lettered | Questions Post #1

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Questions Post #1

Usually I don't ask questions in public settings. I'm shy and also very arrogant; I like to think I know stuff or can find out on my own. But these things have been bothering me, and while I think a few things might be answered by digging through people's old entries or some FAQs, I'd love some answers (and opinions. Some are about opinions. Not the one about Buffy's natural tufted treasure, though. That has to be fact).

General

What does RPS stand for?
I'm aware OTP means pairing of choice, but what do the letters stand for?
Where did the term 'squee' originate and how come so many people use it?

LJ

What's a meme? Does it mean memory?
How do you tag someone? What does it mean?
What does the term "gak" mean?

Fanon

-How do people feel about using fanon? For instance, some fic writers use the name "O'Connor" for Liam (mostly in all-human AUs, which I don't really read, but whatever). Do you frown upon writers who use this name? Does it throw you off when writers don't use this name? Do you yourself consciously just avoid ever getting anywhere near the characters' surnames just to avoid the issue?
-From where did O'Connor-as-Liam's-surname originate, anyway?
-Does Spike have a commonly used last name? What about Faith? What about Darla, whose first name we know isn't hers, and Drusilla, whose first name is almost certianly not hers?
-This is a much debated topic, but is there even a marginal consensus regarding the age of Spike?
-Buffy smells like vanilla in a lot of fics. What's up with that?
-Does canon make Buffy out to be a natural blonde? I.e., is her altar of love, her carnal trap, her eye that weeps most when best pleased, her bearded clam, her garden of eden, her nest of curls blonde in most fics? What? Just asking.
-Is there a generally accepted explanation for how vampires get it up?
-Is the idea that vampires "pretend" to breath in order to look natural a fanon thing, or was it on the show?
-Does nobody use the fact that Angelus wears eye-liner in fics?
-Is Andrew ever a heterosexual in fics?

General again

-Whatever happened to Miss Kitty Fantastico? Did Dawn really shoot her with a crossbow?
-Do vampires sweat?
-What're some (slang) words for the dominant partner in a D/s relationship? I.e., some for the sub are: bitch, punk, sister (in prison), et al. I've just been drawing blank on their counterparts for about a week, now.
-Does anyone besides me hate Joyce Summers' guts in a visceral, it's-even-alright-to-character-bash sort of way?
-Have you ever not been able to find relatively common words for weeks at a time? (I once spent a month looking for the word 'conceited')
-Am I the only (character) Angel squeeing fangirl who didn't find David Boreanaz convincing as Angel at times? (don't get me wrong; most of the time he was great.)
-Can David Boreanaz sing better than Angel?
-What is the IQ of David Boreanaz? Is it really as low as it seems sometimes?

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

It looks like most of your questions have gotten definitive answers, so I’m just throwing in my two cents on some general issues. You’ve asked for opinions, and I’m a highly opinionated woman who found your questions thought provoking, so this is going to be long. Sorry!

Fanon

-How do people feel about using fanon?

Fanon is just that, fanon. It isn’t canon, it’s not carved in stone and a fanfic writer is under no obligation to follow it. Hell, fanfic writers freely ignore inconvenient canon, so why should we hold ourselves to fanon conventions? And, at the same time, just because some people don’t like a particular fanon, doesn’t mean you have to avoid it if you find it believable and if it serves your story.

What it boils down to, is, write what seems believable to you. Whatever the canon or the fanon, if you are writing a good story, you’re going to draw readers in, and they aren’t going to care about the fanon details, one way or another. And, if they do normally care about those details...they’ll get over it.

-This is a much debated topic, but is there even a marginal consensus regarding the age of Spike?

I didn’t know there was a debate. One caution for those who point out that a real Victorian mother wouldn’t be worried about a 25 year old man being unmarried: Joss has admitted that he sucks at research. He also sucks at Math, but that’s another story. William’s mother’s acceptance of his bachelor state proves nothing about his age. Since there’s no firm canon on his age at turning, my advice is to write Spike as the age you believe he was. If you are doing your job as a writer, your readers will follow where you lead. (And, in my experience, you are doing your job as a writer.)

-Buffy smells like vanilla in a lot of fics. What's up with that?

