#like BtVS does the reunion

[justafriendofxanders]

(okay i was gonna respond to someone's post but i thought it might come across as inappropriately butting in, even though it's not meant to be, so here's me making my own post. if you see the post i'm referencing, this is NOT meant to be shade or a vaguepost or anything, i have no beef with the op, this is just me trying to throw in my two cents without raining on anyone's parade)

I don't think discrepancies in how characters like Buffy or Spike appear on AtS are about any one character's POV or how Angel subjectively "sees" them. I think it's just that, when BtVS characters appear on The Angel Show, the writers have to figure out how to make their appearance interesting and emotionally impactful to Angel (because, yknow, The Angel Show). Angel's ex can't show up just to be sweet and kind and endlessly forgiving -- the episodes where she and Angel argue are compelling precisely because they're not getting along. IWRY is a good example where Buffy and Angel have a sweet, romantic reunion*, but the only reason why they do is to contrast it with the heartbreak of them NOT being able to get together.

*And I get that "sweet" is a subjective term since plenty of people don't like Bangel, but I don't think it's too out there to say that the writers INTENDED it to be. Same with Angel's appearance on BtVS -- whether or not someone actually finds him hot is subjective and variable, but I do think the writing supports the idea that he was supposed to be attractive to Buffy, and that Buffy found him attractive.

I think the same is also true for Spike in AtS s5, whose purpose ("soul" purpose, if you will) is to be a thorn in Angel's side and make him question himself. It's not necessarily about Angel seeing Spike as annoying (though certainly there's a part of him that does), but rather that Spike as a character is a pawn being moved around by writers to give Angel an antagonist in s5 that will metaphorically externalize his feelings of self-doubt. So, like, yes characters are portrayed differently because of their relationship to Angel, but it's not about Angel the character's subjective POV coloring them; it's about the writers manipulating characters in order to generate a particular emotional perspective for Angel. (And this is not a bad thing! I'd argue in fact it's a good thing for compelling TV.)

[travllingbunny]

What is your favourite episode of Buffy The Vampire Slayer and favourite episode of Angel and what are some reasons why?

I can never choose just one.

Once More, With Feeling is, in spite of being unusual because it's a musical (and a rare musical episode that managed to pull it off perfectly) in a way an epitome of Buffy as a show with its mix of humor and darkness, and with its themes and focus on character arcs.

The Wish is one of the best AU stories ever made on TV, and the finale with the multiple deaths is one of the best sequences on the show.

Of the season finales, the greatest ones are the Becoming two-parter and The Gift - both epic, incredible episodes.

And then there's Restless, which is not your typical finale, but it weird, quirky and also full of meaning, a great character study and one of the best portrayals of dreams on screen (as it's one of the very few where dream sequences actually feel like dreams as they are in real life).

Who Are You? is a great character study of Faith, who's one of my favorite characters (and does the body switch trope perfectly). The Body is of course a harrowing realistic portrayal of loss.

But there are several episodes that don't get mentioned that much in the 'best episodes of Buffy' but that are among my favorites: Lie to Me (a perfect episode, and the one that first made me realize Buffy wasn't just a good show but a great show); I Only Have Eyes For You (makes me bowl my eyes every time); Anne (I'm so so about the Sunnydale parts, but the LA parts are the essence of Buffy Summers); Fear Itself (great little Halloween episode with a lot of character insight and an ending both funny and effective); Something Blue (hilarious but also with a lot of foreshadowing and character insight into Willow); Intervention (also hilarious but with real character development for both Buffy and Spike); Dead Things, Villains (very dark and very daring and brilliant episodes that epitomize season 6); Conversations with Dead People (I love the atmosphere in this one - I wish the rest of season 7 had lived up to it).

I probably forgot quite a few. I just love so many episodes of BtVS.

With Angel, If I had to pick, it would probably be either Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been? or Darla. (Reunion, The Trial and Reprise are right there too; I love the Darla season 2 arc.) Sleep Tight and Lullaby are also among my favorites - season 3 is hit and miss, with too many bad standalones, but I love the main arc with Holtz. I also love the season 4 finale, Home. Five by Five is my favorite season 1 episode (Faith tends to be in the best episodes of both shows).

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Sunday, May 26

BUFFY: I didn't realize meditating was such hard work. WILLOW: I'm healing. Growing new skin. BUFFY: Wow. That's magic, right? I mean, when most people meditate, they don't get extra skin, right. 'Cause Clem should, like, cut back.

~~Same Time Same Place~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

Like the Sands of Time by veronyxk84 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

Family Matters by veronyxk84 (Buffy, Dawn, PG-13)

MedWhump May 2024 Day 25: High Fever by MadeInGold (Buffy/Cordelia, G)

a lady in the meads by myrmeraki (Buffy/Spike, M)

i know that when i'm with you i'm at home by slambat (Buffy/Willow, G)

MedWhump May 2024 Day 26: Unconscious by MadeInGold (Giles/Maggie Walsh, T)

Family Matters by VeroNyxK84 (Buffy/Spike, anthology rated PG-13)

Unexpected Company by VeroNyxK84 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

[Chaptered Fiction]

I don't feel safe in my body - Chapter 1-3 (COMPLETE!) WillowBee326 (Buffy/Willow, Explicit, warnings for self harm)

When Worlds Collide - Chapter 1 by CorsetedPrincess (Harry Potter crossover, Willow/Tara, T)

Secret Obsessionm, Ch. 29 by Maxine Eden (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Deliverance From Destiny, Ch. 12 by Ragini (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

When the Multiverse Hiccups, Ch. 1 by samsas (multiple crossovers, Xander, FR18)

Blood and dust, Ch. 13 (COMPLETE!) by Blackoberst (Buffy/Spike, 18+)

Out For A Walk... Bitch, Ch. 18 by MaggieLaFey (Buffy/Spike, Adult Only)

Glimpses of the Cellar Dwellers, Ch. 36-38 (COMPLETE!) by Maldorana (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

See You Yesterday, Ch. 4 by all choseny (Buffy/Spike, R)

Bruises, Ch. 5 by hulettwyo (Buffy/Spike, Adult Only)

The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea, Ch. 1-2 by Claire (Buffy/Spike, G)

[Images, Audio & Video]

New Banner Art #18 by veronyxk84 (Buffy/Spike, worksafe)

Meme: the slayerrrrr by diamond-rings-and-gutter-bones (Buffy, Giles, worksafe)

Faith screenshots captioned with My Chemical Romance lyrics by whale-music (worksafe, blood)

bi xander pride icons by pridebicons (worksafe unless your colleagues are homophobic)

A neon scenecore manip by soponge-meringue (Buffy, worksafe)

Captioned screenshots: spuffy + textposts by spikespeaches (Buffy/Spike, worksafe)

My Baldur's Gate 3 Party [game avatars that look like BtVS characters] by phantombeast (Buffy, Willow, Faith, Spike, worksafe)

Feeling very Buffy coded today with my outfit by Xandertheokay (worksafe)

[Reviews & Recaps]

S1E06: Sense & Sensitivity - The Best & Worst Episode So Far by Known-Parfait-520

This show [AtS] is so innovative and so old. by murdered800times

Rewatcher's diary: Season 2 retrospective by jonaskoelker

Poll and discussion: What is your favourite of the "worst" episodes? by MonsterTournament

[Recs & In Search Of]

spangelmybeloved seeks Buffy Summers x Ben Wilkinson fanworks

passporttomadness seeks a 21+ roleplay partner for Angel (or Angelus)/Spike

Liam Duke’s Moloch Rap recced by SparksOnAGrave

[Fandom Discussions]

Re: Is there a character or ship you were so sure you would never write/draw but now you've changed your mind? [Riley] by goldheartedchaoticdisaster

More Kendra haunting the narrative thoughts after watching Helpless by thechosenthree

Is Riley more misogynistic than other characters? by Stoney and others

Buffy speaking of her relationship with Riley in ‘Sanctuary’ by Berry-Pie216

Why no vampire army? by Xyex

Season 3 was so great [Faith subtext in "Earshot"] by Cailly_Brard7

Who's your all time favourite villain from the show? [a Major Wilkins appreciation post] by Remarkable_Mud6377

Do you ever think about how Angel broke up with Buffy in a sewer? by stillhavehope99

Does anyone else have this weird certainty that Willow and Faith could have a really good relationship from season 7 onwards? by IntelligentPumpkin74

[Articles, Interviews, and Other News]

Darla, Anya, Glory, and Dru. Reunion pics posted on IG today - via yyouriley (Julie Benz, Emma Caulfield, Clare Kramer, Juliet Landau, worksafe)

Austria Comic Con 2024 Reports, Pics & Videos (James Marsters) via jamie_marsters

James Marsters' next scheduled con appearance is Sydney @SupanovaExpo Jun 22-23 - via jamie_marsters

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Join the editor team :)

[faithlesbian]

can we get ur thoughts on ftm!spike x mtf!angel (they're both butchqueer)

this is going to be way more in depth and serious than you probably hoped for so, sorry in advance

ppl who know me know i rarely consider pairings in a vacuum, i've got narratives and character arcs to think about which makes this ask Very interesting!! i think me and @titsgirlbuffy once joked that spike is transmasc bc he transed from one masculinity to a different masculinity, so considering him as ftm opens a whole new angle to that take. was he living as a man when he was alive? did he know who he was but stayed in the closet until he got turned and decided well, nothing can stop him now? did he slowly figure it out over decades of marauding the globe with Dru? i think that last one could intersect really well with the Trans Angel Reading in which he is Very closeted, bc if spike wasn't out when angel last saw him a century ago, their reunion in school hard would be even funnier while also probably making angel confront at least a few things. an ftm reading of spike would also interact in Ways with how he views and treats women, but that's honestly a whole nother can of worms so lets not be here all day. i think in general tho this reading of spike gives SO much weight to lines like "i know that i'm a monster, but you treat me like a man", "(the chip) won't let me be a monster, and i can't be a man", "to be the kind of man who... to be a kind of man" like that's what we're here for, that's what its About! i also think it lends an interesting aspect to how spike gets along with women as friends a lot better than he does with men if by the time he started living as a man he was already a vampire and therefore cut off from normal society, never learning how to be "one of the boys" except maybe from angel who, as we know, is not a normal example of anything

i'm not gonna cover my thoughts on mtf angel bc we all know them by now. im literally tumblr user transangelus. in the context of ftm spike tho i think mtf angel becomes a lot funnier given their constant rivalry from btvs s2 onwards -- im pretty sure me and @titsgirlbuffy reckoned spike would be Delighted by angel coming out bc it finally proves who's the better man. on that note tho as much as i fucking love their dynamic, i have no idea if they could actually be "together" in isolation. like as part of the polycule they were obviously fucking on the regular and doing erotic joint murders and the like, but idk if in the present with both of them having souls and trying to be better people that a relationship would be possible. it's like when darla was brought back as a human and her and angel spent like, five minutes together in actual understanding before dru showed up and killed her. with the sheer extent of baggage between centuries-old murderers, i think it's hard to disentangle from the worst versions of themselves they were together and what they did to eachother in the past in order to have a relationship that's not gonna implode messily within months at best (despite the fact they're always clearly desperate to fuck eachother). that being said i haven't actually seen ats s5 all the way through and what i did watch, i don't remember -- so maybe i'll eat my words!!

[gianelson]

I never knew this!..

Mind blown!!!...

