#buffy headcanon

[misa-chan13]

No and now you get to hear my head canon for season 7

Ahem

Spike did not want his soul what's more he doesn't need it the judge showed that he doesn't need it to be a person him having a soul is just an excuse for buffy to feel better about herself because angelus is an asshole angel was an asshole as a person as well so him being crazy evil whole being a vampire isn't really a stretch

Vs. Spike being babygirl that he is spends most of his time doing your normal vamp things keeping his love alive (on a good day) and then going for killing slayers for a challenge which is pretty much the only challenge you get as a vampire he doesn't torture them doesn't spend a lot of time on them just enjoys a good fight

He went thru the trials to get more power he wanted more power and for buffy to take him seriously at no point did he expect or want his soul that's not why he went I'd say a bit of it he wanted to have revenge on buffy for taking his dignity and everything that he once had from him he's whipped and he knows it and he hates it

Now i haven't seen season in a hot min and i haven't seen season 7 at all i know most of what happens because pop culture and it was a missed opportunity

Spike should have been season 7's big bad sure having him save the world is nice but not giving him a soul making him more powerful and maybe as corrupt as angelus would have been so much more fun imagine having to unlock the slayers to join together to fight spike the slayer killer imagine him systematically taking out buffys friends since he knows them so well and can get at their insecurities and core and pick them off one by one he knows that buffys greatest strength is her friends and her family if he takes that away (not gets her alone like angelus but actually kills most of them) she will be broken she will be desperate and he will finally get to beat the slayer

Obviously somehow she wons girl power the sisterhood of the slayer maybe willow tries to give him his soul to stop him at the end and buffy stakes him something but making spike who's always been a friend/ally and someone they've used abused and treated like crap constantly end up wiping out most if not all of them would be so satisfying

I have STRONG opinions on this but I'm curious what other people think

[smmagill]

Buffy Rants

I’m rewatching Buddy the Vampire Slayer! I’ve established a new headcanon about The Master. He’s been magically trapped underground for 60 years. At least some of that time we can assume he was in some kind of supernatural sleep if we take Luke’s “the sleeper will wake” thing literally. Yet he knows pop culture references he shouldn’t. While there’s always the whole “don’t read too much into it, it’s just a funny line” explanation, I like the idea that The Master is watching tv and films down there.

“I’m a vampire sooo old I’ve got permanent vampire face, but I’m still hella bored just waiting around in this sunken church. Bring me entertainment!”

And his vamp minions not wanting to be tortured for The Master’s amusement figure out how to get him a TV and VCR. (I’m pretty sure DVDs hadn’t reach the height of their popularity in 1997 so it would be tapes.) And they’re going to Blockbusters every night to get him new stuff to watch.

[epiales06]

Headcanon:

Angel can teleport, and that’s what’s actually happening when he just appears out of nowhere , but he’s just never figured out that that’s what’s going on and neither has anyone else.

[energysoda]

this came to me in a vision

[aretheyqueer]

Is she bi?

disclaimer: this is a hc, not speculating on what the writers intentions were.

reason: Being a vampire slayer is often used as a metaphor for queerness (having to 'come out', hiding a secret identity, being a part of her that she can't change and has to learn to accept), she also just has killer chemistry with people of multiple genders.

[boy-of-death]

I want to thank all the girls and the gays that are obsessed with shows that ended 10 years ago and still write about it. Thank you for your service, you are my sole lifeline 🫡

[boopsterliv]

Spike and Jenny could’ve been besties. You can’t tell me if Jenny was around in season four she wouldn’t invite sad cat Spike in and give him blood mixed with booze. They could shit talk Angel, not to mention help each other out with their respective love lives, since Jenny is a stylish boss babe and Spike is a bookworm gentleman, meaning if they need to get a present for their partner they just have to hit each other up to get ideas. They’d play video games together like the nerds they are and tease each other to death

Bonus: you can’t tell me Jenny would’ve let Faith stay in a motel room if she was around in season 3, meaning we get more friendship goals (plus Buffy gets two smoking hot partners, good for her)

[itsalwaysteatimeinwonderland]

Finding Peace Pt.3: Dance With Me (Spike x Y/N)

Request: No. Part 3 of the Multi fic.

Synopsis: Being a cursed slayer is hard. Harder when a vampire won't just leave you alone.

TW: None.

Word Count: 1.2k

Previous | Next

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Sun has set and the air is thick with fog. It’s eerily quiet in the cemetery. Not a creature to disturb the atmosphere. Inside the crypt there permeated a different energy.

Heavy sighs and lustful laughs can be heard. The sound of passionate kissing and groping is evident in the quiet of the night. Spike held you close to him on the sofa. Like a predator that caught his prey. You sighed in his mouth as you melded in a fiery storm of desire. His hands roamed your upper back, trying to unclasp your bra. You didn’t protest. Everything was going well. Too well. You came out for air. Heavy eye contact was made. As if you could communicate your deepest desires with one look.