I’d seen so many references to that in fic that when I started writing, I included it, assuming there’d been a scene in canon that I’d missed. I still use it. For me, Buffy likes to be feminine, but she’s also pragmatic. I can see her using a clean, light scent like vanilla in preference to a cloying floral scent or a heavy spice scent either of which vampires can probably smell a mile away. And, here is where I strongly disagree with a2zmom, who has pointed out that vampires would be able to smell Buffy’s soap, shampoo and deodorant, and assumes that these things would necessarily be different. Speaking for myself, I use unscented personal care and laundry products. If I want to use perfume, I have soap, body lotion, and dusting powder in the same scent, and I’ve been known to finish off my hair with a rinse of cold water into which I’ve placed a few drops of perfume. A vampire sniffing me would not get the olfactory variation that accompanies use of a variety of differently scented products: just my favorite perfume and my own body chemistry.

If you want to give Buffy a perfume, give her whatever perfume you believe Buffy would wear. Coordinate it with her shampoo and soap or not as you please.

-Is there a generally accepted explanation for how vampires get it up?

If ever want to read a long discourse on vampire sexuality in Eastern European folklore and its influence on the portrayal of vampires in Western literature, let me know and I’ll send you one, complete with sources. That said...there’s no explanation in canon, simply effect: we may not understand the mechanism by which vampire blood circulates or vampires sweat, but we have plenty of evidence that their blood manages to circulate (as evidenced by Angel and Spike bleeding when they are wounded) and that they sweat (in addition to the yummy Tai Chi scene, Angel is covered in sweat when he falls out of Hell at the end of FH&T. I think I’ve seen him sweat in other scenes, as well, but I’d have to go back and check.). If I can suspend my disbelief that Angel is walking around looking very lickable some 270 odd years after his mother gave birth to him (per the birth date on his tombstone, as seen in one of the Ats season two eps) then I can certainly suspend my disbelief about whatever mechanism enables him to have lots of smutty sex. Because I *totally* believe he can do *that.* *G*

In other words, if you want him to feel his blood heading south, have him feel his blood heading south. If you can throw in a line of explanation that doesn’t bog down your narrative, more power to you.

-Is the idea that vampires "pretend" to breath in order to look natural a fanon thing, or was it on the show?

I *think* it is fanon. I only recall Angel saying he couldn’t revive Buffy because he had no breath (in PG) and Spike telling Joyce that he didn’t really breathe, but not explaining what that meant (in LW).

-Does nobody use the fact that Angelus wears eye-liner in fics?

Sigh. Could’ve sworn that Lex did it in her hilarious short story, “The Seduction,” but I just reread it, and no joy. BTW, the story can be found at that grand archive of Old School B/A fic written in the first three or four seasons, The Naughty Slayer. The links to TNS, Lex’s and other sites can be found at www.bitchenvy.com.

General again

-Whatever happened to Miss Kitty Fantastico? Did Dawn really shoot her with a crossbow?

It was implied, but not stated outright, that the kitten died that way. In “End of Days,” Dawn tells Xander that she doesn’t leave her crossbow lying around “since that time with Miss Kitty Fantastico” who had not been seen since the ep “Restless” three seasons earlier. Most people accept that to mean she was killed, but as there’s no more explicit canon, you can provide some other interpretation for that line, and go from there, if that’s what you want to do.

-Do vampires sweat?
We’ve seen Angel sweat more than once. So, I’d say yes.

-What're some (slang) words for the dominant partner in a D/s relationship?

In reading your more detailed explanation for the context in which you want to use it, I’d call the person Dom and leave it at that.

-Does anyone besides me hate Joyce Summers' guts in a visceral, it's-even-alright-to-character-bash sort of way?

Why is it wrong to bash a character? Characters are not real, they don’t have feelings, and you can like or dislike them as you please. As long as the bashing doesn’t turn into over-the-top writing, bash away.

-Have you ever not been able to find relatively common words for weeks at a time? (I once spent a month looking for the word 'conceited')
Honey, I have had trouble remembering my own *name.* In other words...you are not alone. *G*

-Am I the only (character) Angel squeeing fangirl who didn't find David Boreanaz convincing as Angel at times? (don't get me wrong; most of the time he was great.)

