#v: new sunnydale

[in-every-generation]

@wickedlehane is getting a #tequilamom starter. because reasons.

Sliding her glass across the island of Faith's kitchen, Buffy motioned for the other Slayer to refill her glass -- a slice of lime ready and waiting. "You would think I kicked her puppy. Not that we have a puppy. But still. The way Sara acts you would think I was a serial puppy kicker. Ruined her life. She actually said those words to me. Told me that her father and I ruined her life by moving her here..."

Glass refilled, Buffy downed the liquid in one before biting the lime and tossing it into the trash. "James seems perfectly happy. Even has himself a girlfriend. Or something. He doesn't tell me. And why should he? I'm all old now. I'm an old life ruiner."

[in-every-generation]

"I think you might be a bit confused. WE called you. And you didn't pick up...so we went out looking for you..." Fiona was so not letting her parents off the hook. Being at a motel was fine and all...provided they PICKED UP THEIR PHONES. "If you two are going to change your plans, you need to call." Just like she did.

That was the rule when living on a Hellmouth, right? Always check in?

Cherie smiled watching her friend with her parents. Her dad was a lot more chill when it came to things like curfews but he was absolutely the same when it came to checking in. He'd seen too many things.

They all had.

"Nope. No casulaties. Well, except for a bottle of Titos. That barely made it through the first hour."

Cherie nodded in agreement. "We were kind of crashed out on the couch when we realized you guys hadn't returned."

Faith had long since learned to control her Slayer instincts, so she swallowed the urge to jump as her daughter and the Osbourne girl emerged from behind a burial plot. "Jesus." She quickly holstered her stake and felt Robin's arm move to rub her shoulder to release some of the tension.

But she couldn't help the loud laugh that escaped her as Fiona immediately began to scold them. Oh, it was way too early for this.

"Oh, don't you start that with us. You were the one bargaining for more time for the party anyhow," Faith said, brushing her hands off on her pants. "We ended up crashing at the motel after dinner to sleep off the carb coma. Then we tried calling and you didn't pick up the phone, so we had to go out lookin' to make sure you kids didn't end up on patrol or worse."

Faith looked over her daughter, who seemed more dressed for a casual sleepover than a teenage party. Huh. Maybe something she and Robin were doing was right. "So, no casualties?"

[mcgnagallsarmy]

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

The Blue Eye of the Storm by MaggieLaFey [NC-17]

Instead of the Scythe, what Buffy finds under the vineyard is a portal to another dimension. Spike has followed her there, and it’s the two of them that will cross the portal… and remain trapped on the other side for far longer than they’d expected. What will happen when the two of them—plus a local guide—are away from the stress of Chez Summers? Will they find some peace in the eye of the storm?

Candy Corn Mischief by honeygirl51885 [NC-17]

Spike gets roped into taking Dawn trick-or-treating.

Fool me Once by Miss Marisol [NC-17]

Some weeks after Something Blue: When Tara helps Buffy find out the horrible truth - that Willow (with Xander's approval) has been dosing her with love potions, so that she thinks she loves Riley- she is furious. She is going to get her revenge on Willow and Xander in the most hurtful way she can think of – by dating someone they desperately wanted her to stay away from…

Hands Off by MillennialCryBaby [NC-17]

It started off as most of Willow’s spells did—with good intentions. And as with all the ones that came before, it ended with some weird consequences. This time, "consequences" meant Spike was now in control of Buffy's pleasure. She was going to kill him…but maybe she'd get some satisfaction first.

Hush Now by MillennialCryBaby [NC-17]

As he fell to his knees, Spike even had the arrogance to hold his pointer finger up to his lips as if to say: shh, love—don't draw attention. A smutty take on "Hush".

I Know Places by scratchmeout [NC-17]

Closing one door opens another. Immediately following "Lies My Parents Told Me".

new directions by trevino [Adult Only]

spike's been hinting at trying something new, and lucky for him— buffy's been paying attention.

Shh, Love by MillennialCryBaby [NC-17]

No one in town has a voice but the two of them have found their own way to communicate. Sequel to Hush Now.

Spike v. Logic by Soulburnt [R]

A ghostly Spike tries to reason his way out of being in love with Buffy.

Sweet William by cawthraven [PG]

After the fall of Sunnydale, Buffy’s living in Boston and working as a waitress, grateful that here, not everyone knows her name. She’s free for once to be herself—and to grieve.

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Friday, October 11th

HARMONY: Wow, Spikey, how does it feel? SPIKE: Like someone's cutting into my brain with a knife, you silly bint. HARMONY: (to doctor) You know what it means that he can't hurt any living thing? It means he can't even pick flowers. SPIKE: What? Yes I can!

~~Out Of My Mind~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

Credit to the Past by apachefirecat (Buffy/Spike, Soft R/M)

No Heels by veronyxk84 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13/Teen)

Bigger Fish by veronyxk84 (Spike, PG-13)

Slightly Singed by badly_knitted (Willow, T)

[Podfic] Forged in Battle (story by cmk418) by Ravin_Pods (Ravin) (Buffy, Faith, Gen)

A Better Ending by wintergreen825 (Spike, Harry Potter crossover, T)

CASUAL PROVOCATION by KNZ1 (Giles/Anya, M)

Morality by The_Crazy_Knight (Buffy/Giles, E)

[Chaptered Fiction]

Infinitely, Chapter 73 by Laragh (Willow/Tara, M)

Coming Alive, Chapter 2 by askingtowhat (Buffy/Dawn, M)

Aegis, Chapters 23-24 by dogbertcarroll, Narsil (Xander, multiple crossovers)

I Don't Want to Be the One, Chapter 21 by pommedapi (Buffy/Spike, T)

In the Company of Witches and Slayers: Chapter 162 by VladimirHarkonnen (TheLightdancer) (Willow/Tara, E)

Recompense, Chapter 18 by Moonkid10 (Buffy/Faith, M)

A New Kind Of Hermione, Chapter 10 by Crazybubbles1693 (Xander, Harry Potter crossover, not rated)

Soul Mate Magic, Chapter 11 by Emma_M_Black (Giles/OC, M)

A-Z of Sex, Chapter 9 by KatyAmberAuthor (Buffy/Giles, E)

Firebell in the Night: Chapter 24 by TheLightdancer (Willow/Tara, E)

Kinktober 2024, Chapter 11 by HuonParticlesAreHarmless (Buffy/Giles, E)

Kinktober 2024, Chapter 9 by DancingAngel0013 (Buffy/Giles, E)

Drawing A Blank, Chapter 2 by EverythingElse (CherryGlowSticks) (Buffy/Spike, not rated)

The Neighbor's Point of View, Chapter 138 by the_big_bad (Buffy/Spike, PG)

Fury of the Fallen, Chapter 4 by CheekyKitten (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Me and the Devil Blues, Chapter 2 by Melme1325 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Dawn Rising, Chapter 76 by Luna (Ensemble, Lord of the Rings crossover, FR15)

Prison of Misery, Chapter 3 (complete!) by Buffyworldbuilder

What the Drabble? Vol. 2, Chapter 78 by VeroNyxK84 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

