crazydiamondsue | Is there a shelf life on obsession?

ASK ME ANYTHING

I will never be multi-fannish. I know this. I am a Cocker Spaniel of fandom loyalty. My Buffyverse investment wanes and ebbs, but it never subsides. It's currently cranked up to 11. I've been spending my snow days re-watching eps (currently season seven, two and five, in no particular order) and reading and re-reading fic (and leaving comments because I am AWESOME!) uploading fic to archives and reading old meta and scribbling a line or two of fic (yeah, I have no illusions about how that will turn out) and all-out wallowing in a love for the Buffyverse that will never die. It pops out of my subconscious in random quotes and geeky non sequiturs. Reading the fic makes me want to be a better writer; watching the show makes me want to be a better person. And to quote the prescient Miss Dionne Warwick, I know I'll never love this way again.

And I'm pretty much exhausting

cityphonelines and

lunabee34 with my shiny (old) obsession. So.

IP logging is always off (stalk me, all ye young and tender maidens) anonymous comments are always on: Ask me anything about the Buffyverse. About 'ships (canon and unconventional.) About plotlines controversial or contrived. About characters and my love or lack thereof. About the Buffy fandom that was, and what little I see of the Buffy fandom that is. Ask my opinion of a fic you wrote if you want honesty (I'll squee if I squee, I'll email if I concrit.) Ask me about a fic I wrote, or one I didn't write, or one I should have. Ask me about Buffy's coats or Xander's shoes, Cordy's hair or Giles' eyes. Ask me why I love Xander, or why I love, hell, Vi. I don't care.

Ask me anything, just let me talk about my Buffy-love because Caza's heard it all for 10 years and Jonah's 18-month-old contribution is to yell, "Kitty-cat!" whenever Angel vamps out and growls. (I shit you not -- it's a thing of beauty and joy forever.)

ASK ME ANYTHING -- as long as you're humming Nerf Herder under your breath.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

(Sorry, had to stop and be a mom and then Caza needed the computer.)

Way back when I was a newbie (so new I squeaked when I typed) I made a list (for my own benefit) of the Buffy characters I disliked: Riley, Angel and Drusilla. I find that hilarious now, because I hadn't finished watching the show(s) and didn't really understand any of the characters.

It took me a long time and a lot of re-watching to really get Riley, though. My first impression of him is similar to Willow's impression of him in her "Restless" dream: Good guy, but kind of a doofus. Once I got him, though, I really liked him. I love his grin when Buffy comes upon him helping with the Lesbian Alliance banner and asks, "Something you want to tell me?" and his immediate, "Yes. I am a lesbian." Riley has a sense of humor! I really enjoyed his friendship with Xander: Xander has a guy friend! I really don't understand fan fic in which they dislike one another. They rassled! And borrowed tools!

I love how much he loved Buffy-the-girl and how kind he was to Dawn and how hard he tried to understand the Slayer. The moment I fell in love with the character, though, was the closing scene in "The Replacement" when he tells Xander than he's aware that Buffy doesn't love him. I love that scene for several reasons. Riley trust in Xander to admit that, Riley admitting to himself, and Xander seeing first hand how much more painful it would have been to have Buffy turn to him because he was a "good" guy or a "normal" guy and to have her in his heart and in his bed but know that, deep down, there's a part of her he'll never have. Oh, it hurts to think about!

I really dislike the episode "As You Were," but not because of Riley's involvement. I dislike the characterization of Spike in that episode, and I just don't think the plot makes much sense (I don't mind Riley's Mary-Sue wife so much, though.) And I'll admit to having a soft spot for Marc Blucas, because he's so irresponsibly tall. Some favorite Riley fics are:

Damage Done by Chrisleeoctaves, Riley/Angel
Starting From Nowhere by St Salieri, Riley/Xander
Song of Iowa by Entre Nous, Riley/Xander
and Blood Will Tell by me, Riley/Spike (I wrote it off the cuff, and then realized much later how much I like it.)

Oh, and I forgot probably one of my top 5 fics of all time:
Sense Memory by Lynne, Angel/Riley/Buffy

You've probably already read this, but I don't mind html. ;)

We are completely the same on this. I didn't start watching Buffy until season five and Spike was such a central character at that time. When I went back and watched season four, Riley didn't compare for me. He was boring, wooden, cardboard. Ew. I think what also contributed to this feeling was that I got into fandom through slash fanfic, specifically Spike/Xander, where there is a preponderance of fics with Riley as an evil sadistic bastard. It's weird how reading fanfic can start to color your perception of characters. I'd read so much fic where was evil and hateful that I started to think he *was* evil and hateful.

On rewatch, I realized how AWESOME he is, for all the reasons you list here and then some. Riley gets so much character development in such a short amount of time. We see him completely divested of all he's believed in, stripped down to his bare bones, and he still chooses the right thing in spite of all that betrayal. I just watched "Doomed" for like the first time, I think, and I was struck by how early Riley really gets Buffy, really understands her. He's got his finger on what makes her tick even then. I really really like him.

Riley meta

OMG yes. It was one the fourth or so rewatch of season 4 that I really began to warm up to and like Riley. I kind of wish he could have stuck around more. (Riley/Willow is my newest favorite pairing, they had great chemistry in "The Initiative sitting on that couch.)

It took me a bit to warm up to Riley/Buffy as a canon pairing, but once I got there, I really appreciated that relationship, not only for his character but for what Buffy came to learn about herself. I had the same reaction to Riley/Willow and the entire "Buffy likes cheese" conversation. The way he has the guy cut off the Dingoes song? Oh, Riley. You give gentleman a whole new meaning.

Do you have any Riley/Willow recs? I don't believe I've ever read that pairing and I would love to. And would you mind if I friend you? I'd like to have more people who are still BtVS interested on my flist. I'm a latent Buffy/Xander shipper, as well. ;)

Sadly I've yet to come across any Willow/Riley. There was one I put in the SU Herald about a week ago, but it wasn't very shippy. I've started a fic, but it stalled last year when I lost my muse.

I'd love to be friended by you! Though I've got other fannish interests Buffy will always be my first love. (Yay B/X love!)

I just had to butt in and say this made me laugh out loud: And I'll admit to having a soft spot for Marc Blucas, because he's so irresponsibly tall. At just under 5', yes, I think it's irresponsible for Mr. Blucas to be so greedy with the height.

I also love "Song of Iowa."

I'm 5'2" on a good day. Short power! I borrowed the "irresponsibly tall" description from

cityphonelines who, at 5'11", still thinks Mr. Blucas is quite the tall, tall man.

Is there a shelf life on obsession?

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