The vampiric claim, or, one of the fanon things that makes me cringe but I'm drawn to anyway

[feliciacraft]

Of all the fanon things that make me cringe but I'm drawn to anyway, the most hilarious is the Vampiric Claim, a ritual that results in a bond that lasts forever, tying two life forces together (often times written such that if one dies, so does the other). An incredibly powerful piece of magic that can be invoked with a single, contextually common

Comments

[double_dutchess]

Good summary of all things claim-y! :-)

I'm generally not a fan of claiming fic, though of course there are always exceptions. I want people, or rather people and vampires (specifically, Buffy and Spike!) to be together because they want to be, and while being free to walk away from each other at any time. Not because they are forever bound together by magic.

[feliciacraft]

Oh, claiming is a big deal in Spuffy fics. I have to admit that I want Buffy and Spike to commit to each other (well, I want partners in all pairings to commit to each other), but some aspects of the claim really bothers me, like the fact that faithfulness is magically enforced (because why should it be necessary?), and that their lifelines are linked (which terrifies me--because I want, for example, Buffy to be able to take a journey to Hell and back to rescue Spike, and not just keel over when Spike gets dusted).

It can be fun to read claim fics (I've read plenty, and will happily reread some of them). Some of them are definitely a guilty pleasure kind of thing. Others are nuanced and refreshing. (There's a story by I think coalitiongirl where Angel accidentally claims Buffy, then sacrifices himself when he realizes that Spike and Buffy have fallen in love with each other. Angel's love for both of them there is the most selfless love I've seen. It's heartbreaking and just lovely.) OTOH I actually find it more fun to analyze stories I read, and

[double_dutchess]

Thanks for the rec, I'm going to check out that fic!

[slashluv18]

I personally love claim fics. I especially like the stories by A Dreamweaver (all claim fics).

It shows commitment in a way marriage doesn't because their's no divorce.

Of course, they aren't always done correctly. I don't like it when an author makes light of a claim, makes it seem so unimportant where Buffy and Spike don't seriously think about it before deciding to do it. They remind me of a Las Vegas wedding.

I like all of the consequences being considered and they come to a informed decision together, as a couple. Then again, a couple of stories I read where Spike and Buffy claim each other during the 'Thy Will Be Done' spell and then have to deal with the effects when the spell is broken, are absolutely hilarious.

It really depends how the author approaches it. *HInt HInt* A Dreamweaver *Hint Hint*

[feliciacraft]

I like reading about commitment. I also enjoy PWPs. It all depends on the mood--sometimes you want sweeping romance, sometimes a quickie is what you crave. Luckily, there's plenty of both and everything in between in this fandom. :)

I've seen claiming fics done well, but sometimes it reads as if the writer felt compelled to pair up people permanently, as if ending a fairytale with "And they lived happily ever after. (The End)"

Like you say, the magically induced ones can be hilarious, but I think they're only so if you believe the people involved are destined to be together anyway. Otherwise, I'd think they got a bum deal...getting magically mated when there's no way to break it off. That'd be a very cruel joke that gets old fast...especially since it will last for the rest of your life. A type of dubcon, too, when you think about it.

What's A Dreamweaver's LJ user id? I love getting recommendations. Thanks for joining in the discussion!

[slashluv18]

Don't know if she's on LJ, but here is her FFN account: https://www.fanfiction.net/u/3338018/A-Dreamweaver

[feliciacraft]

Thanks!

[velvetwhip]

I've written some claiming-type stories in the past, but they've always been creepy and disturbing.

Gabrielle

[feliciacraft]

Heh, your sentence made me chuckle...It reads like a sort of Woody Allen-like self-deprecating joke. Or a Seinfeld-like confession.

I have to ask, why do you think they're creepy and disturbing? And if so what made you write them?

[velvetwhip]

I actually write a lot of very angst-y (sometimes even dark) fic, so that's why I say my claiming-type tales are creepy and disturbing. I like exploring challenging themes sometimes, though I do balance it out with more lighthearted or romantic fare since the days when the icon I am using was made.

Gabrielle

[feliciacraft]

I gobble angst-y fics right up, but being a big wuss, I have trouble with some of the violent stuff in this fandom (reading and writing). Recently I gave up on a story when I realized the first-person Buffy narrative was headed for an attempted rape, probably at the hands of a vampire, which Buffy would be entirely powerless to fight off (not a Slayer). That was disturbing, especially given the first-person, present tense narrative. O_o

I love your icon! That's hilarious! :D

[rahirah]

Unless they're by a really, really good writer, I generally dislike claiming fics. And even when they're by a really, really good writer, given a choice between claiming and something else, I'll usually go for the something else. Most of the reasons for disliking it you list above boil down to bad/lazy writing; it's perfectly possible to write a claiming fic that avoids all of those pitfalls, or at least explores them in a thoughtful manner. Most writers who do claiming fics just don't bother, because for many of them the whole point is that claiming is a plot device that allows them to bypass all the hard work of character development which would be necessary to get Buffy and Spike together without resorting to magical Superglue.

I just don't like tropes that force two characters together. Even when they're done well. It gives me the creeps. Yeah, sure, it may put your OTP together, but it's not real. They've been brainwashed, coerced, become subject to mystical Stockholm Syndrome. Ick ick ick! For some people, that's part

[rahirah]

Besides, vampires can totally get married. One of the Gorch Brothers got married!

[feliciacraft]

I don't know why we don't have more fics about vampires getting married. Maybe people want the marriage to be legally recognized (and Spike would not be able to produce a valid ID)?

I do recall a Spuffy wedding scene by I think herself_nyc. I remember Spike's wedding vows to Buffy, something he prepared, as incredibly moving.

[rahirah]

Oh, pfft, like Spike wouldn't be able to get a fake ID. :waves objections away:

Thursday, May 28

[livejournal]

User rahirah referenced to your post from Thursday, May 28 saying: [...] The vampiric claim, or, one of the fanon things that makes me cringe but I enjoy anyway [...]