Exorcise, Chapter 6 by Desicat (Buffy/Spike, PG)

[Images, Audio & Video]

Artwork: Got Your Back by Anonymous (Spike, Blood+ crossover, worksafe)

Artwork: for the fuffy shippers by crystalinemoonbeamss (worksafe)

Manip: Got a great pic of the Aurora Boreanaz tonight! by AlbionReturns (worksafe)

Artwork: My two favourite vamps, Spike and Astarion!! by simplermess (worksafe)

Wallpaper: Anne by revello-drive-1630 (worksafe)

Artwork: Vampires will never hurt you by saucy-cake (worksafe)

Fanvid: Spike and Buffy | Love Story Experience by iCraveEdits

Fanvid: Buffy edit by Season of songs

Vidlet: Buffy edit by Season of songs

Vidlet: Buffy & Spike | can’t even hate you by scenesonfilm

Video: ‘Buffy’s Comebacks W/ Full Force by Holistic Witch

Video: Buffy the Vampire Slayer 5x13 voiceover | Dawn "I'm your job" by A Pixie's Whisper

[Reviews & Recaps]

Video: Buffy 2.19 I Only Have Eyes For You by Jen Katz and Ryan Something

Video: Buffy the Vampire Slayer 3x07 | Revelations | All Positive Thoughts by DIY Entertainment

Video: S4E08: Pangs by One Girl in All the World

Video: Potential-Slayer Sunday by Jane Talks Buffy

Video: Reseña: Angel. Una Serie Caótica by El almacén de lo caótico (The caotic wardrove)

Video: BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER (1992 FILM) REVIEW by BIG D'S ENTERTAINMENT RANKING AND REVIEWS

Video: Buffy the Vampire Slayer [movie] | ScaryMania V by Ryan Cam

Video: Starting off spooky season with 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Creatures of Habit' review by Chl8063

Video: Buffy The Vampire Slayer Library Edition Season 8 Vol.3 Review/ Overview by Comic Swag

Podcast: Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Rabbit Troop Sucks

Podcast: Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Men in Hollywood continue to disappoint us by What We're Watching Podcast

Podcast: Episode 17: “Becoming, Part 1” from Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Joss Whedon with Kate Caldwell by Finding Good Bones

Podcast: Buffy-less: S1 E 2 by Vampires and Mermaids

Podcast: Bonus Episode - The Unaired Pilot by Boys Watching Buffy

Podcast: Episode 001 - Welcome to the Hellmouth by Boys Watching Buffy

Podcast: Episode 002 - The Harvest by Boys Watching Buffy

Podcast: Episode 006 - The Pack by Boys Watching Buffy

Podcast: Episode 007 - Angel by Boys Watching Buffy

Podcast: Buffy 2.20 Go Fish by Once More: A Rewatch Podcast

[Recs]

A (Mostly) Comprehensive Guide to the End of the World by Annabellee [Buffy/Spike] recced by Bespangeled

Benign by Jim Wicked [Buffy/Spike] recced by Priceless

[Fandom Discussions]

it is like crazy how oz’s breakup with willow and riley’s breakup with buffy play out basically the same way by lesbianmarrow

What I want to know is why Dawn was convinced that Buffy has rough sex by thequeenofsastiel

I wish they had actually made Dawn the Potential by theredpharaoah

So little makes sense - does S5 have the weakest written Big Bad storyline? continued by vampmogs and Bespangeled

Anya's response in The Body continued by multiple posters

Spike and the first continued by multiple posters

Would Buffy and Faith Stay In The Police Force? continued by multiple posters

Speculations about the team’s Connor-free memories by ginime_

The girl in question by moses616

Not Fade Away by moses616

Passion question by mokajilly

This was so evil [Amber Benson being in the opening credits] by ineverygenerati0n

Was Faith’s watcher also SA’d by Kakistos? by closedmouths

First time watcher [mad about how everyone at the start of Season 3 is treating Buffy] by Stevegreghouse

Giles should have paid for a place for Faith to stay by beeemkcl

Future Careers - post season 7 by horriblyfamiliar1

The 7 Episodes of "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" with NO Vampires!?! by OOKAPUCA1993

Theory about Kakistos' origins and how he got the claws and hooved feet by BearTheDevil

Moral questions of mind control and love spells by AnnieTheBlue

What was the moment you fell in love with each character? by Ok_Area9367

Buffy halloween costume help needed! by traderjoehatepage

What’s your favorite/most memorable realization upon one of your re-watches? by cringefinder3000

Video: Xander Harris is THE BEST Buffy the Vampire Slayer Character by Multifanom_Fanatic

Video: #Btvs season 6th: Things nobody talks about by Crista Grym

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Join the editor team :)

[purpleplaid17]

Jess Watches // Thu 18 Apr // Day 204 Synopses & Favourite Scenes & Poll

Renegade Nell (with mum) 1x04 Devil's Dung

Nell risks capture to find a doctor and the gang receive help from some unlikely sources.

So Roxy has a magical gift too? Or magical guardians at least? If it wasn't Billy Blind, who was it? Played by Phil Dunster hopefully :p

Chucky 3x06 Panic Room

Armed with new weapons, Chucky aims to become the most prolific serial killer in history.

Santa got nuked.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (rw) 3x20 The Prom

After Angel breaks off their relationship, Buffy single-handedly battles three fearsome hell hounds so that her classmates can enjoy their senior prom.

"We're not good friends. Most of us never found the time to get to know you, but that doesn't mean we haven't noticed you. We don't talk about it much, but it's no secret that Sunnydale High isn't really like other high schools. A lot of weird stuff happens here."

Crowd outbursts: Zombies! Hyena people! Snyder! (laughter)

"But, whenever there was a problem or something creepy happened, you seemed to show up and stop it. Most of the people here have been saved by you, or helped by you at one time or another. We're proud to say that the Class of '99 has the lowest mortality rate of any graduating class in Sunnydale history." (applause from the crowd) "And we know at least part of that is because of you. So the senior class, offers its thanks, and gives you, uh, this."

*Jonathan produces a multicolored, glittering, miniature umbrella with a small metal plaque attached to the shaft.*

It's from all of us, and it has written here, "Buffy Summers, Class Protector."

Killing Eve (Remix) [x] 3x07 (Beep Beep) Wanna Ride?

4x06 - Villanelle survives the attack. Konstantin speculates that Gunn, a Twelve assassin, is behind the attack. V later meets Gunn, who slips her a note stating that she was ordered to kill her by Hélène. Eve travels to Berlin and follows Hélène to her hotel room. V kills Hélène in front of Eve then leaves. Eve tracks down Carolyn and confronts her. Eve kills Lars.

The switched-pronoun version of 'Bill' playing as Eve delicately buttons up Niko's V's shirt. And 'Mother's Been a Bad Girl' being the title of the song playing when V kills Hélène. Also, I changed the song a bit over the end montages to match the scenes better: the shift when Carolyn finds the notebook, and putting the V-having-a-breakdown-on-a-train scene from 305 here as it was a beautiful scene and fit the narrative going into next episode.

