buffyversetop5 | Entries tagged with cat: friendship

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... )

thenewbuzwuzz

- Bad Guy (Angelus and Spike) - MadLove4ever
This one's just fun. I've seen a few Bad Guy vids this year, and this is my favorite.

( Read more... )

petzipellepingo.livejournal.com

In no particular order :
( Read more... )

thenewbuzwuzz

Two well-researched products of international collaboration, two stories by people tapping into their own local lore, and a delightful joke oneshot.

(1) A taniwha from New Zealand, in Seek a Desolate Shade by wolf_shadoe a.k.a. Twinkles (Spuffy, NC-17, 23,737 words, complete)
The reason this list exists and the BEST THING EVER, because Twinkles is familiar not only with the folklore but also with its symbolic meanings in existing art and its presence in contemporary everyday life. And there's artwork. And this is thoughtful and magical and epic and fun. [ETA: I did want to mention that Angel is pretty evil in this story. Also, maybe there should be a sadness warning for parts of it... but still very worth reading, I thought.]

( Read more... )

thenewbuzwuzz

The best stories from the Bangel ficathon as selected by a Spuffy shipper, let's go!

Unrequited by aboutafox (2097w, T)
Setting: pre-series (Buffy is not present)
What I liked: in this character study, we get to see Angel from his own POV and from Whistler's, not from Buffy's, and I thought that gave him some lovely depth and maybe made him more consistent with AtS!Angel - the interesting, vulnerable kind of Angel. Also, there was at least one joke that I really loved, and a neat OC.

( Read more... )

deird1

These were some of the first fics that I read, back in about 2008. And I still remember each of them.

You Think She's An Open Book (but you don't know which page to turn to), by Spuffyduds

This is a post-apocalyptic fic about Lorne (still alive) and Fred (long dead). It made me cry.

Mission Accomplished, by Beer_Good_Foamy

Giles, dealing with the aftermath of Buffy's death, and the fact he always knew it was coming.

The Chosen Series, by Snowpuppies

A series of short ficlets, inspired by Mission Accomplished, each featuring a different Watcher.

Lilies, by Snowpuppies

An AU of the end of season 5, with much grief.

I Don't Know Where I'll Be Tonight, But I'll Always Tell You Where I Am, by Spuffyduds

Comparatively light-hearted for this list. Faith and Wes, post-series, becoming friends.

yourlibrarian

If That Mockingbird Won't Sing by Doyle. Last year I was sent a pointer to this fic that I think has been recced here before, but it is a wonderfully creepy contribution to the season!

Wild and Wonderful by solstice. Recced at an earlier Top 5 session, I read this earlier this year and found it a delightful ride of Dawn and Spike on a road trip during the S2/S3 hiatus. It's always fun to see stories imagined of the Dawnverse and I thought Dawn was a convincing kid. Bonus, the maps on each chapter showing their route.

Rewritten by TheSigyn. Another story recced here, "A magic crystal is kicked aside rather than shattered, and an old world is closed behind. How do you move forward in a life without a history? And what if your history isn’t what you thought it was?" I quite liked the ending which took a different approach from many a fanfic in having it both ways, but also in hinting at the cost of happiness no matter how it's achieved. ( Read more... )

thenewbuzwuzz

In my FFN forays, I have been noticing some of the other poetry by

cagd (who is represented in @stultiloquentia's Jossverse Poetry Masterlist with one poem under her LJ name

trixiefatcat ). cagd has become easily one of my favorite Buffy poets. She has written lots of beautiful free verse; what I've read so far tends to center on the Fanged Four, especially on Spike's platonic relationships. These poems go deep into characterization, and they give me all of the feels.

Lunch Money (Spike&Dawn, T)

Broken Toys (Liam, Drusilla, William, T)

Drusilla's Tears (Drusilla, Spike, T)

Numb in Her Forgiveness (Spike&Joyce, T)

Wild Roses on a Grave (Spike&Tara, T)

yourlibrarian

1) Ride of Rides by Basingstoke. Lilah Morgan decides to look up Ethan Rayne. Tell me you don't want to see these two dealing with one another? ( Read more... )

teragramm.livejournal.com

Five Spuffy Stories with human Spike. Some of these are AH and some are with Buffy as the slayer but all have a human Spike. (Some of these stories might be on sites where you have to be a member to access the story.)

1. He Came With the House by Cryptwarmer. All human.
When Buffy rents the house of her favorite celebrity to share a weekend getaway with her sister, she's surprised to find the previous tenant hasn't completely vacated it. Spike turning over a new leaf has sworn off cigarettes and young women but a chance encounter with a determined miracle seeker reminds him that happiness is about more than cutting unhealthy things out of your life; it's about having the bravery to let good things in.

