ugh). I was also very anti-Harry/Hermione back in the OG HP days (let characters have meaningful platonic relationships!).

7. Who were the couple in the last fanfic you read?

I've been on a Lan Wangji/Wei Wuxian kick of late.

8. Currently, do you have any OTPs?

OTPs are eternal! Like I said above, since I mostly watch Asian drama now, they're baked in. My fav of my current watches is Ten and Prem.

9. Is there any couple that, to this day, you are extremely mad about not getting together?

YES I AM STILL MAD ABOUT ROBIN AND BARNEY.

You show me two characters who are clearly uniquely compatible, you give me a brief taste of their extremely fun and non-traditional relationship, and then you break them up and stick her with the milquetoast Nice Guy protagonist in a total betrayal of your entire narrative premise? Fuck off forever, HIMYM, I will see you in hell.

10. Is there any ship you used to dislike but now you think they are kind of interesting?

Hmm nothing comes to mind. If I decided to hate a pair in the past I am pretty likely to still be hating.

11. Do you have any ship that, in the past, was considered normal but now you would be cancelled over?

I would like to see you try to cancel me!! I'll echo Eboni here and say Brian and Justin, though of course there were people who hated them because of the age gap back in ye olden times, too. Fandom spaces are mostly women and women in queer fandom spaces often struggle to account for the totally different culture and power dynamics between m/m pairings.

12. What was your favorite crack ship?

I don't really do crack ships, I am a canon pairing girlie.

13. Who is the couple you read more fanfics of?

I don't know who the ultimate winner is, but I think it's probably a neck and neck competition between Spuffy and Wangxian as my most read pairing.

14. What most of your ships usually have in common?

There's actually a lot of variety in them in terms of personalities, appearance, and tropes. I think what makes me really click into a ship is the feeling that the two people are uniquely suited to each other and well matched to go through life together.

15. What do you absolutely hate in a ship?

When I don't believe they can actually make it.

Tagging @my-rose-tinted-glasses @twig-tea @imminentinertia @shortpplfedup @stuffnonsenseandotherthings @littleragondin.

[elysianholly]

Teaser from a current unpublished WIP

So, I've decided to start writing fics in full before publishing them. But that doesn't mean I can't share snippets, right? Right. After all, I need something to post on this blog.

Unbeta'd. All mistakes are mine.

-----------------------------

Reclaimed

Timeline: Buffy Season 6

Pairing: Spuffy (obvs)

Expected Publication Date: Early 2024

-----------------------------

“I need to see you.”

Buffy pressed her eyes closed and waited for her body to do the rest. The pounding heart. The racing pulse. The sweaty palms. And the thoughts. God, the thoughts. Once those floodgates opened, it would take nothing short of an apocalypse to close them again, and she’d spend the next few weeks replaying every syllable they shared in an attempt to discern hidden meaning. The unspoken I love yous. The implied if things were differents. The flat-out false if you need me, I’ll be theres. In short, the same old Angel song and dance she’d memorized what felt like a million years ago. It was the only thing in this world that was more a certainty than death and taxes.

Well, especially more than death. Buffy couldn’t even rely on that anymore.

“Did you hear me?” came his voice again, low and intimate and Angel. “Is everything all right?”

She shocked herself by laughing. Shocked him, too, if the answering silence was any indication. But honestly, what did he expect? Yes, Angel, I’m fine. I clawed my way out of my grave and into a house that’s hemorrhaging money. My friends are in the backyard throwing out my lamp and my coffee table. There’s water in my shoes from the basement, and I just realized the only thing I want to do less than figure out my finances is see you.

Honestly, it might be worth saying all that just for the look on his face. Only, of course, she wouldn’t actually get to see the look on his face, but her imagination was pretty active these days. She could probably make do.

“Things aren’t great around here,” Buffy said instead. When in doubt, it always better to opt for the path of least resistance. The fact was she should want to see Angel. Hell, she should be halfway out the door now, careless hand-wavy excuse made to Giles, who had been right in the middle of what she was sure he’d intended to be a very rousing speech about persevering through difficulty or some other bullshit. That she’d felt nothing but a vague god, what now upon hearing Angel’s voice through the line was worrying, to say the least. Buffy had never experienced that with him. Not once. Not even when she’d been with Riley and very not-single. Some part of her had always been carved out for Angel.

It probably meant something that she didn’t feel it now. Something less than good. Just another way Buffy was broken.

“Can I help?” Angel asked. “What do you need?”

I need you to go back to thinking I’m dead.

But she didn’t say that, either. This was Angel. The one person in this stupid world that should make her heart do something other than sink. Being alive might not have been her choice but if she was going to be here, she at least wanted to feel like herself. She wanted to be Buffy. The real Buffy. Not the Buffy who was standing here, holding the phone and listening to her ex-boyfriend ask her a variation of the same questions that had been hurled her way since the great un-deadening, and with the same hollow quality in his voice that told her he didn’t expect an answer that would leave him with a to-do list.

Everyone wanted to help without actually doing anything. Everyone wanted her to know that they were there for her so she couldn’t look back at some future date and claim that they hadn’t been.

Well, almost everyone.

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Saturday, January 6th

BUFFY: Listen, Doctor, I don't see why we can't take her home, you know, just until... (gestures) I-I mean, wouldn't it be better for her to rest someplace where she felt safe and comfortable? DR. KRIEGEL: Even if it would mean some work for you, taking care of her? JOYCE: (sighs and leans back in bed) Oh, thank god. BUFFY: I'll do it, anything.

