Fandom's Little Black Dress

[staringiscaring]

Spike has been called the little black dress of the Buffyverse because one can ship him with pretty much any character from Angel to Xander. The impulsive vampire with the punk demeanor and poet's heart is shipped heavily in fandom. Do you ship Spike with many different characters or just one? If you ship Spike with another character, canon

Comments

[staringiscaring]

I can ship Spike with pretty much anyone but in many ways, if the shows had continued then I wouldn't have wanted him any of them. I feel like Spike needs some time to himself to figure out where he is supposed to be and exactly who he is. He's kinda like a truffle and has taken so many of his lovers flavors, if you will, that some alone time would be good. However, in fanfiction, I love Spike ships especially Drusilla/Spike, Willow/Spike, Angel/Spike, Angel/Spike/Buffy, and Darla/Spike.

[slaymesoftly]

In terms of the show - I only ship Spike with Buffy (after his time with Dru was done). In fic? He is a little black dress. I can ship him with just about
anyone except maybe Riley (I've seen one or two of those that were dark enough to almost work, but still...)
I think he can be shipped with almost anyone because a) he's adorable - who wouldn't? lol
b) he is such a complex person, and he's flirty and sexy, so it's easy to posit him with various characters at various points in his life. For me, in order for it to work, it usually has to be pre-Buffy or post-Buffy (she's dead or out of his life in some other fairly permanent way), but I can see him seeking solace/comfort as he did with Anya with other women too.

[scarfman]

As a Buffy/Angel 'shipper I tend to think everyone would be happier if Spike took up with Dawn.

[staringiscaring]

Next time, lets keep it more on topic please. You're getting into murky wank-baiting territory. We're focusing on Spike right now and not Buffy and Angel.

[rebcake]

I can see Spike paired up with just about anyone in fic, though I like to be convinced of the likelihood if it's not canon (and even if it is). Dru and Buffy are my favorites to write him with, but I'll read many other pairings. Some favorites are Spike/Giles, Spike/Fred, Spike/Lydia, Spike/Wedding Date, and so on. Spike/Xander can be really fun, but I have trepidation about Spike/Angel fic, because I'm not interested in reading about Angel bullying Spike in the bedroom as well as outside of it, so I only really enjoy fic that turns that on its head. (Of course, my baseline stand is that Angel shouldn't have sex with anyone, so that's an issue, too.)

Spike is a very accommodating partner, and he's used to striving on behalf of his beloved, sometimes with very little encouragement, so that works with a lot of people. A fic that shows him in a reciprocal romance is a special treat, since it's something so often denied to him in canon.

[staringiscaring]

Spike is a very accommodating partner, and he's used to striving on behalf of his beloved, sometimes with very little encouragement, so that works with a lot of people.

I think you're right on that. Even when he is evil, he's still the rabid dog that won't (usually) bite you.

[liliaeth]

Showwise I pretty much ship Spike with Buffy and Angel (seperately preferable cause my only hinder in the B/S/A threesome is that I can't stand to see B/A together ;-))

But fanfic wise well... there's maybe one or two characters I won't ship him with. Andrew because I don't read Andrew pairings at all, not even ones involving Spike, and Willow because I'd think she'd destroy Spike if they ever started dating.

Everyone else, he'd go with perfectly.

[neos_girl]

I'm curious. How and why do you think Willow would destroy Spike?

[liliaeth]

Well I'll admit in advance that I can't stand Willow, so I'm probably biased

[rebcake]

This is very interesting. Thanks for taking the time to spell it out so clearly.