( Read more )

teragramm.livejournal.com

Honest, I was going to try for a 5 fic theme but I was usually one or two fics short. So instead I am going to list five random fics. The only thing they have in common is they all have a slightly different twist and they are not all human AUs. Enjoy!

( Read more )

yourlibrarian

Paint Splatter Giles by 51kas81. I quite liked the portrait style!

My favourite platonic love in the history of ever by EumHowAboutISucceed. Cool tribute to Willow & Xander. ( Read more... )

rbfvid.livejournal.com

Some classic Dawn-insert fics, arranged from shortest to longest.

Small Spaces by

deird1. Dawn and Wesley slowly become friends. Starts from season 3. G-rated.

( Read more... )

rbfvid.livejournal.com

Some favorite Dawn and Spike shortfic of the past year. Stories arranged from shortest to longest.

Pretty Little Liars by

shapinglight (Dawn & Spike, PG). Post-Gift ficlet. Spike notices one thing, at which Dawn is much better than him. (And it's not applying black nail polish.)

( Read more... )

lusciousxander.livejournal.com

The Learning Curve by

il_mio_capitano: Immediately after Becoming Part 2. How Giles came to learn about Buffy's note and Joyce's first encounter with Buffy's "watcher."
( Read more... )

yourlibrarian

1) Bring Home the Dawn by argentumlupine. Podfic performance of the fic by Mercurie. "Robin watches his mother go out on patrol every night."

( Read more... )

snogged.livejournal.com

velvetwhip is a talented writer, a supportive fandom cheerleader, and a force to be reckoned with. (I mean that with 110% sincerity. She rocks!) This year,

velvetwhip once again showed her talent and quality and I want to showcase five of my favorite works. She wrote plenty more besides, of course, and you should all put this woman on your to-read-now lists!

1) Discomforting - Willow/Spike (FRAO). In this story, Willow and Spike struggle to live life without Buffy.

velvetwhip captures the angst, the internal struggles of both characters. She is able to make this pairing seem believable, and judging from the comments, she was able to entrance readers who normally don't read Spike/Willow pairings. She also writes what could be one of the steamiest sex scenes ever. Yum!

( More )

red-satin-doll.livejournal.com

Five fannish "love letters" to my favorite underappreciated and overlooked friendship in the Buffyverse. Only two of these stories include Dawn "onscreen" but all of them mention her in some way, echoing S5's "Family". In a world defined by violence and certain death, Love is the most courageous possible choice, their gift to one another. Alphabetical by authors' pennames.

"Talk to Me (That's What Friends Are For)" by

clockwork_hart1 - (Gen; Buffy, Tara, implied B/S & W/T; S6 episodic of "As You Were") Lucy's responded to my prompt for a Buffy and Tara friendship fic in which Tara "is a complex human being, NOT a perfect angel or saint". This lovely deleted scene that was everything I wanted and more. Buffy and Tara offer each other comfort, solace and support after Buffy breaks up with Spike and Tara reluctantly confesses her own anger towards Willow. Bonus: (

comlodge's gorgeous banner for the story.)

"Re-Make, Re-Model" by

elviswhataguy - (Buffy, Tara; implied B/T, early S6) Somewhat darker and more explictly "shippy" than "Warmth" (below); Buffy struggles with feelings of depression, anger, attraction to Tara as they try to bond with Tara via mundane things: schoolwork and soup. Deftly explores multiple similarities and parallels between the two characters that run deep beneath the apparent differences; an accurate portrayal of what depression actually feels like. (Credit, gratitude and a plate of warm home-made brownies to

punch_kicker15 for introducing me to this author in their rec list.)

"Blurring the Lines" by

kwritten - (Buffy/Tara; AU) The author's summary reads: AU- Tara doesn't die in "Seeing Red"; use of Key-canon. This is the one I'm having the hardest time describing (my brain is coming up with "Virginia Woolf?") Full disclosure: the first time I read this delicate, almost abstract open-ended prose-poem I didn't "get" it. It's not plotty in any traditional sense, it could be set almost anytime between the moment Buffy knows Dawn is the Key; it's probably S6 but could be the summer before S7. It feels like the seed of or a snippet from a true 'verse of it's own. ~~MORE, PRETTY PLEASE?~~ ETA: Kwritten just made my wish come true and added chapter two. *SQUEES*

"Take a Moment" by

lanoyee - (Gen; Buffy, Dawn and ensemble, S6 post-Grave) Buffy, Dawn, Giles and the Scoobies grieve for Tara at her funeral in this "deleted scene" fic that's part narrative, part prose-poem that satisfies what I want and need: proper tribute paid to Tara after her death and acknowledgement of her importance to beyond "Willow's partner". Spare and melancholy with a surprising warmth beneath the sadness, it gave me what I wanted AND needed. (Inspired this meta post that is one of my favorite things I have ever written.)