You: Angel & Buffy don’t look right together since there’s too big a height difference

Me:

[spikesdru]

my rewatch of anne btvs 3x01:

LOL the scoobies are so bad at fighting vamps

LMAOO Oz tossing that stake

“Past tense rule” good detail at the effects of Buffy’s disappearance

OH THE BANGEL DREAM THE FUCKING ANGST

Buffy is so beautiful

“If I was blind I would see you” THEY HAVE SUCH AMAZING LINES JFC

My FAVOURITE btvs intro of all the seasons

Why couldn’t those truckers be the ones in that hell dimension

What I find interesting is Lily and Ricky. They seem to be in their honeymoon with matching tattoos, imo they’re the kind of couple you may think wouldn’t last. But then we find out their love really was real, I really like that subversion

“Forever, that’s the whole point” the PARALLEL of Buffy’s dream and Lily/Ricky? Screaming vomiting sobbing etc

Aww Cordelia is so nervous to see Xander. It’s cute

LMFAO Oz explaining to Willow he’s back in school is hilarious

Xandelia is so concerned about their hair I can’t

Larry’s line is gold. The show doesn’t take itself too serious and I love that

Cordelia is so outraged about Xander’s attitude, so teenage girl

Buffy is so down and passive and numb, my poor baby

Awww Giles trying to chase down leads about Buffy!! Such a good dad

Willow misses Buffy so much and it’s adorable

I do not enjoy Joyce blaming Giles but I respect the fact that it’s a very human reaction, regardless of right or wrong

I can feel Buffy’s pain bleeding through in this conversation with Lily

Ugh, Lily blaming Buffy is ANNOYING, and Buffy is right to defend herself

This ep involves characters saying a lot of things that we as the audience don’t like, but the things they say are realistic and human. The show doesn’t shy away from that and I think it’s good writing

Buffy ripping the phone off the wall was hot asf

LOL Willow is so done with Xandelia’s arguing

LMFAOO Buffy talking to about sin is so funny, SMG, your comedic timing is so great

Aw Xandelia reconciled. Their “theme” is always kinda funny to me tho

“He remembered your name years after he forgot his own” that is so adorable and the fact that it’s paralleled in 3x04 is too good

I love that you can see the exact moment Buffy chooses to accept who she is, take back her identity and she just lights up from the inside

LOL Lily apologizing

THIS FIGHT SEQUENCE IS SO BADASS

How does Buffy make grandma shoes look so good?

I love how Buffy ends up changing Lily’s life and inspiring her to help people. To quote Angel: “if nothing we do matters all that matters is what we do”

Ngl the Buffy and Joyce reunion was really sweet

[takaraphoenix]

buffy the vampire slayer for the ask game

Thanks for playing! ^^

favorite character: Buffy Anne Summers and also Spike, them both

least favorite character: Riley man that guy pisses me off so much

brOTP: Scoobies, any iteration of the Scoobies, but always the core four! <3

OTP: Spike/Buffy. I just. The love I have for them ;-;

OT3: I don't really have an OT3 for this fandom

NOTP: Riley/Buffy, to no one's surprise after the above, I'd say xD Though if we count comics, also Xander/Dawn because just why

favorite storyline: Season 7 as a whole means a whole lot to me, I love the "the Potentials are hunted and thus everyone moves into the Summers home so Buffy gets to raise and train them"

least favorite storyline: when everybody started treating Buffy like she should finally get over having died. Like. Shit, fam, she died, y'all resurrected her, she crawled out of her own grave. Cut her some slack and force her into therapy, don't guilt-trip her about not moving on quick enough, that shit is traumatizing enough as it is, even without knowing that she was pulled out of heaven - I mean, honestly, even more so? They all assumed she spent months in a hell-dimension. But. They still thought she should get a minimum wage job and worry about how to pay her bills (Tara? Willow? What exactly were you two doing? You never had a job either, but lived in her home. Why weren't you looking for a job to pay the bills???)

what I wish had happened but didn’t: A SPUFFY REUNION. I understand why AtS never gave us one, because AtS is all about Angel and we can't have Spike win the trophy I mean get the girl I mean be Buffy's happy ending, but it was kind of infuriating that AtS brought Spike back to life and after BtVS ended with the love-confession, we just never got anything more on screen *clutches the comic-continuity tightly*

what happened that I wish hadn’t: The way Xanya parted and how that set up Anya for the rest of the show. Especially on a rewatch, you notice the way it's projected that Xander does not want to get married. I wish he just hadn't proposed in the first place, since he didn't want to get married, but the pushing and pushing until the wedding and it could have been such a wonderful episode, they could have gotten married and continued on, but he just... walks away from that and Anya gets pushed to the fringe of the show, returns to being a demon and isn't really treated like a Scooby much anymore and it kills me because I love Anya and I wish this had played out differently, especially with how Xanya reunited in the end just for the show to then kill off Anya...

Fandom Ask Game

[nileqt87]

Ramblings about Lucifer referencing Bones, “Close your eyes.” and shows influencing each other

That was never just a Bones reference being made and the season finale admitted it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jv_1dJk5yEM

David Boreanaz played the ironically-named Angel on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel: the Series. His character has *so many* parallels with Lucifer (far more than Booth outside of the law enforcement/crime procedural connection).

Angel's spinoff also has noir crime drama aspects mixed with the supernatural starring an immortal protagonist with a dark past and infamously villainous reputation fighting evil as a supernatural private detective in the City of Angels (a city known for its dark underbelly juxtaposed with fame and glamor, broken dreams and chasing eternal youth) and navigating human law (including the LAPD and evil lawyers) while not legally existing.

Angel also fell in love with a blonde human heroine (Buffy Summers) after lifetimes of self-destructive, not-so-heroic behaviors (getting his soul back did *not* make Angel a hero and human Liam was a lecherous drunk with unfulfilled ambitions and father issues) who inspired him to become a better man and make human connections.

AtS made heavy use of sprawling nighttime Downtown L.A. cityscape shots, which Lucifer also shared an abundance of.

During both of their first cases, they failed to save the troubled blonde girl they were trying to help (Tina and Delilah, respectively). They also have a connection inside the LAPD through a blonde cop who also takes their identity secrets pretty badly (Kate Lockley in Angel's case).

Note that Buffy not only screamed (twice, given it repeated during her memory loss in Halloween), but also came after Angel with a crossbow when she thought he'd attacked her mother (it was Darla), so Chloe taking the Devil face reveal (Monster Reveals are iconic old horror imagery) poorly to the point of considering poisoning is par for the course. However, it only took Buffy seven episodes instead of three seasons to get the identity reveal via seeing the horrific second face (arguably also an accident on Angel's part).

They are metaphorically or literally Hell's angels. They also had long stays in Hell or a hell dimension.

Lucifer and Angel are also both Prodigal Sons with long-held grudges against their long-absent fathers (patricide in Liam/Angel(us)'s case) and they're later faced with a situation where they have unexpected, thought-impossible offspring who show up as adults (neither got to raise their miracle child) wanting revenge. Yup, major Connor/Rory parallel there.

Angel is also in a constant struggle with the Powers that Be manipulating his fate and free will (like Lucifer, he's a champion of free will no matter the cost) and making him prophecy's bitch.

Bones famously got jokes about how Booth is Angel getting his Shanshu (made human), since the character is given constant Angel-isms like references to a dark past having killed people (Booth is also named after a historical murderer, in addition to having been a sniper), both being Catholics full of Catholic guilt (note that the Buffyverse is most accurately polytheistic, though Angel does face off against a take on the antichrist--Angel has constant biblical imagery/themes and not just because of vampire iconography), kicking down doors (just not off their entire frames--LOL), turning on a dime and threatening people up against walls, constant wink-wink references to the Buffyverse (familiar casting, references to the Hyperion Hotel, etc...), etc...

The Lucifer finale used the words "Close your eyes." right before Lucifer is sent to Hell. This is literally the BtVS season 2 finale where Buffy kisses Angel and sends him to hell for a century with a stab to the gut (see the season 5 finale, not to mention Lucifer giving up his life for Chloe's à la I Will Remember You).

Note that D.B. Woodside was on BtVS (playing Robin Wood, whose Slayer mother Nikki Wood was killed by Spike). Aimee Garcia was in both episodes of AtS (Birthday--she's older than she looks!) and Bones. See her also playing a cross-wearing religious girl on Supernatural who was slaughtered in a police precinct by Lilith. Kevin Alejandro was also in an episode of Bones.

Tricia Helfer was in an episode of Supernatural playing a ghost who reenacts the night of her death every year. BtVS also had an episode along those lines, but with Buffy and Angelus possessed (not to mention Phantom Dennis!). Lucifer having Dan as a ghost is yet another thing they all have in common (ditto referencing Ghost, Patrick Swayze and/or Unchained Melody--Vincent Schiavelli a.k.a. Ghost's subway ghost was Jenny's uncle Enyos, whom Angelus killed).

Lucifer name-checked Castiel and Supernatural referenced Lucifer using their Lucifer (crime-fighting angel in L.A. made it a double-reference whammy). Supernatural returned the favor again by having Castiel forced to sing in Enochian. Lucifer's reference to his singing voice was already a zing about Misha Collins having to put on that monotone gravel voice and Enochian being far from melodious.

Russell T Davies was quite heavily inspired by the Buffyverse when he revived Doctor Who and spun off Torchwood, so there are absolute tons of Buffy, Angel and Spike respectively in Rose Tyler, the 9th/10th Doctors, Captain Jack Harkness and Captain John Hart (right down to the actor). School Reunion is the episode where the Buffyverse inspiration is most on the nose, complete with Anthony Stewart Head saying "shooty dog thing" in a school setting and a Mayor/Angel-esque speech about the curse of immortality. The Time War gave the Doctor a huge genocide-level guilt complex. Note that the creator of DC comics' version of Lucifer, Neil Gaiman, has also written for Doctor Who and is also the co-creator of Good Omens (the show is brimming with Doctor Who Easter eggs thanks to David Tennant). A barely-recognizable Tom Ellis played Martha Jones' ex-fiancé Tom Milligan during the Year that Never Was, as well.

A lot of shows take inspiration from the Buffyverse and you've probably seen some of them. It isn't just the copycat vampire romance stories either.

Angel's forerunners in turn were a mix of guilt-stricken, rat-eating Louis de Pointe du Lac (his Jekyll/Hyde-esque alter-ego Angelus is closer to the pre-retcon, fully-evil Lestat de Lioncourt, who got woobified into an antihero rocker not unlike Spike--the entire Fanged Four mirror Anne Rice's character lineup), sword-wielding, immortality trope-influencers Connor/Duncan MacLeod of Highlander fighting for the Prize of humanity (akin to Pinocchio becoming a "real boy"--see also Barnabas Collins of Dark Shadows, though he was before vampires became antihero superheroes, not just sympathetic antivillains) and Nick Knight of Forever Knight (vampire detective).

Additionally, Tom Welling was famously the longest-serving Clark Kent of them all (Smallville) on the old WB (there's that DC comics connection, too), so it's not just a Fox shows thing (though Fox, not just Warner Brothers, did indeed own the Buffyverse). One of the least-known things about Clark is that he also has an immortality problem where he wouldn't age parallel to Lois (they wouldn't be able to have kids either) without a workaround. The Kryptonite line directed at Cain/Pierce by Lucifer was quite on the nose! Lucifer and Smallville sort of crossed over even further in Crisis on Infinite Earths, so Tom is canonically the face of both Clark and Cain in parallel universes of the DC multiverse.

Supernatural had quite recently had their own takes on Cain (played by Timothy Omundson, who also played God Johnson) and the Mark of Cain when Lucifer did it. Dan's killer Le Mec was, of course, Rob Benedict, who was God a.k.a. Chuck Shurley, the ultimate villain of Supernatural. Richard Speight, Jr., who was archangel Gabriel/Loki the Trickster, directed a lot of Lucifer's later episodes in addition to being a prolific Supernatural director.

Supernatural and Lucifer use the exact same font for their titles (Supernatural Knight).

The X-Files (which Supernatural referenced constantly) and Supernatural also had stories about nephilim (see the apocryphal Book of Enoch). Lucifer ultimately had two nephilim (forbidden interspecies offspring of angels and humans), even if not saying so as a known concept. Connor can also be compared to the vampire equivalent of being something like a dhampir, though he's not quite that (mostly-but-not-quite-human offspring of two vampires instead of a human/vampire hybrid--see Blade for an actual dhampir). Supernatural has also covered the even rarer cambion species (human/demon hybrid).

[whatisyourchildhoodtrauma]

Do You Think Dru & Spike Met The Master? I would of loved too see them interacting with each other , I bet Dru would of called him “Great Grand Father”.

Good question. I’m not sure. I’m trying to rack my brain for any lines/moments that might have indicated that the Master knew/met Spike & Dru, but they aren’t coming to me. If anyone knows of any, please clue me in.

