STOP THE PRESSES HOLD THE PHONE AND THE HORSES - I AM CRYING HAPPY TEARS BECAUSE...

[red_satin_doll]

1) One of my dear friends gave me a paid account through 2016. (2016, y'all!) AND...

2) A second dear friend here in this fandom offered to extend my paid account and was ready to do so, AND...

3) Another beloved friend would if they could, AND....

I am really just stunned by the love and generosity of my friends here, I hardly know what to say except "THANK YOU." Thank you, thank you - and there WILL be polls, I swear! I will take advantage of that feature! (And I don't have to give up any of my userpics! *flings confetti*)

 When I first got into this fandom a couple of years ago I wished that I was "part of the crowd", or  that I'd been in fandom "back in the day" thinking I'd missed something. No. I'm right where I need to be when I need to be.  It's not about being part of a "clique", it's about clicking with people because we like and respect and love one another. I'm really not sure how I've been lucky enough to find so many wonderful friends here - who are as "real" to me as any so-called "real life friends"; you ARE my friends, full stop.) But I'm ever so grateful to have found my way here.

I wish I could pay this forward to someone else and feel mortified that I'm unable to now. Especially for two of my lovely homegirls kikimay (who has a basic account and would like a paid account) and clockwork_hart1 (whose gift account will be expiring very soon.) Since I can't do myself, perhaps someone else can?

BTW clockwork_hart1 casually mentioned that she wanted to write a meta about the Gift/Chosen and why she prefers Chosen as the ending to Buffy's story - and then posted it today, "The Hardest Thing in this World is to Live in It.". She's passionate and articulate and right-on; and I just want to pump my fist in the air and shout "YES!" As she said to me one time "I don't want Buffy's legacy to be the hole she leaves in the ground." This meta also goes into why female martyrdom as a plot device is deeply problemmatic. Go read it.

I AM ALSO CRYING BECAUSE....

4) I finally read velvetwhip's fic "Soft and Pink and So Very Sad" and it's one of the loveliest things I've ever read. Mr Gordo, post-The Gift. Gabrielle rec'd it to me as one of her own favorites and I'm glad she did. She should be proud of it, it's a heartbreaker. Grief and confusion, the ways our identity is tied up in someone else, but also powerlessness - it's a theme that the show often touches upon but Gabrielle's story takes it to the limit. This is how absolute helplessness feels, in the person of a stuffed pink pig. So ok, maybe not such happy tears with that one but more it feels good to cry, knowhatimean? (Euclid approves as well - he thinks she got Mr Gordon's voice exactly right. He's quite particular about such things.)

It makes an oddly appropriate thematic pairing with beer_good_foamy's S6 fic "Building Character" . Yes, it does. Read them both, then think about it a moment...I'll wait...See what I mean?

Comments

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

And Faith needs to be in there somewhere as sister slayer. Or Faith/Dawn - yeah that's a thing with me. (I'm fine with Willow being with Kennedy or Oz or Angel or whomever - not really fussed about that.)

And he and Miss Kitty would make a terrific couple

I'm - having very strange mental images right now.

[rbfvid.livejournal.com]

And I'm making some really strange google searches... Spike is the one who is paired LITERALLY with anyone, there MUST be a fic...

[rbfvid.livejournal.com]

Well, no luck with Spike/Kitty so far, but this Dawn/Faith story is absolutely wonderful: Down Memory Lane by snickfic.

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Snickfic? that's all I need to know! Did you read her Drusilla/Buffybot story "Tea Parties"?

[rbfvid.livejournal.com]

Yes, it's one of my favorites. And always feel free to rec any strange pairings to me, I have a thing for that kind of fics (or vids, or art))
Speaking of vids: The Buffy Odd Couples - Accidentally In Love by humblequill, if you by any chance haven't seen it)

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

BTW, Down Memory Lane is reallly lovely. but that's no surprise. thank you for rec'ing it.

Speaking of vids: The Buffy Odd Couples - Accidentally In Love by humblequill, if you by any chance haven't seen it)

No I haven't! the Giles/Angel and Joyce/Xander parts made me laugh so hard - and not many fanvids make me laugh. (I think humor is very - particular? Drama is hard, tragedy is harder, comedy is damn near impossible.)

Is that a thing btw, in fanfiction- Giles and Angel slash? (Surely there must be.)

Speaking of funny fanvids, Velvetwhip rec'd an Angel crack vid "My West Hollywood Lifestyle" by jcub from 2006, have you seen? (the video doesn't start until about 13 seconds.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kanEF17a0cM

[rbfvid.livejournal.com]

Yes, comedy is is the hardest of them all. And thanks for the "West Hollywood Lifestyle", it's wonderful)

As to Angel/Giles - I had read a bit of that, it's usually is written as dark rapefic (hello, Angelus; hi, Ripper). But there are Leaking Ghosts by voleuse and 3 Times Angel Seduced One of the Scoobies, 1 Time He Didn't, and 1 Time Angelus Helped Him by emeraldswan. (The latter one is quite porny with some "demons made them do it" dub-con.)

Also, Grief That Does Not Speak by estepheia is absolutely great, but it's Angel&Giles, not Angel/Giles.

Edited to fix the link and "former\latter" mixup =).