Ats season 3 cheapskate Dork!Angel was a pod person, not the real Angel. Nothing could make me believe it. As to DB’s acting...when I was watching season one when it first aired, I totally bought him. In recent years...I’ve had a couple of cringes. He got better, bless him.

-Can David Boreanaz sing better than Angel?
God, I hope so.

-What is the IQ of David Boreanaz? Is it really as low as it seems sometimes?</i. God, I hope not. Thus my opinions. Take them for what they’re worth, and follow or ignore as seems best to you.

Whew! I hope you got all or your questions answered. Certainly looks like everyone gave it the old college try! I'll add my one point five cents in to the great debate.

Buffy smells like vanilla in a lot of fics. What's up with that?

It's a really curious question and fandom assumption. I've never actually read a fic where Buffy is described as smelling like vanilla. At least not that I can recall. I have, however, written a fic that references the scent:

'Tara can smell the sweetness of her breath and the curious mix of vanilla and earth that perpetually cling to Buffy's skin.'

The idea, for me, was that she is a combination of the sweetly feminine and the earthy. Her two heritages, demon and girl, combining and conflicting in every way, even down to the way that she smells. Vanilla is also a 'warm' scent. And, I think, that mostly, she is that, warm.

Does canon make Buffy out to be a natural blonde? I.e., is her altar of love, her carnal trap, her eye that weeps most when best pleased, her bearded clam, her garden of eden, her nest of curls blonde in most fics? What? Just asking.

rotfl.

She is, in canon, naturally a brownette. Season One and the opening of Season Six were the only times that she actually had blonde hair. Her hair lightened progressively throughout the series beginning with Season Two. So, the landing strip, if we want to be accurate, would have to be brown.

I totally agree with your overall point--I've seen far too many people write to cater to their audiences instead of to themselves, and the result is just bad fic. I write fic because I enjoy doing it, and I post it because I think other people might enjoy it too.

That said, I ask the fanon question because for me, no matter how good the writing is, some things just slam me out of the fic every time (for instance, I'm so used to seeing Liam as "O'Connor" that seeing him as anything else throws me and just keeps throwing me). As you say, they're little details that can't make or break a fic; I was just interested in whether anyone else experiences the slamming sensation ;o)

Since there’s no firm canon on his age at turning, my advice is to write Spike as the age you believe he was. If you are doing your job as a writer, your readers will follow where you lead. (And, in my experience, you are doing your job as a writer.)

Why thank you! And I agree with you here, too--I think it'd be safe to say Spike was anywhere from early 20s to late 30s when he was turned.

About vanilla--at first, I loved this detail, and yeah, I thought it was canon too. I loved it because I think the scent does suit Buffy for the reasons you state--someone else (

dlgood, I think) pointed out how it fit her theme of being golden and sunshiney. Also, I love the scent of vanilla, and I knew a girl once who always wore it. She was nothing like Buffy, but she was beautiful, had golden hair, a lotta charisma, and could change the dynamic in a room just with her scent, I swear. But I've read the vanilla detail SO many times that it's been driving me nutters, lately.

As for a2zmom's point: yes, a woman can coordinate her soap scents etc with her perfume. However, there're other things that contribute to your scent: what you've eaten that day, who you've come in contact with, where you've been. Buffy just out of the shower and just done primping might only smell how she planned to smell, but by the time she has breakfast, coffee, and goes outside to get the mail, she'll smell like a billion different things to discriminating nostrils. Then again, the show never makes it clear just how discriminating vamp nostrils are. Spike can follow Buffy's scent across Sunnydale, but sometimes he can't tell if he's alone in a room or not. Given the inconsistency of the writers, it's probably fair to go either way on the subject.

As someone who's never worn perfume for a single day of her life after she was 8 years old, this subject is fascinating ;o) (speaking of which--even cosmetics have a scent. You just might be able to get scented lipstick, but scented mascera? Mascera has a definitive scent that would mix in with the scent of foundation, blush, eye-shadow, right in there with a billion other things).

If ever want to read a long discourse on vampire sexuality in Eastern European folklore and its influence on the portrayal of vampires in Western literature, let me know and I’ll send you one, complete with sources.

