lettered | Questions Post #1

What does RPS stand for? Real Person Slash. RPF is Real Person Fic. As in stories written about the celebrities, not the characters they play. It's very accepted in certain fandoms (Lord of the Rings) and not so much in others. Jossverse tends to fall in the middle. I run an archive for RPS in Jossverse- ficbitch.com/glitter.

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

How do you tag someone? What does it mean? Playing a Role Play Game of any sort, when your turn is over, you 'tag' the next person you want to respond.

What does the term "gak" mean? To borrow or steal.

Fanon
-Is the idea that vampires "pretend" to breath in order to look natural a fanon thing, or was it on the show?Fanon. Joss said "actors have to breathe, damn them." when asked.

-Is Andrew ever a heterosexual in fics? Is he ever heterosexual on the show?

General again

-Does anyone besides me hate Joyce Summers' guts in a visceral, it's-even-alright-to-character-bash sort of way? I'm right there with you, Sparky.

-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.) Only when they wrote Angel AS David Boreanaz- as in S3, with Baby!Connor, and any time Angel was a geek. That? Was Dave.

-Can David Boreanaz sing better than Angel? Much.

-What is the IQ of David Boreanaz? Is it really as low as it seems sometimes? In person he's articulate, funny, and fucking hot. TBQ and I have a theory about him playing a happy puppy to sneak in the back door and become a big time director one day while noone's looking, much like that guy from Star Trek. Dave, however, interviews very badly. Mostly because he doesn't know when to shut the fuck up.

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?

So many thigs seem to be classed as 'fact' but are in fact just 'details' invented by the fans. O'Connor is one of these - it invaraiably makes me wince, and I can't help thinking, "make your own up, for goodness sake…" but it doesn't throw me that much once I've got over the initial ouch.

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

Fiction

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

This one drives me nuts, and I've asked this on the forum.

-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.

Excuse me? Um… she's shaved, isn't she?

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

Who cares, as long as it's the size of the Royal barge…

-Is Andrew ever a heterosexual in fics?

Must be one somewhere.

General again

-Do vampires sweat?

Angel does - all over the place.

-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.

Well, particapants in this choose their own, so it can be anything. But common ones are: Sir, Daddy, Master.

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

Well, he's got more money than me, so I'm saying nothing!

Hi...popped over from 12 months... first I'll answer what I can (that hasn't already been answered)... then a question...

Ok...
How do you tag someone... as well as the answer given you can also tag someone on their tag-board ... many websites have them... just a way of keeping in touch.

O'Connor personally makes me cringe... and it comes from Connor's name... REALLY original, hey?! I have used Connor as Angel's father's first name... cause I figured the chances were reasonably high that he would have named his son after his father... but as a last name... *cringe*!!

Why Buffy is often said to smell of vanilla... I have NO idea... obviously someone decided it in a fic once... and others have followed suit.

I have never seen Buffy written as a natural blonde... them their curls are brown! lol.

I think there is a generally accepted consensus (at least among Spuffies)that Spike breathes out of habit... to be different... and also to piss Angel/us off. lol.

Spike was turned in 1880 and is generally written to be between 24 and 26 when he was turned.

I have seen Andrew paired with Dawn... so yeah!

Generally accepted that NO vampires do not sweat.

OK... now on to the question.... I really enjoy your writing... and was wondering if you mind me friending you? Now... if you don't want to have a *gasp* Spuffy on your flist that is perfectly ok... and I won't take offense I can assure you. lol.... ok... have procrastinated as much as I can... off to try and cajole a muse into doing as he is asked... **grumbles about lazy uncooperative muse!**

What's a meme? Does it mean memory?

As far as I know it's just something you post that gets passed around. Like a survey or a quiz and someone says "reply to this then post it on your own journal." And then they do, and their friends do... I don't know if you were hoping for a more specific definition. I do know that I recently found out I've been pronouncing it wrong and that it should be 'MEEM'.

-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?

O'Connor I can deal with, just so long as it's a fic in which there is no Connor, because Connor O'Connor is just mean. And, yes, I'd normally just avoid the issue.

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

The same place as Buffy-smells-like vanilla? I think it's the only Irish name a lot of them can think of.

-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?

Out of those, I've only heard that Faith's last name was said to be Lehane by Joss sometime earlier this year... purely because fic writers/rpgers had been pestering him!

-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've normally seen avoidance of the color being mentioned.

