#kendra and faith would never

[isagrimorie]

Post-series Robin Wood’s relationship with Buffy never recovered even after the events in Sunnydale.

He trusts Buffy to save the world but he will never trust Buffy to ever have his back again, especially when it comes to Spike.

Much like Martha Jones who will trust the Doctor in every single thing except when it comes to the Master.

Robin Wood 🤝 Martha Jones support group. (Bonus Bill Potts).

[coraniaid]

Speaking of Faith, Hope & Trick: that first conversation between Buffy and Faith must be so different from Faith's point of view.

I mean, the episode itself is very much told from Buffy's perspective. She's only recently reclaimed her identity as "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer" and she just started to reconnect with her friends as of the end of last episode. Of course she feels challenged by Faith's arrival; of course she feels like Faith's deliberately trying to upstage her. Of course she feels Faith is trying to intrude on her life. She reacted much the same way when she met Kendra, and that was when she was a lot less keen on being "the Vampire Slayer" and much more comfortable with her place in Sunnydale. As she tells her mother later, she's "just getting her life back […] not looking to go halfsies on it".

But think about it from Faith's side. Even while she's lying about where her Watcher is, she admits that she came all the way from Boston looking to meet "the infamous" Buffy Summers. She presumably set up the earlier encounter with the vampire deliberately to try to lure Buffy out (she's the one to lead him outside and she only starts fighting him seriously once Buffy and the Scooby Gang have arrived looking for her). She must have picked out her never-to-be-seen-again outfit and practiced her slightly too casual introduction of "I've got it. You're, uh, Buffy, right?" (as if she came all the way to California to meet some girl whose name she didn't quite remember) well in advance. She's already calling her 'B' while the vamp's dust is still cooling. You think she hadn't planned that too?

And Faith is trying to so hard to connect with Buffy in this scene. Yes, she tells a lot of "tall tales" (as Scott Hope will later put it) -- she wants to seem impressive! she wants Buffy to view her as an equal! -- but she's also the only person in the group who keeps trying to get Buffy to share things. It's not her fault that the rest of the gang talk over Buffy's attempts to talk about her own past battles or that they undermine her attempts to tell equally impressive stories. It's not even really her fault that she ends up sharing things about being a Slayer that Buffy as obviously been trying to keep secret from her friends (I mean, it's her fault a little, sure, but I don't think it would even occur to Faith to be embarrassed by anything she says).

"Did you really use a rocket launcher one time?" Faith asks, having already heard the story from somewhere and so done her best to convince Buffy that she too has done equally cool things (she hasn't). "What was your toughest kill?" she asks, having fled most of the way across a continent to escape a vampire she couldn't kill herself. "Isn't it crazy how Slaying always makes you hungry and horny?" she asks and "You and I are gonna have fun," she promises. What can that mean but: don't you feel the same way I do? Aren't you just the same as me? Aren't you glad I'm here?

Yes, Faith is jealous of Buffy's friends and her Watcher and her Mom, right from the start, but she didn't arrive in town looking to meet them. She came looking for Buffy; and look at how quick she is to accept Scott's description of her as "Buffy's friend" the next day. But Buffy (very understandably, from her point of view, because of experiences Faith has no knowledge of) just keeps trying to shut her out. The harder Faith tries to impress her -- by trying to win over Buffy's friends, and her Watcher, and her possible boyfriend, and her Mom -- the more aloof the other Slayer seems to get.

No wonder Faith gets annoyed by the rejection. No wonder she starts to get angry. No wonder she's ready to start exchanging threats once they're alone on patrols and the vampires aren't even showing up the way they're supposed to. Like she'll complain later in the season: she came to Sunnydale, she slayed, she did the good little girl routine, and what did she get? Not Buffy, that's for sure.

[thechosenthree]

I’ve been thinking so much lately about how even though Kendra is barely mentioned after her death, she is haunting the narrative for the rest of the show.

Every time Faith is on screen or mentioned, Kendra’s ghost is right there with her. The fact that if Kendra’s hadn’t died, Faith wouldn’t be a slayer, means Kendra is never really forgotten. Faith is a living reminder of Kendra’s tragedy.

And Buffy continues to use Mr. Pointy!! In a way it makes sense to me that Buffy wouldn’t want to bring her up with other people? (I obviously understand the actual reasons but I’ve been trying to make it make sense in universe.) After all nobody else in Sunnydale knew her like Buffy did. They were freaks together!! And then Buffy was alone again.

Faith shows up and Buffy’s got someone who understands!! But it’s not the first time she’s had that, and I keep thinking of how in early s3, Faith must be a constant reminder for Buffy of the friend she lost.

And I can’t imagine Buffy bringing Kendra up to Faith? How would she go about that without it being this weird thing of having to acknowledge Faith replaced Kendra? That Buffy and Faith wouldn’t even know each other if Kendra hadn’t died?

So instead Buffy mourns Kendra alone. And keeps her stake with her, a way of holding onto her long after she’s gone. She brings Kendra with her into battle every time. She’s never really alone. Except that Kendra is dead, and Buffy must feel even more alone than she did before she met her.

And in The Wish Buffy is dressed so similarly to how Kendra was in Becoming when she died!! Wishverse!Buffy is so Kendra AND Faith coded, in different ways. It makes it feel like they’re all three in that episode.

And Wishverse!Buffy died right before Giles smashed the power source. Which means Kendra was called!! For like half a second of course before everything went back to reality. But being that she was raised to be The Slayer, it’s possible Wishverse!Kendra was actually aware she was called? I don’t know exactly how that works. But it’s different than the council needing to go find Buffy and tell her her destiny when she was called.

It’s just!!! They are the chosen three!!

They’re technically never all three on screen together— unless you count one conversation in s3 where Kendra is mentioned in front of them both. But Faith showing up cements Kendra’s place haunting the narrative for the rest of the show. If she’d died and there’d been no other slayer called, she could have faded away…

Faith’s literal existence as a character in the show ensured that she didn’t.

[theredpharaoah]

Dare I say we give Giles too much. I think him not giving Buffy the Slayer Handbook was dumb and ignorant. The Handbook didn’t just have rules for the Slayer, it was the definitive guide to magic on Earth and its history. The fact they never pull it out again after the first episode irritates the hell out of me. How helpful would that have been for all the Scoobies - Willow could’ve picked up magic way quicker. It probably would’ve helped Buffy hone the psychic abilities she never really developed. Remember how she’s supposed to be able to sense vampires and stuff? And in the comics, Erin had access to all the Slayer memories(I’m pretty sure) because he inherited the psychic side of the lineage. Again, that could’ve been cool to see and very helpful.

