#drusilla is right to call him out

[wolframpant]

You're afraid. Well, we're all afraid.

[winepresswrath]

drusilla's canon grandma kink is a thing that can be so charming & unhinged.

[coraniaid]

It's true that the Buffy writers' answers to the closely related questions "is there a meaningful distinction between a vampire and the human being who was sired to create them?" and "when you get down to it, are vampires basically people?" clearly undergo something of a shift in the second half of the show.

This is a transformation that starts with Buffy's reluctance to stake Willow's vampire alter ego in Season 3's Doppelgangland and continues at pace with the gang's collective reaction to finding out that Harmony has "become" a vampire in Season 4. It's a process that continues as long as Harmony remains a recurring character on the show, until, by mid-Season 5, Buffy (and Buffy) has essentially undergone a complete switch in its view of vampirism. The later seasons handling of vampires are very hard to square with the speeches made by Buffy in Lie To Me ("you die, and a demon sets up a shop in your old house [...] but it's not you") or Giles to Xander [about the late and largely unlamented Jesse] in The Harvest ("you're not looking at your friend: you're looking at the thing that killed him"). Whether this is a change for the better or not is a matter for debate, but that it is a real change that happens is pretty hard to dispute.

It's also true that the writers are obviously increasingly reluctant to show their show's protagonist, the titular vampire slayer, actually going around killing vampires. At least any vampires who've had a chance to establish some sort of personality. How many of the dozen or so named, recurring vampire characters does Buffy actually kill over the course of the show? Not very many.

I make it two in Season 1 (if you're generous and count Luke as a recurring character), one in Season 2 (if you're similarly generous and count Buffy sending Angel to hell for almost three whole episodes as killing him) and ... that's it, right? Somebody other than Buffy kills Darla [=Angel], and Colin the Anointed One [=Spike], and Dalton [=the Judge], and Mr Trick [=Faith], and vamp!Willow [=wishverse!Oz, twice] and Sunday's only-named-in-the script henchvamp Tom [=the Initiative], and Sandy [=Riley], and Spike[=... well, Spike, ultimately, I guess]. Nobody ever kills Drusilla or Lyle Gorch or Harmony, all of whom make multiple appearances on the show and (un)live to the end of the series. And Angel and Spike (and even Darla, eventually and temporarily) all come back after apparently being killed.

Buffy might have a sacred calling to slay vampires, but the show is very uncomfortable about her killing non-human characters who've had a chance to establish themselves as people. Perhaps that's why the show stops having vampiric Big Bads completely after Season 2, and why Season 7 tries to introduce a whole new category of personality-free, definitely-not-people monsters to replace its existing vampires. (Perhaps not entirely succesfully, if we're being diplomatic.)

It's certainly true that the show does not have a consistent take to offer on vampire lore. Like everything supernatural in Buffy, vampires are essentially walking metaphors: and the things that they exist to represent and comment on change and evolve throughout the show's run. Buffy's worldbuilding is not very deep or rigorous.

But what's not true at all, and what I wish people would stop claiming, is the idea that Angel's awkward "well, actually..." when Buffy assures Willow in Doppelgangland that "a vampire's personality has nothing to do with the person it was" represents some sort of big departure from the show's established or implied lore up to that point. It does not. At all.

In fact, it's Buffy's claim that is at odds with everything that the show has been saying up this point. A vampire's personality has always, always been something that the show wants us to believe is informed by the personality of the person who died to create them, This goes all the way back to Season 1.

In Angel, Giles does tell Buffy flat out that "a vampire isn't a person at all", but he also says that a vampire may have "the memories, even the personality of the person that it took over". In the part of her speech from Lie To Me that I elided earlier, Buffy admits that if you're turned the resulting vampire "walks, and it talks, and it remembers your life" [and the clear implication here is that the vampire walks and talks like the original person did, otherwise what is this supposed to be saying?].

If the show's original position was that a vampire's personality had nothing to do with who they were in life, why would Giles have felt the need to tell Buffy (in Season 1's Never Kill A Boy On The First Date) that Andrew Borba had been on the run for a suspected double murder the night he died and rose as a vampire? Why would he have told her in Season 2's Bad Eggs that the Gorch brothers "massacred a village" before they were vampires? Why would he warn her in Season 3's Helpess that Zachary Kralik was a "criminally insane" serial killer even before being sired as a vampire? If the show -- or even just Giles himself -- really did have the position that a vampire's personality has nothing to do with the person they were before death, as Buffy claims in Doppelgangland (and some fans apparently believe), how would any of this make sense?

If we weren't supposed to think vampires inherited at least some part of their personality from their host then why, in The Harvest, would vampire!Jesse still be obsessed with pursuing Cordelia Chase? Why would Drusilla still be driven mad as a vampire as a result of the pyschological tortures that Angel inflicted on "her" when she was a mortal? In Halloween, why would Buffy be trying to find out more about the sort of person Angel was as a human? Why would Willow and Xander still be together in the world of The Wish?

The idea that a vampire inherits the personality of the person whose body they take over [or who they were before "becoming" a vampire, in the later seasons' parlance] isn't any kind of retcon. It's one of the few consistent takes on vampires the show had from beginning to end. Continuity of self; moral standing as a person; capacity for self-reflection and personal growth, whether or not vampires can breathe ... these are the things about vampires the show changes its stance on. But a vampire's personality was always informed by who they were in life, right from the very first pair of episodes.

(Spike and Drusilla being capable of at least some kind of romantic love and mutual jealousy in Season 2 is also not a retcon, incidentally. We saw that with Darla and Angel in Season 1 as well. And even the Master clearly felt emotions and had some sort of affection for his favorites among the vampires that worked for him. Spike and Dru do represent a significant -- and welcome! --change in the tone of the show, but they aren't somehow a walking refutation of what Giles has been telling Buffy (and through her, us) about vampires for the past year.)

I mean, I don't really have a big point to work to here, it's just that I keep seeing takes on my dash about how this particular scene represents a big change in the show's lore about vampires. And that .. just isn't true?

[raisedbythetv89]

I’m sorry but the way buffy’s all:

UGGGHHHH I sooooooo don’t wanna have to go manhandle the hot vampire for information he’s soooo annoyingggg

Then immediately lets slip she actually does spend time thinking about what he’s up to all day in his crypt and she says she KNOWS it’s something - not creepy, not weird, NASTY 👀👀👀 😜

And then SECONDS after she says that she BARGES IN UNANNOUNCED giving Spike absolutely ZERO time to make himself decent if he was doing something. She literally bounces in and struts up to him in such a way she is getting wind machine level Beyoncé hair. Like GIRL WHAT WERE YOU HOPING TO WALK IN ON barging in without knocking 😹😹😹 which is literally the only way she ever enters his crypt… playing with fire fr

ONLY TO CHOOSE THE WORD PROPOSITION. Not “I need information, I need a favor/help” A PROPOSITION for you. Ya know like “to proposition someone” for sex…

And SPIKE just BOUNDS right up to her in a way that flexes his arm muscles in the process and gets him RIGHT in her face, saying he’s got a proposition for her too…. they did not need to be this close to talk and she doesn’t even back up at all 😹 what she does do is LOOK AWAY when he flexes his arms to propel himself up only to look back at him when he’s standing in front of her 👀 she’s like RILEY focus on RILEY do not get distracted by his arms LOOK AWAY

The SLAP instead of a punch??? He looks SHOCKED that it was a slap instead of a punch when he literally just called her boyfriend an enormous hall monitor and asked tauntingly if he was gonna die and all it elicits is a slap that doesn’t even have full slayer strength behind it 😹😹😹 like this is basically a love tap for them when we see a shove from her send him FLYINGGG across the room when she really means it in “Smashed”

AND THEN SHE’S LIKE “I’D BE DATING SPIKE” as her attempt at reassurance to Riley that super strength isn’t what she cares about BUT IF IT WAS it would in fact be Spike 👀 like she had that alternative READDDDY to go. To me this says she’s thought about what would life be like if she had started dating Spike after “something blue” instead of Riley. Probably since she found out Riley was a demon hunter and no longer the “normal” option between the two which was Riley’s biggest appeal to her as part of her attempt to show she had “normal” taste in men after thoroughly enjoying being all over Spike in “something blue” (as I talked about in a previous post)

Also Spike isn’t the only one showing off his arms!! Buffy has her jacket on to go look for Riley but is just in her white tank and red leather pants to flirt TALK with Spike. Which literally is showing more skin, but ALSO is a physical representation of the relationship she’s always had with spike that revolves around vulnerability and the differences in her behavior between Riley & Spike with how vulnerable she is this season but even as far back as season three when she says she can’t lie to herself OR SPIKE.

