buffyversetop5 | Tossed Confetti

Today wraps up Top 5's 2023 session. This will also be

buffyversetop5's final session. Petzi and I have discussed it and, while we appreciate everyone who has contributed posts to the community, particularly in the last 5 years as the fandoms have gotten quieter, we feel that there isn't sufficient interest to keep it going.

Top 5 has just completed its 19th year and there is a wealth of recs that have been shared during that time, which will remain accessible here through tags, and browsing the Library year by year. There is also the collection at AO3, which has seen changes this year. ( Read more... )

Thanks to everyone who shared in the fun of exploring the Buffyverse, and the various other Whedon fandoms with us. We hope you'll keep Top 5 in mind as a resource to share with others in the years to come.

yourlibrarian and petzipellepingo

yourlibrarian

Fashion Theme Icons by debris4spike. I like how this set was a bit different from the icons I normally come across. Some great expressions for Faith and Vi, and I liked how Drusilla seems to be emerging from the dark.

standard evil by happinesssdeceit. "A collection of materials supporting Dr. Horrible’s application to the Evil League of Evil." ( Read more... )

sparrow2000

In the last year I’ve been really happy to watch a new name in BTVS vidding make a mark (their other non Buffy ‘verse vids are excellent too and worth checking out!) I highlighted one in my classic vids list, but here are five examples of SlayerVid’s excellent work from this year.

This one is hot off the press and definitely appropriate for the time of year. This is Thriller.

( More vids this way... )

sparrow2000

I think we're now in the Flash Forward part of the season to highlight fanworks from 2023. So to that end here's my usual round up of five fics that caught my eye at this year's

summer_of_giles. I love that the great and venerable SoG is still active and it gives me great joy to participate every year.

Only the Worthy by

il_mio_capitano is a great piece of Giles, Spike snark, in which our heroes try to work out how to release a sacred dagger from the hands of a mummy without triggering the curse. Don’t you hate it when you’re in that position? This is loads of fun and Giles and Spike bitching about their lot in life is gold.

( More Giles love this way... )

yourlibrarian

Alone by garnigal. Little look at how Buffy takes stock after Sunnydale disappears.

( 550 ) faith in buffy the vampire slayer by hieroglyph. Part of a project to icon all of her appearances throughout BtVS and Angel.

( Read more... )

yourlibrarian

Giles Word Search by il_mio_capitano. It's so rare to see fannish games and this was a treat!

Vid: Spuffy Abridged by double_duchess. "Inspired by the classic Buffy the Vampire Slayer Abridged vid by Rowena." Fun ride through their arc and a nice homage to a classic vid.

( Read more... )

sparrow2000

Oh goodness, here I am again. This time, here are five great fics from yesteryear with rare or rare(ish) pairings.

Knocking on Heaven’s Door by estepheia is Spike/Andrew, not a pairing that springs readily to mind. This is a what if when Spike and Andrew are on a mission at the end of S7. There may be tequila involved and Andrew has things he wants to do before he dies.

( More goodness this way... )

sparrow2000

I always try to do a crossover list every year so carrying on with that tradition here are five more classic crossovers that I love.

Spill by Miriam Heddy is a BTVS/Dresden Files crossover. To use the author’s summary “Bob and Harry take a road trip to help Spike and Xander deal with some very unmixy things on the Cleveland Hellmouth.” Harry is grumpy and confused, Bob is insightful and just a bit wistful and Spike and Xander are snarky and hot and sometimes just as confused as Harry. The whole thing is loads of fun and I should say that there is Spander slashy goodness just in case that’s not your thing, although most of it is off screen as it were. Also, given that the author has locked the story to AO3 members only, you can also find it at the Spander Files Spill (alternative location) if needed.

( More crossovers... )

sparrow2000

Yay for another season of

buffyversetop5. I always look forward to it so thank you in advance to the mods for being keepers of the flame.