It’s possible the Master never met Dru and Spike because they were more of Angelus’s childer than Darla’s—and the Master really didn’t seem to like Angelus—plus, Darla abandoned the Master before Spike and Dru were even sired in order to live with Angelus above ground.

Master: "You should show (Master hits Angelus over the head, dropping him to the ground) the proper respect." The Master knocks Angelus over onto his back. Angelus coughs than laughs again. Lifts his head to look at Darla. Angelus: "Tell the truth - whose face do you want to look at for eternity? (Rolls over on his side) His - or mine?" Master smiles down at Angelus: "You idiot. I *made* her." Darla smiles at Angelus and he smiles back at her. The Master's smile fades and he turns to look at Darla. Master: "You're leaving with the stallion, aren't you?" Darla walks over to Angelus and helps him up. Angelus puts an arm around her shoulders and pulls her close and the two of them turn to leave. One of the Master's minions growls and blocks their path. Master with his back to them: "No. Let them go. (He lets them pass) He won't last. I give it a century - tops."

However, BTVS 1x05 ‘Angel’ suggests that the flashback in ATS 2x07 ‘Darla’ wasn’t the last time Darla and Angelus saw The Master.

Darla: (smiles) I made him. There was a time when we shared everything, wasn’t there Angelus? You had a chance to come home, to rule with me in the Master's court for a thousand years.

“Come home” makes it sound The Master gave them a chance to return after they deserted him to live life above ground.

Then there are these two moments:

Darla: (walks back) Angel kills her and comes back to the fold. Master: Angel! He was the most vicious creature I ever met. I miss him.

Whaaa? The Master misses Angel? And since when was Angelus a part of the fold? The scene in 2x07 would suggest that the Master would not, in fact, miss Angelus…unless that wasn’t the last time they interacted. What if Darla and Angelus did return to the Master during their some 100+ years together and had a vamp family reunion of sorts.

Master: (looks up angrily) How dare you? She was my favorite. For four hundred years... Collin: She was weak. You don't need her. I'll bring you the Slayer. Master: (despondently) But to lose her to Angel! He was to have sat at my right hand, come the day. And now...

Again, that’s not how things were left in 2x07 ‘Darla’. When was it decided that Angelus would sit at his right hand? These scenes must’ve taken place after the ‘Darla’ sewer flashback offscreen.

(Unless you write 2x07 off as retconning or canon inconsistency, but that’s less fun to think about.)

If there was a time when Darla and Angel returned underground to live with the Master, or visited him and to wreak some havoc, then he may have met Spike and Dru.

I think Spike would’ve annoyed the Master and tested his patience. He’d probably almost get his ass staked. Make one too many quips about the Master’s less than conventionally handsome appearance. Bring too much attention to them from the ‘above ground’ world in the same vein as Angelus.

I can see the Master torn between both liking and tolerating Dru in the same way Darla does haha. He’d appreciate her abilities/premonitions for sure. And possibly respect what a piece of tortured ‘art’ Angelus had made.

Dru…I wonder what she’d think of the Master. She is loyal to family but Angelus is also her #1. I can see her possibly butting heads with the Master if he disrespected or threatened her ‘daddy’.

I want an episode of an awkward The Order of Aurelius family dinner now lol.

Or, even if none of that happened, and Darla and Angel(us) never saw the Master again after the events in the 2x07 ‘Darla’ flashback, it’s still possible Dru looked up the Master herself because, as you said, he is her great grand daddy and Dru is very about family. In the comics, she reconnects with Archaeus, the OG demon of their vamp bloodline, so I can very much see her doing that. And, of course, if that’s what she wanted to do, then Spike would go along with it, because he was all about giving his dark princess what she wants.

Come to think of it, do we know when exactly the Master got trapped in the hellmouth? Or if it was before Spike and Dru were sired?

[badassxbirdy]

Activity Update - 1st September

It’s time once again for the monthly activity update. These posts help me to keep track of what the frick I’ve been doing, particularly when tumblr breaks or the brainfog strikes. This one only includes activity for August, everything else can be found over on my thread tracker (here). At the time of posting I’m up to to date on things as far as I’m aware, so if I owe you a reply, message, meme, etc, please do let me know!

The full activity update is below the cut. Bolded text = links.

If you want to see all IC interactions without the other stuff, click here. If you’d like to start something new, I have opens, memes, and a wishlist, or message me if you have a plot in mind! Alternatively you can just message me to say “WHAT UP, NERD” if you’d like to chat.

Two important OOC notes before we get into the update proper:

I’m still staying with family, and likely will be until October. That means no xkit access so I’m tagging threads with my mobile tag, which is “mobile post: Em’s on the move” and “long post” when needed. Block/filter those tags accordingly if the mobile reblogs become annoying to see on the dash.

I’m having some weirdness with my follow list and discrepancies in who I’m following depending on which platform I’m on. There are some people my tablet says I’m following that my phone says I’m not, so it’s getting rather confusing. I haven’t intentionally unfollowed anyone as of late, so please let me know if I’m no longer following you. If anyone’s softblocked me, my apologies for refollowing. I’m not trying to bother you. Please let me know, or hardblock if you’re more comfortable with that. No hard feelings either way. It’s just hard to tell what’s going on when glitches like this occur.

Now onto the update!

Threads, replies, and all other IC interactions:

“Easy, there. Try to sit up.” - @wolfhymns (Deacon)

Investigating with Fish - @the-immortals-assistant

“Wait a minute, you’re blaming me?!” - @normallyxstrange (Carla)

Meeting the Doctor - @timelxrd-victorious

Revelation - @ko3ak

WHY MUST YOU MAKE IT SAD, ROOK? 😭 - @nightiingaled

“I was just trying to help.” - @normallyxstrange (Casey)

vs the Fried Laptop - @spynerd

“What are you doing?!” - @schwarzerengeltm

Ty? Starting to listen?! Sorcery. - @magaprima

This conversation took a very sad turn. - @schwarzerengeltm

“If you believe in any god, I suggest praying to them now.” - @the-immortals-assistant

First meetings: at the bar - @real-michael-demiurgos

Tyler is relieved. 😂 - @tobeblamed

A very confusing conversation - @harkcr

“Get down!” - @normallyxstrange (Mason)

Awkward cuties! - @heavenguided

“Are you following me?” - @normallyxstrange (Jamie)

Birthday cuteness with the Walkers! 😭 - @nightiingaled

Tyler is concerned. - @seesgood

Ty flees the scene. - @normallyxstrange (Mason)

“What the hell is wrong with you?” - @wolfhymns (Drevyn)

My apologies once again. 😬 - @kxllerblond

Jail cell meme, because our idiots can’t stay out of trouble. 😂 - @schwarzerengeltm

“If you put your nose any deeper into that coffee cup, you’re gonna need a snorkel.” - @normallyxstrange (Dylan)

Important food questions and wine stealing. - @deliciouslyfilthytm (!crack)

“You’re being followed.” - @kiingstech

“Does it still hurt?” - @normallyxstrange (Mason)

Escape! - @schwarzerengeltm

OTP reunion! 😭 - @nightiingaled (Killian)

“I don’t wanna hear it, McCrane.” - @nightiingaled (Killian)

Headcanons, dash commentary, crack, and various silliness:

“It was unprofessional okay? 😤”

What obscure love language are you?

What does your muse consider the challenge they could never overcome?

What happens when someone tries to ask Mel out.

Never let any of the Walkers bake.

Horrific food ideas.

She doesn’t like Friday the 13th.

The most Tyler moment in the whole of BtVS.

Clark insults Tyler’s fashion choices.

Sokol also insults Tyler’s fashion choices. 😂

Ty insults Sokol’s fashion choices.

“What’s your least favorite food?”

“Ty, do you believe in soulmates?”

Ty talking to Lilith be like…

Why I use activity updates.

Damon belongs in horny jail.

Secure small items. 😂

Drabble: A very one sided conversation.

Drabble: Ty’s home, and she won’t sleep.

An eye for an eye. LOL just kidding, ALL THE PARTS.

OOC housekeeping:

I made a very serious and well designed promo. It’s extremely serious and very ✨aesthetic.✨

Blog description updated.

Rules updated, mainly for clarity on things I’ve had questions about.

If anyone else makes gifs in procreate, and knows why a border may be missing pieces after exporting, please hmu.

Guess who has a Wire now?

[we-pay-for-everything]

I know you think Bangel is still popular but on many different platforms (maybe here on tumblr they are more Bangel friendly so that's what your seeing) I've seen proves that wrong because countless upon countless people really don't like it and desparage it, they are no vocal minority. Bangel may have been popular back in the day but that has waned significantly since then.

It’s hard for me to think of Bangel as unpopular when, 20 years later, people still write fics, post gifsets, talk, about them. Bangel has an undeniable influence and significance in pop culture, which is why it was given the spotlight in the BtVS reunion. I’ve seen writers mention Buffy and Angel’s romance as an inspiration for them. Do you know how many ships that happens to? I love many ships that don’t have one single post made about them. 

Imo, Buffy and Angel will always be popular. Does that mean that a lot of fans don’t prefer Spuffy, or criticize Bangel? No. Both of those things happen. But I think it’s a bit odd to call a couple, whose actors held hands in the reunion as a nod to the timelessness and relevance of that ship, unpopular. 

BtVS has been over for nearly two decades. Obviously, I don’t expect Buffy and Angel to be popular like a Riverdale ship. But saying that it’s unpopular because people like Spuffy more just isn’t true imo. Spuffy fans being more vocal and the majority of the fandom doesn’t imply that Bangel is unpopular - just less popular.

I knew about Buffy and Angel before watching either show. How can they be unpopular when a 19 year old born in 1996 knew they’d been a couple simply because of their fame? You know what I mean?

Thanks for the ask! 

[missusgordo]

What are your thoughts on the cookie dough speech, and Buffy and Angel's reunion in general? (@sulietsexual just shared her take on it, and then I gave mine, so what's yours?)

Thanks for the ask! It’s been a minute. I did read both of your takes so I’m happy to share my thoughts on the scenes.

Just to clarify, it seems the topic ya’ll touched upon is not just the cookie dough speech but the entire two scenes of Angel’s appearance on btvs s7. The short answer is - I kinda love it all. First of all, I find nothing out of character for either of them. There is often talk that this scene was purely fan-service. Well - the fans were, in fact, serviced by seeing Angel return for the finale. Whether the entire fandom likes it or not, Angel was a character on BtVS for three seasons, was the love of Buffy’s life, and went on to be the cornerstone of the other half of the Buffyverse. Having him come back for the finale was a nice homage to the early seasons, it tied in the events from the Angel-verse to the Buffy-verse, and it was a great way to make a final statement on one of the most iconic relationships on TV in the late 90s.

From a more Watsonian perspective, nothing in that scene feels entirely out of place. Buffy is not in any type of relationship at the moment. It’s true that she shared a tender moment with Spike the night before. And in fact, she tells Angel that Spike is in her heart. But her having feelings for Spike doesn’t mean she doesn’t still have feelings for Angel. Her kissing him when he arrives clues us in on her continued love for Angel (nevermind that she just told us earlier that season that she has never loved anyone the way she loves Angel). I’ve written about this before but Angel doesn’t seem out of character to me either. Whether you think Angel was in love with Cordelia or not, they were not in a relationship at the time that he visited Buffy. Also, when Angel leaves LA the last thing we see of him is how he sees Connor happy with his new family. I’ve written about this more extensively before so I won’t repeat myself but suffice it to say that by the time Angel arrives in Sunnydale his most pressing worry - Connor’s safety - is taken care of. And even if Angel has a heavy heart because his dear friend is in a coma - seriously what is it that fans want to see here? Do they want Angel to come to Buffy, sit her down and say “listen I know you are fighting an apocalypse of epic proportions but do you have some time so I can fill you in on the last season of my show?” It’s just not realistic. And it’s also not in Angel’s character to over-share.

