Tsunami of Polls #1 : Any interest in a comm devoted to Buffy and the women of the Buffyverse?

[red_satin_doll]

#1 - Thank you to whomever gifted me with a temporary paid account last month. Now I can create polls! Oh wonderful Anonymous Benefactor, you have no idea what you have unleashed upon this fandom.

#2 - Thanks also the the lovely velvetwhip for coming up with the insanely awesome title/tag phrase "tsunami of polls" and allowing me to snag it.

***************

The other day I was having a conversation with wickedbish in which I may have mentioned that most fandoms and fandom activity, in my experience, are focused primarily on the male characters. I assumed this was common knowledge. Except that he didn't know that. Because, you see, Ryan's favorite character is Willow (see #2 in his list of "13 Witches I Fucking Love"); he still mourns Tara (as do I; shared grief is comforting) and Buffy is one of his heros. The Gift has convinced him to not commit suicide "so many times". He's all about the ladies, bless.

You know what they say about "assuming".

Oops.

 Then clockwork_hart1 (Lucy) popped into the conversation and in her brilliant, enthusiastic way suggested the idea of a comm dedicated to Buffy, the other women in the 'verse and their interrelationships - complete with a name (Summers Blood) and a banner (she's working on it - is there no end to the young woman's talents?) and three-part harmony. What that might actually look like or what interest there would actually be in such a thing was a matter of conjecture. So I'm channeling my inner Willow (Research Gal) for my very first poll.

What say you, Gentle Reader? Based just on the title of this post, you probably know who you are and how you stand.

(And as this is my first poll, please let me know if it functions ok. And I apologize for the wonky formatting. The LJ instructions for poll-making are vague and confusing at best. So says I.)

[Poll #1955410][Poll #1955410]

Comments

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Meta pretty! This looks excellent because the issue of "pronoun" is exactly what bedeviled me here - I thought about putting lllyria, hesistated then forgot. I haven't watched AtS which also accounts for the blindspot, I don't have an emotional connection whereas I always think of the Buffybot as "she" just out of habit.

Thank you for your thoughts on this!

[endeni]

Eh, no problem! I think this sort of gender debacle only adds more flavour and interest to a character, doesn'it? ;)

Oh wait, and what do you mean you didn't watch Ats? Like at all? T_T

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Oh wait, and what do you mean you didn't watch Ats? Like at all? T_T

I actually have reasons. Last year (or before the apartment fire in August) I felt that I didn't want to watch potentially interesting female characters die and end up with a series dominated by men, I'd grown up with that my entire life so...I wanted to spend more time with Buffy and Co and put it off.

Then last year after the house fire it brought up some old trauma stuff which I'm dealing with ok, but I've gotten more sensitive about some things; then I saw some vids with clips from You're Welcome and A Hole in The World and could NOT stop crying. And I'm still mourning Tara (I've never mourned a fictional character before so I KNOW how weird that sounds) and I just - can't go through that process again. Not yet.

Excuses, I have 'em.

[endeni]

Oh, my dear... Sorry, I didn't mean to sound judgemental! And I totally understand about mourning fictional characters, I'm still sad over... well, a character's death in Ats (Joss being Joss and all that it's hardly surprising...) but I just realized if you haven't watched the series the name counts as a spoiler LOL - Anyway, thank goodness for fanworks, fixing all kinds of troublesome canons! :)
And you're right, Ats is far too male-dominated compared to BtVS, but oh, it has such an epic scope! Bad VS evil, free will VS destiny, plus the tragedy is so delicious... What can I say, I'm such a sucker for it... *_*

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

OMG NO, I didn't think you were judgemental at all! I didn't mean to imply that you were. I've just been asked so many times about it (ok, maybe a handful of times) and never had a really ready explanation until recently. I mean, the other day I saw tara in my head and started crying about her (there was a fic there, I'm sure it was the seed of a fic - or something) and I realized that no, I'm really not ready to watch Cordy get destroyed. (And then clockwork_hart1 told me the other day about how A Hole in the Word broke her heart and I was all, no no nooooo.....

But thank you for being so concerned, that's so sweet - it's all good really m'dear.

& I've actually read quite a bit of spoilers for the show inadventently, when I first started reading about btvs and found I really couldn't avoid them. Mostly I don't mind. And I've heard over and over what a great character wes is on their, and Angel gets more interesting, and Cordy becomes really awesome - and Lorne, I've written Lorne into fanfic already without watching the show, how crazy is that?

so - is there a way to skip over the heartbreaking shit altogether maybe to enjoy the good stuff? Because there does sound like some really good stuff in there that I'm sure I'd enjoy.

[endeni]

LOL, not crazy at all! Lorne is just a law unto himself! :)
Well, let me think, I could steer you towards the handful of really happy/funny eps. Or towards the perfect fics&metas the fix everything that ended up wrong...

