Fic Master List - Menstruation in the Buffyverse

[clawofcat]

Blood has always been an important element in the supternatural and magical context of the Buffyverse. As Spike says in The Gift, "It's always got to be blood. Blood is life. Why do you think we eat it? It's what keeps you going. Makes you warm. Makes you hard. Makes you other than dead."

And, yet, on a show where blood was central to the conflict

Comments

[riccadonna]

Interesting is not enough!
It's a subject that I either love passionately or hate with a vengeance, so this list will be the starting point for a lot of feeling...

[clawofcat]

It's a subject that I either love passionately or hate with a vengeance, so this list will be the starting point for a lot of feeling...
I hope these fics lend themselves to the "love passionately" reaction. I tried to list only stories that touch on elements of femininity/womanhood, subversion of gender taboos, and the bestial aspect of demonhood and vampirism. There are a few PWPs, which I've labeled, but nothing that's out of character (and, believe me, there were some I read that were cringeworthy).

I've always been a fan of blood as revelatory device and a gateway into some understanding about selfhood, so I'd like to think that the fics listed here fall under that line of thinking. Hope you enjoy!

[ms_scarletibis]

Zyrya has a great Spara one (one scene, though I feel as if there could have been another one...been awhile since I read it) called "Orbis Venustatis," and the description can be found here: http://strange_f.tripod.com/fan_fiction.htm

Now, she has a profile on LJ, but hasn't been on for years (as far as I know). I have a copy of it, however, if you'd like to check it out, let me know.

[clawofcat]

Shoot. It doesn't exist anywhere on the Internet anymore? That's so unfortunate. I can't link to it for everyone else to enjoy.

I'd love to personally have a look though. You can email me at clawofcat@aol.com. Thanks!

Btw, you look gorgeous with JM there. Very hot pic!

[ms_scarletibis]

Thanks!

And I believe I found a working link, though I'm emailing it to you anyway ;)

http://web.archive.org/web/20060214171232/220.244.124.18/fanfiction/orbis.html

[clawofcat]

Woo! Working links for the win! I don't object to reading the whole story, but do you happen to know what chapter or part of the fic the scene occurs in?

[slaymesoftly]

I know I've got a few where it's mentioned - but I'll have to search them out. I suspect most of them will be less specific than what you're looking for. Kind of "You know I'm gonna do it eventually, Slayer" kind of thing rather than any lengthy scenes or discussions about it. I'll take a look and send you the links to the specific scenes so you can decide for yourself.
Eurydice has at least one where it's made clear that the reason one of the Spikes (different dimensions brought to together to fight something or other) is more robust than the others is that he's married to Buffy and getting slayer blood regularly.

[clawofcat]

Thanks, Patti. Got your email and am about to have a look.

Do you remember what Eurydice story that may be? It's been some time since I've read through her stuff and the plot doesn't sound familiar to me.

[slaymesoftly]

I don't remember the title and she has apparently shut down her site. I'll poke around AAS and some other archives and see if I can find it.

[zanthinegirl]

Here on a rec-- very cool! I've actually only read a few of these, but they rocked hard. If the others are a good as the ones I've read I'll be happy for days!

I do miss some of these writers. I'd love to have seen what euro_fics would have done with her 'verses!

[clawofcat]

Thanks! It's one of my favorite "secret" kinks, so I thought I'd try and get a list together. I hope you find something you enjoy here. I particularly liked the Gen ones I found.

Interestingly, almost all of these were written in 2007 or before. It's not a trope that seems to get much action these days. A shame, since there's a lot of room to explore some interesting aspects of vampirism, womanhood, and purity/pollution. I have this wild itch to try and put together a ficathon this winter about bloodplay and menstrual play. Call me crazy!

Do we know what happened to Europanya, btw? I know she was sick for a long time, came back, and then disappeared again.

[sockmonkeyhere]

*ponders* I don't remember seeing menstruation as a plot point in any AtS or BtVS fic I've ever read, but now that you bring it up, I'm surprised that it was hardly ever even mentioned on the shows (other than Willow telling werewolf Oz that she was also not much fun for three days every month. Hee, I loved that exchange!) I mentioned menstruation in one of my fics once, but only fleetingly and just for humor's sake:

"They're really robbin' the cradles for you birds now," Spike commented, "What are you -- ten, eleven?"

"Thirteen. I'm small for my age." Thu's eyes continuously scanned the darkness ahead of them as she spoke. "I've only been activated a couple of months. A slayer in Anchorage got killed, and I was next in line, I guess. Michael flashed on it, and found me and explained what was going on."

"Must've been a shock, gettin' hit with slayer memories and a bolt of superpowers out of the blue."

Thu screwed up her face. "I just thought I was finally starting my period."... )

[clawofcat]

now that you bring it up, I'm surprised that it was hardly ever even mentioned on the shows
I think, in part, it must have had to do with Buffy airing on the WB and concerns about it's young audience hearing about the relatively unseemly topic of blood and menstruation. It can be a squicky topic unto itself (I don't think so, but I'm sure not everyone feels that way). Compound that with talk of vamps sucking the good stuff out of a girl of Slayer and I could see some very irrate parents! Maybe True Blood has a bit more moxie since it's on HBO.

I don't think that's quite what you're looking for.
Yeah, it's such a fleeting reference, but thank you for pointing me toward it. Contributions are of the good.