I also feel - as stated many times before - Giles completely failed with Faith. People talk about how Buffy built up that rapport with Giles and her friends - that she made their relationship the way it was. But that’s irrelevant because the relationship was present and stable at the time of Faith’s arrival. We see when Kendra comes that even the Giles is a bit taken-aback to her very by-the-book approach to being a slayer. So when Faith came - who is extremely similar to Buffy - how did Giles not immediately feel that paternal instinct he has with Buffy, Willow, and Xander? That sort of instinct comes easier the more people you consider to be your “children”. I mean it’s crazy that The Mayor had to take Faith out of that nasty ass motel. A literal demon had to go “that’s no place for a young girl”. And sure he had a motive but the fact that none of the decent people had already said it? And the way they handled the accidental kill of the evil assistant to the mayor? First of all, the Slayer killing humans is frowned upon but it’s not a hard and fast rule. I’m not saying they should just go around killing ppl, but I’m not going to feel bad that Faith killed a man who was working for demons anyway. And compare that to how they reacted to Buffy Killing Ted(when they thought she had); completely different reaction. And Buffy had exhibited far more animosity towards Ted, than Faith had for some random who got in the way.

Giles as an adult - and something of an educator - should’ve immediately clocked that Faith did not have the same upbringing as the other 3, that the Scoobies were falling into their childish instincts and alienating her, and he should’ve gone out of his way to include her and impress upon the others why they needed to accept her. Especially after they found out about her Watcher’s death and saw how terrified she was of Kakistos. Why did Buffy and Angel have to be the ones to find out Faith needed to be fought for - that she needed help to deal with her trauma. I was really disappointed in Buffy as she’d lost her watcher and relocated just like Faith. She also understood how lonely and dangerous it is being a Slayer. But I can’t blame Buffy all that much cuz she’s a kid. And Giles willing all of his things to Faith in the comics and only the Slayer Handbook to Buffy did not move me. Giles considered Buffy to be the “One True Slayer” was not a gag. Everyone considers her to be that, giving her this handbook after she’s been a Slayer for damn near a decade is insulting. She don’t need that shit no more - she had to learn it all on the job. And giving Faith his money so she could retire from violence? Faith’s violence wasn’t the issue, her relationship to it was. The whole thing read as very melodramatic and self-absorbed.

Giles was very childish and we see it all throughout the series, but especially in the later seasons. I mean when you actually think about it, he’s so ridiculous. Buffy was 22 at the end of the series. 22 and she has to take care of a teen sister, pay mortgage, bills, etc. Could you imagine that amount of responsibility at that age? Our society still considers 22 year olds to be pseudo-teens for the most part. And he left cuz he “didn’t want her to become dependent on him”…what type of shit? She was already dependent on you - you’d been her Father Figure since she was 16 and throughout a boatload of trauma. You pretty much raised the girl. And you know that - that’s why you had a dream of taking child Buffy to the fair. He’s human, but that doesn’t excuse the level of cowardice he exhibited for me.

Also, I think instead of killing Jenny in Passions, they should’ve had her live. I think she would’ve been great as Faith’s mentor. And while she didn’t take the Scoobies to task for blaming her about Angel and alienating her, I definitely think she would’ve gotten them together for their treatment of Faith. I also think she would’ve pointed out Giles’ differential treatments of the two.

[buffy-targaryen]

It always made complete sense to me that the watchers council never told Giles and Buffy about Kendra (and later, Faith). The council doesn’t give a shit about a Slayer, especially a wild card like Buffy, they must’ve been desperate for her to die again, for real this time, and leave Kendra who has been trained since a child.

It does however beg the question as to why they then allow Mr Zabuto to send Kendra to Sunnydale knowing full well she could come across Buffy who would certainly be able to successfully fight her if they met… so my theory is that must’ve told Kendra enough so that she would target Buffy as a vampire. Kendra found Buffy and Angel almost immediately, and she says that she assumes Buffy was a vamp because you know, she was kissing one (a fair assumption), but then she comes after Buffy hard. Kendra comes very close to killing her because she targets her specifically, even over Angel.

The council have never been stupid, but they’ve always been cruel and calculating, and it makes perfect sense to me that they could easily withhold information and then fall back on plausible deniability, and their ‘orders’.

[candlemouse]

I posted a new fic that explores Marla and Scott Sorenson’s experience from losing their daughter, being kidnapped, forcibly educated about magic, and finally reuniting with their family.

It will be three chapters and end up about 10k words.

It’s been really fun to write!

Here is an excerpt:

Silence filled the house. The TV sat dormant, pots and pans did not clang, and there was no bickering over the remote. Just Marla alone on the couch.

The peace and quiet she had always prayed for.

It was 6 o’clock on a Sunday. Normally, dinner would be takeout from the steakhouse downtown as Marla had always maintained that a day of rest meant no cooking. She would force the kids to eat dinner at the table, and Kendra would stress out about an assignment she had due the next day while Seth flung peas at her. Inevitably, someone would yell and the other would storm out of the room.

Marla would be pulling her hair out trying to get them to settle down and wishing that, for just once, their house could be peaceful and quiet and not full of bickering and loud noises.

She had gotten her wish.

Her house was silent.

It only took burying her baby girl under six feet of muddy dirt, and shipping her son off to her in-laws.

Great. Amazing. This was exactly what she had prayed for.

No tears fell. She just stared at the floor.

Scott was somewhere. She didn’t know. Probably grief counseling or the grocery store. Either way, Marla couldn’t seem to care enough to remember.

She was a passive participant in life at the moment. It was better that way. If she had to go back in the stream of things—back to “normal”—she’d have to have quiet Sunday dinners.

No, it was better when nothing happened at all.

The train horn interrupted her line of thoughts. It was a faithful thing that she disliked. It came every night at eleven pm. She could never get to sleep when she wanted because the blasted horn would wake her up.

While in some crevice of Marla’s brain, she registered the oddness of Scott staying out past eleven, she couldn’t stop the onslaught of grief that prevented her from thinking about anything but her baby girl. It wouldn’t be right to go about her day without Kendra on her mind. To Marla, that was the final goodbye she dreaded. The point when she forgot about her baby girl.

Ironically, the funeral had offered the briefest reprieve in her thoughts as she had to sort money around and calculate coffin costs—monotonous, mindless things.

But, the funeral had already occurred a few days ago. Well, at least Marla thought it was a few days ago. Not much recently had been cataloged in her memory.

All she knew was that there was a new headstone in the cemetery and that her baby girl was under it.

Parents weren’t supposed to grieve for their kids. That wasn’t the deal Marla had made with God when she conceived.

Motherhood was supposed to be the most amazing thing in the world. God-given. And it was, at times. But, this was never supposed to be part of it.

Why did God take her baby girl?

The priest had tried to explain to her. Euphemisms ran into mantras ran into the most meaningless crap she’d ever heard.

Their family went to church every Sunday. They praised God. They said grace before every meal. Marla had sat on her knees every night like a good girl and prayed for her family.

Her baby girl taken from her. Who did it?

The private detective didn’t know. She didn’t know. Her son didn’t know. The coroner had sent a report with confusing details, but then the next day, sent a clean bill of death.