AND the fact that Spike is in a different outfit in his dream but Buffy isn’t 👀 he was checking her OUTTT in that outfit and even though he saw her with her jacket on at the hospital he’s dreaming about how she looked when she came looking for him. Also the way she’s just BATHED in light when she first walks in UGH 😻😻😻 looking like a leather clad angel of death sent to destroy the version of spike created by Angel and Drusilla’s abuse bit by bit. I quite literally could not be more obsessed with them

[mcgnagallsarmy]

Top 10 Spuffy fics I’ve read (Sept 2023)

A Game of Getting Caught by EllieRose101 [NC-17]

The eternal question: What is the most powerful force in the universe? Buffy's denial, Spike's need to prove her wrong, or Xander's pig-headedness? (Set in a world in which Riley doesn’t visit Sunnydale in Season Six, so the Spuffy sexcapades continue––and so do the close calls of almost getting caught by the Scoobies.)

The Bad Penny by OffYourBird [R]

Six years ago, Buffy made a home in a new dimension with a Spike who defied every rule to be by her side. Now it’s time to put to rest unfinished business in her original dimension. However, a visit there quickly turns apocalyptic, and at the heart of it is the two vampires who set Buffy's original journey in motion, and both of them have a lot of explaining to do.

Best Wishes by bookishy, Dusty, Grief Counseling, ashcrashed, MaggieLaFey, womanaction [R]

Well Hell's Bells! It's a Sunnydale style wedding! You know what that means: things are going to go very very smoothly.

Binding Effects by simmony [R]

What was supposed to be a simple truth spell takes a dark turn when Buffy can suddenly read Spike’s feelings—and he hers.

Future Happiness by EllieRose101 [R]

High School is over and Angel is gone, leaving Buffy worried about what lies ahead. At least until Willow tries to help. (Set in the summer between Seasons Three and Four. Mostly.)

The Future is Ours by DarkEternity96 [NC-17]

What if in mid-Season 4, Spike demands another spell from Willow, in a last-ditch attempt to get Dru back… but rather than having her cast a typical love spell, Spike wants to travel forward in time, to experience the future Drusilla claims she ‘sees’, and prove to her that there is bugger all between him and the Slayer. Cue the spell going awry, and S4 Spike being trapped in the body of his future self, in the very unexpected world of Season 6. And you can only imagine Spike’s utter shock when a lust-fuelled Buffy turns up at his door…

Night Swimming by Geliot99 [R]

An unexpected heatwave in mid-March is reason enough for an impromptu pool party for the Scoobies. But when Richard takes a second stab* at winning Buffy's affections, Spike is all too keen to show her how much fun night swimming with a vampire can really be… *see what I did there? Set between 'Older and Far Away' and 'As You Were'

Right Where You Left Me by acekoomboom [R]

Buffy is a newer ghost, as far as ghosts go, and she can't move on. She sits in the corner she haunts, right where he left her, waiting for him to return. Time moves differently for the dead. Haunted Diner AU.

Taste and Temptation by RavenLove12 [NC-17]

For a sticky sweet, tasty treat: Take one stressed-out Slayer, add one snarky vampire, place in an empty house and mix well. Bake on high and top with whipped cream.

Thing of Doom by Sunalso [Adult Only]

AtS S5. Things go a little off canon in Destiny and Buffy ends up with a whole lot more than she bargained for. Human? Demon? What makes Spike who he is and what’s a girl to do with the love of her life when he’s double the trouble?

[mistigrisunshine]

spuffy fic rec

figured all the time i spend scouring EF and ao3 might be useful to someone!

part 1 - part 2 - part 3

Scooby Crew, Where Are You? by Twinkles [9k]

In a not comics-compliant post-series universe where spuffy have been reunited and everyone else is drifting apart, chaos drops by for a visit. Or a nefarious scheme. I guess we'll find out XD

To Apprehend Air by Quinara [19k]

Two days after LMPTM, Spike's soul is stolen. But that's OK; they can get it back, right? Simple. How hard is it to hop dimensions, anyway? Or storm a castle…

Wild and Wonderful by solstice [23k]

Dawn is nine and three quarters. She is resilient, strange and sharp as a tack. She's a credit to her big sis. But she's just been kidnapped by one of the most notorious vamps of all time - Drusilla. Things look bad. Enter Spike, her very unlikely hero. Spike's relationship with Drusilla has been on the rocks since the Acathala debacle and the morsel in the crate is her double-edged gift to him: a chance to make things right, and a chance to be really bad. Kill the girl and make it hurt. But for some reason he. just. can't. Instead, he tosses the niblet into the trunk of his Desoto and hits the road, leaving his one hundred year relationship in tatters, and grinding his reputation into the dust. Buckle your seat belts nice and tight. We're in for a bumpy ride.

World Enough, and Time by toooldforthis [23k]

“You came back wrong,” he told her, all those years ago. He was right, but it took them a very long time to realise exactly what that meant. It meant a hundred more apocalypses, a thousand battles. It meant a journey, a prophecy, a war. They’d lose one other, and find their way back, and choose, again and again. And all the while, the earth was failing. There are a lot more people than you think who are here for the long haul – like, the really long haul. This is a story about two of them.

Once You Eliminate the Impossible by yellowb [30k]

Icelandic noir. Inspector Summers of the Reykjavik police force has finally got her big chance: she’s in charge of a murder case.

sometimes enough by taxicab12 [35k]

“Tell me everything,” Willow said, not sounding particularly like she’d been asleep. “Are his friends cool?” Buffy blinked. “Some of them. There was this one British guy—” “Ooh, accents, hot.” “—who wouldn’t stop staring at my boobs,” she finished. “Ew, men, gross.” “Spike,” Buffy said with a scoff. “What kind of name is that?” Or, Buffy falls in love and in love and in love. For some reason, life keeps happening anyway

ever waiting airports (full of the love that you deserve) by womanaction [41k]

Buffy catches up with Riley's helicopter, solving one problem and introducing a host of others. How is she supposed to rebuild their crumbling relationship in the face of an angry hellgod out for blood, an emotional teenage sister who spent millennia as a glowing ball of energy, and a weirdly helpful vampire? Season 5 rewrite from "Into the Woods" on.

GTFO by Girlytek [54k]

Spike doesn’t take the extra hundred bucks to be the decoy. Ethan doesn’t hang around to gloat. With the Initiative on their tail (just a little one), and Ethan needing a good being killed, Spike and Fyarl-Giles get out of town. There’s nothing like a road trip to put your demons in perspective.

Care by Sigyn [72k]

While under her Will Be Done spell, Willow just happened to say “I don’t care about anything,” and as a result, wanders blithely off as a vengeance demon. Spike and Buffy are left to protect a threatened Xander and a blind Giles while under the effect of a powerful love charm. But all is not happy in paradise – they’re still constantly fighting, and Angel is determined to end the spell they’re under. In a desperate attempt to collect the tattered remains of all their lives, ex-watcher Wesley Windham-Pryce is called in to try and play marriage counselor between the vampire and the slayer.

The Soul Lies Down by the_moonmoth [73k]

"As a child, I used to dream of a man in black and white, spinning in the desert like a dervish, sword flashing in the moonlight as he danced with death." Dawn travels back in time to save the vampire who saved her life. It's not purely out of sentiment, though -- the fate of the world is at stake (again) and somehow Spike is at the center of events. If only he can stay on the right side of Buffy. A sequel to Angearia's "Fin Amour".

Summer’s Lease by Iamblichus [86k]

Buffy thought it would be just another night of slaying lame-ass campus vampires, but one green demon, some unexpected help from Spike, and a spurt of fluorescent blood later, she finds that her world has acquired a novel complication.

Indigo Overture by Rikki_oko [119k]

Spike's just a drummer, content to live in lead singer Angel's shadow. But when a certain blonde strolls in on Angel's arm, will Spike be content to take the backseat forever? Loosely based on the eighties song, Jesse's Girl.

[changingplumbob]

From the kitchen there was the sound of loud popping followed by a heavy sigh.

Phoebus: Come in Glenn. I've disabled the barrier

Glenn: How did-

Miranda: You're not exactly quiet

Glenn swallowed nervously and walked in to the kitchen where the old spellcaster was sitting down at the table.

Glenn: Miranda said you didn't want to be disturbed

Phoebus: That was then, this is now

A bunch of comments ran through Glenn's mind. He wasn't sure which one to latch on to first.

Phoebus: You're back

Glenn: For now. Your offer to join the coven was nice but, I really don't know if it's for me. I know grandfather is happy enough here, and I really appreciate the offer-

Phoebus: Will you let me make a suggestion?