[in-every-generation]

Oh, Children... The Powers that Be are never that kind. The Slayer and her friends had felt compelled to return for a reason. Because no way would the Hellmouth stay dormant. Not with all this new life poking and prodding at it.

"I don't know. I can't imagine the old layout was too hideous. Apparently everything used to be walkable...and I think that's what Dad's trying to recreate. Update everything while keeping that small town feel?"

With any luck, their time would be quiet and not plagued by non-stop apocalypses. Their time back home had been mostly quiet but then it hadn’t been on a Hellmouth.

“It does have charm,” James agreed, rubbing the back on his neck. When she mentioned that they had tried to recreate as much of the original town as possible, he raised an eyebrow. “Is that really a good idea?“ He looked down and then around, trying to imagine what the old school might have looked like and how much of its ruins were still underground.

[promo-cchm]

arc-one • p r e s e n t

opening the bronze here in new orleans had given faith somewhat of an upper-hand on all the supernatural happenings; before they happened. rumors are constantly pouring in and she reveled in the fact that her nightclub was even more banging than willy’s place back in sunnydale. of course, she was still the one giving the beatings for information. her duties as a slayer doubled when this place opened but she never had to worry about how she was going to maintain the rent or utilities. thankful to faith for having done her duties in tracking down and putting an end to a lot of slayers with the potential to dabble in the dark arts the watchers council took care of her bills. living in the spacious loft above her club faith was still expected to continue on seeking out new information about rotten slayers to terminate them.

divergent • c o n n e c t i o n s

marcellus 'marcel' gerard (x)

faith takes notice of a very infamous vampire in the quarter. he knows the inner workings of new orleans better than anyone else on the underground. he likely knows all the hot spots of violence, and where the slayer can find some of the rouge slayers chilling around the city with his expansive amount of connections.

samuel 'sam' winchester (x)

while sam is busy learning more about being a shadowhunter, faith is living her wildest life as a slayer, taking out whoever she deems a threat, along with her own kind when need be. as sam is going by the book, this could make for a very interesting altercation as faith is very set in her ways of slaying.

hayley marshall (x)

this particular hybrid is looking to out all slayers as the baddies, thinking its one of them slaying all the wolves. faith can help in her hunt for 'bad slayers' and also provide the proof she might need to leave the scooby gang alone.

PLOT • A V A I L A B L E • APPLICATION

[crescentcityhellmouth-rpg]

arc-one • p r e s e n t

after angel witnesses the return of the old one illyria ultimately killing one of his close colleagues at angel investigations, the demon disappears and takes his newborn son with her. he is distraught and has no choice but to recruit help in stopping the calamity she could bring about the world. he tracks her movements all the way to new orleans and lets the scooby gang from sunnydale in on the details. ultimately, his biggest concern is that of his child.

divergent • c o n n e c t i o n s

camille o'connell (x)

after arriving in the city, a girl by the name of camille may just seek angel out to pick his brain on a few things. she has studied her family lineage and read up on the notorious vampire angelus - only to find out she is distantly related to him. it may make for a very awkward family reunion.

niklaus mikaelson (x)

it isn't long before angel finds out of the original family and their recent dilemma eerily similar to his own. angel could try his best to explain to the hybrid of illyria and what they believe may be her plan and let him in on where hope just might be found. though this could lead to an altercation.

stefan salvatore (x)

angel had never met a vampire as willing to make up for his wrongs in the past. angelus the monster had commited such heinous things, he wants nothing but to make up for it and stefan salvatore seems to have a similar goal. possibly they could help each other obtain repentance.

PLOT • A V A I L A B L E • APPLICATION

[in-every-generation]

@ghxstwrxter sent: "Stop licking the damn thing!"

"It's fine...this toad isn't one of the poisonous ones; or at least I don't think it is. Arwyn said the toxins contained in its skin contain magical properties and can help with astral projection. I thought...if it worked...I could use it as a means of searching the town, seeing if I can pin point our demon."

[snowdrenched]

@taramcly

Genevieve knew what it was to be new, what it was to be alone somewhere, to be with many people, surrounded by them and still feel as if you are the only one, as if you were single, as if there was no one else, no one else who could share you position, your feelings, even when with friends, people you believed to be friends.

And so she was determined, very determined, to extend the hand of friendship, of something shared, to the newcomer, the girl who was Willow’s friend, no not friend but girlfriend.

“Willow, she says that you are a witch, that you were always, that it is in your family? That your gifts, that you are very talented. That sounds very exciting!”

[prose-for-hire]

The Cold Shoulder

(Previous Part)

Pairing: Spike x reader

Request: Not requested. Second part to ‘Frostbite’ from last year, couldn’t not put out at least a little something for Christmas/new year. This starts off a little after the last one ended.

Desc: You and Spike are happily spending the holidays together, recovering from the Scooby Christmas party when a visitor approaches to turn your sleepy celebrations upside down. Will you and Spike make it to the new year? Not if Mr Frosty has anything to do with it.

Warning: Swearing. Some festive violence.

There was a chill in the air, the kind that made your hairs stand on end. There was frost on the ground but this had no effect on the current temperature. The dump was still, it was a silent night to all concerned in the town adjacent to this place. Sunnydale appeared calm in the days following the 25th.

But nobody could see the dark forces that stirred around the dump, stray litter whipping into a frenzy as the wind whistled through the hills made from people’s waste. Here lay the forgotten, the unwanted and the damned.

There was no Christmas cheer here. No good will. No merriment. This was the end of the road.

There, lying on top of the tallest pile of refuse, a deflated Christmas decoration. It had once been a snowman, that had stood at almost 6 feet. Crushed baubles surrounded him, the carving knife still left in his deflated corpse where there was a large slit down his middle. This was arranged as if a festive crime scene.

Mr Frosty.

The air cracked and the sky filled with thick, black clouds as the atmosphere appeared to fill with magic in the form of a thick fog. This magic was not the kind that brought Santa and his sleigh, however. The kind that brought yuletide recrimination knocking at your door.

With the next crack from the sky and flash of lightning that happened to be directed exactly towards the top of that large mound of rubbish, came movement. First an arm. Then a twitch of the head. Just as the fog thickened and the clouds began to cry jagged, icy tears. Which in turn, became thick flurries of snow that landed in the surrounding area.

The snowstorm continued, through the day and into the night. Spreading over the entirety of the sleepy town.

You were lying beside Spike, he had been a little too merry this Christmas and was trying to sleep it off before he got the worst hangover of all time. You had enjoyed yourself too but you hadn’t drunk quite as much. Or, as you had teased earlier, insisted you could handle your drink better. Which rather than a retort, you received a growl as he flipped the V’s.

You had a good meal and the scooby Christmas party was bearable even for spike. He only talked about killing twice and threatened buffy once which, by all accounts, was a success. They were your best friends and you had asked him to make an effort, he murmured ‘only you’ before shaking his head and walking into the party.

He would only do this for you. Because of how much he loved you. I mean, his crypt was still giving Lapland a run for its money and although he (not so) secretly loved it, he would have never thought to decorate if not for you.

