#I just..... they're all buffy's. to me. y'know?

[camellcat]

tearing my pillow to shreds with my teeth I am TRYING to read fuffy and wuffy fics sooo bad. so much am I trying. but then I remember spike will never reach his full potential without buffy and then I CAN'T without him it makes me too sad to think about. but then faith will come up in my spuffy fics and I'm like waiting for the fuffy to happen bc I literally expected it in the show itself even though why would it this is a spuffy fic?? and ofc I'm always thinking about willow and buffy being buffy-and-willow bc they're that connected to me and I can't imagine buffy or willow ever existing without each other anymore. so. so. so where does this even leave me. what do I do now huh

[badwolfwho1]

Season 6 Kendra+ Amy 👀

Okay so I can't remember if I started this wip as I was watching s6 or shortly after but broadly it was born of I don't really like the trio as villains, I get what they're going for and broadly they succeed at it but they're not for me. But what if instead of the trio but continuing on an of element of them being bit characters from the past but with some that I liked more?

I landed on Kendra, have her get accidentally caught in the Slayer Resurrection spell (we'll say she was buried in Sunnydale) beyond the obvious of we should've had more Kendra she'd serve great as a foil for Buffy especially in s6 for possibly the pinnacle of Buffy's repression arc y'know? And have Amy deratted earlier and she can serve as the obvious foil to Willow she should be, strip out the magic is drugs angle focus on the both of them use magic without really thinking and have disastrous unforseen consequences.

The two of them (Kendra and Amy) can compare notes over being broadly forgotten about (I mean I'd write it so that Buffy was deeply impacted by Kendra's death but still in the reality of it all that she didn't really outwardly show it in any way) and over similarly being dead for three years/being a rat for three years. Literally the first line I wrote for this was '“We’ve got a lot in common. See its funny, Kendra says she wishes she’d been a rat locked in a cage for three years and I wish I’d been dead!” Amy laughed loudly attracting attention from around the Bronze.' Anyway they definitely hook up, it's not good for either of them but they are both there, Kendra's suffering from severe lack of direction post resurrection to contrast with the overwhelming responsibilities that Buffy's grappling with and Amy's got a sort of manic energy to her that's enough to drag her in a direction even if that direction is rarely good. But anyway here's the opening section I'm still quite happy with how the tone of it came out;

'This is a story about a Slayer.

She wakes up in a box.

She tries and fails to not panic. Which in of itself only leads her to panic more, she’s always held pride in suppressing her emotions, she doesn’t feel anything she’s claimed before. She’s never woken up in a box before. She screams, until her throat goes hoarse, which feels like it takes an eternity.

She punches the roof of the box. It should be tough, she doesn’t have much room to work with and her muscles feel stiff as if she hasn’t moved them in weeks. Still she proves to be much tougher when she punches clean through the wooden ceiling of the box for her efforts soil immediately begins pour through the opening she’s made. She’s been buried alive she thinks, incorrectly as she’ll find out later but not unreasonably. She forces down the panic she’s been feeling since she awoke, she knows enough of where she is, what has happened to her and what she needs to do.

She needs to climb. So she climbs, breaking more of the box, the coffin she’s in, forcing her way upwards through the soil that’s in her way. Trying and failing to keep it all out of her mouth and nose as she climbs out of what must be her own grave, but through it all she rises and doesn’t stop until she reaches the surface, before allowing herself to spend a moment taking in the fresh air and comparative brightness of the night sky.

She looks at the headstone of the grave she’s crawled out of, studies it. She doesn’t recognise the name. Not all of it at least.

Kendra Young

1981-1998

She was one of a kind

Kendra, just Kendra is the only name she’s ever known. She’s never thought of herself as particularly unique either, just one link in a chain of many. Or just one headstone of many, she’s the only one who’s crawled out of her grave though.'

Alas despite being a WIP for quite a long time now, it's still only sitting at 2k words, really want to get back to this even more so talking about it here, I have an end game in mind and over time letting it rotate in my mind I have more of a direction of how to get there but there's still a lot of track between the beginning and that ending that I just don't know how to fill yet. But one final note on a scene I really want to write, Kendra finding out that Buffy's just been letting a vampire roam free around town for years, finding out from said vampire about the time Buffy just let Kendra's killer go for no reason (in Crush, not Becoming she had a very good reason in Becoming) and Buffy being too depressed to even put up a defence and them having a disastrous falling out over it.

[selkiemaidenfae]

okokok. idk where u are exactly other than somewhere in early-mid s4 based on not knowing anya very well and I see them in like s6 but. okay. anya/buffy/tara. to ME

anya could seriously help buffy/tara with feeling like outcasts. anya knows she's an outcast and while she does care it's not like ruining her life over here. she doesn't enjoy it but buffy literally falls apart at not fitting with how she thinks she's expected to and tara is just too quiet to properly speak up for herself most of the time. I think she could give them some real self-confidence, the ability to look at the world their own way and decide that they don't have to conform to other's standards to be loved. also anya could help them actually make a living without being awful about it. she's not just supporto girl, she's actually helpful with managing finances!

tara could teach the both of them patience. bc let's be real anya/buffy are go-go-go girls, they're not very good at slowing down without an outside force. and tara's empathy. feeling and caring for others beyond it's-my-duty and not-at-all. anya definitely needs help in the empathy department, and buffy really needs someone to show HER some empathy. honestly these girls just need a break and I think tara could provide a more calm, secure solace without condemning either of them for leaning on her

buffy I feel gives less and is more like... her life is so insane. can we sit down and relax for half a second please. can someone do that with me. please. bc she's ready to go but if anyone ever let her crash I think she WOULD. and I think anya/tara would be able to do that with her. anya is frantic but like I think she'd very much enjoy just being with buffy/tara and getting to experience Human Rituals she'd gone and forgotten about in her longgg time as a vengeance demon or simply never did before. they definitely make a whole thing of it, let anya have fun about it rather than it just being a bit stressful for her. and tara is so down-to-earth girl despite y'know the magic of her. she'd enjoy spending Time with them. also they all make fun of movies together PLEASE buffy and anya already do it u know they do we literally SEE buffy do it in canon if they could get tara comfortable enough she would sooo join in. tentatively at first, but she would! and it'd be a blast for them

