#yes both spike and cordelia are here

[admiraldora]

I was tagged by @chimchiri (thank you!! It was so nice!!)

9 favorite characters

Tagging @mcrololo @antagonistenthusiast @bensoloshotfirst ✨

[coraniaid]

I don’t think it’s particularly controversial to suggest that, if Buffy the Vampire Slayer were being made today – in the age of streaming and binge-watching, when even as many as twelve episodes in a single season seems like a luxury – neither Phases nor Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered would ever have made it to the screen.  

To use a term I’m not sure Tumblr really approves of, they’re both very clearly filler episodes: moments of relative calm between the major events of Innocence and Passion. They don’t do much if anything to advance the main plot of the season, and they’re primarily focused on characters other than the star of the show.  Phases is about Willow and her relationship with Oz; Bewitched… Is about Xander and his relationship with Cordelia.

Actually, I think these are a type of episode that we haven’t really seen in Buffy before.  In Season 1, there wasn’t really any obvious season-long arc for the monster of the week episodes to distract from.  The Master didn’t have a concrete plan to escape the Hellmouth that we ever saw after the first two episodes, and between The Harvest and Prophecy Girl Buffy didn’t exactly do much to try to stop him.  Yes, the episodes of the season still fall into a fairly natural order and sometimes have long-term consequences – we meet the Anointed One in Never Kill A Boy On The First Date, say goodbye to Principal Flutie in The Pack, learn about Angel being a vampire in Angel, meet Jenny Calendar in I Robot, You Jane and Principal Snyder in The Puppet Show  – but there just isn’t the same divide between “arc episode” and “filler episode” that I think there is for the later seasons.

And that didn’t change immediately in Season 2, even with the introduction of Spike and Drusilla.  These characters, let’s not forget, were not really interested in Buffy except as an obstacle.  Spike was in Sunnydale looking for a cure for Drusilla.  It never seemed particularly strange to spend a few episodes focusing on something else.  It’s only now, in the second half of the season, that there’s a sense of urgency.  It’s only now – with Angelus out there and actively planning to hurt Buffy and her friends – that it starts to seem a little strange that the show isn’t carrying directly on with that part of the story.

Of course, neither of these episodes is entirely divorced from the events of the wider season. It’s not at all an original observation on my part to note that both episodes are, on a metaphorical level, very much about Buffy and Angel’s doomed relationship.  

In Phases, Oz is Angel: the show repeatedly makes a point of reminding us that he is older than Willow; Xander worries about the fact he is “attractive” (compare with his complaint in Teacher’s Pet that nobody had told him that Angel was “a very attractive man”); Oz’s peers can only think of one reason why he might be dating somebody younger than him: “she’s got to be putting out, or what’s the point?”.   

And that’s before we learn that Oz is cursed to transform into something monstrous, something that  “acts on pure instinct: no conscience, predatory and aggressive.”  A monster that, Buffy is told, her refusal to kill makes her uniquely responsible for: “if that thing out there harms anyone, it’s gonna be on your pretty little head.”  You don’t need to look very hard to find the subtext here.

Meanwhile, while Xander and Cordelia’s relationship in Bewitched… isn’t quite so obvious a parallel to Buffy and Angel, the spell Xander is responsible for casting has an impact that’s not totally dissimilar to the curse affecting Angel.  When Giles says “it’s not love, it’s obsession.  Selfish, banal obsession” he could just as easily be talking about the nature of Angelus’s new obsession with Buffy as he is about the actual plot of the episode.  “He would think of it as affection, I suppose.”

But other people have gone into all this in much more depth than I can, and I don’t really have anything new to say about that.

What’s more interesting to me is to realize that it’s not the only thing these two episodes have in common.  Not only are these episodes that I don’t think we saw in Season 1, in a sense they are episodes that we couldn’t have seen in Season 1. 

I’ve talked a bit before about how Season 2 has started fleshing out the world of Sunnydale a little bit more, with more minor recurring characters and callbacks to the events of previous episodes.  These minor characters and history are, in some sense, essential to the plot of both episodes.  Xander brings up his memories of being possessed by a hyena spirit in Phases while Oz stares curiously at the statue that imprisons Amy’s mother; Cordelia’s friend Harmony returns for the first time since Season 1 in Bewitched… and this is the first episode that really solidifies her group of friends. This is a show with a history now, and these episodes take place in that context. It helps a lot that we’ve met so many of the minor characters in these two episodes already.  It’s just a shame the show couldn’t have made Angelus’s victim of the week Theresa somebody we’d seen before.

And as well taking advantage of this existing world-building, both these episodes continue that trend: bringing back a character who’d only appeared in a single episode of the show before and making them recurring.  Phases brings back Larry Blaisdell, who’d previously only appeared in Halloween, while Bewitched… brings back Amy Madison, last seen almost a year ago in Season 1’s Witch.  But neither character is quite the person we thought they were.  In Phases we find out that Larry is gay – the first and, in fact, only man on the show to explicitly come out as gay (no, obviously Scott Hope doesn’t count, come on) – and in Bewitched we find out that Amy has (for reasons the show will never bother to explain) taken up her mother’s interest in witchcraft.

How consequential either of these things really are in the longer term is perhaps a matter for debate.  After Phases, Larry will appear in just three episodes of the show, all in Season 3, before being killed off in the season finale.  Amy will be a little more fortunate – she will also almost be killed in Season 3, and while she survives she will be almost written out of the show for some years, but she will at least be talked about quite a few times before finally being brought back for three episodes in Season 6 and one last episode in Season 7.

The show won’t forget that Larry’s gay – in fact it will quite literally be the second-to-last thing anybody ever says about him – but at the same time he’s out in a very limited way.  We never see any of the boys his grandmother is apparently setting him up with; nor do we see Larry show any sign of being attracted to any other man on the show.

Equally the show will never forget that Amy is a witch, but it will discard almost everything else about her.  The show reminded us about her mother in Phases, but has already forgotten about her father.  She uses her magic purely for selfish reasons here, but Season 3 will have her practicing “harmless” magic with Willow for other people’s benefit, while Season 6 will retcon her as a magical junkie.  Amy will go on to be mentioned in or appear in every single season of the show without the writers ever bothering to give her a consistent personality. 

(It’s a little odd too that, despite the show very firmly settling on the idea that being a witch is a metaphor for being a lesbian in its fourth and fifth seasons – and despite the fact that this episode introduces Amy by having her ask Willow if she’s planning to go to the school’s Valentine’s Dance – there’s never any suggestion that Amy might be gay.   In fact, Season 6’s Smashed tells us that she was planning to ask Larry out to the end of year Prom before she turned herself into a rat.  Perhaps he wasn’t quite as out as he told Xander he was?)

The longer term consequences of the main plots of these two episodes are also rather limited. Cordelia chooses to give up on her social standing because her friends are “sheep” (for which read: susceptible to magical mind control, I guess?) in order to date Xander (who might have spent the season insulting and belittling her, but did buy her one (1) nice gift) but this relationship will last for only a dozen further episodes.   And while Oz and Willow will stay together for much longer, the show won’t ever find anything interesting to do with the fact Oz is a werewolf until Season 4, when it uses it as a pretext for writing him out of the show.

So yes, these episodes aren’t just filler – they have something to say about the season arc, even if they don’t advance it directly, and they introduce real changes into the world of the show – but they are still somehow insubstantial.  I don’t think anything happens in either of them that really matters.  If you forget that Oz is a werewolf, or that Cordelia apparently thought Xander’s attempt to mind control her for “revenge” was romantic, you really won’t be missing much.

And in the interests of transparency, I should probably admit – if it wasn’t already obvious – that I simply don’t think either of them is very good.  Yes, on one level, I’m glad that the show’s writers had the space to make these sorts of episodes – episodes that explore characterisation and flesh out the world and don’t directly advance the plot – but the specific episodes that were actually made honestly kind of suck.  

Phases has its moments, but it’s decidedly uneven with at least as many misses as hits,  and overall I think it’s a pretty average episode at best.  The fact that Oz’s werewolf costume is terrible is balanced only by the knowledge it will somehow get worse.  And Bewitched… is, by some distance, the episode I’ve least enjoyed of all my current rewatch.  Even just trying to summarize the plot makes me feel a little sick.  I would genuinely think better of the show if this episode hadn’t ever made it to air. 

(So, yeah: for those following along, I think the worst episodes of the rewatch so far, by some distance, have been Teacher’s Pet, The Pack and now Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered.  No need to point out the common theme or character-focus of these three episodes.

Going into this rewatch I really didn’t think of myself as somebody who hates Xander Harris.  He certainly isn’t my favorite character, but I think the show does ultimately find some pretty interesting and sympathetic things to do with him.  And I think the popular fandom idea that Xander is uniquely a ‘Whedon self-insert’ while all the other characters on Buffy are somehow not is pretty silly.  But quite a large part of my rewatch experience so far has involved having to remind myself, over and over, that Xander gets better.  Eventually.  Surely.

And … well, it must be true.  Because right now his character has nowhere to go but up.)

[enigmatist17]

Part 1 - AU where Angel comes to help Spike after he escapes from the Initiative

-----

Buffy and Riley didn't notice as Cordelia slowly closed her phone and stood, one hand nervously swiping some imaginary strands of hair from her eyes.

"Cordelia? Is something the matter?" Wesley asks, currently bouncing back and forth between research texts with Giles.

"Um...Riley, is it?" Buffy and Riley look up from their conversation, the soldier a bit confused by the woman he'd only met a few days ago looking at him with concern? Disgust?

"Yes ma'am, how can I help?"

"You uh, wow you're really just like cardboard." Cordelia shook her head, and pressed on before he could express his offense. "So fun fact, Angel's coming, and you need to stick close to Buffy because he's totally going to rip your throat out if you piss him off." She finished with a grin, the room going silent as everyone stared at Cordelia and Riley.

"On a level of general irritation to dealing with Wolfram, how angry are we talking?" Wesley asked suspiciously as Giles headed for his defense stores.

"Like Doyle... like Doyle angry." Cordelia gripped her phone for a moment as her voice trembled before shaking her head. "Says he wants to talk, but you know how temperamental he can be."

"You're being nicer than usual."

"You got here fast." Wesley swallows thickly, the sight of Angel practically materializing in Giles' kitchen making the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. "Is Sp-"

"Yes." The answer is more a growl than an actual response, and his eyes scan the room before fixating on Riley.

"We are talking, right?" Buffy had moved between the two men, and for a moment the two lock eyes before Angel shrugs, crossing his arms.

"You know Hos- the guy who escaped?" Riley bit his tongue, watching eyes colder than anything he'd ever experienced in training lock onto him.

"What did you do to him."

"Me? Nothing." Riley winced as he stumbled over his words, extremely uncomfortable that the vampire could probably hear the beating of his heart increasing as those eyes just stared.

"You should tell him." Buffy's voice is light, but both men are well aware that she's stamping down as much of her frustration as possible, so Angel slowly uncrosses his arms.

"Buffy I can't just tell one of them-"

"What can't you tell little old me?" Angel's lip twitched in a barely repressed snarl, and before Riley could move for the pistol strapped to his thigh, someone loudly cleared their throat.

"As much as I am loving this whole macho manly man dick measuring contest, we need to play nice now." Cordelia gives her brightest smile as all eyes shoot to her, and Angel to everyone's chagrin looks embarrassed, stuffing his hands in his pockets as Giles barely hides his chuckle with a forced cough.

"Man, I need some popcorn." All eyes turn toward the now open door as Xander walks in, freezing in place with Willow curiously peeking from behind his shoulder.

"Hey guys, welcome to the shit show." The two finished entering Giles' home as Riley sits back down with Buffy, constantly looking toward the far corner of the room, where Angel had joined Wesley to quietly murmur about something.

"Nice to see Deadboy hasn't really changed." Xander, helpful as ever quipped, earning an annoyed look from the vampire in question. "But Cordy, you look..."

"Amazing? I know." The brunette smiled, and despite their rocky departure, it's not long before she draws him to the couch to catch him up on everything she's done in L.A.

"H-Hi Angel, hi Wesley." Turning to his left, Angel is surprised to see Willow standing near his side, trying to look at the book they were rifling through.

"Hello Willow." The aspiring witch gave a smile, and her hands fiddle with a small pouch.

"Pleasure to see you again." The former Watcher gave a small bow and looked at what was in her hands. "May we help you with something?"