As Spike was ready to go in for another round of erotic contact a loud noise was heard. He looked up but nothing was there. Another thud nearer still. He felt in a haze. As if something was amiss. As he looks back down at you, you disappear. His dream is broken. He wakes up with a gasp. Another dreaded dream of the cursed slayer. He felt surprised that his attention had shifted so suddenly to the new slayer. His heart still belonged to Buffy, or at least that’s what he liked to believe. However, these heavy sensual dreams were more frequent as of late.

Outside y/n roamed the cemetery, hacking away at heavy foliage near the wooded area. Another night out on the hunt. If it could stop, that would be an improvement to y/n's life. Being cursed to hunt demons for over 1,000 years is less of a privilege and more of a punishment. The world may be safe, but y/n loses her grip on reality. Every day is the same. Wake up, go to work, wait till the sun sets and hunt. Everything was the same with a little twist, this time around. Spike being the lemon to her lemonade. She regarded him as an equal, someone that she enjoyed being around, but the lord knows he was bad for her. With his British accent, bravado and underlying poet heart. She had met many like him, but he had a spark to him. A light that others missed. She hadn’t seen him since their slow dance. You could say that tonight her hunt was partially focused on finding him again.  

The cemetery was empty, quiet. The fog gave it an eerie ambiance. Y/n was guarded and ready for a fight. No, hoping for a fight. A crack in the distance catches her attention. She walks closer, hoping to encounter a demon. She pounces on a bush, wrestles with a branch or two to find nothing. A bunny on its way to its hide out.

"Attacking critters, are we?" A smug voice called from behind.

Y/n whips her head around to find him, leaning on a tombstone. She made a mental note of how ridiculously big the tombstone was. She feigned annoyance.

"You can never be too sure in the Hellmouth. What are you up to in this cryptic place." She brushed off the twigs and leaves that gathered in her hair.

"Vampire plus cemetery equals home."

She felt dumb. "Oh right, god forbid you find somewhere that doesn't smell like death"

"I like to call it musk." He grinned and walked closer. He fiddled with her hair, pulling the remaining twigs out of it. "Are we hunting tonight, cursed slayer?"

She snatched her hair back. "It’s just slayer and yes. I heard that a big demon was hiding out here. You didn't see a skinny little rascal full of horns and pointy teeth, did ya?"

"The description paints a picture but none that I’ve seen. Why not entertain yourself with some vampires while you wait?"

"No can do. That's Buffy's territory. I just hunt demons now a days.”

Spike raises his eyebrows, incredulous. “A retired slayer?"

"No, to loop back to your original point, I’m a cursed slayer. Part of the ordeal is that I can't kill vampires and they can't kill me. So we're eternally stuck with each other. Poetic, ain't it?" Y/n makes a face of defeat.

Spike takes a breath, processing what you just said. He is thoroughly amused by your circumstances. Enthralled with the idea that you can't hurt him and he can’t hurt you. Equals.

He proceeds to laugh after a pause. "You're pathetic."

"Super rude." She pushes past him. She regrets seeking him out. Of course, regardless of how she feels about him, he is still evil.

He reaches back for her only to miss her hand. The slight touch sending shivers down his spine. What a nit he has been. If she were like Buffy, she would’ve bantered with him. Picked a fight. Y/n is much less tolerant of his teasing.

Y/n walks with purpose deeper into the cemetery woods in search of the demon. Spike follows her.

"What do you want Spike? Let me be pathetic in peace." She's angry and hurt.

This is why you don't share about your curse. It makes you feel defective, useless. She thought.

He steps in front of you, hands up in a defensive stance. "I’m sorry. I didn't mean it as an insult"

You laugh. "How else am I supposed to take it?"

"I’m not used to people taking what I say to heart. I was expecting an insult back."

"Yes, please make fun of my suffering. I just love being eternal. If you’re looking for a fight, go somewhere else. Now move, this pathetic cursed slayer still has work to do."

As you walk away, he beats himself up internally. What a fucking idiot he's being. How can he reach out to you if he's too busy pushing you away? So, he follows you again without a word.

Screeching is heard from a couple of miles away. A pained scream from an unknown being. There's a clearing in the woods and an animal is seen thrashing and fighting for its life. Y/n crouches low, eyes on the demon feeding on the animal.

"That our guy?" Spike sneaks behind you.

You don't answer. You pull a sword from a sheath strapped to your back. You're ready.

You go in fast with a big swing. You miss by a small margin. The demon confronts you and you go at it. His slim form permits him to be agile while you're slightly slowed down by your weapon.

Frustrated, Spike gets tired of being on the sidelines. "Mind if I cut in." He slugs the demon unexpectedly.