"Warmth" by thedissociation - (Buffy, Tara, Dawn, implied B/T; S6 episodic of Dead Things.) - Buffy's confession and breakdown to Tara in DT has been one of the most frequent and convenient starting points for Buffy & Tara fics; this is one of my favorite versions. Can be read as friendship or 'shippy' depending on which way you squint. The label or catagory isn't what matters here; the most important thing is the sense of "family"; the interweaving of sadness, love, confusion and hope; of emotional comfort freely given and reluctantly received.

velvetwhip.livejournal.com

No surprise, I suppose, that Willow fics are the subject of my list, but it's still worth doing. These are five fics which I feel represent some of the best stories written about Willow Rosenberg - or any character - in 2013.

1) Less and More Than Friends (Willow/Angel) by

lilbreck: First of all, the writing is gorgeous - exquisitely opaque and delicate. Second, the story is dark at times, but in a quiet, insidiously creepy way that gets under your skin like a cold chill. Third... well, read it for yourself and you'll see everything I love about it and that you'll love too.

( More Wonderful Willow )

snickfic

1. And I Will Therefore Fix It, by

spuffyduds
This fic is set during Bargaining and yet is possibly the single best Restless-related fic I've ever read, and is also a marvelous character study. The night before the big night, Willow dreams.

( and the rest )

snickfic

1. And I Will Therefore Fix It, by

lusciousxander.livejournal.com

1) Campfire Story by

readerjane: If Christmas happened between Hush and A New Man, this is how Xander and Spike will spend it. Fantastic missing scene. I especially love how in character both of them are. I've always been attracted to the similarity between Xander and Spike, but the idiots won't allow themselves to bond over the billion things they have in common.
( Check out the rest! )

staringiscaring.livejournal.com

i will love you 'til the noise has long since passed (Cordelia/Angel, PG)

Achingly lovely and wonderfully written, this quietly gorgeous fic gives Cordelia and Angel a happy ending post-NFA.

The Ones Not Kissed (Cordelia & Oz, PG)

Cordelia and Oz bond after the 'clothes fluke' and find they have more in common after all.

Dreams (the gone but not forgotten mix) (Cordelia & Doyle, PG)

Doyle may have died but he lives on with Cordelia's gift in this touching fic about the afterlife.

Salvage Mission (Cordelia, PG, Firefly crossover)

Cordelia, as a higher being runs across the crew of Serenity, while helping a slayer out. Descriptive and imaginative, the author makes Cordelia fit into the space opera while keeping with canon.

Iokaste (R)

A dark tale about Cordelia suffering under the possession of Jasmine in season four. This is a well crafted story that gives Cordelia a voice she sorely lacked in the later seasons.

staringiscaring.livejournal.com

Time Stitches You (Spike/Willow, R)

After a long haitus, the author has continued to update this long time traveling saga featuring Spike and Willow in 2010. Spike wanted to go back and stop himself from getting chipped... He went more than a little too far back in time- 1753 to be exact.

This Is The End For Which We Are Twain Met (Willow & Angel, PG-13)

Well written in vivid description of grief and solace between Willow and Angel. Set at the end of season five/two, Willow comes to tell Angel about Buffy while carrying a grief of her own. A heartbreaking and bittersweet story about friendship.

Graham's Computer Woes (Willow/Graham, PG)

A rare fic from Graham Miller's point of view, this lighthearted story, set in season four, stays true to the canon while maintaining a hopeful tone.

Awakening (Willow/Tara, R)

Written in Willow speak, this fic combines prose and poetry to display the evolution of Willow in season four. Its a wonderful character study of Willow.

i burned warm and safe in your arms (Willow/Faith, NC-17)

Sexy and sweet, this fic shows a more vulnerable side of Faith and Willow as they find themselves coming together in season three.
The writing is lively to read.

staringiscaring.livejournal.com

lusciousxander.livejournal.com

1) Untitled by

coalitiongirl: Spoilers to #39. This fic is set after the issue. A heartbreaking Buffy and Angel ficlet that deals with the pain and conflict both of them are feeling.

( Check out the other four... )

kerkevik.livejournal.com

Hi,

here are five of my favourite Spike fics, all friendship fics. Again, funniest last!