~~Listening to Fear~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

Rotten by MadeInGold (Faith/Willow/Kendra/Cordelia, G)

before I laid eyes on you by Agent Lokitty (Spike/reader, not rated)

there for you by Agent Lokitty (Giles & OC, not rated)

[Chaptered Fiction]

Flavor of the Week, Chapter 7 by Alittleauthor (Giles/Inara, multiple crossovers, G)

The Key To Being Buffy, Chapter 7 by BlueZeroZeroOne (Buffy, Dawn, Stargate crossover, M)

"The Sky's Gonna Open", Chapter 13 by lindseymcdonaldseyelashes (Lindsey/OC, E)

Under the Water, Chapter 19 by dwinchester (Buffy & Gage Petronzi, M)

Ghost World, Chapter 18 (complete!) by Nonkosherian (Buffy/Faith, T)

It takes a team to raise a vampire, Chapter 3 (complete!) by AnkiKind (Ensemble, M)

No dick sucking in the library! - The sign's origin, Chapter 2 by DancingAngel0013 (Buffy/Giles, M)

Moonlit Shadows, Chapter 7 by WillowBee326 (Oz/Spike, E)

The Forging Ghost Yahoo! Group's FGF Challenges & Ficathons (circa 2001 and written by the Moderator Ghostsforge), Chapters 1-3 by Ghostsforge

Slaying the Slayer, Chapter 2 by WillowBee326 (Buffy/Faith, E)

athletes don’t love nerds, do they? part two by Agent Lokitty (Giles/reader, not rated)

Amara Time, Chapter 14 by Joan963z (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Love Ridden, Chapter 3 by scratchmeout (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Pack My Box with Five Dozen Liquor Jugs, Chapter 6 by honeygirl51885 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

A Waxy Gent Chuckled Over My Fab Jazzy Quips, Chapter 6 by violettathepiratequeen (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

What If Love Was Enough? Chapter 4 by Spikelover4ever (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Afterburn, Chapter 1 by Melme1325 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

It's Easy Time, Until It's Not, Chapter 7 by hulettwyo (Buffy/Spike, G)

The Freak Show, Chapter 7 by hulettwyo (Buffy/Spike, Adult Only)

Love Lives Here, Chapter 5 by Passion4Spike (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

[Images, Audio & Video]

Artwork: The Slayers and Their Watchers by CoffeeMilkLvr (worksafe)

Cartoon: Buffy and Doctor Who by Paul Gadzikowski's The Hero of Three Faces (worksafe)

Fanvid: Wicked Game (Lucifer Version)- Buffy and Spike (Spuffy) by Bobblehead89

Fanvid: Buffy + Spike - Talking Body by Faith Victoria

Fanvid: Buffy: The Lucid Dream Acid Trip Fiasco (Feature Film Cut) by MyLoveableCrayon

Fanvid: Buffy and Angel - Best Damn Thing by juliaroxs241

Fanvid: Buffy Summers - Working for the Weekend by juliaroxs241

Fanvid: buffy & angel | jackie and wilson by lostlcve

Video: One Last Scene | Tears, Not Blood | Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Cool Channel DreadTube (Spike analysis)

Song: Buffy the vampire slayer - Going through the motions by Anjerikku

[Reviews & Recaps]

Video: The #btvs Twisted Guide S02E04: Inca Mummy Girl by Twisted View

[Fandom Discussions]

buffy and angel as a subversion of the knight in shining armour and damsel in distress trope is PERFECTION by bangelism

We really should have gotten some Angel and Anya interactions by oveliagirlhaditright

How babygirl is Willow? by The Babygirl Polls

Could Vamp Willow maybe haven been foreshadowing Dark Willow in season 6? by Kristine

Question - Who really is Buffy's "best" friend? by Joan the Vampire Slayer

Is it me, or was Xander done dirty? continued by sybil

Why was Lilah evil? by onceamonthfor18years

my thoughts on season 2 first time watching it by Ok-Connection4791

Buffy Appreciation by unknown_asofyet

am i the only one who thinks buffy got hotter over the seasons? by morallygreat

Sprucilla is still the sexiest.....even when Spike is chipped by alrtight

I disliked Chosen by debujandobirds

First time watcher here. Half way through s4 by stephygrl

Is it ever explained how everyone in Sunnydale is able to shrug off insane paranormal incidents on a week-to-week basis? by PapaCousCous

Two questions regarding buffys season 1 stake and also her training by Tsole96

You gotta admit the Him episode is pretty funny 😂 by artsygrl2021

What Buffy Opinion are you defending like this? by CoffeeMilkLvr

The point of The Wish by bevgron

Is Joyce just vampire kryptonite? by loki2002

What's xander's most in character quote? by ImAViewNotPretty

What’s with the bed-making in Buffy and Faith’s dreams? by classified12345

Hot take: Anya wouldve ran angel investigations like the navy by theducksystem

Does anyone truly deep down inside believe this is good? [Slayers audio drama] by BretBaber

Are you surprised by Spikes reaction from the real Buffy kissing him while pretending to be Buffy the robot? (Intervention S5E18) by sushibananawater

Submit a link to be included in the newsletter!

Join the editor team :)

[again-please]

20 questions for fic writers!

tagged by @septemberskye c:

YOU go ahead and do this if you want! I tag THEE. go unto the tag and prosper.

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

just the five!

2. What's your total AO3 word count? 

164,059. neat!