Glenn: Could I stop you

Phoebus: *chuckles* Probably not. But stay here a while, meet the others properly, grow your skills. You'll be safer out there on you own if you take some time to master your craft

Glenn: Sounds like you care

Phoebus: The reason I was against you going for that bachelor challenge was nothing to do with you. It's dangerous still for us to announce our presence and there you were wanting to broadcast your powers

Glenn: I never showed them on the show

Phoebus: But you talked about your spellcaster ancestry

Glenn: Well yeah, I'm proud of it

Phoebus: As you should be. I'm old and times are changing, a lot of the human youth are not against occults as much as they were in decades past. But the dangerous ones are still out there. I have some of the most unique magic talents under my charge, I want them safe

Glenn: I didn't out the coven Phoebus

Phoebus: I know, and I'm grateful for that. I want everyone safe, you included. So for the time being, stay.

Glenn: I'll give it a try. Oh, ah, me and grandfather made a blueberry pie for you

Phoebus: For me? Oh I'd never dream of eating alone in front of a glutton. Call in Miranda and Gillian and we'll dish up a slice

He did and Phoebus got them all a slice, heating it up slightly before serving. Glenn wanted to appear polite but with food right in front of him he couldn't resist digging in with fervor.

Phoebus: If you could check in with Henri, Drusilla and Harmony? I'm sure they'll have ideas of some specific tasks you could do to sharpen up

Glenn: Are they like, your deputies

Phoebus: No but they are the most experienced coven members with practical, mischief and untamed magic

Gillian: Glenn could you get some flowers to plant around the place? Pockets would love some shrubs to hide in

Miranda: Manners

Gillian: Oh, please?

Glenn: Since I get the feeling I'm going to get a lot of demands, what's one extra request. I'll add it to my list

Previous ... Next

[nascenta]

Caligula is a play written by Albert Camus, begun in 1938 (the date of the first manuscript is 1939) and published for the first time in May 1944. It premiered on 26 September 1945 at the Théâtre Hébertot in Paris.

It is part of what Camus called the "Cycle of the Absurd", together with the novel The Stranger (1942) and the essay The Myth of Sisyphus (1942). A number of critics have reported the piece to be existentialist, though Camus always denied belonging to this philosophy. Its plot revolves around the historical figure of Caligula, a Roman Emperor famed for his cruelty and seemingly insane behavior.

***

Albert Camus wrote of his piece, "Caligula, a seemingly kind prince, realizes upon the death of Drusilla (his sister and his mistress) that men die and they are not happy. Obsessed by the quest for the Absolute and poisoned by contempt and horror, he tries to exercise through murder and systematic perversion of all values, a freedom, which he discovers in the end is not truly freedom. He rejects friendship and love, simple human solidarity, good and evil. He takes the word of those around him, he forces them to logic, he levels all around him by force of his refusal and by the rage of destruction which drives his passion for life."

He continues, "But if his truth is to rebel against fate, his faculty is to oppose, and deny other men. One cannot destroy, without destroying oneself. This is why Caligula depopulates the world around him and, true to his logic, makes arrangements to arm those who will eventually kill him. Caligula is the story of a superior suicide. It is the story of the most human and the most tragic of errors. Unfaithful to man, loyal to himself, Caligula consents to die for having understood that no one can save himself all alone and that one cannot be free in opposition to other men."

***

“It makes me laugh, Cæsonia, when I think how for years and years all Rome carefully avoided uttering Drusilla’s name. Well, all Rome was mistaken. Love isn’t enough for me; I realized it then. And I realize it again today, when I look at you. To love someone means that one’s willing to grow old beside that person. That sort of love is right outside my range. Drusilla old would have been far worse than Drusilla dead. Most people imagine that a man suffers because out of the blue death snatches away the woman he loves. But his real suffering is less futile; it comes from the discovery that grief, too, cannot last. Even grief is vanity.”

-- Caligula, Albert Camus

[voidsentprinces]

Mylla: Another word out of your mouth, Aldis and I'll beat you to death. Solkzagyl: Nah, therapy would take too much time. Imma just create an entire gaslighting plot around my death to recreate batman for Ishgard. Wyrnzoen: We get into some mild shenanigans here. Curious Gorge: I could try to look inward and explore my emotions...or I could just keep hitting things. Fray: This is bullshit, this whole thing is bullshit, that's a scam, fuck the church, here's a dark soul crystal. Sophie: Walk, walk, fashion baby. Hamon: It isn't violence against the elderly, if I call it TRAINING and I AM the elderly. Widargelt: Going to have more royal drama than the Sultana. Foulques: Gridania is racist...they will never fix this. But I can! BECAUSE I AM THE BEST LANCER IN THE WOR--OH NO! Estinien: Ishgard is classist...they will never fix this. But I can! BECAUSE I AM THE BEST DRAGOON IN THE WOR--OH NO! Jacke: We can stab people AND stop acts of terrorism. Karasu: Just having a little giggle. Having a bit of a laugh. Master Musosai: DAME DA NE! DAME YO DAME NA NO YO! Drusilla: Grandad was mad that the Emperor trolled him and is now making it everyone's problem. Sylphie: You may not like it but this is what peak conjury looks like. Raya-O-Senna: Hello and welcome! A-Ruhn-Senna: Die in a forest fire. Alka: Is it me or is that tonberry kinda...cute? Leveva: I would say I am sorry for blacking out, beating you and then burying you up to your neck in the middle of Coerthas. But I am not. Jannequinard: It is QUITE fine, my dear Lady Leveva. You did only what the stars asked, as any astrologian worth their salt would do. Aries Rising and all that. Loifa: I could easily explain my motives and backstory but this quest line has to last 8 more levels. Silvairre: Gridania is racist and shall never change its wa--oh no something happened to me personally. I have seen the error of my ways! Sanson: I can still hear his voice. Guydelot: Gay, gay, homosexual, gay, gay Stephanivien: Gonne training requires a steady hand and a leveled head. So I shall send you to someone who will teach you these things. Rostnstahl: ...sorry what? That guy over there has been looking at me for a while. Joye: That's your reflection. Rostnstahl: Oh right...hey you, shoot that guy over there in the ass. Nashmeira: Therapy would take too much time, lets dance for people's enjoyment. Cocobuki: How do you feel about casting Fire I for 50 levels? Shatotto: An arrow may have your name on it. But a fire ball is addressed to whom it may concern. K'lyhia: If my calculations are correct, you are only in this to get God and Anime on your side. Y'mhrita: I hear you know my sister. Well good news, cause we're about to harnass the power of GOD AND ANIME TO OUR SIDE! X'rhun: Yeah, I don't know why people keep running past and yelling, "Would you care to fuck this catman". Martyn: I am helping cure the smallpox by putting on shows to raise awareness. Quickly, VOMIT A FISH AT ME!

[enigmatist17]

My Sanctuary (Part 2)

Part 1 3 4

---

1880

---

His dear Cecily has already gone, and the lamb with the heart of a wolf seems to know what has transpired to him. William sighs as he scans her room once more before stepping backward into a blood-soaked hallway, disappointed but not terribly surprised. The unseeing eyes of Cecily's former maids stared up at him as the fledgling traveled back to the main hall, where his new family circled familiar partygoers like sharks on land, his beloved sire giggling as she pulled and poked whoever was closest.

"W-William, please, call them off." One begged, a former friend who had laughed and jeered that fateful night, trembling like a leaf when William vaulted over the upper railing with ease, landing with a thud mere feet away.

"Now, why would I do that?"

"Show them your pretty face~" Drusilla cooed, appearing beside William as he dragged the beggar closer to him with a grin. The man watched as William's face changed to that of a demon, letting out a strangled scream before fangs dug into his neck, draining him dry in a matter of minutes. The thrill of the kill made William feel like he could take on the world as he dropped the corpse, the fear rolling off the people before him so damn delicious as he looked for the next one to kill. A maid with brown hair is the one he lands on, memories of her laughing and mocking his name flashing through his mind like lightning, and she lets out a terrified noise when Darla appears behind her and grabs her arm.

You should be known as William the Bloody for your bloody awful poetry!

"Have fun, little pet, but hurry; we're quite hungry." Darla purred as she dropped the woman to her knees before the newest addition to the Whirlwind; William was too focused on the woman in front of him to notice the proud smile on her lips. "They're always so eager aren't they?"

"Aye, it's funny." Angelus purrs from his seat on a plush couch, patient as he watches William pull out something from his pocket. "Come girls, our boy is about to have his fun."

"Oh, Daddy, it's wonderful~!" Drusilla hummed as she crossed the floor, kneeling at Angelus' feet, while Darla sat at his side, looking amused. The three watched William circle the woman who begged for her life, her hands clasped as if in prayer, when he stopped right in front of her with a grin.

The screams don't mask the cracking of bone as William drives a rail spike through the woman's forehead, driving it in with his thumb until it's fully embedded in her skull. Drusilla begins to laugh as her childe reveals more rail spikes in his hands, flinging himself into the rounded-up humans as they try to run for their lives, the older vampires doing little more than keeping everyone in the house as William went on his spree. He's just killed another by driving spikes into the man's eyes when the sound slowly fades, the man staying upright instead of toppling over.