Lost Luggage (Joyce)
By spikedru

http://allaboutspike.com/fic.html?id=743

Free Will (Willow)
By Estepheia

http://allaboutspike.com/fic.html?id=560

First Contact (Dawn - false memory)
By astraea

http://allaboutspike.com/fic.html?id=476

Woman (Xander)
By LadyCat

http://allaboutspike.com/fic.html?id=390

Fire and Stuff (Dawn - false memory)
By Valerie X

http://allaboutspike.com/fic.html?id=548

Still under Willow & Tara's spell,
Ray.

Current Mood: hyper
Current Location: Internet Cafe in Glasgow
Current Music: 'Ol Man River by Paul Robeson (from Showboat)

kerkevik.livejournal.com

Hi,

here are five of my favourite Spike fics, all friendship fics. Again, funniest last!

Lost Luggage (Joyce)
By spikedru

http://allaboutspike.com/fic.html?id=743

Free Will (Willow)
By Estepheia

http://allaboutspike.com/fic.html?id=560

First Contact (Dawn - false memory)
By astraea

http://allaboutspike.com/fic.html?id=476

Woman (Xander)
By LadyCat

http://allaboutspike.com/fic.html?id=390

Fire and Stuff (Dawn - false memory)
By Valerie X

http://allaboutspike.com/fic.html?id=548

Still under Willow & Tara's spell,
Ray.

Current Mood: hyper
Current Location: Internet Cafe in Glasgow
Current Music: 'Ol Man River by Paul Robeson (from Showboat)

snickfic

1. Kindred Spirits, by Nwhepcat
post-series
This is the single best Dawn fic I've ever read. It is huge, sprawling, epic as it follows Dawn through a tumultuous relationship with Ethan Rayne (yes, really) and onward as she figures who she is, both personally and mystically. Some of the best and most interesting Buffyverse worldbuilding construction I've ever seen.

( and four more )

snickfic

brutti-ma-buoni.livejournal.com

Fics I loved which I haven't seen recc'ed yet, but oh, for a linking theme... it's mainly Giles in a number of guises, but one Darla-fic sneaked in. My favourite characters being written well, in relationships of varying states of happiness and snark: a joy.

wesleysgirl, Life is What Happens When You're Making Other Plans, very, very sweet human AU, Giles/Wesley in their cautious, repressed selves. Not a vampire in sight, but a great deal of bookbinding talk, which is utterly in character.

( Read more... )

brutti-ma-buoni.livejournal.com

lusciousxander.livejournal.com

1- Black Magic White Lies by

moscow_watcher: Xander/Faith. Xander thinks he has a little secret. He doesn't know that his little secret is a part of a big fat conspiracy.

( Check the other four... )

deird1

Here are five fics dealing with parents and their kids.

( under here )

deird1

Here are five fics dealing with parents and their kids.

( under here )

snickfic

These would be for

brutti_ma_buoni, who specifically requested them, except that I'm fairly sure she's read them all already (not to mention having written two of them herself). Alas. There clearly just isn't enough F/G or F&G fic out there...

All post-series.

( Faith/Giles! And Faith&Giles! )

snickfic

These would be for

lusciousxander.livejournal.com

Top Five Xander/Buffy Fic (Friendship + Romance)

2009 has been such a good year for Buffy/Xander shippers and supporters, I'm thinking it's the influence of S8, it made many appreciate these two together. Personally it was S7 for me, but S8 made my love for them grow even more. So many fics and fanart were made for them, and it was so hard to choose only five fics of the collection I've got. But, then, here they are:

1- A Tall Ship by

sam_arkand: The best Buffy/Xander fic I've read this year. The writing is so perfect, really good language and the very gradual development of Buffy and Xander's relationship makes me swoon, so gracefully moving foward. Even if you don't ship them together, you're going to enjoy this one. (It also deals with "Kick his ass" very well, this will probably get you interested, heh)

( Check the other four... )

clawofcat.livejournal.com

I wasn't much of a Dawn fan when I watched the show and I don't think I'm alone in that, either. However, that changed when I started reading fanfiction. Dawn's one of those characters that has highly benefited from some serious character exploration by fic writers because we can take her out of the context of simply being Buffy's sister or the catalyst of conflict for Season 5, and really delve into who she is as a person. Each of these fics take one aspect of her and run with it to full affect.

1. The Down Below by Devil Piglet
Spike & Dawn, R, S7 post "Lessons"
Summary: Spike and Dawn have some unfinished business.