A stroke.

Marla guessed that was it. A stroke of luck. Something no one could predict but God. Bad karma.

Scott tried to pull her to the grief-counseling meetings. It didn’t work. She didn’t want to feel these feelings and live with them. She wanted them gone!

She wanted Kendra back. She wanted her children.

Pain constricted her chest and she couldn’t breathe anymore.

It was like this now. She got sudden pains and constrictions she had used to associate with sadness and anger, but she no longer felt those feelings.

It was all nothing.

There was a knock at the door.

How late was it? Eleven? Well, who cared. Time didn’t matter anymore.

Obligated, Marla approached and peeked through the peep-hole.

There was a skinny looking man holding tupperware. He looked around and then knocked again.

Oh, well. As Marla sighed and opened the door, she was faintly aware of the consternation she would have had a week ago if she had answered the door with unwashed hair, pajamas, and days-old makeup. She couldn’t imagine ever thinking those thoughts again.

“What do you want?”

The man smiled understandingly at her and held out his container. “I’m sorry for your loss. Kendra was an amazing student. I brought a home-cooked meal for you and your husband.”

Marla squinted at him. He must’ve been one of Kendra’s teachers, but she didn’t recognize him. But, that didn’t mean much. Kendra had had six teachers. This could be the one Marla could never remember the name of.

She took the Tupperware and nodded her head in thanks. It was the most she could do, because she didn’t want to talk to him at all.

“Have a good night. If you need anything, I can have the school organize a drive.”

“That’s alright. Take care.”

Marla closed the door and opened the container. It smelled good.

A week ago, if Marla had suddenly received an influx of meals from the community, she would have kept meticulous count and ate them in the order she had received them as to avoid spoilage.

But, Marla was different now so she slid down the door frame to a seated position and used her hands to eat the chicken wings.

As she tore off the skin with her teeth, she tried to place the flavor. She liked Buffalo, but this wasn’t that. It wasn’t bad, it was just different.

Before she began eating, she hadn’t realized how hungry she was. It made sense, though. She hadn’t eaten since she had woken up, and that had been a long time ago.

Her original intention to share with her husband faded as she finished the last of the wings. Her fingers were sticky and she simply licked the sauce off, another thing she would never have done a week ago.

As she set the container aside, she resumed her meaningless staring. Exhaustion began to tug at her eyelids, and she had no will to deny it. She slumped against the wall and closed her eyes.

There was a knock at the door and then another, but by then, she was too tired to move. And by the time the door opened and the skinny man stepped in, Marla was gone to the world.

Continue reading this chapter on Ao3 by clicking this link!

[thepunkmuppet]

a comprehensive list of all the Implications (TM) of the WishVerse that were never explored. enjoy.

so in case you forgot: buffy never came to sunnydale in season 1. the master took over sunnydale and made xander and willow his deranged vampire sidekicks. buffy fights the master and her, cordelia, angel, willow and xander all die. almost all these points are going off the branching timeline where giles didn’t destroy anya’s pendant and the wishverse kept going.

larry is a “white hat” working with giles, oz and nancy. he has dyed black hair. I think it’s safe to assume that larry is out in this universe, and apocalypse or no apocalypse I love the idea of these three being a found family friend group just like buffy and the scoobies. also love the idea that oz and larry were in love but that’s just because I am insane lmao. anyway larry is out as gay and friends with oz with surrogate father figure giles… yeah that just makes me happy. I would love to see his season 1-3 growth in coming out and becoming a better person / not a bully similar to cordy. and shittily dying his hair black.

were spike and dru there during the season 2 period? did the master kill them? did the white hats kill them? did they leave? WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM????

the mayor, adam, glory and the first would likely still happen on top of all the vampire apocalypse stuff. the trio could be dead or vampires and dark willow obviously would not be able to happen. does giles fight these threats, collecting various child fighters over the years?? no idea. do they succeed?? no idea.

dawn doesn’t exist because buffy is dead. I wonder who the key would have taken the form of, perhaps she would be faith’s sister…???

what’s the status of jenny calendar?? joyce?? tara?? amy?? no one knows!! I just hope they didn’t meet too grisly of ends. the idea of leather-clad apocalypse vampire versions of all these badass women intrigues me though…

did anya remain a demon?? destroying her necklace would reset the timeline back to normal, so I guess she must have done. my anyiles heart says giles thought “I could fix her” and fell in love with a vengeance demon who doomed reality but that might just be wishful thinking (no pun intended).

angel investigations simply doesn’t exist. angel and cordy are both dead.

connor would not exist because darla would not be brought back (I wonder if jasmine would find some other way to bring about her birth??)

lindsey would have both hands intact and he and lilah would likely stay at wolfram and hart, and neither would die unless they were caught in the crossfire of vampire apocalypse stuff.

gunn would stick with his crew in LA and would likely fight the master at one point, not to mention even more vampires than usual, and without superpowers would likely die eventually.

angel investigations would never run wolfram and hart, meaning illyria would have to find a different host body. if it was lindsey or lilah that would be awesome.

pylea would stay the same and suck forever because cordy would never go there.

lorne is flourishing and loving life running caritos. he’s probably better off for it tbh. the wishverse says gay rights!!!!

in terms of wesley, faith and doyle, I recommend this amazing fic. it really speaks for itself, it’s awesome!!

its unclear as to who would be called after buffy. is it a person to person thing or simply a timing thing?? would it be kendra, faith, or someone else entirely? as I said this is explored in the fic I linked, but still interesting to discuss.

season 7 would be very different. we don’t know what slayer is currently around and we don’t know if that would change the first’s plan or the ending with all the potentials becoming slayers. no idea. kennedy would not be important thank god.

fred is still in pylea.

if you can think of anything else, please do share in notes!!

[corvidyus]

my god kendra really was doomed by the narrative to not have a happy ending. As soon as the writers room got through telling the story they wanted to tell of Buffy helping an even more repressed/controlled Slayer, they were always gonna kill her to give Buffy some trauma & to be able to introduce another second Slayer they had new ideas for…

I get it, her death was kind of inevitable the second the writers wanted to do Faith’s shadow slayer narrative (Kendra would never fit) so I can’t even be that mad. And I do love Faith’s narrative weight! She’s a good shadow to Buffy— but so was Kendra, in the opposite direction!

I do also love how her dying a really good representation of how the Slayers are forever trapped in this cycle by their destiny; live fast, slay vamps, die young - no future, no family, nothing else in their life… and when Buffy is able to break that cycle in any way (not being alone, having family/friends, having a life), it feels so good!

