Re: when did it all begin?

["Frank Soukey" <soukey@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello everybody,

Who was the first to see the subtext? It's hard to say at this late 
date but here are the three main contenders I could find:

I found a copyright date for "Bizarre Love Triangle" by Janet F. 
Caires-Lesgold. 19Mar98.  One year and nine days from the premiere of 
the series she recognized that Willow wanted Buffy.
http://jfc.freeshell.org/bizarre.htm

"Louder Than Words" by Kimly is dated the summer of '98.  Her updates 
were few and far between so it's fairly obviously that she's a slow 
writer.  More than likely she started it much earlier.  Again, it's 
more that Willow wants Buffy.
http://buffy.kimlys.com/myfic/louderthanwords.html

Pink Rabbit's page from 03Dec98 (Thanks Wayback Machine!) has "SPIN, 
SPINNING, SPUN OUT: A Tale of Love, Lust, Hormones, and an Empty Coke 
Bottle."  It's not tagged as a new story then but that's the earliest 
that the Wayback Machine has her site archived.  Only she could say 
when it was written.  It bears the distinction of being the first 
Buffy fic on her site.
http://www.altfic.com/subtextfic/buffy/prp/spin.htm

There's one, maybe two, possibly three fics written during or 
immediately after the second season.  Right in the midst or the 
aftermath of the canon B/A.  Wiffy goodness early on.


For myself, I got into Wiffy very late.  After the series ended, I 
wanted more--so I began reading fanfiction on the web.  At first I 
read fairly conventional adventures before I found the 'shippers.  I 
tried B/S but only found the same BS from the show.  (No, that's not a 
typo.)  I found some B/A that I liked but that quickly led to the 
classic CWC smut.  Still not very satisfying.

Then I discovered the unconventional 'ships!  Wow!  B/Giles, B/Faith, 
B/Cordelia, W/Cordelia--couples and triads and moresomes galore.  Time 
I started being choosier.  Looking for recommended fics, I soon 
discovered Pink Rabbit's Subtext Zone where I read my first B/W.  I 
was instantly hooked.  Out of every 'ship I'd read, Wiffy just makes 
sense.  They're perfect for each other, at least to me.  I began 
scouring the Web for more Wiffy which led me to here.

IMHO, that Willow wants Buffy is practically canon.  Let's see, who 
have we seen Willow share onscreen smoochies with?  Oz, the first boy 
to notice her; Xander, her best friend; Tara, a blonde female; and 
Kennedy, a slayer (potential).  The odds that she wants to kiss the 
first girl to notice her: her blonde, female best friend, the slayer 
are pretty darn high.  And I love Willow so I want her to get what she 
wants.  Add in the fact that all of Buffy's canon 'ships sucked ass 
and that I'd like her to have someone who'd appreciate her--pretty 
much Willow or Xander for that.  But I like Willow a lot more.  :)   
And they'd be blisteringly hot together.  Sorry, I am a guy after all.

Anyone who says that Buffy is unrelentingly straight missed the third 
season--"Bad Girls" in particular.  I don't think she's been secretly 
gay all this time, but she's definitely thought about it.  People like 
to make a big deal about Buffy's freak when Willow told her about 
Tara.  "Bah!" I say.  Let me tell you a true story:

One of my best friends I met in Boot Camp.  We were in the same 
training program for the next two years.  While he never dated in that 
time, Naval Nuclear Power School is an intense and difficult school so 
he wasn't alone in not dating.  Like many, he had a difficult time.  
Forty hours a week in school with another forty-five hours of 
required--and supervised--additional study isn't very conductive to a 
social life.  But in our free time we talked.  We told each other of 
past girlfriends: names, places, activities.  We bonded as best 
friends do.  

After graduation we were stationed on different ships in different 
ports.  I made new friends off base.  A number of these new friends 
were gay because I became involved in a local theatre.  I'd never had 
a problem with gays so we became close friends, despite my shipmates' 
vocal objections.  I also learned that some of my other shipmates were 
themselves gay, and that they were pleased to know someone they could 
admit that to.  The man who slept across from me in my quarters was 
gay and it was never a point of friction between us.  I met his 
boyfriend and occasionally contributed to his deception--publicly 
verifying the existence of his "girlfriend."  I was Mr. Straight Guy 
advocating integrating the armed forces on my ship while secretly 
knowing that said integration had already occurred.  I even attended 
rights marches and other pride events in the company of my 
friends--I've always believed in equality.

After we got out of the Navy, we reconnected.  We went to the same 
college to be close to each other again and ended up rooming together. 
He learned of my earlier adventures with the gay community and my 
best friend, of now five years, finally got the courage to come out to 
me--turns out that he'd never admitted it to *anyone* before.  

I freaked more than Buffy did.  In no way was I horrified that he was 
gay nor did I suddenly have a problem with cohabitation with a 
homosexual.  It was two things: One, hurt that I'd been lied to for 
all those years. And two, disappointment that I didn't know my best 
friend as well as I'd thought.  Like Buffy, I quickly accepted and 
moved on.  It has never been a big deal and we remain the best of 
friends to this day.  I am doubly blessed in that I have two best 
friends; so I can freely say, "Some of my best friends are gay."  One 
out of two is some.  :)

That's how I always took Buffy's reaction: shock, hurt, and 
disappointment--not homophobia.  Her having any "kinda gay" tendencies 
in no way invalidates her being shocked that Willow isn't as straight 
as she always appeared.  If she ever had any late night fantasies 
about Willow, her shock is even more understandable.  The lost 
opportunities....

Some of you may wonder that I can be interested in Wiffy while drawing 
parallels between their canon relationship and my own.  Well, I'm not 
Buffy and he's not Willow.  And if we were, I'd've made a move by now. 
:)

Your fellow 'shipper,
Howard
http://www.geocities.com/howardrussell2000/

P.S. Of course, there is a reason for all of the 'shipping in Buffy.
"ALL the relationships on the show are sort of romantic 
(Hence the B Y O Subtext principle)" -- Joss Whedon

P.P.S.  Re: the WttH quad scene.  Willow looks at Buffy's cleavage 
THREE times on camera.  Quick glances to be sure, but pretty telling.  
That Willow wants Buffy is canon.  That Buffy Wants Willow is our 
dream.




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Willow: "It's a good fight, Buffy, and I want in."
Buffy:  "I kinda love you."
                     'Choices'

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