The demon stumbles and before he can get his bearings you slice into the demon’s chest cavity. The demon screams out in pain. His body slumps with a disgusting thud.

"That was easy." Spike smirked.

You're frustrated with him for insulting you and the even more for cutting in. It was clear that coming out tonight was a mistake. You turn around and start to storm off, sword in hand. You hated how overly sensitive you felt around Spike. He was just another vampire. So, why were you so hurt by him?

"Wait..." Spike begs.

You swing your sword and place it inches away from his face. He steadies.

"I liked our dance the other night. It felt right. Can we do it again sometime?"

"Are you gonna insult me again?"

Spike pondered it. He liked getting under her skin. "Not unless it turns you on."

You laughed, you couldn't help it. This dolt of a vampire had you in a chokehold and you didn't know why.

"Do you know how to waltz?" She asked.

Spike grimaced. "A bit uppity for my taste but I'll do it." He pushes your sword away and steps closer "But only for you."

[vampirismadvocate]

One thing I love about Spike is he’s so good for making a variety of queer headcanons about. He’s a bisexual man. He’s a he/him lesbian. He’s transmasc. She’s transfem. They’re nonbinary.

And every option is a great way to explore his character.

[elysianholly]

Hi! I recently found Seven and now that fic is becoming one of my favourite parts of my nights (also Masquerade too). Your writing style and the way you capture the essence of both Buffy and Spike (and even Willow in Seven) is so fascinating to read because it is just them! But I have a question I don't know if others have made it, but how do you imagine the relationship between Buffy and Spike in the future? Like beyond Buffy's twenties.

Hi! And thank you!

My headcanon for Spuffy is pretty solid. I think Willow's resurrection spell made Buffy immortal -- like genuinely immortal. This is based on a couple of canonical hints, including the fact that she was shot in S6 and flatlined but bounced back the second the bullet was out without additional medical care. She was also given what the First described as "a mortal wound" in Chosen, and then not only survived but did some serious action hero leaping from building to building acrobatics within minutes. I think she's gotten some Deadpool-level regeneration powers as a result of that spell and Spike is pretty much the only person equipped to help her handle that once she learns the truth. We also know love, loyalty, and dedication are things Buffy and Spike share, so as they navigate the good and bad, I see them drawing strength from each other.

I also think, absent the resurrection spell, slayers don't age like regular humans. We know they have amazing healing powers and superhuman abilities; in order to be effective slayers, they need to remain in peak physical condition. Discounting the comics, which I do, we never see any slayer actually age to the point where they begin to physically decline. I think this is also part of the reason why the Cruciamentum exists; the Council relies on slayers being young and impressionable to keep them in line. As slayers age and grow stronger and more independent, they gain too much power and become harder to control, which is a problem for the Council as it could destabilize the power they cling to. The Cruciamentum doesn't really make sense beyond that -- the explanation we're given reeks of "party line we tout out to deflect criticism of a barbaric practice that enables us to keep control over someone we fear realizing she has the power."

So in terms of the mortality/immortality thing, my headcanon is pretty solid. In terms of how this affects Spuffy, I don't deny it would be a lot for Buffy to handle once she realizes she's not aging or dying when mortally wounded, but Spike is uniquely equipped to help her through the worst of it. I don't think their relationship would be without turmoil and they'd definitely fight/get on each other's nerves/swear each other off in the heat of the moment, but they also love each other and know each other in a way that few people get to experience, and ultimately, they're not happy unless they're together.

[am-i-the-one]

Smoking and Vampires Kill (Reader x Spike)

'A sigh escaped your mouth as you remember the feeling of being kissed by Spike and exhaling smoke. You knew if you didn't quit smoking and break up with Spike they would have both killed you in the end.'

Summary: Your vampire ex-boyfriend visits your house when he hears you've quit smoking to try and tempt you into giving in to both.

Word Count: 2048

Ao3 link: Ao3

At midnight on New Year's Eve you walked straight into the bathroom and flushed your last pack of cigarettes. While your heart leapt up into your throat for an instant as the panic started you breathed out a sigh of relief. Trembling, you washed your hands and went to go re-join the party and find your new boyfriend in the crowd.

It's Winter break and you've been back home from studying at UC Sunnydale for two weeks now. Coincidently, that's also the number of days gone without smoking. Counting them off like prison scratches on the wall. You've always wanted to quit smoking and it didn't help when you met Spike who would chain-smoke indefinitely without the death anxiety, for obvious reasons. You first met Spike outside the Bronze one evening when he asked you for a light. Not thinking anything of it, you said he could keep it remembering all the Clippers in your draw at home. It was a novelty Halloween design with a vampire motif and the words 'blood sucker' wrapped around it. You never liked it, vampires were never your favourite monster. He looked at you credulously, with his eyes opened and slightly frowning at the suggestion. His facial expression soon relaxed and he thanked you and said he'd maybe see you inside. You thought he was strange as he blew smoke rings and poked is finger through them while looking up wistfully at the night sky.