I simply think they would be very good for each other indeed :]

okok i see the vibes!

i like the idea of each of them bringing something tjst the others lack and just like learning to be comfortable in themselves bc the same things they don’t like about themselves they Love in the other girls.

and like this bittersweet moment of looking in a sort of mirror and realizing that you’ve been distorting your own reflection, that the features you didn’t like have always been forgivable and loveable.

sort of like a similar vibe to what spuffy has going!

i think buffy needs more ppl who don’t do that whole “i’m going to put you on a pedestal but also severely criticize you when you do anything that doesn’t fit my idea of Buffy ™” that willow and xander are pretty apt to do.

i also love the idea of buffy just getting to have a girls night with them. no drama, no vamp talk, no weird history things getting in the way. just all of them getting to vent and wear homemade face masks that tara brought the ingredients for and “kicking the male species’ ass” storytelling and just… so cathartic and nice and normal for them.

and if they all kiss?? it happens! can confirm, sometimes girls night are just like that.

on a somewhat related note— do you see this ot3 as happening in an au where tillow and xander/anya don’t happen? or is buffy about to have the most awkward scoobies talk of her life?

[batsplat]

waaait I'm not the smallville anon but i AM a separate buffy anon and i would LOVE to hear what you'd like to read in the buffy/faith tag as somebody who is also largely disappointed by the fic under that pairing!!

*cracks knuckles* right first of all massive disclaimer, I HAVE enjoyed fic in that tag!! generally the stuff that's like,, long fic several years after the end of the show when they're in cleveland or whatever and can figure out their interpersonal gremlins. also, I am always aware the buffy is just... hard to write good fic for, like the writing for the show has a very distinctive tone but one that also really relies on the actors to sell you on it. it's always going to be tough to nail that! I don't mind it THAT much even though btvs fic does give me the 'they wouldn't say that' wince. but nvm all that, the rest of this post won't be complaints about what IS out there and more what I WISH there were out there

okay to me the essence of the buffy/faith dynamic is that they shouldn't exist alongside each other. buffy had to die for... well first for kendra to rock up and then when SHE is killed for faith to replace her. there's an inherent wrongness there!! she's buffy's shadow self who keeps flirting with dying/vanishing into the sunset but never quite goes away. in s3 she's constantly threatening to displace buffy in her life, buffy sees her in her house as.... kinda borderline a threat, and there's that discomfort even when buffy tries to reach out to her because she's a good person. in s4, faith literally tries to steal buffy's body. in s7, it's immediately clear how uncomfortable their coexistence is in buffy's house in a way it isn't with any of the potentials - and her arrival is soon followed by buffy leaving. and I Think you should fuck about with this kinda like... underlying current of malevolence and wrongness and creep factor. I want there to be this feeling that unionising slayerdom aside these two should never have been allowed to exist alongside each other. stuff where faith gradually/suddenly becomes incorporeal!! where she becomes invisible/lacks a material essence and feels herself fading, because she's not Enough Of A Character to not be erased out of existence by the sheer power of buffy's presence! she is pushed out of existence because she's tried to get close to buffy! or buffy suddenly getting weird and paranoid about her presence, because something about it just feels off! or the universe tries to remove the separation between them entirely and bleeds their emotions and thoughts with each other until they can't figure out where one starts and the other ends! or faith kinda... subliminally gets used by some malevolent entity, specifically in a way where she comes to inhabit a physical place of residence that increasingly becomes hostile to buffy! or some kind of sleeping beauty curse, where they can't both be awake at once! just stuff where y'know, for some supernatural reasons they're not allowed to naturally coexist and obviously that allows them to explore a bunch of their interpersonal issues. faith's belief she'll always be abandoned and won't ever have a home. all of buffy's trauma and Divorced Parents rejection fears and all of that. one of them literally Becomes the other's shadow. I think you could mess with these girlies so badly

I kinda want to play with how... so on the one hand they're similar for all these obvious reasons, but what I'm always interested in with characters in when people should be able to empathise with each other but can't? and the thing about buffy is that she DOES to a certain extent and certainly tries to, but at certain times it's also... actually she can't provide that kind of support to faith, she reaches a point of empathy failure at a certain point, she sees this human teenage girl as worth sacrificing to save her boyfriend. I just want stuff that digs into how little they truly Know about each other, how little they understand... maybe something that's a little more sad where they've acted on their initial attraction to each other but they're constantly struck down by a fundamental inability to communicate with each other. again, the joy of buffy is you use a bunch of supernatural shit to make the metaphors literal, so you can absolutely play with this too. "understand we'll go hand in hand but we'll walk alone in fear" y'know!! I think there's something sad and fun about how they kinda should be right for each other but maybe really can't be

speaking of buffy stabbing faith, y'know how that's basically... by the morality established in this universe, it's one of the worst things she ever did? the 'don't kill an actual human' line is pretty important!! idk I'm not even massively about the idea buffy really has to feel THAT guilty for it, I just find the idea that this has Implications down the line fun. and that you kinda have faith feeling very... weird about it because it SHOULD be satisfying but she ends up in this terrible place where she feels guilty that buffy 'had' to stab her? idk just stuff that gnaws away at btvs' understanding of morality and justice and punishment and all that and puts buffy and all her complexes through the wringer

kinda linked to the first point, but a big important bit of imagery for these two and the show more broadly is that of stalking. s4 is the most obvious example, where faith's literally looking in on buffy and her friends as they talk about her. and then buffy hunts her down to LA. basically, I want stuff that plays around with these stalker-y vibes, again that slightly weird sense of like... observation from a distance. possessiveness!! desire, temptation. either way around, maybe buffy thinks faith is up to something nefarious and uses it as a slightly sketch reason to follow faith around

picking up on a bunch of these, I kinda like the idea that after buffy comes back from the death there's the fear that faith might actually be More Whole than buffy is. like buffy is now kinda been fucked up more!! such a potential source of anxiety and insecurity, that faith might now be MORE than her, and faith on the other hand who's continually defined herself against buffy and kinda needing her as this reference point to orientate herself around being a bit?? horrified by that idea??

