My Corner of Buffyverse Fandom and Welcome To It

[red_satin_doll]

Click on all images below to view full-size (They don't look at all right downsized. 'tis most distressing.) All artwork by me unless otherwise noted.






Gift from my amazing friend and a jewel of this fandom spikesredqueen for my birthday (Feb 2015, not snaggable)




       

"Winged Buffy" banner, a gift from the fantastically talented and generous comlodge, (June 2013, not snaggable)

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*My LJ is Hugs Central (mostly.)  Appropriate and consensual ones, of course. Safety and fun are at a premium here, so play nice with one another. Leave the weapons at the door, wipe your feet on the mat, and help yourself to some tea and homemade cookies.

...by any other name. (June 2014)

* Buffy is my Big Damn Hero and my #1 HBIC - because she's flawed and human and real. Because she loves deeply; she falls down but still fights, she grieves and endures, again and again. Because she breaks the rules and finds another way; because of her intelligence, intuition and wit. Because in watching her I identify with my own issues and strengths, and have a renewed appreciation for my mom as well.

* Because in talking about her with other fans, in telling my story through her, in voicing my truth, I discover that I'm not alone in my challenges, faults, and grief; that I don't have to be imprisoned by secrets and shame; and in sharing this, I can bring comfort to others. And because at the end of the day, Buffy gives me hope; and sometimes that's enough to make getting out of bed in the morning worthwhile. And because she is just so freakin' adorable, y'all.

 

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Keep Her Safe (alt 1) (March 2015)

* I love intelligent discussion of , and appreciation for , the ladies of the verse and their complex interrelationships  at the core of the 'verse: mothers, sisters, mentors, students, friends, lovers, enemies, allies. The Buffyverse without it's women would be a cold, barren place:  ("that bright optimism that becomes a great, raw wound-red in The Body" - the_royal_anna ). They bear witness to one another, the hurt one another when they don't mean to, they love even when it's difficult and painful to do so.

* And yes, this also includes Kennedy. No vitriol. No joke.  (Tara would not approve of the hate. A lot of the complaints I've seen about her are suspicously close to those lobbed at Buffy, btw.) Entitled? Yes. Arrogant? Uh-huh - and also loyal, courageous, stubborn and gentle. She's a "queer woman of color..that is allowed to be the hero."

* The Buffy & Tara friendship/connection is one of the most underappreciated aspects of the 'verse IMO. This WILL be rectified. I don't ship Buffy/Tara, but if that's what it takes to get fandom talking about them? A fangirl's gotta do what a fangirl's gotta do. (ETA 2014: I have seen the light of the true religion: Buffy/Tara shipping. I ship those girls so freakin' hard. Now say amen, somebody.)

My OTF/P (August 2014)

*In fact, let's just say "No bashing female characters, period." There's plenty of other places to do that, if that's your thing. The show's failures in terms of the depictions of women, of female sexuality, the lack of mature female characters, the massive fail in terms of race and class? Always up for intelligent, civil discussion and examination.

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* OTOH, I do reserve the right to bitch about call out their shit criticize objectively analyze and take issue with certain whiny, self-absorbed males on the series and their collective patronizing jackassery. Don't get me wrong, I can understand them, sympathize with them, and so forth. Xander trying to be a "better man" than his father? Even when he gets it wrong? I heartily approve. (I'll still call him out on his shit, though.) It's simple math: Grow up, get real or go home. Also I welcome any and every opportunity to make fun of Angel.  Particularly when penguins are involved.  As well they should be.

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I Walk Alone, another beautiful gift from comlodge based on her FFL picspam series for Round 18 of seasonal_spuffy.


 

* I 'ship Buffy&Spike S7 . Love in action is the hardest, most painful and most worthwhile work we can ever do - and IMO it trumps "true love" romantic fantasies every time. (That said, I fully support the right to ship Buffy with anyone you damn well please.) But he is not my central focus here. Nor are any of the men of the 'verse, except in terms of how they serve Buffy's story.  It turns out the protagonist of the "Buffyverse" is some gal named Buffy.  Weird, huh?

Comments

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

What I didn't add was that I do, however, love Spuffy in Season 7

Ah, gotcha! If you hang around me for any length of time (1 minute or less) you will discover that I can be pretty dense and need things clarified. Occasionally with a shovel. Though I prefer tea and cookies.

Yes, this.

Sorry, Angel. Not sorry.

Have you watched ATS yet?

Nope. I'm going to have to someday, I know. I watched kaymickbee's video brave new world with a snippet of Cordy suffering from a vision headache, and a clip from You're Welcome and I could NOT stop crying. I know the storylines and I'm just not up for it right now. (Besides, we had an apartment fire in August and I'm still dealing with the ptsd and - Excuses? I got 'em.)

what does YMMV mean?

"your mileage may vary" Not stupid at all, I constantly ask people what various acronyms mean

Joss had like between 3-6 characters that he could have done way more with, and that could have been more explained and more nuanced, that he just dropped the ball on. Xander is one, Tara is another. Faith is one. I feel like we get involved in Willow, but still...her main motivation is sketchy at best.

100% agreement. I was excited early in S7 when it seemed like we were going to get a lot more Buffy and Dawn interaction and...then we didn't. (Am I the only person who enjoyed the setting of the new high school?) And damn but I loved Cassie. Loved what she brought out in Buffy and in Dawn; she was a proto-Potential and she would have fit beautifully. I get what DA POINT of killing her was, but... But then I'll still defend S7, like, I see all the flaws, I acknowledge them but I enjoy the stuff I enjoy anyway. I keep my eyes open for good fanfic that rewrites the season (Not just Spuffy) but in fact I haven't seen a lot and that surprises me.

Tara/Anyone Male or Male-Identified does kind of squick me because she's pretty clear in Season Five about her feelings on being with men

I thought the show was tremendously clear about that. I love the idea of Tara being alive in S7 and being in the episode Him and being the one woman to NOT fall under RJ's spell, like Cordy in BB&B but obviously for a different reason. And I guess I have a personal thing: here's one of the very few truly lesbian characters on American television. There are thousands of straight characters people can play with, so leave me the few lesbian characters I've got, pretty please and don't press her into heteronormative standards?

I like Giles/Joyce, and because I'm a little fond of Giles/Anya.

I ship Giles with: Jenny, Joyce, Olivia, Anya, even with Willow if it's later seasons or post-series. (It's canon! She used to have a crush on him! Heck you can see her crushing on him in the early seasons.) But Buffy? I do not get that one AT ALL. Oh, i forgot the link to Eurydice's story but maybe you already read it? It's really post-season Spuffy but Xander is the actual protagonist and the author writes Dawn as mature and sharp and the pairing really works in this story, she writes all the characters so well: http://archiveofourown.org/works/959307/chapters/1878873

my BTVS/ATS fics are about rewriting key events in the show so that Faith can be good and Willow can be a powerful, good, character - and we get to find out who both of these women are. :) :)

*adds to reading list*

Faith/Dawn is one I do think could be realistic after Chosen.

As long as I am enjoying the story, I'm pretty easy (the previously listed no-nos aside) I was going to try to ship Faith and Buffy but then realized I really ship Faith/Dawn, or at least I started writing them without intending to. Hey I'm just the author here. Oh I forgot my other no-no ship: Dawn and Andrew. ANDREW? REALLY? first he is SOOOOOO gay (I don't care about AtS) and IMO I just don't - I can't. She is MILES above that twerp.


I'm really enjoying this convo btw!