Was it worth it?

William blinked, pulling back with a cautious growl. He jumped when a hand landed on his shoulder, a woman with her snapped neck locked her head at an unnatural angle, staring at him with a grin.

Did it make you a better hunter, killing us like pigs in a pen?

'Wait -" Another set of hands grip one of his legs, another person he'd killed in his frenzy looking up with eyes he'd gouged out.

We had families, lovers, and you took us from them !

"This isn't happening; you can't—" A pair of hands wrap around his throat, and William is eye to eye with an old friend he'd forgotten had been there. The other pulls out a rail spike lodged in his temple with a lopsided grin, raising his arm and bringing the spike right for William's wide eyes.

You'll suffer for eternity

---

Modern Day

---

The first thing Spike is aware of is that he's falling, his body hitting a carpeted surface with a thud. He takes in great lungfuls of air and scans the area around him, curling in on himself a little as gratefully, no one is nearby. He can still smell the blood and the fear from his dream, or was it a memory? It took longer than Spike wanted to admit to realize he wasn't back in Cecily's home but rather some strange hotel room he was unfamiliar with, the vampire slowly moving up and onto his feet. He's fed at some point, the black pinpricks that dotted his vision lately barely visible as Spike straightens, a familiar taste he can't name still lingering on his tongue. The sun is on its last legs before setting for the day, Spike is able to peek out at a city that is as familiar as it is lost to him, naming a jumbled mess in his mind as he stares at a rooftop before pulling the curtain closed. He makes it to some living room before the voices rush over him again, the man falling to his knees as he presses his hands over his ears, tears threatening to fall as they scream at him.

"I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry." The mantra falls to deaf ears as Spike curls in on himself, bile threatening to force its way out of his throat when suddenly, salvation arrives. A gentle hand rests itself on Spike's back, slowly running up and down in a comforting gesture, the voices seeming to realize Spike was no longer alone and fading back to that silence that settled in Spike's bones. He crouches like that for a time, letting the comforting touch make the world stop for as long as it could, eventually moving so he was on his knees.

Is it going to burn?

"Are you alright?" This voice he knows, one that usually meant pain or a general bad time, but soft in a way he couldn't recall ever hearing before. Spike wants to ask, ask so many questions, but finds the words shrivel up and die in his throat, so he remains silent as he stares at the floor. He hears the other adjust before going still once more, sitting beside him Spike realizes, before it fills the air.

Blood, oh he was so hungry. "You've been asleep for a while, you must be hungry." Spike feels his face shift as he turns, golden eyes meeting dark hazel before Spike looks him over, an arm extended with its wrist dripping with blood.

"I'm allowed?"

"As much as you need." The offer should be raising his hackles, but Spike reaches forward to grab his arm, fangs extending and piercing the wound with a quiet growl. Angelus had never shared his blood with anyone besides Darla on the regular, Drusilla when she sired, and Spike once after he'd been brutally attacked defending their ladies.

He'd thrummed with power for almost a week after that, hoping he'd taste it again one day.

Yet here he was, drinking deep from his grandsire like he was the last source of blood in the world, waiting for some pain from taking something he bloody well didn't deserve, for the familiar Angelus growl before he's tossed out of the closest window. No, Angel encourages him, only moving so Spike can sag against him, his free hand resting on the back of his neck as Spike drinks.

YOU DON'T DESERVE TO BE CONTENT

Angel jumps when Spike rockets back and away from him, blue eyes flashing wildly as he scrambles away until he hits the back of a couch, his entire body trembling as he clamps a hand over his bloodstained mouth. They've come back, and he can see bodies with missing limbs and others who are merely skeletons all over them, dead by his greedy hands, and he cowers.

The Slayer of Slayers, trembling in fear as his soul turns on him with the anger of thousands.

"They're not there." Angel appears, placing himself between Spike and all those who want to harm him. Those dark eyes that no longer held malice kept Spike's frantic gaze, and the bigger figure slowly moved closer until he put his arms around Spike protectively.

"I killed them all." He whimpers, clinging to the vessel of safety before him. "I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry, so very very sorry..."

"I know you are." Angel carefully slips an arm under Spike's knees, easily hoisting the man up and into his arms. "You're okay."

"It'll never be alright, never." Spike trembles as they walk through his former victims, out of the room he'd been in and down an aged hallway, where the ghosts don't seem to follow. Angel takes him to his room; the information pokes at Spike's addled brain, the suite almost a mirror image of his own with additions, like floor-to-ceiling bookshelves crammed full of what had to be hundreds of books. They all smell of old age, along with a scent Spike is not familiar with, other things like a motorcycle jacket and intricate dagger on a coffee table all covered with it as he's set down on a plush couch. "Sire?"

"I'm in the middle of work, and left you alone too long." Angel merely replies, looking into those exhausted blue eyes. "Are you still hungry?"

"Yes, but I dare not feed."

"You need to." Blue eyes flicker around the suite, looking for some hidden danger before his face shifts. "Good." Grabbing the book he'd been rifling through, Angel sits on the couch and holds out his wrist once again, his childe latching on without prompting. He gets through a few pages before Spike withdraws, scooting to the furthest spot on the couch before he hugs his legs to his chest, just watching the elder with a neutral expression. Angel knows he's curious as he is wary, though judging by the glaze overtaking his eyes, Spike was losing control of the present and slipping to wherever his mind decided was most important. The muttering starts up when Spike rests his forehead on his knees, the variety of languages he'd learned over the years slipping in and out without his conscious thought like they had two days prior in the foyer. Angel continues his work, noting a few things on paper for his client, while Spike's muttering fills the air, and he glances over when he finally stops talking.

He's asleep, curled on his side with his vampiric face predominant, and Angel shakes off his coat to drape it over the sleeping man. It's how Wesley finds them when he trudges into the room after a long reconnaissance mission some hours later, freezing by the front door with a slightly panicked look.

"Sorry, I got caught up in work, and he woke up." Angel gave a small smile as he stood, Spike not reacting as Wesley cautiously heads for the kitchen.

"Is he alright?" Seeing the larger-than-life vampire so small was strange, almost like a child under Angel's coat.

"No." Wesley had known Angel long enough to know when he was biting back some particularly powerful emotions, but he doesn't push. "Not sure how long he'll sleep this time."

"Mhm, two days was a surprise." Wesley pops his dinner into the microwave, leaning against the counter with a stretch. "Do you think he'd mind company?"

"Company?" Wesley couldn't help the small smile that graced his face at those big, confused eyes, motioning with his index finger for Angel to join him.

"Yes, whenever you're out, would it be wise to have someone with him? While I doubt he'd make it outside, having him wander the halls of an unfamiliar building may not help his healing process." Angel moves closer to the other, drawing Wesley into a deep kiss as the question turns in his mind.

"Maybe, at least after we get his hunger sated," Angel replied when they parted, brushing a hand against Wes's flushed cheek with his smile. "I'm not sure how long he's gone without, and he may unintentionally hurt one of you."

"T-That is a wise idea." Wesley cleared his throat, the ding of the microwave breaking the two fully apart. "Do you still want to help finish this case, or help him?"

"I can do both, did you end up tracking down the target?"

"I did, across the city in the warehouse district." Wesley nodded, shifting into investigator mode as he pulled out a city map from inside his coat, using the kitchen counter as a surface to point out what he'd seen to Angel. When it's decided where Angel is going to go, the vampire turns to check on Spike and moves him back into his suite, only to find the couch empty and the door to their room wide open.

"You've got to be kidding me!"

---

Angel's coat is like a set of armor, Spike thinks to himself, as he wanders the seemingly neverending hallways. No ghosts have snuck up on him now, and no screaming as he holds the leather tight around himself as if knowing the coat belonged to the great forehead himself.

Oh, that was rude, wasn't it?

He's debating whether or not his mental insult was rude when a nervous squeak stops him; Spike sniffs the air before turning to his right, spotting a door that wasn't quite closed all the way. Big eyes are watching him with a mixture of emotions he can't place, and he looks at them until the door slowly cracks open further, revealing a rather small woman. She's got slightly wet long brown hair in a messy bun, oversized glasses that seem to make her even smaller, and is clad in a plain set of pj's with some essentials bag clutched in her hands.

"Y-You're Spike." Her voice is taut with anxiety, but the undercurrent is pure curiosity, and the scientist watches the vampire tilt his head a little bit before he starts giggling.

"That's the question innit?"

"Oh...w-well, if you're not Spike, t-then who are you?" Blue eyes fill with confusion, and she watches Spike giggle to himself again after a moment.

"Dunno. Who are you?"

"I'm Fred, Fred Burkle."

"Fred Fred Burkle? Huh."

