buffyversetop5 | Entries tagged with cat: historical

dragonyphoenix

the really long ones ...

Of Old Mystics: It's not a secret that Giles / Ethan is one of my favorite pairings in the 'verse. When Giles, now head of the Council, rescues Ethan from the Initiative, they learn they have a destiny. Prophecies, not only for Slayers, ya know? The two men have to learn to trust each other. Giles has to learn to trust his magic. Ethan has to learn to reconnect with a more natural form of Chaos. Ooh, and they get Slayers who are two delightful girls. It's just awesome.
Tarnished: Trekker's one of those amazing authors who'd been gone from the fandom before I discovered it, but happily the stories remain. Than you Wayback Machine! After Buffy's death, Giles is stuck in some dead-end Council job, and then Ethan shows up, sort of like a cat really. And Ethan gets pulled into the fight against the First.
Dr. Squidlove's New York: Divorced Dad Xander is so realistic.And the poor guy can't really explain to his wife why he refuses to let his girls take the subway anywhere. That's so great because obviously he'd be "No, that's way too dangerous" but it's New York. Everyone takes the subway! It's awesome that Giles has been trapped in some demon dimension all those years and nobody noticed. Giles sticks around in New York for Xander who is completely oblivious. There are rat demons and feelings and it's just an excellent story.
Sands of Time: In season 1, Giles realizes how truly awful Xander's parents are. So he adopts Xander and so much changes from there. Seeing Xander acting like an excited kid cause he gets to go to a bookstore; Eeee! Oh, and grandma Giles. I love her. But there's still trauma for the poor boy to deal with. This one has a twist ending that is ... *jaw drop*.
And last by definitely not least Indri's In the Morning of the Magicians: First of all ... *does happy dance*. I had no idea this was up on AO3 now. This is my head-canon for Ripper's and Ethan's backstory. There is no way anyone will convince me it happened differently. It's full of incredible and realistic characters, so much so that if Indri wasn't part of that electric koolaid acid groove scene in London, I'll eat my hat. As I've been working on this list, for each story I've been thinking that I need to go back and reread it. This one I'll be reading first.

dragonyphoenix

Let's meet some Slayers we didn't see in the series

Geometry of Chance: Only Ethan could get his pocket picked and end up with a Slayer. I adore Frankie and any story that makes Ethan care, well, what can I say, I'm a sucker for that sort of thing.
Chosen: Seven dark vignettes. They are amazing.
Six Thousand Miles: Another dark one. Hard to say anything about this one because spoilers.
Theses on a Philosophy of Power: I love this look at how unaware Watchers can be. It's set during the Bolshevik Revolution and the Slayer's a Red.
Dreadful Duty: I still can't believe I'm convinced by George and Lydia Wickham as a Watcher and Slayer pair.

double_dutchess

I don't usually read WIPs, but I am making an exception for these ones, because they're just so good or because I know they're going to be good. I may be cheating a bit here, as several of the WIPs in this list were not started in 2020, but since they all got updated this year I think it still counts. To compensate, two of them are REALLY recent.

( Read more... )

petzipellepingo.livejournal.com

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

flowspuffy.livejournal.com

I have already recced five short Spuffy fics and this is will be my last entry for this year. It's a list of five multi-chaptered Spuffy fics. All of them have been published and completed in 2019. Hope you enjoy some of them!

( Read more... )

sparrow2000.livejournal.com

When I discovered fandom and fic back in the early 2000's, there are some stories that stood out because they made me realise just how wonderfully malleable canon could be in the right hands. That realisation expanded my universe! :)

I’ve recced Te’s stories many times before, but my love for her stuff bears repeating. Post Grad series blew my tiny, sheltered mind when I read it early on in my adventures in fandom. It made me understand the power of ‘what if’. This is Spike/Xander, plot, porn and so much ‘oh my goodness’ that it makes my eyes cross just thinking about it.