I found I had so many ensemble vids in my list of links that I thought I’d make a specific post about them. So here are five classic Buffy ‘verse ensemble vids that I really love from days gone by.

I Lived by Buffyverseedits is a great walk down memory lane. It’s really happy making

( More Ensemble goodies this way )

yourlibrarian

Giles Haikus by littleotter73. One for each season!

And When The Sky Was Opened by eleusis-walks. Wonderfully in-depth exploration of Cordelia and her arc.

( Read more... )

yourlibrarian

It's time to join your co-mods

petzipellepingo and

yourlibrarian in celebrating Halloween through all the time zones until midnight UTC on November 2. Share your all-time favorite recs of fics, vids, graphics, anything and everything fandom has produced in all the Whedon fandoms -- and, as always, crossover content is most welcome!

We are beginning our session with a Classic Recs weekend, meaning any works posted in 2022 or earlier. Starting Tuesday, we are open to recs from any time period, and then October 29 will begin our Flash Forward days where recs for 2023 works are in the spotlight until this year's session closes. ( Read more... )

Do let us know if you have questions or need any help understanding what/how to post -- we'll be glad to hear from you!

yourlibrarian

This is the month for recs! Fics, vids, graphics, anything and everything fandom has produced in all the Whedon fandoms will be on offer. We'll be reopening on October 20 at midnight UTC (what time is that for me?) and running through midnight November 2.

We'll be starting out with a Classic Recs weekend, and then from October 23 - October 28 feel free to post any mix of recs you'd like. Then on October 29 - November 1 we'll be closing things out with our Flash Forward weekend -- several days of focusing on content from 2023. So no matter what assortment of fan-created content recs you have, they will be welcome!

For anyone who has questions about how things will go, please comment here or you can check out information on what to post during a Buffyverse Top 5 session. And don't forget to signal boost this reminder so that we'll have a lots of treats!

yourlibrarian

Just signal boosting a post from our affiliate here at Dreamwidth,

seasonal_spuffy:

"As most of you know SS was started in 2005 on lj. Back then 48 people signed up to participate. This past spring 9 people signed up. In years past lj/dw was the fandom place to be, sadly this is no longer true. The SS mods feel it is time to “face the music” and we (as a community) have to decide what our next step should be.

ASIDE FROM FILLING OUT THE POLL, WE STRONGLY ENCOURAGE MEMBERS TO LEAVE A COMMENT WITH QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, AND SUGGESTIONS."

Weigh in at https://seasonal-spuffy.dreamwidth.org/985461.html

yourlibrarian

March Meta Matters Challenge banner by thenewbuzzwuzz

The March Meta Matters Challenge is focused on not just new meta, but making sure older meta gets a chance to be read and remain a part of fandom history. Join us in March to start archiving your work!

Participants will be locating past meta work and copying it over to a secondary location to ensure its preservation and improve its access. Everyone will work at their own pace and set their own goals for the month. Prompts for new meta will be offered and check in posts will encourage participants to keep going with their older work.

Visit the community for more information and join in on March 1!

yourlibrarian

As we mentioned, this was the first year when Top 5 was run on Dreamwidth only, so all the lists shared were even more of a joy to see than usual! It's up to all of you that we're continuing on for another year 🙂

We'll be reopening for an even longer session next year, beginning on October 20 at midnight UTC and running until midnight UTC on November 2. Although there seemed to be a particularly strong response to the Flash Forward session, we'll keep the same format as this year, beginning with Classic Recs, having open recs, and then focusing on 2023 recs.

While 2023 recs will be welcome from October 23 onwards, we will also have five full days for the annual recs alone. ( Read more... )

petzipellepingo

Five 2022 pieces of fan art, in no particular order:

1. Spike/Buffy by nmcil12.

2. Spike/Buffy also by nmcil12.

3. Giles/Ripper by monsoonhazard .

4. Giles/Joyce/Buffy by

emmatheslayer.