Actually, yes, I'm very much interested. Part of the reason I didn't get into BtVS for so long was a) the main character was named Buffy, b) a bunch of other stereotypes I had about the show, and c) I knew it was, like Anne Rice, going to try to make vampires sexy and despite the hotness of Brad Pitt on Interview With a Vampire, I just didn't GET it. Needless to say, I ...get it better now, but I still find the topic endlessly fascinating. Do you mention Coleridge? Because I'd marry that man, if he wasn't dead, and the fact that I think he's sexier dead gives me the wiggins.

Because I *totally* believe he can do *that.*

Me too ;o) And, for the record, I think DB is a very sweaty guy.

Sigh. Could’ve sworn that Lex did it in her hilarious short story, “The Seduction,” but I just reread it, and no joy. BTW, the story can be found at that grand archive of Old School B/A fic written in the first three or four seasons, The Naughty Slayer. The links to TNS, Lex’s and other sites can be found at www.bitchenvy.com.

Thanks for the rec! (I'm always looking for them!) I've been to TNS before (I think that's where I first read some of your fic) but I haven't made nearly as big a dent in it as I would like...(so far)

It was implied, but not stated outright, that the kitten died that way. In “End of Days,” Dawn tells Xander that she doesn’t leave her crossbow lying around “since that time with Miss Kitty Fantastico” who had not been seen since the ep “Restless” three seasons earlier. Most people accept that to mean she was killed, but as there’s no more explicit canon, you can provide some other interpretation for that line, and go from there, if that’s what you want to do.

Ooo, thanks for this explanation. A lot of people said that they assume Dawn killed her, but I was wondering if there were any references to Miss Kitty I didn't catch. I was worried about her through all of season 5 and season 6. To hear in an off-hand comment that Dawn killed her kinda ticked me (esp because I don't really like Dawn that much).

Why is it wrong to bash a character? Characters are not real, they don’t have feelings, and you can like or dislike them as you please. As long as the bashing doesn’t turn into over-the-top writing, bash away.

I've read some fics that have a whole lot of bashing that I really like, but, in general, it really, really turns me off. In my experience, bashing involves making the characters into something they're not just so you can hate them more, and I'm left thinking: what's the point? So I myself refrain from bashing even the characters whom I dislike and even kinda think were badly written (mostly Andrew, Dawn, Kennedy, and S7's Anya)--and yet, for some reason, with Joyce, I feel no compunction. I want her to die die die. So, what I meant is that I just hate her so much it's alright with me if I bash her, which is unusual, since I dislike to bash on general principle. That said, I don't mind if other people bash, as long as they--as you say--don't ruin their fic by bashing so heavily it turns into mush, and as long as they don't come to MY fics and say: "why did you write Angel like this? He's a slime-eating prick and Spike is soooo much nicer than he is."

Honey, I have had trouble remembering my own *name.* In other words...you are not alone. *G*

Hee! I'm glad to hear that.

Thanks for offering your opinions; I'm glad my crazy questions brought us to this interesting discussion...

'Tara can smell the sweetness of her breath and the curious mix of vanilla and earth that perpetually cling to Buffy's skin.'

Which fic might that be? I'd like to read it, because I love that idea about feminine/earthy you just supplied. And, for the record, I LOVED the idea of Buffy smelling like vanilla; I thought it fit her so perfectly, for the reasons you state. And I think I just mentioned to someone else how

dlgood mentioned as to how vanilla fit in with her theme of being sunshiney and golden, which is what you seem to be saying partly as well. The problem is I've just read the vanilla detail so many times by now that it seems to me people aren't thinking about it when they use it--but you obviously have; you have reasons behind it, which, in the end, can only make your fic richer. Now, about that link...? ;o)

So, the landing strip

Thanks for the answer, but thanks especially for the phrase "landing strip" because that's one I hadn't heard yet (and I'm all astonishment! What with "bearded clam," I thought I knew them all...)

Good points about the things that affect scent, and the plethora of scents we're exposed to/covered in. Including that of cosmetics. My editor, who has perfume allergies, is tremendously sensitive to even environmental contaminant scents. One of the members of my group came to a session after she'd used a bathroom at work. The maintenance department had installed some kind of automatic air-freshener. Our editor could smell the air-freshener on her, because her clothes had picked up the odor just from her being in the bathroom. Weird, huh? (And, no, my editor is not a vampire. Although she does tend to get up late, rather than early, and she's a huge Spike fan...)