3. What fandoms do you write for? 

actively just BG3. in the past, Star Wars, and a couple of extremely random, disparate things exclusive to my desktop

4. What are your top five fics by kudos? 

lmao I only HAVE five but A Little Further has the crown!

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? 

oh god, I'm sorry, I do reply to a few here and there especially when I see direct questions for me, but honestly I just feel so awkward bc all I can think to say is "thank you!" with varying numbers of exclamation points. and I am extremely blessed in that recently a lot tend to come at once and I feel terrible that I don't have the brain capacity to give everyone a proper reply

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

of the fics I HAVE ended (slides down in chair), I don't think any of them are angsty! I will do some bittersweetness, but honestly, I like a generally happy ending. I like to include angst, but resolve it - even if the resolution is in a next part in a series

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? 

I guess that'd have to be find a thread to pull, and we can watch it unravel. takes place post victory against the First Order (in a pre-TLJ AU setting) so everything being resolved is just FEELINGS (and we all know how we resolve FEELINGS in this house)

8. Do you get hate on fics? 

I did actually get I think literally my first purely vitriolic comment the other day (again, I am DEEPLY fortunate) but honestly it didn't sound like they even read the fic it was left on? I guess I was just overdue for the experience lmao

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? 

yes ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) but uhhhh what kind...I'm not sure how I'd categorize it? I guess my aim is for it always to be predominantly romantic, but I will go where the wind takes me in a particular scene

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written? 

nope!

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? 

I don't think so?

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? 

yes, just one! I wish I could find it but someone translated find a thread to pull, and we can watch it unravel.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? 

I haven't! and unfortunately I would not wish me as a writing partner on my worst enemy lmao, I'm simply way too slow

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

it's always hard to see beyond the current obsession, but reylo and spuffy are soooo dear to me

15. What's the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I feel particularly bad about survival season because I was in the home stretch, but man, when the inspiration dies it really dies

16. What are your writing strengths?

I want to say/dialogue banter, especially big group scenes, because that's when it really feels FUN for me and I accidentally go into a trance and do 1700 words of just conversation

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

other than being sloooooooooooow (700 words is a GREAT full day of writing for me), I cannot stick to an outline for the goddamn life of me. I really try and DO outline/summarize future chapters, but in the midst of a chapter suddenly something else will grab hold of me and I realize I actually need to write the complete opposite thing happening

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic? 

oh I'm not remotely up to that task

19. First fandom you wrote for? 

babes, it was Teen Titans. and NATURALLY I had an OC that joined the team and whom I (gasp) also freely used in half-baked X-Men stories. 10-year-old me had zero concept of the Marvel/DC divide and honestly I was happier for it

20. Favorite fic you've ever written?

I think A Little Further. that one kind of gave me my confidence back and in my head it's permanently associated with that "oh god why am I so obsessed with this FICTIONAL MAN" energy that gets you through the tough times

[sunnydale-digest]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Monday-Tuesday May 29-30 Part II

[Fandom Discussions]

My progression on “Once More With Feeling”: by ghostofbriggiesmalls

Riley by hmslusitania

Season 5 of Angel should have had more scenes of Spike and Angel attacking each other. by aphony-cree

spike is like objectively at his most unhinged in season five by froggierboy

Buffy cuts her hair when she’s really going through it by hero-adjacent

Faith and other Slayers by oveliagirlhaditright

also it’s pretty stupid to blame Willow for the mutiny by tuiyla

Please elaborate on the Willow/Cordy parallels you found watching AtS 4x14 by tuiyla

so does anyone have a link to an essay or video essay that concisely analyses Willow’s metaphorical role as the Spirit by tuiyla

later seasons Spike righting his s2 wrongs: by hero-adjacent

there’s something about the way when Spike is first introduced to the audience by disco-tea

I’m on the end of season three in my rewatch by hmslusitania

if joss didnt wanna bring bangel back i’d have been fine if he made spangel get together instead of spuffy. by jammarammaxxx

Top 8 Spuffy fics I’ve read (May 2023) by mcgnagallsarmy

The way that Buffy's main love interests (in no particular order, Angel, Faith, and Spike) all don't have last names... by juanabaloo

Thoughts on drusilla? by redead-red

It was so unfair to Briley to sandwich their first kiss and finding out about each other's secret identities between IWRY (Bangel) & Something Blue (Spuffy) by hero-adjacent

Buffy and her drivers licence (or lack thereof) by someonefantastic, figsandfandoms

Willow Rosenberg and Walter White by nestaenthusiast

watched seeing red with my mom by catastrophic-bi-tch

hi tumblr have some 2 am thoughts on dawn summers by tales-of-lellu

Drusilla as a Scooby by faithl3hane

Once more, With Feeling is sooo much better than other tv shows sad attempts at musical episodes by nestaenthusiast

Angel and Drusilla love cooking. by boopsterliv

Discussing Buffy The Vampire Slayer 7x19 "Empty Places" Reaction by girl4music

Angel is a Whedon Show, and brings with it that baggage. by kingoftheu

Harsh Realities Rewatching Buffy by Cohen

Take Out The Trio, Insert **** by Multiple Authors

Question Was AtS Season 4 really that bad? by Mott1

Representations of traditional masculine and feminine character traits by Nothing13

Any Willow and Xander shippers here? by Buffvamporigfan

Saddest thing I’ve ever watched by Joka0451

Random Buffy trivia that blows your mind? by MousseAncient7251

Spike in the Boom Comics is such a badass by Almighty_Push91

It's kind of hilarious that Buffy told her the truth multiple times. by Opening_Knowledge868