5. Spike/Buffy again by nmcil12.

gillo

For me the year has been all about starting up our shiny new website, sunnydaleafterdark.com. Lots of work went into it from a dedicated team, and now it holds hundreds of fics, art and other cool things.

Many folks have reposted from elsewhere, but some of the material is exclusive to the site, so that's the only place you'll find it. Here are five stories worth the reading:

Not a Monster [NC-17] by Grief Counselling (formerly dampersandspoons) and Dusty - still a WIP but lots of chapters there already. Two outstanding writers at the peak of their form.

I Hear a Very Gentle Sound [R] by VioletMoon - a lovely, touching one-shot set in S6.

PS: Not A Date![R] by VeroNyxK84
S7 Spike gives Buffy care and support when she really needs it. Very sweet.

Aeternum in Anno [NC-17] by Chelle shortish but good as Buffy lives the year after Spike went up in flames.

Daisy in the Dark [PG-13] by Dusty. Spike can't stop visiting Buffy's grave. He meets someone else mourning a person they cared for.

thenewbuzwuzz

In the last couple of months, both of these Spuffy archives have expanded their rules to allow posting standalone artwork. Erotic art is thriving on both sites, but for this post, I'll link my more worksafe favorites that everyone can view without logging in. The ratings are what the artists put on the whole series in which the works are posted.

Morning (from "take me out, and take me home") by MillenialCryBaby (G)
I couldn't pick just one work from this incredibly sweet and pretty series, so I picked the one that includes thumbnails of multiple others.
( Read more... )

double_dutchess

1. Drusilla, the masterpiece by spikedru
2. ~~Harmony~~ ~~by inkblotdemon~~ turns out Harmony was from 2021, so here's Cordelia by demonlandline instead.
3. Punk Dawn by spikedru
4. Buffy and Faith by acid-cloud-turtle
5. Faith, Buffy, and Kendra by doughnutcleric

double_dutchess

1. Giles & Wesley cartoon by cryotrash
2. Seasons 2-4 and season 5-7 in a nut shell (Spike & Buffy) by theboneyaard
3. Dawn and Spike at Thanksgiving in S4 by spikedru
4. Well well well if it isnt the blowjob brothers (Spike and Angel, don't worry: worksafe) by calupos
5. [s5e14] she’s not ready to face reality yet (Buffy/Spike) by renegade-inator

double_dutchess

1. Buffy by Phsyc
2. Buffy (from episode Anne) by Phsyc
3. Buffy mood by isevery0nehereverystoned
4. Buffy by sammidraws
5. I like your dress by chrispypapas

double_dutchess

1. Spike sketch by Mamonna
2. Love is Blood by HeatherbelArt
3. An experiment with spike and shadow by k1lljoys-make-some-noise
4. Hello Cutie by Grief Counseling
5. Ghost Spike by isevery0nehereverystoned

double_dutchess

Five artists worth mentioning for their entire oeuvre during 2022.

1. https://www.tumblr.com/whatshisfaceblogs

The continuing epic quest to draw each of Buffy's outfits for all episodes of BtVS.

( More artists )

sparrow2000

Here’s my final list for this year’s buffyversetop5. Five awesome vids created this year.

Spuffy Abridged by Double Dutchess. Done for this year’s Seasonal Spuffy with The William Tell Overture as the soundtrack, the editing in this is awesome. Also worth checking out is the vid it was inspired by - Buffy the Vampire Slayer Abridged by Rowena - the link is in the DD’s description.

( More vids… )

sparrow2000

summer_of_giles is always a highlight of my fandom year, both as a writer and a consumer. Here are five fics that really jumped out at me, but with the caveat that as always there is a ton of great stuff that is worth checking out and I'm still way behind with my reading! The SoG DW account has very user friendly tags if you want to go delving back into the archive for goodies from previous years. SoG also has an AO3 account, so that’s another way to get your Giles on.

