thenewbuzwuzz: converse on tree above ground (Default)
[personal profile] thenewbuzwuzz
From the department of hyperspecific Top 5 categories: my beta does some damn fine work, and their most ingenious stories tend to fly under the radar.
In this post: Olivia/Jhiera, Anya/Kennedy, Nikki Wood/Xin Rong, Darla/Willow (but neither of them soulless), and Riley/Buffy (but Riley meant it when she said she's a lesbian).

Read more... )
[identity profile] sparrow2000.livejournal.com
Here are five longer fics from [livejournal.com profile] summer_of_giles I really enjoyed.

Second Sight by [livejournal.com profile] il_mio_capitano finds our intrepid Watcher thrown back to his 21 year old self, two months before Eyhgon. This isn’t about the Eyhgon incident, but it is about choices. I really liked the portrayal of Giles’ father in this fic, and his grandmother is wonderful - just remember to comb your hair and wash behind your ears before you meet her.

More Gilesian goodness... )
[identity profile] red-satin-doll.livejournal.com
This round of Buffyverse Top 5 just wouldn't be complete without:




Conclusive Etymology of a Summers by [livejournal.com profile] clockwork_hart1 (Lucy). I love this story so much it inspired my very first fanfiction poster for another author. One of my favorite Buffy character studies, delicately etched and sympathetically observed. When it comes to Buffy Summers and the Summers sisters, Lucy owns my soul: She loved to watch her sister write. As Dawn scribbled and scrawled her soul down into books, she knew that the monks had given her a gift.

Civilian by [livejournal.com profile] velvetwhip (WIllow, Riley, mentions of Willow/Tara, Willow/Kennedy, Buffy/Riley and Riley/Sam, canon-compliant post-series)  A story aching with regret in every word as a chance encounter brings the terrible weight of memory crashing down about WIllow's ears. One of the best, most devastating endings of any fic I've read this year; packs an incredible wallop. If it doesn't hit you in the gut, we may need to check you for a pulse. There’s a story there and a painful one, but she’s not one to go poking at wounds to watch them bleed, so she puts a solicitous hand on his arm.

Three Coins in a Fountain by [livejournal.com profile] rahirah (POM-verse; Buffy/Spike, the Immortal; POM/Barbsverse). She stood, five foot two of righteous Slayer fury, and the Immortal actually took a step backwards. Told you she was out of your league, mate. This one is so much fun -  60-something Buffy  and Spike Summers-Pratt are given an assignment by the Immortal to fetch some rare coins. There are...complications. This was one of the fics that made it safe for me to be a Spuffy shipper again this year. I love that our heros are older, a little plumper, comfortable in their fuller bodies, still fully sensual and sexual beings; still as snarky, sarcastic and witty as ever. And chapter 1 inspired a very meta conversation between Barb and [livejournal.com profile] quinara re: Buffy and Spike's late seasons body issues and representation; how cool is that? Chapter 2; Chapter 3 and Chapter 4.

PIece of Cake by [livejournal.com profile] spuffy_luvr; (Buffy/Spike, Buffy/Angel, Drusilla, Willow, Faith; mentions of Spike/Drusilla, and Angel/Dru). Lorelei's return to writing btvs fanfiction was one of the happiest events of the year, IMO.  If you haven't checked out her fag_ends ficlets, let [livejournal.com profile] shapinglight's rec list get you started. Piece of Cake was the winner of Best NC-17 at the last Round of Sunnydale Memorial fanfiction awards, deservedly so.  I don't read porn. I don't read NC-17. I sure as heck don't read all-human AU fics except...if anyone can get me to read one, it's [livejournal.com profile] spuffy_luvr. Superb characterization, sex that is genuinely sexy but she pulls no punches on issues of non-consent. My favorite chapters are actually the two featuring Willow, who is beautifully drawn here in a supporting role; she's becoming a Willow-writer to watch.

And finally one more from [livejournal.com profile] kwritten: taxes? - also complete here on AO3 (Buffy/Tara, Anya, Olivia, Dawn, AU S6) The remaining piece of the Finding a Balance B/T 'verse (more, please?) written for [livejournal.com profile] kikimay's prompt: taxes, Buffy S6 AU. Because I'm curious to see what you would do if you were Marti Noxon. This is the fic that opened up the Buffy/Tara, Dawn 'verse to the other ladies and introduced Olivia to it, which makes even richer. Anya gets to be the true hero, working on Buffy's taxes post-resurrection as she should have in the series, and negotiating with the WC on Buffy's behalf. A gem.

What's the Sitch

1) Top 5 is a seasonal recs community. We're open for posting over Halloween in October.
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