( More goodies this way... )

thenewbuzwuzz

Two that were written earlier.
( Read more... )

And three written in 2019.
( Read more... )

dragonyphoenix

I'm unsure of exactly when Buffyverse Top 5 ends, so I'm getting this in before work. Indri has written what may well be my favorite Buffy fanfic of all time In the Morning of the Magicians, Giles and Ethan, the electric Kool-Aid funky Satan groove year, in the early seventies. I decided to share stories from her rec list but a lot of the links were dead so I've been looking up stories; I've started posting a list of her recs here if anyone else is interested. I can't say they're the top 5 because I haven't read all the stories in her list yet.

Herself NYC captured captured Spike's darker side, the vampire's indifference for human life, but also something of the poet who cares for something higher, and I'm thinking of the poet where he tells her to run like hell if she sees him again, in Manhattan Nocturne.

( the rest of the stories are dragging me away from the computer, shouting that I'll be late for work if I don't get a move on )

petzipellepingo.livejournal.com

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

dragonyphoenix

Snowpuppies Chosen is a series of vignettes, Slayers and their Watchers. They're short and they're all dark, but they're amazing. Note, Snowpuppies lists Mission Accomplished as an inspiration for these stories but here link is broken. You can read it here.
( the rest of the stories are pondering the eternal question: hundreds of channels and noting to watch )

dragonyphoenix

A story I'm currently reading, Off Your Bird's The Darkling, inspired this list. Buffy goes to that demon in Africa to get Spike back. He sends her to NYC in 1970. It's lovely to see their roles reversed, to see Buffy longing for a Spike who's slowly becoming convinced.

( the rest of the fics are sittin on the dock of the bay watching the tide roll away )

petzipellepingo.livejournal.com

4 favorite posts from

masqthephlsphr and 1 from

superplin over at Coffee Makers, in no particular order :
( Read more... )

thenewbuzwuzz

...or at least they never contradict canon... uh, BtVS canon, at any rate. This is a list of missing scene fic, until I run out of missing scene fic -- bear with me. Almost everything is Spuffy, and all of it is complete.

1. Pre-series: met a seriously scary Hungarian countess.
House-Guests From Hell And How To Send Them Back There
by

shapinglight
(Fanged Four, T, 12,353w, complete)
I loved all the characters here, but Dru was especially fabulous. And the way that historical person fits into the story is just awe-inspiring.

( Read more... )

michelle-ravel.livejournal.com

So here are my Top 5 Post-Chosen Spuffy Recs that are superclassic (at least a decade old):

1) Disenchantment by Herself. This story made me fall in love with Spuffy! The depiction of a Buffy in her 30s, still alive, kind of ok, but just so lonely in a way she couldn't even articulate. Some angst, but the joy Buffy feels at her unexpected reunion with Spike truly makes me emotional, even upon re-reading. And the sex in this fic is so hot. There is an unfinished sequel I wish she'd finished.

2) The Butterfly Effect by CousinJean. A very beautiful fic where a post-Chosen Buffy travels back in time to Season 2. Buffy and Spike end up connecting in a sort of inevitable, visceral way that show how truly drawn to one another they are, regardless of the timing of their meeting.

3) Pinch Hitter by Dreamweaver. This post-Chosen Buffy gets sent into an alternated dimension early Season 5. Of course she goes to find Spike to bang! Spike is amenable. There is some pretty good biting in this smut if you're into that.

4) Only Time Will Tell by Damperandspoons. I had trouble deciding on which Victorian fic to include on this list, but ended up with this one. It's not totally historically accurate... but Buffy and William are very sweet in this fic, and the ending is satisfying. Enjoy!

5) My Life Closed Twice by Anaross. Being in a post-NFA Spike's poetry class is such a treat. It is worth a read, whether you agree with Anaross' take on Buffyverse lore or not.

Why did I decide to rec only decade-old Post-Chosen fic? No reason, just felt like it! Probaby you have all read these classic fics... they are very popular. But if you haven't, they are an excellent place to start.

dragonyphoenix

1: rowan’s The Twelfth Slayer - ooh, so dark! Evil Council is evil.

( The rest of the stories are plotting out their Halloween tricks. )

ffutures

Ten Things That Never Happened in the BtVS Fandom by Booster
Summary: Some spells are stronger and further reaching than you’d think. What if Dawn had been around for a lot longer than you remember....?
My reason for the rec: A lovely bit of metafiction (in a way) in which Dawn's origin is even stranger than we thought.