The bottom line is this: whether Buffy and Angel have feelings for other people at the time they see each other, doesn’t mean they have stopped loving each other. And honestly, if you think that’s the case then I think you may want to remove your shipper goggles. Because the show is quite clear that Angel and Buffy continue to feel strongly about each other throughout their time apart. AtS season 5 makes sure that you know this from Angel’s side of things.

With regards to their back and forth about Buffy’s relationship with Spike, I think it fits their pattern fairly well. Putting aside Forever, because that was dealing with Buffy’s grief, the last time before that he was in town he beat Riley up, he made snide remarks at him, gave him a smug ‘eat shit’ grin when he went outside to talk to Buffy and then told Buffy that he didn’t like Riley. Angel has a jealous streak. We see it throughout AtS. The conversation regarding Spike is completely within character to me (I will give you that it’s just a tad heavy heavy-handed - Joss likes to write Angel extra petty) but it’s just par for the course for the B/A dynamic. (Buffy btw is also super jealous with Angel). 

Another thing that is perfectly within the B/A dynamic is Buffy being snarky with Angel. This is the same Buffy that told Angel to contemplate getting over himself in WSWB. The same Buffy that threw his vampirism in his face when she asked if his heart was even beating when he broke up with her. The same Buffy that told Angel that she loved Riley in Sanctuary out of anger. Buffy can be rather hurtful when she’s upset. So when she says the line about “what was the highlight of our relationship?” while to me as a ride-or-die bangel it guts me, it’s honestly just Buffy being Buffy because she’s annoyed that Angel is giving her crap about Spike (which if we’re being honest not really Angel’s place - and to his credit he says he’s probably out of line for asking). But Angel can take it. He knows Buffy just as well as the audience does.

But also, the line regarding the highlight of their relationship from Buffy isn’t 100% entirely wrong. Ok - hear me out before you throw things at me. Of course, the B/A relationship had a number of great and wonderful attributes including mutual love, respect and support. I wouldn’t ship it to hell and back if it wasn’t so great. But the relationship was in large part tragic. Their happiness was constantly ripped away from them and she did send him to hell and he did leave her. Not because she wanted to kill him and not because he wanted to leave her but because they had no choice but to do so. And so yeah, Buffy hasn’t been quite so lucky in love. Which leads perfectly into the speech that is to come.

Ah - the cookie dough speech. I’ll be honest. I haven’t always loved it. I’ve had years where I thought it was great, others where I thought it was dumb. I think I’ve swung back around to the great category. What I have always loved about the speech is this very important message which is Buffy is finally making this about herself. First and most importantly she is finally recognizing that the reason things haven’t worked out with all of the men in her life IS NOT HER FAULT. Which - duh right? But unfortunately thanks in large part to Riley and Spike that lesson was not always obvious. And then she goes on to basically convey that she is choosing to live her life, experience things, get through the next apocalypse and the next one and maybe one day she’ll think about who she settles down with. But it will not be this day. And honestly - this speech is so fucking meta. It’s the show reaching into our living rooms (or now computers or whatever) and saying - ‘listen shippers - this isn’t about Spike or Angel it’s about Buffy.’ And fuck yeah it is! There is literally no other way they could have ended this, in my opinion. 

Oh but wait - we aren’t done yet - because Angel’s walking away, he’s respecting Buffy’s wishes. He’s heard that she needs time to bake. He’s being the respectful and beautiful man that he is - and Buffy can’t just leave it like that. She has to let him know that - she does - sometimes think that far ahead. The implication is clear. She may not see grandchildren in the offing with Spike but she does think of him in the future, sometimes. And hey - sometimes is something.

On the whole, I can’t help but love it. I love all of it. I love Angel letting Buffy kick Caleb’s ass alone, I love him enjoying watching her fight, I love her unable to resist kissing him. I love that he wants to fight at her side. I love that she doesn’t want to risk his life in this battle. I love that Angel wants to know who Buffy thinks about when she thinks of a future. I love that Buffy leaves the door purposefully open on their potential future. I guess... I just ... love it all. 

Ok I’ve rambled enough. Maybe this is why people don’t send me asks haha. Thanks for sending me one though my friend!! Even if we have slightly different takes :)

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Wednesday, November 22

GILES: I was a librarian for years. This is exactly the same, except people pay for the things they don't return. It'll give me focus. Increase my resources. And it'll prevent you lot from trampling all over my flat at all hours. There may even be some space for you to train in the back. BUFFY: Boy, you've really thought this through. How bored were you last year? GILES: I watched "Passions" with Spike. Let us never speak of it.

~~BtVS 5x02 “Real Me”~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

Invasion Of Privacy (Buffy, Ted, Joyce, Angel, PG) by badly_knitted

make me hazy (Giles/Jenny, M) by CallMeVampy

Fledgeling Take Flight (Jenny Calendar, Phantom xover, T) by arcanedreamer

Not a Dark Prince (Angel, Spike, G) by Stand with Ward and Queen

[French language] Vampire hollywoodienne (Buffy/Faith, T) by Friday Queen

[Chaptered Fiction]

Breathe Again, Chapter 12/17 (Angel/Cordelia, M) by Califi62

New Blood, Chapter 7 (Xander, Naruto crossover, T) by danu40k

With Arms Wide Open, Chapters 13-14 (Buffy/Giles, E) by jaybird023

Days of Future Past, Chapter 31/34 (Buffy/OC, Angel/OC, Buffy/Angel, M) by a2zmom

New York, Chapter 19 (Giles/Xander, M) by drsquidlove

"The Sky's Gonna Open", Chapter 6 (Lindsey/OC, T) by lindseymcdonaldseyelashes

A Call From Beyond, Chapter 3/7 (Ensemble, G) by CoffeeMilkLuvr

I'm Only Your Darkness, Chapter 11 (Buffy/Faith, E) by Karnstein99

Moments that Make You: The Hero and The Princess, Chapter 93 (Cordelia/Doyle, T) by myheadsgonenumb

Between The Shadow & The Soul, Chapter 3 (Angel/OC, T) by dreamingshores

Spiderwebs, Chapter 43 (Buffy/Spike, R) by Willow25

The Transfer, Chapter 3 (Buffy/Spike, R) by Blackmysteria

Fates Intertwined: A Second Chance, Chapter 7 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Spikelover4ever

The Vision Quest, Chapter 2 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by acb6293

Encased by Sunshine, Chapter 29 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by acb6293

Buffy’s Spooky Birthday, Chapter 6 (Buffy/Spike, R) by VeroNyxK84

What the Drabble?, Chapter 44 (Buffy/Spike, R) by VeroNyxK84

Encased in Sunshine, Chapter 30 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Acb6293

Twice Broken, Thrice Burnt, Chapter 19 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by ClowniestLivEver

[Images, Audio & Video]

Artwork: Here’s a fun old one of the Master!! (drawing, worksafe) by foul-sorcery

Tattoo: [Tattoo design with BtVS quote from "The Gift"] (worksafe) by tattoos4mnd via tattoos4mnd

Gifset: PASSION is the source of our finest moments. It hurts sometimes more than we can bear (Wesley/Lilah, slightly NSFW) by gothamstreetcat

Video: D&D | Podcast | Q&A | Buffy the Vampire Slayer by It's A Mimic!

[Reviews & Recaps]

*SHOULD I BE LAUGHING!?* Buffy the Vampire Slayer S5 Ep 11 "Triangle" Reaction: FIRST TIME WATCHING by Nick Reacts

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER 6X12 REACTION | First Time Watching by EvilQK

EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER - Buffy the Vampire Slayer Reaction - 3X8 - "Lovers Walk" ( Buffy Reaction ) by Java Java Reactions

Zombies and Reunions! | Buffy The Vampire Slayer 3x2 'Dead Man's Party' | Blind Reaction by Vic

Season 3 Begins! // Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episode 3x01 Reaction // Buffy is My Hero! by Brooke Whipple

PODCAST: Buffy Season 8: Part 3 by Buffy the Gilmore Slayer: A Buffy and Gilmore Girls Podcast

[Recs]

spuffy fic rec, pt.2 recced by louisandjade

[Fandom Discussions]

buffy season four will give you whiplash any time they cut from one romantic subplot to another by idkaguyorsomething

With all my Bangel VS Cangel talk recently it probably does come across like I hate Bangel. This isn’t true by girl4music

And I don’t hate Angel. Not anymore. I never really did actually by girl4music

Do any of yall think about how in Something Blue, Buffy tells Riley shes getting married to a guy named Spike and plays it off as ‘a joke.’ by spikes-left-eyebrow

Rewatching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and today’s new issue with the show is how Buffy is the “chosen” one who has no say in the matter by jenny-from-the-box

Would you like a SMG celebrity memoir? by Taake

The Nature of Willow's "Dark Magic" in Season Six by American Aurora, multiple posters

What Would a Buffy the Vampire Slayer Revival Look Like? - A MLC Retrospective by MyLoveableCrayon

Yet another “Dead Man’s Party” thread: how would you have fixed it? by squidwardsaclarinet

Am I the only one that wishes they kept the more “case of the week” noir style of season 1 and 2 by SignificantBerry3837

Wrong answers only: What did Spike whisper in April the Robot's ear that she threw him out a window? by jdpm1991

Watching Buffy again- changed my opinion on Riley by EyCeeDedPpl

Xander as a character has not aged well or society has just evolved by Jockwarrior

Tired of the fandom? by Upbeat_Tone_2710

Would a high caliber bullet to the heart kill a vamp? by TheEbolaArrow

Everyone talks about the best and the worst… by duvet-cover

Submit a link to be included in the newsletter!

Join the editor team :)

[lizzysas]

An Ode to Klaus Mikaelson

Before I go on this crazy journey of breaking down my thoughts from the last two weeks I have to admit that I've not been here from the beginning. I only started TVD two weeks ago and fell instantly inlove with this character. Call it sadism, call it a hero-complex of wanting to save him, call it projection. Whatever it is, I've felt quite some things since learning that he died in TO. I stopped watching TVD four seasons in because really, what was the point?! Anyway, I digress:

THE SOURCE MATERIAL

We all know that TVD was loosely based on the books who by their own right is a bunch of trash once the original author got fired. But it should be known that Klaus Mikaelson was the bad guy. Not "the guy to be redeemed", not "the guy who falls inlove", not "the guy who becomes a parent". HE WAS THE BAD GUY, AND THE BAD GUY WHO DIED!

So he's development as a character was all because of the sheer power and charisma with which Joseph Morgan plays him. Even the foreshadowing of the character prior to his physical introduction alluded to a dark, paranoid and isolated character. Honestly I was expecting a brooding Bruce Wayne type. So I imagine that when JM got in front of the camera and showed the writers his portrayal, a lot of his character arc changed. Suddenly he wasn't the biggest bad of S3 anymore. They had to come up with something else to continue JM's sheer brilliance.

HIS HUMANITY

Now, many says that Klaus's humanity switch was off before he met Caroline and there's plenty merit to this. He's relentless in his pursuit of starting the ritual to make himself the ultimate hybrid. The ritual itself attests to that. He kills Jenna and Elena without a second thought. Even after witnessing all the love that Elena has in her life. And I imagine he killed hundreds more in his quest for hybrid supremacy so what was one more?

He then starts making hybrids. The proudest of which he is of, is Tyler. After 1000 years though in pursuit of his goal and achieving it, he becomes mildly interested in the attachment Tyler has to Caroline. He even calls it an experiment. But then Caroline is bitten. And although he doesn't know her, he jumps at the opportunity to have the Town's sheriff beholden to him for saving her. But our ancient one doesn't quite predict the effect she has on him. Here's an innocent being, full of life, that doesn't want to die. And I imagine, in Klaus's 1000 years, he's rarely come across a vampire that WANTED to be and stay a Vampire. AND THAT IS WHY HE SAVES HER!

