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!

[double_dutchess]

Spangel is my second favourite ship, and although I'm not overly fond of Sire/Childe stuff, it doesn't bother me nearly as much as claiming. I think that is because it's a family thing. In real life you can't choose your (biological) family either, and there will always be some bond between you, whether you like it or not. So Angel and Spike having a special bond because they're family is fine with me -- as long as it doesn't mean their free will is compromised when it comes to having a romantic relationship with each other. Still, as you say, "if it's fun to read, it's all good" -- if a story is good enough, I'll enjoy it even if it has some elements that don't appeal to me. The problem with claiming is that in many cases it annoys me so much that it ruins all the fun.

[feliciacraft]

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.Cannot agree more. What bugs me especially is the possessive nature of the claim. With Buffy and Spike (or whatever pairing one is shipping), one can imagine them never ever wanting to be apart, but I think in general, a committed relationship is not one where the people involved have no choice but to stay (or risk suffering the consequences