When you returned from Buffy’s house, Spike wanted to continue the party. He had raided the liquor before he left and poured you both a glass of something he knew you liked. He was sweet in his own way, nobody could deny that, he had stolen it with you in mind. Plus, it was a victimless crime in his eyes they would probably assume they had just drunk it during the party.

He downed his and you followed his actions. Both of you smiling. He turned to pour another for you both and you moved to the record player. You selected a soft Christmas ballad. Usually he would scoff and try to make you listen to some ‘real’ music instead. But not tonight, tonight he took your waist in both hands, pressing you against him and almost knocking the air from your body. You weren’t sure what was next but you definitely hadn’t predicted that he would take your hand in his, raising it up whilst keeping the other hand on your waist, snaking to your lower back.

He started to move slowly, closing his eyes contentedly. You realised you were moving in time to the music. You were slow dancing.

“Love you, pet. More than any…” He tailed off, his eyes glistened as he moved back just to look at you before breathing the final word, “Anyone”

God you could get so lost in those eyes. He nodded in agreement with himself, leaning into you further and inhaling your scent. He could get drunk solely from how he felt when he was close to you in this way.

You continued to dance, long after the record stopped playing music, the glow of the Christmas lights made the scene appear as if it were something at the end of a Christmas movie. Except, this was your life. Despite how you loved to tease each other so and you of course had your off days, everything just felt so perfect. You were in love. Deeply in love.

Even as long as he had been around, he hadn’t felt it like this. And you had heard his self-descriptor of ‘fool for love’.

You now lay beside him, as he slept in, smiling to yourself as you thought about the Christmas celebrations of the night before. You were wrapped around him, your arms cradling him against you. You didn’t want to move, to change anything about this moment. It was perfection. Waking up to him by your side always was.

This, of course, couldn’t last. An eerie feeling descended. And was that… jingle bells?

“Spike? Spike!” You hissed.

“What? Trying to rest in peace here” he grumbled although he truly couldn’t ignore you for long.

“Do you hear what I hear?” You asked, more urgently this time.

“Do I-?” He started to repeat your words before he went very still.

There was a thumping at the door before it came crashing down, crumbling to the floor completely out of the frame. Spike immediately rose from bed, holding his head as the room evidently began spinning as he did before he stalked up to the upper level of the crypt.

“What is that bloody infernal racket?! And what is that godawful stench – I’ve known corpses with a better smell” You heard him shout before you pulled on some clothes and followed him upstairs.

You gasped when you saw him. You had completely forgotten about him in your loved up Christmas daze with Spike. He had disappeared. And had now, apparently gained sentience. The snowman moved his head to the side. Scanning the vampire he was set to wreak revenge upon. His coal smile turned into a grimace as he spoke, his voice as deep as gravel.

“You may know me as… ‘Mr Frosty’ I believe”

“Oh, yeah, and I’m the little drummer boy” Spike scoffed. “Now, will you Sod off before I rearrange your face?”

You tried to stop yourself from laughing, you really did. But the idea that spike might drop his fighting stance and walk over to take his carrot nose out and swap it for the coal of his eyes made you start to laugh. Spike and Mr Frosty both looked at you bemused as you tried to hide your laughter.

But it was too late. The snowman decided he didn’t like your reaction and started to attack. Spiek didn’t even blink, just threw himself full force into the fight. I mean, he had beat him the first time hadn’t he? He wasn’t the one that had ended up deflated on a pile of crap.

“Bloody hell, you’re strong for a snowman” Spike muttered, moving his fingers around after his latest punch. The snowman lunged at you and you ducked, just in time too.

The fight raged on and you threw things at the snowman rather than throwing yourself into the fight immediately. Spike stumbled back and jumped twice as if he was about to go again. However, he turned to you briefly as the snowman looked for a weapon to use.

“What’s the plan?” He asked you.

“Kill him?” You asked rather than stated.

“Well then get on with it!” He shouted, grabbing your hand and pulling you out of the way as the snowman lunged again, this time wielding a broken liquor bottle.

“What? Me?! Why me?” you asked.

“You bloody brought him into my house! You can get him out again!”

“Our house, Spike, it’s our house and I’m sorry for trying to make a little effort!”

“Little?! The bugger’s bloody ginormous!” He said gesturing the height with his hand wildly, before adding, “Freakishly big if you ask me” As he looked upwards at the full height of the demon.

After holding him off, barely, inside your home you decided to change your plan. You grabbed Spike’s hand and shrieked at him to run. You left the crypt, not realising how bad the weather had become. The snowstorm made seeing even more than five steps in front of you was difficult.

Luckily for you, you could hear the snowman coming every time he moved. There were jingling bells that sounded any time he came near to catching up to you, making Spike pull you into a faster sprint when you heard it.

It appeared after a while, that you had outrun him, at least for now. You slowed to a walk, your hands entwined as you squabbled over whose fault it was that the evil snowman, formerly known as Mr Frosty, had come to life looking for revenge.

Your hands entwined and you squeezed his hand tight, you knew even while you were squabbling you were very much in love with each other. It was something you did for fun sometimes, squabbling.

“I’ve dreamt about this at Christmas” You smiled, admiring the snow.

“You’re tellin’ me you’ve been dreamin’ of a white Christmas?” He said shaking his head at you as you beamed at him. You had, in fact, been about to say this. You began to feel the cold the more you looked at the snow, however. You and Spike hadn’t had time to layer up and you weren’t exactly dressed for the weather.

There they were again. Once brought joy, now fear ran through you. The jingle of bells. He was coming. He managed to cut you off in the direction you ran, moving towards you both as you backed up.

“You think you can kill me? You think you can defeat me?” The voice echoed as he lunged.

“Quicker than you can sing Rudolph the red nose bloody reindeer”

Spike ran at the snowman and punched with all of his strength leading to the circular head rolling off his shoulders. Spike smiled cruelly and kicked the body for good measure but his face dropped slightly when Mr Frosty began reaching for his head to re-attach it.

You both ran for it again, while he was distracted. You ran until you found another cemetery. Spike gestured with his head at a shed. It was used by those that maintained the cemetery you had both stumbled into. It was the same temperature indoors as it was out, but it was at least slightly sheltered and you could catch your breath from all the running you had been doing.

You just hoped Mr Frosty got bored but something told you that wouldn’t be happening.

“It’s so cold” You complained.

“Strip” he said, smiling as if he had just discovered a cure.

“What?”

“We’ll both take off our clothes. Hear it keeps in the body heat” He smirked, an eyebrow raised as he scanned your body. The one he adored to look at so much. This telling you he was more interested in you than your body heat.

“You don’t have body heat to conserve” you laughed and huddled closer to him anyway, with your clothes still on for now. Although, you were still considering just biting the bullet and hoping it would do some good.

You cuddled together for a while but Spike was getting antsy. He didn’t like running, he liked fighting the threat head on. But he couldn’t find a way to get the upper hand. Yet. You spoke for a while, talking about anything and everything. Trying to distract him from his growing irritation at both himself and the situation.