You would only ever see him loitering outside the Bronze back alley. Since you spent half the night going inside and outside to smoke you'd end up catching him before he disappeared into the night. Soon enough, he became the sole reason you went to the Bronze. How pathetic, you thought, wanting to shiver in the cold while waiting for a stranger to appear, only to exchange a few words, maybe share a cigarette and then say goodbye.

One night you were warming yourself up with your lighter after crushing out your second cigarette waiting for Spike. You didn't think he was going to show until you turned around to go inside and there he was, brooding over the top of you and grinning manically.

"Hey Y/N! I was just looking for you. What are you doing outside? You must be freezing. Here let's go back inside."

He shuffled you indoors and bought you a hot mulled wine to warm you up. All the time shaking his head and complaining you were going to catch a cold. You moved naturally with him and followed his lead. This was the first time you had ever even seen him inside the Bronze, let alone be in his company with others around. You both sat down at a table in the back where it was away from the main stage.

"I haven't seen you in a while" you said, instantly regretting admitting you noticed.

"Yeah, I've been busy," Spike said raising his eyebrows, obviously surprised. "But I had my lucky lighter with me to remind me of you," showing you the vampire lighter out of his pocket and playing with it on the table. This made you smile that he remembered. You talked all night together until closing and he walked you home, after insisting, saying there's bad people lurking around this time of night.

It would only be a few weeks into the relationship that he would reveal his true identity as a vampire. You immediately ended the relationship in your head when his face turned into that of a beast. You weren't scared at the change in his appearance and demeanour. You only wanted to leave the Bronze and never see him again. This was three months ago and you hadn't seen him since. Not even when you braved to go our to the Bronze a few weeks after the break-up. You slowly forgot, or pretended you had forgotten, about the mystery vampire when you went to UC Sunnydale. What with all the studying, coffee and cigarettes consuming your brain you could hardly think straight let alone remember basic English. But, now you were back home and the memories consumed you. Perhaps, you thought, you had unconsciously quit smoking to forget Spike.

It was midnight, day 15, and you were kept awake by the intense cravings and nausea. You felt dizzy and the whole world was spinning when you rested your head. So, you switched on your bedside light and tried some breathing exercises. In and out. It will all go away soon, you thought. You stared out your bedroom window and remembered all the memories you had with Spike. You both had stood huddled under his leather jacket while it rained with his arm wrapped around your shoulder as you shared a cigarette. With your faces almost touching, all it took was a slight turn and that was the first time you both kissed. The cigarette forgotten about, laid burning half finished on the ground outside the Bronze. A sigh escaped your mouth as you remember the feeling of being kissed by Spike and exhaling smoke. You knew if you didn't quit smoking and break up with Spike they would have both killed you in the end. There's nothing in this world that compares to having something you love which kills you in the process. You feel both weak and strong being defeated because it means you have something to overcome.

These were the thoughts racing through your head as the clock moved between the early hours of the morning. You heard your parents snoring down the hallway and closed your eyes trying to isolate your dad's breathing and snoring. This grounded you in the moment until you heard a sudden sound outside of a lighter spark and an inhale that was followed by a familiar scratchy cough and a curse word. Paralyzed, you sat frozen on your bed while your eyes bursted open like a cat's, hair sticking up on end. You drifted to your windowsill, hiding behind the curtain and peeping outside you saw Spike standing below your window. He was leaning up against a tree in your front yard and looking straight into your bedroom. Flustered you backed away from the window. It's too dark to tell but you don't think he looked angry or upset. Honestly, it looked like he was just minding his own business, loitering in the middle of the night. Except, he was staring into your window so he obviously hasn't forgotten about you. You remember he is unable to enter the house since you never formally invited him inside. But, that didn't make him go away as there he stood waiting outside your house.

Knowing that you would be unable to sleep unless you confronted him about his stalker behaviour you returned to the window. You opened both curtains and sat down on your window sill bench wrapping the blanket around you. Breathing a deep breath, you opened your window and finally looked down at Spike.

"I had nearly given up," he said waving his lit cigarette. "I thought I was going to have to smoke a whole packet before you'd open up."

"What are you doing here Spike?" you ask, grimacing as you see his bleached blonde hair shine in the moonlight. God, how did that ever attract you.

"A little birdy told me that you've quit smoking and I've just come to give my congrats. Nothing wrong with that, is there?" He asks, grinning innocently and putting his hands up in the air. He crushes the cigarette on the ground and proceeds to light another one. "You see, I've tried quitting every turn of the century but nothing's seemed to work and I was thinking, since you're doing so well and all, you'd let me in on the secret".