Just One Night by Vogonguard
Summary: A careless use of the W-word and the Scoobies from Chosen meet the Scoobies from Prophecy Girl.
My reason for the rec: Not exactly a do-over, but a nice story about time travel and the evolution of most of the BtVS characters

The Multiverse by Hotpoint
Summary: Serenity falls through a rip in the continuum and Mal meets a very familiar face on the other side
My reason for the rec: This one's just fun, a head-on crash between the Serenity crew and the Buffyverse.

Dawn's Fine by Abra
Summary: Dawn Summers goes to college in Metropolis. When she notices that her History professor, Milton Fine, looks just like Spike, she can't stay away. Prof. Fine has his own agenda to go along with her crush.
My reason for the rec: It's one of the better Buffy / Smallville crossovers, and plays fair with both fandoms.

Dojo Hard by Speakertocustomers
Summary: The Buffyverse characters dwell in 17th century Japan. Gilbert and Sullivan meets Samurai movies meets - Paddington Bear? Parody, bad haiku, and martial arts in something loosely resembling BtVS S2. Very loosely.
My reason for the rec: It's immense fun and VERY silly.

shapinglight

As usual, I can't collect five things in a particular category and time is running out, so here are five of my favourite fandom things from 2016.

First some wonderful fan art.

Venus and Mars by

rbfvid (Restfield). This piece was inspired by one of my fics (of the same name) but that's not why I'm reccing it. I'm reccing it because it's beautiful and clever, and in all ways absolutely superb.

( Read more... )

rbfvid.livejournal.com

Five favorite pre-series shorts of the past year, arranged from shortest to longest.

Prodigal Son by

dragonyphoenix (or here is AO3 link). Giles, three encounters after Randall's funeral. Three incredibly powerful insights on how young Ripper was turning into Giles.

( Read more... )

rbfvid.livejournal.com

rebcake asked for pre-series fic focused on Darla or Dru, and I'm happy to oblige (though I doubt I can offer anything new to her). All stories rated PG to PG-13 (yes, I'm shocked, too!)

Traveller by

selenak. Darla might not know the rules yet, but she had always known how to make men break them. Darla and the Master, in the beginning.

( Read more... )

rbfvid.livejournal.com

Five classic Angel/Spike stories, arranged from shortest to longest.

Victrola by

hello_spikey. William, Angelus and that terrible modern music.

( Read more... )

sparrow2000.livejournal.com

It’s a known fact that I have a mild predilection for young Mr Harris, so I challenged myself that I would do at least one list where Xander is nowhere in sight! *g*

Arrhizal by

sunnyd_lite is a terrific look inside River’s head as she thinks about Simon and the rest of the crew. Beautiful evocative use of imagery makes this one a keeper.

( Follow the trail of breadcrumbs... )

dragonyphoenix.livejournal.com

1. Dead!Giles 'verse by

thea_bromine. Spike helps a dying Giles. Things get strange.

2. Of Old Mystics by Omphalos and

wolfling. After the Council has fallen, Giles rescues Ethan from the Initiative only to learn that together they have a destiny. One of my long-time faves.

3. Responsible Adults by mydiera and

sadbhyl. Giles/Ethan/Joyce. On the night Ethan would have pulled that Fyarl transformation spell on Giles, Joyce joins them. Things change from there.
Note: Sadbhyl wrote an essay: When You Girls Are Older You'll Understand (Rupert Giles/Joyce Summers/Ethan Rayne)

4. Bookends by

il_mio_capitano. Buffy/Giles. Mmm, a story that brightens my day when a new chapter is posted.

5. In the Morning of the Magicians by

indri. Ripper/Ethan back in the day. On of my favorite BtVS stories.

dragonyphoenix.livejournal.com

1. Geometry of Chance by NLRummi - ooh, yes, this story makes me happy! Ethan wouldn’t call himself a Watcher, but he’s not as far off as he’d like to think

( the rest of the recs, too cool for me, are out clubbing )

dragonyphoenix.livejournal.com

1. rebelrsr’s Forging Bonds - dom/sub ‘verse with Tara as the dom.