"N-No, just one Fred." Spike raises his scarred eyebrow but says nothing else as she slowly exits the bathroom she'd been using.

"What is one Fred doing?" His voice has suddenly lost its Cockney accent, and the Texan has to bite back a squeak.

"M-My shower is broken, so I was usin' this one. I'm gonna go and watch somethin', and then, uh, sleep?" Spike seems to have trouble following what she's said, and despite knowing he wasn't exactly all there, she holds out her hand. "You look a little lonely. Do you want to join me?"

"A Lady offering a hand for a Monster?" Spike looks away from her, crouching down in the middle of the floor with a huff. "She deserves to be safe, not in danger, not with me, yet her hand holds in the air..."

"I don't think you're so scary." Fred kneels down, wondering if he was even registering her presence. "Never been called a lady before, makes me feel all fancy."

"You are a lovely one, Miss." The soft voice is back, those eyes less piercing and more bashful if she had to say. "I do not understand why no one has said that to you."

"Well, I-I have been gone a real long time, but you can i-if you'd like. Get me all caught up and such." She smiles, offering her hand once more to be accepted this time, bringing Spike back up on his feet. His arm shifts so it's bent 90 degrees, and she links her arm with his before leading Spike to her room. Despite hearing he was supposed to be out of his mind, Spike is awfully quiet as he escorts her down the hall, sometimes muttering something about dresses that Fred can't catch. He does pause for a moment when she opens her door, but the flash of a smile has him following without complaint into a homemade from merging two regular hotel rooms into one massive one.

"Um, do you watch Passions?" That bashful look fades as Spike blinks at her, her anxiety melting when he nods. "Oh great! N-No one else here really does."

"Their loss." The Cockney returned as she headed for her couch, scooping some clothes off and out of the way so he could sit beside her. "I am a bit behind."

"Well, I can tell you everything you've missed." There's a flash of a smirk, but it's gone before she can fully look over.

"Ta, pet."

Spike does try to watch; the comforting and familiar show a great balm on his frayed nerves, but he's asleep before they get through the episode, once again burrowed under Angel's coat. Fred carefully gets up and grabs one of her favorite blankets, leaving only his face exposed as she tucks him in before returning to her show, a bit giddy that he's been so sweet to her. She's just getting to a good part when there's a polite but urgent knock on her door; Fred quickly gets up and goes to answer it before the noise could wake Spike, coming face to face with a slightly nervous-looking Angel.

"Hey Fred, I know it's late, but have you seen Spike?"

"Mhm! He's asleep on my couch, actually!" Angel stared at her with a mixture of exasperation and relief, taking a deep breath and exhaling. "He seemed a little lost, so I brought him here to watch Passions, t-though he wasn't awake long."

"He's going to be sleeping a lot, that's okay." Angel glanced at his watch with a sigh. "If I left some of my blood with you, do you think you could let him crash until I get back? I don't think he'll be too hungry, but having some in case is good."

"O-Oh, sure!" She should be surprised he already had a bag ready, feeling a little wigged out. It was warm when she took it, but she tried not to let it show.

Much

"If you need anything, call me okay?"

"Sure thing boss." With a relieved smile, Angel was gone, Fred closed the door and turned to see Spike was still in his cocoon, figuratively dead to the world as the TV droned on. The blood is left in the kitchen in a bowl, Fred washes her hands before she rejoins Spike on the couch, newly acquired popcorn her snack of choice as she catches a re-run of another show. Every so often she'd look over at the sleeping man, her curiosity slowly growing until she moved a little closer, pulling the blanket back to study his face. Angel was pale, but Spike was even more so, the errant thought of him being lost under the snow making her giggle a little before she put her hand over her mouth to muffle the noise. She frowns when she realizes how gaunt he is, or at least she thinks he is, her vampire knowledge was still on the "fill the first page of a journal" step, but she'd also been that way for five years before, so someone had to be right here.

"You poor thing, probably could drain a cow and still be hungry or somethin'." She whispered, using one finger to move some errant curls from his face. "But don't you worry, Angel is awful good at gettin' blood like, all the time, so you won't be hungry here." Spike doesn't react to her touch, and after waiting for a little while, she gets off the couch and disappears further into her room, returning with a small comb and a chair. She sets it beside the arm of the couch that was Spike's current pillow, and after fussing over where to begin, she starts to go after the multiple tangles she can see in his slightly greasy hair. A tune she couldn't name dances in her mind before she started humming, carefully shifting Spike's head so she could access some more knots with her comb. "There we are, all nice and smooth, and tangle free!"

"Mhm...thanks, luv." Fred jumped at the sleepy response, gently smacking the top of his head.

"Why wasn't that nice, scarin' me like that?" she huffed. Spike chuckled to himself before burrowing further into the blanket.

"Felt nice...liked it." Melting a little at how tired he sounded, Fred gently pat the top of his head in apology.

"Well, you get on sleepin', and I'll be on my bed." The vampire makes some vague noise, and Fred smiles to herself before clicking off the lights on the way to her bed.

He was such a sweetheart.

[mangacupcake]

Bridgerton Au- The Ashengrotto Family

The Secret Keepers of the Upperclass

The Ashengrotto family has been rumored to be descended from the great sea witch.

Now they serve as information brokers and help keep the peace of the upper class even working with the worst of the worst to maintain the status quo.

Azul’s mother worked hard in bringing the “family business ” to land and found success bymarrying a wealthy lawyer from the surface.

Since then she’s stepped aside in most matters and let Azul become the head of the family. Who is feared for his wish granting contracts, and his eel bodyguards.

He is also rumored to have a “demon maid” that will get rid of any problem you have for a Hefty sum or a very restrictive contract. What’s unique is that she will take requests regardless of your social status. However that’s just a rumor… or is it?

Azul has a sister, Drusilla Ashengrotto. Who’s has seldom been seen by anyone. She’s coming of age and just in time!

With her secret heiress now known to the public and the all the fortune hunters out there and the up coming social season Lilith Crewel called in a favor.

It was rare sunny day when the carriage arrived at the Crewel Estate. A gathering was quickly arranged and both parties met in the drawing room. Isabella tried not to fidget as Lilith took her hands “ trust me pup.”

The three moved gracefully, “Lady Lilith, my brother expresses his regret in not attending this meeting in person but some business came up in the coral seas that he had to oversee.”

The girl looked no older than herself, but she moved and spoke with all the elegance and grace as her adoptive grandmother. “You must be Isabella. I’m Drusilla Ashengrotto, These two are my families bodyguards. This one on left is Jade leech.”

“Charmed.” Jade placed a chaste kiss on her hand, “the one on lady Drusilla’s right is my twin brother Floyd.”

Instead of a kiss on the hand or a polite bow Floyd opted to pull Isabella in a bone crushing hug, “what a cute lil shrimpy!”

Jade removed him from Isabella with ease “please don’t be offended that’s how Floyd expresses his affections.”

“I know they can be a bit much. But I promise they have nothing but the best of intentions.”

Floyd’s laugh made the hair on Isabella’s neck stand up. Drusilla saw the fear in Isabella’s eyes and took her hands, “ please don’t be scared. I know he’s… a bit much. But he’s means well. We all do. And you’ll find his mannerism charming soon enough.”

“Uh why?”

“I’m sure you know or know of the Ashengrotto family. And I’m sure you’ve heard of the roumors, I’ll spare you of that ridiculous chatter. But to put it simply we’re are both young women from prominent families, the social season is almost here. And it’s better to have a friend.”

Drews smile was warm. “I’m here to be your friend and to potentially find a match as well. Starting today I’ll be moving in and I do hope we’ll be friends. As a start please call me Drew. I’ve only really been called Drusilla in formal situations but I’m fine with either-”

Drew was caught off guard by The little heiress pulling her into a hug “I’m so excited! I can’t wait to show you the dogs. You’ll love Horace and Jasper! Oh no wait I need to show you the rose garden! Oh um, sorry I got excited, um forgive me, Grandmother maybe I show the library, please?’

Lilith chuckled, “your both dismissed. Dearest please make your friend feel at home.’

Once the girls were out of sight Lilith held her cigar out to be lit which Jade generously did with his fire magic “that demon maid lives up to rumors, especially the price. I don’t mind of course. She’s a worthy investment. I know she’ll do a good job.”

Jade hummed “Indeed. What a time Azul’s darling sister coming of age just as your heir is. What a hell of family we all are.”