Anyway, what it comes down to in writing fanfic is the point you are trying to make when the vampire in question is getting a whiff of whatever person/demon/place/thing. Sure, a vampire *might* be able to distinguish the individual scents of personal products, cosmetic products, food, drink and environmental contaminants (or, it might be that being predators, their sense of smell is tuned specifically to blood scents or human pheromones and everything else is fairly indistinct to them) but why is s/he smelling whatever s/he is smelling at that point in the story? You want the sensory description to be evocative, not just an inventory that ends up being distracting.

But to get back to the point you'd asked about, with being thrown out of a fic...one of my favorite science fiction writers, Harlan Ellison, has a saying: "Go please the world." If you use O'Connor so as not to throw people who are used to reading his last name as O'Connor, you will end up irritating people who think O'Connor is overused. There's no compromise that everyone in the fandom is going to be okay with. Again, if you are writing a good story, and drawing your reader in, they'll forgive you for whichever choice you make. Yes, it is true that certain things will pull a reader out of a story, but those things are not the same for all readers. Some are thrown by poor use of language or misspellings, others won't even notice. Some are sticklers for accuracy in historical fics, some won't be bothered even by the most glaring anachronism. And, as discussed, some people find it irritating for Buffy to smell of nothing but vanilla, while others would find it jarring for her to smell of anything else.

Based on what I've read of your fic thus far (I'm about to re-read the first six chapters of TBS in order to properly savor the new seventh chapter) I think you don't have to worry about jarring people so badly in any way that they'll stop reading, no matter what choices you make.

Just my opinion. *G*

Weird, huh? (And, no, my editor is not a vampire. Although she does tend to get up late, rather than early, and she's a huge Spike fan...)

Very weird. But sounds like a cool person to have as an editor :o)

Anyway, what it comes down to in writing fanfic is the point you are trying to make when the vampire in question is getting a whiff of whatever person/demon/place/thing.

Right, I agree. When you write about a character noticing someone's physical appearance, they don't have to notice every feature. They might just notice the eyes, because they are saying something, or the neck, because its...inviting something ;o)

But to get back to the point you'd asked about, with being thrown out of a fic...one of my favorite science fiction writers, Harlan Ellison, has a saying: "Go please the world."

I LOVE Harlan Ellison (and he's so quotable!). I think I found from the answers to my questions that you're absolutely right: it's impossible to please everyone. Not like I didn't know that before, but I think it's funny how almost every person answered the name "O'Connor" annoyed them, whereas that's really the only name that works for me now. I'm not about to change my writing due to other people's opinions--I was just curious, really.

Based on what I've read of your fic thus far (I'm about to re-read the first six chapters of TBS in order to properly savor the new seventh chapter) I think you don't have to worry about jarring people so badly in any way that they'll stop reading, no matter what choices you make.

Once again, thank you! And next time, I won't post a WIP, so people won't have to reread to freshen their memory.

Thanks for your thoughts!

-Buffy smells like vanilla in a lot of fics. What's up with that?
You'll notice too if you read around more that Willow tastes/smells like strawberry and Xander tastes/smells like chocolate in lots of fics.

Clearly they are just a big ol' ice cream sundae waiting to happen. Oh yeah, and hair color = flavor.

-Is Andrew ever a heterosexual in fics?
You wouldn't think he could be, but several people have written him paired with Dawn or with Anya. Hell, I've even seen him paired with/married to Buffy in a very short fic. Head over to the Andrew zone of the BtVS Writers' Guild for that one. The name of the site is Funnel Cakes and Flying Monkeys. I'd link you, but my old link no longer works. The people who ran it seemed involved, so I'm guessing that it just changed hosts.

What's a meme? Does it mean memory? It's a discrete unit of information, supposedly transmitted through "memetic" processes which are analagous to genetics. (Thus "meme" rhyming like "gene" no matter how some will tell you different.) The (pseudo?)science of memetics comes in part from Aristotle's mimesis. On LJ, a meme is something which transmits itself very quickly, like a quiz or a top 10 list which everyone imitates.

How do you tag someone? What does it mean? Passing the meme on to its next participants by choosing who one wants to perform it.

What does the term "gak" mean? To benevelently steal, i.e. to take something which has been shared.