“I’ve always imagined a traditional Christmas, you know - Chestnuts roasting on an open fire…”

“Yeah, well, Jack Frost’s already nipping at my buggering nose” he muttered before standing up and kicking something, “why are we bloody hiding like a pair of-”

He was cut off by the sound of bells, quickly followed by the splintering of wood as the door split open. You were half expecting the walking snowman to call ‘here’s Frosty’ but alas, he wasn’t exactly old enough to make those kinds of references yet, given he was a couple of hours old.

How he had found you, you didn’t know. It was as if he had some sort of tracking device on you both, or perhaps the attachment of revenge was truly that strong.

“Looks like there’s no room at the inn, mate” Spike warned in that menacing way that was so very attractive when you weren’t on the wrong end of it. You nodded along, trying to emulate his stance.

Mr Frosty clearly had now taken on some otherworldly powers, including being made of real snow where he definitely hadn’t been before. The snowman started to land ice-cold blows that just made the pain worse as he fought against Spike. He clipped you which only made Spike fight more ferociously. You kicked the snowman in the middle sending him flying backwards. You silently apologised – you had, after all, brought Mr Frosty into your house and felt kind of sad that you were now trying to get rid of him.

No matter how hard you tried, he appeared to get stronger as the snow continued to add to his strength. Spike, as good as he was at fighting, was beginning to slow. Whether it was the snow or the raging hangover, you weren’t sure. He was still fighting but wearily in the cold as you tried to help.

You decided you had to go for the backup plan when the fight wasn’t being won. You tried the only thing you knew could get you out of something when fighting alone couldn’t help. You took out your cell phone quickly as Spike distracted the threat.

‘Spell 4 killing abominable snowman. FAST’

As you typed you hoped that she would reply with something helpful. And really fast. Luckily for you, she did. As if by magic, she appeared to know the exact spell you needed and promised to recite this at the same time as you did.

You spoke the words she sent and hoped that she had sent you some magic through your cell. It weakened him and the layer of snow began to melt, leaving punctured plastic now showing underneath.

He began to deflate and you side-eyed Spike at the state of his previous wounds. He must have deflated the snowman and he had managed to become living to get revenge. But, really, you were too relieved to be annoyed in any way as Spike appeared to be gaining the upper hand. Mr Frosty had been on sale anyway and it had mostly been bought to tease spike.

“Merry… Fucking…. Christmas!” He said this, between blows as he knocked the snowman down. He disappeared slowly, disintegrating into many flakes of snow slowly cascading to the ground.

“Joy to the world! The snowman’s dead” You cheered slightly in tune to the Christmas carol but Spike let it slide on account that you had both almost died.

You walked back home in mostly silence. Spike slid his hands around your shoulder, keeping you close to him. He almost winced at how icy cold your shoulder felt. He slid his hand around you mostly for his own comfort (he adored being in physical contact with you) but he was also conscious that you were getting colder without your coat on. You smiled, you loved how he could be completely brutal in a fight in one moment and laying the sweetest gestures of affection with you the next. You trusted that he looked out for you and that he knew you looked out for him – in your own way.

The snow was still falling, although not as much as when the storm had been raging. It was like the movies, or on a Christmas card. It was the most peaceful you had seen Sunnydale, under a blanket of the whitest snow. You leaned into spike further as you walked and he pressed a cold kiss against the side of your face.

“Hey Spike?” You asked with a smile as you weaved through the graveyard towards your familiar crypt.

“Yes, pet?” He sighed, although you knew he would always humour you.

“How do you win an argument with a snowman?”

“Already demonstrated that once tonight-”

“Give him the cold shoulder!” You laughed, looking expectantly at Spike to join in.

But he wasn’t having any of it. He needed his bed. His chest rumbled, a warning growl at you as he tried to block the door of your crypt from the cold. After he shrugged, it would do for now and moved further into the living area. You followed him, a glint he would have recognised in your eye as you started to speak.

“Aw, Chill out, Spike. You know I love you… snow much”

He just glared at you and walked towards the bedroom, with you thinking up your best puns as you followed him downstairs. Despite his continuing hangover and his freshly bruised face, he wasn’t really in a bad mood with you. You did appreciate that he humoured your puns. 

Even in his worst mood, he tried his very best not to snap or show his irritation with you. Especially not at Christmas.

He rolled into bed and pulled the duvet over his head, grumbling as he went. Something about ‘snow bloody way’ he’s leaving the crypt again before new year. You smiled at him and giddily hurried to slide into bed beside him. You settled in, pressing yourself flush against his back and nestling in the crook of his neck. You whispered hushed assurances of your love, thanking him for always protecting you. 

“We could make this a tradition…” You said softly, pressing oh-so-soft kisses against his now warming skin (from your own body heat). He just mumbled a vague agreement as he began to fall asleep although he can’t think why you would want a yearly fight for your life. He was just content with you pressed against him, by his side just like you should be.

You enjoyed the quality time you and he spent together, not necessarily the fight part. Partying with the Scoobies but coming home to the arms of the other. Selecting and decorating the tree. Walking through the snow hand in hand.

You had wanted to start new holiday traditions like this with Spike now that you were together. You just hadn’t banked on the fact that the Hellmouth didn’t take a break for Christmas. For now though, you could relax in bed away from the threat.

Until the same time next year…

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Wednesday, November 1

WILLOW: Did you find Jesse? XANDER: Yeah. WILLOW: Was he dead? BUFFY: Worse. (sits at the end of the table) I'm sorry, Willow. We were too late. And they were waiting for us. WILLOW: At least you two are okay. XANDER: I don't like vampires. I'm gonna take a stand and say they're not good. BUFFY: So, Giles! Got anything that could make this day any worse? GILES: How about the end of the world? BUFFY: Knew I could count on you.

~~BtVS 1x02 “The Harvest”~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

Such A Nice Girl (Joyce, Darla, PG) by badly_knitted

Startlingly Moral (Buffy/Spike, T) by acekoomboom

Old Relics and Movies (Buffy, Giles, G) by Greensword101

Trick or Treat Little Witch (Willow/Tara, Xander/Anya, G) by 29PheonixLement

Portents (Buffy/Faith, M) by aliceinwonderbra

Ghostly Fears (Angel, Spike, T) by Celeste Belle

Help (Xander, Spike, T) by Celeste Belle

Trick or Treat (Willow/Tara, Xander/Anya, G) by riah alice drake

Stand Off (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by MillennialCryBaby

All's Fair in Love and War (Buffy/Spike, R) by Behind Blue Eyes

can't fight with you anymore (Buffy/Spike, PG) by sunshine-of-my-lifetime

Thankful or Not (Buffy/Spike, G) by violettathepiratequeen

Take These Broken Wings (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by FoolForSpuffy

Candy Corn Mischief (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by honeygirl51885

The First Annual Spooky Scoobie Party (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by acekoomboom

[Chaptered Fiction]

Through the Looking Glass, Chapter 5 (Buffy, Dawn, T, SG-1 xover) by BrennaLynn

House of Slayer: The Slayer, The Witch, & The Key, Chapter 24 (Buffy, Dawn, Harry Potter xover, T) by BrennaLynn