Lilith knew she’d be gettin an earful from Marcus and her son but when it comes to Isabella she’d do anything to protect that girl. Even chasing in favors with some questionable businessmen…

@adrianasunderworld @marrondrawsalot @heiress-has-retired @the-weirdos-mind @anxious-twisted-vampire @yukii0nna

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Tuesday, October 22 - Wednesday, October 23

Veruca : You have a cage? Oz : Don't you? Veruca : Uh, yeah. Has a little wheel with a plastic ball And a cute little bell in it. God! Somebody's domesticated the hell out of you. Oz : It's my choice. I don't wanna hurt anybody. Veruca : Maybe. Or maybe you just don't wanna admit what happened to you. Maybe you just wanna pretend like you're a regular guy. (She walks over to him.) Oz : Well, I am. I'm only a wolf 3 nights a month. Veruca : Or you're a wolf all the time and this human face is just your disguise. You ever think about that, Oz?

~~Buffy Episode #62: "Wild at Heart"~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

To Keep Her Warm (Buffy/Angel, G) by badly_knitted

Family Vacation (Buffy/Spike, T) by veronyxk84

Ravening (Cordelia Chase/Darla, E) by evesock

Wicked Dreams (Spike/Angelus, E) by MadeInGold

Obligatory Halloween Ficlet (Ensemble, G) by Bacner

Questions (Buffy/Giles, T) by The_Crazy_Knight

Divine Comedy in the House of Flies: Bonus Chapter (Darla/The Master, E) by CoffeeHunt

A Well-rounded Diet (Buffy/Spike, G) by Sweetbutnutty

[Chaptered Fiction]

MRS. SUMMERS Ch. 1-2/? (Joyce/OC, E) by KNZ1

Tainted Love Ch. 1-6/6 (COMPLETE) (Buffy/Giles, E) by Removes_and_Cleans_Glasses_00

The Neighbor's Point of View, Chapter 140 (Buffy/Spike, G) by the_big_bad

Unholy Matrimony, Chapter 14 (Buffy/Spike, E) by CheekyKitten

Something Lost Something Found, Chapter 15 (Buffy/Spike, M) by Safire

Perfect Clarity, Chapter 5 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Ragini

Downfall, Chapter 1 (Buffy/Spike, T) by EllieRose101

reciprocity, Chapter 9-10 (Buffy/Spike, E) by HappyWhenItRains

Champion Of War, Chapter 8 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Desicat

Enchanted Dawn, Chapter 5 (Buffy/Spike, T) by VeroNyxK84

(Buffy, G, Lilo & Stitch xover) by JoeB

[Images, Audio & Video]

Artwork:Angel () by nineinchnals

Artwork:The Hero of Three Faces AtS Comic (Spike) by paulgadzikowski

Video: Drusilla | Happy House () by ceoazula

[Reviews & Recaps]

PODCAST: Episode 46 - Sweaty Baguettes and Vibrator Stones (Helpless) by The Sunnydale Diaries

PODCAST: Episode 79: Goodbye Iowa by Gym Was Cancelled

[Community Announcements]

Buffering the Vampire Slayer to Return by bufferingcast

Tuesday Prompts: Candy & Sweets by comment_fic

[Fandom Discussions]

The way the whole Jasmine arc in AtS is a warped and twisted version of the Jesus story makes me sick by violettathepiratequeen

i’m glad everyone hates joss whedon now but the unfortunate side effect is that now everyone blames everything they don’t like about the buffyverse on him. by moistvonlipwig

Spike tells Glory that the Key is the host of The Price is Right, which means he must watch the show by aphony-cree

Spike and Harmony by Joan the Vampire Slayer

What If: Cordelia was a cat? by nightshade

Buffy going to Spike’s crypt after AR by silvermoon

Were teenage girls into James Spader in 1997? by WerdNerd88

The Gentlemen by Personal_Reward_60

why does a vampire get “punished” with a soul by hatchbackkk

Just watched the show for the first time by featuretragic

Buffy's choice of desert attire in "Intervention" still bothers me. by lazydivey

Is Angel a hypocrite/selective in who he chooses to 'redeem'? by brwitch

Innocence by rozzarunner

Xander is not that bad of a character. by Legitimate_Heron_696

Joining Buffy in it’s final season by authenticriver

RIP Mrs. Calendar by Exact_Pipe9225

Feeling down? Have some Willow! by Tuomas90

Why couldn't Buffy capture and lock Angelus up? by foreseethefuture

Where is Spike’s leather coat now? by authenticriver

Dream of a place called home - AtS season 5 episode 16 by Technical_Juice_6959

S6 rant by txn120

Which promo group do you prefer ? by Cailly_Brard7

Amy by lmeyer64

Set mistake in Chosen? by Tuxedo_Mark

First time Season 1 finale: Holy hell! by Tuomas90

When do we get to see Spuffy in the comics? by user230224

Coolest demon design in both Buffy/Angel by Personal_Reward_60

Why did the show start using those sounds? by Tsole96

Willow by Stevegreghouse

comic question by brian5mbv

finding out he came out as gay in s6 is so funny by hatchbackkk

What are some moments that frustrate you simply because a character's point of view is ignored by PristineSituation498

BUNNIES by moses616

Annoyed at Willow (Second time watch - early s6) by 29CF

they always talk about hell and demons but i wonder what angels/heaven or even God is like in the buffyverse by hatchbackkk

Buffy & Willow are the only characters that never get unlikeable in my opinion by hatchbackkk

Buffy S6 money troubles by Important_Moment_301

Does any Buffy episode get a Bingo? by MonsterTournament

Plans for oz by wolfotwindsor

now that i think of it, what was he doing in the alley during Buffy & Faith’s fight? by hatchbackkk

S2E01 - They almost kissed!!!! Eeeep! - And more Willow cuteness by Tuomas90

[Articles, Interviews, and Other News]

PUBLICATION: The Case for Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Cordelia Chase, an Unexpectedly Inspirational Mean Girl by Paste Magazine

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Join the editor team :)

[deeply-unserious-fellow]

No okay bcuz actually I DO want to explain my thoughts from this post here because I love analyzing things and I think talking abt Vox's relationships thru the lens of "this is just like Buffy fr fr" could be fun :)

FIRST OFF: VoxVal as Spike & Drusilla. I do not know their ship name and tbh I'm probably never gonna talk about them again so whooooo cares. To state the obvious, in this situation Vox is Spike and Val is Dru. Now, it's been awhile since I've watched Buffy, but from what I remember, Spike & Drusilla really are THE toxic villain couple, in that they're both like. Not very good to or for eachother, all things considered, but goddamnit they love eachother SO MUCH- which really is the generous interpretation of Staticmoth. I'm not gonna go super in depth into the fucking. Is Staticmoth abusive debate rn. Because I have one million other posts that make my stance on that pretty clear I think. But the uh... nicer interpretation of their relationship is very much Spike & Drusilla I think. Like right down to the headcannon of Vox liking how Val's shit eyesight & temper tantrums makes him kind of dependent on him. Again, could be misremembering, but based off of how Spike was w/ Dru while she was weakened(and based off of how he rebounded w/ Harmony of all people 💀), I get the distinct vibe that, despite his frustrations, Spike did like having somebody relying on him the way Dru(and later Harmony) did. Vox def seems like the type of guy that would get a kick out of feeling Needed and Relied On(why else would he literally route the entire Pride rings power grid through himself-), and Valentino is. Well. Valentino. I'm not gonna go over their interaction before Stayed Gone because it makes me ~genuinely uncomfortable~ for reasons I have, once again, gone into in depth before, but suffice it to say that it's definitely in character for Vox to be into Val relying on him like that. Oh also, like somebody pointed out in the reblogs on the original post, the reason Spike & Dru broke up from s3 all the way to their reunion in s5 is that she cheated on him and that's. Yeah that sounds about right.

And second, the Staticradio twins: Spuffy and Spangel. Why the fuck did I call them the Staticradio twins? I don't know I'm tired as shit and just used most of my brain power on the VoxVal segment now get off my back- anyways, these two are actually pretty easy to explain so I'll just get right into it! Most of the similarities between Staticradio and Spuffy can really be summed up in the song Reat In Peace from Buffy's musical episode. One-sided, obsessive crush on someone who you know deep down will probably never reciprocate. You want them to just leave you the fuck alone and stay gone(hahahahahahahahah), but they just. Aren't. Like even the bits about being a dead guy without a heart beat are spot on because Vox is a motherfuckin DEMON who is a ROBOT!!!!!!! Also the Alastor Body Pillow fanon(which IS fanon. It is. I'm sorry to say but that wasn't a thing on the Instagrams y'all-) does line up with the uh. The Buffy sex bot- it does line up with the Buffy sex bot. Anyways moving on to the Spangel section-