This is unbelievable, you thought. He's really going to stand there all night, smoking a packet of cigarettes, trying to get inside your head. The wind rustled the leaves above Spike. Maybe if it picks up it would blow out his cigarette or at least drown out his voice. You looked into Spike's eyes as he raised his eyebrows waiting for your response.

"If you really want to know Spike, sometimes to kill one addiction you have to kill another. Like, if you always smoke when you have a drink you might have to quit both. At least for me, breaking up with you has solved all kinds of problems in my life."

"Ouch that hurts, love. But I bet that's what you wanted. Though I know you don't mean a word. I'll throw you up a smoke, if you want. Must be craving one like mad stuck in your room watching me enjoy one." He said, blowing out a cloud of smoke. You hated to admit it but he was right. You would have liked a cigarette but you couldn't bow down and accept one from Spike of all people.

"Sure and while I'm at it I think I want to get back together, don't you?"

"Cool it with the sarcasm pet, I'm just teasing you. Honestly, I want to commend you for giving it up. There's no point ruining your body when it's your only one. But I've been missing you lately. You never come to the Bronze anymore."

Why doesn't he just start crying, you thought. If you would have known he'd be this clingy you would never have spoken to him. Maybe all those times you waited in the back alley for him, he was also waiting for the right time to walk up to you. You had never thought about that before. How long could he have been staring at me, watching me, waiting to come up to me and have a smoke. It creeped you out to think of yourself as prey and Spike the predator. But that's what he was, at the end of the day. He had never raised his hand or drawn your blood, but that doesn't mean he wasn't trying to kill you. He was toying with you, making you believe you were in love with him. You thought you could never love another person except for Spike. But, you had proved that wrong having been in a more than happy relationship for months now.

You no longer needed those things that were silently killing you. Neither Spike or cigarettes were welcome into your life anymore. You stared down at Spike, smoking his third cigarette now catching a glimpse of your old vampire lighter. If only you could have known how ironic it was when you handed it over to him, he must have loved it. Reflecting back on when you first started smoking in your teenage years, you didn't know smoking was going to corrupt your body and become an irrepressible addiction. You were naïve and thought it would lessen the monotony of everyday life and make you more mature. The same was true about going out with Spike, an older guy who happened to be much older than he looks. You know you shouldn't blame yourself for what you know now but it's hard when you're consumed with deep seated regret. Especially because your body desires and craves both Spike and smoking.

"Goodbye, Spike." you whisper, just loud enough to see his face start and mouth open.

You smile sincerely looking down at Spike remembering the times you had together. The nights he'd stay out with you after closing hours and talk with you all night. But, Spike is a double-edged sword and someone who, in the end, would kill you if he had the chance. You close the curtains not turning back and curl up into bed imagining his arm around you as you smoked together in the rain. It felt so real, like he was there in bed beside you, Though you knew it was impossible you curled up next to him in his smoked-stained leather jacket and felt his arms wrap around you.

"I guess that's another addiction I haven't gotten over." you say as you breath a sigh of release. Turning out your lamp, you toss and turn trying to sleep while memories of Spike lighting a cigarette and handing it over to you with a grin churns in your brain.

[theendlessnessofbeingme]

Me every time my favorite character dies:

The creator:

[billie-the-sleepyhead]

Thoughts on how the StEx rolling stock couplers could work and coupler related disabilities(+headcannons on some characters that might have a coupler related disability).

First, what is a coupler? We know that its those loops performers hold onto during the show. On an actual train its this piece of ‘anatomy’

Some look different but this is the most common as far as I’m aware(it’s what the diesels where I live have).

Now in my AU/Verse/whatever you want to call it there’s a sort of splatoon ish thing going on where the rolling stock has their human form as well. The post will go with that humanoid form in mind.

Height tends to vary quite a bit between individuals, based on what they are and even then some height variation happens then as well. (Locomotive examples are that a Diesel engines tends to be tall and muscular but some are shorter. Electric engines tend to be slim and tall but again some can be shorter. Steamer tend to be short but strong but some can be taller than a diesel.)

Back couplers are therefore at a spot relatively easy for any piece of rolling stock to reach with their front couplers(their hands) and look like rings in humanoid form making them pretty much universally compatible, which is great for racing engines. (Children tend to hang onto their parents and older siblings by the couplers when they’re old enough to start using their wheels to learn how to keep balanced)

(Screenshots of what I mean from some cast photos. Two of the pre-2018 Bochum cast and two of the 2024 London cast)

Buffy and CB’s couplers on their costume.

Tassita and Lumber’s couplers from their costumes.

Couplers from an old TV spot of Rusty and Electra showing front couplers holding back couplers.