New York, Chapter 4/43 (Giles/Xander, M) by drsquidlove

Days of Future Past, Chapter 28/34 (Buffy/OC, Angel/OC, Buffy/Angel, M) by a2zmom

Forgotten Memories, Chapter 4/12 (Buffy/Angel, M) by Ilovebooks10

A Family Room at the Heartbreak Hotel, Chapter 11/11 Complete! (Buffy/Spike, T) by julikobold

Unmasking, Chapter 3/4 (Cordelia/Anya, T) by BeatriceEveryTuesday

Her Old Fashioned Boy, Chapter 12 (Giles/Jenny, T) by Bobbie23

Blind Date, Chapter 9 Complete! (Xander, Joyce, M) by Spooksdarkhero

[French language] Du Passé au Présent, Chapter 3 (Buffy/Spike, T) by guepard54

Shadow Over Hellmouth, Chapter 65 (Buffy/Tara, Ensemble, M) by Tuxedo Mark

1632 Revello Drive, Chapter 2 (Buffy, Giles, T) by A Most Sovereign Lady

Spiderwebs, Chapter 42 (Buffy/Spike, R) by Willow25

Spike v. Logic, Chapter 4 Complete! (Buffy/Spike, R) by Soulburnt

Lover's Walk 2.0 (After When Anne Met Spike), Chapter 1 (Buffy/Spike, G) by To Be Hers

56 Hours, Chapter 4 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Soulburnt

[Images, Audio & Video]

Artwork: ‘I may be dead, but I’m still pretty’ (Buffy, worksafe) by mistyintherivers

Artwork: morning break doodle - I miss these guys (Spike, Angel, worksafe) by simongablelundmark

Gifset: lgbtqcreators battleship bingo — the chosen one (Buffy, worksafe) by sylvielaufeyz

Gifset: lgbtqcreators battleship bingo — free choice (Willow/Tara, worksafe) by sylvielaufeyz

Artwork: Task description - make a copy of the screencaps without using an Eyedropper or drawing over the photo (Buffy, Spike, worksafe) by lialivingart

Artwork: Grom with the gays (Buffy, Willow, worksafe) by pzyii

Manip: Happy Halloween! (Spike, NSFW) by pass-the-dyanmite

Video: Top 20 Most Badass Buffy Summers Moments by MsMojo

Video: 'Slayers: A Buffyverse Story’ Official Trailer by Audible

[Reviews & Recaps]

ReWatch: Angel (the series) S1, E1 - 3 by kimannebb

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER 6X02 REACTION | First Time Watching by EvilQK

I AM SO SADDDDDD Buffy The Vampire Slayer | 2x21-22 'Becoming' | Blind Reaction by Vic

Buffy the Vampire Slayer THE MOVIE (1992) | REACTION (With Nicologik Reacts) by JayPeaKay

I'm Crying! // Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episode 2x17 Reaction // My heart is broken! by Brooke Whipple

**RETURN OF THE QUEEN!!** Angel Season 2 Episode 9 "The Trial" Reaction: FIRST TIME WATCHING Buffy by Nick Reacts

Angel 1x20: War Zone Reaction!!! by Victor & Grace Reacts

Thoughts on the Original Buffy Screenplay by Plasticglass456

PODCAST: Episode 41: Amends by Gym Was Cancelled

[Recs & In Search Of]

[Original IWRY Marathon] Entry for IWRY 2023: "In Fair Verona" by melodys_muse recced by iwry_marathon

Top 10 Spuffy fics I’ve read (Oct 2023) recced by mcgnagallsarmy

drsquidlove’s posting New York to AO3. It’s an amazing epic recced by thirteenthblackbird

Rec: Pub Crawl by kangeiko recced by lupines-slash-recs

Advent Calendiles: Calling all Calendiles Appreciators! Feel free to send me asks with short prompts! For each one, I’ll write a 100-word drabble requested by hal-1500

[Community Announcements]

Threesome Month 2023 Has Begun! by btvscrackships

Buffyverse Top 5 Community to Close by buffyversetop5

Q&A with fanfic writer Hannah (Cosmic Tuesdays) on Saturday 11th November 2023!! by Stoney

[Fandom Discussions]

Angel Season 3: Becoming a Parent by andrew-heard

[ask] Do you think Wesley agreeing to help Fred take revenge on the professor is selfishly motivated? asked by angelustheimmortal, answered by we-pay-for-everything

[Musing about Xander being an insert for Joss Whedon] by nancydrewwouldnever

[Spike & The First vs Angel & The First] by krimreader

according to this article, the guy who played Xander tried to get them to do a Xander/Buffy romance in season 7 by aphony-cree

[About Ethan and Giles's backstory] by kindaorangey

This scene makes me absolutely insane. unhinged. absolutely raving. “We missed the bed again” by raisedbythetv89

Slayers: A Buffyverse Story SPOILERS by hermyohkneegranger

[ask] Would be awesome if they make a comic series of cordelia the vampire slayer answered by buffythecomicslayer

jenny and giles are the kind of people who have like a really ridiculous esoteric couples’ costume by jennycalendar

[Giles's relationship with the Scoobies] by coraniaid, likeasouffle

[Spike and the soul lore in 'Slayers: A Buffyverse Story'] by girl4music

[ask] buffy/cordelia for the ship bingo thing? :-) answered by reallyreal-madeingold

one of my absolute favourite ship tropes is when person a calls person b by a name no one else usually calls them by johnsspacesuittight

Fuffy fans / Eliza fans: Here at The Fuffy Agenda we have some breaking news by juanabaloo

Honest Trailer: Buffy The Vampire Slayer '97 started by AlphaFoxtrot

What would the Watchers Council do to Buffy if she succeeded in killing Faith to cure Angel? started by Joshua

Who do you find the most relatable character on Buffy? started by NotASlayer

Angel kind of sucked at romance started by The Whirlwind

Buffy 30 Day Challenge started by Priceless

How likely do we think it is that the watcher's council had been intentionally murdering each of their slayers before they reach full adulthood using the ritual in helpless? by AnyNeck1885

What are your favorite minor vampire moments by The810kid

Giles - the Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Season 5 by flow

[Articles, Interviews, and Other News]

NYCC Interview: Christopher Golden & Amber Benson Talk ‘Slayers: A Buffyverse Story’ by thecosmiccircus

NYCC Interview: Charisma Carpenter & Emma Caulfield Ford Talk ‘Slayers: A Buffyverse Story by thecosmiccircus

PUBLICATION: Buffy's James Marsters refused not to be in love with [Redacted] in Slayers by Radio Times

PUBLICATION: Alyson Hannigan nods to Buffy the Vampire Slayer roots with vampire dance on DWTS by Entertainment Weekly

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Join the editor team :)

[coraniaid]

One of the criticisms I’ve seen of Season 7 (and one which I’ve echoed myself) is that the First Evil’s plan to kill all the Potentials and then Buffy doesn’t seem to make sense.  After all, Buffy is not the “active” Slayer and hasn’t been since her death way back in Prophecy Girl.  Faith, surely, is the only person whose death would trigger a new Slayer to be Called?  And I think I had the impression that that had always been the case, something we’d known ever since we met Kendra in What’s My Line.  It didn’t seem to make sense that the First wouldn’t know it.