Fanon

-How do people feel about using fanon? For instance, some fic writers use the name "O'Connor" for Liam (mostly in all-human AUs, which I don't really read, but whatever). Do you frown upon writers who use this name? Does it throw you off when writers don't use this name? Do you yourself consciously just avoid ever getting anywhere near the characters' surnames just to avoid the issue?

Everyone's different here. I don't mind fanon when it's neutral, like Lydia's last name (which is almost always Chalmers, although it's not canonical). But fanon which tries to make a comment about the text in a way that's unrealistic bothers me. E.g. naming Faith "Winters." Even

liz_marcs's use of Lanoire (the French for "the black") seemed too over the top and metaphorical for me, although she's a wonderful writers and I could overlook that low-level difficulty a million times in exchange for a chance to read her.

-Does Spike have a commonly used last name? What about Faith? What about Darla, whose first name we know isn't hers, and Drusilla, whose first name is almost certianly not hers?

According to Joss ex cathedra, Faith's last name is Lehane, although that hasn't appeared in canon so there are questions of authorial intent. As I said before, "Winters" was quite common. Realistically, none of the above would have names that were particularly interesting; many writers who name them, however, tend to give them names which in some way comment on their position in the text. (Like putting "blood" into William's last name.) I find this unrealistic, and it shatters my suspension of disbelief and juts me out of the story.

-This is a much debated topic, but is there even a marginal consensus regarding the age of Spike?

He was vamped in 1880, which makes him 120ish. The numerous flashbacks which show Spike's siring by Drusilla have to be of greater canonical weight than scenes where characters (who make mistakes) merely tell us about him. If you mean William's age when he was vamped, I never even considered that question all that interesting and don't see why fandom would have a consensus.

-Does canon make Buffy out to be a natural blonde? I.e., is her altar of love, her carnal trap, her eye that weeps most when best pleased, her bearded clam, her garden of eden, her nest of curls blonde in most fics? What? Just asking.

In canon, young Buffy is brunette in "Killed by Death" and blonde in "Weight of the World." In fic, most fics which bother to make a point of the issue have her die her hair, which makes sense because why would the ones in which she's a natural blonde even think to bring up the issue?

-Is there a generally accepted explanation for how vampires get it up?

It's magic.

-Is the idea that vampires "pretend" to breath in order to look natural a fanon thing, or was it on the show?

Well, yes and no. We have a show in which the actors obviously breathe, and the writers of fic have to deal with the fact by creating some type of personal fanon. I've found it tends to vary from writer to writer, though.

-Is Andrew ever a heterosexual in fics?

He's a heterosexual with homoerotic subtext in my fics, just as he was in canon. I don't want to fall into the trap of assuming that just because he acts a certain way we can make assumptions about his sexuality. That's why a lot of assumptions about Andrew tend to bother me.

-Whatever happened to Miss Kitty Fantastico? Did Dawn really shoot her with a crossbow?

There's a canonical conversation which suggests this is the case, when Dawn is talking to Xander: "Xander, my crossbow is not out here. I told you, I don't leave crossbows around all willy-nilly. Not since that time with Miss Kitty Fantastico." But that's all the canon we have on the matter. Nothing "really" happened, of course--it's just a text, so you can retrocon it however you want as long as you don't just ignore it.

-Do vampires sweat?

I don't know.

-Is Andrew ever a heterosexual in fics?"

*surfs in via metafandom and as the site has already been mentioned will not resist moment to pimp out her baby*
Funnel Cakes & Flying Monkeys (http://www.no-hero.org/fcfm/) we have a nice variety of Andrew het. Mostly Anya/Andrew and Dawn/Andrew. Actually, a lot of your questions are explored on either The Btvs Writers' Guild (http://btvswritersguild.dymphna.net/) or the many sites that are a part of it.

Clearly they are just a big ol' ice cream sundae waiting to happen. lol

Oh yeah, and hair color = flavor. I LOVE this idea! Spike smells like highlighters; Wesley smells like shite; Giles smells like field mice; Oz is a Betie's Botts Every Flavor Bean, and Gunn is flavorless. yay!

The Andrew site is here, in case you were looking for the link (someone else linked it for me).