But man, I loved Kendra! I wish she at least had some more screen time. Her palling around the Scoobies, getting some more normal life, or even a side ep or two of her with her own watcher and monster fighting that influences/is influenced by Buffy in Sunnydale! There’s a lot of potential that wasn’t really used between the writers introducing her and then killing her :(

Or even perhaps a technical death/sacrifice similar to Buffy’s could’ve worked to summon Faith— though it would’ve been cheap to pull that twice… haha… I just like Kendra

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Sunday, May 26

BUFFY: I didn't realize meditating was such hard work. WILLOW: I'm healing. Growing new skin. BUFFY: Wow. That's magic, right? I mean, when most people meditate, they don't get extra skin, right. 'Cause Clem should, like, cut back.

~~Same Time Same Place~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

Like the Sands of Time by veronyxk84 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

Family Matters by veronyxk84 (Buffy, Dawn, PG-13)

MedWhump May 2024 Day 25: High Fever by MadeInGold (Buffy/Cordelia, G)

a lady in the meads by myrmeraki (Buffy/Spike, M)

i know that when i'm with you i'm at home by slambat (Buffy/Willow, G)

MedWhump May 2024 Day 26: Unconscious by MadeInGold (Giles/Maggie Walsh, T)

Family Matters by VeroNyxK84 (Buffy/Spike, anthology rated PG-13)

Unexpected Company by VeroNyxK84 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

[Chaptered Fiction]

I don't feel safe in my body - Chapter 1-3 (COMPLETE!) WillowBee326 (Buffy/Willow, Explicit, warnings for self harm)

When Worlds Collide - Chapter 1 by CorsetedPrincess (Harry Potter crossover, Willow/Tara, T)

Secret Obsessionm, Ch. 29 by Maxine Eden (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Deliverance From Destiny, Ch. 12 by Ragini (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

When the Multiverse Hiccups, Ch. 1 by samsas (multiple crossovers, Xander, FR18)

Blood and dust, Ch. 13 (COMPLETE!) by Blackoberst (Buffy/Spike, 18+)

Out For A Walk... Bitch, Ch. 18 by MaggieLaFey (Buffy/Spike, Adult Only)

Glimpses of the Cellar Dwellers, Ch. 36-38 (COMPLETE!) by Maldorana (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

See You Yesterday, Ch. 4 by all choseny (Buffy/Spike, R)

Bruises, Ch. 5 by hulettwyo (Buffy/Spike, Adult Only)

The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea, Ch. 1-2 by Claire (Buffy/Spike, G)

[Images, Audio & Video]

New Banner Art #18 by veronyxk84 (Buffy/Spike, worksafe)

Meme: the slayerrrrr by diamond-rings-and-gutter-bones (Buffy, Giles, worksafe)

Faith screenshots captioned with My Chemical Romance lyrics by whale-music (worksafe, blood)

bi xander pride icons by pridebicons (worksafe unless your colleagues are homophobic)

A neon scenecore manip by soponge-meringue (Buffy, worksafe)

Captioned screenshots: spuffy + textposts by spikespeaches (Buffy/Spike, worksafe)

My Baldur's Gate 3 Party [game avatars that look like BtVS characters] by phantombeast (Buffy, Willow, Faith, Spike, worksafe)

Feeling very Buffy coded today with my outfit by Xandertheokay (worksafe)

[Reviews & Recaps]

S1E06: Sense & Sensitivity - The Best & Worst Episode So Far by Known-Parfait-520

This show [AtS] is so innovative and so old. by murdered800times

Rewatcher's diary: Season 2 retrospective by jonaskoelker

Poll and discussion: What is your favourite of the "worst" episodes? by MonsterTournament

[Recs & In Search Of]

spangelmybeloved seeks Buffy Summers x Ben Wilkinson fanworks

passporttomadness seeks a 21+ roleplay partner for Angel (or Angelus)/Spike

Liam Duke’s Moloch Rap recced by SparksOnAGrave

[Fandom Discussions]

Re: Is there a character or ship you were so sure you would never write/draw but now you've changed your mind? [Riley] by goldheartedchaoticdisaster

More Kendra haunting the narrative thoughts after watching Helpless by thechosenthree

Is Riley more misogynistic than other characters? by Stoney and others

Buffy speaking of her relationship with Riley in ‘Sanctuary’ by Berry-Pie216

Why no vampire army? by Xyex

Season 3 was so great [Faith subtext in "Earshot"] by Cailly_Brard7

Who's your all time favourite villain from the show? [a Major Wilkins appreciation post] by Remarkable_Mud6377

Do you ever think about how Angel broke up with Buffy in a sewer? by stillhavehope99

Does anyone else have this weird certainty that Willow and Faith could have a really good relationship from season 7 onwards? by IntelligentPumpkin74

[Articles, Interviews, and Other News]

Darla, Anya, Glory, and Dru. Reunion pics posted on IG today - via yyouriley (Julie Benz, Emma Caulfield, Clare Kramer, Juliet Landau, worksafe)

Austria Comic Con 2024 Reports, Pics & Videos (James Marsters) via jamie_marsters

James Marsters' next scheduled con appearance is Sydney @SupanovaExpo Jun 22-23 - via jamie_marsters

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Join the editor team :)

[tuiyla]

Buffy season 6!

Okay I finally have a moment to write this out and it’s now or never so here goes, beginning of Buffy season 6 thoughts. Seen up to episode 6.

I knew going into it that it was a controversial season and obviously I’m yet to see most of it but I really enjoyed the tone the opening three episodes set. It was dark and ominous but not in the “for the sake of it” kind of way. BtVS got more saturated, if not substantially tonally more jovial when Angel the Series started but the start of season 6 almost felt like the Wishverse, what with gangs ransacking Sunnydale and Buffy nowhere to be seen. When I first accidentally found out that Buffy would die once again and return yet again, I didn’t think much of it. In that, she has died once and sure, we got an episode long PTSD and Kendra and Faith as a result (sigh, Faith) but the world didn’t feel fundamentally different. Due to many different factors, including the excellence of Buffy’s sacrifice in The Gift, this time it felt different. The Scoobies, while not quite a shell of their former selves are markedly different. Life went on but the absence of Buffy is felt in every corner. Everyone is effected but standing out the most is Willow, now leader and powerful, perhaps too powerful witch.

Willow’s development has been fascinating to follow and though she didn’t have the most to do in season 5, her not so quiet progression was all too clear when she took on Glory. And Willow’s game face when faced with the loss of Buffy is as serious as it was with Tara’s, such is the depth of their friendship. Alyson Hannigan, newly promoted to the special last but least position of the credits portrays Willow as beautifully as ever and brings a whole new dimension to her. This isn’t the same Willow Rosenberg who was too afraid to talk back to Cordelia in the pilot. She knows what she wants and what she wants is Buffy, alive and well and back with her family. Her path this season is set, even if I didn’t have vague (and not so vague) ideas of what’s yet to come. And Willow’s hardened determination is only highlighted when juxtaposed with her more relaxed self after Buffy returns. Hannigan taps more into the old Willow when Buffy’s back: her smile, her jokes, as if the weight has been lifted from her shoulders now that her friend is back. Now that the chosen one is back. But all is not well with Willow, and part of that is all being far from well with Buffy.