Healthy back couplers can fold onto each other, on the stock’s back, when not in use and extend to then be used. Damaged couplers struggle with either aspect and are often very painful to use and if not repaired can cause damage to the internal workings of the stock. In some extreme cases even with repair the pain doesn’t subside and the couplers have to be completely removed and the piece of stock has to wear a prosthetic for work or chooses to always wear one for personal comfort.

Some individuals are born without couplers or incomplete couplers. This birth defect is however rare and the cause of it is unknown.

Some individuals have a condition known as ‘fused couplers’ where the hinge that allows the couplers to unfold in humanoid form is fused, making couplers unable to unfold. Surgeries can fix the issue but many don’t see the point.

Prosthetic couplers are either attached to a belt or backpack, making them nearly impossible to distinguish form a regular working belt or working backpack which makes the couplers remain in an extended position. Couplers and the prosthetic equivalent are near indistinguishable in ‘train form’ and only a particularly observant technician would be able to tell the difference.

Individuals with a ‘coupler disability’ in the AU are

Buffy: born without couplers. Uses prosthesis for work and comfort.

CB: had couplers surgically removed(after and accident). Uses prosthesis for work/racing only.

Memphis Belle: couplers are slow to respond but otherwise pain free.

Belle(2024 sleeping car): born without couplers. Uses prosthetic for work mostly.

Patricia(sibling’s OC): born with fused couplers. Uses prosthesis for work.

[blue-worm-from-space]

Woah guys 💥

My Stex headcannons

2018 Bochum and 2024 Wembley coming soon 💥

Please please please ask me about them I have so many ideas and interesting things to say!!!!!!!!

Chart by @kissmel0ser

Edit: added 2 I forgot to add originally

[storm-and-starlight]

so a while ago I saw this post going around that talked about, like, when you're picking names for genderbent characters, sometimes just going with the masculine/feminine version of their original name isn't going to work because the context and connotation is completely wrong, and I was like yes! good! excellent! but it used some batfam characters as examples and the name it picked for a genderbent Damian went so completely against the tone of the name "Damian" that I immediately went "nope I'm doing this myself" so uh. here's the Storm version of a genderbent Batfam + reason why I chose those names.

Bruce "Brucie" Wayne -> Elizabeth "Beth" or "Lizzie/Bessie/Buffy" Wayne OR Berenice "Bunny" Wayne Elizabeth, at least in my head, feels like the same kind of "classical english name" as Bruce -- it's well-known, not particularly tied to any one era, relatively formal, and makes sense for an old-money family that doesn't really have East Coast WealthyTM names (think Throckmorton). "Beth" feels like a good parallel to "Bruce" in that it's a short, workaday name, and there are plenty of silly nicknames for the ditzy socialite side - I am enormously amused by the idea of Beth Wayne, Batwoman, going by Buffy in public, but if that's too much of a reference "Lizzie" or "Bessie" also exist. Berenice, meanwhile, is on here largely because of the nickname "Bunny", which is even better, imo, than Buffy. Bunny Wayne. It delights me. (Berenice is. fine. It's a bit fancier than Bruce, imo, which may or may not jive with the tone of any given fic, but it probably wouldn't be my go-to.)

Richard "Dick" Grayson -> Dorothy "Dotty" or "Dolly" Grayson I pulled this one directly from the original post bc I really do like it and think it works well - it's all about the nickname. It needs to be something that was once a legitimate, unremarkable name that is now a deeply ridiculous thing for someone to unironically call themselves and Dotty and/or Dolly are about as close as you can get to that without it being. actual slang for penis. "Dorothy" also works well as a counterpart for "Richard": a well-known, somewhat old-fashioned name but one that's still in use in modern times.

Cassandra "Cass" Cain/Wayne -> Cassander "Cas/Cass" Cain/Wayne This is one where I actually do think just using the masculine version of the original name works quite well. Cassandra is a name from Greek myth, and given Cass's history and parentage, I think that that context is one of the most important things about how that name works with her character: it's a non-English name, pulled from a culture commonly treated as a "lost golden age of civilization", it's long, it's complicated, it's elegant and a little bit strange. "Cassander" was the name of a king of Macedonia, according to behindthename.com it's the masculine version of the name Cassandra, and to me it has that same sense of slightly eerie elegance.

Jason "Jay" Todd -> Jessie "Jess" Todd This one is more about sound and and vibes than anything else - Jason is a well-known, plain, fairly workaday name that gives me the impression of someone who is strong and no-nonsense, and Jessie (not short for Jessica) gives me the same impression, especially if she habitually goes by Jess in public. Also, they're very sonically similar, and I liked that.