HIS AMUSEMENT AND INFATUATION

Now this as we all know can be broken down in multiple facets but the gist of it is... He's drawn to her light. He's drawn to her innocence, her honesty. And Caroline? She's drawn to the evil creature she's been programmed into hating. But he's not quite so evil, is he. Atleast not with her. He shows her his art, he tells her his inner-most feelings. He breaks down his fears. And for the fact that she accepts all this vulnerability, Klaus falls inlove with her. And not once... Not once does she ask him to change. Why? Because Klaus knows he'll never be worthy of her if he doesn't prove it. And she knows, as the time passes on that what he feels for her will sufficiently motivate him to change. So he ends their relationship with the most powerful promise ever to grace our television screens..."I INTEND TO BE YOUR LAST, HOWEVER LONG IT TAKES"

THE UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

Now, here's where I may stand fully corrected on most things because I haven't watched beyond TVD S4 or TO, but I've read sufficiently and seen enough videos to last me a bit. But we all know (those of us who are parents) what a child brings to our lives. They change us. Suddenly we're no longer selfish, suddenly we'd die for someone else, suddenly their well-being and safety means more to us than anything else. Even if that means that we have to remove ourselves from their lives. This is what Klaus does. But he cannot resist the pull the child has on his heart and soul. He cannot help himself but want to give her anything she wants, teach her his art, teach her how to be a wolf (it still peevs me a bit that we only ever see him shift once), watch her grow. But he knows about all the monsters in the world who would want to hurt her. The biggest of which is him. So he goes about trying to make a monster-free world for her, starting with himself. And along the way, some significant relationships evolve for him

CAMILLE

I've seen enough of this relationship to know what it was. A stepping stone. And quite frankly the writers could have actually just put Klaus on a couch like Tony Soprano and it would've had more of an impact. Her entire story arc revolved around him. No personal growth, no self-preservation, no survival instinct. He hurt her, he compelled her against her will, he dissapointed her. If she honestly meant that much to him, he would have never dreamt of doing any of that. But what Klaus got out of it was again... Another experiment. What is the boundaries with this copy? What will break her? What will infuriate her to the point she walks away? What will it take to have her stick around. What can I take out of this and use to my atvantage with the original? Alright, hypothesis proven?! Time to move on.

ELIJAH

This character reminded me so much of Angel from BTVS. He's so tragic and forlorn but for some or other reason, always hopeful. Much like our other Hero from this Universe, Stefan. And he's relationship with his brother is the most tragic of all. It's his Baby Brother. He promised to protect him all those years ago and never did. Perhaps that of which contributed to Klaus's downward spiral into madness and lonliness. Mikael would not have been around had Elijah fulfilled his promise centuries ago. Klaus may have lived his life differently. But for the way it turns out, Elijah will forever have lived with this guilt. Which is why he dies along with his brother. He's entire purpose in life was his brother's redemption and he may have achieved it when Klaus did the most natural and selfless act known. Sacrificed his own life to save his daughters'. Klaus however counted on his brother to always have his back. Even when it meant Elijah pulling him back from the pits of hell he so often loved to go to. And he trusted his brother to do so above all else. Perhaps why Elijah was the only not to be carted around in a coffin for decades or centuries. So it only made sense for these two to have died with each other.

THE ORIGINAL SIBLINGS

Each and every one of them had a unique bond with Klaus. From Rebekah down to Kol. With Rebekah, Klaus has always wanted to protect his little sister from her lonely heart. Granted he went about it all wrong for centuries, even up until the last moments with Marcel. But he did what any big brother did. With Freya, I suspect their was a huge amount of respect for each other. I've not seen enough this relationship to form any other opinion. Kol and Klaus though? What a pair?! They are so volatile around one another. Great when getting along, sheer destructive when not. Then again, so are most siblings.

What Klaus's family was to him though was his centre. You see it in the final season of TO... The season where Klaus redeems himself.

CAROLINE REUNION AND REVELATIONS

How tragic is it, that after all Klaus's development as a character, that he was still so vulnerable around her? His reactions to her affirmations of how he matters. His reactions to learning that she cares. That she came looking for him. After all these years, Klaus Mikaelson still did not believe he was worthy of her. And when she told him he was? He was floored. And he was devasted. Because suddenly he could see it. He could see the future they could have. He could see himself showing her the world, the beauty, all the experiences of life he promised her. Except this future was blurred out and fading fast... Just as his time.

THE END OF KLAUS

He didn't get his happily ever after. He didn't get to watch his daughter grow. He didn't get to be with the woman he loved. He did however get his redemption...

In the eyes of his daughter, his friends, his family and his love. His brother.

And so ended the life of a powerful 1000 year old vampire/werewolf hybrid who started out as the devil and ended as the fallen angel.

I understand the ending of this character. I understand his tragedies, his highs and lows, his loves and hates. I also understand why he ended the way he did. Because anyone, anyone evil capable of love, deserves to be redeemed...

Here's to you Klaus... I will never forget you

[jennycalendar]

dragonslayers

read on ao3!

"but the truth is, there really isn’t any right thing to say sometimes. sometimes you just have to leave.”

jenny, anya, and tara struggle to figure themselves out beyond the love that's defined them since they came to sunnydale.

so: my love letter to my three favorite characters on btvs. like, these are three girls who all kinda never got an arc outside The Girlfriend, and i love them, and they deserve to be happy with an adorable dog. it’s the sequel to another fic i wrote, like, a year ago, which you can read if you want to (please. do), but all you Really need to know is that jenny came back as a ghost & anya was instrumental in resurrecting her all the way. anyway! please read!

Jenny Calendar is alive.

And that should seem like something huge and dizzying, shouldn’t it?

“Mix it,” says Anya, then, “Mix it,” then, “Fucking morons don’t know how to mix the fucking batter,” and upends the popcorn all over the coffee table as she reaches, violently, for her beer. Rupert winces a little and slips his arm around Jenny’s shoulder, tugging her away from what looks to be an unpleasant spill.

Rupert smells like cologne and a touch of alcohol. Somewhere along the line, he lost that comforting, soft smell of pressed linen that came from the way he used to iron his shirts. Jenny misses that smell, but she doesn’t want to tell him that, because he looks so devastatingly happy to have her in his arms again. She can’t take that happiness away from him.

“The fuckers didn’t mix it,” says Anya a little tearfully, “they’re not going to make it to the next round.” She falls back against the couch, defeated.

Anya watches cooking shows like most people watch football, lately. Jenny thinks it’s because Xander did most of the cooking and Anya doesn’t want to admit she misses him, so she settles for aggressively surrounding herself with things that remind her of him and never once mentioning his name. She’s not sure how well that’s going for anyone.

Rupert presses his mouth to Jenny’s neck, playfully, and grins when she looks up at him. He looks at her with that same in-love smile that she’s been seeing since she got back. “Would you like to get out of here in a few?” he says, like Anya’s not on the verge of a total emotional breakdown right next to them.

“I think I wanna see how this show goes,” says Jenny evasively, and turns her attention back to the TV.

Rupert’s not living in his apartment anymore; he sold it back when Buffy was dead. He flinches whenever someone uses the phrase when Buffy was dead, which makes Jenny feel a little guilty when she thinks it, but—Rupert can’t read her thoughts. Small mercies.

Right now, they’re in his hotel room, and they’re probably two buttons, one skirt, and a few more minutes of kissing away from having sex, and Jenny feels absolutely nothing. And she doesn’t like that she feels nothing, because this is the man she loved enough to make her want to live. Like, sure, it was Anya who got Jenny to fight her way back to life, but it was Rupert who made her even consider coming back in the first place.

She thinks about all that time spent studying him across the Magic Box, wanting to know all about him, what he’d become over the last few years. She thinks about how she got a dizzy, breathless rush every time she thought about getting to hold him again. But there’s a hollowness to him that repels her, makes her want to stumble out of the bedroom and never look back.

The thing is, though, Jenny still loves some part of him. She does. When she thinks about the first time she was alive, the way she felt falling in love with him—it’s enough to keep her kissing him now, because she so desperately wants that feeling back.

“I love you,” says Rupert against her collarbone, and finishes with the last two buttons of her blouse, pushing it down her shoulders carelessly. Only a few weeks in and he’s forgotten she was ever dead.

“I love you too,” says Jenny, because she has to. She must have just forgotten how.

Jenny places her hand on the table of the Magic Box and wills it to slip through. Strange how she felt more corporeal when she was a ghost.

“I had to stop by Xander’s place today to pick up some things,” says Anya from next to her, distantly, and Jenny feels the soft, fluttery rush of companionship when she looks up at her friend. She knows she shouldn’t be so happy that Anya’s just as off-balance as she is, but it’s comforting to know that there’s someone else who doesn’t know exactly what they’re doing. “I called ahead and he said he would be out while I was there, to make it easier on him.” She looks up at Jenny, expression impassive, and adds, “You know, I don’t really know if he ever thought about what I wanted. I think he put himself first a lot more than he had a right to.”

Jenny considers this. Then she says, “I think Rupert’s in love with the woman who died,” and god, that hurts to say out loud.

“And you’re not the woman who died?” says Anya, sounding genuinely confused by the concept.

“I don’t know,” says Jenny truthfully. “But I feel like he’s just—” She swallows, hard. “He kisses me like all he wants to do is kiss me,” she says. “And neither of us talk about anything actually substantial, ever, it’s just lots and lots of reunion sex. Like there’s nothing he wants to do but that.”

Anya frowns a little, taking this in. Jenny’s half-expecting her to ask why reunion sex is such a bad thing (Anya has, after all, talked pretty recently and pretty loudly about how she’d really like to get laid some time soon), but then she says, “You know, Giles hasn’t had a serious relationship in the entire time I’ve known him. There was that Olivia thing, plus that one time he hooked up with Ethan again, but I don’t think he’s ever had anything like what he had with you, and I think that that’s really messed him up.” She smiles, a little wobbly. “I know I’ve never had a friend like you,” she says, “because, you know, Hallie and I haven’t really been close since the whole human thing, and that relationship was built on a lot of vengeance and murder anyway, and, and I know I’m messed up. Not having people in your life who you love can really, really mess a person up.”

“Anya,” says Jenny softly, and turns all the way to take Anya’s hands in hers. Anya won’t (can’t?) look at her. “Anya. You’re not messed up.”

“If I was good,” says Anya, “then he wouldn’t have left me.” She sounds near tears. “I don’t even miss him as much as I miss knowing—” Her voice breaks, and she jerks her hands away from Jenny’s to scrub roughly at her face. “I miss knowing that someone loved me,” she said. “I miss knowing that someone wanted me to kiss them for forever.”

Jenny swallows hard. “I miss that too,” she says.

Anya sniffles, finally looking up. “Giles wants that with you, though, doesn’t he?” she asks, sounding half-hopeful, like if she can’t be happy she at least wants Jenny to.

Jenny shakes her head. “He wants someone to kiss,” she says. “And the way I died—I think he thinks his only possible happy ending is with me.”

“That’s stupid,” says Anya decisively. “You should tell him that it’s stupid.”

Jenny thinks about the way Rupert looked as she was leaving his hotel bedroom today, the fragility in his smile. “He’s nearly reached his breaking point,” she says. “I don’t know what’ll happen if I push him any further.”

“Jenny—” Anya looks suddenly very upset by this. “Jenny,” she says. “Jenny, that’s why I stayed with Xander. That’s why I never told him about all the stuff I wanted from him. You can’t do that to Giles or he’ll end up breaking your heart into a million billion pieces and I don’t want your heart broken, I want his heart in pieces on the floor, Jenny, all over the damn floor like fine powder—” And then she really is crying, shoulder-shaking sobs that have her hiding her face in her hands.

Jenny wants to reach out to Anya, but she’s sort of reeling. That is what happened with Xander, isn’t it? Anya shutting herself down because she was just so desperate to keep a half-working relationship functioning in a way that kept both of them kissing.

“But it’s Rupert,” she says, helplessly, softly, “and I love him.”

A particular moment that Jenny remembers when she looks into Rupert’s eyes is the one and only time they left Sunnydale together. It was only a few hours before a supernatural crisis meant they had to go back home, but they made it to a gas station and bought a lot of candy bars and kissed in the sunlight outside Jenny’s car. She wonders if their relationship was always something that could only sustain itself within a certain time frame, within a certain geographic region, within a certain set of variables.