"I uh, I can help you." Willow held out the pouch, and Angel carefully accepted it with a raised eyebrow. "I um, I read up about vampires who get hurt, o-or starved, because that's what Spike is like right now? So, I found these different herbs and stuff, a-and if you mix it in the blood you give him, it should help accelerate his healing."

"You did this for him?" Angel is surprised as he opens it, seeing varying bags filled with dried powders labeled for a feeding schedule.

"I may not like him, n-not that it's like a bad thing, but no one deserves to be starved, you know?"

"...thank you, this is very sweet of you." Angel's praise was soft, making Willow blush a little bit, and he gently reached out to squeeze her shoulder.

"L-Let me know if you need anything else, okay?"

"Will do." He nodded, and Willow wandered off to join Xander on the couch.

"She's still such a lovely girl." Wesley hummed, glancing down at his books.

"That she is." Angel shook the bag before closing it back up, stowing it in his breast pocket for later. "Was Cordy really worried that I was going to hurt the kid?"

"Well, yes?" Wesley coughed, avoiding his gaze. "Angel, may I ask you something?"

"Go ahead." Angel leaned against the closest wall with his arms crossed.

"You hate Spike, don't you?" Wesley began cautiously, heart thudding in his chest as he kept his gaze away. "You're quite upset with his state however, helping him despite the fact he nearly tried to kill you, so I must ask...why?"

"Hate is not the word I'd use." Angel sighed, closing his eyes briefly as Wesley watched without a word. "As much as he's done a lot to cause pain and irritation, Spike is family, the blood we share supersedes everything. I can't explain it in ways you'd understand, but he's a childe of mine, and I just...have to help."

"I'd say I understand, but for the most part I don't." The former Watcher winced as he scrambled for the right words. "You know I follow where you lead."

"I know, and I really can't thank you both for leaving everything to come with." Angel gave him a small smile, missing the look of surprise from Buffy across the room.

"Speaking of Mr. Hair dye, what are we going to do with him?" Cordelia asked, the conversation with Xander and Willow having trailed off as both men looked over. "I mean, I don't think we can exactly leave him here, not with the government doing all their...wait, what are you doing anyways?" Cordelia looked behind her, Riley once again squirming in discomfort.

"We -" He glanced over at Buffy, who just squeezed his hand. "I can't disclose government information to civilians."

"We don't need a whole dossier." Angel crossed his arms, his words twinged with a growl that had everyone sitting up a but straighter. "What. Do. You. People. Do."

"Learn about the enemy." Riley's response is terse, and he's trained his gaze on the floor.

The silence could cut through steel.

"By any means necessary, right?" Willow crossed her arms as Giles did the same. "That's horrible."

"I just help keep the peace."

"By hunting down demons for capture." Angel filled in the blanks, rather unimpressed.

"...that's the crux of it."

The silence dominates once more.

-----

The sounds of the shower alert Angel Spike is once again awake when he returns shortly before dawn, the older drawing curtains closed to make sure the main area was kept from the sun. His jacket is slung over the back of the couch, the torn duster carefully spread over the coffee table and cleaned at the least, judging by some blood-soaked gauze tossed to the side. Angel scoops up the trash and tosses it before going to the half-emptied duffle from earlier, pulling out the several types of sewing kits and varying thread he'd scooped up earlier to place them beside the familiar jacket.

"Reckon I can fix it."

"Most likely." There's a small grunt of acknowledgment as Spike retreats back into the bedroom, Angel moving to get himself a mug and Spike two of blood. The powder Willow had given him mixed in with ease, and by the time Spike returned with clothes that shouldn't have been loose, Angel is offering his mug.

"Cheers." Spike raised in before his face changed with a slight wince, looking down at the blood in hesitation before bringing the cup to his lips and taking a large sip. Whatever reservations there could have faded when Spike chugs, reaching for the second mug before he has enough time to set down the first.

"Ease up, I'm not cleaning up vomit." Angel rolls his eyes when the other gives a grumpy growl, but slows down as his grandsire scoops up the empty mug and takes it to the sink.

"Dunno what's in this, tastes bloody amazin'." The smaller man hums, one hand snatching Angel's jacket and draping it over himself like a blanket.

"Healing powder, though I don't think it tastes like anything." Spike grumbles something he can't quite hear, but a quick peek shows that the other keeps drinking. "Do you need more?"

"No, likely going to be sick if I do." Spike is lying, he could drink for days, but his stomach decides it doesn't want to listen as it roils at the first decent meal in ages. "Bloody soldiers."

"I met one, dating Buffy of all people." Angel tries to not sound irritated, but Spike giggles. "He hasn't said much. Yet."

"You'll make him sing, peaches." Spike sets the mostly drained cup on the coffee table before tucking his legs underneath the coat.

He's so bloody tired.

"I know I will." Angel isn't much warmer than he is, Spike's mind supplies, but it feels like the arm that magically appears around his shoulder is as warm as the sun. "You need to rest."

"Can't, not for long." Spike mumbles, rubbing his cheek against Angel's shirt unconsciously. "They'll find me..."

"No, they won't." The pompous voice is so soft, so gentle, and Spike wonders what he's done to deserve it. "You can rest, I'll be on the lookout."

"You can't lookout for shit." Spike tries to keep his eyes open, but the task is herculean.

"I'll get by." There is the soft voice again, and now a hand is running through his curly hair. "Sleep."

For once, Spike listens.

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Friday, April 12

XANDER: I know what you're thinkin'. Can I get by him? Get up the stairs, out of the building, seconds ticking away... I don't love your chances. JACK: Then you'll die, too. XANDER: (raises his eyebrows) Yeah, looks like. So I guess the question really is... who has less fear? JACK: I'm not afraid to die. I'm already dead. XANDER: Yeah, but this is different. Being blowed up isn't walking around and drinking with your buddies dead. It's little bits being swept up by a janitor dead, and I don't think you're ready for that. (Jack tries to leave but Xander blocks him. Xander is calm. Jack is clearly afraid.) JACK: Are you? XANDER: (glances at the bomb, smiles thinly) I like the quiet. (Jack and Xander face off, the bomb timer counts down. Both are taking deep breaths. At the last second Jack caves and deactivates the bomb.) XANDER: Good boy.

~~The Zeppo~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

No Biggie by NotASlayer (unrated)

Weekly Drabbles #111 — Nothing Inside by veronyxk84 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

Poolparty by AnkiKind (Buffy, Spike, Scoobies, G)

Dark Night by mabus101 (The Time Machine (HG Wells) xover, T)

Le revers de la médaille by LadyHeather92 [francais] (The Sentinel xover, T)

Say Yes to Heaven by Maxine Eden (Buffy/Spike, R)

Stay by Maxine Eden (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Kiss It Better by Maxine Eden (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Pandora's Box by Maxine Eden (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

What the Drabble? Vol. 2 - Ch. 11 by VeroNyxK84 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

[Chaptered Fiction]

Paschendale - Ch. 1-2 by Ninjaviolinist (SPN xover, Buffy, Winchester brothers, M)

Hand in Flightless Hand - Ch. 1-2 by tragic (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Green Eyed Monster - Ch. 3 by Melme1325 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Angel Doesn’t Know - Ch. 2 by fortes775 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Celebrating You - Ch. 10 by DeamonQueen (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

Glimpses of the Cellar Dwellers - Ch. 34-35 by Maldorana Complete! (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

Love Lives Here - Ch. 47 by Passion4Spike (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Early One Morning - Ch. 32 by all choseny (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Goodbye to Everything That I Knew - Ch. 29 by fortes775 (Buffy/Spike, R)

Transformed By Love - Ch. 5 by Buffyworldbuilder (Ilyria/Fred centered, The Originals xover, FR15)

Xander Harris and the Little Pink Pill - Ch. 7 by KyliaQuilor (Xander/Cordelia, FR21)

The Boyfriend Swap - Ch. 5 by Maxine Eden (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Glimpses of the Cellar Dwellers - Ch. 34-35 by Maldorana Complete! (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

[Images, Audio & Video]

Artwork: cangel-tattoos-posting again... by artsying-ifer (Angel/Cordelia, worksafe)

Artwork: Vampires only want to pose ... [with song link] by novivi (Spike, worksafe)

Poster: "No two people in this world are the same..." by l0veisntbrains (for Spuffy fic, worksafe)

Banner: Guess what I was watching while making this Spuffy banner by effulgent-girl (Buffy/Spike, worksafe)

Gifset: BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER | 7.18 by whatisyourchildhoodtrauma (Faith, Spike, worksafe)

Gifset: You know kids today and their buggin’ street slang. BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER 6.11 | Gone by spikedaily (Buffy, Spike, worksafe)

Gifset: [IWRY scene] by ptieuca (Buffy/Angel, mildly NSFW)

Gifsest: Buffy the Vampire Slayer | 4.20 - "The Yoko Factor" by buffysummers (Buffy, Riley, Angel, worksafe)

Gifset: Willow: If I had that blue one... Jo- Joyce really liked the blue one... by andremichaux (Anya, worksafe)

Fanvid: Buffy The Vampire BROKE me by shaun-middleton (Buffy/Angel)

Fanvid: My old Buffy fanvid! [Bring Me Victory] by borninwinter (Buffy/Spike)

Artwork: [key] BTVS 518. Intervention 🤖 by tmcarlee (Spike, Glory, worksafe)

[Reviews & Recaps]

[series recap by new viewer partway through S3] by coolbeansnico

Season 5 - Destiny (Spike and Angel) by AppropriateYou5011

[Recs & In Search Of]

ISO: swiss_marvin [in Switzerland] is wondering where to find [all] the comics

ISO: Qorce seeks a book like Demons of the Hellmouth but for ATS

[Fandom Discussions]

POLL: [Who] Hates Angel The Most? [in S3?] by tana-draws

[Joyce kicking Buffy out and how everyone reacts] by takaraphoenix

[they should have made Willow a teacher starting in S2] by takaraphoenix

[fic idea: The Mayor plays matchmaker for Faith and Buffy ...] by sunnydalebimbo

[buffy summers wasn't straight] by mean-vampyre

Robin should have been more involved in the training of the potentials. by finalgirl1984

you just know robin wood ... [post S7] by angelthemanspanker

Buffybot and Anya should have moved to LA ... by breezybeej

POLL: S01E10 Nightmares by she-saved-the-world-a-lot

POLL: Prelim Round Poll 6 [and other polls] by btvsepisodetournament

POLL related: Semifinals have started! by bestepisode

Controversial opinion - The Body is overrated updated by garfan

A to Z of Buffy updated by various

Which lines hit different when you know everything that will happen in the show? by dontwannachoose12

Would Xander being killed by Warren trigger Dark Willow? by jdpm1991

[the slayer line through Buffy or Faith in S7] by DanTrueCrimeFan87

If Buffy were... 8-10 eps [per] season, which “filler” episodes would be cut? by SunnydaleHSDropout

Jane Espenson on how Buffy was written [2003 posting] by IgloosRuleOK

How Spike's chip worked: A discussion by loki2002

Who are your least favorite non-main characters? by Slayerette444

Spike's chip not working on Buffy by brwitch

Buffy in Tabula Rasa by brwitch

Was this The First manipulating Connor? [ATS thread] by brwitch

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[theajaheira]

hello!!!! things to pontificate about. angel. i would just love to hear your thoughts about angel. and the rest of the fanged four. and know that im waiting for that jennyangel fic i really am. but yes! specifically i would love to hear any thoughts you have on the dynamic of jenny/angel/darla. because i think thats just. yeah. darla created angel and angel is such a huge part of jenny's life, and just. yeah. plus the attitude darla has about her soul is so different from angel's

ok so first of all this is such a hilarious question because -- i need you to know this -- i have a jenny/spike/drusilla vamp polycule fic in the works. so just the energy of you asking me about jenny + how she'd interact with the couple in the fanged four that i am NOT currently drafting a vamp polycule fic for is SOOOO FUNNY and also so wonderful bc it gives me an opportunity to really think here! i love you for this.

long wordy answers under the cut!