Stephanie "Steph" Brown -> Sidney "Sid" Brown OR  Zachary "Zach" Brown I'll be honest, I don't know nearly as much about Steph Brown as I would like to, so this one is based mostly off of sound, nickname quality, and some context - Stephanie sounds relatively modern, to me, it's a name that wouldn't fit a pre-1980's character (at the earliest). I went with "Sidney" and "Zachary" because they both also have that relatively modern feel with a well-known short form. "Sidney" is here because it starts with S and I think "Sid" fits okay? with the character despite being pretty sonically different from "Steph", "Zachary" because it has a closer sonic feel to "Stephanie" despite the name "Zach" being a little further, vibes-wise, from "Steph".

Timothy "Tim" Drake -> Cordelia "Cora" Drake OR Theresa "Tess" Drake Okay, okay, listen. I know "Cora" sounds nothing at all like "Tim" BUT. in my heart. the name fits the character better than any others I could find. "Timothy" feels very Victorian Boy's Name (or like. animated movie about talking animals set in the 1920's/30's) to me, and in modern days it's a longer, very formal name that's basically never used full-length, but the shorter form is plain, well-known, and still very common. "Cordelia" was also popular in the Victorian Era, would be a familiar-but-uncommon name to most people, and having "Cora" be the everyday name I feel just. fits the character well. Theresa is on here as a closer-sounding alternative because "Tess" is the closest I could get to "Tim" without just stealing Tamara's name (although come to think of it, in an "everyone is genderbent" world just swapping Tim and Tam's names would be very funny), and it has that same "common short form of an uncommon, slightly old-fashioned full name" element, and because "Tess" is a better fit for the character than the other two candidates ("Tori", short for Victoria, or "Tilly", short for Matilda - I liked those two because they give me the same vibes as Timothy, but the short form is the more important part).

Duke Thomas -> Blue Thomas Okay. I know, this sounds nothing at all like "Duke", but again. in my heart. same vibes. It's a name that's very modern-sounding without being Trendy, it's a single syllable, it's a name that is also a common word, and just. idk, they feel similar to me. A little bit cool (in multiple definitions of the word), a little bit laid-back, like they'd both work as nicknames for a 1920's jazz singer. You get it.

Damian Wayne -> Alecto Wayne Yes. I know. Hear me out on this. The original name proposed for a genderbent Damian is what prompted me to make this post in the first place (and no I'm not saying it because I don't want to rag on OP too much) because Damian, as a name, has. just. so much meaning and so much context that is so important to my perception of Damian as a character. It's a Greek name, meaning "the tamer" - it's clearly non-English - it's strange and unusual and stands out among a modern American crowd - it's older, darker, dangerous - it's pulled from a long-gone civilization that for a long, long time was treated as one of the pinnacles of human achievement and yet was just as fucked up as any other society and often was significantly more so - and, most importantly, it is such an Edgelord of a name. It's the name of the overdramatic bad guy in a vampire play (not movie. play.) who stands in a tower drinking blood out of a jeweled goblet. It's a name given to a baby who was raised by assassins and the grandchild of an immortal assassin bent on destroying civilization in an attempt to make the world better. Damian is a sharp prickly pompous brat of a ten-year-old and part of that is looking down at a little kid with a sword with a name like Damian. It's just. how do I even explain this. it makes perfect sense for the League to have named him like that and it makes perfect sense that part of his personality is trying to live up to that and yet he can't because he's like ten. I picked Alecto because of all the names I found, it was the only one that gave me that same, immediate sense of "this is the name of a villain in an overdone fantasy novel, with over-the-top Meaning and Symbolism". It sounds Sharp and Strong and while recognizable, it's clearly not something people are typically actually called. It's Greek, meaning "unceasing" - it's the name of one of the Furies. I just. It works. (I know it's gonna get read as a TLT reference. I don't care. It's use in TLT is exactly what I mean by "it's the name of the villain in an overdramatic fantasy novel" tbh).

[iwaoiness]

they meet for the first time at a nightclub in são paulo, brazil. hajime is there on a trip with his best friends, and tooru is out celebrating one of his closest friend’s bachelor party.

iwaizumi steps out onto the terrace of the nightclub. as much fun as he’s having inside seeing matsukawa and kuroo learning how to twerk under the guidance of two cheerful brazilians while bokuto and hanamaki dominate the limbo contest, his ears desperately need a break.

the music becomes muffled thumps as he shuts the door behind him and walks to the balcony. the cool breeze feels like heaven against his heated skin, bristling his bare, strong arms in a refreshing way.

his eyes trace the wide road below, the few scattered vehicles crawling through it at this hour of the night. streetlights illuminate the streets faintly, and voices echo in portuguese, a language he recognizes but barely understands, apart from bom dia, olá, boa noite, and obrigado.

it’s still surreal that he's in brazil, more than 18,000 kilometers from home, few months after makki jokingly suggested it after seeing a tiktok, bokuto called up a friend for the best city recommendations, kuroo checked flights just for fun, mattsun coordinated everyone’s free days, and hajime himself checked their passports and scheduled renewal appointments for issei and tetsuro.