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

Ha. That's one I'd like to know. "It's mystical."

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

Well, we do see vamps breathing on the show, which bugs me to no end because it's usually when they've been running and are out of breath, but no one's around to fake for, so... but I don't seem to remember the fake to look natural thing on the show.

General again

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

So I've heard.

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

Aww, no! I love her to bits. Wouldn't trade my mother in for her, but I think she was a good mom in the end, if a little misguided at times.

-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')

Yes!!

-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.)

No. There were times.

Hope I was helpful! That's quite a random assortment of questions there.

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 generally try to avoid fanon where possible, aside from minor things. (I assume that Faith, being from Boston, is likely a big Boston Red Sox fan...) But that's about it. Because the show never gave last names for several characters - almost any last name a writer gives for them is going to seem weird to me.

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

This is one of many that have used. Generally, people knew he was Irish so assumed his human last name must have been O'Something. I guess, "O'Connor" is the most recent favorite, but I've seen plenty of others.

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

I'm not sure. I think he'd have been in his mid-thirties - perhaps

peasant_ has discussed this more... A Victorian-era mother wouldn't worry so much about her son not marrying if he were still only 25....

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

In some interview SMG once mentioned she used vanilla one time. People run with it. I'm told there's actually a scene of her in the bathroom, where her bodywash is apple-scented. People just like the vanilla because it's thematic with the blonde hair and the sunshine...

-Does canon make Buffy out to be a natural blonde?

In S2's "Killed By Death" there's a flashback to Buffy-as-little girl, and her hair is brown. In S5's "Weight of the World", in Buffy's mind, the young Buffy is a blonde girl. And when Buffy comes out of the grave in S6, her hair is brown... I think. I operate under the assumption that Buffy's natural hair color is the same light brown as SMG's. I also assume that Willow's natural hair color is also brown, and not red - seeing as Willow doesn't have red hair in S1 or S2.

Most writers, though, leave them as Blonde and Red. People generally don't make their decision to dye or not dye hair plot points - aside from Willow's mother taking months to notice her new S3 hairstyle.

I am ambivalent about Joyce - I don't want to bash either of Buffy's parents too hard, because genetics... I'd like to believe they've had some good qualities to pass on to her.

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

He's a hyper goofball, but this just makes him amusing to me. I don't know if it has any bearing on his IQ. It's just jarring to note how completely different he is from the character he was playing.

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?

Fiction I think. I don't think Liam's surname was ever established. O'Connor strikes me as a "Smith" or "Patel" kind of name - ubiquitous for a certain ethnic group. I use "Riordan" for my Liam/Angel's surname - named for my Methaphysics professor who was found passed out drunk in front of the library one night and had to go on "leave" for the rest of the semester.

-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?

Apparently, the new Spike comic coming out this month has William before he was turned and his surname is... Pratt. I kid you not. Faith's been given the surname "LaHane" apparently. I don't know about Darla or Dru.

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

I heard that SMG once made a comment in an interview (many years ago), in which she mentioned liking a certain vanilla scent. It made its way into fanon.

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

Mystical mojo? Just like the fact that vamps can be poisoned and drugged and don't reflect in a miror (but can be videotaped). [/disbelief] Whatever it takes to make vampire smut possible works for me.

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

I'd guess fanon. On the show Angel says he can't revive Buffy because he has no breath. But he manages to speak which requires filling his lungs with air and passing it across his vocal chords. *la-la-la* [/disbelief]

-Is Andrew ever a heterosexual in fics? Only in the distorted reality of TGiQ as far as I can recall, and those women were probably beards.

General again

-Do vampires sweat? Mmmm... sweaty Angel... What? [/disbelief]

-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.)

Dork Angel (season 3 of AtS) was an abomination. Angel was totally unconvincing as the regular-Joe-manpire. I think the WB wanted him to be "more accessible" (i.e: dumbed-down) in the belief that it would bring in higher raters among certain demographics, but it had the opposite affect.
-Can David Boreanaz sing better than Angel? Apparently yes.

-What is the IQ of David Boreanaz? Is it really as low as it seems sometimes? I don't think he's stupid at all, but the writers and crew used to call David "Captain Non-sequiter" on the set for his leaps of ... nonsensicality. It's just part of what makes him deliciously quirky.

