red_satin_doll | The Tuesday edition of "I HAVE BEEN TERRIBLY, SORELY REMISS FOR NOT..."

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The Tuesday edition of "I HAVE BEEN TERRIBLY, SORELY REMISS FOR NOT..."

1) Thanking: My personal Miss Psycho Pep Squad

velvetwhip. For reasons. For everything.

Everyone who has helped me learn how to improve my art skillz:

chasingdemons and

comlodge,

spikesredqueen,

rua1412,

eilowyn, and

kwritten for introducing me to ipiccy in the first place. (If I've forgotten anyone please forgive me.) Ok, I did some thankin' yesterday but it bears repeating. The sheer GENEROSITY of folks in this fandom is overwhelming. My real life has been all kinds of suckitude; being here on LJ, diving into making art (aka keeping myself distracted) has been my bliss.Comlodge,

debris4spike, and Chasingdemons all checked out ipiccy to make comparisons with gimp/PS and give me their reactions.

2) Pimpage happens here: My homegirl

eilowyn made me an incredible gift: a Buffy Summers fanmix, with musical tracks by Coldplay, Florence Welch, Imogene Heap, Regina Spektor, Metric and more; with incredible "album cover" art. I'm listening to it right now for the umpteenth time - Rilo Kiley's heartbreaker "A Better Son/Daughter" as a matter of fact. Perfect song for Buffy - keep fighting, keep smiling, keep hauling that load even if it kills you (and it certainly will). The entire mix is everything Buffy is - brave, frightened, loving, determined, uncertain, strong - everything all of us are: human. (Speaking of, "Human" by the Cinematics puts me in mind of Spike, actually, but that may be partly because of the lead male vocals. "I've been breaking my back with the weight of your heart." Break my heart now, why don'cha?) I'm not sure what I did to deserve such a wonderful gif but I'm grateful - and already addicted to it.

clockwork_hart1's "Conclusive Etymology of a Summers" is a lovely and tender portrait of Buffy's relationship with language beyond my ability to do justice with my own words: her wit, her stubborness, her intelligence, her hope; her silence in response to the fears that grip her heart. This story completely owns my heart, so here's a piece of mine: my first fanfiction poster.

Etymology version 1 (Lucy&#39;s favorite)

I am so happy with how this came out. SO happy and proud. As in, close-to-tears-happy. I didn't plan it in advance, it snuck up me while I was working on something else, and just came together with hardly any effort. That's the way it always seems to be. I'm wrestling with fear, self-doubt and sense of failure in my RL, but - I can do this now. I can do this.

pickamix generously offered suggestions for a more slender font style, which I tried to replicate here; I love both variations.

Go read Lucy's fic, it's beyond wonderful. Then check out her multi-fandom icons and her other fics, including the delightful Buffyverse/Whoverse crossovers: the sensual "Teaching the Stars how to Set Themselves on Fire" (Dawn/Amy Pond); two Buffy/River Song fics, the funny/sexy "Straight on 'til Morning" and the answer to my request for "more, please" with it's prequel: "Greet Me with Nights and Summer"; Buffy/River Song plus wise, wry Dawn, slightly-befuddled Faith, a shout-out to Tara, badass women with swords and an apocalypse-y setting. What more could I desire?

kikimay's fics and fanvideo: The epilogue to her post-series Fuffy fic Eros which is incredibly sweet and has a lovely Buffy/Giles scene. Fluffy Fuffy can be hard to get right, but if you've been reading along, Kiki makes sure it's well-earned. Our beloved Slayers deserve a little happiness, oui? (the entire story is rated NC-17 but this chapter is safely teen and up.) Her second fan video, "Bad Habit" takes on a serious subject: the ways that the Buffyverse women punish themselves and "self-mutilate" either literally or symbolically. It's been a while since I've seen a truly meta buffy fanvid that engaged larger social and psychological issues. She says she has plans to make a third video, inspired by "Conclusive Etymology of a Summers". I approve of this plan.

beer_good_foamy's latest btvs S6 fic, "Building Character" (thank you

kikimay!) that rewrites S6 and Buffy's resurrection in a way that is probably more realistic - and subtly horrifying, or at least extremely ambiguous - than canon. It also builds on a series-wide subtext that becomes text in S5 - the "constructed" or created individual, the "doll" (shades of the Buffybot, April and Dawn). The gang tries to put Buffy together again, however much they think they "know" her, how much is unknown and left blank?