Review: Devil Piglet was one of the finest early Buffyverse writers we had and I miss her work dearly. While perhaps best known for her Spuffy, DP also created a number of fics that featured Dawn and I think this is one of her best. The show only gave us a glimpse of the animosity that Dawn felt for Spike after the events of "Seeing Red," but this fics takes those feelings of betrayal, hurt and vengeance to the next logical level. When did Dawn become so scary? I'd say just about the time this fic was first posted. A lovely, dark read with a beautiful conclusion.

( There's more to her than meets the eye )

clawofcat.livejournal.com

( There's more to her than meets the eye )

clawofcat.livejournal.com

I love rare pairings and this particular pair tends to come about under very specific circumstances - Buffy's death or absence. The wrenching grief that both characters share over a sister and a lover that they've lost is haunting and lovely, as are the inevitable comparisons made between the two Summers girls. The first three fics reach through the numbness of mourning and/or sacrifice to touch the fire beneath. The last two non-shippy fics explore the obstacles of timelessness vs. youth and mortality.

1. Departure by

only_passenger
NC-17, post-NFA
Summary: A few years post-Chosen, Dawn lives with and cares for a post-traumatic stress disordered Buffy in Rome. When a trip to Los Angeles brings Dawn and Angel face to face, she must decide whose life she is going to live.

Review: It's hard to know what to say about this story other than it's amazing and possibly my favorite one shot ever. Pass writes things real and hard and gritty, and she didn't pull her punches here. This story explores the difficult realities of what it means to be a caretaker to an ill person, the stresses it causes, the sacrifice it takes. Although the fic is really about Dawn's journey as she makes her way in the world, Angel's presence is like the catalyst for a big bang. He's dynamite and Dawn has the fire to make him explode.

( The hardest thing in the world is to live in it )

clawofcat.livejournal.com

mabel-marsters.livejournal.com

I am in awe of people who write 100 word drabbles - hell, my lead up to this will probably use up half of what they tell a whole story with! LOL!

kudagirl constantly amazes me with the imagery and the emotions she can evoke in so few words. Here are just five of my favourite ones of 2008. It was so hard to pick only five. Hope that you enjoy them too.

( My Top Five Kudagirl Drabbles )

Current Mood: cheerful
Current Location: the sofa!

mabel-marsters.livejournal.com

I am in awe of people who write 100 word drabbles - hell, my lead up to this will probably use up half of what they tell a whole story with! LOL!

Current Mood: cheerful
Current Location: the sofa!

clawofcat.livejournal.com

And the poor girl certainly has had a lot to lose in her young life. These ficlets and shots all revolve around that central, reoccuring theme that Dawn must constantly adapt to and cope with. The stories range in scope from Buffy running away after S2 and her death in S6, to the deaths of Joyce, Tara and Justin. One thing all these works have in common? Some really, really superb Dawn characterization.

1. The Flowers You Gave Me by hands_of_blue
Dawn, Spike, PG, the summers between S2/S3 and S5/S6
Summary: It’s a special kind of day when it rains in Sunnydale.

Review: What I enjoyed so much about this fic is the slow evolution of Dawn's understanding of disappearance and death, first viewed from a child's eyes and then as a teenager. This fic touches on that inalienable truth of how perception changes with time and that patterns and cycles regularly arise. It's also a beautiful, tight piece that brings all the imagery back together by the end, sinching the story up neatly.

( Read more... )

clawofcat.livejournal.com

( Read more... )

petzipellepingo.livejournal.com

In no particular order :
( Read more... )

petzipellepingo.livejournal.com

In no particular order :
( Read more... )

antennapedia.livejournal.com

Here are my five favorite fics from 2008's edition of

summer_of_giles, my favorite of the seasonal fests.

twilightofmagic: "And No Birds Sing" - Giles/Spike, FRT
You can read this as friendship or as pre-slash: the vampire and the Watcher, sharing a flat and not getting on so well. That is, until Giles starts to explore some clues dropped about who Spike is, beneath the leather duster and the braggadocio, and softens a little.

( Four more behind the cut... )

It's Time to Share!

Buffyverse Top 5

AO3 Collection

What's the Sitch

1) Top 5 is a seasonal recs community. We're open for posting over Halloween in October.
2) Search our archives through tags, the search box above, or the Visit the Library link.
3) We also have a collection on AO3!

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags

October 2023

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8	9	10	11	12	13	14
15	16	17	18	19	20	21
22	23	24	25	26	27	28
29	30	31

Buffyverse Top 5 of the Year

Entries tagged with cat: friendship

What's the Sitch

Links

Expand Cut Tags

Follow Us Elsewhere