The Winners of Round 7 have been announced! Plus, new fic from Kwritten....
Whilst real life keeps me suitably occupied for all but the quickest posts:
CONGRATULATIONS to the winners of
btvsats20in20 Round 7! I love the spread of names this time especially in Themes winners, there's no one dominating. I like that - a lot. And why not? There were so many beautiful icons and so many things that still had to be bypassed. Special congrats to 
halliwell on her first win in this comm!
(If I were going to be banner maker this round and had banner makers choices amoung things that didn't win awards - which I must regretfully decline *sniffle* -
killing_kurare's Cold as Ice icon, spikesredqueen's Buffy/Willow icon *points to userpic* and kwritten's masterful entire AC would receive mentions.)
kwritten has a new Bara fic "no lies, no apologies" (with her own artwork) inspired by our recent conversations re: tropes in Buffy/Tara shipping and it's become something else entirely - an examination of the price of being a "good girl", of the ugly truths behind that mask, how "selflessness" becomes a sort of badge of pride, about girls from abusive, broken families not making one another whole, not magicially healing one another but reaching towards moments of solace.
Kelsey has been writing Bara fic since her blurring the lines series but I honestly think - if she'll forgive me for saying - she is now hitting her stride in her depictions of Tara as a complete and full-blooded, satisfyingly complex character. I claim this fic as a birthday present - because I said so, that's why - but I really hope everyone reads it, and I cannot wait to see what she does next.
CONGRATULATIONS to the winners of
btvsats20in20 Round 7! I love the spread of names this time especially in Themes winners, there's no one dominating. I like that - a lot. And why not? There were so many beautiful icons and so many things that still had to be bypassed. Special congrats to (If I were going to be banner maker this round and had banner makers choices amoung things that didn't win awards - which I must regretfully decline *sniffle* -
killing_kurare's Cold as Ice icon, spikesredqueen's Buffy/Willow icon *points to userpic* and kwritten's masterful entire AC would receive mentions.)kwritten has a new Bara fic "no lies, no apologies" (with her own artwork) inspired by our recent conversations re: tropes in Buffy/Tara shipping and it's become something else entirely - an examination of the price of being a "good girl", of the ugly truths behind that mask, how "selflessness" becomes a sort of badge of pride, about girls from abusive, broken families not making one another whole, not magicially healing one another but reaching towards moments of solace.Kelsey has been writing Bara fic since her blurring the lines series but I honestly think - if she'll forgive me for saying - she is now hitting her stride in her depictions of Tara as a complete and full-blooded, satisfyingly complex character. I claim this fic as a birthday present - because I said so, that's why - but I really hope everyone reads it, and I cannot wait to see what she does next.
Thank you so much! And yes, by all means claim it as a birthday present of course!
if she'll forgive me for saying - she is now hitting her stride in her depictions of Tara as a complete and full-blooded, satisfyingly complex character
I am not at all insulted by this and - in fact - very much feel the same way.
her bark is worse than her bite was really the beginnings of me trying to access a point of entry into Tara's ... not darkness exactly? but that self-harming kindness? and I shied away in that fic to really lay all of that out in the open. It was from Buffy's perspective, so that was part of it. And also an AU - so there was a layer of difference that I was able to hide behind. I never thought to place a Bara fic at the end of Dead Things - probably for all the reasons why other fic that tries to Bara-AU spiral after that moment ends up in a tropey-trap. It's not an effortless attempt, it's not an easy thing to write, to find a balance for. And I'm so glad that you (and others) have found truth in the balance that I tried to present.
*navel-gazing* I also wonder if my recent work with Willow hasn't helped me come at Tara from another angle? I rarely consider Willow and she is not my favorite, but writing her recently I think helped me come to a balance in my portrayal of Tara.
Also - and this is on me and something I'm a little ashamed of - it's extremely hypocritical of me to write/explore Dawn in ways that break away from the 'innocent' stereotypes found in much of Dawn-fic, but then turn around and rely on the same thing from Tara when I write.
Yes, exactly - there's been a progression in your depiction of Tara from blurring the lines to finding a balance to no lies and there's a satisfying irony to it - in blurring the lines Tara was something of a shadow while Buffy herself became more fractured; you've slowly built Tara into a "real girl". And I'm GLAD it was a progression, because that's how it should be to my mind, a true exploration and discovery.
I never thought to place a Bara fic at the end of Dead Things - probably for all the reasons why other fic that tries to Bara-AU spiral after that moment ends up in a tropey-trap.
I'll name-check
*navel-gazing* I also wonder if my recent work with Willow hasn't helped me come at Tara from another angle? I rarely consider Willow and she is not my favorite, but writing her recently I think helped me come to a balance in my portrayal of Tara.
I've hesitated to mention Willow in my replies to your comments until now but - I see something of the same thing in Willow's arc. All the "girls" in the buffyverse struggle with the weight of "being good/seeming good" vs being their authentic selves. I think it links Buffy, Dawn, Willow, Tara, Anya and Faith - they deal with the burden in different ways. (Faith's seeming to reject the "good girl" stereotype is still an acknowledgement of it.)
it's extremely hypocritical of me to write/explore Dawn in ways that break away from the 'innocent' stereotypes found in much of Dawn-fic, but then turn around and rely on the same thing from Tara when I write.
I'd had something of the same thought with myself own thinking recently. *HUGS YOU* don't be too hard on yourself hon, the important thing is that you got here, beyond that.
Also, I love
Also, I love kwritten's new Bara fic. It's brilliant.
YES.
Gabrielle
Yay indeed!
And thank you for your participation, sweetie - I can't stress enough that we're all part of the community whether we're making icons or just appreciating them and voting.
It's nice to see you visiting us, especially with everything going on in RL.
I was about to let you know btw I've snagged a couple of your icons - including a Faith icon from the "Same but different" slayerstillness round and the Sorrow (Buffy in Helpless) icon from round 2 of 20in20.
And gosh, I am so flattered that you love that icon so much as to want to make a banner maker's choice if you were making them! *hugs*
Snagging it is an even better solution, probably - banners disappear, icons get used and seen and loved! (And I am having SUCH fun filling up my user pic space with pretty things!) Having had to turn down the assignment for the third time lately (ARGH!) I still like to fantasize who would get my banner maker's choice awards. I can't wait until I have a little more free time again.