Don't forget to vote at slayerstillness Challenge 27, Hair Porn; deadline is midnight tonight, the 8th, in your time zone. And check out the beautiful

btvsats20in20 entries for two Season 5 episodes by

starry_night

starry_night (Intervention) and

iconsoleander (The Body). Deadline for Round 2 entries is tomorrow, and I'll be able to start my entry post as soon as I get this post up. (The word "gulp" comes to mind.)

3) Finally, Wishing spuffy_luvr a belated Happy Birthday (July 1st.) She hasn't been active in fandom since last fall, as far as I can tell, so I am also remiss in not dropping her a line because I miss her presence, the conversations and rants about: Spuffy canon vs fanon, fandom, politics, pretty much anything and everything - she brings intelligent, wit, and an independent, iconoclastic, no-nonsense attitude to everything in her sights. And the fic: she's known for her long Spuffy works but excels also at funny, sexy, tender Spuffy ficlets in which both partners in the 'ship are treated with affection and respect. The "it could have been canon" series she wrote for

sb_fag_ends in October is all kinds of wonderful, and includes meta as well as fic. "No Earthly Remains" is something of a departure, focusing on Willow, Faith and Buffy post-Chosen; it stands next to

kwritten's "You're Here, Too?" (Buffy, Anya, Willow) as one of my favorite fics dealing with the friendships of btvs' women, and Buffy's trauma and grief after the fall of Sunnyhell.

ETA: "Conciusive Etymology" poster Nominee for Best Banner in Wicked Awards Round 11:

A vague disclaimer is nobody's friend: It goes without saying but just in case: "Don't even think about stealing or defacing my artwork or ye will be plagued by boils and all manner of afflictions". The Miss Psycho Pep Squad icon is totally snaggable however. Have a nice day!

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User

rahirah referenced to your post from Sunday July 6 - Tuesday July 8 (http://su-herald.livejournal.com/733215.html) saying: [...] Fic Banner [...]

Have I mentioned what a dear, dear friend you are? Just checking.

I believe you've said something along those lines. (Your gift speaks VOLUMES.)

And have I mentioned how proud of you I am?

OMG with the recc'ing me - THANK YOU. (you're recc'ing a crossover for a fandom you aren't in and I'm so beyond honoured that you're even reading those stories and Buffy/River is still REALLY MPORTANT)

eilowyn's fanmix was beyond gorgeous, wasn't it? And the same goes for both Kiki and beer_good's fics - the fuffy was fluffy and delicious, and the resurrection story gave my heart pause; so gut wrenching and stark. Everything is both painful and wonderful in the fandom.

I need to go watch Kiki's video, check out the icon goodness and read all the post-Chosen friendship fics

(which reminds me of something I started and lost ages ago about Buffy post-Chosen, Tara grief, possibly Faith and body art that I might have to try and rewrite now that it's been wiped from the great hard-drive crash of April)

I LOVE YOU, you know that, right?

I've really gotten into crossovers lately -Buffy and mal, Buffy and Loki, etc As long as the writers love and respect both partners and it's good writing. I'm a Buffy fan I want to enjoy myself, not feel as though I'm being hit between the shoulders all the time, knowhatimean?

I'm so beyond honoured that you're even reading those stories

You're an amazing writer, full stop. The honor is mine.

And Eilowyn is also amazing and this took me totally by surprise because I've only seen her write, and research or nonfiction at that. Beautiful, thoughtful, everything.

the fuffy was fluffy and delicious, and the resurrection story gave my heart pause; so gut wrenching and stark. Everything is both painful and wonderful in the fandom.

PERFECT description of both stories.