Thanks for your answers. And I just keep thinking about the unfortunate color of Wesley's, Faith's, Fred's (and possibly Angel's) hair.

Thus "meme" rhyming like "gene" no matter how some will tell you different Er... you mean it's pronounced "mean"? I was pronouncing it "meem". Thanks for the definition!

But fanon which tries to make a comment about the text in a way that's unrealistic bothers me. E.g. naming Faith "Winters." Gah! I hadn't heard that one. I don't like it either. Sometimes names are just names, and, as you say, trying to give them too much significance pulls me out of the fic as well. Then again, I do think Faith's first name said a lot about her and how people interacted with her (maybe that's why she doesn't need a weighty surname?)

If you mean William's age when he was vamped, I never even considered that question all that interesting and don't see why fandom would have a consensus. I think it's very interesting. For some reason, I think writers and fans attribute more importance to it than canon did, however. For instance, whenever Angel mentions his age he says 240-something, only counting the years after his death, but fic authors all over the place glom onto the fact that he was 26 when he died. I think the reason this would be important, though, is for people writing about William or Liam. There are certain assumptions you can make about a person judging by their age in a particular time period, and if you're writing about William before he was turned I could see where it might make a difference whether he was 21 or 38 when he died.

He's a heterosexual with homoerotic subtext in my fics, just as he was in canon. I don't want to fall into the trap of assuming that just because he acts a certain way we can make assumptions about his sexuality. That's why a lot of assumptions about Andrew tend to bother me.

Actually, the reason I asked was because, judging from all the fics I'd read, fans saw Andrew as completely homosexual without even an inkling of an attraction for the opposite sex. Since, if he was completely gay on the show, he wasn't even out of the closet yet, this confused me. Anyway, I always just assumed he was bi and hadn't admitted it to himself yet.

Thanks for your answers; you cleared a lot of things up ;o)

Thanks for the links!

(and I love your icon)

Well, yes, it's pronounced "meem." It's not a perfect rhyme, but I have seen people claim it's pronounced "mehm" or "me-me."

I'm glad you've never been subjected to Faith Winters. I've read that name far too many times.

General

What does RPS stand for?

Real People Slash

I'm aware OTP means pairing of choice, but what do the letters stand for?

One True Pairing

Where did the term 'squee' originate and how come so many people use it?

Not a clue.

LJ

What's a meme? Does it mean memory?

It means an idea which spreads around like a virus -- on LJ it tends to be used for surveys, quizzes, and other stuff which is made to passed around as same.

How do you tag someone? What does it mean?

You point at them and say "you're it", thus asking them to fill in the survey, reply to the roleplaying comment, or otherwise perform the requested action.

What does the term "gak" mean?

To borrow/steal/appropriate, as in a quiz or survey or "meme" above.

Fanon

-How do people feel about using fanon? For instance, some fic writers use the name "O'Connor" for Liam (mostly in all-human AUs, which I don't really read, but whatever). Do you frown upon writers who use this name? Does it throw you off when writers don't use this name? Do you yourself consciously just avoid ever getting anywhere near the characters' surnames just to avoid the issue?

I hate it. It must be an exceptional story for me not to quit reading at this point.

-From where did O'Connor-as-Liam's-surname originate, anyway?

No idea.

-Does Spike have a commonly used last name? What about Faith? What about Darla, whose first name we know isn't hers, and Drusilla, whose first name is almost certianly not hers?

No idea.

-This is a much debated topic, but is there even a marginal consensus regarding the age of Spike?

I always figured mid-20s when vamped. Since then we know, or would if I could do math, since the turning sequence had a year on.

-Buffy smells like vanilla in a lot of fics. What's up with that?

Heck if I know.

-Does canon make Buffy out to be a natural blonde? I.e., is her altar of love, her carnal trap, her eye that weeps most when best pleased, her bearded clam, her garden of eden, her nest of curls blonde in most fics? What? Just asking.

I always figured she's naturally dirty blond, so the head hair is artificially lightened but not totally brunette in its natural state.

-Is there a generally accepted explanation for how vampires get it up?

Magic. :)

-Is the idea that vampires "pretend" to breath in order to look natural a fanon thing, or was it on the show?