my thoughts on angel. hmm. i think i am mean to him a lot on this blog but i hope everyone here knows it's out of love. i think i want to see him and jenny have a Gothic Romance that is really fucked up. i think he and cordelia rewired my brain at 14 and i've never recovered -- there's no other love story with that specific friends-to-lovers energy in the buffyverse, and i LOVE that it grows out of the people we see them grow into! i love that btvs s1 angel and cordelia are not even remotely compatible long-term but ats angel and cordelia develop this incredible friendship that blossoms into a loving connection! and actually maybe a lot of this is just how i'm not normal about angel and cordelia, ever. i think angel on btvs and angel on ats are two different characters so when i'm beating angel on btvs over the head with a stick that has nothing to do with angel on ats and i hope we all know that. world's most favorite manpire. mr. dad. sings barry manilow and wants cordelia to say she loves him as a friend and colleague. is soooo normal.

i don't spend A Lot of time thinking about the fanged four simply because, again, not my circus not my monkeys, but i have a softness for them!!! spike i have mentioned i sorta steer clear of lately, but i would literally fucking kill a man for drusilla, who is done so dirty in canon and fanon alike, and i think all the time about jenny/drusilla because they would be so insanely obsessed with each other as vampires.

and darla...hmm. i have never quite felt like i know how to capture her voice in a way that's particularly nuanced, though that's never been a problem within my writing bc she really only cameos in, like, nocturne for two seconds? i think? i'm not usually writing things set in a time/place where darla would be around so she just kinda never shows up.

iiiii think jenny's take on darla would be one of just intense crushy interest, because darla holds absolute power over the man who has held absolute power over her. like there's something super aspirational about darla to jenny. darla meanwhile would probably initially harbor a lot of resentment towards jenny, but actually getting to know her would probably have her do a complete 180. (i think darla n drusilla would both be super fucking interested in jenny, who grew up in this family surrounded by every reason to hate them and still tried to find a way to forge her own path. they'd want her in the family.)

i also think though that IF turned, IN a situation where darla's still around, jenny and darla would be in a really intense competition for control of the family dynamic that would slowly but surely transition into a really intense romantic connection. so there would be a lot of Romantic Weirdness when it comes to jenny/angel/darla because both of them want his attention, and both of them want each other's attention, and both of them think that they should be the one in charge, and the entire time they're probably both having a lot of fun with it because it's a Sexy Slightly Violent Power Struggle. also angelus likes pretending that he has the capacity to put jenny in her place and jenny likes crushing him under her heel and darla really will look at that situation and go "that is 100 percent my baby girl" (and i do mean that in a sex way.) though i wonder if in this situation drusilla and jenny might have some weird vibes a la jenny and buffy? where there's a lot of similarities and so drusilla has some Older Sister resentment, because SHE had it hard, and now mom and dad know how to parent better and the baby is just getting SPOILED, and how is THAT fair?

[girl4music]

Just watched ‘Eternity’ for the first time and I have some thoughts to share about what happened in it.

ANGEL: “Forget it. I didn't mean--“

CORDELIA: “Yes, you did. I'd appreciate you not trying to weasel out of it. Angelus may not be relaxing company, but at least he's honest. Shouldn't I expect the same from the not-evil version?”

Couldn’t have said it better myself Cordelia. I mean if just a drug stimulant simulating happiness is all it takes for Angel to revert into his soulless self (yeah, I’m not going to refer to him as a different entity - not when episodes like this exist) then this atonement gig really is pretty pointless. The narrative wants you to think of it as atonement but this is about absolution for Angel. If he can’t even be honest with his friends as Angel about what he says and does as Angelus, then there really is no hope for him redeeming himself. This isn’t a “loss of soul/restoration of soul” going on with the whole good-to-evil switch and even the other main characters can see that it’s not. Drugs can induce reality illusions and make it seem very real. I totally get that part. I understand why they did that. But if it’s really that easy for him to suddenly turn like that then he shouldn’t really be allowed to live - or exist. I know that may seem unfair but he is dangerous to the point of chaotic unpredictability. And I don’t think the narrative can keep lying to itself that Angel/Angelus are two entirely different entities when there’s a split-divide identity/personality problem here that can just be simulated like that.

At first I thought he was just playing Rebecca. Putting on an act to scare her away from what she thinks she wants. And I thought “Effective tactic”. But then he started delivering real abuse and violence. That clearly wasn’t acting. The drugs in the drink really did simulate the experiencing of happiness and therefore Angel behaving as if he lost his soul. If a powerful drug spiking can essentially be like the Placebo effect of the curse’s condition, then it’s not possible for me to take a redemption story for the ensouled vampire seriously because it’s clearly got nothing to do with his soul. It’s his mind! Drugs can only affect the mind!

You’re asking me to accept both contradictory narratives here. The one where he is under demonic possession and the other where he should feel guilty.

I’m sorry but I just can’t do that. It doesn’t work! It has to be either one or the other or I can’t accept it.

I can’t and I won’t accept what is clearly an absolution story that pretends to be a redemption story.

[rahirah]

Gwendolyn: You wanted to see me, Mr. Giles? Giles: Yes. I do apologize for bringing you in at this late hour. Gwendolyn: Please. A good Watcher must be awake and alert at all hours. Giles: Would you like some tea? Gwendolyn: God, yes, please. I'm completely knackered. I spent the afternoon training with Faith. She doesn't lack for energy. Giles: She's your first Slayer, I take it? Gwendolyn: If you're questioning my qualifications... Giles: No, I'm not. I, uh, have the utmost respect for your methods... in my own American way. I also have the glove. Oh, not actually on me, but, uh, I believe it's safe. It's in a mansion on Crawford Street. A-a-a friend of Buffy's is keeping it there. Gwendolyn: Well. We must get to it. Immediately. Hide it before someone else finds it. Giles: Or better still, destroy it. Gwendolyn: Destroy it?

~~Buffy Episode #41: "Revelations"~~

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[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

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Dawn the Power Ranger 2: Shift Into Turbo CH.1/6 (Dawn, T, Power Rangers xover) by BrennaLynn

If There's A Hell Below CH 1 (Ensemble, T) by michael t

Buffy Summers: Was Not The Vampire Slayer? Ch. 11 (Buffy, T) by LadyJDee

All That Is And All That Seems CH. 62 (Faith, OC, M) by

Chain of Ascension CH. 59 (Xander, M) by GraeFoxx

Favor, Chapter 12 (Buffy/Spike, E) by EllieRose101

I Violently Dislike You, Chapter 3 (Buffy/Spike, E) by scratchmeout

Aphantasia, Chapter 5 (Buffy/Spike, M) by ClowniestLivEver

Ghosts of Savannah, Chapter 7 (Buffy/Spike, M) by tbd

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[Fandom Discussions]

idk if buffy isn’t bisexual then why... by becomingpt2

i love a lot of the btvs wardrobe choices by silvermars

All Angel does is like brood and wait around till Buffy comes to makeout with him by wolfstrong

this is such a small headcanon and it makes me so happy by someonefantastic

The thing about the Cordelia/Xander weird hate makeout relationship by wolfstrong

willow is (amazing, wonderful, an amazon) an incredibly tragic character by buffyandwillow

thinking about how it’s both buffy and spike’s curse to love too much. by silvermars

There’s the perspective that Willow was never warned that the magicks would corrupt her by girl4music

So, in one of the Buffy tie-in books I’m reading now by oveliagirlhaditright

The sixth Buffy the Vampire Slayer Dark Horse comics omnibus by oveliagirlhaditright

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Angel and Faith friendship by all-seeing-ifer

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Why do so many people dislike Tara? by Multiple Authors

Robin Wood, yay or nay? by Multiple Authors

Characters you suspected - successful fake outs or falsely accussed innocents? by Stoney

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Since the first one was a hit, I made a part 2! by emerald447

The Boy just irks me. by Dr_Mrs_TheMorpho

In season 7 bring on the night why the scoobies don't bring Buffy to hospital? by ThickPeanut136

Payphones by Emergency_Proof4706

Favourite Cordy moment? by torilost

Spike doesn't want to miss Passions! by EvitoQQ

The mall by Tuxedo_Mark

Just Realized something about those season 1 promo shots. by EmotionalPhysics2038

my heart by spuffy4life

Alexis Denisof Appreciation by caffeinespeaks2me

[S1E3] Amy might have known exactly where her mom was... by Mishaaargh

I believe in Anya Supremacy by Toenailinfection

Dead Man’s Party: S3E2 by RocketCat287

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How would you write Wesley climbing out of the dark in season 5? by LightBlueSky55

This whole episode was eerie, but that specific scene is so haunting to me. by MynameisntWejdene

just this side of forever by brian5mbv

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[Articles, Interviews, and Other News]

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[idabbleincrazy]

An excerpt from You're Welcome:

This beautiful creature beneath him was offering him comfort, despite the pain he’d been causing them both over the past few months. Despite all the emotional whiplash, his boy was still here, providing him with a vessel to absorb his grief, allowing him to mourn in their way, the only one who would understand just what kind of solace was required.

Swallowing a final mouthful, he let out a groan of gratitude around the fangs embedded in the smooth, cool flesh. He retracted his fangs from Spike's throat, laving his tongue over the torn skin until it began to heal. Once the last trace of blood was licked away, Angel continued his interrupted path, trailing his mouth over the pale skin of the muscular chest beneath him. He felt Spike tense slightly as he flicked his tongue over a pink nipple, sensed the blonde's hesitancy at taking it further, and a jolt of realization struck him.

"You're not her, Spike. That's not what this is. The blood was, but not this." Still nuzzling his face against Spike's torso, he slid his hand down to cup him through his jeans, squeezing the hard length just enough to drag a soft hiss of pleasure through gritted teeth. "This is about us, Will, we both need this."

Spike let out a groan of capitulation, his heart wanting to believe Angel's words. His head warred with him though, still unable to accept that Angel wasn't imagining soft warmth where he was only hard and cold. Her life under his hands instead of his dead flesh.

Angel knew Spike wasn't completely mollified by his words, despite the slackening of his previously tense state, knew his boy was still reluctant to take his words at face value. Yes, he was still acutely feeling the loss of Cordelia, but it hadn’t been grief that had driven him to try to initiate things down in his office. Well, not just grief. He was tired of keeping Spike at arms length, tired of the longing, the loneliness. Guilt struck him as he realized her death had merely given him the ready excuse to let himself give in to the always present need to lose himself in the blonde. The man in him would always love Cordy, would always regret the missed chances she represented, but both soul and demon had always yearned for the hard, cool body beneath him; it was the one thing they’d always agreed on.

Pushing Cordelia to the back of his mind, he focused on the half-naked blonde lying prone under him, determined to put proof to his words. Spike’s eyes were heavy-lidded and dark with undeniable desire despite the wariness that still showed through. Angel's hand still encircled his hard cock, and he watched the younger vampire as he stroked down the length of the shaft, his own cock twitching as Spike bit into his bottom lip to stifle a groan.

[supremeinlilac]

Don't look back (1)

AU Oceans 8 x AHS Coven crossover

Pairing: Cordelia Goode x Lou Miller, Lou Miller x Tammy

WC: 2.8k

Warnings: Drink spiking

A/N: Tammy and Lou are both canon age, while Cordelia is in her early 20s , and she's not a witch :))

The inside of the club was suffocating, hot with sweat and booze and bodies pressed together. The thrum of the music bled through the floor like thunder which Cordelia could feel deep inside her. She pressed firmly into her friends back and let herself be guided through the jostling crowd towards the bar. She was sure she’d not find her own way should she lose grip on Rebecca’s dress.

Once up and out of the crowd, Cordelia let herself turn around to watch them. How they writhed around each other like bees in a hive and people got lost in its swarm. She couldn’t hear Rebecca shouting something over the music to a man behind the bar.

She was sure that clubs weren’t usually this busy, even in New York. Back home, she would go out infrequently, and even then it would be to quiet bars that her mother had preapproved for her. Here, the air was thick and suffocating, and yet she could breathe clearly.

Rebecca shook her arm, pulling her out of her thoughts. She handed Cordelia a shot glass, which she tentatively sniffed at curiously. Unsure as to the glass’ content, she tipped her head back and let the liquid pool and burn at the back of her throat. She wanted to spit it out, to choke and ask for water. Perhaps New Orleans Cordelia would have, but she’d left that behind now and was determined to grow. Wincing, she swallowed, feeling the warmth slip down her throat like welcoming fire and land in the well of her stomach.

She hoped that the change would be as warm.

Cordelia was quick to feel her head becoming fuzzy, and Rebecca laughed, although it was swallowed by the beat of a new song. She pressed her mouth up against Delia’s ear to call her a lightweight, before throwing back another shot.