"You were my sire man!" - Spike, to Angel, in his introduction episode. I don't remember if this was retconned in season 5(or 6?) to be Dru siring Spike? It might've been. But for the sake of this post lets pretend it wasn't. Angel was basically Spike's mentor for a lot of their time together pre-show. They ran around in their weird little vampire polycule causing problems for everyone and life was good! Then Angel got cursed. Bro got a soul and then ran away for years without a word to anyone. Then, cut to current day, and Spike is hyped to see him right up to the point he realizes Angel has Changed. And from that point onward to two are RIVALS!!!!! Narrative foils, even. And while it isn't exactly the same as Alastor and Vox's history, it's pretty damn similar right!? Al was(presumably) Vox's friend and mentor for YEARS, like to the point of being comfortable taking a picture with him. Then something happens between them, causing a rivalry to form. Throw somewhere in the mix Al's deal & him fucking off for 7 years... it's like the same pieces being put together in a new way to make a different puzzle. Is Rosie Darla in this analogy? Unclear. Val is still Dru though. Do y'all get where I'm coming from? It's far, FAR from the same thing, like there are so many fucking differences and that's just going off of the stuff we DO know(I want to know more god I can't wait for season 2-), but the dynamics ARE similar. They're narrative foils with a deep history w/ eachother where they were probably-definitely friends, something caused them to become RIVALS, and also one of them is cursed and dissappeared for several years-

Whoo boy this got kinda incoherent- Anyways, that brings me to my brand new fun and interesting point: Vox and Spike are kinda similar characters. They're both antagonists who wanna be Big Tough Scary guys so bad, and like. They are. They are big tough AND scary. Sometimes. But for the vast majority of their screen time, their emotions, capacity for love(no matter how twisted their version of love is), and the consequences of that love going wrong continually get the better of them and cause them to look to us, the audience, like silly pathetic wet cats we found on the side of the road. Then they get Weird about it(Vox's "rivalry" w/ Angel and the. Buffy sex bot.) and we remember oh yeah this guy is EVIL! They also both wear long jackets and are bisexual :)

[videogame-ocs]

Finally Introducing….my canon Rook, ARIADNE DE RIVA!

I used the dragon age human/elf creator on Picrew for Ariadne’s image but tumblr won’t let me link it.

Ariadne’s backstory in full detail (pre veilguard):

Ariadne is an elf with Antivan and Dalish heritage but she is pretty much a city elf. biological parents are Zevran Arianni and Ashara Mahariel (all origins exist in canon, so my Mahariel still exists and has a brief encounter with Zevran. I’ll talk about my non canon characters in a later post).

Her mother, Ashara Mahariel basically had a one night stand with a familiar Antivan Crow the night after the future Hero of Ferelden, Amelia Cousland, Alistair, Morrigan and him solved the werewolf issue. Zevran had been just rejected by Amelia after a miscommunication on Amelia just trying to be nice and Zevran receiving that as flirting.

Soon after Ashara left the Sabrae Clan for unknown reasons and travelled to Tevinter where she befriended Drusilla, a scholar who took Ashara in and helped her out. Ashara would then disappear leaving her baby with Drusilla and her elven girlfriend after the baby was born c.9:31 Dragon. Drusilla called the baby Ariadne and taught her about the Dalish and everything respecting the growing elf’s belief in the Dalish gods not the maker or anything, she was more like a daughter than a slave to Drusilla (which is what she was down as in public).

However Drusilla was murdered when Ariadne was six and she was then sold into slavery. She was freed a few years later after an ‘incident’ resulting in her owner’s death involving a other Crow in Tevinter and she made her way to Antiva being helped by a mysterious grey warden Commander from Ferelden on a mission to cure the calling. It’s also around this time that her magic manifested, Inspired by that warden’s stories of her crow friend, Ariadne heads to Treviso and after a couple of years on the streets she is recruited by the crows.

Again both Zevran and Ariadne are unaware of each other’s existence so if Zev does pop up in Veilguard that doesn’t interfere.

Catarina Dellamorte and the other talons are well aware of who her father is, so they were actually very wary of Ariadne, even as she was training, hence why they never told her or put her in the right house. and they were technically right to be wary. She eventually compromised a larger mission by putting her need to help others first and well…made the talons very angry. Similar to how Zevran annoyed them but she is not yet at the point where The Crows are actively hunting her down.

[lilacsandorangeblossoms]

I’ve been sharing snips from these stories on discord and I mentioned most of them to @austennerdita2533 and I know @crazychicke is also a fan of this ship. And I’m excited these are the first multi chapters I’m doing for this ship. I don’t know when they are going to come out but I’m currently working on them.

Story number 1: while slaying something happens and Buffy falls unconscious. Luckily spike was slaying with her and caught her when he takes her home. dawn wants him to move in with them cause he promised Buffy he would take care of dawn. Buffy is unconscious they are using spike as a heart rate monitor. Willow calls Wesley to help and team angel shows up to help. Season 6 is still going on even though she is unconscious. Buffy is in a dream world where she is a popular teenager in LA high school there are no monsters or demons. Everyone is there including but not limited to human teenage spike, Angel, darla, dru, Cordelia, oz.

“Forever is a long time, what if something happens or…”

“Or we break up.”

Buffy nods as they enter the cemetery. Her and spike have been dating for a couple weeks now. Last night after they had sex Spike had brought up the topic of claim. Saying they could claim each other.

Spike turns towards her and she is looking around the cemetery. He takes her hands in his. “I love you and I know you like me too.”

Buffy avoids his eyes but can only avoid his look for a minute then looks at him. “You’re right I do like you, why do you want to claim me? Do you do that with all your girlfriends.”

He raises an eyebrow and smirks. He never realized just how much that word would mean to him. “Girlfriend?”

A vampire comes up behind them and before Buffy can respond to spike she turns around and stakes the vampire in the heart. “What no…. I mean.”

He laughs as he stakes another vampire. Can’t they wait to rise until he and Buffy finish their conversation. It’s a matter of respect these baby vampires know nothing, even when he was evil he still had manners.

“Shut up spike.” Buffy kicks a vampire trying to attack her as she stakes him.

He laughs again and she glares at him taking a punch in the jaw from another vampire. “I never have with anyone else. Not even with Drusilla, harmony was never my girlfriend.”

She jumps up from the ground still shocked by what he said about how he has never claimed someone not even Drusilla. She punches the vampire coming at her then stakes him.

Spike dusts the vampire that was trying to fight him when he looks over at the slayer he sees that she has dusted hers too but is wobbling. He runs over to her and thankfully gets there just as she passes out. He catches her and picks her up bridal style. “I got you luv. We’ll go back to my crypt and see what’s wrong.”

Buffy moves in his arms as he carries her she doesn’t even try to object to him picking her up. She lays her head on his shoulder. Her breathing is being shallow, he doesn’t smell any blood on her so he knows she is not injured but something is wrong with her.

Xxx

Story 2: Buffy gets pregnant during season 6 doesn’t know she’s pregnant just thinks it’s stress. Spike is the father. Dawn finally gets Buffy to go to the doctor and when they find out she is pregnant. She’s scared to tell spike, when she does tell him he decides to get his soul. Buffy and dawn deal with her pregnancy. They find spike in the school basement and Buffy takes him home. He doesn’t have a trigger. During her last month shit hits the fan the first takes spike. Giles comes with potentials. The night she rescues spike and kills an Uber vamp she goes into labor. Together as parents they decide to send their baby to angel investigations to protect. La is safer then a hellmouth, bringers, Uber vamps, and Caleb. What they didn’t know angel investigations is dealing with angelus in a cage, and Cordelia/jasmine. And now they have to take care of spuffy baby.

Glass breaking, the noise of not only two bodies slamming into each other with a powerful force, the moans, cries of ecstasy and growls, but also them banging against bookcases and shelves occasionally hitting and scratching each other all echo through out the cavernous downstairs of Spike’s crypt.

Spike rolls off Buffy, both of them breathing heavily, for Buffy it’s necessary after a workout like that, for spike some human things have stuck and he breaths even though he doesn’t need the oxygen. Both of them are on the floor under and on top of multiple carpets. She can’t feel the cold earth underneath her. She looks back at the untouched bed it’s the only thing that was not messed up in their latest sex marathon.

“We missed the bed again.”

Spike still laying down glances behind him at the bed. “Lucky for the bed.”

Buffy lets out a little smile as she leans up up on her elbows. Spike leans into her shoulder. Memorized by her he always is, he always make it a point to compliment her after every round. “You were amazing.”

“You got the job done yourself.”

“I was just trying to keep up, the way you make it hurt in all the right places.” He leans further into her shoulder.

Buffy changing the subject knowing this conversation can’t end well. “You did a good job fixing this place up it’s cozy.”

“I ate a decorator once maybe something stuck.”

She can’t help the chuckle that escapes her lips. “I’ve been thinking of doing something with my room, you know new life, new hair, new sex, why not new bedroom.”

It’s a hit or a miss if they talk after sex sometimes, sometimes they do and sometimes it’s a quickie and then she’s gone. They usually do it in his crypt or that one time in that building they brought down. He likes when they talk after because when she runs off right after it feels like one of his daydreams he is just waking up and instead of Buffy he’s still with Harmony. When they talk after they see a different side to the other. They are coming down from their highs and they are vulnerable in front of each other.