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Please! I'd be totally up for those recs!

[endeni]

Ok, let's see... About the episodes, I'm thinking definitely the last three eps of season 2, in which our heroes end up magically transported to a demonic version of the land of Oz (LOL). They have great adventures, Cordelia becomes a princess and in the end they come all back home safe and sound. Plus Fred, yay! (Only to find Willow waiting for them at the hotel to tell them of Buffy's death, but, whatever, we already know she gets better...)
Also "Disharmony" from season 2 is total comedy...
And "Dad" from season 3 is all full to busting with family and found!family feels.
And, well, I admit the truly happy episodes get a bit rare during the last seasons, with the exception perhaps of "Harm's Way" in season 5, thank goodness for Harmony bringing in the fun! Oh, and "Smile Time" (also season 5) with puppet!Angel, how could I forget? :D

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

*jots down episodes* I was wondering if you were going to include Smile Time. (Angel becomes a puppet - this sounds pretty fantastic to me, but I love goofy Angel. I also love making fun of Angel.)

I'm also interested in the Faith & Wesley interactions, and Faith's continuing arc. Any recommendations? I've seen Five by Five and Sanctuary but it's been a while (I don't think I watched the one where she tortured Wes.)

Weirdly enough I said for the longest time that S6 of btvs was the one I was the most emotionally invested in (because of the depression storyline) but this past year? I just want to snuggle up to the comedy episodes (including Life Serial and OAFA - Tara is the Queen of Everything!) or warm and fuzzy parts of S7 (the end of Showtime, etc).

Oh and you mentioned fic and meta recs? :)

[endeni]

Regarding Faith & Wesley, the Wesley!torture do happens in Five by Five, maybe you removed that bit. Anyway if you've already watched both "Five by Five" and "Sanctuary" (such good stuff!), then the only Faith eps left are "Judgment" (just a brief cameo of Faith in prison) and the triad Salvage/Release/Orpheus in which Faith and Wes team up to stop a newly liberated Angelus. - Bear in mind, though, it's very powerful stuff and the eps. are very interconnected with the rest of season 4 arc (with some awful possessed Cordelia, sigh, but maybe you could fast-forward those bits). The character stuff is just brilliant though and there are some truly cult scenes. *_* There's also a Willow not-so-brief appearance so that in the end she can return to Sunnydale with Faith in time for BtVS last eps of season 7. ;)

Eheh, fic and meta recs are being compiled, have no fear... ;) I'm having some difficulty narrowing down my list... :D

[endeni]

About those meta recs:
Have you read "And When The Sky Was Opened: The Passion of Cordelia Chase" 1, 2 by eleusis_walks? His take on Cordelia as a saint is very original and goes a long way to reconcile oneself with canon. :) Actually, /all/ of eleusis_walks essays are awesome, like the one on Mystical Pregnancy on Ats (Blessed Art Thou Among Women: Female Identity and the Monstrous Womb in Angel: The Series) - its link seems to be inaccessible at the moment but I have a copy saved if you want.
On the epic scope of Ats: Black and White and Grey all over: the moral world of Angel, the series by Minim Calibre, Power Play by ros_fod.

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

META! *squees*

BTW I read paretti's meta last night (a little light bedtime reading) and you are right it's wonderful, thank you for the rec!

I adore that there's still stuff available to be read from "back in the day" - being so new to this fandom I love that it has a history, and the internet serves as a big library even though some of it is lost.

I have not read eleusis_walks meta on Cordy although I remember that it won "best meta" at the wicked awards two years ago. I think it was a combination of "I don't want to be spoiled" and "I can't even go there" *sniffle*

I thought his meta "Someone Has to Speak for Her" (racial politics in the Buffyverse) was absolutely superb in a "I wish I didn't agree with this but it's absolutely true" way. I've noticed the same thing though, that links I had previously aren't working. Huh.

[endeni]

Yay, glad you liked! Towards the end of the meta paratti writes "Illyria is a character that embodies agency.", and I just love this definition, I think it's her most striking quality: a female character (well, for a certain definition of the term, admittedly) who embodies agency - isn't that a sadly novel and thus very powerful concept?

Oh, I just adore eleusis_walks essays! The one about the cosmology of the Buffyverse just blew my mind. So sad most things are not available anymore. - And it's not even friend-locking 'cause he added me ages ago and I still can't access those links... *sighs* LOL, luckily I am obsessed like that and as I said I have everything (most things?) saved if you want. ;)

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

luckily I am obsessed like that and as I said I have everything (most things?) saved if you want

Sure if it's not too much trouble! Do you need my email addy?

[endeni]

And fics...