She watched as a man approached them and spoke to Rebecca, tall and dark and dressed way too smart for a club like this. She found herself looking down at her own dress, how tight it was against her body, how it showed too much of her pale skin which lit up against the flickering lights overhead. Becca had insisted that her own dresses were too modest, too floaty for a club, before pressing a tiny emerald minidress into her hands.

Now Cordelia just felt exposed. Like the eyes lit up by strobe lights in the dark room were all focused on her, predatory and waiting for her to let her guard down so they could pounce. She rose and asked the bar staff for a glass of water.

The next evening Rebecca wanted to return to the club again. Cordelia swore she could still feel the echo of the music pounding in her ears, but she agreed anyway. More comfortable in her own dress, they made their way the short distance to the club, arm in arm with Delia balancing freely on the edge of the sidewalk.

It was a Saturday night, so the club was even more busy than the night prior, and already inebriated people milled around on the side of the road next to the entrance. Some of the men whistled at them both as they passed, and Cordelia tightened her grip on Rebecca’s arm to steer her should she try to stop and chat to them.

Inside, the familiar feeling grew in the pit of Delia’s stomach with the pounding of the music. She wasn’t quite sure how people could frequent places like these. They made her feel queasy, all the senses being overwhelmed with excessive stimuli.

It was easier this time to get lost in the feeling, the haze of drunkenness and the flashing lights behind her closed eyelids. Dancing within the crowd with strangers, knowing no one. Cordelia preferred it this way. No one to remember how awkwardly you danced and bring it up in the future. Yes, she definitely preferred it this way.

After an hour or so, Cordelia leaned over to shout multiple times at Rebecca that she was going to the bathroom, but she doubted that she heard. The smartly dressed man from the night before was latched onto her neck with his mouth, hands wandering her dress in a way that made Delia roll her eyes. She assumed that he was the reason that her friend wanted to come back again.

Making her way through the crowd and over to the bathroom was easier this time round, and she was able to duck and push through the bodies to cut a line straight to the door. Inside it was quieter when the door shut behind her, and it was larger than what she’d expected for a club this size. Clean, but too bright in contrast to the darkness of the main room. It made her squint.

She took her time in there, not in a particular rush to get back and watch her friend get off with a stranger in front of her. At the sinks, she fixed her hair in the mirror, pulling fingers through its length to comb out knots as the door opened and the brief thud of the intrusive music filled the room again. She watched a woman with blonde hair and a leather jacket stride past her in the mirror and push open stall doors with a clatter.

Cordelia turned on the spot when a commotion bubbled up at the end of the row of cubicles, palms landing on the sink behind her for balance. The blonde woman dragged two girls out of the stall, voice low and angry as she shouted at them for doing drugs in her bathroom. The girls’ hair was dishevelled, and one of them pawed at her nose before clutching tightly onto their friends’ arm for support. They stumbled out of the bathroom giggling and swaying, and Cordelia watched them go, mouth agape in shock. She’d never seen people do any kind of drugs before.

The blonde shouted some warning about not coming back at their retreating forms, and Delia’s attention turned to her. After running her fingers deftly through her hair, and shaking her head with a scoff, the woman noticed Cordelia by the sinks, mouth catching in a sly smile.

She sauntered up to her confidently, and Delia couldn’t shake the blueness of her eyes cut into hers, or how her perfume caught in the back of her throat and made her unable to speak. The woman raised her hand, fingers tapping at Cordelia’s jaw to prompt her to shut it again, eyes still wide. She cocked her eyebrow.

"Be careful staring like that, people might get the wrong idea."

Cordelia started to respond, but all she could manage was a feeble squeak before the blonde was patting her shoulder, brushing past her again to exit the bathroom and leaving her alone. Back in the mirror, she noted how she’d flushed under the woman’s stare, and bent to splash her cheeks with cool tap water.

When she returned to their booth, Cordelia found it occupied, without Rebecca or the man she’d pulled. Spinning around, she scanned the room for the red of her friend’s dress, but she couldn’t see her at any tables, or at the bar, or in the hive of motion on the dance floor.

Fumbling in her bag, Cordelia found 3 new text messages on her phone from Becca. She rolled her eyes at her friend’s impatience to wait and tell her herself if she was moving tables or clubs. Checking over her shoulder, she clicked her pin onto the screen to read the messages:

Where are you?

We’re leaving, staying at Daniel’s tonight. Let yourself in, keys in normal place.

Text me when you get home, ok? x

Cordelia groaned, making her way over to lean at the bar. She wasn’t drunk by any means, but she still would rather avoid walking back to Rebecca’s apartment alone. They’d gotten a taxi the night before, but that was out of the question on her own. At least they’d been able to split the fare between them. “Urgh,” she rested her head in hot palms. She needed a job.

--

She wasn’t sure why, but when Monday rolled around and Rebecca went back to work, Cordelia found herself visiting the club again, alone. Under the safety of the lingering daylight, she walked the few blocks to the establishment and sunk into a window seat table at the café on the opposite side of the road. She watched the few people enter and leave the club as the sky turned pink above the skyline and the bright New York lights began to flicker on.

She hadn’t seen the woman in the leather jacket.

Finishing her coffee, Cordelia fisted her coat in nervous hands before pushing her way out of the shop and over the empty road. Now, the club seemed more like the bars she was used to back home, with the gentle music and lighting which you didn’t see again when you closed your eyes.

She noticed that the outer parts of the room had tables lined against the walls, and someone had hauled a couple of smaller tables down into the space where the masses had been swaying only a couple of nights prior. The setup and ambiance was completely different now, although it was still teeming with punters even on a Monday.

Someone knocked into her from behind, and she reeled forward uncertainly, hands grasping out for something that would halt her fall. They closed frantically around lithe arms which rounded to hold her waist still in protection. She spluttered out apologies as she raised her head to meet the woman’s eyes who had caught her.

The woman in the leather jacket.

“Careful,” the woman teased, smirk set on her face as she watched Cordelia fumble backwards and smooth her dress down with shaking hands.

They both watched each other for a moment, one with wide eyes and one that poked her tongue out between teeth to wet at her lips. Delia coughed and fiddled with the strap of her handbag, her palms hot from where she’d touched the woman’s leather jacket.

“Lou Miller,” she stated, stuffing her hands into the pockets of her jackets, not missing how Delia’s eyes followed the movement distractedly. Clearing her throat earned her back the attention of the younger woman who now seemed to be unable to meet her eyes.

“Cordelia, urm, Goode,” she stuttered out, before blushing pink with embarrassment and feeling the need to apologise, “sorry.”

Lou had kept her teasing smile on her lips, although didn’t say anything about Cordelia’s fawning. She was grateful about that. Her mother would have berated her for it, mumbling and stuttering at her age?

“Drink?” Lou offered, breaking Delia out of her thoughts and turning her body to gesture to the bar.

“Urm, no, sorry- I need to go,” Cordelia flustered, tripping over the step out of the dancing area as she moved backwards away from Lou. Turning quickly to make her escape, she almost ran to the exit. Not without remembering her manners at the last second, twisting to bleat out a thank you to the amused woman.

Then she was gone, hands in her hair and cursing herself for her awkwardness. Why had she done that?Rebecca doesn’t act that way around boys. She almost got herself run over in her distraction, car horn blaring and breaking her out of her trance.

Each day of the week she returned, under the shadow of telling Rebecca that she was looking for work. She was looking for work too, during the day, but when 8pm rolled around and the bar had been open for long enough for Cordelia to not seem obsessed, she’d be crossing the street again and pushing into the club’s hive.

She’d sought out Lou on one of the nights when she’d been behind the bar, and bought her a drink because that’s what people do, isn’t it? And she’d talked and Lou listened. Lou had talked too, but it was only when Cordelia got to bed that she realised that she hadn’t really said anything. She’d somehow spoken without words, and Delia had learnt nothing.

It had been the reason she’d kept returning. The curiosity. The way Lou would tease her about running out of the club like a deer in the headlights when they’d properly been introduced. It was addicting. Lou seemed to be addicting.

On the Friday night when she returned again, she didn’t immediately spot Lou in her usual place overlooking the bar like the other times that week. She hitched her dress up to jump up onto one of the bar stools, and starting talking to one of the bar staff that had been introduced as Bernie. Lou had said that he was one of the best employees she’d ever had, never asked questions, was a hard worker, friendly. Cordelia could see it in him.

It was surprisingly empty for a Friday night, and Delia could still see bits of the dance floor when she spun the stool around again to look for flashes of blonde in the club. Also, the music wasn’t splitting her head as it had been before. It must have been quieter, or, maybe she was already getting used to being a New Yorker.

Bernie’s shift ended, and he pushed a drink towards Cordelia that she hadn’t ordered. She smiled at his thoughtfulness and nursed her new drink while watching the crowd again. The bartender slipped into the stool next to her, leaning against the bar with one of his feet still on the floor while she tipped back his own drink. Cordelia turned to him, talking over the hum of the club and having him reply. Bernie talked with his hands, and his drink would often slosh over the rim and splash onto the floor. Delia wondered who would have to clean it up.

She suddenly felt the rush of the alcohol hitting her, much worse than on any other night, and she shook her head in an attempt to shake it off. All that did was make her feel dizzy and disorientated, slumping forward slightly so the edge of the bar pressed uncomfortably into her ribs. She could make out someone talking to her, but their words were hazy and slurred and they didn’t register properly. She swore that she hadn’t drunk anything else that night than she usually did.

Her head hurt, throbbing in time to the low beat of the music.

Bernie appeared in her line of vision, expression one she couldn’t make out. Concern? He offered her some more of her drink, brought it to her lips but she shook her head, and the drink spilt down the front of her dress, sticking immediately. Cold fabric to warm skin, and he was palming at it in an attempt to dry her, but it was just making it worse. Bernie’s hands cupped her face, and Cordelia’s slow eyes met his. He was so worried, and then his face was expressionless, and he was leaning in to kiss her, and she was trapped in by the bar and still nothing made sense.

She hadn’t drunk anything different.

His mouth that tasted of beer on her tongue even after it moved away and down to her neck. She wanted to gag. To tell Bernie to stop; but the words formed like clouds on her tongue, dying when she started to breathe them to life. The mouth that she tried to push away but her palms met skin that seemed to melt into air and didn’t deter the man.

Every part of her sentient brain was telling her that it should be a struggle, but all she could feel was the wash of calm, gentle waves of the ocean lapping warmly at her body and pulling her towards sleep. Sleep felt inviting as her body relaxed.

Just as she thought she might pass out; arms were around her waist and hands on skin to prop her up against them. She was being led somewhere, through the crowd maybe, which seemed to have morphed into a sea, but her legs wouldn’t cooperate, and the fingers closed tightly around her waist. Strong arms, she didn’t know who, her vision seemed to be slipping and she tried to hold onto the colours that she could see. The flashing blues and deep reds of the club lights, the hazy green of the light behind the bar. She was underwater now, with arms that wanted to thrash but couldn’t seem to lift themselves, eyes that couldn’t see past the water’s murk, colours and figures blurred into a haze.

Some things she didn’t even think were real. Like the quick flash of blonde before black.

[awlwren]

Favorite Character from 10 Fandoms

I was tagged by @shieldmaidenofsherwood and @exlibrisfangirl. Thanks for thinking of me! No thanks for making me make decisions. :(

Rules: List your favorite character from 10 different fandoms and then tag 10 people.

Rather than try to actually chose, I'm just going to do the last 10 characters I used their tag to find fic for on Ao3, from most recent to least.

Nyx Ulric from Kingsglaive/Final Fantasy XV. RIP to your feeds; this man has captured my attention for almost a full year now. Wow. He is trying so hard to save his friends in spite of everything, but also isn't afraid to chew people out who need to hear it. There are so many blanks to fill in, too.

Elrond Peredhil from the Hobbit/LotR/Silmarillion. A very old, but enduring fave from back when my dad read the Hobbit to me when I was eight or so and started my love for Tolkien. He was wise and smart and helpful, and gave people shelter. Instant fave. Nice to see him getting some more love lately!

Cordelia Naismith Vorkosigan from the Vorkosigan Saga. All you people here on tumblr made me decide to start the series and I adored her and her husband and so was very disappointed to see less of them as the series shifted to their son, not that he isn't fantastic! But I've always had a weakness for the previous generation, so this is nothing new.

