IWRY Marathon *Reviews & Feedback*

Writing Faith was interesting! I need a Faith fan to come in and tell me how I did... paging @Mylie ! If you have a chance to read it tell me how I did with Faith.
 
dcai0830 said:
Writing Faith was interesting! I need a Faith fan to come in and tell me how I did... paging @Mylie ! If you have a chance to read it tell me how I did with Faith.
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I will read it for sure! Just very busy with work and school, but I’ll put that one at the top of my list!
 
Mrs Gordo
Mrs Gordo
No rush!
I just read Would They Go On Aching Still because @Grace recommended it to me so I was intrigued... Well, that was definitely right up my alley! So thanks a lot!! 🙂

I won't go through all the usual questions, because I'd love to have the time to read more fanfics tonight. But I do want to say that this IWRY event is giving me new appreciation for the genre. This fanfic was a clear example of what that form of literature can allow.

More specifically about the fic : I love how realistic and honest it was. And reading it, it was clear to me that Angel is definitely someone I would want close to me in this situation. His calm presence is kind of soothing and he's patient and understanding. I love the way the fanfic showed him being 100% present and there for her but not pushy and I don't think I'm just being biased thinking that this was in character. Another strength of the fic was the way Buffy's depression was handled. It not being something you can just get out of because everything in your life seems to be perfect and you should be happy. The Angel/Dawn stuff was adorable.

@dcai0830 I am about to read your fic so I'll let you know what I think of it soon! 🙂
 
Grace
Grace
Glad you liked it! I did too!
Mylie said:
. Another strength of the fic was the way Buffy's depression was handled. It not being something you can just get out of because everything in your life seems to be perfect and you should be happy. The Angel/Dawn stuff was adorable.
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This is exactly what I told author on AO3. It was very believable. I love that Buffy doesn’t magically get better because Angel is there. Depression is not often/always situational. It can be there when life is going great. I too felt Angel was written in character. I loved Flutternutter’s recognition that Angel too is affected by her depression and Buffy sees how much he is holding back and trying to let her lean on him on her own time. It was wonderfully done. Raw and real and just plain interesting.
 
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@dcai0830 I just read Conversations On a Rooftop.

First, great title! Love the Conversations With Dead People comparison (where Buffy gets kind of psychoanalyzed in both lol) and the plural form!

I loved Buffy's little moments of hesitation and confusion over how she feels.

Your voice for Faith was good. It's easy to go overboard with her but I thought she was recognizable (I could see/hear her in my head) and also faithful to her progression. It was definitely a mix of s7 and comics Faith. She's a lot wiser now, especially in the comics so the conversation fitted her new self. I particularly loved her line about her longest relationship. It made me smile and I thought it was very in character.

And the Always... such a perfect way to end this fic!
 
Mrs Gordo
Mrs Gordo
Thanks for your feedback :)
Grace said:
The 13th story is Turnabout by @Taaroko!
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Catching up on reviews:

As I said in AO3, your fics tend to crack me up. Thank you for reminding me that b/a doesn’t have to be all angst, or heavy all the time. S1 Buffy in her trench coat and sunglasses is hilarious. I love Angel’s reaction. The end is perfection.

It’s funny I never thought as @NileQT87 did that Angel was there for blood in 2x08 either. I understand that is a valid read though. I thought Buffy THOUGHT he was there for human blood but I though he was there just watching her back or something but now that I think about it, rather strange that he would show up there randomly. Overall though I agree that in true Angel form he would likely at least struggle with the idea of taking blood from people that needed it, but if something us damaged ... hey why not??

Grace said:
Today's story is Full Disclosure by @Taaroko.
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You do this so incredibly well. You take a canon scene and you make it your own and yet it feels like it could be part of the show. It’s a remarkable gift really. Props for getting Angel shirtless, I know that is your aim on every fic. 😉
 
Catching up again! Since all of these authors have written previous stories for the marathon, and I know they're all effective at capturing the voices of the characters and the B/A dynamic, I'm just going to focus on what I liked best.

That Names Were Carved on Us by fluffernutter8

I am not much of a fandom person outside of the Buffyverse, so I had never heard of the soulmate AU genre before (where a character has the first words their soulmate will say to them written on their bodies). But fluffernutter8 has such a deep kindness to all of her writing that she was able to carry me along with her. Odd but still beautiful in its own way. Her turns of phrase can be just breathtaking -- "certain as starvation," "a sob lives in his chest."

Full Disclosure by @Taaroko

More Season 1 B/A! This story is so fun and lovely and dreamy. I adore that Jonathan is the reason that this version of the episode Angel had to change. But I also love that the essential elements are still there -- vamp-out surprise, the cross burn, and of course the kissing! And we get an explanation for Angel's tattoo!

Conversations on Rooftops by @dcai0830

While of course I enjoyed this for its B/A theme, I love it even more because it's Buffy and Faith! I was so frustrated with S11 #12 for its shunting of Faith to the background. So I was jonesing for some Buffy and Faith time, and the fact that they connected over Angel was delicious frosting on the cake. It makes sense that Faith could play the role of uncomfortable truth-teller in the way that none of the current main cast could. And she's funny!

Also, I just love that @dcai0830 worked a "redemption buddies" reference in there.

Would They Go On Aching Still by fluffernutter8

I know my heart has gone on aching still since I read this! It's really gorgeous and one of my favorite fics of the marathon. Even though it's an AU, it feels true down to its bones. I really wish we could have seen this. Having Buffy go through a depression arc when everything around her is not the bleakest bleak that ever bleaked is a really compelling idea. In the later seasons, I want so badly for Buffy (and Dawn!) to have a person in her life who can help take care of her like this.

Stardust by xspike4evax

This is a heartbreaking 455 words! Once again, xspike4evax lands a solid punch to the gut with the last line.

I can't wait to read @Taaroko's latest! (I had "Invictus" open in the browser on my phone all summer to reread at will, so I take it as a good sign that it's the epigraph!) I'm definitely going to go back and reread Windows to the Soul first. That way I double my enjoyment of both, because my memory will be refreshed and I'll know I have more to look forward to. So we'll definitely have to keep this thread going into December! 🙂
 
Mrs Gordo
Mrs Gordo
Thanks for reading and for your feedback!
Just read Turnabout by @Taaroko and it is the cutest fic I have ever read! It made me crave for more s1 fanfics. It's definitely an era that makes you want more (probably because we have so little). I absolutely loved the conversation between Buffy and Angel, the role reversal and the little banter. Also, Angel's blank face at Buffy describing the events of I Robot, You Jane, lol...

That fic is now canon, as far as I'm concerned 🙂
 
Taaroko
Taaroko
Thank you so much! I've really enjoyed writing cute S1 Buffy/Angel inserts. Still trying to figure out what I could do for "Puppet Show" and "Nightmares," since those are the only ones left.
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