When it clicked what they were going for with Buffy at the end of episode 3, I felt a special kind of delight. The one you get when you know you’re about to witness something great. In this case, a fascinating journey and conflict for Buffy. They can never know but they will. Her friends will eventually have to face the fact that they ripped her right out of heaven itself. I wasn’t sure about her initial shock at first, in that I wasn’t sure it was going to be appropriately serious but also adding to her as a character. But the revelation that she’s not just startled, she’s resentful is delicious drama. And already in season 6 we have what I can only logically conclude is the build-up to Spuffy. Buffy is now so emotionally distant from her friends and even, to a degree, from Dawn. This enormous secret that she has to keep comes with having to pretend she’s grateful for something that she actually resents and tries so hard to wrap her head around. And here comes Spike, someone she doesn’t have to pretend with, someone who, if in a twisted and remote sort of way, is the closest to getting it. What an interesting way of building up Buffy’s side of the relationship, how refreshing that they’re putting the storytelling effort in instead of just catering blindly to what would be aesthetically pleasing. Granted, I still cannot yet say whether I will be satisfied with the way Spuffy unfolds but colour me intrigued at this point in time.

I had a few more thoughts after the first six episodes but really Willow and Buffy in the first three was the bulk of it and what excites me most about this polarizing season. I will say three gripes I’ve had just to let it out. One is the coffin of it all, obviously, Buffy’s friends being skilled enough to pull a resurrection off but not thinking to actually dig her body up before returning her soul into it. Also on the topic of the resurrection, why is everyone fully convinced that Buffy, saviour of the world on several occasions, defender of the innocent, hero to all went to hell? Or a version of hell, anyway. I get that so far in the Buffy lore there wasn’t much about any sort of heaven, just the different kinds of hell, but surely Giles or someone would stop to think, gee surely Buffy would have gone to heaven if there was one. I’m fine with the concept of them wanting to resurrect her regardless, fits very well with Willow’s story and of course their grief would be stronger than any notion of Buffy possibly being at peace. But still.

And finally, I really hope the Trio are just a decoy “Big Bad” and will soon be shoved out of the way to introduce... anyone else. They’re played for laughs so obviously they aren’t the actual Big Bad but I don’t think their comedy is funny, at all. Jonathan just pisses me off so much, someone who has SO MUCH to be grateful to Buffy for being a little shit. And as a group they’re just pathetic, not amusing. I don’t see how them messing with Buffy was played for comedy when girl is suffering enough as it is. She was ripped from nirvana and put back into the wheel, and we’re going to spend an episode, potentially more on some little shits inconveniencing her? No, please, get rid of them asap. Continue what the first three eps were building to and I’ll be happy.

[coraniaid]

There's an interesting symmetry in the pattern of Faith and the Watcher's Council appearances on Buffy.

It's perhaps worth noting that neither Faith not the Council are ever quite as integral to the show as fandom likes to suggest.

Faith only appears in twenty episodes across the entire show (plus six more in Angel), and is only mentioned in just over a dozen more. That means she appears in fewer episodes of Buffy than Daniel Osbourne, Riley Finn, Jonathan Levinson or Andrew Wells, all of whom can also boast of having somthing something Faith never had during her time on the show: a last name. ('Lehane' is a post-Chosen reveal to support a tie-in RPG.) She never appears in the opening credits, suggesting she has less of a claim to be a major character than any of Buffy, Willow, Xander, Giles, Spike, Anya, Dawn, Angel, Cordelia, Riley, Tara or Oz. Faith isn't the first Slayer other than Buffy we meet, and she isn't the last. There is a run of over forty episodes in a row (starting from Blood Ties in Season 5) in which Faith's name is simply not spoken by anybody on screen.

It would be very easy for a casual fan of the show to completely forget that Faith ever existed. Pick a random episode of the show and there's a more than 75% chance she won't be mentioned in it.

The Watcher's Council are first mentioned by name in Season 3's Faith, Hope & Trick (the first episode in which Faith herself appears), though there were occasional references to Watchers other than Giles before that. We hear about Giles's father and grandmother having been Watchers before him in Season 1's Never Kill A Boy On The First Date; we're told about Kendra's Watcher Sam Zabuto in Season 2's What's My Line?; and we briefly see Buffy's unnamed first Wacher during a flashback in the same season's Becoming.  (Perhaps most notably, when she hears the prophecy of her own imminent death in Season 1’s Prophecy Girl, Buffy wonders what the Slayer after her will be like and asks Giles: “will you train her, or will they send someone else?”.) But the Council themselves, as a group capable of giving Giles orders, are only mentioned in a total of twenty episodes, and (other than Watchers like Giles and Wesley), representatives of the Council only appears in six of those twenty episodes. Buffy quits the Council in Graduation Day (the same time that she tries to kill Faith), and they never really feature much in her life after that.

It would be very easy for a casual fan of the show to completely forget that the Council ever existed. Pick a random episode of the show and there's a more than 85% chance they won't be mentioned in it.

And yet, if you pick an episode with Faith in it, the odds of the Council being mentioned increase from less than 14% to exactly 60%. If you pick an episode with the Council in it, the odds of Faith being mentioned jump from under 23% to over 83% (the only episode to feature the Council which doesn't mention Faith is their last appearance in Never Leave Me). This isn't just because both of them feature heavily in Season 3, either.

Giles refers to the Watchers' Council by name for the first time when he tells Buffy that "the Council has approved our request" for Faith to stay in Sunnydale. Faith does not appear in Helpless (she couldn't, or the episode wouldn't work) but unlike in previous episodes where she isn't around her absence is noted. Giles convinces Buffy in part to spend time staring at the crystals he will use to hypnotize her and drug her by favorably comparing her to Faith: "since Faith is not interested in proper training, I must rely on you to keep up with yours". The Council come to Sunnydale in Consequences and This Year's Girl and Who Are You? to abduct Faith and either kill her or take her away to England. The one time Buffy says Faith's name in Season 5 -- the one reason that run of forty episodes I mentioned earlier isn't a run of fifty-two episodes -- comes when the Council visit again in Checkpoint and she remembers that "when I was Faith" the Council tried to kill her. (Buffy also brings up the Cruciamentum for the first time since Helpless in this episode; another time that the Council tried to kill her.) The Council's last ever mention on the show comes in Dirty Girls, which is also the episode in which Faith returns to the show.

None of which, of course, is a coincidence. While the show doesn't care about Faith or the Council as much as the fandom does, they do both have a very clear and deliberate metaphorical meaning. Faith is Buffy: the Buffy we see in When She Was Bad and in Anne and the Buffy we later see clawing her way out of the grave in Season 6. A Buffy with no friends or family, a Buffy who desperately wants some sort of parental figure in her life but refuses to listen to anyone who she thinks might be trying to control her or stop her enjoying being a Slayer. And the Council are an embodiment of all the worst parts of Giles we see in the first two seasons: Watchers who only see Buffy as a weapon and refuse to let her have an ordinary life, who risk her life and her mother's life for no good reason, who give her orders and offer scraps of information but are revealed ultimately to be hollow and powerless.