Luke Skywalker from Star Wars, my original blorbo, as the children say. I got introduced to Star Wars when I was six and it has been an obsession ever since. What can I say, I am basic and weak for main characters. I was heavy into the EU and so I started to draw away when Episode II came out and I could see it killing itself trying to cope with contradictions, but Luke, with such a burden always trying will always be a favorite. 4b. Mara Jade also has gotten a character tag search, but she is in the same fandom so she doesn't get her own number. But don't neglect her!

Jason Todd from Batman comics. I fell sideways into this fandom through an old mutual who loved him, and since that's how I came into the fandom I have stuck with him. I tend to latch onto a character and stay loyal, so here I am, through some very bizarre characterization and storyline choices, having learned from this man and fandom how to pick and chose fanon and canon very harshly. Definitely a character that when written well is very very good, and when written badly (or how I don't like) is horrid. 5b. This is basically a (hopefully more mature) carbon copy of how I got into BtVS through a friend obsessed with Spike.

Clark Kent from Superman comics/shows (yes this counts as separate fandoms). Another oldie. My grandparents had the 1940s cartoons as some of the few brother-approved VHS tapes they had, so I watched a lot of it, and then STAS came out and I was hooked. What can I say, I love characters who always try so hard to be the best they can be, and the reminder that even the Man of Tomorrow, for all his powers, can't do everything.

Meliara Astiar and Vidanric Renselaus from Crown & Court Duel by Sherwood Smith. Yes, both of them, shut up. I got on a nostalgia kick and they have a few excellent fics on Ao3. Ultimate culture clash, all the tropes and they make it work.

Trafalgar Law from One Piece. (No, I am not caught up and will not be until Wano is done.) He...he also tries so hard but in a different way. He tries to be serious in Luffy's world and it never works and it's great. Trash man trying to be creepy and trying so hard. And he's genuinely badass, he just cares too much and it cracks me up. And then his backstory breaks my heart.

Eve Baird from The Librarians (tv show). Mama Baird knows what she wants and knows her skills and is doing all she can to protect her idiot Librarian and equally chaotic LITs, but isn't afraid to admit when she needs to learn from them as well.

Alberich from Valdemar by Mercedes Lackey. Another nostalgia lookup, with even less fic. I like mentors, okay? I like older people learning and teaching and I always have, even when I was young. I actually haven't read much of this series, but I got his two books and enjoyed them, and didn't do much with the rest.

I'm going to chose to interpret the lack of women on this list as a critique of the books I read and not solely of me myself. But it's a good trend to see as I try to figure out what to procrastinate by reading next. (as is the appalling lack of explicit POC. Ouch.)

Again, these are the most recent character tag searches I've done on Ao3, not my top 10 characters, because this took less decisions, honestly.

Absolutely no-pressure tagging of @garbria, @whumpwriterforlife, @starjunco, @sanzochan, @whostarlockeda03, @noirbriar, @newlyorange, and @maychorian, along with anyone else who wants to go. I would love to get more character reccs, honestly. It's gotten me started on two series that I've enjoyed but haven't gotten far enough in to seek out fic yet for risk of spoilers. ^_^

[firemanwhenthefloodsrollback]

buffy relationships and their best moments

I'm going to pick what I think was the best relationship moment for each major relationship in Buffy - by which I mean the moment where the relationship was at its best and easiest to say 'yes this character should be with this person'

If you've been following me more than 30 seconds you'll know I have my own opinions about which relationships I like most but I'm gonna approach every major one as fairly as I can because there's something to love about all of them.

I'm only counting relationships that were canon romantic for at least a bit, involved one of the core characters and lasted more than an episode, so Faith and Xander, Spike and Harmony or Giles and Joyce aren't counting here.

So roughly (?) chronologically:

Willow & Xander: Grave

a weird one because they were sort of a romantic ship sometimes - there was the unfulfilled yearning in season one and that weird couple of minutes in season three when it was a real thing - but it was one of the longest running and deepest friendships in the show for many seasons afterwards. I wanted to choose a 'romantic' moment for these two but I just... couldn't? because I don't think anyone was really rooting for them in season three and it was presented to the audience as a disaster in slow motion.

the famous yellow crayon speech, though, is one of the best moments of unconditional love in the show. Xander loves willow enough to want to be with her as she destroys the world and willow loves Xander enough to find her humanity again after becoming dark willow. it's the only love willow feels deeply enough to bring her back from the state she was in after tara's death. I don't think we can compare willow's love for tara and her love for xander because they're just on such completely different planets as relationships, but after she loses tara, xander is the only person who can reach her and make her be herself again. it's a very powerful love even though it was not as good

Buffy & Angel: I Only Have Eyes For You

I don't particularly love Bangel but this episode is the one that gives me feelings. The fact that their feelings for each other can surface through being possessed by ghosts, and angel being v much evil at the time, to give us 'I loved you with my last breath' and a kiss that puts the dead to rest is pretty powerful.

Giles & Jenny: Passion

I know, it hurts my heart too. Their last conversation and agreeing to see each other again and Giles' excitement going to meet her makes you feel giddy and his happiness makes him seem so young and hopeful. I like how sweet and mature him being prepared to forgive her lying to Buffy was. And then, obviously, my heart was burned in my chest ten minutes later.

Willow & Oz: What's My Line Part 2

There's so much to love with Oz but I feel like the animal cracker conversation exemplifies everything that was best about him and what he offered Willow. He put her at her ease and made her laugh, she was trying to thank him for saving her life in a slightly nervous and awkward way and he makes her comfortable and giggly, brings her back to being a teenager having a laugh rather than a nervous mess dealing with the fallout of a vampire attack. I love how visibly safe he makes her feel.

Xander & Cordelia: Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered

Xander and Cordelia's relationship was tied up with so much shame for both of them particularly in the early days and I know everyone watching this felt their heart swell when Cordelia told her friends she wasn't ashamed to be with him whatever anyone thought. For a guy whose parents treated him so awfully and felt like an embarrassment absolutely all the time, I loved watching him hear that someone so much 'better than him' wasn't ashamed to be dating him publicly and walking away from her cool friends with him.

Xander & Anya: As You Were

Obviously the moment where Xander reassures Anya about how sure he is that he wants to be married to her forever becomes bittersweet quite quickly, but seeing Xander manage such quiet certainty and faith in Anya, even if it didn't last as long as we'd have liked, was so wonderfully calm and optimistic in the middle of a dark season.

Buffy & Riley: The Freshman

When Riley had nothing to do with the initiative and he was just a tall, handsome teaching assistant being charming after having books dropped on his head I found him so promising and charming. Early season four Riley was refreshing, sweet and did a great job of not competing with the audience for the same type of relationship they had with Angel. I don't dislike Riley as much as some do - he isn't who I'd pick as I think we're all aware, but he wasn't written to be that type of love interest, and the warmth and change of pace and perspective he brought at the beginning of season four was really valuable to me.

Willow & Tara: Family

Not just the floating above the dance floor, which will obviously have a special place in my heart forever, but Willow insisting to everyone in the magic box that tara be given the time and space to decide what she wants for herself was so wonderfully respectful. then the montage of everyone at the bronze enjoying tara's birthday and the fact that the audience knows how carefully Willow planned it and got everyone to come and be there with her so she'd know how much she belonged.

Buffy & Spike: After Life

The way that Spike recognises exactly what's happened to Buffy when he first sees her on the stairs is such a good statement of how completely they understand each other. Then bandaging her hands and telling her how much he wished he could have saved her, and even in the state she's in, Buffy looks so clearly and openly into his face and the episode ends with her being open with him about going to heaven when she couldn't tell anyone else. Even more than their scenes at the end of season seven, I feel like this is the rawest and most tender they are with each other.

Willow & Kennedy: Chosen

The support Kennedy gives Willow during the scythe spell in Chosen is probably the most linked on a deep level we see these two being? Plus 'you're a goddess'.

[coraniaid]

hater alphabet ask! F!

Obviously my first instinct is to respond with a post about Faith but (I guess thanks to choosing who I follow on here carefully?) I don't think I actually have any unpopular opinions about Faith?

Or rather, I suppose, I know there are lots of takes on Faith I would strongly disagree with -- that she's genuinely cool, that she honestly doesn't care about killing Allan Finch at all, that she spends so long being jealous of Buffy because she really wants to sleep with Xander/Angel/Riley, that she's too "streetwise" to have been won over by the Mayor, that she isn't one of the most interesting and ultimately sympathetic characters on the show -- but I just can't bring myself to believe that any of these positions are actually popular.

So I'm going to talk about Season 5's Family instead.

I think Family is a very good episode -- it's actually one of the Season 5 episodes I've rewatched most -- but I think it would work a lot better (both in its own right and as a metaphor) without it being proved unequivocally at the end that Tara definitely isn't any sort of demon.

Firstly because ... well, I kind of hate the whole magic demon-detecting chip plot to start with -- it's one of the show's worst bits of world-building, I'd argue, and I'm aware that's saying a lot -- but at least most of the time I can tell myself it's something that only affects Spike's brain, using his own knowledge of what he's about to do and who he's about to hurt. Giving it the power to actually detect with perfect accuracy whether Spike is hurting a human or not -- even when he wouldn't know himself -- is a little bit much for me. (And yes, there's at least one other famous example of it doing that, and yes, I really hate that one too.)

But second -- and much more importantly -- isn't the point of everyone rallying around Tara at the end even when they think she might be something strange or monstrous kind of undercut by the script immediately going "oh, nevermind, she's not a demon, she's definitely completely safe and normal"? Doesn't that undermine the metaphor here pretty badly? What exactly is the show trying to say?

What would the Scoobies have done if Spike had hit Tara and it hadn't hurt him? Immediately changed tune and let her biological family drag her away forever? Is the fact her father is obviously a bullying asshole not reason enough to hate him? Does he have to be deliberately lying about Tara's demonic nature too? Can families only be abusive if they are knowingly, consciously dishonest in the justifications they provide for their actions? Is it not enough that Tara really didn't want to go?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the show should have said flat out that Tara was a demon. I'm not sure whether I'd have liked that either. I just don't think being definitive about it either way adds to the episode. I think it works much better if it's left a little ambiguous.

I do think that Buffy -- and spin-off show Angel especially -- slightly loses its way by having so many demons and vampires become sympathetic as the seasons progress (while never really having Buffy question the fact she kills so many of them), but it is still part of the episode's context and contunity that this is a direction the two shows have both been heading in for a while. Anya is an ex-demon (and will briefly become a demon again) and while this causes some tension it never outright prevents her being welcomed into the group. Her friend and fellow vengeance demon Halfrek is consistently treated as a sympathetic character and not as a monster. Spike and Angel and Harmony are vampires but the two shows have been treating them all as people for a while and will only continue to do so. On Angel, Doyle was part-demon and Cordelia will also become part-demon less than a year after this episode airs. Lorne exists.

I mean, reading this answer over again I'm not sure I've done a great job of articulating why this bothers me (which is part of why I've been so slow in answering this, sorry) but I think this implicit use of 'demon' to mean 'definitely a bad person' just feels weirdly out of place by Season 5. And again, I just go back to the question: what are we supposed to think Buffy and Willow would have done if Spike had unwittingly proved that Tara really wasn't fully human? And if the answer isn't anything different, why is that part of the scene at all?

[annyankers]

A goth, an living mlm and that 1 bitch at the club all walk out of the primordial furnace: or, the Old Ones, the Powers, and everyone’s favorite Hellgod are all cousins.

I’m a big fan of the Old Ones and Old Ones accessories. I’m one of the 2.5 people who liked the Jasmine arc (after you know, aggressively skipping thru the cursed Cordelia bits). Season 8 in the comics is, and this is a very professional term, absolutely flamingly awful and built out of piss and evil BUT I find the Seed of Wonder and the lore it brings to the table re: the Old Ones and TPTB interesting. 

LET’S GET GARDENING

I will not even begin to get into the nightmare that is Twilight and the bangel content I don’t think even bangel fans like. I will not get into any of that or the plot of season 8 as much as possible, if you want to know about it read the wiki or the comics. I will however explain what the comics say about the origins of the universe and then get into how it connects to other things.