fuffy + vigilantism. buffy in s7 saying "there's only me. I am the law" I want more fic that explores exactly what lines they're willing to cross and not cross like I want to put them in so so many moral nightmare situations

just... more straight up genre pastiches, idk. they are out there, wish I knew of more. basically put them into every horror film plot, contrive an excuse to give us a film noir take on their relationship, gothic them up, do some scifi shit on them. buffy is obviously an extremely genre aware show and heavily borrows from all kinds of things, and it's just fun to mash those things together with their relationship!! supernatural-inflicted horror romcoms!! this doesn't all have to be super dark or angsty, like you can and should have fun with this

basically I want more weird supernatural plot devices in my buffy fic!!! that was supernatural plot devices The Show... stick with the spirit. I generally kinda just want to brute force their various personal and interpersonal issues? really drill down into what makes these characters so fun and so neat and so compelling. anyway that's all I've got for now

[autisticempathydaemon]

What song are you fixated on at the moment? What lyric or verse, and why?

High Enough by K Flay, because it's quite wordy and kinda fast, so when I don't stumble over words or get them wrong, it feels so good. Also, I just really enjoy listening to it.

What is your Enneagram type?

I just did the test because I had no idea. Apparently I'm a 5.

Do you love gargantuan Youtube video essays, and if so, which is your favorite and why?

Yes and no. I love hearing people talking about things they're passionate about, but I have ADHD so it needs to hold my interest for an extended period of time, which isn't always easy. I quite like Jenny Nicholson's, except for the Star Wars ones.

Tell me about your childhood imaginary friend.

I don't actually remember anything about them, only my mum telling me as an adult that they were twins, one boy and one girl.

What is your go-to way to fall asleep?

Curled up, listening to Adam being his sadistic, chaos gremlin self.

If you had to change your name, what would it be, and why? (In tandem, if you have changed your name, why did you pick that one?)

Growing up, I read a book with a character named Starr and kind of wanted to change my name to that. These days, I can't say I love my name, but can't think of anything else I'd change it to.

What is your favorite of Redacted’s audios, and why?

Maybe Regulus's, especially the newest one (the thought of having somebody in my head and never having any space to myself kinda terrifies me, but I also like the idea, because hell yes, he could absolutely kick those intrusive thoughts to the curb. Also, the parts where he starts revealing his true feelings about stuff via the random "demonic" voice just does something to me).

Although the Adam storyline, especially Sadistic Vampire Kidnaps You (both for the sleep aid factor, and just general I really enjoy listening to it) will probably always be my absolute favourite.

What Redacted boy holds no appeal to you, and why? Like, not the one you hate but the one who you don’t get the hype for. (I won’t judge, I promise.)

Sam. I think he's got so much love from Redacted fans that I'm almost burnt out from it. Also Milo, David and Vincent a little bit, for the same reason. I still listen to and enjoy their audios, but they'll never be my first choice to listen to, and it's very unlikely I'd relisten to them.

Tell me about that one book/movie/tv show you know all the words to.

Idk, I don't rewatch or reread things enough to learn the words to them. Maybe Buffy, because I was hardcore obsessed with it when I was younger, but nowhere near knowing all the words level.

Which Redacted boy are you platonically attracted to? Like- forget dating, which dude do you want to be your best friend?

My first thought was Hux, although I would totally date him, if we were in a universe where he was, y'know, real, and not dating Damian.

Maybe I should've said Asher. As much as I adore him, I don't really think about him in a romantic context.

Do you have a go-to thing you ramble about when you’re tired, and if so, what is it? (For example, my boyfriend knows I’m ready to sleep when I start talking about space.)

Since I'm pretty much always alone, I have nobody to connect the dots on that. Maybe I should ask my cat, hahaha.

Tell me your go-to gas station and drink combo.

I don't drive, and don't live within walking distance from one. If I did, it'd probably be something sweet, and a drink, preferably something frozen and/or bright blue

Tell me about your favorite playlist at the moment.

My going to work musical playlist that I've compiled is all killer, no filler if that's what you meant.

What’s your guilty pleasure media, and why?

Boyfriend asmr, and I mean traditional asmr, rather than the audio roleplays. I've been very single for a long time, to the point I don't even know if I could actually date, if (by some miracle) some weirdo did find me attractive.

And whatever else you think tells me about who you are!

I'm literally crying while typing this, and can't think of anything else. Sorry for the trauma dump, if I didn't want to know your answer so badly, I'd just delete and forget about it. 💙

This one took me a second- I was really staring down the Redactedness brackets- but when I saw it, it dawned on me so clearly and so resplendently. Ollie would be so wonderfully perfect for you.

Little things first- I think y’all would have a good time together, because it seems like y’all would like each other and the same things. Like, I can absolutely see Ollie having had a Buffy phase at some point. (He had a crush on either Sarah Michelle Gellar, David Borneanaz, or both. Probably both.) He’d love the same video essays you do and would be more than okay with pausing it or speeding it up if the attention span isn’t spanning.

Big things second- I think Ollie would be so good for you? Your being a Five and what you said about Regulus makes me think the sweet, unempowered type is just what you need. No magic, no tragic backstory, no possibility of having your mind read or wiped- just a darling man who loves you, your cats, and Star Trek.

Song:

You know I wanna be your light/ In darkness, how you find me just in time/ To tell me what I needed to hear/ So if you don't know what you need/ You can leave it all to me/ I don't want you worried 'bout a thing/ I know you'd do the same for me

I love Ollie and the domestic, little ways he shows his love and support- he’s just a wholesome dude, and he’s a sleeper favorite of mine for that reason. This song fits in my head because it reminds me of his sweetness and how far he’s come and matured and how dependable and loving he’d be as a boyfriend and life partner for you.