Have you read mabus33's Buffybot, Willow & Tara AU story (metem)psychosis? If you haven't you should. Very - dark.
http://mabus101.livejournal.com/125867.html
http://mabus101.livejournal.com/125867.html

bout Buffy post-Chosen, Tara grief, possibly Faith and body art that I might have to try and rewrite

Wait, WHAT IS THIS I MUST KNOW. I actually wrote a rough draft of a story last fall after the house fire - Buffy on the streets of LA right after Chosen, considering getting a tattoo and remember an afternoon she spent in front of a tat parlour in SD with Tara. It's all kinds of rough and I should try to do something with it. And so should you if you can. Yours will be better. (And I just had an idea for a fic poster....)

I LOVE YOU, you know that, right?

And you know I love you. That isn't even a question.

I adore crossovers, but I need them to be well done and believable - I need talented writers otherwise they can be a huge mess.

I have not read those stories but I need to and I will in a second.

It was a thought I had that I never quite got down and my rough draft was lost. I love yours. I might write that, if it's permissible? (And is it weird that I want Faith holding her hand?)

The circle of love is infinite.

Write whatever you like sweetie, it will be yours and not mine. And then maybe I'll write mine? Faith wasn't in mine, Buffy was alone in LA, although I really like the idea of Faith being with her. Faith and Buffy late seasons or post-season friendship is my crack (what comics?) (I wrote it when I was feeling delicate after the housefire and had occasional visions of Buffy hearing Tara's voice or seeing her pass like a ghost. And cried a lot.)

(And is it weird that I want Faith holding her hand?)

No why would that be weird? The handoff of the scythe (and the scene on the porch at the end of Empty Places) are two of my favorite moments in the series. But so is the perverted "handfasting" of TYG/WAY (contrasted to W/T joining hands in Hush and WAY); those hand imagery moments are so important and so overlooked (especially in comparison to Buffy and her menz.) Buffy is the Hand - and so is Faith.

And I just love the shift in their relationship. LOVE IT. Buffy in tears on the front porch giving up leadership to Faith, thinking of the girls and protecting them at her lowest moment, (do NOT tell me she's a coldhearted unfeeling bitch people DO NOT) and Faith doing her best to keep her unspoken "promise to a lady". Fandom goes on and on about the transition and changes in the Spuffy relationship, but Buffy and Faith don't get enough attention.

Edited 2014-07-10 03:12 (UTC)

I'd love to do this. Hopefully I'll get round to it, because I adore this image.

I always want sister slayer interactions and bonding. Hold on through the pain. I like it as a mirror to the Spuffy flames of Chosen and inverting the TYG/WAY image, as well as the tattoo as a memento mori for Tara, and the other lives lost.

With B/S vs B/F, I like the idea that these feelings don't have to be mutually exclusive.

Wow, thanks for the promotion about my The Body icons.
You're a sweetheart.

-Leander

You're welcome, I'm just doing my job! I love rec'ing stuff because - why not?

You are so wonderful, honey. Thank you for being you.

Have to concur with the recs!

The icon is so cute! And I still adore that banner of yours.

Gabrielle

*blushes* Glad you like the icon sweetie! (No one ever associated Tara's line from TR with The Witch cheerleading scene and it's so obvious right?) Except now I feel the need to make a better one. because I can.

and - I never know what to say to your kindness and love Gabrielle, you're a tremendous human being. Beyond the beyond.

Your banner is simply gorgeous, as I told you. Isn't it interesting how some pieces just fall together perfectly? It's always so much fun when that happens.

I'm always happy to chime in, because I love talking about making fanart, and it's always more fun when other people are doing it as well.

*hugs*

*HUGS BACK*

And I LOVE talking about this stuff, absolutely love it. I sent you another reply to something else, I think it's that writers are naturally good with words of course and so of course they talk about writing. Not all visual artists are comfortible talking about their work, so I think conversations have to be encouraged.

it's always more fun when other people are doing it as well.

For a long time making icons was a solitary thing for me - like the writing I shove in a drawer. I'm having a BLAST here.

Aw, thank you! :)

I'm around... just lurking. Lurking, lurking, lurking, and meanwhile trying hard not to get sucked back into the Buffyverse whilst I work on that whole original fiction thing. And hey, I've already received my first rejection letter, so I'm getting there!