Spike’ fingers graze her arm as he looks up at her. “And you want my help picking out furniture?” There’s a teasing tone in his voice, and his cold fingers grazing her hot skin is making her crumble. She wish she knew why they have this effect on each other. They say they hate each other but they can never stay away from each other. Since she’s been back it’s like she sees him differently, she really does believe he loves her and she likes him. They get each other in a way nobody else has before.

She looks up at him through hooded lashes, looking all innocent when they both know she is far from that, he still has the bite marks to prove it. Plus they’ve been trying to make it to the bed for the last five hours.“Well you did eat a decorator maybe something stuck.”

In an instant Spike Is hovering over her leaning down and attacking her lips. She moans into the kiss and pulls him even closer. Her legs are still not working from the last couple of rounds they had.

Xxx

Story 3: before Buffy came to sunnydale spike stumbled upon her and turned her into a vampire and making her his Childe. He is still working on curing Drusilla from what that mob did to her in Prague. While teaching baby vampire Buffy how to be a vampire. He is not going to do what angelus did to him. He is not torturing buffy or making her prove she is vampire nuff for him. He is tender and understanding to her. When spike and Drusilla do go to sunnydale Buffy comes with them for one spike is her sire and he’s still teaching her second she can help with Drusilla after all that is her grandsire. Kendra is the slayer on the hellmouth. Buffy never met Giles. Or Willow or Xander. She doesn’t know who Angel is other then spike does not like him and Drusilla does. Buffy helps spike cure Drusilla. Spike and Buffy’s relationship is more then sire/Childe he loves Drusilla but he also loves Buffy.

Spike opens the door of his DeSoto and he puts his hand out for Dru to take, once she is out of the car she looks around and in her quiet voice says. “Angel.”

He looks over at her he didn’t feel Angel around but maybe her sense is stronger because he turned her. “He’s here too? I’m getting us something to eat.”

She leans into him and says dreamily. “I’m a princess.”

“That you are.”

Before he can say anything else Dru leaves he knows exactly where she is going, she thought she smelt her precious Angel. He just worries about her. She hasn’t been the same since Prague. Spike smells blood and fear and it’s Intoxicating. He follows the smell to Hemery high school. As he is walking up to the school he looks back and swears he faintly smells Angel. But the blood is more potent in the gym. Where lothos was feeding from a blonde teenage girl in a white dress.

When lothos sees Spike he drops the girl. “Spike! it’s been while how are you?”

Spike shrugs his shoulders as he looks around everyone here is already dead it’s disappointing. “Good kinda hungry.”

“Welcome to my buffet. You’re welcome to have anyone.”

As Spike looks around his eyes come across the blonde in the white dress she is still alive and looking up at him with pleading eyes. Her beauty is astonishing. He’s never seen someone so beautiful she glowing the poet in him wants to use the word effulgent. He feels horrible for this thought but she might be more beautiful than his dark princess. The way her green eyes have locked on to his and there’s so much emotion there but there’s also a will to live. He can’t let a beauty like this die and rot.

He bends down to the young woman and puts his arm under her neck to bring her to a sitting position. He asks her the same thing Drusilla asked him over a hundred years ago. “Do you want to walk worlds the others can’t begin to imagine?”

She can’t speak blood has begin to pool in her throat she nods her head. And Spike’s demon come out and he slides his fangs into the holes left by lothos he draws her blood and it tastes different but familiar. He hears her heart slowing down even more and on the last beat he pulls his fangs out.

He takes one of his fingers nails and makes a slice at his neck then brings the limp girl to his neck. He softly says. “Drink luv and come join the world.”

Barely alive she musters all the strength she has and sinks her human teeth into his neck and drinks his blood she can’t believe it it’s so gross but she can’t stop.

After a couple mouthfuls she dies in his arms.

[mcgnagallsarmy]

Spuffy style Reading Challenge - #26: Ready & Go Reading Challenge

A fic set in the woods:

Promise of Frost by Eurydice [NC-17]

When a snowstorm strands Buffy and Spike, they are forced to turn to each other for strength, especially when a missing Giles, mysterious visitors, and way too much magic threatens to turn it into a not so very merry Christmas. Set mid-S4.

A fic involving a creative outlet:

Chiaroscuro by OffYourBird [R]

At first, Buffy wasn’t even sure it was him. He was all the way across the gallery, far enough that he was reduced to chiaroscuro in motion—a shock of white hair swathed in rich black leather, his eyes dark and glittering and his skin nearly ivory in the bright gallery lights.

A fic featuring food you have not tried:

Hunger by Sunalso [NC-17]

AU. Spike killed his third Slayer, but Dru was already dust. He's been lost, but when his supper turns out to be more than he bargained for, it leaves him hungry for something else instead. And Buffy? She's just hungry.

A fic involving a train ride:

Vernalagnia by violettathepiratequeen [G]

Vernalagnia: A romantic mood brought on by spring. One that even Angel doesn't dare try to get in the middle of.

A graphic novel:

D-straction Day: All Night Long by HappyWhenItRains [Adult Only]

COMIC: Buffy stops by the crypt to see if Spike wants to go patrolling. He does not.

A fic involving ghosts:

Wine-Colored by OffYourBird [NC-17]

There are so many shades of red, but Buffy sticks to the one she knows best.

A fic set on a bus:

A Place to Call Home by all_choseny [NC-17]

Buffy and Spike have beaten The First, and the Hellmouth is closed for good. Now, at the precipice of a new beginning, the pair must decide to finally give love a chance or walk away from each other for good.

A fic where a main character seeks self-improvement:

Reprise by Holly [NC-17]

Spike came back to life and didn’t bother to tell her. Then he died again before she could chew him out. Buffy makes a wish in front of the right kind of demon to set things right and finds herself propelled back to the darkest period of her life.

A fic featuring a (motor)bike ride:

Open Road by HappyWhenItRains [NC-17]

Life Serial takes Buffy and Spike some places neither of them ever expected to go. We, of course, expected it. They did not.

A fic set in or involving something industrial (factory, etc.):

Death Wish by Sigyn [NC-17]

“World is what it is. We fight and we die. Wishing doesn't change that. You can believe in a better world. I have to live in this one.” Anyanka’s wish was broken, but the world it created continues. Now Buffy must join forces with rebel vampires to create a world they can all stand to live in. But can Spike, Drusilla and Angel actually work with a hardened slayer, who would just as soon see them all dust?

A fic involving a plane ride:

Nevertime by anaross [R]

They lost. But they lived. Spike, Blue, and Angel head north to the Arctic to escape the demons set loose in Not Fade Away. (Don't worry... Buffy finds them.)

A fic set in a snow land:

West of the Moon, East of the Sun by KnifeEdge [NC-17]

I keep having the strangest dream. Every night it's the same thing: a dark room, a big bed, and a silent vampire that I can feel, but not see. I'd be wigged, except it's just a dream, right? It'll be a cold day in hell before I ever willingly sleep with a vampire again...

A fic set in a country other than your own:

Favor by EllieRose101 [NC-17]

Spike asks an impossible thing of Buffy––and is stunned when she says yes. Could he really have gone up in her estimation?

A fic featuring a garden:

Unspoken by anaross [R]

"I've always envisioned him giving Buffy a garden that he could never go to in the daytime, to give her something alive for a change." James Marsters.

A fic set in a museum:

Just to Reach You by Sunalso [R]

Post-Series. Spike and Buffy have been a couple for almost two years. The honeymoon is over and together they're discovering they still have a lot to learn about themselves, each other, and how this whole "normal" relationship thing works.

A fic set in a hotel:

A Totally Random Occurrence by Herself [NC-17]

The stake slipped from her fingers, and she had to take a deep breath to stave off the dizziness descending on her like a hood over her head. "You—I thought you were dead." A reunion in New York City. Set post-NFA, spoilers for all of BtVS and AtS.

A fic involving an escape:

The Writing on the Wall by Holly [NC-17]

There was no body to bury. There was no funeral. There was nothing but the three rules and the knowledge that a thousand years of torment was nothing compared to a world without her in it. Spike embarks on a journey through the Gates of Hell to rescue the one he loves, but in order to save her, he must risk losing himself.

A fic set underground or underwater:

Ten Minutes by FlightsofFancy [R]

Buffy, alone, looking for Oz in the Initiative. She only has ten minutes. She finds someone else. Life of a hero, impossible odds.

A fic involving a road trip:

Ties to the World by honeygirl51885 [NC-17]

Spike is gone, but before he went out in a blaze of glory, he slipped a letter into Buffy’s pocket. That letter takes her on a road trip across America, visiting his ties to the world.