Runner-Ups:

Aaron was a pretty close runner-up, because I loved the idea of pairing you with someone unempowered and stable. (Ollie, I liked more because of his energy and lighthearted nature; also Aaron also strikes me as a Five, and I don’t typically do same Type pairs.) Huxley, I also love because of his steady, sweet but jovial nature, but I really got stuck on someone unempowered for you by this point.

Note: I’m so sorry I made you cry and you like literally didn’t trauma dump at all you are so fine and good honey

Read this post and send me an ask if you’d like a match-up of your own! 💌

[icemankazansky]

20 questions for fic writers

tagged by dear, wonderful @boasamishipper 😘😘

1. How many works do you have on Ao3?

466

2. What's your total Ao3 word count?

753,612

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Current fandom count is 68. I have fic for a boardgame, so, y'know, try me. I mostly write for Top Gun rn, though.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Ship to Shore (TG, Icemav, M)

i am writing graffiti on your body (TG, Icemav, M)

The Eye of the Storm (TG, Icemav, E)

Hurricane Blues (TG, Icemav, E)

What's the Problem? (TG, Icemav, M)

5. Do you respond to comments?

I always try to, but sometimes my health makes me drop the ball on that.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

And 'round his heart one strangling golden hair. (MCU, Tony/Wanda, M) It was for Trick or Treat, and my recipient specifically requested something dark and kind of fucked up.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Well, I prefer happier endings, but I'll admit that bittersweet spice is in my cabinet. Maybe i am writing graffiti on your body or i fall in love whenever we meet.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I have, on occasion.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I do! I write lots of flavors, lots of pairings... I've written a lot for fic swaps and requests, so I have (and will) tried a lot of different stuff I may or may not have any personal interest in. I write a considerable amount of BDSM or D/s-flavored stuff.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

Sure. At first, I was thinking the craziest was my Gay-Perry-is-Danny-Parker Kiss Kiss Bang Bang/The Salton Sea crossover, but then I remembered I wrote a Thunderheart/MCU crossover for Carla, so. (I did also write a Captain Marvel/Top Gun xover, but canon was BEGGING for it.)

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Yes! Several. In various ways, in various fandoms, over the past two decades. In fact, a fairly well-known author has ripped off several of my works, but they're not full copy-and-paste jobs, so I cannot report them and am just, as the French say,

I think that's the shit that makes me the maddest. The straight up copy-and-paste plagiarizers are just kind of sad.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes! I have eight translations on AO3, into Russian, Mandarin, and Korean. I also have eight podfics and some number of remixes.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yes. My latest is upcoming next year, the story @topgunreacts and I wrote for @topgunzine

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

Also going to do three: Iceman Kazansky/Maverick Mitchell, Ray Levoi/Walter Crow Horse—oh God does it have to be one I write?!—OUT OF ORDER

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? Top Gun Age of Sail AU, I do want to finish you 😭😭😭 have you considered perhaps one of us is cursed

16. What are your writing strengths?

Feels inversion.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Finishing things, evidently.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

In general, I'm for it, but I dislike extensive foreign language use that the reader can't get to through context clues. At that point, are you as a writer serving yourself more than the reader? (Yes.)

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Buffy

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

Taggiiiiiiing @victimofthemusic @maverickcalf @topgunreacts @hangsters

[explosionshark]

Okay as promised here's my more thoughts to follow in the Buffy update, A+ series had a great time. "Innocence", "Passion", "I Only Have Eyes For You" and "Becoming" so great, Buffy gets so much good everything for all the big Angel fallout Sarah Michelle Gellar is just always nailing it. Also actually warmed up to Cordyxander wasn't expecting that. Gonna admit wasn't super into Spike at first but I'll tell you into the second half once he was in the wheelchair loved that guy, dunno just wasn't really buying the hype they tried but after taking him down a few notches my kinda guy. RIP Jenny but she got a lot of great stuff loved her, RIP Kendra kinda wish she'd got a bit more for her death. Also I remember back in What's My Line I thought oh a cop who just starts blasting in a school of course she's an assassin but then they do the same thing in Becoming just as regular cops incredible. Also wow they went real hard on the queer coding with Buffy coming out to Joyce in Becoming (this was also a great scene), also a hard unsympathetic turn for Joyce especially in 3x01 with her blaming Giles for Buffy following Joyce's ultimatum, wasn't expecting it so much. Giles also, lotta great stuff, shocker Anthony Stewart Head does good work I know but he was so good in Passion and I Only Have Eyes For You. I didn't think I'd get so into the whole AngelxBuffy romance considering y'know I already knew how it goes but nah its still real good even with that foreknowledge. Also shout out to Willow just having to double as a teacher for the latter half of the series since Jenny died incredible stuff, and good for her getting into the witch phase which is what I mostly knew about her from second hand knowledge, besides that finding out she was gay in the evil mirror verse was part of how she found out she was gay herself.

Also I forgot about that joke about how David Boreanaz can't do an Irish accent and man he can really not do an Irish accent, I remember an episode of Angel where his pre Vampire memories took over or something and they just had him do the American accent, shout out also to Angel being dead and still in the opening credits for series 3 (I've watched one episode so far) really selling me that he's dead forever guys. Also gotta say despite I Only Have Eyes For You being real good, kinda sketchy the whole I dunno if the student being in a relationship with his teacher was handled particularly well. Like I get it yeah for the comparison between Angel and Buffy but directly bringing that in makes that a bit sketch as well, like I'm not gonna complain about age differences with vampire/human romances because its a staple, you can't get away from it they're vampires but if you're directly bringing in the comparisons y'know.