I Love the Colours by Moon_Logic

Write a short synopsis for the worst possible Buffy/Angel episode by shocked_the_monkey

Does anyone know of any fanart for the new buffy the vampire slayer? by knighthunter3994

How many vampires would it take to overpower a Slayer? by Beached-Peach

Comic Order Question by alloutofbraincells

Would Drusilla’s hypnosis work on Buffy? by Itchy_Initiative6180

Drusilla is very strong. by thelovernotaplaya

Hi, I’m Angel, The founder of Angel investigations. Roast me! by Buffvamporigfan

how is Buffy's death and subsequent ressurection explained in season 6 by TrollChef

Was this just a goof by the writers? Buffy dying doesn’t call another slayer. by loveofGod12345

What was your first experience with Season 5, episode 1? by dismustbetheplace

Whenever Angel lost his soul, besides killing Jenny what was the worst thing he did? by kaitalina20

Most hilarious (slightly) underrated episode? by Opening_Knowledge868

Scooby Gang or Angel Investigations? by PatrickB64

Season 7: Him - questions (Mild spoilers) by Inoutngone

is it just me or by a_noine_noine

Spike & Joyce’s friendship was so wholesome by buffyangel468

Xander opinion. by Half_A_Mind87

[Articles, Interviews, and Other News]

PUBLICATION: Buffy Just Gave New Meaning to Spike & Drusilla's Romance by Screen Rant

Submit a link to be included in the newsletter!

[zalrb]

Do you have a personal favorite “toxic” couple or pairing? I hate using that word because it’s so over used lol but I don’t know how else to phrase it. Just like two people who obviously aren’t the healthiest together but they can’t stop themselves and you can’t stop yourself from enjoying their dynamic/scenes together ?

It's only overused because people refer to relationships they don't like as toxic and then try to defend themselves by being like, they had a fight one time so they're obviously toxic and it does my head in to the point that my header on tumblr before this one was this

because i was fucking SICK of anons telling me ships were toxic because there were low points in the relationship.

Toxic relationships when done correctly can be extremely entertaining and fun and compelling, I love watching fictional toxic relationships when the writing is honest, which is why I've always maintained that if Delena was crafted properly I would've at least been entertained by them but they weren't. So, for me, it could go from:

Kelly and Ryan from The Office, which is a thoroughly dysfunctional relationship where they're both terrible people together but also portrayed in a very comedic and lighthearted way

or it can be Cesare and Lucrezia where the very fact that romantic feelings exist at all is in it of itself toxic and it's tearing them both apart but it only gets worse and better at the same time and it's just a constant struggle for them

I end up arguing against Spuffy a lot because Spuffy shippers come into my inbox and start shitting on Bangel and Angel and calling that relationship toxic and I don't ship them as a lasting couple but particularly season 6, as a sort of symptom and embodiment of Buffy's dark psychology at the time, it's a good example of a compelling toxic relationship

I was asked a few years ago about relationships that transition from toxic to healthy and I always went to Gallavich so Gallavich doesn't end up being a toxic relationship but they were when they first started and it's complicated because the toxicity is wrapped up in so many different things

but there was a certain angst that came with it that, like, ruined my life and I was absolutely here for it

Cookie and Lucious was another ship and I remember having to breakdown to an anon why Damon and Elena weren't in the same league as Cookie and Lucious and if any canon ship on the show would be remotely close, it would be Klaroline

From other posts of mine:

The World of the Married is some toxic, awful, terrible, entertaining shit where it’s a husband and wife, the husband carries on an affair while all of their mutual friends know and like have dinners and vacation with him and his mistress she finds out,

they get a divorce and he marries his mistress except that he’s obsessed with his ex wife

 

and even dresses his new wife just like his ex wife and his ex has sex with his best friend to get back at him

and then they have hate sex,

it’s this whole thing and it’s based I think pretty much shot for shot on a British show and it was just so fun to watch.

Tony and Carmela are not an OTP of mine but I’m a big fan of the writing for that marriage and of how Edie and James portrayed that marriage and it is a possessive relationship but an entirely hypocritical one, Tony cheats on Carmela frequently and Carmela is expected to deal with it because that’s the deal she made, she gets to live a luxurious lifestyle and Tony gets to fuck around  but that’s not working out

but when Carmela just flirts with the idea of another man, Tony loses his shit.

First, it was this eroticism with her priest and he slept over one night and Tony was bothered by it

then it was Furio and Furio flees to Italy because he’s in love with Carmela and thought about killing Tony even though the two of them didn’t really do much or spend much time together

and I remember when David Chase said he would’ve changed this line

to infuriate Tony even more to this:

“I remember being on the stage at, like, 2:30 in the morning when [Gandolfini and Falco] did that,” he said. “It was just unbelievable.” But that got him thinking about a way he could have done it differently.

“What she should have said — instead of ‘I have been dreaming and wishing and … about Furio’ —  she should have said, to get [Tony], ‘I have been dreaming and masturbating and blah blah blah,” Chase said. “But it’s too late.”

There are some ships that are portrayed as cute and romantic but are actually really toxic that I do enjoy like Joe and Kathleen from You've Got Mail because the concept of that entire movie is psychotic. Joe is a sociopath.

Like, ma'am, he ran you out of business, continued your online relationship while he knew you were the one he was talking to while you didn't know he was who you were talking to, and then he befriended you irl and tried to get you to hate his online persona so you could like him for him, like WHAT?