Rupert is lying on the bed when she comes in, staring up at the ceiling like all he’s been doing is waiting for her to come back. Jenny wants to talk to him about politics or art or science or all the things they used to talk about all those years ago, but the words stick in her throat when he looks up at her with that empty affection, smiling at her with unearned adoration. She represents a part of his past that he lost, a part of his future that he wants. She doesn’t know if she can do that anymore.

“I love you,” she says, and she wishes she meant it all the way. Those first few days after Anya’s almost-wedding, she believed it, lost in being close to him again, but the words have fumbled and faded until she’s not sure who she loves anymore. She barely knows this man. He contains someone she loved a very, very long time ago.

“I love you too,” says Rupert, then, “What’s the matter?”

Jenny wants to leave Sunnydale, after, except Anya’s still there and the one concrete thing about this absolute mess is that Jenny absolutely loves Anya, so she drives to Anya’s new apartment. It’s raining, and Anya isn’t home yet, so she slumps against the front door and waits, rain plastering her hair to her face.

There are things she does like about being alive again, like the way rain feels and the way the cold permeates her leather jacket. Even pain is something; it means she’s feeling, and that was something she was deprived of for an intolerably long amount of time. It’s sort of like how people must have felt after color TV was invented, Jenny thinks. Like everything’s just that little bit more real.

Anya comes up with a bag of groceries and sees Jenny, and she gets this horribly sad look on her face that makes Jenny start crying, because shit, Anya really does know her. She feels Anya reach up to hug her very tightly, and then they’re in the warm apartment lobby and Anya’s sitting her down on a couch.

“So,” says Anya. “You and Giles.”

“I think I broke his heart,” says Jenny, and sniffles, not sure whether she’s wiping away tears or rainwater. Both, probably. She was out in the rain for a while.

“You really didn’t,” says Anya. “He hasn’t known you long enough to be heartbroken. Not this you, anyway. He’ll deal.”

“I want to help him—”

“There’s only so much you can do,” says Anya, and the sweetly earnest look in her eyes makes Jenny feel—warm. That’s the simplest way of putting it. “I was with Xander for so long in part because I wanted to believe that some day I’d just magically know the right thing to say, you know? But the truth is, there really isn’t any right thing to say sometimes. Sometimes you just have to leave.”

“I love him so much,” says Jenny, but when she says it, she’s thinking of the Rupert Giles with soft eyes who kissed her nose in the faculty room and held her close in the library.

“You can’t, though,” says Anya, and reaches for Jenny’s hand. “You don’t know him yet.”

“But there’s time,” says Jenny.

“There is,” says Anya. “Now’s not that time.”

Anya has a cat. She hasn’t named it, mostly because it’s an outdoor cat that wanders around in her living room, eats some of the food she puts out for it, and then leaves for weeks on end, but she’s always worried it’ll get eaten by a vampire while it’s out.

“Vampires go for humans,” Jenny reminds her, “and that cat’s scary fast. I don’t think any vampire would be interested in trying to chase it down.”

“Hmm,” says Anya, in a way that means she doesn’t think Jenny knows what she’s talking about, and goes back to baking cupcakes. She’s checked out a bunch of books on cooking from the Sunnydale Memorial Library (everything in this town has memorial tacked on somewhere; it gets depressing real fast), and today her food of choice is Rainbow Cupcakes with Black Frosting. Lots of terrifying dyes involved. Jenny thinks she needs to remind Anya that she’s mortal now.

The doorbell rings. Jenny freezes. She hasn’t seen Rupert since—well—

“That’s not Giles,” says Anya helpfully, and puts down the sugar, crossing the room to open the door. “I think it’s Tara. I asked her to come over.”

This takes Jenny a little by surprise; Anya and Tara aren’t by any means close. “You asked her?”

Tara steps in, holding a small cactus and a bag slung over her shoulder and looking very, very shy. And suddenly Jenny understands why Anya brought Tara into this apartment: there’s the same heavy sadness in Tara’s eyes that Jenny feels in her chest, even though Tara’s giving them both a small smile.

“Hi,” says Jenny, feeling awkward.

“Willow and Tara broke up, recently,” says Anya from next to Tara. “Willow’s getting help. Giles insisted on it. Tara isn’t getting any help, though, so I thought she should come here. Because. You know. None of us are getting help.” With that, she turns and crosses back to the kitchenette, starting again on her cupcakes.

Tara moves past Jenny and places the cactus down on the coffee table. Then she says, “Um, Anya’s using a lot of dye for those cupcakes. There are organic alternatives, you know.”

Jenny thinks she likes Tara. “Do you wanna watch a movie?” she offers. “There might be something good on TV. I don’t know.”

“I think I brought some snacks, actually,” says Tara, and rummages in her bag until she pulls out a small bag of potato chips. “Not a lot, but I was meaning to eat them on the bus over here or something.”

Jenny takes the chips and takes a bite, then laughs a little incredulously. “I like potato chips,” she says. “I’d forgotten.”

It’s such a small, silly thing, but Jenny’s starting to realize that there are so many little nuances to being alive, so many things she’s missed or misplaced or forgotten. Discovering them all again is sweet and wonderful. She likes having the space to do that. She likes that her world no longer condenses to Rupert.

Tara smiles a little like she gets what Jenny’s thinking, then sits down on the couch, bag still on her lap. “TV sounds nice,” she adds. “And you can finish off those potato chips. I can always go get more.”

Jenny and Anya and Tara start doing normal things like going shopping, and going to the park to have a picnic, and going to the animal shelter on pet adoption day. That last one’s mostly Jenny and Tara; Anya seems sort of resentful about even the concept of getting a pet that isn’t her weird little outdoor cat, and glares at all the kittens for a few minutes until Jenny points out that Anya’s not obliged to adopt a cat just by virtue of them being there.

“I know that,” says Anya, glowering, “but now I want to, and it’s your fault!”

When Jenny was alive the first time around, she liked cats more than dogs—all that elegant grace and the reproachful way they looked at you and how cute kittens were. But this time around, she settles herself on the floor with a large dog who’s trying to get to the sandwich in her bag.

“Hi,” she says, tapping the dog’s shoulder like he’s a person. “Hey. That’s kinda mine. Tara made it for me.”

“I think he likes you,” Tara observes.

“Hmm,” says Jenny, trying to sound cool and detached.

“No,” says Anya, swooping in. “No, no, absolutely not, we are not getting any dog who’s going to scare my kitty away whenever it shows up.”

“What’s your cat’s name?” Tara asks, sounding genuinely curious.

“It’s a cat,” says Anya to Tara. “It names itself.”

“I like this dog,” says Jenny, at first to be difficult but then a little bit true. “I could use a dog. Don’t they send puppies around to high schools to relieve stress in some parts of the country?”

“I’ve literally never heard of that happening,” says Anya.

“They could send puppies around to high school to relieve stress,” says Jenny, “and I want a dog.”

“I’m kicking you out of the apartment,” says Anya, and it’s the not-at-all-serious way she says it that makes a smile spread across both of their faces. Like not even Jenny getting a dog would make Anya kick Jenny out of the apartment. Like Jenny and Anya living together is a foregone, comforting certainty, at least for as long as they both need it.

“I hate you,” says Jenny to Anya, and scratches the dog’s shoulders. He licks her face very solemnly, then goes back to trying to get at the sandwich.

“I suppose,” says Anya, “after all we’ve been through, you deserve a pet of some sort.”

“Well, thank you for granting me permission,” says Jenny dryly.

Anya sits down next to Jenny and looks at the dog with a frown. “He kinda reminds me of Oz,” she says. “I didn’t know the guy that well, but the few times I saw him—yeah. That’s an Oz dog.”

“Willow talked about Oz, sometimes,” says Tara, in a too-high voice. The smile on her face has become a bit plastic. “She said—”

Jenny tugs at Tara’s hand, then places it on the dog’s back. Tara lets out this shuddering breath and sits down, focusing in on the dog’s brown-and-white coat. Then she says, “I can see why they’d bring around puppies to high school,” and leans a little on Jenny.

“What happened with Willow?” Jenny asks.

“She erased my mind when she decided I wasn’t agreeing enough with her,” says Tara.

Jenny wishes she could go back to the moment before she knew that that was what Willow Rosenberg had become. The sweet, shy, eager little girl with the big smile, the one who’d brought her flowers to brighten up the room and brought in extra credit work even though she was acing the class— “God,” she says. “When did the people I love become such a damn mess?”

Tara shrugs, head still on Jenny’s shoulder. “I like this dog,” she says. “He’s a good listener.”

Jenny laughs a little wetly and tucks her arm around Tara. Anya throws up her arms in mock exasperation (fine, fine, do what you want, see if I care) and sits down next to the both of them, pulling out a few dog treats from her own bag. “Got them up front,” she says off Jenny and Tara’s startled looks, then, “Shut up,” then, “I’m naming him Saint George.”

“Saint George?” says Jenny.

“He looks like a dragon-slayer of a dog,” says Anya, and bumps Jenny’s shoulder. Saint George eats four treats in one go and then licks Anya’s nose.

So now Jenny has a live-in best friend, another friend who might as well be living-in, and a dog. Which feels a lot better than one hotel-room boyfriend and no dog, all things considered. They haven’t seen the Scoobies in a while, which in its own way is also nice, because Jenny gets the sense that seeing the Scoobies would mean fielding a lot of questions about how, exactly, Jenny thought it was okay to leave Giles, who had missed her for so long and loved her so much. Plus, the whole world-saving thing is kind of a drain. She likes taking it slow.

Anya still has her job at the Magic Box, though the Scoobies don’t stop by all that often. She’s made Jenny and Tara full-time employees, which is actually pretty fun. Though they do get customers, the shop isn’t by any means crowded, so most of the day is spent playing fetch with Saint George, who has a surprising amount of common sense for a dog. He hasn’t once run into a shelf.

“He’s very well-behaved,” says Anya approvingly, “and dogs bring in more customers. We’ve turned a tidy profit over the last few weeks, and I attribute that to him.”

“Don’t let Saint George take all the credit,” says Jenny, and squeezes Anya’s shoulder as she crosses to help a customer with a purchase. “You’re kind of incredible at this.”

Anya really does have a knack for being a businesswoman. She’s gotten incredible at predicting what products will sell and what relics they can afford to toss and stuff like that, and she’s getting a lot better at talking to customers now that no one’s telling her she needs to act human. She’s got an easy, cheerful look in her eyes these days, and that’s probably why there’s a girl who’s come back three days in a row just to talk shyly to Anya about music and books and sapphic poetry.

“Should we tell her?” says Jenny, stepping over to Tara.

“She’ll figure it out,” says Tara, who looks like she wants to start giggling.

“Yes, I do like movies!” says Anya brightly, looking delighted. “I love movies. And you like movies too?”

“Oh, god, that poor girl,” says Jenny, and hides her face in Tara’s shoulder. Tara squeaks a little, pressing her hands to her face and trying her best not to laugh.

“I, I love movies,” says the girl, who has big eyes and a shy smile. “Would you like to go to one with me?”

Anya seems taken aback by the question, but she’s still smiling too. “I’d like that, yes,” she says, “though my hours are a bit busy. Why don’t you stop by my apartment sometime instead and we can have sex instead? It won’t take as long as a movie, and it won’t cost nearly as much either.”

Tara dissolves into hysterical laughter. Jenny raises her head to swat Tara’s shoulder.

The girl starts laughing too, but in a delighted sort of way that bodes very well for Anya. “You’re, like, the most forward person I’ve ever met!” she says.

“Saves time,” says Anya, who looks genuinely happy. “Though I’m still very happy to go to a movie with you.”

Anya and the girl start setting a date, and Jenny turns back to a very amused Tara. “Stop that,” she says, not all that seriously.

“I can’t help it!” Tara giggles. “She’s just—she knows what she wants and she goes for it.”

“It’s admirable, really,” says Jenny, looking back over at Anya, who’s scrawling her number on the girl’s arm.

The bell on the door rings, and Jenny turns, her welcome-to-the-Magic-Box smile bright and warm. It fades immediately when she sees who’s standing there.

“Jenny,” says Rupert awkwardly, a little sadly. He looks heavier, this time around, hollow in a way that isn’t covered up by happiness.