Some Illyria-loving...
A couple of fun crossovers:
Sometimes Blessings by voleuse - Illyria meets Jack Sparrow.
All Shall Love Me and Despair by MarcusRowland, Booster, Cutiepie, DonSample, dspeyer, Idmonscat, Ignotus, jrabbit, kentmagus & Shieldage - Crossover with The West Wing. There are problems for President Santos when a new candidate decides to run for office.
And a magical Dawn/Illyria futurefic: After the Endings by bruttimabuoni - When they kiss, it's like eternity.

AUs that make things better:
Demon Days by trolllogicfics - Snatches from the world where Doyle grew up demon. (Doyle/Cordelia)
Of All the Wonders That I Yet Have Heard by girlpire - Angel: Well, you'll do the only thing that you can do. - You'll have it. You'll have it and then... / Darla: What? We'll raise it? / Angel: Why not? (Angel/Darla)
Out of Time by trolllogicfics - When Connor takes the wrong portal out of Quortoth, the bewildered members of the original Angel Investigations have to figure out how to deal with it. (gen)
Dreaming In Blue by uberaeryn - But her beauty, however, did not change the fact that she’d fallen in love with his stapler and was now insisting on stapling every piece of paperwork that came into his office, whether it needed to be stapled or not. (Angel/Spike, Wesley/Illyria)
A Fight So Old by anythingbutgrey - Lilah is Angel's liaison to the Senior Partners. (Wesley/Lilah)

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Here's a fic rec for you - "Spikeid" by quinara

Post NFA "Spuffy/gen" epic poem (you read that right) with lots of OC and a very strong role for Illyria; in fact she's the most interesting thing in the story IMO and her characterization in this story fit very neatly with Paretti's meta.
http://archiveofourown.org/works/1922/chapters/2315

[endeni]

Oh, yay, that's totally new to me! Possibly because I don't read Spike/Buffy very frequently, but if it's gen-ish all the better! *g* I'll go save it for later!!
Also, boy, that's impressive, 50000 words of poetry?!? O_o Can't wait to read!

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

quinara is one of my all-time favorite writers, no lie ("What it is to Burn" is fantasticallly meta); and Spikeid is definitely one of those fics I find myself having to go back to over and over, reading little bits and slowly going in deeper. Definitely rewarding, and has some great OC Slayers, Anne, Gunn, Willow and Kennedy.

But, oh, Illyria...she's the emotional centerpiece of it IMO.

[endeni]

Oh, I can't wait! I've downloaded the epub into my new Kobo, maybe I'll read it a bit tonight before going to sleep... (Boy, how much I love my ebook reader! :D)

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Oh, I can't wait! I've downloaded the epub into my new Kobo, maybe I'll read it a bit tonight before going to sleep... (Boy, how much I love my ebook reader! :D)

Whoa, whoa you're making me look stuff up again! *lol*

Ok, so - you can download documents from AO3 into a kindle-type reader?

I know nothing about these things. I love the physicality of paper books so much (esp for bedtime reading) I can't even imagine using a kindle. And I read on the big desktop all the time - but in short spurts.

[endeni]

OMG, sorry I'm not doing it on purpose I swear... :D
Yes, that's exactly what I meant. Isn't AO3 really neat? ;) I read at the computer too and actual paper books of course, but the e-book reader is so practical! You can put tons and tons of stuff in it (be it fics or pro-novels or whatever) and you can carry it all with you in your purse everywhere, so that you can snatch a few minutes of fandom whenever you have the time & inclination. :)
Also the font dimension (like most things) is adjustable so it's ideal for people like my mom who struggle with books in smaller print, plus they're made with a particular kind of screen that's not stressful to the eyes so that the experience is very similar to the one of reading an actual book. ♥♥

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Huh, wow, they should hire you - you're a great salesperson! Because I just went from total apathy to "hmm, maybe I should check this out..." The thing about the eyes is kind of a thing now for me; suddenly my eyesight's deteriorating to the point I really should look into bifocals *ugh*

I haven't fully explored what AO3 can do yet - I've bookmarked stuff and linked occasionally back to this journal, but not posted anything there myself. I like the visually clean, legible format VERY much, esp compared to ff.net.

[endeni]

LOL and I don't even get paid. :D
What can I say, I just love it! ♥

AO3 is just super! As I've said, I'm obsessed with saving/bookmarking stuff and I'm overjoyed every time I find that a classic author is putting their stuff on the site or an old archive gets absorbed by the AO3 instead on dying away.

[eilowyn.livejournal.com]

Your reasons are my reasons why I have yet to do a rewatch that was scheduled a year and a half ago.

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

I guess we could have a "traumatized by AtS (or Traumatized by Joss) Rewatch Club? The veterans can hold the newbies hands and we can skip the really unhappy stuff?

Of course I had been spoiled for Tara's death ten years ago because it was a mainstream news item but I've watched plenty of movies and tv shows where people die - I've lived through the deaths of family members. So - I could handle it...right?

I had no clue whatsoever.