I want to like Loustat more than I actually do because, like, there are some great things that happen? Like Lestat sending Louis a record with his lover singing on it as an apology that then riles Louis up so much that he swims across the river, kicks down Antoinette's door, demands she get out of her own apartment so he can have hate sex with Lestat while she listens on the balcony crying? I was like THIS is the type of shit I want from IWTV but it still all somehow very perfunctory like a lot of the show because the emphasis is on the voiceover and dialogue so there are aspects of Loustat where I'm like I want to live in this moment, I don't want to hear about it, I want to see it, which is also why I make vids of them because it's basically taking those moments out and emphasizing them more.

[spangelmybeloved]

Masterlist of...Stuff

My masterlist of all sorts of random stuff I've posted that you might be interested in.

Ship Opinions (mostly from asks so some are combined. Do I not have a post on a ship you'd like my opinion on? Ask me.)

Oz/Angel

Spike/Xander and Willow/Angel

Angel/Cordelia/Doyle

Buffy/Giles

Oz/Buffy

Spike/Angel (ok I post about this one a lot lol but here's just some of my thoughts)

Cordelia/Buffy

Sexuality Headcanons (I've been posting these intermittently. Is there someone you'd like to hear my headcanons on who isn't here? Ask me.)

Pt. 1 Core Scoobies

Pt 2. Fanged Four

Pt. 3 Some Love Interests (Cordy, Riley, Oz, Anya)

Pt 4. Glory, Doyle, Joyce, Ethan Rayne

Spicy Opinions (Want more? Check out this ask game I'm running)

Thoughts on BtVS season 6

Worst Blorbofication

Angel's ensoulment vs Spike's ensoulment

Ship I've unwillingly come around to

There should be more of this type of fic

Angel's time in hell

Spike's suicide attempt in Doomed

Angel: Not the male fantasy

Spike post soul vs Angel post soul (and general rant on BtVS writers' inability to write about trauma and PTSD)

Why I don't care for S5 Spike/Spuffy. Like at all.

(TW SA) An S4 take I'm seriously tired of hearing

Random headcanons

Favorite and least favorite headcanons

30 Days of Spike

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

Day 8

Day 9

[rebel-loves-anime]

Okay, I discover MHA binged all the seasons, the movies, and am up to date with season 6...

I AM IN LOVE WITH THESE CHARACTERS ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Especially Bakugo. The crazy thing? I absolutely hated him in the beginning. He was nasty, mean, and a first class little jerkface... but then came the character development... and now, he is my absolute favourite.

So what's a girl to do when she's watched it all, and is up to date? Scour tumblr for fanfiction, *of course*. It's funny, I haven't read any fanfiction since I was a BtVS nerd (Spuffy 4 EVA!), so it's been a bazillion years since I travelled into the hallowed halls of FANDOM. I was not disappointed. In fact I was overwhelmed by the talent and FUN that every one was having!

So I read, and I lurked, and devoured all the delicious smutty Bakugo content I could get my mits on... and then I saw a post, and it opened my eyes. I felt like a piece of shit.

@kingkatsuki (and a few other content creators/writers) were talking about the importance of reblogging, not just liking a post, to help spread the word about these creatives. I mean, here these talented writers are, writing their awesome little hearts out for FREE, the least we can do it reblog their work, and write some comments.

So that inspired me to set up this blog as an appreciation space. So I can write reviews and gush, and go all Plus Ultra, over my favourite stories, writers, and artists.

[alittlebitmaybe]

jaime @chasingfictions tagged me to rank the buffy seasons & my top 3 eps from each season! i can actually do this one!!

season ranking: 2 6 5 3 7 4 1

listen buffy s2 is my forever girl. she rewired me at a formative age for better or worse and i will always go back to her. s5 and s6 i almost had tied but s6 just has a critical mass of faves or near faves so it wins out.

season 1: prophecy girl, out of mind out of sight, i robot you jane

season 2: becoming part ii, i only have eyes for you, passion

season 3: enemies, the prom, lovers walk

season 4: restless, this year’s girl, hush

season 5: fool for love, the gift, the weight of the world

season 6: omwf, life serial, tabula rasa

season 7: beneath you, storyteller, chosen

tbh based some of this off the full episode ranking i did last year it was handy thanks me!

idk i don’t actually go here so spuffy girlies consider yourselves double tagged

[we-pay-for-everything]

Which really loved/hyped Buffyverse characters, ships and episodes do you just not like very much, or at least like less than most fans seem to?! And remember that you really are so valued and cared for here - reading your stuff is one of the best parts of my day!

Thank you! You're so sweet :) For someone who doesn't have many followers I get a disproportional amount of asks, so, if anything, my anons clearly value me <3

Characters:

Spike (duh);

Cordelia - More so on AtS than BtVS, I think;

Buffy;

Faith - Only in seasons 3/4 of BtVS. I love her tons on AtS but was only able to connect with and enjoy her character there. I like Faith in BtVS season 7 though. I just don't understand the hype around her in BtVS season 3. I guess mostly I don't understand why people love her and Buffy's dynamic so much.

Are there more characters? Tara? I don't think she's overhyped, but I guess I like her a little less than most? There aren't many overhyped characters on AtS - quite the opposite, there are mostly underrated ones. Some fans probably think Wesley is overhyped? I think fans love Lindsey too and I never got the hype. Oh, and maybe Fred is a bit overhyped sometimes?