My memory's hazy, but I believe it was sort of on the show, via Angel's explanation of why he can't give Buffy CPR. (I don't think he actually got into motivation. Just said it doesn't work like real breath. Although you'd think it would be even more effective, since he hasn't removed all the oxygen already.)

-Does nobody use the fact that Angelus wears eye-liner in fics?

Hee! If they don't, they should.

-Is Andrew ever a heterosexual in fics?

Sometimes.

General again

-Whatever happened to Miss Kitty Fantastico? Did Dawn really shoot her with a crossbow?

Hey! It was an accident! And I'm going with yes, since it makes more sense than "we forgot", although it's amazing Evil Willow didn't rip off her eyebrows for that.

-Do vampires sweat?

No. Since apparently they only get the cool bodily functions -- come, blood, and tears, but no peeing.

-What're some (slang) words for the dominant partner in a D/s relationship? I.e., some for the sub are: bitch, punk, sister (in prison), et al. I've just been drawing blank on their counterparts for about a week, now.

Fuck if I know. Dom, Master, owner, boss, Daddy are not exactly slang -- but then doms don't tend to encourage the familiarity.

-Does anyone besides me hate Joyce Summers' guts in a visceral, it's-even-alright-to-character-bash sort of way?

Yeah huh. Even more so at the time of first airing.

-Have you ever not been able to find relatively common words for weeks at a time? (I once spent a month looking for the word 'conceited')

No, sorry.

-Am I the only (character) Angel squeeing fangirl who didn't find David Boreanaz convincing as Angel at times? (don't get me wrong; most of the time he was great.)

Not applicable, Angel makes my inner Spike squee but leaves me pretty lukewarm.

-Can David Boreanaz sing better than Angel?

Dear lord I hope so.

-What is the IQ of David Boreanaz? Is it really as low as it seems sometimes?

I hope not.

*snicker* bearded calm? really?

As for the fic, it's entitled 'A Butterfly Dream of Sand and Sky'. It was meant to be second in a trilogy that began with Secrets Not Long Buried but that I never actually finished. The triology I mean, not the fic.

So, go forth and read. I hope you enjoy.

There's also bearded axe wound. I don't make these things up. Really. (They're in my slang dictionary ;o)

Thanks so much for the links; I'm looking forward to reading.

Hey! It was an accident! And I'm going with yes, since it makes more sense than "we forgot", although it's amazing Evil Willow didn't rip off her eyebrows for that.

That would've been so cool.

No. Since apparently they only get the cool bodily functions -- come, blood, and tears, but no peeing.

Because ew? They'd piss blood. But sweat can be cool. In a hot kinda way.

Not applicable, Angel makes my inner Spike squee but leaves me pretty lukewarm.

Hey, no big--as long as he keeps your inner Spike satisfied...

These were fabulous. The way you reveal what happened with Buffy in the first one was really well done--though what happened was so utterly horrific. Are you ever going to finish?

I especially liked "A Butterfly..." The flow of the languange and your images were really beautiful. I especially enjoyed Buffy and Spike's part in Tara's dream. The whole thing was very . . . swirly.

What is the IQ of David Boreanaz? Is it really as low as it seems sometimes?
I met David at the Angel/Buffy Event in Chicago last year and he came across as very witty and intelligent in the Q and A's. Had everybody laughing and rolling in the aisles. I talked to him a little bit at the autograph signing and he is really very sweet. I am hearing impaired and when I told him I was, he tried to do sign language at me. I told him I don't know sign, that I read lips so he made sure to look right at me and spoke slowly and clearly so I could read his lips. He also remembered me and about my being hearing impaired when I got my pic taken with him and later with him and Christian. Also, he did direct an Angel episode and is supposed to direct something else, I forget what so I would say he is at least above average intelligence but is also a total goofball. And he is tall, 6'1. Since I'm only 5'3, he looks a head taller at least in my pics of him with me.

Aww! From everyone who's met him I've gotten the impression that he's incredibly nice and down to earth, and knows exactly how to handle obsessed fans like us (or like me anyway ;o) But the him being clever part knocks me dead every time. I've only seen him in a single interview--not even that--but something just about the way he comes across on screen makes me question his intelligence. Which is unkind of me to say, so I'll stop.

And I'm 6'1" in heels, so . . . you see my dilemma. I just don't wear heels ;o)

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