(I've complained a lot before about fandom trying to pretend there isn't this sort of complexity to Buffy and Giles's relationships in the early season -- that Buffy doesn't have nightmares about her Watcher secretly being one of the monsters who wants to kill her, or that he doesn't make unjustified and hypocritical attempts to contol her personal life while shutting her firmly out of his, or that Joyce isn't justified in being angry at Giles for what he's been putting her daughter through for years -- but it's only fair to note that this is something the writers do too. The Cruciamentum of Helpless becomes, in Buffy's later retelling in Helpless, something that "the Council" did to Buffy, as if it wasn't Giles who drugged her and lied to her face about it; as if Giles really had made the conscious decision to choose Buffy over his career as a Watcher and not been forced into it by being fired. But remember what Giles says in Helpless: how he justifies the need for Buffy to study the crystals he shows her -- to undergo the preparation for the Cruciamentum in other words. This is a part of a Slayer's "proper training", and since Faith is "not interested" in that he has to rely on Buffy.)

Faith is the part of Buffy who stubbornly rebels against all authority and the Council exist to be an authority that Buffy is justified in cutting all ties with. No wonder then that the Council spend so much time trying to capture or kill Faith. No wonder that their fates are intertwined so thoroughly.

No wonder that Buffy's early Season 2 nightmare of being murdered by her Watcher ("I mean, I've killed you once: it shouldn't be too difficult to do it again") becomes, by Season 5, a memory that "when [she] was Faith" (or When She Was Bad, you might say...) "the Council" tried to kill her. No wonder we never see Faith go through the Cruciamentum: Faith does not have anyone in her life she trusts enough to be betrayed like that. No wonder that, since Faith is the part of Buffy who refuses "proper training" from the start, Buffy is forced by the Council -- and by Giles -- to symbolically undergo the Cruciamentum in her place.

[thechosenthree]

I am back with more Kendra haunting the narrative thoughts after watching Helpless.

This episode is all about slayers and tradition, it’s about the Watcher’s Council treating the slayers as expendable and disposable. Giles says “It's a test, Buffy. It's given to The Slayer once she— if she reaches her eighteenth birthday.”

This episode is about Kendra.

Even though the episode refuses to say her name, Kendra Young is everywhere! Not even a full season before this episode aired, we were shown— for the first time but far from the last— the tragedy of a slayer dying too young in the line of duty, another slayer rising from her grave and then her being seemingly forgotten about.

The show tries to forget Kendra the same way the council does. I’ve already talked in the post I linked above, about how Faith’s existence ensures that we don’t. But it’s more than that!! The tragedy of the slayers and what Buffy and Faith go through, the entire premise of the show, continues to remind the audience of the slayer who didn’t make it as far as them.

Buffy is going through an identity crisis this episode, she has lost her slayer powers and she doesn’t know why. Giles is in no big rush to figure it out, he doesn’t actually seem all that concerned, and Buffy grows increasingly adrift. She realizes she doesn’t know who she is if she’s not The Slayer.

She’s very aware of who she was before. She brings up Cordelia to make this comparison— her ex shadow self who is a representation of her childhood, of the Buffy she was before she was “Buffy, The Vampire Slayer”— and she seems ashamed of who she was then.

She doesn’t want to go back to being that person. She literally CAN’T go back, and she knows that. She has been changed by her experiences, even without her slayer powers, she is a different person than she was. Buffy says “I’ve seen too much. I know what goes bump in the night. Not being able to fight it— what if I just hide under my bed, all scared and helpless?”

She can’t return to the naïveté of the life she lived before she knew what was out there. I mean, she already tried that!! Buffy spent much of s1 trying to hold on to who she used to be, not wanting to let it go, not wanting to acknowledge that that girl and that life were already gone. Her death in Prophecy Girl goes hand in hand with her accepting that she can’t outrun her destiny, she can’t NOT be The Slayer.

Much of s2 was about accepting that being the slayer was a part of her life now. But Buffy continued to treat it like it was a job, one that had been chosen for her and that she’d accepted she needed to do, but a job nonetheless. She was at war with these two sides of herself, unable to see how they could possibly fit. Kendra played a big part in helping her along that journey. “You talk about slaying like it's a job. It's not. It's who you are,” Kendra tells her in What’s My Line.

Kendra who identified as “The Vampire Slayer” before identifying as Kendra. Kendra who never had a childhood or the chance to try and figure out who she was as a person. She was a weapon and a tool forged, used and discarded by the council (and the show). Being the slayer was not only who Kendra was, it was all she was allowed to be.

I can’t imagine the writers were unaware that writing an episode like this would remind people of Kendra. After all that same Buffy speech I quoted earlier includes the first mention of Kendra’s stake since it’s introduction in Becoming. “… Or what if I just become pathetic? Hanging out at the old slayer’s home, talking people’s ears off about my glory days. Showing them Mr. Pointy, the stake I had bronzed.”

Buffy is able to imagine living long enough to grow old IF she doesn’t have her powers. That isn’t the life of a slayer and she knows that, has seen the consequences of this life first hand. She herself has already died young, and a year later she watched her friend die. She goes from being unable to imagine any kind of future at all for herself to spiraling about the possible reality of a powerless one.

Buffy talks about all this while name dropping the stake a 17 year old slayer gave her just before her death… A slayer who didn’t even live long enough to be forced to endure this cruel test.

Reminding the audience of Kendra seems intentional. Which makes them refusing to say her name even more infuriating.

But she IS there, whether truly intentional or not, the show continues to remind me of her. She’s nowhere and everywhere all at once.

[doggirlbuffysummers]

🔥 kendra!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My fully honest take is that I would not change her dying when she did if I had the option to.

What I would change was the other casting decisions. A fair amount of main characters like Willow and Xander are minimally impacted by their race and could easily have been played by a black actor.

It's bewildering to me that there are so few people of color on this show given that it is supposedly modeled off of Santa Barbara which, from what I have read, does actually have a fair amount of people of color.

It's also interesting (tm) that all of the named people of color in Buffy (not talking about Angel here) are individuals from outside of Sunnydale who travel to it. We don't see any named POC who grew up there at any point in the show.

I think if you can access my "Which Angel character would you choose to move over to Buffy" @titsgirlbuffy, @transangelus, and @punksouthie all make a good if apparently unpopular point about moving Gunn over.

Back to Kendra.

Why would I still have Kendra die?

I think firstly, by the end of Becoming II, Kendra has outlived her usefulness as a shadow self to Buffy. Secondly, the death of Kendra and introduction of Faith is a reminder of the perpetuity of everything. Regardless of what Buffy does there will always be more vampires and demons, the slayer will always die in the line of duty, and there will always be another to replace her.