“Hey,” says Jenny. She feels Tara’s protective hand on her shoulder, hears Anya’s footsteps as she crosses to stand next to them.

Rupert nods a little stiffly, then says, “Anya, there’s still some paperwork I need to go over with you, and, and you haven’t sent me my cut of the profit—”

“Because you’re a stupid jerk who made Jenny cry,” says Anya in this scary sort of voice that sounds less petulant-child and more centuries-old-vengeance demon. “And I don’t pay those kinds of people.”

Jenny winces a little. “Anya,” she says, “legally, he is still a part of this business.”

“He can sell his part of this business back to me, though,” says Anya, looking blackly up at Rupert. It isn’t at all a request.

Something hits Jenny, then, something she doesn’t really like. Telling herself she’s okay because she hasn’t seen Rupert, hasn’t even talked to him since that night—isn’t that still just stubbornly refusing to address the elephant in the room? “Rupert,” she says, lightly shaking Tara’s hand off her shoulder, “I’d like to grab a coffee with you.”

“What?” says Rupert.

“What?” says Anya.

“She said she’d like to grab a coffee with him,” says Tara, who seems to at least sort of understand what Jenny’s trying to do. Jenny reaches back over and pulls Tara into a quick hug. She likes this kid. She really does.

“I’d like a coffee,” says Rupert, sort of to himself. “Or maybe tea.”

Jenny pulls back and smooths down Tara’s hair, then turns to Anya. “I’ll be right back, okay?” she says.

“Don’t get back together with him,” says Anya fiercely.

“Not planning on it,” says Jenny, and out of the corner of her eye, she sees Rupert’s face fall. “But this is still a conversation we need to have.”

“I don’t understand it,” says Rupert as soon as they’re sitting at a table together.

“Don’t understand what?” Jenny prompts him.

Rupert swallows hard, then says, “We love each other. Shouldn’t it be that simple?”

Jenny looks at Rupert and finds herself wondering, with a painful twist, what it’d have been like if they’d gotten to grow together. Maybe they’d have ended up growing apart anyway, but—maybe they wouldn’t. And it’s that possibility that really stings. “We haven’t seen each other in years,” she says, “we can’t just jump into being in love when I don’t know who you are anymore.”

Rupert looks like he’s been slapped in the face. “I’m not the man you love,” he says, more a terrified question than a statement.

Jenny frowns a little. “I don’t think it’s that simple,” she says. “I just—I feel like you want to pick up where we left off, and I-I wanna know what I missed.” She tries to smile, but can’t manage it. “Like—what were you up to all these years? What changed? What didn’t?”

Rupert looks blankly up at her, then says, “I was a Watcher all these years, Jenny. I never—you were the first—the only—”

Back when they were first falling in love, that would have made Jenny feel breathlessly special. But she’s wiser, more worn, so she leans across the table to place her hand very briefly over his. When she pulls back, she sees (finally) a tired, sad resignation in his eyes, and that’s enough to make her say, “Maybe we’ll get it right some other time.”

“And that’s—that’s it, then,” says Rupert. His voice catches.

Jenny nods. “Yeah,” she says. “Because I have enough self-respect not to get with a guy who doesn’t know what he wants.”

So that’s it, then. That’s all.

Jenny, exhausted from her coffee with Rupert, gets home, sits quietly down on the sofa, and rests her head on Anya’s shoulder. They watch movies until about two in the morning, at which point they get a phone call from Tara, who’s crying. “They’re kicking me out,” she manages between sobs, “I’m living in a shitty apartment and I can’t even pay the fucking rent,” and they know it’s serious because Tara only ever swears when she’s sad. Never angry—always sad.

So Jenny and Anya and Saint George all pile into Anya’s kinda crappy car, and Anya, looking like she’s about to fall asleep behind the wheel, starts to drive.

“I hate everything lately,” says Anya. “You know, when I saw you and Giles looking at each other at my wedding, I was like, there’s a good happy ending for someone, at least.”

“Happy endings are a myth made to sell cards,” says Jenny, who’s sharing a bag of baby carrots with Saint George.

“You’re so dramatic sometimes,” says Anya. “Never change.” She reaches over with one hand to pat Saint George’s back (he licks her hand) and adds, “And Willow—I liked Willow, kind of. Xander liked Willow, so I liked her. You know. Kind of. But I didn’t ever think she’d do something like that to Tara.”

“Or that the rest of them would stand by her,” says Jenny distantly. Then, “Do you think that maybe we’re the leftovers? That that’s why I couldn’t make things work with Rupert?”

“I think you haven’t had enough sleep or enough time to really start thinking about why things with Giles didn’t work,” says Anya. Belatedly, she adds, “And I think I need to get home and sleep too after we bring Tara back to our place, because I still have that movie date with Claire.”

“Cute Claire from the Magic Box?” says Jenny with interest.

Anya shrugs in a way that’s trying to be nonchalant, but a small smile flits across her face.

“And you like her?”

“I told her I’m just getting out of a serious relationship,” says Anya, “and that I think she’s too cute and friendly to be a rebound thing, so she and I are just friends for now. We did have sex a few times, though. Friends have sex sometimes.”

“Seems reasonable,” says Jenny, mouth twitching. Then she says, “I think Rupert and I started dating too fast.”

“You mean when you came back—”

“I mean originally,” says Jenny. “I just—he was cute, and I thought it could be a casual thing, so I jumped in with the full expectation of getting burned. One of those classic opposites-attract sort of things, because—” She laughs a little bitterly. “I was just so sure we wouldn’t be able to make it work all that long,” she said. “And I was lonely, and he was there.”

Anya pulls the car to a stop outside Tara’s apartment, and they see Tara standing there with maybe two boxes. Something about that makes Jenny’s heart twist in her chest; this girl’s been living in Sunnydale for nearly three years, and all the stuff she owns can fit into two boxes. She wonders how much of Tara’s stuff ended up being Willow’s.

“That really sucks,” says Anya.

“Yeah,” says Jenny. “I think we’d have been really awesome friends if I’d done things right.”

“You still would have ended up dead, though,” Anya points out. “And Giles would still be an idiot. So really, nothing would have changed—” and then she’s cut off because Jenny’s giving her this big hug and trying not to start messy-crying all over her shoulder. “It’s okay, Jenny,” says Anya, and pats Jenny’s head. Jenny laughs a little. “It’s okay.”

Tara crosses over to the car with her two boxes and puts them both in the back. She’s very clearly been crying. “I don’t know how to do this,” she says. “I don’t know how to be all by myself anymore.”

“It’s cool,” says Anya. “Neither does Jenny. She’s like super bad at it.”

“You suck,” says Jenny, sniffling and smiling, and pulls herself back up just as Saint George clambers through the seats to go sit with Tara. That dog seems to have a sort of sixth sense for where he’s needed. Granted, everyone in the car’s kind of a mess right now, but still.

Tara buries her face in Saint George’s fur for a moment, and then starts talking to him in a soft, solemn voice that Jenny can’t make out. She turns back to Anya instead. “Where are we going?” she asks.

“We are going to get burgers,” says Anya. “Then we’re going home.”

Tara nods. Then she says, “I wanna throw up, though.”

“Do you want me to pull over?”

“It’s more of,” Tara waves a hand, resting her head against Saint George’s, “a feeling. Not really something I’m following through on.”

“What happened with the landlord?” Jenny asks.

Tara sighs. Then she says, “He upped the rent when he learned I’d gotten a steady job.”

“Shit,” says Jenny.

“That’s kind of fucked up,” says Anya, and reaches back over her shoulder to squeeze Tara’s hand. “But hey, you can live with us in our teensy apartment!”

“I don’t know about that,” says Jenny, frowning. Off Anya’s look, she hastily clarifies, “Of course I don’t mean Tara can’t live with us, I just mean—two people and a dog in a one-bedroom apartment was already kind of a stretch, but three people’s going to be way too much to handle.”

“Hmm,” says Anya, in her Thoughtful-Businesswoman voice that means she’s got a very good idea and she’s about to start imparting it. “I think we should start a fundraiser.”

“A fundraiser,” says Tara a little doubtfully.

“Yes!” Anya’s beaming, now. “One hundred percent of all proceeds for the next two weeks go towards us all getting some kind of an actual house, with, like, bedrooms and things, and maybe a nice backyard so Saint George can run around and chase squirrels. It’s a completely foolproof plan.”

But Jenny’s frowning, all of a sudden. Much as she loves the Magic Box, there’s something she really hates about them all staying tethered to Sunnydale, a place that broke Anya’s heart, warped Tara’s mind, and quite literally killed Jenny. “No,” she says. “No, I have a better idea.”

“Moving the Magic Box to San Francisco?” says Xander, bursting into the store when Jenny’s polishing orbs. “You’ve gotta be kidding me, Anya. This is a nasty stunt to pull. This was Giles’s place way before yours—”

Anya looks up at Xander, cold and quiet, and says, “You haven’t spoken to me in nearly two months, Xander. Is this what it takes for you to finally check in?”

“So that’s why you’re doing this, huh?” Xander demands. “Out of spite? You know how cut up Giles is already about—” here he gestures to Jenny like he can’t even look at her, “and now here you are pulling this shit? That’s low even for you, Anya—”

“Hey,” says Jenny loudly. This startles Xander so much that he steps back into a display and nearly sends it crashing down to the ground (he would have, too, if Tara hadn’t been quick enough to steady it). “You wanna tell us more about the girl you haven’t checked up on in two months? You feel like telling us what she’s thinking when you never bothered to listen?”

Xander falters, mouth trembling. Then he says, “Ahn, I’m sorry.”

“Fuck you,” says Anya primly, and goes back to writing shipping orders.

“I didn’t want to hurt you—”

“You wouldn’t have pulled away so completely if you didn't,” says Anya.

“You dropped off the goddamn face of the earth!” Xander snaps. “You didn’t let me— I gave you all the space you needed, but you never came back, and—” His voice breaks. “I love you,” he says. “I’m so sorry. I—Anya, I just wasn’t ready.”

“I don’t want to be with someone who’d propose to me at the end of the world and not follow through,” says Anya. “That isn’t brave and it isn’t fair to either of us.” She doesn’t sound as angry, now. Just resigned, and sort of tired.

“You can leave now, Xander,” says Jenny.

“Like I’m going to listen to you,” says Xander, looking at her with cold, hard eyes, and that’s when Jenny knows for certain that the only worth she holds to the Scoobies, now, is the worth she once held to Giles. “He’s drinking, you know,” Xander adds, “won’t talk to anyone but Buffy, and even that’s a toss-up most of the time.”

“I can’t help him,” says Jenny, and suddenly it’s Buffy’s junior year all over again. Straight face, biting her lip to keep from saying something she’ll regret or bursting into tears or both. “I can’t be the magical solution to his problems.”

“That’s why you came back,” says Xander fiercely. “That’s why you’re here now. He deserves someone in his life—”

All of a sudden, Tara’s got this quietly furious look in her eyes as she steps around the display she’s been holding steady, looking up at Xander with such a terrifying expression that he actually takes a step back. “No one,” she says, “is entitled to any of us, Xander. We’re not someone’s prize, and we’re not anyone’s leftovers. Do you understand that?”

And Jenny thinks something about that resonates with Xander, because all of a sudden he looks almost guilty. “Giles wanted me to come talk you out of this,” he said. “He didn’t say it, but I know he wants you to stay.” That part’s mostly for Jenny. “And I know I want you to stay.” That part’s definitely for Anya.

“It’s not your choice to make,” says Jenny.

Xander nods, then nods again, off-balance and wobbly like he’s a bobble-head doll, and then he turns around and half-stumbles out of the Magic Box. Jenny watches him go with a twisting feeling in her stomach, and then she presses her hand to her mouth and utters a single choked sob.

“Shit,” says Tara quietly.

“I wish I remembered how to be vengeful,” says Anya, distant and dispassionate. “I used to murder people in their beds for less than what he did to me, you know, and I used to love it, but I have nightmares about it now. I wish I could just step back into being—being some kind of a monster. Things were so much easier then.”

“Monsters don’t love,” says Tara.

