New Ships and Character Love
So I never really got Faith. Buffy's always been the character who I see the 'verse through, sometimes Spike, but pretty much always Buffy. So my sympathy wasn't really roused by Faith. I'd always viewed her as a potential threat to Buffy, someone too unstable to count on until her return in Season 7. But even then, I didn't connect with her deeply.
And then I wrote a chapter in "TYSK" where Buffy and Faith worked side by side. And I finally wrote Faith, connected with Faith in that way you have to do in order to write a character (for me, this process goes into understanding strengths and vulnerabilities and heart - the essence of the character's desire as a person). I peeled back the layers and worked to understand her and in doing so, loads of appreciation and love came forth.
So I finally got Faith, the character. Then yesterday, I wrote Faith and Buffy with the sexual innuendo and subtext. And wow, now I get Fuffy (it's so much fun!). Which is odd because for a long time now, I've only ever cared about Spike/Buffy as a 'ship. And it made me wonder - am I becoming a Fuffy writer? Is my love of Spuffy diminishing?
I realized no, that wasn't it. Because in my head when I imagined writing Fuffy, it's somehow compliant with Spuffy. Fuffy for the earlier seasons, Spuffy for the later. And if post-series Fuffy were to ever occur in my writing - well, I've already imagined it to be more like an OT3. Is Faith/Buffy/Spike even considered an OT3? Because it's now mine. Why? Because Faith and Spike are the ones needed to break through the walls Buffy has set up around herself, her mask. They're the earth-shakers and Buffy's earth needs shaking. :P
*resists letting this new ship alter future story of TYSK because that is so not the plan - might need to write OT3ness oneshot to get it out of my system*
And then I wrote a chapter in "TYSK" where Buffy and Faith worked side by side. And I finally wrote Faith, connected with Faith in that way you have to do in order to write a character (for me, this process goes into understanding strengths and vulnerabilities and heart - the essence of the character's desire as a person). I peeled back the layers and worked to understand her and in doing so, loads of appreciation and love came forth.
So I finally got Faith, the character. Then yesterday, I wrote Faith and Buffy with the sexual innuendo and subtext. And wow, now I get Fuffy (it's so much fun!). Which is odd because for a long time now, I've only ever cared about Spike/Buffy as a 'ship. And it made me wonder - am I becoming a Fuffy writer? Is my love of Spuffy diminishing?
I realized no, that wasn't it. Because in my head when I imagined writing Fuffy, it's somehow compliant with Spuffy. Fuffy for the earlier seasons, Spuffy for the later. And if post-series Fuffy were to ever occur in my writing - well, I've already imagined it to be more like an OT3. Is Faith/Buffy/Spike even considered an OT3? Because it's now mine. Why? Because Faith and Spike are the ones needed to break through the walls Buffy has set up around herself, her mask. They're the earth-shakers and Buffy's earth needs shaking. :P
*resists letting this new ship alter future story of TYSK because that is so not the plan - might need to write OT3ness oneshot to get it out of my system*