But, here's the thing: who says Faith (or like, almost any character on this show to be honest) needs to be white?

I feel like Kendra is definitely portrayed as this victim of patriarchal violence. The council have taken everything from her to mold her into this sort of a perfect soldier to "fight their war" as Quentin puts it in checkpoint. Riley comparisons I feel are particularly interesting here.

Riley, like Kendra, is a 'triumph' of nurture over nature. Riley is molded by Professor Walsh to be a good and obedient soldier who never asks questions. Similarly for Kendra. There are differences (I feel Professor Walsh was not as heavy handed) but the comparison is apt.

Also like to make comparisons between Kendra and Gunn. Gunn struggles over the course of Ats with grappling with the realities morally grey world he exists in. In just two episodes we can see Kendra do the same.

It's rough that she is in the show for so little time but there are other characters who have much more screen time than her that make a much less distinct impression. Kendra is a character that, despite her minimal footprint in terms of physical time in the show, has a huge footprint in the way she haunts the narrative.

Graham from season 4 is definitely remembered by a lot of fans and he shows up very frequently over the course of the season, but nobody really cares about Graham because he doesn't have the same emotional impact as Kendra does. Holland Manners on Angel is in a similar place.

If I get around to writing more meta style stuff about my transfemme buffy headcanon I think I definitely want to flout the poll results and talk about what's my line and Kendra because I think that from the lens I have established, What's My Line, an episode where Buffy is provided an Out from a life as a slayer that will certainly kill her, and voluntarily chooses not to take that out in order to help improve the life of someone else suffering from a patriarchal institution, becomes such a fascinating episode.

[bespangeled]

Every Argument About “Buffy” On The Internet, From 1998 Until Now

Joss Whedon: Inventer Of Feminism Or Literal Hitler?

Joss  Whedon invented feminism. Before Joss Whedon, every female character on  television was crushed to death under the weight of her male co-stars’  heavier paychecks in the second-season finale.

Every female  character Joss Whedon ever wrote was forcibly impregnated by a demon and  brutally murdered, because Joss Whedon hates lesbians.

But Warren And The Trio Were –

EVERYONE  GETS THAT WARREN AND THE TRIO REPRESENTED THE THREAT OF  NON-SUPERNATURAL MISOGYNY, YOU DON’T GET CREDIT FOR PICKING UP ON THAT

Joss Whedon Doesn’t Understand What Bisexuality Is

Willow Identifies As Gay And You Are Robbing Her Of Self-Determination Because She Doesn’t Have A “Gold Star”

I’d  Feel More Comfortable With Willow’s Lesbianism If It Weren’t Sometimes  Equated With Drug Addiction, Literal Vampirism, And Megalomania

But She Was Clearly In Love With Oz

Who Are You To Say What Love Is

Dark Willow Was Pretty Hot, Though

Yeah, Dark Willow Was Super Hot

I’d Watch Dark Willow And Doppelgangland-Era Willow Hook Up If It Weren’t A Patriarchal Fantasy

Spuffy Is Problematic

Bangel Is A Child’s Delusion Of What Love Is

Spuffy Is Literally Assault

Okay But He Felt Really Bad About It And Didn’t Have A Soul

Waif-Fu And Thermodynamics: You Can’t Violate The Law Of Conservation Of Momentum

Season Six Felt Like Watching My Friends Get Murdered In Slow Motion Right In Front Of Me

It Was Worth It For Once More, With Feeling, Though

No, It Wasn’t

Doublemeat Palace Cancels Out Once More, With Feeling

Doublemeat Palace Cancels Out My Childhood

Xander Is The Only Character Who Retains Their Humanity On The Entire Show

Xander Is A Greater Monster Than Angelus And Invented “Nice Guy” Syndrome

Buffy Started To Falter After Angel Premiered

No, Buffy Started To Falter After Firefly Premiered

No, Buffy Has Never Faltered And Is Still On The Air

Buffy Started To Falter When Angel/Faith/Buffy Came Back

Buffy Was Better When It Was A Movie With Kristy Swanson

What If Evil?

Dark Willow Straight-Up Flayed a Dude!

Extremism In the Pursuit of Love Is No Vice

If a Dude Had Flayed Willow, Would We Be Cheering?

Everyone Was Too Hard On Dawn For Being A Regular Human Being

Don’t You Dare Try To Retroactively Justify Dawn

Oz vs. Tara

Oz Was Boring; Tara Was Too Good For This Sinful Earth

Tara Was Boring; Oz Was The Greatest Love Interest In Television History; Remember That Animal Crackers Monologue

What About Kenned–

SHUT UP ABOUT KENNEDY

Jenny Calendar And Race-Bending

Is It Important That Buffy Is Decidedly Not Book Smart?

Not Everyone Is Book Smart, That Is Elitist

Buffy is the Lady Channing Tatum of being Body Smart and That Is Sufficient

It Is a Tremendous Problem and Girls Should Not Watch This Show Or They Will Not Take College Seriously

I Shouldn’t Have To Watch Angel In Order To Appreciate Cordelia’s Growth As A Character

Shaming: Everyone Is Shamed

“Beer Bad” Is Slut-Shaming

“Beer Bad” Is Substance-Shaming and Preachy

“Beer Bad” Is Just a Terrible Episode

Angel Losing His Soul After He Has Sex With Buffy is Slut-Shaming

THE EPISODE WHERE WILLOW ATTENDS THE WICCAN MEETING IS WICCAN-SHAMING WICCANS ARE REAL WE ARE NOT YOUR PUNCHLINE

KENDRA’S ACCENT THOUGH

Was It Irish Sometimes, Or Was That Just Me?

Her Accent is Perfect, and Not To Be Questioned

Activating All Potential Slayers Was An Act Of Patriarchal Violence

Slaying Is Empowering

No, Slayers Were Literally Created When A Woman Of Color Was Forcibly Invaded By A Demonic Essence

Oh, Right

But Then They Get To Beat Up Everybody

Dark Willow Straight-Up Flayed a Dude

[faith-thee-slayer]

faith was never supposed to be the slayer... faith was NEVER SUPPOSED to be the SLAYER. she was supposed to live a shitty lower class life. she was supposed to graduate high school. who knows if she ever would’ve left boston. she was supposed to be insignificant and average. she had people around her telling her she “would end up dead or alone or a loser.” there was a real chance she’d outgrow the upper age limit for being Called, had buffy and kendra never died, or if they didn’t die at exactly the times they did. her opportunities for a good life were looking fucking slim. and then the universe chose her, out of all the potentials around the world. and she had a lot of growing and maturing to do but the forces that chose her molded her into a hero, because they thought that she was worth it.

[teribst]

Should I Tell Him

Should I Tell Him

A STORY BY MIKE

My name is Teri and I’m a 5 foot 4 inch 38 yr old strawberry blond with blue eyes and a full chest. I have great legs and I've been told a nice ass. I have also been married to my guy KC for 11 years with a 9yr old girl and a 10yr old boy.