Thanks for the shoutout! It prompted me to reread, and that reminded me that yes, I really do know how to put words together. It's been slow going these last few weeks - it can be hard to remain enthusiastic when the only comments you can expect on your writing for a good long while are 'thanks but no thanks'. I miss fanfic... Reviews have spoiled me, yo. But hey, I *do* have a story waiting in the wings - I wrote it months and months ago, in anticipation of Seasonal Spuffy. Which then went on indefinite hiatus... I think I might post it to the fagends ashtray if I don't see any signs of life from Seasonal Spuffy in the near future. Mostly because I really, really want to see *your* reactions to this story. Yes, you were the audience I wrote for this time. I may be lurking, but you are definitely in my thoughts. :)

HEY THERE YOU! *hugs you*

Yes, you were the audience I wrote for this time. I may be lurking, but you are definitely in my thoughts. :)

Oh my goodness I was? Really? I'm honored! *sits on hands* Even if you just post it to your site I'd love to read it!

Good for you for writing original fic and good luck with that manuscript! I haven't done that myself but my friend Kendra is a novelist and I get to see it through her - KEEP PLUGGING AT IT. You wil get a lot of rejections and then an acceptance out of nowhere. Stay strong, and believe your writing deserves to be seen.

Yes, you can put words together. In fact, you got better and better with every story you wrote cause that's how it works. It's about the craft and you're serious about your craft. I know that doesn't help when rejections come in. there is something warm and cozy about fandom isnt there? For all the crazymaking that's a part of it.

I apologize for not having a present for your birthday, a nice image or something. I've been tied up with the 20in20 and other things. After vacation next week I hope I'll have some ideas. I had you in mind when I made this for a slayerstillness challenge 24 but wasn't sure if you'd appreciate the irony - I assumed you would. You always get my snarky humor (it didn't win anything, go figure)

Well, I don't care if it didn't win anything, I find it very visually appealing. I have to admit I'm not so much into the icons and banners and all that, but I can enjoy looking at them. :) I see you've been getting into it - and winning all kinds of things. Go you for finding another way to share your awesome voice with us all.

Here is where I confess that I am this close to wearing-a-tinfoil-hat-paranoid. There is no way I would enter my real birthday on a public site like this, which made for interesting times last year when everybody started wishing me happy birthday, and I had no idea why. At least I was prepared for it this year. But think of it this way. You're still early! And one can never have enough birthday wishes, whether on the day itself or a few weeks early. Thank you!!

Edited 2014-07-11 06:24 (UTC)

Brilliant poster - you're always so good at picking images and effects that hint at a story beyond just that one moment, I love how I can't tell if Buffy's emerging from the haze or trying not to dissolve into it. I have to read CH's fic.

And thanks a lot for reccing! I'm really touched that so many people liked that fic, I really wasn't sure if it would work.

Silly, of course it works - you're a fantastic writer and one of my favorites in this fandom, don'cha know? I love that fine balance I associate with your work in it - the irony and humor dissolving into not-quite-horror-but definitely discomfort.

you're always so good at picking images and effects that hint at a story beyond just that one moment,

OH my gosh that means so much to me thank you! One of the reasons I love comlodge's artwork is because she tells stories with them, and I guess I want to emulate that.

I love how I can't tell if Buffy's emerging from the haze or trying not to dissolve into it. I have to read CH's fic.

And I love this description of it. (it probably explains why I kept adjusting the softness and sharpness and had a hard time deciding between variations - she could come forward or disappear and it still worked. But I hadn't articulated why meta-wise.)

You really should read Lucy's work - any and all of it.

You are definetly the big godmother of the fandom. Look how many things you make us see! And thanks for the recs! Very kind.

Godmother? Oh wow, that's an honor! I've only been here two years and I don't know about "The" Godmother. Look at all the rec posts petzipellepingo and velvetwhip write.

Thank you for sharing all the shiny recs! I'm excited to explore the things I haven't seen yet.

Also, beautiful work on that banner, darling. I can see how you would be proud of it! It's gorgeous!

Enjoy the recs sweetie!

And it's hard for me to be proud of my own stuff, actually, to feel good about what i do so this feels like, yes, this was perfect. I don't know how it happened.

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The Tuesday edition of "I HAVE BEEN TERRIBLY, SORELY REMISS FOR NOT..."

Sunday July 6 - Tuesday July 8

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