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

I personally used it before I saw it in other fanfiction and LONG before Connor, whoever said it was from Connor above. And then I saw it everywhere. Obviously I'm not implying I started it, just I used it before I saw it elsewhere.

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

Think this has been answered. Interview with SMG.

-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.

Well, I personally write Buffy as a natural blonde, as her younger self was, (although in Killed by Death she wasn't, but oh well.) I realise SMG isn't, but I just keep Buffy as one.

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

Not seen it.

-Is Andrew ever a heterosexual in fics?

Probably somewhere.

General again

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

Yes, she said it to Xander as she was getting in the car before the stupid taser thing.

-Do vampires sweat?

Up to you.

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

I don't hate her. I dislike her at times, but I think she was trying to do what she thought was right, but just failing.

-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.)

I much prefer broody Angel, not the other Angel, but I think most people do.

-Can David Boreanaz sing better than Angel?

Apparently he sings really well, but have never heard.

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

When I met him he was really nice and came across much better than some of his interviews, in which he does seems a twerp.

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

I think it represents that high pitched squeal that 12 year old girls use as a greeting.

-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 fanon in general. And I avoid the last name issue. Joss has given his official blessing to Faith Lehane and William (Spike) Pratt.

-Buffy smells like vanilla in a lot of fics. What's up with that?
Out of all the fanon you find in fic, this is my most hated. Well, one of my most hated. SMG once mentioned that she sometimes liked vanilla perfume and the avalanche began. Personally, I would think that a vampire would smell lots of stuff besides her perfume - her soap, lotion, deodorant, her sweat, etc.

-Does canon make Buffy out to be a natural blonde?
Most fic avoids the issue, but I've seen it both ways. I read a very funny fic in which Willow, Anya, Buffy and Spike all run into each other as they're buying hair dye. And I once wrote a drabble on the subject.

Is there a generally accepted explanation for how vampires get it up?
Joss once commented that if they couldn't, the show would have ended after two episodes. How they hell do they walk around and talk? I never sweat the magical stuff. I figure the body chemisrty is completely different. (On a related and gross note, I assume that they don't digest at all. If they eat food, it goes out just the way it came in. No wonder Angel avoids food.)

-Is the idea that vampires "pretend" to breath in order to look natural a fanon thing, or was it on the show?
It was never mentioned on the show but I don't think it's an unreasonable assumption. I think most people would notice if Joe Blow wasn't breathing.

-Does nobody use the fact that Angelus wears eye-liner in fics?
Sadly, he gets over the Maybelline fixation in AtS season 4. And I've never seen it mentioned in a fic. (The thought that Angel is in horrible pain, stumbling out of bed but first applies a little eye product before he leaves cracks me up no end.)

-Is Andrew ever a heterosexual in fics?
There is a fair amount of Dawn/Andrew out there. No, I don't get it either.

-Whatever happened to Miss Kitty Fantastico? Did Dawn really shoot her with a crossbow?
I don't think Dawn would lie about that, so, yup.

-Do vampires sweat?
I'm gonna go with no. Why would they? Angel sweating in Grad. Day seemed like an unusual phenomena.

-Does anyone besides me hate Joyce Summers' guts in a visceral, it's-even-alright-to-character-bash sort of way?
I like Joyce. She was often clueless, she often had a head-in-the-sand attitude, but I never doubted that she loved Buffy and would go to the ends of the earth for her.As opposed to Willow's and Xander's parents.

-Am I the only (character) Angel squeeing fangirl who didn't find David Boreanaz convincing as Angel at times?
I thought the writers didn't write a convincing Angel at times. And DB wasn't much of an actor when he started, but that quickly changed. ("Why you ridin' me." WTF? Has there ever been a more un-Angel utterance?)

-What is the IQ of David Boreanaz? Is it really as low as it seems sometimes?
I think David enjoys messing with people and will say anything that pops into his head. Or, possibly he drops acid.

Most of these have already been answered, but I just thought I'd throw in my two cents . . .
-Does nobody use the fact that Angelus wears eye-liner in fics?
I know I saw a reference to this once but I can't remember where. It was something along the lines of Buffy wishing that he still wore eyeliner because it was easier that way to remember he was evil.
-Do vampires sweat?
In the original script for "Band Candy", Angel is described as "glistening with perspiration" in the Tai Chi scene.
-Does anyone besides me hate Joyce Summers' guts in a visceral, it's-even-alright-to-character-bash sort of way?
I don't hate her, but I'm not her biggest fan. I think I've seen a couple of Joyce-centric fan sites, and I'm sure there are a few bash sites out there too.