The comics claim that the Seed of Wonder is basically a universal anchor and the source of all magic and creativity in the our universe and our universe is just another in a string or evolution of universes. That when a universe has reached the end of its life so to speak a new one is born and as that old reality crumbles there is a certain amount of leakage from the old into the new. Nothing on how this affects the omniverse but for the sake of my sanity and yours I will say that our universe like 1 save file of Spore and the other universes and dimensions are other saves and maybe even games entirely. Who knows. But this is what we get from Giles over several of the most cursed pages in all of comics I’ve ever seen. And the theory is confirmed again in a less cursed page by Spike.

“The world came from the Seed. It was all demons and horrors, then. Probably spillover from some other, even less pleasant dimension. The Seed brought it forth... And the seed kept it here. Kept the warring nasties and the bubbling magical energies from seeping back into the old dimension, wherever that was. Either the Earth was an improvement, a step up, or it was a ghetto. Either way it was on it’s own. The Seed, the source of all that magic, was the only thing powerful enough to keep it from bleeding back. It’s the key.” -- Spike (btvs s8 #37, “Last Gleaming Part 2″)

This is actually reasonably supported by the texts of both shows to an extent. Giles first gives us the first explanation which is fast and dirty in the very beginning of btvs. But establishes that yes, demons came first, people came second.

"This world is older than any of you know. Contrary to popular mythology, it did not begin as a paradise. For untold eons demons walked the Earth. They made it their home, their... their Hell. But in time they lost their purchase on this reality. The way was made for mortal animals, for, for man. All that remains of the old ones are vestiges, certain magicks, certain creatures...” -- Giles (btvs s1e2 “the Harvest”)

Where things get fun for ME personally is with Jasmine and Illyria. Illyria has less to say about the origins of the universe, just stories about how much better (read: horrifying and surrealist) it was but Jasmine does give us something to work with.

“In the beginning, before the time of man, great beings walked the earth. Untold power emanated from all quarters — the seeds of what would come to be known as good and evil. But the shadows stretched and became darkness, and the malevolent among us grew stronger. The Earth became a demon realm. Those of us who had the will to resist left this place, but we remained ever-watchful.” -- Jasmine (ats s4e18 “Shiny Happy people”)

"I was forged in the inferno of creation, vampire. Do you really think a little electricity would destroy me?” -- Jasmine (ats s4e21 “Peace Out”)

She even uses the word “seeds” with I find particularly interesting considering how close ATS Season 4 and BTVS Season 8 are in publication.

What we get that’s important in this section is that the Old Ones and Powers are basically inter-dimensional refugees/beings formed from the afterbirth of our universe. They are the original inhabitants of the universe and the Seed of Wonder is the thing that made this all happen. Okay? Okay.

THE ANATOMY OF ELDRITCH RACES

We return again to the first Jasmine quote because Jasmine is the only Power that we ever interact with as a character and the only other person we can confirm was at the dawn of time with Illyria. Glorificus’ status at that time is unknown. I won’t requote the whole thing here’s just the relevant bit context is above.

“[...] great beings walked the earth. [...] the seeds of what would come to be known as good and evil. But the shadows stretched and became darkness, and the malevolent among us grew stronger. ” -- Jasmine (ats s4e18 “Shiny Happy people”)

The implications of this statement to me read as the Powers and the Old Ones being of the same species/similar species/same OG vibe. Then overtime the divides in ideology and nature/attitude created the schism that gives us the Powers and the Old Ones. Adding into that a bit of my own fun as well because it’s my meta and I can, this is also a much more mutable time and more mutable creatures. This ideological difference could also easily effect them physically. This can be used to take into account why The Mayor becomes a big snake and the pic for the Powers on the btvs wiki is some human looking toga assholes. But we also see if not Jasmine’s true form then something closer to it in ATS season 4 which is just a ball of light with tentacles. The caveat there is that she is also a fallen Power so take it all as you will.

There’s a lot that supports this idea of the Old Ones and Powers just being the White Knight and Edgelord colorswaps of each other honestly. The Powers are nigh-omnipotent and nigh-omniscient, immortal, can induce and alter evolution, grant power to others and all kinda of shit likely but we know literally nothing about them outside of Jasmine and a few scenes through out both series. The Old Ones are not too dissimilar in their capacities. We know more about their individual powers but some common things are that they have some shapeshifting (they’re true size is enormous but they can be as big as they want to be), and the biggie-- The Old Ones cannot actually be destroyed. Which is why the Deeper Well even exists, sure you can “kill” an Old One like Buffy killed the Mayor but their essence cannot be destroyed and will find its way back into being if it wants to and can. Hence why they all get stuffed in sarcophagi and put in tube jail. Even then Illyria escapes, an event which is said to be predestined, implying some omniscience on Illyria’s end. Illyria even survives the creation of the new Seed of Wonder (long story). That asshole basically stood in heart of a supernova and bounced back. The Mayor even pulls himself back together after a while in the comics. These bitches don’t die. The same is said of the Powers.

“The Old Ones are the mightiest of demonkind… primordial forces that cannot truly die. They would not hide, any more than a tsunami or hurricane would.” ―Rupert Giles (it’s on the wiki but they don’t source it thanks fam)

In ATS S1E8 “I Will Remember You” the Powers literally roll back time. Illyria canonically has similar powers of temporal manipulation, taking Angel on a field trip to the fucking Primordial Era once in the comics. All of them can travel inter-dimensionally this is how the Powers even get out of dodge in the first place. Jasmine and Glorificus cannot only because of specifics around their current forms and their functions. Jasmine, a Power, personally manipulated the evolution of a whole species. Maloker, an Old One, created a whole new species out of his blood and a cadaver. It’s also likely that many of the “lesser”, meaning not Old One/primordial demon races on Earth are on some level edited or manufactured species by the Old Ones to suit their purposes.

 The full scale of what Glory can do is unknown but basically outside their own powers and the specifics of their embodiments in our dimension, all three have the same power set once they’re on Earth and Nerfed.

I’VE LOST MY TRAIN OF THOUGHT SO I’M JUST GONNA WRAP THIS UP

“All I am is what I am. I lived 7 lives at once. I was power and the ecstasy of death. I was god to a god.” -- Illyria (ats s5e17 “Underneath”)

“I am great and I am beautiful, and when I walk into a room all eyes turn to me, because my name is a holy name, and you will listen!” -- Glorificus (btvs s5e6 “Family”)

“I was forged in the inferno of creation, vampire. Do you really think a little electricity would destroy me?” -- Jasmine (ats s4e21 “Peace Out”)

Basically what I’m saying is that while there’s no evidence that Glorificus was ever one of the Old Ones of our dimension (which is possible, those Old Ones that didn’t get entombed left for other dimensions) she absolutely reads as being at least in the same category or genius of demon/supernatural species. Jasmine and Illyria are just the Mystics and Skeksis from the Dark Crystal or in a less deep cut reference, different eevee evolutions from Pokémon. Same origin, different vibes.

They’re all on a godly level of power that no one else in the buffyverse can really reach. Glorificus is also implied to be immortal like the others (in her true form at least, the Ben Thing complicates stuff) as the war to dump her on our world took thousands of years. We don’t call The Powers or Jasmine or Old Ones or Illyria gods really in the text or in the fandom but they are gods just as much as Glory is. There are cults of worship for the Old Ones, the Master literally leads one.

Past putting forth my theory on the species origins of the Powers, the Old Ones and implying Glory is their weird cousin from Canada I don’t got much to say here that isn’t said honestly so yeah that’s it! If I had more I forgot it! Oh but here’s a fun fact!!!!! This would mean that Buffy’s fought TWO GODS! neat huh!

also Illyria could totally take on both of them in a fight and crush them. Just saying it’s a fact and not up for debate BYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Tuesday, February 21

XANDER: (reading trophy inscription) "Lowell house. 1962." JULIE: Yes. XANDER: Um, just, you know, impressing you with my knowledge of local history. Or my knowledge of reading. JULIE: You didn't even have to sound anything out. XANDER: You should see me add short columns of small numbers. JULIE: You're funny. XANDER: Thanks. I mean ... funny "how amusing," or funny "back away and avoid eye contact"? JULIE: Hmm ... kinda both.

~~Buffy Episode #74: "Where The Wild Things Are"~~

The Sunnydale Herald is looking for at least one new editor! Contributing to the Herald is a great way to get your Buffy on! Find out more here. If you saw the phrase "HTML template" in our previous calls for editors and that was what made you decide that Herald duties aren't for you, you may be glad to hear that we've set up an alternative posting process!

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

One of Us (ander, T, multiple xovers) by madimpossibledreamer

The Slayer and Her Vampires (Buffy/Spike, E) by Anonymous

[Chaptered Fiction]

Sculpture of Dance Ch. 1/? (Buffy/Spike, T) by desicat

The Balm of Amarynthia (1/3) (Spike/Anya, M) by thenewbuzwuzz

Snapshots Series (Ensemble, T) by Aadler

After the End. Ch, 2 (Ensemble, unrated) by Marsie_1987

Bound Ch. 37 Living Dead Girl and Chapter 38 When the Levee Breaks (Buffy/Spike, M) by spnae

Out of My Head, Chapter 1-17 (COMPLETE) (Buffy/Spike, E) by AJ Hofacre

Willing Slave, Chapter 31 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Sigyn

I Violently Dislike You, Chapter 11 (Buffy/Spike, ) by scratchmeout

Written in the Dust, Chapter 7 (Buffy/Spike, M) by Indi_Shaw

Under The Rubble, Chapter 1-2 (Buffy/Spike, M) by Geliot99

Bleeding Poetry, Chapter 65 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Dusty

Spiderwebs, Chapter 11 (Buffy/Spike, M) by Willow25

ever waiting airports (full of the love that you deserve), Chapter 4 (Buffy/Spike, E) by womanaction

These Endless Days, Chapter 4 (Buffy/Spike, T) by violettathepiratequeen

Origins, Chapter 34 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Niamh

SuperBuffy : The Spark of Chaos Ch. 2 (Buffy, Willow, MCU xover) by BlueZeroZeroOne

Blindsided Ch. 4 (Faith, T, MCU xover) by batzulger

Akuma Slayer Ch. 5 (Buffy, T) by BlueZeroZeroOne

Plastic Hearts CH. 13 (Dawn, M, MCU xover) by PatriciaLouise

[Images, Audio & Video]

Artwork:Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been () by tmcarlee

Artwork:Buffy () by thecatisdrawing

Artwork:BtVS Cartoon () by d0ct0rwh0 (Formerly Heroofthreefaces)

Artwork:Spike () by vampywillz

Artwork:Buffy & Faith (nsfw) by malvymary

[Reviews & Recaps]

Video: buffy the vampire slayer is a wild ride (part 1) () by mark breen

Video: "In Every Generation," by Kendare Blake () by Robert Alvarez the Psychic Witch

[Community Announcements]

Short and Spuffy fanfic event! by Sunnydale After Dark

[Fandom Discussions]

Master List of Fanfiction for 2023 by angelus2hot

any thoughts on how spike and angel show their genders when they where human vs vampires by titsgirlbuffy

Three…. Three sisters….. by titsgirlbuffy

trying to do serious analysis of the historical aspects to these shows is great fun but also very silly by titsgirlbuffy

the outside of my computer by girlfriendcas

Fun fact! The last episode aired before Christmas 1998 was Ted, in which Giles and Jenny reconcile. by herinsectreflection

Spuffy style Reading Challenge - #20: A Fic A Week by mcgnagallsarmy

so per the universe where the volturi are in the buffy universe fighting the worst apocalypses and camping out on hellmouths, wouldnt they also run into the slayer? by thecarnivorousmuffinmeta

Officially kicking off the Buffyverse characters tournament! by all-seeing-ifer

the Connor incident by titsgirlbuffy

Thinking about how when the monks made Dawn out of Buffy by scaryscarier

when you say "Cordelia and Buffy lock horns because both desire something that the other possesses", what do you imagine Cordelia wants that Buffy has? by herinsectreflection

i think it’s a damn shame (and kind of unrealistic) that spike never told dawn he loved her too. by silvermars

Jesse by cisnesincorbata

Tara and anya should’ve had more scenes together by girlfriendcas

Learning that that Joss Whedon was not allowed to be alone with Michelle Trachtenburg makes his self-insert character dating Dawn in the comics so much creepier by jjorbles