The Call by pbjellius is a lovely glimpse of pre-Sunnydale Giles who is doing mindless busywork for the Council and dreaming something bigger. And really, if you were a vampire, you don’t want to get between a having a bad day Giles and the pub - just saying!

( More Giles goodies this way... )

petzipellepingo

5 Buffyverse podcasts, in no particular order :

1. Buffy Virgin Podcast : Giles needs adult friends. Weird acting at The Bronze. Veruca eats a giant hamburger. And Oz leaves the show. Forever? We're not sure. Well, one person isn't sure.

Watch on YouTube

2.
Pop Culture Role Call : Professor Murder - Graduation Day, Part 1

3.
Tiny Fences: A Buffy Podcast : Showtime

4. Tiny Fences : a Buffy pocast : Fool For Love

5. FireBadTreePretty : Nightmares

dragonyphoenix

Apologies. It's technically the 29th here as it's shortly after midnight, but I'm not focused on 2022 works with these fanworks. I just didn't realize how late it had gotten.

Buffy Summers by Veruca - something about Buffy's expression in this image just gets me
( The rest of the works are picking out their costumes for next Monday )

dragonyphoenix

These fics may or may not be new, but I've found them in the past year.

Not Another Teen Massacre! by Yellow Caballero - Buffy comes to a Sunnydale where the kids already know how to save themselves, and they just might save her too.

Sunset by The Eclectic Bookworm - "Passions" but Jenny's pregnant.

Ask the Things You Shouldn't Mis0s by Punch Kicker 15 - Willow's spell lets MIss Kitty Fantastico understand human speech. Humans are complicated.

The Girl Who Courted Death by Off Your Bird - I'm giving you the author's summary 'cause it's just that good: Due to a misfortune of genetics, Buffy is never Called as a Slayer. Instead, she grows up in L.A. with a different set of challenges and trials, unaware of the supernatural world. That is, until a chance encounter with the Slayer of Slayers changes her life—and everything afterward—forever.

The Power of Voodoo by Lucid Screamer - Xander, who dressed as the Goblin King for Halloween, is creating a labyrinth in Sunnydale. WiP that's going in a very interesting direction.

apachefirecat

Here are my five.

First, there's the Spuffy video I turn to whenever I'm trying to get the words flowing but having issues...

Watch on YouTube

Then we have my personal favorite of all BtVS photomanips I've ever seen shared at this year's Summer of Giles: Family Portrait"> with Rupert Giles and Buffy and Joyce Summers.

An older fic, but one that was new to me and not only took me by surprise but made me interested in a pairing I'd never thought previously I could get behind (Spike/Willow) - Heights.

My favorite Angel story of all time, starring Lorne and a special friend - Psychic Friend.

And I'll leave y'all with another favorite video to help get those Spuffy Muses flowing! There are some really beautiful shots of James/Spike here.

Watch on YouTube

sparrow2000

I love a well done crossover and here are five short fics that are lovely examples of that craft. What I really like about all these is that they leave me wishing there was more but also very happy that they all work beautifully just as they are.

Invitation by spikedluv is a lovely bit of madness in which Hawkeye gets an unexpected invitation to an archery competition in Cleveland and is naturally suspicious that something nefarious is afoot. It is, but just not what he expects. This is great fun and melds the Buffy ‘verse and Marvel ‘verse beautifully.

( And there's more... )

petzipellepingo

Five classic fanmixes, in no particular order :

Spike/Buffy fanmix by

javajunkie247.

Spike/Buffy fanmix by

snowyowllovekiller.

Season Six fanmix by

bogwitch.

Buffy fanmix by

suchaprince.

Spike/Buffy fanmix by

effulgent_girl.

sparrow2000

Yay for the return of

buffyversetop5

Here are five classic Buffy 'verse vids that I love. Assume that there are spoilers for both BTVS and AtS in these vids.

Life is Beautiful by starryeyesxx1. Possibly my favourite BTVS/AtS ensemble vid. This is 6 minutes of awesomeness.

