Spuffel

[shapinglight]

These smooshed up names for 'ships can be very silly, even irritating, but I do like this one. It sounds like the name of a disgruntled teddy bear.

So anyway, the latest semi-official (and very badly worded) Word From On High about the whole who does Buffy love most, Spike or Angel, revolving around that little threesome fantasy panel from one of the early Buffy comics (for full details of which go here), has got me thinking about S/B/A as a threesome again.



This has no bearing on Georges Jeanty's right to have an opinion, by the way, before anyone says it does. He believes that Buffy loves Angel more than Spike, fine. Lots of people do. He also believes that she has some kind of feelings for Spike, though it's hard to make out what exactly, and unfortunately in his attempt to explain it, poor Mr Jeanty manages to make Buffy look like an enormous slut who is stringing two men along, but never mind. Essentially, Jeanty's view, as is the view of many others, is that the level of feeling between B/A and S/B is unequal and weighted towards B/A.

Come to think of it, I've probably read fanfics where the threesome was written like that. And I may have read some where the weighting went the other way. There may even have been some where poor Buffy was getting in the way of the pure, true love of Spangel. However, I don't think I've ever read one where the relationships between the three participants were all equal.

There are some that are very good, among which I include missmurchison's hilarious S/B/A trilogy. There are probably some others too that I enjoyed at the time and have forgotten, or possibly found vaguely unsatisfying and have forgotten. But I've forgotten them, so I can't link to them. However, I haven't managed to write one myself (Vampire Winter was the closest I ever got, and that's not very close at all). I've been wondering why that is and have decided it's because I can't think of an earthly reason why these three characters would threesome-up, even though I like the idea and it's the obvious solution to the 'shipper wars.

I want to write one, though, and have decided that the best way to approach it might be as I approached Spike/Buffy as a settled pairing in The Worst Journey in the World- ie. showing it as a fait accompli and not the whole point of the story. This will have the dual effect of not making me have to spend hours racking my brains to try and work out how these three characters - Spike in particular - would go for this, and also not having to write a threesome sex scene, which I'm sure I would do very badly.

Actually, even though I love smut - yay!for smut! - I think I'd be inclined to try and write an S/B/A story where there's no smut at all. Hmm, maybe I won't write that Spangel story for plot_wout_porn after all?

Or, I could just take Georges Jeanty's idea and run with it.

Angel: Buffy, where are you going? Didn't you say home is where the heart is?
Buffy: I did, but I'm having one of my periodic bouts of being fed up of you hogging the TV remote and brooding a lot. I'm off to the cabin in the woods for some R&R with Spike.
Spike (out in the cabin in the woods): I'm bored! :chops another log, twiddles thumbs, sighs: Being the holiday getaway is all very well, but at least she could have got me cable.

Comments

[hello-spikey.livejournal.com]

I still hang my jaw in confusion that anyone sees B/A as other than a ship that sailed... I mean... did they not watch after season 3?

But okay, yeah... it takes all kinds. I mean, some people think Xander is hot. *shudder*

So, yeah. When I get near Spuffel, it's usually Buffy and Angel both want Spike and have to put up with sharing... hee.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

You consider Jeanty to be an official word on high? I don't. IMHO, it's about on par with Fury and Noxon boughts of fandom inflammatory insanity. And I really wondered whether Jeanty realized that his description of Buffy was basically calling her a preadatory bitch? (Actually, I don't wonder. I don't think that Jeanty 'got' that at all from his description. I just wonder how he justifies (in his mind) saying that Buffy uses Spike for an ego boost and thinking this doesn't reflect on her horribly).

[yourlibrarian]

Oooh, a S/B/A from you! And as an established relationship at that (there are always a dearth of these).

[ubi4soft.livejournal.com]

*According to Jeanty

Buffy: Oh, Angel, you're my one true love and in order to appreciate better I need to spent some time/sex with Spike.

Jeez!

[elisi]

::ignores Jeanty::

the best way to approach it might be as I approached Spike/Buffy as a settled pairing in The Worst Journey in the World- ie. showing it as a fait accompli and not the whole point of the story.
That's how I approached it in my fic - or rather, I had S/A as the settled pairing, and then only had to work out how to add Buffy. :) I look forward to seeing what you might come up with.

[sueworld2003.livejournal.com]

More useless old crap spouting from so called professionals who ought to know better then be dragged into this kinda thing. *rolls eyes*

The more DH's reps keep coming out with this sort of thing, the more I try and ignore them.

[rebcake.livejournal.com]

Well, you know me. I never like to see Angel getting any, so I think the idea of a non-pr0ny established real-life, capital-R, relationship between them is...neat. It certainly comes with a whole raft of interesting emotional conundrums. Not the least of which is that it could be very isolating for the three of them.

[beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com]

Well, on the other hand, Jeanty presumably knows what's going to happen in the rest of the comic, which - being brand new to the series - will probably colour his interpretation...

Spike (out in the cabin in the woods): I'm bored! :chops another log, twiddles thumbs, sighs: Being the holiday getaway is all very well, but at least she could have got me cable.

Heee!

[next_to_normal]

*eyeroll* at Jeanty, though I do love your little snippet. Poor cableless Spike.

