5 works that made me giggle immoderately
I read a wide range of fic and pairings, and I enjoy teh angst and meaningful meditations on our beloved characters as much as the next gal. If I'm honest with myself, though, what delights me the most is laughing at those same characters when I find them in unexpected situations. (And if they fall down, literally or metaphorically, so much the better. I'm cruel that way.) With this self-awareness firmly in mind, I looked back over the year to the creative offerings that not only left me with a big smile on my face but that I return to when I need a little pick-me-up. Here they are, in order of discovery:
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1. The Caseus Prize by philips
Diabolically hilarious Spuffy ficlet, R for "sexual wackiness." A tale of cheese voodoo gone wrong that makes Spike do things that would mortify even an (un)dead man. Combine a Big Bad who's fallen into a vat of curds n' bad!fic and the long-suffering Slayer who struggles to save his bacon while fending off his confused advances, and you have a recipe for some grade-A dairy-based comedy.
2. Xander Harris and the Dark Lord: An Excruciating Correspondence by powerofthebook.
PG-13. Laugh-out-loud/read-out-loud funny and oddly touching revelation of the letters exchanged by a manservant and his unholy prince during BtVS seasons 5 through 7. The correspondence is alluded to in the latest Season Eight comic, but it's certainly not necessary to have read the comics in order to appreciate the fic. Enjoy!
3. The Collected Works of riccadonna
PG at most. The artistically gifted riccadonna joined the fandom this year and uses her journal exclusively for the very generous purpose of making hand-drawn and stylistically diverse cartoon birthday and seasonal greetings that feature Spike and a variety of beloved comic book heroes. (Superman! Spiderman! The Hulk! David Bowie!) A perusal of her little collection is highly diverting and time well spent.
4. Spankin' New Limericks by rebcake
NC-17. rebcake started writing this year, and finding her fic has been one of the happier discoveries I've made. She has an uncanny knack for FITB and historical fic combined with a fine sense of the ridiculous. (Faith vs. Spock? The Scourge of Europe enjoying rhapsodizing over an evening of Gilbert & Sullivan? Bring it!) I can easily think of several fics of hers that made me giggle myself silly, but it's her very naughty Spuffy spanking FITB fic (in limerick form, no less!) that takes the cake for me.
5. Don't Stop by nautibitz
NC-17. This is nautibitz's self-proclaimed "canon swan song," and wow, what a way to go out. Set post-"Becoming," BtVS S2, this show-down between Spike and Buffy in a trashed demon saloon has it all: dead-on characterizations, hilarious dialogue & inner monologues, chemistry that won't quit, creative uses of mechanical bulls and soda siphons, and, oh yeah, smutty smut that is smutty. Funny this hot is a rarity and well-worth getting a Journey song lodged in your head for a couple of hours. Or, um, days. Depending on how many times you go back to re-read it. Okay, shutting up now!
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P.S. Since it's already been mentioned, rahirah's genre-bending addition to the Barbverse, Attack of the Cookie Monsters, didn't make this list. *whispers* You should totally check it out, though.
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1. The Caseus Prize by philips
Diabolically hilarious Spuffy ficlet, R for "sexual wackiness." A tale of cheese voodoo gone wrong that makes Spike do things that would mortify even an (un)dead man. Combine a Big Bad who's fallen into a vat of curds n' bad!fic and the long-suffering Slayer who struggles to save his bacon while fending off his confused advances, and you have a recipe for some grade-A dairy-based comedy.
2. Xander Harris and the Dark Lord: An Excruciating Correspondence by powerofthebook.
PG-13. Laugh-out-loud/read-out-loud funny and oddly touching revelation of the letters exchanged by a manservant and his unholy prince during BtVS seasons 5 through 7. The correspondence is alluded to in the latest Season Eight comic, but it's certainly not necessary to have read the comics in order to appreciate the fic. Enjoy!
3. The Collected Works of riccadonna
PG at most. The artistically gifted riccadonna joined the fandom this year and uses her journal exclusively for the very generous purpose of making hand-drawn and stylistically diverse cartoon birthday and seasonal greetings that feature Spike and a variety of beloved comic book heroes. (Superman! Spiderman! The Hulk! David Bowie!) A perusal of her little collection is highly diverting and time well spent.
4. Spankin' New Limericks by rebcake
NC-17. rebcake started writing this year, and finding her fic has been one of the happier discoveries I've made. She has an uncanny knack for FITB and historical fic combined with a fine sense of the ridiculous. (Faith vs. Spock? The Scourge of Europe enjoying rhapsodizing over an evening of Gilbert & Sullivan? Bring it!) I can easily think of several fics of hers that made me giggle myself silly, but it's her very naughty Spuffy spanking FITB fic (in limerick form, no less!) that takes the cake for me.
5. Don't Stop by nautibitz
NC-17. This is nautibitz's self-proclaimed "canon swan song," and wow, what a way to go out. Set post-"Becoming," BtVS S2, this show-down between Spike and Buffy in a trashed demon saloon has it all: dead-on characterizations, hilarious dialogue & inner monologues, chemistry that won't quit, creative uses of mechanical bulls and soda siphons, and, oh yeah, smutty smut that is smutty. Funny this hot is a rarity and well-worth getting a Journey song lodged in your head for a couple of hours. Or, um, days. Depending on how many times you go back to re-read it. Okay, shutting up now!
--
P.S. Since it's already been mentioned, rahirah's genre-bending addition to the Barbverse, Attack of the Cookie Monsters, didn't make this list. *whispers* You should totally check it out, though.