Also glad you mostly enjoyed the song recs, I've been listening to Rise Against since you said The Weight of my Pride is like them meets Fightstar (who I will also get to but I am incapable of checking out music in a way that isn't listening to they're entire discography in a row before trying out another one), they're so good I haven't clicked this hard with a band since I got into Dio and REO Speedwagon, its just banger after banger.

Also gonna go read HerInsectReflections' essays on series 2 like you recced. Will read your Common Ground fic when I get to around about Faith's heel turn I think.

Final last second thought the theme song seems a bit different for series 3? Dunno if I like it as much I'm sure it'll grow on me

Yeah! Definitely read the @herinsectreflection essays, they're really incredible. In particular I think you might enjoy skipping straight to the one she wrote for "I Only Have Eyes for You" since I think it does a really good job dissecting and contextualizing the teacher/student and age gap stuff in that episode while still acknowledging what sucks about it.

I know I've said before that my favorite episodes of Buffy are the ones that are really about other episodes of Buffy but I really mean it and I think you probably know exactly what I mean about that by now. As such, I'm really excited for you to get further into s3 and start getting to the Faith stuff. Very enmeshed with the Angel/Angelus arc.

Anyway fully agree re: Kendra. The show really did her dirty. It's got to be acknowledge that the one way Buffy fails egregiously and repeatedly throughout all 7 seasons in with race. Characters of color and black characters in particular are rarely seen, usually only fulfilling temporary roles, lack the depth and interiority of white characters and are usually victims of some sort of stereotyping. It's a bummer and I wish I could say it gets better but it really doesn't. Huge L!

Re: Spike - honestly yeah, for me he's best when he's kinda just being the buttmonkey.

I think the season 3 theme might be where they ditch the scream? I prefer the scream tbh. But when I watch with my best friend she does it for me, which is very sweet.

Thanks for checking in again! Love your updates! Glad you're having a good time!

[outpost51]

Happy blursday! What fictional characters are your blorbos most like? For example, do-gooder Cady is similar to James Holden from the Expanse books (then he became a chaotic haver of ADHD so that's maybe not a good comparison but you get the idea). - @void-botanist

GUESS WHAT I FORGOT TO ANSWER IN THE CHAOS OF LAST WEEK OOPS

So this is a great question actually bc I like to pull traits from my favorite characters or characters I know when I start forming my blorbos. This is also where everyone finds out I have the like opposite of a sophisticated media taste profile lmao

Atria -- little bit of Audrey Ramirez (Atlantis), little bit of Michiko Malandro (Michiko to Hatchin which is literally one of my top three favorite anime series of all time)

Kadmos -- Cat R. Waul (American Tail: Fievel Goes West) with a sprinkling of Johnny Rayflo (Vassalord)

Teker -- Spike (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Nuka (Lion King 2), and Brooklyn (Gargoyles) all slammed together at terminal velocity and stuffed into tripp pants

Frankie -- like if Amanda Rollins (Law and Order: SVU) walked into SCP-914 on the 1:1 setting

Sawyer -- Vanessa von Schweetz (Wreck-It Ralph) meets Jillian Holtzmann (Ghostbusters 2016), they're best friends now

Russo -- Betty DeVille (Rugrats) but with more earth tones

Dillon -- a nice even mix of Mandy (Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy leave me aloNE), Gaz (Invader Zim), and Raven Madison (Vampire Kisses), aka my childhood goth girl idols

Moira -- Miranda Sanchez (Lizzie McGuire) and all three Hex Girls (Scooby-Doo) walk into a bar

Zadimus -- y'know actually Flynn Rider (Tangled) idk where this smarmy fuck Preedex Yoa (Titan A.E.) came from Xibalba (Book of Life)

Dekdek -- STITH (Titan A.E.) but way more destructive

Vigo -- listen I'm not saying she's just actual-bird Vetra Nyx (Mass Effect), but

Bax — Ratigan (Great Mouse Detective), just think about it tell me I'm wrong

[existentialflirt]

It drives me crazy how irreligious Buffy is. Like, they kinda verged close with a "did you even pick up a book?" interpretation of occult and Wicca. Y'know, I just get that vibe like oh, no! You don't know that Wicca is a conglomeration of the myriad of pagan beliefs and rituals in Britain before the Romans imported Christianity with a sprinkle of Crowley for flavour. We're talking 19 fucking 54. There's nothing ancient about it.

but I digress.

I'm reading a run down of Tara's canon on the Buffy wiki and am reminded that Tara's family issues were framed as patriarchal more than it obviously was: An evangelical or non-denominational, probably fundamental Christian family. They might have even been part of one of those terrifying mini cults. Shit, I could point to Tara's outfit choices as proof. They're very modest. She loosens up later and starts wearing corsets 85% of the time (very late 90s/early aughts witch chic, so I can't complain). Anyway, my point is, before she fucked off to be her own person, I'd be willing to bet she wore mostly prairie dresses.

Because the whole "women have demons in them" reminds me of the pervasive concept within all those weird, super intense Christian sects, that it is the woman's responsibility not to tempt men. That's why there's such an emphasis on covering as much skin as humanly possible. The whole idea that women are both inherently sexual for simply existing in a body a heterosexual man might feel alluring, and yet not as interested in sex, the way "men are" and therefore more capable of controlling themselves. I guess I just wish they'd gone there. Maybe there was an issue from the network and they made them tone it down. Who knows, but I think y'all know I have a lot of thoughts about the fact that Buffy is plagued by messy lore and wasted opportunities.