KC is 6 feet tall and well built with a shaved head green eyes and is well endowed if you know what I mean. And as far as I know, he has been faithful to me and I had never cheated on him… but then that’s the story, isn’t it?

KC has worked for the same outfit for 8 years and has moved up in the company nicely. He had only been there for a few months when he came up with something that made them a shit load of money and from then to now hasn’t looked back.

~

KC boss Todd has always been a flirt and I guess I have sort of encouraged it but I thought it was not much more than just flirting. Once in a while if he was a little buzzed he could get a little feely but nothing too out of hand, so I just let it go never saying anything to KC. We had been to the lake a few times taking them out on our boat and had even taken a couple of weekend trips to Houston or Dallas to watch baseball. I really like Todd's wife Kendra and have had a good time with them every time we have done something or gone someplace with them.

Kendra and I had gone shopping and done lunch a few times and on such a fun day I was trying on a summer dress that I thought was a little too short. I had stepped out of the dressing room and she smiled “Yes I’d say it’s too short.” Her eyes came up to mine “Do you not wear knickers?” Came out in her sweet British accent.

I laughed “God that is short.” Still chuckling, I looked at her “Nope no panties for this girl.” I shrugged “Once when I was little, well not so little I was 13, I was going some places with my folks and they would not stop. I had to pee and when I couldn’t hold it any longer and had just stepped out of the car when I just let go. Mom was so mad she couldn't see. “Just take your panties off and toss them in that trash can.” I smiled at the memory  “I liked the feel of it and haven't worn any since.” I felt my cheeks grow hot. “KC loves it.”

Kendra laughed “I bet he does! Maybe I’ll try it.”

~

A few weeks went by and we were invited to Todd and Kendra for dinner and drinks. Some clients were in town so it was a real dog and pony show. It was well after dinner and with the drinks flowing KC went to pee. That's when Todd slipped up next to me,

“Is it true?’

“Probably.” I smiled “But I guess I should know what it is that's true.” 

He grinned “Kendra told me as she put it “You don’t wear knickers.” Is it?”

I blushed as I smiled at him “She told you the truth.” I gave him a sideways look, then looked at her standing at the bar with KC “She told me she was going to try going commando too. Has she?”

He smiled standing up “Yes and I thank you for that.” He tilted his head to one side “Tell me this, do you dampen easily?”

“Why Todd Anderson! What a question! Shoo, shoo away, away with you!” I waved my hand at him “Go find your wife.”

I  was not driving and had probably had at least 2 too many glasses of wine by the time we were leaving. At the door, as KC hugged and kissed Kindra on the cheek saying good night Todd stepped to me. His lips just brushed mine as his hand went to my butt when we embraced. He got a really good feel of it before I stepped back smiling “To answer your question yes I do and I am.”

~

A week or so later I got a text from KC

“Can you meet us for lunch at Kerbey Lane?”

“Yes, what time.” I text back.

“Kendra will be there about 11:30.”

“Alright I’ll love seeing you there my Mr”

“; )

~

I was there when Kendra pulled up. We went in putting our name on the list and sat talking about some new curtains she was putting in her kitchen. We had only been there a few minutes when KC and Todd came in and we were taken to our table and seated right after that. It was a picnic-style table and when we sat KC sat next to Kendra and Todd was next to me. We ordered our drinks and then our food and the waiter was just walking away when I felt his fingers pulling my already short loose skirt up. I said something stupid and punched him in the arm. The fingers went away, but the dress stayed pulled up. Then the food came and as we ate Todd's hand again found my thigh moving slowly up and down for a moment then it was gone. I knew damn good and well I should have pushed his hand away and wasn’t too sure why I didn’t.

As we left Todd stepped to me for his goodbye hug whispering “Did that work?”

I stepped back hugging Kendra. “Call me, I want to see your curtains.” I turned to kiss KC “I love you, babe.” I looked at Todd. “Yes it did.” I waved “See you.” and walked to my truck.

~

At the Christmas dinner and dance, it was a slow song playing when Todd came from across the room holding out his hand “May I madam?”

“God you're a goof.” I smiled as I took his hand.

He held me very tightly as he guided us to the center of the dance floor “Getting my arms around you is all I could think of for days.” his hands moved over my back and as he turned me away from the crowd it moved down over my bottom. He gave it a good squeeze then his hand came back up.

 “God you are a bad man.” I felt myself blush “Do you go around feeling all of your workers or friends' wives' asses?” I ground my pelvis into him just a little and felt he was growing.  

“No, just one.” He looked around and found Kendra talking to KC “I have been married to the woman of my dreams for a very long time and had no interest in others until you came along.” He looked back at me, “I like that I can make you wet.”

I sort of frowned, well you do and you're the only man to touch me but KC in a lot of years.” The song ended and it was the last time we had a chance to talk that night.

~

It was New Year's Eve and the place was packed, I mean jam-packed. The band was playing something and I smiled not hearing what Kendra said as she pulled KC out to dance. Todd was instantly behind me his arms going around my waist as we were shoved even tighter together by the sea of people.

I felt his hand behind me as the back of my just above mid-thigh length silky skirt came up. There was more movement. “Bend just a little.” I did and suddenly he was in me and it was like fire ran through my pussy as I came “OH GOD!” no one heard or noticed it as he moved thrusting in me, and it made me cum again! “TODD!”

I felt him push stabbing himself into me then the heat of it as rope after rope of his white-hot seed splashed up into me “I gasped “Aaaaaaa” As I came again from the wet heat of it. He held me tightly to him, his lips by my ear “I have wanted you for so long.” He grew soft and slipped out, stepping back letting my skirt fall back into place. He kissed the back of my neck and stepped away as the song ended. It had taken less than 3 minutes for our zipperless fuck and we were both smiling as our spouses worked their way back to us.

KC got the first kiss of the new year then Todd stepped to me. I could taste Kendra on his lips as we kissed holding each other tightly for just a moment.

~

Once home the realization that I’m not on the pill hit me like a ton of bricks and I tried to fuck KC through the bed letting him have me twice before sleep took us as we lay in each other's arms.

~

The next day about 11 my cell buzzed. It was Todd.

“Are you alright?”

“I was wondering if I would hear from you today. Yes, I’m fine, and you?’

“Guilty as hell but ok.”

“Good, then we both feel guilty about it. Todd you know that can’t happen again.”

“Was it that bad?”

“No, you dope. You had to know I came 3 times, but I can’t do that to KC or Kendra.”

“Alright...Maybe next New Year's Eve?”

“Maybe ; )”

~

It’s just after dinner on Thanksgiving November 25 and Kendra sat holding one of my 3-month-old baby girls I’d had twins. I looked at Todd while I nursed one while Kindra grinned the other…She looked at me smiling “They are so beautiful.”