I've been wondering why that is and have decided it's because I can't think of an earthly reason why these three characters would threesome-up, even though I like the idea and it's the obvious solution to the 'shipper wars.

Same here, lol. Mostly, I can't see Spike and Angel ever agreeing to share Buffy.

Perhaps the reason no one writes an equal relationship among all three is because it's hard to see a perfectly equal relationship happening? I imagine that a threesome with those characters would be fraught with insecurity, with each of them assuming the other two love each other more and feeling like the odd one out. (rahirah wrote a drabble series to that effect.) Even though all three relationships work separately, there are so many other unresolved issues surrounding them that love might not be enough to make it work as a threesome. (Now that I think about it, I'd like to see a threesome fic that explored all those issues, without the need to make it a functional relationship.)

[sentine.livejournal.com]

at least she could have got me cable

and booze!

[shapinglight]

So, yeah. When I get near Spuffel, it's usually Buffy and Angel both want Spike and have to put up with sharing... hee.

A woman after my own heart. That said, I do want to try writing Spuffel where it's equal in every way, which I think will be very tricky.

Maybe I should set it in a dimension where Spike, Buffy and Angel are the only inhabitants? That might work.

[shapinglight]

You consider Jeanty to be an official word on high?

Not really, no. In fact, not at all. A lot less than Noxon and Fury, whose views might well have influenced Joss.

And I really wondered whether Jeanty realized that his description of Buffy was basically calling her a preadatory bitch?

I'm sure he doesn't. He'd probably be mortified if he realised how it comes across. He always strikes me as a very nice man who is basically clueless about fandom. In this instance, he was probably trying to please everyone in line with his own views and has ended up digging a big hole for poor Buffy.

[shapinglight]

I hope to do it. I'd have to think of a plot first, though. Dealing with the 'ship(s) will be a lot easier if I have a plot and a setting.

[shapinglight]

Yes, poor man! I don't think he realises what he's said.

[shapinglight]

I think I'll have to handle it as a threesome right from the start. Not sure I can do it otherwise. The whole thing is just so prickly, mainly because of Spike, who would probably agree with Georges Jeanty as to how he thinks the dynamic works out.

[shapinglight]

Have to admit, this one amused me slightly, because I really don't think Jeanty thought through the implications of what he was saying about Buffy at all.

[beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com]

I think that's why he's chopping wood. I'm pretty sure vampires can drink wood alcohol without any serious damage.

Then he plays sock puppet theatre in lieu of cable. "Oh, Buffy, I love you so broodily." "Sod off, Angel, I'm going to be with Spike. Any minute now."

Poor Spike.

[shapinglight]

Not the least of which is that it could be very isolating for the three of them.

You mean from other people, I suppose, rather than from each other? Yes, I can see quite a few of their friends and acquaintances not taking it terribly well.

Maybe my idea of exiling the three of them to an otherwise empty dimension is the way to go?

[sueworld2003.livejournal.com]

Oh he's just another 'comic book guy'. I think they're incapable of seeing the world through a females eyes. *g*

[shapinglight]

Well, on the other hand, Jeanty presumably knows what's going to happen in the rest of the comic, which - being brand new to the series - will probably colour his interpretation...

:sigh: No doubt. Who knows? Maybe the final issue will feature Buffy and Angel's dream wedding, from which Buffy will slip away to snog Spike in the ladies' loo? Or Buffy and Angel renewing their lovers' vows (did they ever do lovers' vows, I can't remember?), while Spike stands off to the side looking pensive and sad, until Buffy winks at him over Angel's shoulder?

Okay, scraping the barrel now.

[shapinglight]

Dear me, yes! How could I have forgotten that? And great icon.

[shapinglight]

Then he plays sock puppet theatre in lieu of cable. "Oh, Buffy, I love you so broodily." "Sod off, Angel, I'm going to be with Spike. Any minute now."

Poor Spike.

Hee!

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

Well, on the other hand, Jeanty presumably knows what's going to happen in the rest of the comic

Given the vast range of interpretations of the original text, I wouldn't be sure that Jeanty's view of the rest of the comic isn't just that, Jeanty's view. One thing the Whedonverse tells us it's that Joss loves plausible deniability it lends itself to a multiplicity of interpretations.

[shapinglight]

Poor cableless Spike

And she forgot the booze. Buffy is not just a slut but a heartless one.

Mostly, I can't see Spike and Angel ever agreeing to share Buffy.

I can't either, plus I can see Buffy getting mightily fed up of the 'jealous vampire crap' and wandering off to do something more interesting.

Even though all three relationships work separately, there are so many other unresolved issues surrounding them that love might not be enough to make it work as a threesome. (Now that I think about it, I'd like to see a threesome fic that explored all those issues, without the need to make it a functional relationship.)

I believe that herself_nyc may have written something somewhat along those lines, but I can't remember the title. I tend to think the only way it could work and everyone was able to get over their insecurities (which I think Spike would suffer from the worst) would be if they were in extreme peril of some sort. Of course, the relationship(s) might only last while they were in that situation.

:ponders plot:

[elisi]

All Ways by kita0610 might be the best S/B/A fic ever.