chuckling to himself, hajime pulls a strawberry lollipop from the back pocket of his jeans. he unwraps it, tucks the wrapper back into his pocket, and pops the candy into his mouth.

the faint tobacco craving he's been battling slowly fades away as the taste of the strawberry sticks to his tongue.

he rolls the stick idly between his fingers as his gaze shifts to the dark sky. there're no stars tonight, but a nearly full, brilliant moon glows softly through the haze of light pollution.

the terrace door opens and closes, but hajime doesn’t really register it until he hears:

“yes, mom! don’t worry, we’ll head back to the hotel soon.”

japanese.

someone is speaking japanese at this club in são paulo, 18,000 kilometers away from japan.

hajime’s eyes widen, his head swiveling almost comically toward the voice. and there, a few steps away, he sees him.

the owner of the voice stands with one hand holding a large plastic cup, and the other pressing a phone to his ear. the terrace lighting reveals a loose, oversized camp collar shirt in a deep blue, the first four buttons undone to reveal smooth, firm skin. the shirt is tucked into wide-legged dark pants, long enough to cover his converse. a silver necklace gleams across his collarbones, matching the rings that adorn a few slender fingers.

tousled, short brown hair. large, almond-shaped eyes. high cheekbones that shimmer with glitter like stardust. a sharp nose. glossy lips that curve into a genuine smile before laughter spills from them. pretty is the first thought that barrels through hajime’s brain. he’s so fucking pretty.

the pretty boy says goodbye to his mum, hajime catches his last words “i love you too. i'll text you when i get to the hotel” before wraps up the call and slipping his phone into his back pocket. hajime quickly looks away, focusing back on the road as he shifts the lollipop to his other cheek.

he considers heading back inside to check how mattsun and makki are doing with their twerk lessons and make sure bokuto and kuroo haven’t gotten into trouble with the limbo.

but then, that voice pulls him in again, yanking his attention like gravity.

“oh my god, the moon!”

the awe in his voice is palpable, and hajime smiles softly as he watches the pretty boy stare up at the sky, mouth slightly open in wonder.

the boy fumbles for his phone, glancing around for somewhere to put down his cup before setting it on a chair.

he rushes to the railing, stopping just a couple of steps from iwa, raising his phone with an expression of adorable concentration to snap photos of the moon.

but soon he frowns, clearly frustrated, and before hajime can stop himself, his mouth moves, in japanese, “is it an iphone?”

the pretty boy flinches, as if he hadn’t even realized he wasn’t alone. he turns to hajime, wide eyes blinking like an owl’s.

“are you japanese?” he asks, a little shyly. hajime nods, and the boy smiles, holding up his phone with a case with a grey alien flashing a peace sign under the apple logo. “it is.”

the tension in hajime’s shoulders, something he hadn’t noticed until now, melts away like ice in sunlight. he pulls the lollipop from his mouth, now visibly smaller.

“switch to video mode, lower the exposure all the way, and zoom in on the moon,” he explains as pretty boy follows his instructions. "once it’s focused, adjust the exposure again until you get a clear shot. then hit the other shutter."

“wow, it works!” the boy gasps, snapping several pics, his smile spreading wide. hajime can’t help but smile too, watching him. “thanks, buffy boy!”

hajime chokes, cheeks heating up, but he tries to recover under the boy’s amused gaze.

“no problem,” he manages, clearing his throat “pretty boy.”

the boy grins, his tongue peeking between his teeth in delight.

“oikawa tooru,” he introduces himself, extending a hand. “but you can keep calling me pretty boy.”

tooru, tooru, tooru.

hajime raises an eyebrow, a small smile tugging at his lips as he takes the offered hand. it’s warm, bit thinner than his own, with long fingers. there’s a faint roughness to his palm and fingertips, but an undeniable softness too.

“iwaizumi hajime,” he replies, their hands still joined. “and you can’t keep calling me buffy boy.”

“boo, boring!” tooru pouts, his eyes glinting with mischief. “then how about a cute nickname with your name?”

“don’t even think about it” hajime warns, though his hand gently pulls tooru’s closer, their fingers beginning to intertwine.

“oh, i already thought of one! iwa-chan!”

“what are you, four? no.”

“c’mon, be fun! we’re in brazil!”

hajime rolls his eyes, but the smile is still there, unwavering since the beginning.

“i don’t think that’s the cutest way to address someone you’ve just met,” he points out, though the latter could well be a lie.

because there’s something on tooru’s presence, like the warmth of the first ray of sunlight during bitter cold days. iwaizumi's soul hums with a quiet, solemn certainty that echoes through his chest: it’s him, it’s him, it’s him.

pretty boy.

oikawa tooru.

tooru.

soulmate.

...

wish i could write a long fic about this

u can find me on my ao3, bluesky and this is my carrd!! 🍉