[thewickedbohemian]

Fellow So Help Me Todd fans (or w/e we're going to call ourselves as esp. if this show goes on as we want it to we need a demonym), what would you most want to see in future seasons of So Help Me Todd (y'know because we all want to see future seasons of So Help Me Todd)

Here's some of mine

a musical episode later into the show (as both Buffy and Psych had theirs a ways in and assuming it gets that many seasons I don't see SHMT having one until at least a S5) but in a *crosses fingers* S3 I want at least some opportunity for Todd and/or Judy to sing (could be anything from karaoke to one of them (as as a not-technically-a-detective Judy would make the perfect undercover asset) going undercover as a singer a la Leverage's The Studio Job)

If Jenifer Lewis could have the time to appear again as Jacqueline Burton (and could perhaps be as much a recurring-guest-star as her schedule allows) since Jenifer irl has bipolar disorder I think it would be interesting for it to be canon that Jacqueline is bipolar as well (shed some educational light on a scary-seeming disorder by showing a good guy with it for once)

On the topic of mental health a thing I've wanted for this show for a while is for one of the many neurodivergent-seeming main characters (whoever the writers think best fits a given disorder with whatever disorder they best fit (e.g. Todd with ADHD, Lyle with autism etc.)) to go through an adult-diagnosis arc canonizing it and how I'd do that if I wrote for the show (though I don't trust my handling of these characters to find more than broad concepts for episodes or arcs) is through a parallel-recognition thingie when the firm's working a case regarding a parent of a kid with the same disorder fighting Portland Public Schools on behalf of their child (inspired by how Ray Romano's Parenthood character found out he was autistic and if it's Todd himself or anyone else at the firm they'd find it out themselves but if it's someone outside like either of Todd's siblings he notices it about them because of the case)

I mean this in the best possible way but Allison could use a therapist

Wherever Todd's actual career takes him I think it'd be cool if more seasons meant the twice-in-two-seasons pattern was kept up of Todd having to "play lawyer"

more Psych homages/getting Psych-level experimental (like was shown this season with "Dial M For Margaret" the Rear Window homage)

the wardrobe department to (unless it truly is fitting for everyone's character) stop with the dressing half the cast in really obnoxious patterns at once

Some other Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist alum to guest-star outside the musical episode (given the vibe of this show I could see Alex Newell showing up as another unconventionally-gendered character) and Todd making some joke-to-us-the-audience (like his "I hate theater kids" in "End On A High Note") about them looking familiar and if he knows them from somewhere

The endgame arc for Jodd (Judy/Todd) if they're truly going to be the endgame ship of if-this-show-lasts-longer (or at least part of it as for all we know some poly shit could happen either involving just Lyle as well (to appease the Tyle shippers and as the broadcast equivalent of the Leverage OT3) or Lyle and Ariel) being Judy eventually getting her PI license and becoming Todd's detecting partner in addition to romantic partner as a full-circle-parallel-redemption from what happened with him and Veronica

So what would you guys want to see in more So Help Me Todd

[camellcat]

I was scrolling through tumblr as I do and I saw someone say they're glad spike in la bc he's treated better?? lmao???? spike was only treated better bc he wasn't treated in the first place!! it was a rare and often negative occurrence in which they acknowledged his existence at all. NO ONE talked to him besides angel or fucking harmony, and neither of those interactions ever led to something good. he had to BEG fred for attention and didn't even try with the others, and illyria only spoke to him bc she wanted him as her pet!!!! at least in SUNNYDALE he was getting attention and making connections with the gang, even if a good 90% of those connections weren't exactly friendly. he's way too social of a creature to be content with la. he may have been hated in sunnydale but at least he was known. he had actual individual and group dynamics with every single member of the scoobies, which I do not feel like could be said with the angel crew

[brunnismemorybank]

It wouldn't help if they were friends first; if anything, it would remind us of what we were missing. One of season 7's glaring issues is that it never fully deals with the hash made of relationships between beloved characters. It's hard to care about how the Scoobies develop new relationships while pre-existing, integral romances and friendships just sit there and rot.

By the end of season 6, Xander has tried to kill Spike (and not for the any of the really bad things Spike has done-- just for having sex with Xander's ex), and also slut-shamed Buffy and Anya to a point that raised my eyebrows even in the 2000s; Anya has tried to manipulate Willow and Dawn into helping her kill Xander; Giles has run off to England to avoid having to little-w watch young people making run-of-the-mill mistakes; Willow has given everyone in the gang magic amnesia and then tried to destroy the world; and Spike (or at least his soulless half) has tried to rape Buffy. (At least the pileup of misdeeds leads to a funny scene in "Beneath You," where a hapless civilian asks if anyone in the gang hasn't had sex with anyone else.)

Come season 7, and the only one who's done jack to atone is Spike, but the writers muddy the clarity of repentance with their overlong mystery about Spike's trigger. Similarly, Giles' stupid First-fakeout subplot interferes keeps us from watching him meaningfully reconnect with Buffy. Xander's apologized for dumping Anya, but not for, y'know, trying to kill the rebound guy. Anya eventually comes to regret returning to D'Hoffryn, but not before trying, again, to kill Buffy. (There's also her bizarre, audience-alienating speech about how Buffy is "luckier" than non-Slayers. Is that one of the 5,000 worst things Anya's ever done? Probably not! Does it look like a relationship I want to see in the back half of the final season? NO). Considering that she uses magic for such frivolous concerns as producing a pretty flower, Willow's reluctance to (supposedly) endanger everyone by using magic to fight the First comes across as self-centered and disingenuous. Her reconciliation with Buffy doesn't ring true to me, which is a shame, when you think about how many of the show's heartwarming moments have relied on their friendship.

Willow and Xander have some solid moments, although they mostly don't cover any "deep" territory. (For example, they don't follow up on Willow learning about his big lie from season 2.) The only other relationship on the show that ends season 6 as anything short of a catastrophe is Buffy's relationship with Dawn. Say what you will about "Grave," Buffy's big declaration to Dawn-- "I don't want to protect you from the world. I want to show it to you"-- hits. We're now poised to go from making an exceptional girl fight, as Buffy's been doing all along, to letting an ordinary girl choose her own battles, and I love that.

Unfortunately, that disappears after a couple of episodes. The Potentials get too much specialness to carry the message of independence for ordinary girls. (Look! They already have enough instincts and strength to handle a vampire when they're locked in with one! Who cares that we've never seen the slightest implication that Buffy herself had any exceptional awareness or athleticism before being called?) As for emotional bonds, Buffy barely knows their names, and her name and calling are pretty much the only things they know about her. I'm not even getting into the part where their age range doesn't make sense, or where they're supposed to be "protected" by a woman who got shot in her own yard a few months ago, or where sending them all to the same place, any place, is a stupid-ass plan and Giles should've elected to ignore it.