( More good stuff this way... )

yourlibrarian

As It Crumbles And Breaks by nitpickyabouttrains. "The Ritual doesn’t always go smoothly. And in 1998 it’s down to just one country." Cabin in the Woods fic.

( Read more... )

petzipellepingo

Five favorite Buffyverse stories, in no particular order :

1. OK, technically this isn't really a story however... The Art Project by

st_salieri.

2. Flight to Egypt , Spike by

powerofthebook.

3. Conundrum , William/Drusilla by

rebcake.

4. 14 Forever , Random Slayer by

perletwo

5. Nightswimming , Spike/Buffy by

calove.

And while I'm at it let me put in a shout out for the very much missed, Open on Sunday , a source for many of the best Buffyverse works.

yourlibrarian

As we run our sessions over Halloween, there are always some new works from last year that didn't get caught up in the rec net. So here are some of them!

Willow in Triangle by girl4music looks at Willow's behavior generally as well as the infamous "gay now!" line.

( Read more... )

yourlibrarian

Join your co-mods

petzipellepingo and

yourlibrarian in celebrating Halloween through all the time zones until midnight UTC on November 2. Share your all-time favorite recs of fics, vids, graphics, anything and everything fandom has produced in all the Whedon fandoms -- and, as always, crossover content is most welcome!

We are beginning our session with a Classic Recs weekend, meaning any works posted in 2021 or earlier. Starting Monday, we are open to recs from any time period, and then October 29 will begin our Flash Forward weekend where recs for 2022 works are in the spotlight until this year's session closes. ( Read more... )

Do let us know if you have questions or need any help understanding what/how to post -- we'll be glad to hear from you!

yourlibrarian

What? How could it be so soon? Whether you see autumn or springtime outside your windows (or neither yet!), the calendar doesn't lie. It's time to pick out your costume, start carving those pumpkins, and decide on goodies to share because it's almost time for the 2022 session of Buffyverse Top 5!

That means recs for fics, vids, graphics, anything and everything fandom has produced in all the Whedon fandoms. We'll be reopening on October 22 at midnight UTC (what time is that for me?) and running through midnight November 2. ( Read more... )

We also want to remind everyone that per our announcement earlier this year, Top 5's LiveJournal account has been closed to future recs, though the account will remain available for anyone who wishes to browse past recs. So the 2022 session will be taking place only on Dreamwidth.

For anyone who has questions about how things will go, please comment here or you can check out information on what to post during a Buffyverse Top 5 session. And don't forget to signal boost this reminder as that way we'll have a good holiday feast :)

yourlibrarian

As part of

3weeks4dreamwidth, I am putting out a call for Dreamwidth users to sign up for points gifts. As some people following this account may be new to using Dreamwidth regularly, I thought they might be interested in trying out Dreamwidth features.

3weeks4dreamwidth is celebrating Dreamwidth's anniversary!

This is being done as a fundraiser for Dreamwidth, so if you've wanted to get a paid account or some extra things, visit the post and leave a comment by May 14th!

yourlibrarian

buffyversetop5 moves into its 17th year, there will be some changes for our session come October 22nd. We will be consolidating activity into our Dreamwidth account.

We took this decision for several reasons: ( Read more... )

We hope everyone will keep an eye out for the October session as it draws near and prepare some posts to share!

Also, a signal boost for our affiliate

seasonal_spuffy: signups for their Spring 2022 round start on May 9. Visit the link to learn more!

yourlibrarian

If you haven't been on both sites or using our fandom's wonderful resource, the

su_herald, to keep up with recs in all places, Top 5's LJ community will be backed up to Dreamwidth in a few days, so all recs will be together there. ( Read more... )

We also want to take the opportunity to signal boost the opening of our affiliate

seasonal_spuffy on November 8. There are some unclaimed posting dates still available!