Wesley in AtS S3 by titsgirlbuffy

it will never not be funny to me how one of the biggest issues in Buffy and Riley’s relationship is she’s too strong. by disco-tea

what's your favorite thing about spuffy? by spuffygifs

What Was Buffy's Most Important Year? by AlphaFoxtrot

Should Jesse had been in the 1st season more instead of killed off in the first two episodes? by Joshua

What makes a hero - Get it Done & Chosen by Taake

Discussion of 4.05 "Beer Bad" by Angelkiss

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Lost Summer by Multiple Authors

Discussion of 7.17 "Lies My Parents Told Me" by Multiple Authors

I wish there’d been a mass crossover of Buffy and Angel by confusedguytoo

The fact that Dawn Summers’ favorite sandwich is salami + peanut butter by beatriceeverytuesday1

did spike know buffy was gonna say it back ? by milly_xd

Buffyverse ships by Vegetable-Ad-8780

What storyline would you change by Captainoats88

"Do you like my mask" "Isn't it pretty? It rises the dead!" by draconetzah

Is it just me or... by Ibringyouasong89

What storyline would you change? Connor and Cordy is an obvious one so don't choose that. by Captainoats88

The Rewatcher by Informal_Arm6821

Buffy storyline jokes by Heavy-Ambition1161

Why did Buffy want Parker so bad? by ginime_

Do you remember your reaction the first time you saw "Passion" by jdpm1991

Continuity issue by Brave_Specific5870

if you could change Tara's fate who would you have killed off instead? by broken_doll_911

What if Conner had come back from the hell dimension as a fully grown adult and not a teenager? by master-x-117

I finished Angel for the first time and I have thoughts by nota-banana

Buffys Necklace by MatchingMyDog1106

Willow the Watcher by releasethebatsss

The absolute dread of pressing the play button by bloomforu

Is Harmony too stupid to be evil? by LunaDea69420

If you had to invent a new storyline, what would you add to the original show? by Grebnesorwolliw

The Bronze by georgelansing12

Why didn't Buffy stake Dru in "Lie to Me"? by Tuxedo_Mark

Experimented with Buffy/Angel watch order on rewatch. Here are the results. by The-Constable

Buffy and friends by Objective-Ad9800

Question about Joyce moving Buffy to Sunnydale. by hannahvere

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[prose-for-hire]

Clueless

Pairing: Angel x reader

Request: As I said, Spike will always be my favorite, but every now and then you gotta mix it up. 😅 So here comes my Angel request! 😀 The scoobies find out he has a human girlfriend. And when they meet you they get the impression that you have no idea of the supernatural. So they try to subtly prod if you're aware of what Angel is. You on the other hand are enjoying to play with them. Pretending to be clueless as hell even though you're well aware. 😂 Thank you Darling! 💞

Requested by: @kind-wolf​

A/N: I really enjoyed this one !! Reader is older than the Scoobies and works in the school library. The timescale is reaaally made up. Giles left to open the Magic Box while the Scoobies are still in high school.

[Also i know the gif has nothing to do with anything but it makes me giggle every time so I had to use it !!]

You were the new School librarian. Giles had left to open the Magic Box but still always managed to be in your library when you turned around. The excuse at the moment was that his personal collection had been left behind, but you new there was something more going on. You had a boyfriend that told you of the real side of Sunnydale.

His name was Angel. You had met him after dark, a shining ember amongst all of the despair. He was kind to you and you had kept running into each other until he decided it must be fate. So he asked you on a date. It was the Bronze and you both stuck out like a sore thumb – him for his dark clothing and because you were both slightly older than the regular clientele. You and Angel had been going steady for a while now. He was heavy into courting and doing everything properly. He wanted to keep you happy and ensure you felt safe with him at all times.

He called you his sunshine. You were the one thing that made his un-life worth living. The brightness in the centuries of black. The fiery flame of passion that could never be put out. You were his light. A kind of salvation he didn’t know he needed. All of his guilt. The doubt. The brooding about whether he was enough for you, for the world. For any of it. You filled in these cracks with light. With love and the most important thing: hope.

He knew that he needed to limit the amount of people that knew about you together to a minimum. You hadn’t understood why at first, but one evening when you had been wrapped around each other in bed, he confided in you. His relationships were not destined to last. Literally. He told you everything, almost reducing the both of you to an emotional mess. You laid there, underneath the sheets as you both recounted the worst moments of your lives. The secrets, the fears. Everything.

“Are you embarrassed about dating a human? Is it frowned upon in vampire… culture?” You asked, half embarrassed and half fascinated. He shook his head as you were still speaking, clasping a hand to yours and brought it to his unbeating heart.

“I, uh, just want this for us. You’re too special to me, y/n. I don’t want anyone else to ruin it. I love you more than you can imagine”

“You love me?” You ask, eyes shining with emotion. He nodded, pulling you into him as you told him how much you loved him back. Your voice muffled as you rested in the crook of his neck. He held you to him so delicately as if he was scared that you would break. That if he didn’t hold tight enough, you would disappear into nothing.

The Scoobies had caught glimpses of you around school and sometimes after school when you popped into the magic Box to ask to speak with Giles. Just to ask for tips on your new job in the library (and to check if he had stolen any of the dusty occult books you had started to lock away in case he was snooping again). You didn’t really know the Scoobies, you just recognised their faces from around school and now obviously you had heard the lowdown from Angel. But you weren’t so familiar that you could tell which one the slayer was if you were asked to pick her out of a line up.

One afternoon after you called your goodbyes to Giles and nodded at the teenagers on your way out of the store, talk quickly turned to you. Anya, Xander, Willow, Buffy and Cordelia were all whispering before the door had even closed properly behind you. The Scoobies loved to gossip. And each of them had their own titbit of information that they had heard from someone who had heard from someone else about you. Even Giles had become involved in the discussion as he had started to become aware you were making his life difficult and

“I heard they mastered kung-fu judo which is the most lethal form of martial arts”

“Apparently they were fired from their last school for literally throwing students out for talking too loud in the library”

“Well, they’re apparently an undercover agent planted by the CIA to monitor the supernatural”

“I heard that one – but they’re FBI, not CIA”

The piece of information they found most interesting was that you were human. Despite being the coolest librarian like, ever. Most of the librarians the student body had come across were positively fossils, most recent librarians not included. Suspected kung fu martial arts hybrid training aside, you didn’t have any supernatural powers to speak of. As far as anyone was aware. So, this became the most interesting thing about you, until Cordelia told all.

“They’re totally sleeping with Angel!” Cordelia said, as everyone looked extremely interested in this news, “I saw him open a door for them as if they were in some period drama! Way over the top but their eyes said everything! They’re having sex”

“You can’t tell that from a look”

“You can!” Anya insisted as Cordelia nodded along.

“Yeah, I can tell from hot librarian and the salty goodness that is Angel” Cordelia replied matter-of-factly.

“Do you think they know he’s-” Xander mimed fangs and held his hands up to imitate a vampire, “They can’t know. Why would anyone want to do that with Angel?” Xander insisted as the women of the room, and Giles, stayed silent. He looked around looking for some support for his statement but got nothing.

But now the fact was, they were concerned that Angel hadn’t told you about himself. The vampirism. The soul. The curse. So, the meddling kids decided it was their duty to make sure that they were acquainted with you and made sure you knew who Angel really was. Which was exactly what Angel presumed was going to happen. They were convinced that they were worried about how clueless you obviously were, but also it was their duty is seemed to get involved in other people’s personal lives.

This had been the plan, but it appeared that you were a very busy. You never stayed long hours after the school day ended like Giles used to. Nobody could follow you home because you always sped off in a shiny car. Plus, you often wore headphones in the corridors so you didn’t have to talk to the students.

It had been a while after their plans to befriend you and they had almost given up seeing you in your private time. They wanted to make sure the rumours weren’t true. That Angel wasn’t taking advantage of some clueless human.

Unfortunately, the whole gang stumble into you both while they’re on patrol. On date night. their eyes widen, it looks so normal. You’re both sat in the restaurant in the window seat and they all just stopped and very obviously stared. As if you were zoo animals. They noticed that Angel had ordered human food and had been moving it around the plate a little for appearances. This confirmed it. they decided they needed to save you. Who knew what horrible bad luck would befall you if you kept dating a vampire. 

Angel looked a little embarrassed when he sensed being watched and looked up to see none other than the people he had wanted to keep this from. Buffy had scowled at him, shaking her head. She wasn’t impressed that he would do this. Especially if you didn’t know – it wasn’t fair she decided. You noticed his look but didn’t comment until the group had walked past with their wooden stakes badly concealed under their jackets.

After your meal, you walk back together (he always insists on walking you to your car) and you softly ask why he was embarrassed. You wondered if it was because you were a librarian. You tell him you know people don’t think it’s a great job, but you really enjoy it.

“They just don’t think us being together is a great idea” He said and you nodded along. You understood. There was a history there. The Slayer obviously is the only one that makes and breaks the rules.

“Well lets introduce them to me properly?” You offer, trying to soothe him. Reduce the fretting. He had wanted just one thing. One good thing that was yours and his. “I know they’ve been trying to talk to me all week. I’ll make some lemonade and you can invite them over” You offer. He nodded, curling an arm around you as you walk together both in thought.

It had been a week and the day was finally here. You were meeting the... friends? Weird kind-of family? Annoying brats that were always under both of your feet? 

Angel had gone out to pick up some blood from the butchers before it closed now that the sun was down. This left you hosting solo for the moment. You showed them to Angel’s living room and started to offer them lemonade and snacks. They start dropping hints instantly to try and gauge whether you know about Slayers or vampires. For some reason, you decide to play dumb.

“Have you, uh, ever seen Angel’s teeth up close?” Willow asked, barely above a whisper.

“Yes, we do kiss if that’s what you’re asking sweetie. Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll have your first kiss soon” You smiled at her mock-sympathetically as you turned to the rest of the room.

“What about, ah, those specialist books I told you about, y/n? Have you read them as of late?” Giles questioned, his hint much craftier than the younger members of the group. The books had been vampire history and very specifically passages were highlighted about Angels past.

“Oh yes, Angel said he would give me the overview - he’s read them before” You smile as Giles shook his head and started to clean his glasses. This wasn’t a lie, Angel had told you instead of reading through that book he would tell you anything that yo uwanted to ask. Every gruesome detail if that was what you needed. But you had told him you cared for the person you knew now instead. “Isn’t he just the perfect man?” You continue, smiling dreamily (which if you’re honest isn’t even an act). 

“Man isn’t the word I’d use” Xander muttered and Buffy had to elbow him to make him be quiet. You frowned, but they didn’t realise that you had caught onto what they were doing. Angel entered and the room quietened. He nodded at everyone but came straight to sit beside you.

You sat comfortably, leaning against Angel as chatter started to warm up a little again. After a while, there was a bit of doubt from some in the room whether meddling was the right thing to do or not. You appeared friendly and you definitely cared about Angel. And he definitely cared for you. His eye was always on you and he had kissed your forehead more than once when he thought the others were wrapped up in conversation.

“Do you like Halloween? What about vam-” Cordelia was cut off as she yelped and scowled as someone had stepped on her toes to get her to be quiet. Especially after he had already said something himself that could have made things obvious. You and Angel shared a look and then a shrug as conversation started up again.

You excused yourself to make more lemonade after three more not-so-subtle-hints about your man’s true identity and Angel followed you. Meanwhile, they were whispering about how clueless you appeared and how familiar you both were in front of them – as if you were going to hide that you were in a committed relationship. You knew this as Angel was telling you everything that they said, between light kisses he was pressing against your neck. From your position pressed between his body and the kitchen counter you were grinning as you rested a hand against his side and used the other to lock your hand with his. He hummed softly, only able to get through this strange indirect interrogation was that he knew he always had you.

When you returned and offered everyone refills, one of them asked while you were pouring, “Does, uh, Angel like garlic bread?”

“You might have to ask him on that one, we’re still getting to know each other” you smile sweetly before catching Angel’s eye. He raised his eyes at you but didn’t say anything to ruin the fun. In fact, he had a glint in his eye too. This was the reason he loved you, you turned even a potentially serious situation with the Slayer into something that you could make fun.

 “Uh, have you ever seen Angel in the light?” the questioning continued.

“Have you seen his face? He’s beautiful in any lighting” You smiled sweetly, looking over at him again. He shook his head at you and you knew he’d be blushing if he had any circulation.