Considering the poor shape of longtime relationships-- platonic, familial, romantic, whatever-- that we've had years to invest in, it's hard to imagine entanglements with newcomers keeping most viewers' interest. It is, however, easy to imagine scenarios where I find her even less interesting. As it happens, Kennedy shows up, flirts with Willow, demonstrates decent tactical skills and horrible taste in leaders, and participates in the series' most underwhelming sex scene. Meh. It certainly wouldn't have been better if she'd replaced Xander as Willow's best friend after the yellow crayon speech, or Buffy as Willow's ultimate gal pal after Buffy lent her her strength to heal.

I think the funniest criticism of Willow/Kennedy I've read on here is that the show should have followed the example of Willow/Tara and "let them be friends first". Because, okay, I know large parts of the fandom love ignoring subtext to an extent even a 90s TV censor would find remiss, but I'm sorry: that's just a bizarre way to interpret Season 4.

Tara meets Willow for the first time in Hush. She doesn't know anything about her other than the fact she's a fellow witch, but she manages to get hold of Willow's dorm address and they meet up later that episode and cast a spell together. At the end of the episode -- sandwiched between a scene featuring Buffy and her future boyfriend Riley and a scene featuring Giles and his "orgasm friend" Olivia -- Tara and Willow have their first ever conversation, in which they talk about magic and witchcraft and Tara tells Willow how "special" she is.

For the rest of the season, Willow and Tara continue to get together in secret and do magic together after dark. In A New Man, juxtaposed with Giles and Ethan meeting up and reminiscing about being "a couple of sorcerers" -- "the night is still our time" --and Ethan appearing to (but technically not) drunkenly tell Giles he's "really very attractive", we get our first look at Tara's dorm room. Willow apologizes for calling Tara so late, but says she's happy the other witch wanted to "get together" and promises her that they'll "start out slow". ("Start out slow doing what?" Tara asks after a few seconds. Well, quite.)

In The I In Team Tara invites Willow to come around to her dorm room again: "if you're not doing something [tonight], you could come over and we could ... do something". The next morning, in Goodbye Iowa, Willow tells Tara that she had "so much fun last night" but worries that Tara might think she "just come[s] over for the spells and everything". (As Tara surmises, Willow has in fact come over to do another spell; Tara doesn't mind though because she's been thinking about their last spell together "all day".) In Who Are You? Willow apologizes for not introducing Tara to any of her friends but explains that she likes having something that's "just mine" (and "I am, you know," Tara assures her. "Yours.") Later that episode Faith-as-Buffy meets Tara and immediately deduces that "Willow's not driving stick anymore".

And, yeah, not to belabor the point anymore than I already have, but we know what being a "witch" is a metaphor for this season, right? We know what it means when two "witches" are "doing spells together", right? The show is not subtle about this. At all! How can you watch this season and think "oh, I'm so glad Willow and Tara were friends before they started having any sort of sexual relationship"? That isn't the dynamic at play here at all.

[maplefiasco]

8 Shows To Know Me

Thanks for the tag, @booksandabeer! This was extremely difficult and I look forward to kicking myself in a week when I remember some other show that's 20% of my personality but I totally blanked on when making this list.

No pressure tagging: @asmoonlightthroughthepines, @scare-ard--sleigh, @msmandapants, @blithers, @dontcallmebree and anyone else up for distilling themselves down to eight tv shows!

Okay let's do this!

Star Trek The Next Generation

TNG imprinted on me in 4th or 5th grade. I'd watch it every night before dinner and have lots of opinions about the holodeck and Data. Did I put a headband in front of my eyes and call it LaForge's visor? Yes. Did I unironically love the cheesy episodes like Rascals, The Game, and Disaster? Absolutely. It was also my intro to fannishness, pre-internet. One of my friend's dads had a stack of action figures, and a Riker uniform he'd break out at Halloween. I remember being confused by his whole deal, but mostly thinking it was really cool.

Flight of the Conchords

I saw this promo before the first season premiered and was instantly sold, it was so silly and unassuming. I was in college which is just. the perfect age to find everything about it delightful and hilarious and to be low-key in love with both Bret and Jemaine. I'm pretty sure I've thought about some lyric or throwaway line or small facial expression every day since 2007.

New Girl

I made myself limit this list to only one 2000s/2010s network comedy. New Girl edged out The Office, Parks & Rec, Community, 30 Rock, and even my beloved dark horse, Happy Endings. It's pure comfort. Every character is the best character.

Severance

I will not rest until everyone is as obsessed with this show as me. I've already watched season 1 three times, and I'll probably watch it all the way through again before season 2 comes out. It just hits all my buttons. Eerie weirdness! Sci-fi elements explored at a very personal, human level! Retro corporate dystopian branding and decor! Random moments of absurdity! Existential dread! Defiant jazz!

The Magicians

One doesn't keep up a semi-active sideblog for four years (?!!) and counting for a show without being permanently altered and irreparably damaged by it. One day, a work friend and I were talking tv and she went, "you would like this show! I wouldn't recommend it to everyone, but you would like it!" For better or worse... she was not wrong. (On the fandom side, the fic for this show is just exquisite. The art, edits, and gifs are impeccable. I'm grateful it compelled me to start making stuff more regularly. Fussy, high-effort stuff!)

Better Call Saul

I know, I know *pikachu surprised face* that this one made the list. Y'know that post that makes the rounds every once in awhile, about 'ships and fictional relationships that's like, "sure they're in love or whatever. But, like... do they even like each other?" I think this silly lawyer prequel to the crime-and-drugs show accidentally became the best display of two people who like and love each other on tv. (Also yes, everything else about it is A++. Meticulous. Stressful. Exhilarating. No notes.)