Ships:

Spuffy;

Fuffy;

Tillow;

Cander - I like Xanya but I know most people don't like Anya and prefer Xander with Cordy;

Spike/Angel - Hate them;

Lindsey/Angel - They're not that hyped but I think some people like them?

Jenny/Giles - Are they popular?

There aren't a lot of popular canon ships on Buffyverse. I know I'm missing ships, sorry.

Episodes:

Halloween - Absolutely hate this episode.

Passion - It's so annoying! I hate Angelus's cheesy VO and stalking of Buffy so much. The episode is so dramatic in such a cheesy way.

Bad Girls - This episode is so giffed, but it's not that memorable to me, probably because I don't care much about Faith and Buffy;

The Prom - I like the episode, but like many season 3 episodes it's not as good as people say.

Hush - It's good and super original, but it's also a bit boring to me;

This Year's Girl/Who Are You - Both are considered some of the best Buffy episodes, but I never cared for them, nor for SMG/ED's performances. Again, this is probably because I don't care about Fuffy, or Faith in the beginning;

Restless - Barely got through it once. I thought it was pretentious crap, just the kind Joss was great at;

Fool For Love - One word: Spike;

The Gift - Apart from the ending, the episode isn't really that good, I think;

Life Serial - I kind of remember this episode being hyped and seen as one of the best in season 6, but I don't remember enjoying it;

Once More With Feeling - Am I alone in barely getting through it once and hating all the songs and the actors' singing?

Conversations with Dead People;

Lies My Parents Told Me - I loathe this episode and the one above so much but I can't even remember which one's which;

Spin the Bottle - I like the episode, but it's really not as funny as advertised imo;

Destiny - I think some people like it for some reason;

Smile Time - I like it, but it's not that funny. It's just a solid episode.

Birthday? The Girl in Question? Are there overhyped Angel episodes? Maybe most early season 5 episodes? Fans seem to love this season and I don't, with the exception of the brilliant Wesley and Illyria arc, You're Welcome, Origin, Not Fade Away, and a few others.

Thanks for the ask and for the kind words! I know I've forgotten stuff, but, oh well...

[mistysnat]

For the ship ask game: even though the preferred Buffy ship is obvious I’d be interested in your thoughts on Bangel and Spuffy.

Hmmmm lets see

I like bangel. I don’t ship it but I love both characters and think they were sweet together. Don’t have many thoughts but I don’t mind the melodrama and angst it was very fitting for her age and I of course love the way that relationship leads to the best twist on the show and is really where btvs elevated itself in surprise. Ultimately I think cangel is more real and rooted in reality but I enjoy a little bangel from time to time and I really do love angel

not a fan of spuffy. Season 2-4 spuffy was fun, 6 and 7 killed it for me. The relationship was way too um gross for me but I was done at the ar and then buffy comforting him about it instead of being able to process her own trauma from it. I get why people like it tho I’m not opposed to toxic ships. For many people fuffy is problematic and I get that. For me tho faith suffered and paid for her crimes for a long time while spike really...didn’t. Buffy was allowed to be angry at her. Also the spuffy aspects like the ar were too real life for me, not sexy like some light stabbing. And faith didn’t overtake buffys character like Spike did. “Spike” being buffys last word on her own show makes me scream cry throw up and not in a good way. The entire two if not three last seasons of the show were the spike show and I’m not here for it. That being said I still do like early season spike a lot yes he’s funny and charismatic I get it

thank you for the ask!

[sunnydaleafterdark]

Latest Story: Season Six Fix it Fics, Chapter 5 by Slaymesoftly [NC-17]

Read it here: https://sunnydaleafterdark.com/viewstory.php?sid=706&chapter=5

I started writing with season 6 and never left it for long.  This is a collection of short season six stories - some sad, some hopeful, some.... a bit of both. I think a few were written for prompts at Schmoop Bingo, so be guided by that. LOL 

  There are more season six stories not on this page,  but I need to take a look at them before I decide which ones, if any, should constitute additions to this post.

  ETA: Summary of the other season six stories added:

  When I first began writing, Season Six was mostly (for me) about Spike-grows-a-pair and/or Buffy-gets-a-clue. Which means, lots of breaking up/angst/tears/anger and so on; and then, in most cases, making up and a happy Spuffy ending. Not all will have that happy ending. A few end with them apart, as they were in canon, but most of them manage to pull a Spuffy ending from the mess one or the other of them has made. Most of these fics are short enough to go up as a one-shot, so each will be it's own "chapter". The really short ones will be compiled in one post.   More ETA: As noted, these are almost all very early fics and not particularly polished or well-written. I've decided to pretty them up as much as I can without making major changes or doing a complete rewrite. Not much I can do about the head-hopping (that is something with which I still struggle, even though I now know better) but I'll do what I can. No doubt most of the changes will be minor and visible only to me (ha ha), but I'll feel a little better about them, even if they are still trite and cheesy.  

[misskittyspuffy]

Spuffy at the beginning of season 6 is gold! Spike clearly is the person she feels the most at peace with, he's the person she goes to when she wanna escape from the pressure being put on her shoulders & the one person she's being the most authentic with. He listens, he understands, and he’s being really empathetic.

I think the moment she starts having feelings for him (and give in to her attraction to him) is the moment (and the reason) she completely shuts down. She cannot handle this at the moment and she cannot not link this to her supposed "wrongness" because of the way she feels (in general) and because of Spike's nature. 