Thanks to everyone, and

petzipellepingo and I hope to see you next year!

thenewbuzwuzz

I guess my Spike fan is showing. Three of these are Spike-centric.

Lines Composed a Few Miles Above the Cheers & Beers Poetry Reading by JayeMaru (Spike, G)
I like how Spike is both a reader of poetry and a poet in this work and how his life experience informs his reading of Wordsworth's poem.
( Read more... )

yourlibrarian

Just a reminder that Top 5's 2021 season closes in 9 hours!

Take Care of the Rest by Hannah. There's something soft and kind about this look at how Buffy's life might have been a bit better had she taken a job at a local funeral home when first coming to Sunnydale.

( Read more... )

yourlibrarian

Seven wallpapers by facethestrange representing each season of BtVS.

( Read more... )

double_dutchess

So much great art has been posted on Tumblr this year that I could easily have done more if I'd had more time, but here is my last Top 5 for this round.

1. Darla by but-theres-wolves

2. Angelus by crabuncle

3. Ripper by flummoxedangel

4. Willow by juliabe

5. Tara by deanhisnippleisout

double_dutchess

1. "Daddy's puttin' the hammer down" by slayerscribbles

2. Angel and Spike scene from girlpire's Friday, by Biscaynian (also on AO3)

3. Spike with cat by sunnyhellcalifornia

4. More Spike by scranndo

5. A problematic peroxide pretty boy for this evening by lizleeillustration

double_dutchess

1. Two Giles drawings by flummoxedangel

2. Cat dad Giles by flummoxedangel

3. An early Rupert Giles by mouselafay-doodles

4. Making fun of the old British man by crabuncle

5. Jenny taking Giles to see monster trucks by space-sheep08

double_dutchess

It's great to see that so many Top Fives have been posted already, but checking them out will have to wait. First I have to get my own posted, starting with these great covers of OMWF songs:

1. I'll Never Tell by Alexandre Iannuzzi. Doing Xander and Anya's duet with himself in a really, really fun way! Definitely needs more viewers.

2. Walk Through the Fire by by Koyah Stone. Awesome and very atmospheric rendition of my favourite OMWF song.

3. Under Your Spell by the Melbourne Gay and Lesbian Choir's Soprano section. A beautiful harmony of voices.

4. Under your Spell by Sparkles of Disney. Another lovely version of Tara's song. Also, tulips!

5. Going Through The Motions by The Other Realm. Posted only today, with perfect timing to complete the Top 5, but definitely not just added for filler. Includes a great reenactment of the scene from OMWF!

thenewbuzwuzz

Tumblr user snakeliciousbaby's artwork often explores interesting, unsettling concepts, and its tag commentary tends to turn into meta. I particularly enjoy the insightful and compassionate takes on Xander and the Scoobies.
All linked art is worksafe, but there can be profanity in the tags, some of which I quote under the cut.

Hands Heart and Soul (Xander, Willow, Buffy). Backup link.
#what does it mean to be 3 parts of a whole. what does it mean to be nothing more than a part
( Read more... )

dragonyphoenix

These are ones I had to rec as I love them so but didn't fit into any categories. And please pardon my lack of "why this is so great" comments. Other people can write whole paragraphs on that topic. Me? I'm more along the lines of "I really like it."

Ten Things That Never Happened in the Buffy Fandom – The spell that created Dawn didn’t effect just the tv show.
Mr Spike: Spike’s visits to the children’s ward of the hospital.
Business as Usual: From the summary: What if Spike had been telling the truth when he made his sarcastic remark about visiting a nice tea-room at the garbage dump during Season 5’s The Replacement? Eeee! I adore Agnes Pringle.
Magpie: Strange deaths and Xander is somehow a focus. The writing is incredibly beautiful.
Radio Silence – From the summary: The Gentlemen drop by Night Vale. This poses something of a problem for a radio host who depends on his voice to communicate. Beer good foamy always writes excellent stories.

dragonyphoenix

Click on the thumbnail to see the image:

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