But rewatching Season 3 (and looking around the internet to find write-ups of an interview with Marti Noxon that was published around the start of Season 6), I’ve realized that that’s not right.  It’s not Season 7 that’s the outlier here: Season 6 is.  It’s only that season that suggests Buffy’s death wouldn’t result in a new Slayer (and that too only implicitly, unless I’ve missed something important).

In Season 3′s Enemies the Mayor explicitly mentions not wanting to kill Buffy because he doesn’t want to deal with a new Slayer.  (I mean ... uh, let’s skip over the fact that said new Slayer wouldn’t necessarily be Called in the same town or even the same hemisphere; and let’s forget that she certainly wouldn’t be as much of a threat to him as Buffy herself even if she were.  He says it, even if it doesn’t make sense.)  And I don’t think there’s any reason to think he was meant to be wrong about that.  After all, he certainly knew Faith had been activated as a Slayer after Buffy, and he’s shown as knowing an awful lot about demons and magic more generally.

As far as I can tell, it was only after The Gift that the writers decided not to introduce another Slayer into the mix and came up with the whole idea of Buffy no longer being “active” as a Slayer to justify that.  (In fact, if secondhand reports in old alt.tv.buffy-v-slayer Usenet group discussions can be trusted, apparently the writers had said in interviews after Season 2 that Kendra’s death wouldn’t necessarily lead to a new Slayer being called. Which certainly suggests that in the writers’ minds Buffy was the “active” Slayer at the time.  Though for what it’s worth I’ve not been able to confirm those claims anywhere else.)

But in canon, I don’t think we know that another Slayer wasn’t called when Buffy died: it’s just that we don’t see her if she was.  And why would we expect to?  The world’s a big place and there’s nothing happening in Season 6 that would justify the Council sending a Slayer to Sunnydale; or at least not until the very end of the season when it would have been too late.

Anyway, I’m adding “actually, Buffy is still an active Slayer and Kennedy was Called as a replacement Slayer when Buffy died in May 2001” onto the ideas pile for that Season 7 AU I’m (probably) never going to get around to actually writing (to go along with my Drusilla post from last month.)

[promo-cchm]

arc-one • p r e s e n t

after angel witnesses the return of the old one illyria ultimately killing one of his close colleagues at angel investigations, the demon disappears and takes his newborn son with her. he is distraught and has no choice but to recruit help in stopping the calamity she could bring about the world. he tracks her movements all the way to new orleans and lets the scooby gang from sunnydale in on the details. ultimately, his biggest concern is that of his child.

divergent • c o n n e c t i o n s

camille o'connell (x)

after arriving in the city, a girl by the name of camille may just seek angel out to pick his brain on a few things. she has studied her family lineage and read up on the notorious vampire angelus - only to find out she is distantly related to him. it may make for a very awkward family reunion.

niklaus mikaelson (x)

it isn't long before angel finds out of the original family and their recent dilemma eerily similar to his own. angel could try his best to explain to the hybrid of illyria and what they believe may be her plan and let him in on where hope just might be found. though this could lead to an altercation.

stefan salvatore (x)

angel had never met a vampire as willing to make up for his wrongs in the past. angelus the monster had commited such heinous things, he wants nothing but to make up for it and stefan salvatore seems to have a similar goal. possibly they could help each other obtain repentance.

PLOT • A V A I L A B L E • APPLICATION

[crescentcityhellmouth-rpg]

arc-one • p r e s e n t

opening the bronze here in new orleans had given faith somewhat of an upper-hand on all the supernatural happenings; before they happened. rumors are constantly pouring in and she reveled in the fact that her nightclub was even more banging than willy’s place back in sunnydale. of course, she was still the one giving the beatings for information. her duties as a slayer doubled when this place opened but she never had to worry about how she was going to maintain the rent or utilities. thankful to faith for having done her duties in tracking down and putting an end to a lot of slayers with the potential to dabble in the dark arts the watchers council took care of her bills. living in the spacious loft above her club faith was still expected to continue on seeking out new information about rotten slayers to terminate them.

divergent • c o n n e c t i o n s

marcellus 'marcel' gerard (x)

faith takes notice of a very infamous vampire in the quarter. he knows the inner workings of new orleans better than anyone else on the underground. he likely knows all the hot spots of violence, and where the slayer can find some of the rouge slayers chilling around the city with his expansive amount of connections.

samuel 'sam' winchester (x)

while sam is busy learning more about being a shadowhunter, faith is living her wildest life as a slayer, taking out whoever she deems a threat, along with her own kind when need be. as sam is going by the book, this could make for a very interesting altercation as faith is very set in her ways of slaying.

hayley marshall (x)

this particular hybrid is looking to out all slayers as the baddies, thinking its one of them slaying all the wolves. faith can help in her hunt for 'bad slayers' and also provide the proof she might need to leave the scooby gang alone.

PLOT • A V A I L A B L E • APPLICATION

[nileqt87]

Notes on the early development of the Buffyverse in regards to the unaired pilot and Witch being the first episode shot

In regards to the acting coach’s perspective on Buffy season 1 (last reviewing Witch): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tt5L6IeHT4

Witch was actually the very first episode shot.

Many new shows will film a few filler episodes first while the actors are still building their chemistry, so that the first episodes aired will be even better. This was absolutely the reason why Witch was filmed prior to Welcome to the Hellmouth and The Harvest. Might be worth noting in terms of green performances and chemistry. The chemistry is great already, though this is luckily a very fatherly episode for Giles, so it's not as jostling as that slightly creepy, personal space-intrusive version in Welcome to the Hellmouth shot later. In Nicholas Brendon's case with his visible waiting for the next line, outside of the unaired pilot, *this* was actually his first episode.

Obviously, this is one of the cases where the pilot was never aired (for good reason--and not just because of replacing Willow and Flutie) and many times those will have scenes redone for airing. Sometimes things are reshot due to replacing an actor, but without reshooting the whole thing. For example, Smallville had a Martha Kent stand-in due to Annette O'Toole being already cast, but only available at a later date.

In Buffy's case, the unaired pilot was obviously a lost cause. They were still working out how to do major SFX staples of the show like the dusting effect (they tried stop motion before settling on dodgy CGI with no skeletons until season 3), as well. Even the makeup changed a bit over the first season from Julie Benz being the original test dummy for The Lost Boys prosthetics, as can be seen by the white/purple makeup being made more flesh tone. It was her first scene that coincidentally changed the least in the rewrite and performance (except for a costume change) from the unaired pilot to Welcome to the Hellmouth. She also was originally meant to die in what became The Harvest's showdown, but was kept for another episode (and then a lot more episodes!) by having her run away (note how often Darla runs away from danger!) from Willow's holy water.