2. Naughty Fae’s Whitechapel - Spike/Xander in an all human AU based on Ripper Street

3. Deja Without a View -

velvetwhip’s masterful retelling of

aadler’s amazing Dust Over Pompeii for the Circle of Friends remix. Willow/Riley. I could have chosen to remix this story but I looked at it and told myself it was an impossible remix. I was so very, very wrong.

4.

booster17’s Sleeper - Xander/Faith. If I describe the story, I’ll give it away. This has been one of my faves since I first read it.

5.

drsquidlove’s New York - Xander/Giles. This is an amazing epic. I really can’t sum it up better than the author: Xander is thirty-seven. Divorced. Two kids. 4000 miles from Sunnydale and his Hellmouth childhood. Also, straight. Only someone forgot to tell Giles. In fact... where the hell is Giles?

dragonyphoenix.livejournal.com

As I was waiting for Buffyverse Top 5 to begin this month, these came to mind as in I didn't go looking at my bookmarks.

1. Indri's In the Morning of the Magicians. This is totally my head-canon for how Ripper and Ethan met. It has so many things going for it. Bourgeois Ripper who is put off by his friends' lifestyle. The story Ripper is telling himself keeps changing as he realizes he's not going to make it big as a musician. How Eyghon would not have been invoked without both Ripper and Ethan in the mix, but Ripper denies all blame, putting it all on Ethan. This is what breaks Ethan, taking the blame onto himself and thinking that he doesn't know how to have friends and that's what turns him into the Ethan from BtVS. It's a marvelous tale.

( the rest of the recs are at the halloween party / samhain ritual that I'm late for )

baudown.livejournal.com

Last year, I posted five historical fics, and promised I would post five more. I didn't get around to it then, so here they are now:

1. Sacred, by Valancy -- An encounter between Angel, Spike, and Dru, set sometime after the events of the Boxer Rebellion. This is one of those stories that makes you think, "Oh, of course that would have happened." A beautifully written, emotionally authentic story with spot-on voices and characterization. I've only recently discovered this story, and unfortunately have been able to find very little of the author's other work.

( Read more... )

rbfvid.livejournal.com

Some historical fics that surprised me - either by the choice of setting or by the use of it.

A Lost Letter of Jane Austen and Darla's Letter by

hello_spikey. A clergyman's daughter writes her sister about two new acquaintences, a Mr. and Mrs. Angelus.
( Read more... )

dragonyphoenix.livejournal.com

Okay, I'm pretty sure I've read Bit Parts before but I did just rediscover it.

1. Wolfling's and Wesleysgirl's All the Wrong Places. I've only read Part 1 so far but it is delightful. Doyle's trapped in a computer, about three years after he's died, talking or e-mailing actually with Wesley.

( the other recs are exhausted and wondering if signing up for NaNoWriMo wasn't a mistake )

baudown.livejournal.com

I adore historical fics, and it was really hard to narrow this list down to five. You may be getting a "Five More" list soon!

1. Sweet William, by Peasant -- The early days of William and the Fanged Four. One of my favorite buffyverse fics, historical or otherwise.

2. A Winter's Tale, by Coquette -- The Fanged Four on a Northern journey. Beautiful writing, engrossing plot.

3. Delight Becomes Pictorial, by glossiolalia -- William/Angelus. Dark, hot.

4. Many Loves, by Anonymous -- The loves of William (and Spike), from turning until after The Gift.

5. Thicker Than Water, by Tara R. -- Shanghai, 1900. An encounter between Angelus and William. Or is it Angel and Spike?

rbfvid.livejournal.com

Some of my favorite AU graphics.

( BtVS Agatha Christie Murder Mystery AU )

( BTVS characters at Hogwarts )

( Spike & Angel in a buddy cop comedy )

( Buffy & Spike with Babies )

( Dawn meets Spike )

rebcake.livejournal.com

These might be obvious choices, but the classics are classic for a reason, and the first couple of these aren't even that old! And c'mon! I know some of you have skipped a couple of these. I did too, once upon a time.

West of the Moon, East of the Sun by

knifeedgefic (NC17, Ensemble) Over 400,000 words, complete.
On LJ / On BSV / On SR / On EF (members only) / On FF.net
Strap in for an entirely alternate S5 from the POV of the characters. It features dreamscape rendevous, silencing spells, dimension hopping, tall towers, and very bad weather, among other things.