So the understanding & complicity part is pushed away, and it becomes exclusively about sex. So much that when they’re having a conversation in Dead Things, Spike makes a remark about it. Truth is, I don’t think Buffy didn’t have feelings for Spike in season 6, like some people say. I think things between them ended up this way precisely because she did but didn’t want to for a variety of reasons we all know about.

And she textually says she does have feelings for him once she ended things with him (including in season 7).

Like she said to Holden Webster in Conversations with dead people (7x07), “she didn’t want to be loved.” And letting herself love someone wasn’t in the cards either, especially if the person in question was evil by nature and mirrored what she thought was wrong with her.

(Regarding Spike’s feelings and lack of soul, I summed up my thoughts here).

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Saturday, December 16th

CORDELIA: You don't eat food. ANGEL: Oh, I can. It doesn't keep me alive, but, you know, sometimes I get a hankering. CORDELIA: You had a hankering for turkey, ham and roast beef sandwiches? ANGEL: (points to one) You missed the vegetarian. CORDELIA: Soup and salad, too? What is going on here? ANGEL: (quietly) I forgot what you liked. CORDELIA: Why didn't you ask me? ANGEL: Well, you said, why is everyone asking you if they can get you anything, and-and I didn't wanna *do* that... CORDELIA: So you did this - instead. ANGEL: (quietly) Yup. CORDELIA: I love you.

~~Dead End~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

12 Days of Christmas 2023 #6: Again This Year by apachefirecat (Spike/Buffy, Dawn, Ensemble, PG-13/T)

Untitled by Tasha Stark (Buffy, Supernatural crossover, not rated)

The Merry Month of Magnus Presents... An Unexpected Visit by JSBirsa (Buffy/Spike, PG)

[Chaptered Fiction]

Keeping Up With the Scoobies, Chapter 25 (complete!) by Takara_Phoenix (Buffy/Spike, Ensemble, T)

Days of Future Past, Chapter 35 (complete!) by a2zmom (Buffy/Angel, M)

Fuel’s Aflame, Chapter 17 by wickedrum (Buffy/Spike, not rated)

Buffyverse Flashfic, Chapter 12 by NotASlayer (Buffy/Anya, T)

Hope is the thing with feathers, Chapter 5 by wildflowerr_wildfire (Buffy/Spike, not rated)

Advent Calendiles, Chapter 16 by HAL1500 (Giles/Jenny, G)

Swimming Against the Current, Chapter 8 by dwinchester (Gage, Ensemble, T)

Out of Africa, Chapter 1 by Passion4Spike (Buffy/Spike, T)

From Apocalypse and Motherhood, Chapter 1 by bangelus9, MIA_SAN_MIA (Buffy/Angel, G)

Multiversal Adventure, Chapter 41 by aTasteofDarkness (Dirk_Grey) (multiple female characters/OC, E)

Vampire Whxre, Chapter 4 by ClowniestLivEver (Buffy/Spike, Adult Only)

As You Wish, Chapter 5 by Melme1325 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Out of Africa, Chapter 2 by Passion4Spike (Buffy/Spike, PG)

You Kiss Me, Chapter 1 by scratchmeout (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

What the Drabble? Chapter 54 by VeroNyxK84 (Buffy/Spike, R)

A Very Summers Winter, Chapter 16 by VeroNyxK84 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

Spuffy's Little Helper, Chapter 16 by Alyot (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

Last Hurrah, Chapter 1 by ClowniestLivEver (Buffy/Spike, R)

Side Effects, Chapters 3-7 (complete!) by by hulettwyo (Buffy/Spike, Adult Only)

[Images, Audio & Video]

Artwork: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas by honeygirl51885 (Buffy/Spike, worksafe)

Artwork: queer little Jewish witch in her tartan skirt by tiredtiresias (Willow, worksafe)

Artwork: Spike by odd-critter (worksafe)

Fanvid: Buffy & Dawn Full Of Grace by Angelus_clips

[Reviews & Recaps]

Honestly how I feel about BTVS ep 3x10 Amends by juanabaloo

Video: The Season Buffy Became Great [Season 2] by Andrea Lopez

Podcast: Slayers a Buffy-verse Story Review by Gamster's World

Video: English 203: Defining Horror - Video Essay by SadieJamesMagdaline

[Community Announcements]

Fic superlatives voting by Revamped I Will Remember You Marathon

[Fandom Discussions]

Where the Wild Things Are has to be thee most insane episode premise by fox-toothed

Bangel and Xanya parallels by oveliagirlhaditright

two women casting a spell together by three-blogs-in-a-trenchcoat

Buffy Rewatch Discussion Thread #1 continued by multiple posters

Comical Quotes by Moptop

Sadie Hawkins by November

The Body by theturquoisecat

What's your favourite musical score piece from Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel? by writeitregreddit

ANGEL one part that made me almost just stop.watching by Nonnarules58

was buffy supposed to have an orgasm in the scene where angel drinks her blood? by SafiraAshai

Which scenes make you cry and why? by Simple-Formal-8588

For those of you who aren't techno pagans, here are some helpful computer terms by V48runner

Fantasy Draft: the perfect Buffy season by anthonyjad

Unanswered Questions? by Inevitable_Force320

Angel gets a lot of hate by Extra_Honeydew4661

Do you think Buffy was falling for Spike in S6? by aeryn1227

Submit a link to be included in the newsletter!

Join the editor team :)

[thenewbuzwuzz]

For the ask game... Xander/Anya, Buffy/Angel?