Darla's costume change became the Catholic schoolgirl look (she was just wearing a floral '90s grunge dress before) that got an explanation in 1x07. Darla doesn't know she's trying to jealously scare off a Slayer (she doesn't know until the mausoleum scene) with the dead guy in the gym locker, but she knows Angel is in Sunnydale and has been following a schoolgirl. Darla later mocks Angel for this, but also exposes her insecurity and jealousy, all the way later in Dear Boy on his spinoff. Angel, of course, is Catholic, so that's another pointed jab. A lot of viewers don't even pick up on the Catholic schoolgirl uniform, which was worn prior to Darla knowing Buffy's secret identity, being that meaningful. The other thing viewers don't pick up on in regards to 1x07 is the in-hindsight meaning of Angel having human blood in his fridge after two decades eating rats and how that potentially affected his ability to socialize with humans and why he knew about delivery day at the hospital in The Dark Age, despite Whistler mentioning blood from the butcher. Something as simple as a costume change got a whole character-building backstory in a later episode. That layer of storytelling was absent in the pilot.

For continuity reasons that weren't because of anything being performed badly like Buffy's hair color and the school library becoming a set (Torrance High's spiral library staircase would've clearly become a hazard for Tony Head!), the footage had to all be redone. Buffy had a slightly longer dialog in the library scene, for example, that is actually something of a loss because it goes into more depth about what happened to her in L.A.

Xander's tour of the school isn't strictly necessary for the plot, but was a chemistry-building scene, and perhaps a remnant of Joss Whedon's intent for him to be the every man who wins the fantasy girl who is out of his league, rather than the female protagonist instead winning her unattainable, forbidden fruit fantasy (the male gaze vs. the female gaze).

Whedon was still being talked into having the Angel character at all back then, originally intending for Xander (notoriously known for being Whedon's not-so-nice “nice guy” self-insert) to be the love interest. David Greenwalt, Marcia Shulman and Gail Berman were Angel's biggest cheerleaders and the latter two (rather degradingly described as "puddles of drool") outvoted Whedon during casting. The WB also only agreed to renew the show (they were actually quite disappointed by season 1) if season 2 contained more Angel and the Bangel romance, which was heavily promoted (look at any of the WB's ad campaigns) and brought in the show's highest ratings (the entire show's ratings peaked at Surprise/Innocence).

Not only was Whedon against casting David Boreanaz, comparing him even to the jocks who beat him up in school and talking about how he hated making a spinoff about a white Alpha male lead as a hero, but he was reluctant to have any good vampires at all. Come season 2, Whedon was also pushing James Marsters up against a wall and threatening to fire him because he was getting too popular. Whedon made the remark that Marsters had it easier than him getting laid because of how he looked (that was on Marsters' second day of work well before School Hard ever aired!). Whedon didn't like it when he ended up with a good vampire sex symbol the first time, then ended up with two sympathetic vampire sex symbols on his show.

Coincidentally, both characters weren't meant to stick around and survived intended final death scenes, as well. Angel was never meant to be more than a cryptic messenger for a few episodes (before he became the love interest or a vampire), then wouldn't have come back from hell if it weren't for the spinoff (which the WB wanted--it wasn't just Whedon being finally impressed by Boreanaz's performance as Grace Newman). Spike was originally intended to be killed by the church organ falling on him. Faith was originally going to hang herself after staking Finch.

For that matter, the original villain of season 2 was meant to be the Anointed One (hence the absurd build-up in season 1 that goes nowhere) until it was apparent that Collin’s actor had grown up too much and wasn’t that successful (cue Spike flash-frying him in a cage), with Whedon reluctant to believe Boreanaz could carry the Big Bad role. Angelus arguably turned out to be the Buffyverse’s greatest villain and Buffy’s most personal. The most subtle foreshadowing was undoubtedly the fact that the production didn’t feel the need to hire Mark Metcalf for a silent performance of the Master in When She Was Bad, so it’s actually Boreanaz (look for his wider mouth shape) beneath the Master’s prosthetics. Buffy’s having nightmares of the Master, but it’s really Angel underneath! When She Was Bad also teases what would happen if it came down to a fight between Buffy and Angel.

Whedon's intentions being outvoted so forcefully by other writers, producers, the network and audience is mirrored by the likes of Sera Gamble attempting to villainize and kill off Castiel (whose Little Mermaid-esque arc arguably overshadowed the Winchesters and created an unintended third lead, no matter how much he was nerfed of his powers and left out of Monster of the Week episodes due to him making human hunters irrelevant) on Supernatural, only to fail with a massive audience outcry and was forced out of the show herself. Shows occasionally get away from their creators or showrunners.

Greenwalt had to also create the soul/curse mythology (massively to the franchise's benefit!) to explain how Angel was the first gray-area exception to Whedon’s black & white world-building where vampires and demons are always bad and only there to be allegories for human problems. This is in stark contrast to today's vampire mythologies that are no longer default-evil and mostly about "choosing boyfriends, the movie", whereas the Buffyverse ended up taking most of its vampire archetypes from Anne Rice, despite Whedon absolutely hating "that crap". Ironically, Rice's vampires are all sexually impotent and murderously evil, despite Louis feeling guilty and eating rats in alleys (sound familiar?). Come the spinoff, it wasn't just Angel, but characters like Doyle and Lorne (not to mention Wolfram & Hart's human lawyers) further muddying that original intent. The Buffyverse was straddling two eras of genre fiction in regards to the development of the evil-to-sympathetic/misunderstood-to-good monster.

The pilot definitely felt like it was a better set-up for Xander to not be so easily friend-zoned, but the friend-zoning is complete here in Witch. That one scene here in Witch actually turns out to be a significant one, and it's especially significant in an episode that was shot first and doesn't contain Xander's rival. By the time that Witch was filmed, it appears the writing staff were aware that Xander wasn't going to be the love interest. The next few episodes also are aware of it, even when Angel doesn't or barely appears. Earlier drafts for Never Kill a Boy on the First Date and The Pack didn't have Angel juxtaposed against Owen/Xander (this episode got the heaviest rewrites of all) or the scene of Buffy (wearing Angel's jacket) and Willow discussing Angel in the Bronze + Xander's jealousy under the hyena spell at all.

Only 25 minutes were presented of a full-length pilot script (dated January 1996) that even contained Angel (back when they hadn't even decided he was a vampire yet and you'll notice the bigger Angel episodes were all the last episodes written and shot with scenes dropped into earlier scripts that didn't contain him before) as a mysterious motorcycle guy who stakes a vampire outside of the auditorium showdown. Boreanaz even mentioned shooting the motorcycle scene in the 20th anniversary special that probably confused anyone who hadn't read the unaired pilot script (which is only a minute fraction of the franchise's older diehards who even know where to get a hold of it!)!

Despite Boreanaz being already cast with a cut scene, it is only Mercedes McNab who is in both the unaired pilot (yet not Welcome to the Hellmouth) and Not Fade Away. Boreanaz is the only actor in both Welcome to the Hellmouth and Not Fade Away. He's also in the most episodes by a far margin. Angel is in 167 episodes, with Willow coming in at 147 and Buffy only 146.