The Fanfiction Glossary is an entertaining resource. It keeps up-to-date via

theglossary.

Most of these questions have been answered, far better than I could probably answer them...and I have been greatly entertained.

DB is smart, I think...and in RL...just about the *most* charming person I have ever met. He does, however, have a fixation on sports. In a "he never shuts up about them" sorta way. Still, the man is TOO pretty for words in RL, so who cares. He talks, I swoon.

I see that most (probably all) of your questions have been answered already, but I thought I'd interject my own opinion as well.

As to how I feel about using fanon: it depends what sort of fanon. I don't really like the Liam O'Connor bit, because it just sounds so blatantly Irish, like the writers are trying too hard. I do use the fandom word "childe" though.

As to Spike's last name, I've seen "Sullivan" used a few times, and I like it. William Sullivan is a good, realistic name, plus boys called Sullivan were sometimes nick-named "Spike," so it could work that way too.

The Age Of Spike is something that I try not to think about. I just say "approximately one hundred and thirty" and leave it at that.

Vampire sweat and breathing: If you've noticed, Angel breathes a lot when he's freaked out or in pain, in fact, he nearly hyperventilates. I think it's a left-over reflex from his human years, unnecessary, but habit. Same with Spike's breathing. Also, vamps have to inhale in order to speak or to smoke, so yes, they do breathe, even if they don't have to. They sweat, too. They shouldn't, but we see them do it, so it must be true.

As to how vamps get it up: well, they're supposed to have no circulation, but that can't be true because they bleed when they're cut, and if their blood didn't circulate then it would all pool in places like their shoulders and bottom when they lay down for a while, like blood does in human corpses. So I think the general consensus is that their blood circulates very slowly (it's a mystical thing, best not thought to closely about it, like Spike's age or the fact that Angelus can grow facial hair but Spike, even when he gets captured for long periods of time, doesn't even grow stubble).

If you're looking for Andrew het fics, google "Funnel Cakes and Flying Monkeys," the Andrew fiction archive. Some links to it are dead, though, so you have to look around for it.

Angel wears eyeliner in fics? Really? Why was I not aware?

Okay, I'll answer some... probably most have been answered by someone more fandom literate than me but meh.

RPS mean Real Person Sex

OTP means one true pairing. OT3, a not often used relation, means One True Threesome.

Squee = no idea. I never asked.

Meme is actually a word. It means "A unit of cultural information, such as a cultural practice or idea, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another."

Tagging someone means asking them to do something next. I don't know why.

Gak means to take. I never use it, so I don't know why it means that.

The O'Connor thing and last name thing in general. Some people (not me or anything ::cough::) just pull last names out of the air. Other people have very specific last names chosen for very specific reasons. Where "accepted" last names come form is a total mystery to me. Well, except the last names we already know.

Marginal consensus on Spike's age when turned: somewhere in his twenties, earlier rather than later.

romanyg says 26. She's the only one I know with a definite age. All I know that it is not James Marster's real age which is definitely not early twenties. Spike's age as a vampire counting the day he was turned as a birthday: 120 at Fool for Love. Prior to that it was 126 in The Intitative and "barely 200" in School Hard.

From what I have heard, the vanilla thing was based on an interview SMG gave where she said she wore vanilla scented perfume. This is one of those little things in fic that annoy the hell out of me, so I'll forebear speaking on the topic.

As to her blondeness. Considering that in season one her hair was a very dark blonde, almost brown, I would say no. But hey, who knows.

I wish people would put Angelus in eyeliner once in awhile. But I am a firm believer that all boys look better in black eyeliner, so I'm biased.

Andrew is written as Het in some fic (usually with Dawn, no idea why) but, as much as I hate stereotyping, the boy is so gay Liberace wants his jewellery back.

Miss Kitty Fantastico's fate is up in the air, but i do think Dawn might have accidently crossbowed her. Because as much as I love cats. it's sorta funny.

I don't know a lot about D/S, so the one's I know best are dom and sub, and top and bottom. But mostly dom and sub.

I like Joyce in a vague way, but have never written a fic about her or including her, so maybe there's some latent dislike.

as for Angel/DB questions, I have nothing, because yeah. Spike fan. Sorry. But I like Angel a lot!

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.

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.

-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.

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.

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.

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