The challenge, by Kantayra, that I'm responding to:
#1. Practically Perfect In Every Way Requirements: Setting: Any time post-Crush. Pairing: B/S...although they need not end up together. You can tack on a potential S/Other pairing to increase the drama if you want, but the focus should be primarily B/S. Length: Whatever you want, but it'll probably have to be a longer fic to get in all the story requirements. Basic Plot Elements: 1. Buffy's been annoyed by Spike's advances lately and comments off- handedly something along the lines of "Everything would just be so much easier if he didn't love me."
2. The person she makes this statement to is willing to grant her a romantic wish. (This person could be a vengeance demon or something else.)
3. Buffy's wish is to make Spike the perfect man for her to love. She has to list off a whole bunch of things that she doesn't like about him (smoking, leather, bleach, sarcasm, vampireness, the crypt (if it's S5 or S6) - whatever; let her go crazy about things she'd change about him). She makes her wish, conveniently forgetting about the earlier I-don't-want-him- to-love-me part.
4. Spike's changed! Everything that Buffy complained about has been fixed. One thing in particular - he has to be a really big hit with her friends now: Xander's best buddy, helping Willow with the magic, Giles with the research. Everyone loves him; he's one of the gang.
5. Buffy falls in love with him. Only, when she tries to kiss him - whoops! - it turns out that he-doesn't-love-her part has come true as well. I want to see Spike give Buffy the "let's be friends" speech. Make it good. ~_^
6. Now rejected, Buffy slowly comes to realize that, hey, she doesn't like a lot of other things she changed about him quite so much, either. In fact, she misses the real Spike. The message here: don't try to change the person you love.
7. The ending's entirely up to you. Does Buffy get to take her wish back and get a happy ending? Or is she stuck with what she's got and it becomes major angst? Or something completely different altogether? Extras: 1. Give New!And!Improved!Spike an ultra-posh apartment complete with one of those huge, round beds. Buffy should be damn awed by the apartment.
2. New!And!Improved!Spike criticizing Buffy for doing something that used to be one of the 'bad' habits of his that she removed.
3. A game of pool. Preferrably with Xander involved.
4. Buffy gets jealous of the fact that New!And!Improved!Spike is a better friend to the Scoobies than she is.
5. Giles in neon-colored socks. There must be a reasonable explanation for this one.
6. As much humor as you can manage - especially in showing how Spike's changed.
#1. Practically Perfect In Every Way Requirements: Setting: Any time post-Crush. Pairing: B/S...although they need not end up together. You can tack on a potential S/Other pairing to increase the drama if you want, but the focus should be primarily B/S. Length: Whatever you want, but it'll probably have to be a longer fic to get in all the story requirements. Basic Plot Elements: 1. Buffy's been annoyed by Spike's advances lately and comments off- handedly something along the lines of "Everything would just be so much easier if he didn't love me."
2. The person she makes this statement to is willing to grant her a romantic wish. (This person could be a vengeance demon or something else.)
3. Buffy's wish is to make Spike the perfect man for her to love. She has to list off a whole bunch of things that she doesn't like about him (smoking, leather, bleach, sarcasm, vampireness, the crypt (if it's S5 or S6) - whatever; let her go crazy about things she'd change about him). She makes her wish, conveniently forgetting about the earlier I-don't-want-him- to-love-me part.
4. Spike's changed! Everything that Buffy complained about has been fixed. One thing in particular - he has to be a really big hit with her friends now: Xander's best buddy, helping Willow with the magic, Giles with the research. Everyone loves him; he's one of the gang.
5. Buffy falls in love with him. Only, when she tries to kiss him - whoops! - it turns out that he-doesn't-love-her part has come true as well. I want to see Spike give Buffy the "let's be friends" speech. Make it good. ~_^
6. Now rejected, Buffy slowly comes to realize that, hey, she doesn't like a lot of other things she changed about him quite so much, either. In fact, she misses the real Spike. The message here: don't try to change the person you love.
7. The ending's entirely up to you. Does Buffy get to take her wish back and get a happy ending? Or is she stuck with what she's got and it becomes major angst? Or something completely different altogether? Extras: 1. Give New!And!Improved!Spike an ultra-posh apartment complete with one of those huge, round beds. Buffy should be damn awed by the apartment.
2. New!And!Improved!Spike criticizing Buffy for doing something that used to be one of the 'bad' habits of his that she removed.
3. A game of pool. Preferrably with Xander involved.
4. Buffy gets jealous of the fact that New!And!Improved!Spike is a better friend to the Scoobies than she is.
5. Giles in neon-colored socks. There must be a reasonable explanation for this one.
6. As much humor as you can manage - especially in showing how Spike's changed.