“Double-edged sword,” says Jenny.

It’s worse when Willow comes around. They’ve nearly packed up the Magic Box when she shows up, looking sweet and unassuming and utterly heartbroken. If this was a daytime TV show, Jenny thinks, the viewers would probably be on Willow’s side, because Tara’s face is hard as stone.

“Tara,” says Willow. Her voice breaks, her eyes full of tears. “Baby, please. Please come back to me.”

Tara’s mouth trembles and her hands shake. Jenny wants to step up in the way she did for Anya, but she still doesn’t know Tara well enough to know how to even begin to help.

“Tara, baby, we were happy,” says Willow, and sniffles. “We were so happy, just—”

“You can’t do that,” says Tara. “I decide whether or not I was happy. Not you.”

Willow looks helplessly up at her, sniffling, and says, “I just wanted us to be happy. I just wanted that. Don’t you want that too?”

Holy fucking shit, Jenny thinks, Willow went off the deep end while I was gone. God, if Rupert let this happen, she’s glad they’re not anywhere near each other anymore.

Tara’s looking at Willow with this half-sad expression. “You know I didn’t love the magic in you, Willow,” she says. “I loved the way you used it. I loved the way you took so much delight in learning and growing and being happy, and I loved the way you looked at the world. I loved you so much, and you took my love and you twisted it to breaking.”

“Tara—”

“You told me to shut up,” says Tara. “So many people have told me to shut up. You were the first person I trusted to listen, and you silenced me. Do you know what that does to a person? Do you know how scared I was to know the one person I trusted could break me so completely?”

Willow’s crying now, real tears that have her shaking where she stands. “I know I messed up,” she sobs. “I just want to fix it!”

“Willow,” says Tara. “If anyone decides whether we’re fixed, it’s me.”

Maybe it’s something of a defense mechanism, but Jenny’s already thinking about the plane ride out of Sunnydale, wondering if Saint George will be okay in an aircraft carrier. He’s a smart dog, she thinks. He’ll be okay if they give him that squeaky toy he really likes.

Willow falls against the wall, sobbing. “I can’t lose you,” she’s saying. “I don’t know who I am without you.”

“You’re smart, Willow,” says Tara, not unkindly. “You’ll figure it out.” She steps around Anya, who’s frozen in this half-afraid, tense position behind the register, holding onto a fistful of money like it’s a lifeline, and she crosses the room to stand next to Jenny. “But right now I think I need to ask you to leave, and I think you need to be able to respect that.”

“I can’t find myself again without you—”

“I did,” says Tara, “and I’m the one we both thought wasn’t brave enough, so I think you can too.”

Willow looks up at Tara with this last-ditch, desperate smile, like she thinks maybe Tara’ll change her mind if she makes her face soft enough, makes herself vulnerable. There’s this thing Jenny heard Rupert say once, long ago, about how some of the people who cause lasting harm very often believe that they’re doing the exact right thing, about how those people are the ones that are hardest to dissuade and fend off.

“Willow,” says Jenny, and pulls out her teacher voice, the one she used to use on students who wouldn’t listen. “Back off.”

Willow’s eyes glint, and Jenny sees something old and dangerous buried behind the anguish. Then she turns and leaves.

Immediately after she’s gone, Tara collapses inward, sobbing so violently that she can no longer stand. Anya catches her awkwardly, pulling her into a clumsy hug, and Jenny all but runs over to join them, pulling Tara close.

“I love her so much,” Tara sobs. “So much. I want it to stop.”

“I know,” says Anya, her voice shaking. “But we’re going to be okay.”

Rupert is the last one to show up in their lives, and he barely makes it. He shows up the night before they’re slated to leave, buzzing their apartment, and Jenny debates whether to let him in before deciding, well, this is probably her thing to deal with, so she should go and deal with it. She pulls herself up from the air mattress on the living room floor and heads down three flights of stairs in a bathrobe and slippers, lugging Saint George in her arms, because when push comes to shove he really is her dog. He’s occupying himself with chewing at her bathrobe. It’s weirdly comforting.

Rupert looks a little surprised that she even came down. He’s unshaven, bleary-eyed, wearing pajamas himself, and he’s done a piss-poor job of parking his car outside.

“You look like shit,” says Jenny bluntly. She’s had enough of old lovers to last a lifetime, even though none of them have been hers up to this point.

“Jenny,” says Rupert. “I just wanted to say—good luck. Wherever you’re going.”

And just like that, Jenny knows they’re going to find each other again. She does. Because Rupert looks tired and worn, but he gets it. Took you long enough, she wants to say, but she’s just so wrung-out and sad that she puts down Saint George and hugs Rupert a little awkwardly. Somehow, even though they don’t really fit together anymore, she feels closer to him than she has for a very, very long time. “I love you,” she says, and means it all the way this time.

“I love you too,” says Rupert. His voice catches as they look at each other.

Jenny smiles a little. “Guess the guy I loved isn’t all gone,” she says, and lets her forehead fall to rest against his, just for a moment.

“Not gone,” says Rupert, “just a bit lost. And you’re right. I won’t find the better parts of myself if I assume it’s your job to help me.”

“Yeah,” says Jenny. “I’m gonna miss this fucked-up town, a little.”

“I’ll visit,” says Rupert. “In a month or two.”

“I like that.” Jenny smooths down the collar of Rupert’s pajama shirt. The top he’s wearing is one she remembers, but the bottoms aren’t, and something about that makes her feel strangely comforted. Some things change, some things stay the same. C’est la vie, as the French say. “I think at least a few months would be good for both of us,” she says. “I think we both need time.”

“I do too,” says Rupert. “Frankly, I don’t know if you noticed, but I’m quite a mess.”

That makes Jenny laugh. “Damn straight,” she says. “Okay. I need to go up and get some sleep. I have a flight tomorrow.”

“All right,” says Rupert.

But they stay in each other’s arms for a few moments more, because the soft warmth of a long-forgotten connection is something that’s damn hard to walk away from. It’s the right call to leave Sunnydale, she knows, for herself and Anya and Tara alike, because she and Rupert still don’t really know how to love each other the right way. They need to figure themselves out before they can fall in love again.

“Maybe I’ll ask you out in a few months,” says Rupert.

“Maybe I’ll say yes,” says Jenny, and pulls away, letting her hands drop. She picks up Saint George and heads back up to her tiny home, with Anya asleep in the bedroom and Tara asleep on the couch. He stands there, watching her go.

Anya snores on the plane. Tara puts in headphones and pretends she isn’t annoyed, but her mouth does this little twitchy thing every time Anya snorts. Jenny, who may or may not have been in the midst of a vaguely explicit dream involving Rupert before being woken by Anya, is much less subtle.

“Anya,” she says. “Anya.”

“Shh,” says Tara, taking out her headphones, even though it’s clear she agrees with the sentiment. “She’s had a rough few days, she needs her sleep.”

“We all need sleep!” says Jenny indignantly. “And when your ex-boyfriend’s feeding you chocolate-covered strawberries in your dream—”

“Lesbian,” says Tara.

“—then you can talk to me about a rough few days—oh, yeah, lesbian. Gotta stop mixing my comparisons.” Jenny lies back in her chair, still a little annoyed about the interruption. Then she says, “You think we’ll ever really see them again?”

Tara shrugs a little. “I know you and me and Anya are all going to see each other,” she says, and she has this little smile on her face when she says it. “That’s a pretty good deal, all things considered.”

Jenny considers this. Then she says, “I hope Anya’s apartment cat does okay while we’re gone.”

Tara starts giggling. “You hypocrite,” she says, “you always gave Anya so much grief about worrying about that cat, and now it’s you who’s worried—”

“I’m just saying—”

Anya snorts again, then jerks awake, a half-terrified look in her eyes. “We’re flying?” she says uneasily. “I don’t like—I mean, we’re so high up, what if something—”

Jenny reaches over and takes Anya’s hand in hers. Now seems like the time to say something appropriately sentimental, one that’ll make Anya smile, but all she can come up with is, “We’re gonna be fine, probably.”

And for some reason, Anya relaxes at this. “I like probably,” she says. “Means there’s room for different outcomes. Depending on finality always seems to get me hurt as of late.”

Jenny thinks about how there’s a possibility Rupert might visit her in a year or so, a changed man, and sweep her off her feet and into the happy ending they both want deep down. She thinks about how there’s a possibility he might visit her in one week with that desperate, determinedly happy look in his eyes and not listen to a word she has to say unless it’s I love you. She thinks about how there always are a few loose threads in any ending, no matter how neatly one tries to wrap things up.

“I think that’s a good philosophy,” she says.

[spikesdru]

my rewatch of dead man’s party btvs 3x02:

This is gonna be a hard ep to get through

Buffy and Joyce are really trying but still, u feel this huge gulf between them

I LOVE Cordelia’s outfit. God I want her wardrobe

OH MY GOD THE MUSIC PLAYING FOR BUFFY/GILES’S REUNION IS THE SAME FOR HER AND JOYCE. We love to see the same instrumental theme for the parental figures 

Buffy looked so worried about Giles’s reaction AWW

Giles’s face in the kitchen….oh, he looks so relieved but conflicted and sad. I don’t fully fault him for those emotions

“I’m kind of tied up” “you wish” AHHHH U TWOOOO 

SNYDER U ARE SUCH A HILARIOUS DICKWAD

OHHHH ANOTHER MAYOR TIDBIT!!!

Lol what do field hockey knees look like?

WILLOW WHERE ARE U

I want this whole Buffy dream outfit

I find Buffy dreaming of Angel so fascinating bc obviously it’s abt her subconscious feeling extreme guilt but he’s also a huge source of comfort for her as we’ve seen. Like it’s all she has left of him except it’s a way of punishing herself and not healing from that situation

Oz is asking the important questions about this welcome home dinner

Personally I’d die on spot if I threw a party and my parents were home but that’s just me ig

I do think this ep has done a decent job of everything simmering underneath before boiling over and all hell breaks loose

Xander and Cordelia giving me old married couple vibes. They’ve been really cute together lately 

I do understand why Buffy wants to run but girl….this isn’t going to solve your problems!!!!!

Ohhh, you can see Willow is sad and wants to fix things, until she sees the duffel bag and quickly turns upset

This Buffy/Willow fight is sad (and both actresses play it so wonderfully). Buffy is understandably feeling alienated, she hasn’t healed from killing Angel and she hasn’t fully integrated back into her Sunnydale life. However, Willow is also credible in that she has 0 idea why/what happened w Buffy running away, Buffy isn’t opening up (for valid reasons), and Willow points out she has feelings too, she has a life where she’s trying to deal w the supernatural everyday. She doesn’t have it like Buffy does, but that doesn’t invalidate her point. I’m not taking sides, rather I want to explore both views as this argument is layered

I’m gonna be honest, if I was gonna go with a wlw ship for Buffy, Willow would be up in the top 3

Joyce is being ANNOYING

I thought it was interesting that Buffy says “I had to deal with this on my own” when asked whether she considered opening up. Not bc it isn’t valid, it is, but it also kinda ties in with her flaw of shutting people out/taking on things by herself that is reiterated throughout the series

This ep has kinda been done to death in terms of reviews, esp concerning “are the scoobies good friends” which I’m not interested in analyzing bc like I said, that’s been done to death, I probably won’t say anything new; but I’ll just say I love Buffy and my heart does ache for her during this ep, but I kinda think the scoobies get crapped on a bit too much for their actions in this ep

I think this is a well-crafted ep, it really shows that Buffy may be a slayer but she is not free from real-life consequences. She goes through tough shit but that doesn’t mean she gets off scot-free, she gets flack, arguments, she gets push back from others. You can argue abt the fairness of that but imo, the show (and Buffy herself) would not be as good without these details in mind

But I do feel bad that Buffy is getting ganged up on lol

Cordelia and Oz helping each out other!!! We needed more of them

I do appreciate that the scoobies immediately help each other out, no hesitation or second thoughts

And this is why we keep artefacts WHERE THEY BELONG

SCARY GILES ILY

Awwww Buffy and Willow talking abt Willow’s witchcraft!!!! Those two <3