“Yeah but- in the daylight?”

“No, he has a sun allergy, isn’t that right sweetie?” You smiled around the room at their horrified faces. They knew it! They knew Angel had been lying, they just needed to find a way to break the news to you. Or warn him away from you.

When asked about his (and your) sleeping habits, you replied, “Some nights he’s dead to the world” You smile, “He sleeps really deep, sometimes I have to check on him – it looks like he isn’t breathing” You have to stifle a laugh at this one as Angel snorts out loud. It was awkwardly covered by a cough and he had to leave the room to hide his laughter.

He was happy with you, the only sunshine he wasn’t allergic to apparently. He was so happy in this relationship he was often worried that Angelus was only around the corner. You caught him stuck in his head, worrying about the what-ifs but you always offered your comfort any way you could. He was glad of you being there for him. Willow and Giles had been talking of working on a way to lift the curse, or at least make it so that it wasn’t so simple for him to change back into Angelus. That was the last thing any of them needed.

The evening started to darken further and conversation had started to lull. You were trying to think of a way to politely hint yourself that maybe it was time for them to go (your hints a lot more subtle and well-practiced than theirs). But before you had chance to open your mouth, you were interrupted, “Demons. Thoughts?” Anya asked bluntly. Nobody cut in this time, they wanted to hear your response now they suspected Angel was lying.

“The ones that creep in late at night when you’re trying to sleep? I try and just ignore them, or get a book to read if I really can’t sleep” You say smiling as you knew Angel had heard that one too when some plates clattered in the other room. You knew him inside out and, although rare, when something like this tickled him it really made him smile. You just wished he had been in the room so you could see his expression. His face lightened when he smiled and you told him all the time his smile was your favourite feature of his. He would also probably be shaking his head at you, trying to discourage you from getting into too much trouble with them.

Angel returned to the room and you couldn’t help yourself. You stood up and instantly closed the space between you. You looped your arms around his neck and kissed him softly on the lips. It was only a lingering peck, nothing too scandalous as these were students at your job. You always missed him when he wasn’t close by. You felt like a lovestruck teenager when he was around and admittedly, so did he. Giles saw the way you both looked at each other. Moved around each other, anticipating  and saw how real it was. It was the same he had with Jenny. He couldn’t let the rest of the group ruin this kind of love. It was rare and he wouldn’t wish it on anyone to lose it (not even the man with the face that tore his from him).

Giles shook his head as Buffy was about to shout something to break you both apart. Something about demons and vampires. About Angel and evil. His apparent lying. To try and warn you. She closed her mouth, rolling her eyes.

 “We need to go patrol- uh, not patrolling, just – walking. At night” She muttered instead, taking her jacket and giving Angel a hard stare.

“Make sure you watch out for vampires. There’s a couple extra stakes in the weapon’s closet if you’d like to take them” You smile sweetly, “You can never be too careful, some bite” you teased before kissing Angel on the cheek and reluctantly moving from his arms which were loosely looped around your waist still. You started walking over to clear the coffee table from the glasses everyone had used when they visited. Leaving the others wide-eyed and eventually laughing at the way you had kept up the pretence so well.

[merry-thieves]

Possible meanings of Chain of Iron snippets

Yes, this is going to be a long post. 

I didn’t put all teasers here only those where I could actually come up with something.

Alastair looked amused. “Never before have I heard such a concise statement of the ludicrous philosophy with which you and your school friends go through the world.”

So, Alastair is definitely speaking to one of the Merry Thieves

probably James, since Al and Matthew aren’t on the best terms and conversations between Thomas and Al would go in another direction (either fighting or with way more feelings)

it seems like James and Alastair are on quite good terms here if Alastair isn’t snappish and shows his true (happy) emotions

Anna was fortress-surrounded by her friends: tall, handsome Thomas; Christopher, who shared his sister’s stern delicacy of feature, peacock Matthew, who always looked as if he’d just rolled out of an unmade bed piled with silks and velvet. And Eugenia Lightwood, who hadn’t bothered to take off her canary-yellow gloves or hat, as if she were ready to run out the door any moment.

They all eyed Ariadne suspiciously as she approached Anna. Anna didn’t seem to see her at all; she was leaning back with one booted foot braced on the wall behind her. She was all lean black and white lines, her close-fitting jacket following the outline of her slim curves, her head thrown back as she laughed. Her ruby pendant glimmered in the hollow of her throat.

Keep your head up, Ariadne, she told herself. You can do this.

“Hello, Anna,” Ariadne said.

First of all, Eugenia is in this group which is interesting regarding the main characters in Chain of Iron

Is Eugenia part of the main group? Has she an important role to play? (we are supposed to find out the reason why she is disgraced)

We have Ariadne’s pov here, so she might play a big role too in Choi, at least we will have more of her and Anna’s relationship

Also, she calls Matthew “peacock” which is so accurate and funny!

Alastair’s gaze flicked to Matthew. “Why,” he said, “are you not even wearing a hat?”

“And cover up this hair?” Matthew indicated his golden locks with a flourish. “Would you blot out the sun?”

Okay, Matthew and Alastair aren’t brawling which is a good sign

Also, where are they? There has to be a good reason if both of them are attending and standing next to each other

I’m guessing they’re outside since they’re supposed to wear hats 

The brave princess Lucretia raced through the marble halls of the palace. "I must find Cordelia," she gasped. "I must save her."

"I believe the Prince holds her even now, captive in his throne room!" Sir Jerrod exclaimed. "But Princess Lucretia, even though you are the most beautiful and wise lady that I have ever met, surely you cannot fight your way through a hundred of his stoutest palace guard!" The knight’s green eyes flashed. His straight black hair was disarranged, and his white shirt was entirely undone.

"But I must!" Lucretia cried.

So, the main thing I want to point out here is that Lucie is crushing so hard on Jesse!

and does she picture him with an open shirt or am I reading too much into this?

James spoke at last, and there was real kindness in his voice. “You must give people time, Alastair,” he said. “We are none of us perfect, and no one expects perfection. But when you have hurt people you must allow them their anger. Otherwise it will only become another thing you have tried to take away.”

Alastair seemed to hesitate. “James,” he said. “Does he think —“

Soooo, James and Alastair are friendly now? (please, please, please)

And who does Alastair have to give time? Matthew or more likely Thomas?

Also, James is one eloquent babe

“I know that you’ve been doing something — something you’re keeping secret. I’m not angry,” Cordelia hastened to add. “I  just wish you’d tell me what it is.”

Lucie tried to cover her surprise.

it was about time that those two speak about all their secrets! They want to become Parabatai for Raziel’s sake!

but I have the sneaking suspicion that Lucie is going to deflect the question or is going to make something up to avoid telling the truth

(please let me be wrong)

“Alastair! Cordelia!” A familiar voice bellowed up from downstairs.

Sona went white and laid a hand against the wall to steady herself. “Elias?”

I’m not sure about you guys but going white and bracing oneself against a wall doesn’t seem like someone is happy

So, I guess Sona isn’t really happy that Elias is back

is there another reason besides the drinking why she isn’t

and is Elias mad at his children? I mean he is bellowing

also why is Elias mad at all? All his charges were dropped and he is a free man once more

Cordelia shivered a little, though it was not cold in the room. “There is something weighing on you, Matthew,” she said gently. “A secret. Will you tell me what it is?”

She saw his hand go to his breast pocket, where he often kept his flask. Then he lowered it stiffly to his side and took a deep breath. “You do not know what you are asking.”

“Yes, I do,” she said. “I am asking for the truth. Your truth. You know mine, and I do not even know what makes you so unhappy.”

Cordelia told Matthew everything about her father and maybe about her feelings for James

if we’re lucky Matthew tells Cordelia about the poisoning and someone can finally help him (I think CC said that Matthew would tell Cordelia everything in Chain of Iron, hopefully that’s true)

also, Matthew doesn’t want to drink after Cordelia told him the story about her father

Matthew also found out why Alastair had been so mean in school and that Matthew can't really partially blame him for what happened with Charlotte

Jesse glanced out the window. They were passing through Piccadilly Circus, nearly deserted at such a late hour. The statue of Eros in the center was lightly dusted with snow; a lone tramp slept upon the steps below it. “Don’t have too much hope, Lucie. Sometimes hope is dangerous.”

“Have you said that to Grace?”

Jesse shook his head. “She won’t listen.”

is there a possibility that Lucie won’t try to raise Jesse from the dead and instead tries to stop Grace from doing so? (the parallels between this and qoaad are uncanny)

I don’t think that there is anything that will stop grace from trying to perform necromancy other than force

“I’ve been trying to hate you,” Thomas said quietly, “for what you did to Matthew. You richly deserve to be hated for what you have done.”

Alastair’s dark eyes glittered. “It wasn’t just his mother I slandered. It was your father, too. You know it. So you don’t have to—to act all high-minded about this. Stop pretending you are only upset on behalf of Matthew. Hate me on your own behalf, Thomas.”

he is calling him Thomas!!! Ahhhh! (so they’re probably alone)

Thomas doesn’t really hate Alastair at this point but also hasn’t fully forgiven him

at least he hasn’t thrown Alastair into the themes 

maybe Thomas is trying to suppress the fact that Alastair also wronged Thomas’s own family and it’s easier for him to direct his attention to Matthew’s family?

His golden eyes were fixed on her, fierce as a hawk’s gaze. She said, "It doesn’t matter what I said. I wanted them to leave you alone —"

"I don’t believe you," he said. She could feel the slight tremors running through his body — tremors of stress, that meant he was holding himself very still. Holding himself back. "You don’t say things you don’t mean, Daisy —"

Okay now, what did she say? I’m guessing something quite flattering or that she loved him maybe?

also, who didn’t want to leave James alone? Some bigoted Enclave members?

is James trying to fight against the bracelet’s spell? Or is he breaking Cordelia’s heart yet again?

James closed his eyes. Against the back of his eyelids, he could see the city take shape—the minarets flung darkly against a blue sky, the silver river. Cordelia’s voice, low and familiar, rose above the clamor of his nightmare. He followed it out of the darkness, like Theseus following the length of thread out of the Minotaur’s labyrinth. And it was not the first time. Her voice had lifted him out of fever, once, had been his light in shadows. . . . A sharp pain spiked through his temples. He blinked his eyes open: he was firmly back in the present, his friends all looking at him worriedly. Cordelia had already moved away from him, leaving behind the lingering scent of jasmine. He could still feel where her fingers had rested against his shoulder.

JORDELIA! (Sorry; I just had to get that out)

What city is this? One in a demon dimension?

And does James have some kind of visions now? Interesting...

I love the connection between James and Cordelia

Apparently, the gracelet is trying to suppress James's feelings and memories of Cordelia...but please tell me he notices here that he is in love with her?

Also, Cordelia is trying to stay away from James :(

Hands caught his wrists; he was hauled up roughly, an arm around his back. he smelled brandy and cologne.

“Matthew,” he said, in a dry voice. “James needs water,” Christopher said. “Do we have any water?” “Never touch the stuff,” said Matthew, settling James onto the long sofa. He sat down next to him, staring so intently into James’s face that, despite everything, James had to stifle a laugh. “I’m fine, Matthew,” said James. “Also, I don’t know what you expect to discover by looking into my eyeball.”

Okay WHAT IS UP with James in the latest snippets?!? I NEED answers!

Is James follwing in his father's footsteps? Regarding drugs you know...

Also, Matthew has a tendency to stare into Jame's face (not that I blame him)

Christopher!

Okay, I'm devestated that James knows it's Matthew because he smells of alcohol. I'm NOT okay!

Also, what kind of stuff is this?

“You should have told us,” said Thomas. “We would have helped you move your things. I’m exceptionally good at carrying large objects.” “And think of all those hairbrushes you would have had to relocate,” Lucie said. “Haven’t you got six or seven?” Matthew glowered at her affectionately. “I try to be at least as stylish as our local ghosts.”

I think it's clear that Matthew just moved and didn't tell any of his friends of his plans...Why Matthew, why?

Also, Thomas and Lucie are just so wholesome how they try to brighten the situation with their comments

Sooooo, is Thomas also good at carrying people *cough*Alastair*cough*, just asking...?

How many Hairbrushes does one need? Seriously, what kind of purpose do seven hairbrushes serve?

Don't worry Matthew, only Magnus can beat your stylishness

That’s all for now! Should I add anything else in your opinion?