( Four more, from Halloween to the Future... )

chasingdemons.livejournal.com

Spike can be good or evil and everything in between... and still be in character. Here are 5 wonderful fics by very accomplished writers. I found each of these stories fascinating for a number of reasons, one of them being the authors’ interpretations of Spike and how each one rang true to me.

Please be warned, some of these stories contain upsetting subject matter including issues of nonconsensual and/or underage sex. I will leave it to the authors to provide the exact warnings they feel are appropriate.

( SEE MORE BEHIND THE CUT )

rebcake.livejournal.com

Buffyverse vampires are interesting in any era, don't you think? They've been all over the world, and had loads of adventures. Below are just a few of the things written about them in 2012:

The Third Defenestration of Prague (Spike/Dru) by Kairos

perpetual PG13 — One shot
Spike and Dru are in the fight of their (un)lives.

( More Tales of the Vampyres... )

petzipellepingo.livejournal.com

In no particular order :

1. Bookend imagery in the Buffyverse by

lostboy_lj.

2. Meta on evil Buffyverse vampires, specifically Spike by

deird1.

3. Meta on the use of history in the Buffyverse by

gillo.

4. Meta on "Destiny" by

rpowell.

5. Meta on "Anne" by

gabrielleabelle.

rebcake.livejournal.com

These stories encompass a variety of moods and styles, but all end up revealing something you never realized you needed to know.

losing farther, losing faster by

teaotter PG
Joyce’s brain tumor diagnosis only explains part of why she sees something else when she looks at Dawn.

( You'll laugh, you'll be inspired, you'll wipe away a tear... )

shapinglight

Some writers just kept on bringing the good stuff in 2012, and

brutti_ma_buoni is one of the chief among them. Whether long or short, her work is always varied and wonderful. Here are five of my favourites of her short fics. The first one, I only read for the first time a minute ago.

Ca Ira. Pre-series, set in the heady (or should that be headless?) days of the French Revolution, and featuring an OC Slayer and her lover, both with a way with words. PG-13. Written for

femslash_minis.

( Read more... )

moscow-watcher.livejournal.com

For Want of A Back Porch by

gryfndor_godess
http://gryfndor-godess.livejournal.com/72632.html
PG. Completed, ~21,000 words. Post-season 8. Spike's occasional visits to Buffy's place are all about business, aren't they? :)

gryfndor_godess focuses on Buffy and Spike's tentative, small steps towards each other; her story is poignant, funny, with outrageous breaks through the fourth wall. ( The story was written a year ago, when fandom tried to guess what happens to Buffy and Spike in season 9; after the last batch of spoilers this story reads as a nostalgic "what-if").
( four more )

moscow-watcher.livejournal.com

For Want of A Back Porch by

gryfndor_godess
http://gryfndor-godess.livejournal.com/72632.html
PG. Completed, ~21,000 words. Post-season 8. Spike's occasional visits to Buffy's place are all about business, aren't they? :)

moscow-watcher.livejournal.com

Dust by

knifeedgefic
http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=knifeedgefic&keyword=DUST&filter=all
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6958651/1/DUST
http://www.bloodshedverse.com/stories.php?go=chapters&no=12728
WIP, 31 chapters, PG so far, NC-17 later. Alternate season 4. Buffy wakes in a Sunnydale that went utterly wrong... Everybody's asleep; the phones are dead; and there is no way out of the town. Buffy's only hope is a certain vampire who managed to stay awake and who was persistent enough to wake her up. Intriguing premise, genre storytelling par excellence, witty dialogues, funny insights into Buffy's and Spike's minds, overall creepy atmosphere -- the story's vitality and finesse make "Dust" one of the most exciting and gripping stories of the year.
( four more )

moscow-watcher.livejournal.com

Dust by

shapinglight

I've spent a lot of time this year reccing this story, and now I'm going to rec it again.

In the Morning of the Magicians by

indri, Giles/Ethan, R.

indri is one of the all time greats of the fandom, and this novel length fic shows you why. Set in London in the early 70s, it tells in brilliantly imagined detail of Ripper's first meeting with Ethan Rayne and of their catastrophic raising of Eyghon. The sense of place and period is just wonderful.