Thank you very much for asking! <3 I thought I'd have time to answer this sooner, yet here we are -- but I've had fun mulling it over during the week.

Xander/Anya

I ship it, though I'm not super invested in it. They can be really sweet and fun. They have their issues, but who doesn't.

   What made you ship it?

I always thought they were pretty entertaining, I guess. Or, I am interested in Anya, and Anya has some incredible scenes that happen to be related to Xander.

   What are your favorite things about the ship?

I like that they're down-to-earth and easygoing compared to some other major canon ships. The show allows them to have a relationship that isn't a huge deal, a big dramatic love story, at least for a while. I like that they're allowed in canon to have fun in bed, creatively even, and it's not implied that they're evil people for it.

I adore the way Anya confronts her humanity through/because of this relationship. I like that being in a relationship with Anya helps Xander grow too.

In fic, the ship can be moving and heartbreaking and, on the flip side, there's staggering comedic potential. It has the range.

   Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

I don't think either one of them was ready to get married in season 6, even if there had been no Xander-impersonating demon at the wedding? Um, not sure that was an unpopular one, let me try again.

While Xander does sometimes get snarky and patronizing about Anya's ex-demon peculiarities, I think it's understandable (in moderation!) -- nobody's patience and kindess is infinite in real life, and it’s not like his parents set a good example of what a healthy relationship looks like. Overall, it must have been helpful for Anya to get some cues from him about human life (why Anya was written as so clueless about human life is another can of worms).

Leaving Anya at the altar was obviously badly executed, terribly timed, and painful for everyone involved, but maybe a little better than going ahead with the wedding and THEN having second thoughts or huge unspoken issues.

Also, I’ve said this before, but I thought Anya's suggestion to have fun with two Xanders before merging them at the end of "The Replacement" was perfectly reasonable (though it doesn't matter, because the Xanders were uncomfortable with it).

Buffy/Angel

Okay. This one's interesting. I almost ship it. That is, I would NOT say I ship it, but... *shoves multiple poems under the bed* look, it's not like I've ever felt compelled to seek out fic about them or anything... *dedicated rec list spills out of my pocket* shit, I can explain.

I used to ship Bangel because it was the major ship that canon put in front of me and, let's face it, I'm a sucker for a good bout of miserable pining. I listened to that one playlist by @womanaction A Number of Times. :)

   Why don’t you ship it?

I stopped shipping it after I saw "I Will Remember You", where Angel had a chance to be with Buffy and decided against it. I'm not saying characters have to be an item in canon in order for me to be interested in them, but that's when I had a change of heart.

I've an uneasy attitude towards Angel in particular. He has qualities that I consider flaws in myself. This can make him interesting and relatable to me, but also hard to tolerate in larger quantities.

I've been around Spuffy shippers a lot, and they have pointed out to me all the drawbacks of Bangel multiple times. I'm sure this skews my perception somewhat. I'm not sure I want to rehash any of that here.

   What would have made you like it?

On the other hand, hearing people bash Bangel makes me feel like NOT outright hating the ship is cool and rebellious and mature of me as a Spuffy shipper. So in a way, the ship squabbles make me like Bangel a bit more out of spite.

I know that Angel's happiness curse is only ambiguously tied to sex, but I think there's some chance I would find Bangel enormously interesting and cute if Angel and Buffy decided to have a romantic relationship without sex. I think I might have imprinted on them for ace reasons if I’d seen this happen at the right time.

Alternatively, and this is more of a fic thing than a canon wish, *opens AO3* okay, genuine question, why are there so few Bangel stories in the Orgasm Delay/Denial tag? Buffy and Angel could have some creative fun without, ah, Angel's perfect happiness -- but of course, this is based on the simplified interpretation of perfect happiness as a pleasure moment.

I think I might also really enjoy a Buffy x Angel dynamic where they had, contrary to Spike's speech, become friends. Where the will-they-or-won't-they was no longer on the table, the way Xander gets over his romantic feelings for Buffy and keeps helping and supporting her afterwards. I might be even more into it if Angel still had a thing for Buffy but resolved to not make it her problem and channeled it into helping her unconditionally.

Ironically, I like the ship more when Angel is soulless and evil. I don't think Buffy and Angelus should, like, DATE, but I think the Angelus of BtVS s2 still has some semblance of romantic feelings for Buffy (not something we'd call love, I suppose). And he is suuuuuper messed up and conflicted about it, being a control freak whose identity depends on not pursuing this impulse. His struggles with his pesky crush are both rather relatable and enormously entertaining to me.

In theory, I might like Bangel more in the later seasons or post-series, but in practice that's when Spike is in the picture, and I have a preference.

I do like Buffy and Angel as part of a Spuffgel OT3.

I'm sure that, like with most ships ever, fic brings out the best and most fun qualities of Bangel and softens or averts its problems. There might be iterations of the ship out there that would grab my interest.

   Despite not shipping it, do you have anything positive to say about it?

Season 2 from Surprise/Innocence onwards is exquisite drama. It wouldn't be the same without Buffy's feelings for Angel.

I think it's great that Buffy inspired Angel to strive to be better and he became someone she would be proud of, overall.

Buffy wanted to have smoochies and go on cute little dates with her vampire boyfriend, and I'm glad she could. Their ice skating date in particular was adorable.

And I wish the Bangel side of the fandom nothing but the best. I want Bangel fans to thrive and have fun, like all other fans. :)

---

(If you send me a ship, I'll answer three questions based on if I ship it or not.)