The great Oz icon post...

[katekat]

In an attempt to finish my fic for maleslashminis (Oz round), I apparently went into a frenzy of Oz iconing.  But I couldn't just stop there - there are also some new Core 4/Scoobies icons (with antennapedia in mind), some Tara/Xander (made for secondalto - who has graciously shared them), two Oz/Xander, a bunch of Oz/Willow, and then at the very end some Giles (because I can't leave him out), Xander, and one G/B.

Frenzy, I tell you, frenzy.

At least for me.

Teasers:
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+ please let me know what you think
+ please don't modify (talk with me, I'm happy to modify for you!)
+ please don't link directly
+ icon/graphics website HERE, resources HERE.

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Comments

[xanzpet.livejournal.com]

Gah! You know, I'm really not sure about recs for X/T because, as you said, there are few (at least in my experience) which are not a threesome. I think a lot of writers don't want to violate Tara's strongly-established sexual identity, which I certainly understand and support, though I do think that Xander and Tara present an interesting dynamic, at least beyond canon. Most of the sole X/T I've read are strictly friendship fics, but according to others, a small movement is growing to pair them romantically. As for Xander/Darla, I've been literally searching for years, and the amount of available story is truly miniscule. A lot of people express dismay when I mention I'm intrigued by this couple, but I believe they have all the same potential romance and drama as Buffy/Angel. I'm actually working on my own Xander/Darla, but as it's really my first time writing the pairing, I don't expect it to be very good.

Anyway, here are some links of the X/D stories of which I am familiar:

sexymermaid was kind enough to write me an X/D drabble found here (http://sexymermaid.livejournal.com/235931.html), entitled "The Dance."

xanfan27 also wrote an X/D drabble for me in her spring_with_xan entry. It's called "Jealousy," and can be found here (http://community.livejournal.com/spring_with_xan/33957.html#cutid1).

There are a couple of X/D stories on this (http://www.geocities.com/pilamsega/thesire.html) site, too.

I think there are also some on the USCL site, but you really have to hunt for them.

Hope it helps! BTW, I'm a big fan of yours! Your stories are beautiful; thank you for sharing them with us.

[entrenous88.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for your thoughtful and detailed answer!

I agree with you -- there are many people who don't want to put Tara into a male/female relationship because canon has her so firmly ensconsed in a particular identity/orientation. Completely understandable (and has a parallel in people who don't want to read, say, Riley in slash relationships since he only ever seemed to have relationships with women in canon). Even the way AB played the part, as so focused on Willow (and that may have been a combination of writing, direction, and acting initiative) supports that -- as opposed to other characters, like Xander, who dealt with almost every interaction as potential flirtation, no matter if the other character was male or female.

I think it would be tough to read a fic that didn't deal with that canon, that basically said, "Tah-dah, Tara's straight now!", but I could absolutely imagine stories in which her decision to become involved with a man, or gradually closeness to a male character, could make sense even in the context of her history and canon interactions.

I've read a few fics in which Tara figures briefly in m/f relationships that arise out of crises or peculiar circumstances. A post-apoc story called Our House (http://s8219.net/bbfarchive/archive/1/ourhouse.html) pairs her with a male character (keeping that quiet in case you decide you want to check out the fic -- it's an interesting reveal), though that grows very naturally out of the narrative, and the overall fic is gen in focus. And there was a fairly big push for Tara/Spike fics that gained headway a few years ago, with a community devoted to the pairing, and maybe a ficathon, though I see less of those fics now.

But Tara/Xander, to me that makes more sense than Tara/Spike. He had more canon interactions with her, iirc, and I'm not very sure of the Tara/Spike vibe (basically, I'm not really convinced they had a friendly relationship, though lots of fics that are grounded in a wide variety of pairings seem to argue that point).

On the other hand, I'm just a big Xander fan, and I can imagine him paired with nearly everyone, so I'm probably not the most trustworthy person to judge Tara/Spike in contrast!

Many thanks for those Xander/Darla links! I've read one or two Xander/Drusilla, but never Xander/Darla. And thanks so much for your kind words about my stories -- I really appreciate hearing that. :)

[katekat]

but I could absolutely imagine stories in which her decision to become involved with a man, or gradually closeness to a male character, could make sense even in the context of her history and canon interactions.

as a total closet (mostly) S/T fan, I completely agree with you (and as a newby to reading Tara in anything other than a ff relationship other than S/T)... and it's part of the reason I've had a tough time finding fics that work, even in S/T ... it requires someone deal with the characters making a pretty huge jump that requires time and fairly close attention.

[entrenous88.livejournal.com]

Oh, thanks for weighing in on that (since I really have read so, so little of that pairing, given that it makes me scratch my head at the outset).

Yes, it seems like it could be something only tackled well in longer fics, or multi-part fics, so that the real hindrances and issues to the relationship could be worked out.

[katekat]

lol - it did me too! really, TOTALLY scratched my head. and to be quite honest, i've read 4, only 4 fics that actually make it kind-of work.

and, to prove i am in total procrastination mode... if you're ever curious:
1) Quick & Bitter, Slow & Sweet by Miss Murchinson
2) Ogden Nash Blues by Anne Hedonia
3) Done to Death by Anne Hedonia (although it starts out with a weird characterization)
4) 9 Loves by by Sally & Miranda, but it's actually Buffy/Tara/Spike...which is interesting in and of itself.

[entrenous88.livejournal.com]

Excellent! I'm glad to have links to good fics for a pairing I don't quite get, because well written/argued fic is what often convinces me of a pairing in the first place. Thank you!

[xanzpet.livejournal.com]

I completely agree, and thank you for everything you said. I tried to read a couple of Tara/Spike stories and, while well-written, it just didn't make sense. I can absolutely envision friendship fics between the two, but a sexual relationship is more difficult for me to accept, not only because of Tara's lesbianism, but because I have difficulty divorcing the idea of Spike being in a sexual relationship which is nonviolent. His encounters with Drusilla and Buffy are well-chronicled, and not healthy. For Tara to suddenly pop up and say, "Yes! I want a man! And it has to be a vampire!" is a little jarring. Not that I'm saying I can't see the possibility, but not outside the context of a careful dissection of how Tara arrived at that conclusion. And I could never picture Tara willingly participating in a relationship with a partner so unstable. Once she cottoned on to Willow complete descent into magic, she called it off.

You are totally right with regard to Xander. I'm not sure if it was the writing or NB's infusion into his character, but almost every interaction between Xander and ANY character was, on some level, flirtatious. Therefore I can buy him paired with just about anybody, even lesser characters like Harmony, Jenny, or Larry. And he's so slashable. I'm an unabashed Xander fan! As long as he's there, everything else is okay.

I've read a few Xander/Drusilla fics, as well, and it's a pairing I'd like to see more of. Drusilla, vampire or not, is somewhat broken, and it's quite easy to see Xander stepping up to take care of her. Whether that turns to romance is really a nonissue for, as we agree, Xander makes sense with almost anyone.

::scampers off to read Our House:: Thanks for the link! I love Tara! I'll happily read almost anything with her. ^__^