( Read more... )

shapinglight

I've spent a lot of time this year reccing this story, and now I'm going to rec it again.

In the Morning of the Magicians by

indri, Giles/Ethan, R.

dragonyphoenix.livejournal.com

naughty_fae's The Eagle of the Ninth: Very AU Spander. This is the story of two men, Roman Master and his Brigante slave. The Roman embarks on a crusade to clear his family name and restore honor, the slave fights for his freedom. They move from mutual hatred to understanding, acceptance, friendship and love.

sparrow2000's Mockingbird: In Magpie, Spike had seemingly foiled Drusilla's plans for Xander, but now Dru is back.

beer-good-foamy's Ms Summers Goes to Washington: A crossover with West Wing: The American people need protection from vampires. Buffy needs funding. The American government has money. You'd think there'd be an obvious solution to this. And so, one day, Buffy, Giles and Willow dressed up in their best business suits and dropped by the White House.

skuzzbopper's Three Dog Night series: Spike catches Xander reading a book on seducing non-mortals, and offers three nights of hands-on "lessons" in the subject-- which is just wonderful, since the non-mortal Xander had been hoping to seduce was Spike.

hello spikey's Porny Advent #8:A drabble written to the prompt of wrapping paper; Spike gets ready for his night.

staringiscaring.livejournal.com

Pawn (Willow & Angelus)
An alley. A stalemate between a frightened Slayerette and a persistent vampire. Can Willow match wits with Angelus in his deadly game? [part one of the Chess series]

( Read more... )

staringiscaring.livejournal.com

rebcake.livejournal.com

I don't think I'm alone in wanting stories of the Aurelian vampires before Sunnydale. Preferably stories with something other than (or in addition to) horror, gore, and cruelty. 2010 did not lack for choice:

Whispering Death by

brutti_ma_buoni (PG13)
Spike, Dru, and Darla enjoy the Spanish Civil War, each in their own way.

Spike’s Victims: Victim no. 10,876, cir. 1895 by

dampersnspoons (NC17) (First person POV)
The title is the summary. There is also another in the series, take a look.

This Thing of Earth and Darkness by

gillo (PG)
It takes the whole family to raise a vampire, when the vampire’s mummy is Dru.

New York (1970) by

duh_i_read (PG)
It all comes down to style.

Theatre of War by

meridian_rose (PG13)
Spike and Dru harvest the battlefields of Europe. (Yes, another war story. I like to see how our vamps interact with the sweep of history. It's a thing.)

Bonus NC-17 offering, not for everyone:
The Body Electric by

sevendeadlyfun (NC17)
Unexpected uses for new technologies!

rebcake.livejournal.com

brutti_ma_buoni (PG13)
Spike, Dru, and Darla enjoy the Spanish Civil War, each in their own way.

Spike’s Victims: Victim no. 10,876, cir. 1895 by

dampersnspoons (NC17) (First person POV)
The title is the summary. There is also another in the series, take a look.

This Thing of Earth and Darkness by

gillo (PG)
It takes the whole family to raise a vampire, when the vampire’s mummy is Dru.

New York (1970) by

duh_i_read (PG)
It all comes down to style.

Theatre of War by

sevendeadlyfun (NC17)
Unexpected uses for new technologies!

chaoskir.livejournal.com

I'm sorry! In my last post I recced 3 fics from 2009 from

whichclothes. That wasn't allowed. Instead of that I now have to recc three more of 2010.
Sorry, again!

( three of her 2010 fics )

chaoskir.livejournal.com

I'm sorry! In my last post I recced 3 fics from 2009 from

whichclothes. That wasn't allowed. Instead of that I now have to recc three more of 2010.
Sorry, again!

( three of her 2010 fics )

yourlibrarian

Halfway There by

indri - PG-13 – Wonderfully spare account of Giles' journeys to rescue the Potentials in S7. She gives these many near nameless and faceless girls (and the ones who didn't make it) some real meaning, and makes Giles' life's work resonant.

( Read more... )

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: historical

What's the Sitch

Links

Expand Cut Tags

Follow Us Elsewhere