Simpsons (Seasons 1-8ish)

This feels like an embarrassingly basic answer, but my personality really is just several early seasons of The Simpsons in a trench coat. It's what shaped my sense of humor. It's the foundation of my marriage. It's why I knew what Citizen Kane was at eight years old.

Pushing Daisies

Pushing Daisies was one of the first times I felt like, "oh! Someone made a show for me specifically!" Every single element was a feast for the eyes, from the saturated colors, to the quirky, overly literal sets, to Chuck's outfits, to Lee Pace's face. Baking AND knitting were heavily featured in every episode! There was a cute romance with supernatural complications. There was whimsical, fairy tale-style Jim Dale narration!

Runners up include: Tuca & Bertie, Buffy, Firefly, Freaks & Geeks, Mad Men, Home Movies, Legion, WandaVision, The Mandalorian, and Lost.

[camellcat]

thinking about making a pack au where they actually stick closer to hyenas than whatever the fuck they did in that episode

bc uh he-LLO? hyenas are like... one of the BIG popular matriarchal animals and we just acted like xander was all scary now? pshh. I mean he was hyenas are scary but buffy is absolutely highest rank top dog here no wayyy he'd be all scary to her since they're already y'know a "pack" of sorts. like I'm pretty sure he'd still defer to her. plus willow! her making friends with buffy first and just generally being a girl he'd rank below her as well (though I do wonder where his stance with giles would be)

and I get that xander already sorta had a new clan with the other possessed kids but even then why was HE at the top of that hierarchy?? in fact it was so barely structured at all I'm only assuming xander was a high rank bc he's just one of our mains. and the shot of them all walking ofc where he was front and center I can read basic filmmaking choices lol

but also hyenas have FRIENDS! they have cliques and groups within their own clan. isn't that so cool? why did they just disregard xander's friendship with the scoobies? I think the fact xander had friends and quite loyal ones is like important? I mean okay I suppose it's all he's in this clan now he's cut ties with the scoobies, but to me at least I think that's kinda boring haha. though actually even if xander had the support of the scoobies, with how that clan were already a group before xander and not with xander at all, he'd actually probably be like real goddamn low anyways instead of more equal like it was shown

look I really have no idea about any of this I've just been looking up hyena facts for the past hour bc I thought it was neat. I simply think they should've done more with this instead of oo look xander's all feral and evil when they literally chose hyena to be their animal. like ooookay then whateverrrr lame

[writeouswriter]

I think you're onto something with the cookie metaphor, but I'd say personally, it's not so much your ingredients aren't high end or anything, they're fine, it's more along the lines of your cookies just... aren't done baking yet, but you can't make the cookies without all the raw ingredients. Actually wait, I have the perfect quote for this, which works just as well for first drafts as for people:

Drafts be like:

Photo ID: A screenshot of Buffy Summers from Buffy the Vampire Slayer with text overlaid on top of it reading: "Okay, I'm cookie dough. I'm not done baking yet. I'm not finished becoming... whoever the hell it is I'm gonna turn out to be. I make it through this and the next thing and the next thing, and maybe one day I turn around and realize I'm ready, I'm cookies. And then, y'know, if I want someone to eat m-- or, enjoy warm delicious cookie-me, then, that's fine. That'll be then. When I'm done." End Photo ID

Yes, I will take every opportunity to gush about Buffy the Vampire Slayer, after being obsessed with it for years, it has absorbed itself into my personality, leave me be.

My first draft is not garbage. My first draft is more like a murky river, and I’m a grizzly old prospector wading in and panning for gold. Yeah, there’s a lot of mud and dirt and rocks, but if I take my time, there’s also some valuable gems and nuggets hidden in there that make it all worth it.

There’s gold in them there drafts.

[camellcat]

with u liking angel overall what do u think of spike and angel dynamics and relationship? like what they are thinking about each other? or their characterisation and whatever

i actually like ats and i really like angel in a good day (hating him in a bad day) but havent watched ats s5 cus "yayyy look theres spike! but his characterisation is butchered. enjoy!" just discouraged me from continue watching 💀

I do genuinely think spangel dynamic is fun to watch. spike riles angel up like no one else and angel constantly snaps at him when he's so much calmer around literally everyone but him. the thing that gets me though is the fact that's the ENTIRE dynamic

with spangel, and talking to one of my friends really pointed this out for me, the issue is to me is how utterly stagnate they are. over a hundred years, and their relationship has barely progressed from where it started. angel tries to tear spike down or is otherwise being pretty indifferent about him, and spike wars between trying to be different from angel and falling in line bc he also desperately craves angel's approval. he's like dru or buffy, he's another person angel has really really hurt, even if spike does fair better off than the girls overall. hates him, wants him, and angel really couldn't care less. it's just sad to me when I think about it beyond them being a comic relief in the show

now, for spike's character. in the beginning, he REALLY feels different. I mean we're talking I was shouting at the screen asking why we were back in seasons 4 and 5 type of spike you're gonna be seeing. but the longer you go on, the more you can really SEE s7 spike. he's not... he's different here. but I think you can very very easily rationalize it as armour bc that is sort of what it feels like. he's harsher here because he has to be, because buffy nor the bit are around to help him let down his guard. he can't trust anyone in this place and NO ONE likes him. how could he be softer? he'd be eaten alive if he tried. you can see it in his body language the most, which utterly fascinates me. I wouldn't shut up about it while watching I loved it. the closest we get to a sweeter spike is around fred and around her exclusively. I think as I've said previously that angel also brings out the absolute worst in spike. being around angel seems to revert spike as being around spike seems to revert angel. they're just really terrible for each other, causing both of them to act like worse versions of themselves. so yeah spike in ats is rough but not y'know the most terrible character assassination I've ever seen. he's just got some fucking awful ooc moments occasionally that you gotta pretend didn't happen (cough cough how he interacts with harmony at all times after the entirety of his growth in s7 cough cough) or you gotta learn to rationalize his behaviour really quick like I did