Otherworldly Chemistry Buffyverse Rarepairs

Rarepair Updates: Anya/Xander to be counted as 'rare', Drusilla/Spike no longer to be counted 'rare'

Mon, 04 May 2026 02:24:40 GMT

Posted by: harlow_turner_chaotic_ace

Hello all!

After a recent vote in the server and much discussion, I have decided that Anya/Xander is now going to be a rarepair. In the interest of keeping rarepairs, well, rare, I have decided that only one ship will get an exception, so Drusilla/Spike will no longer be counted as rare.

Anya/Xander has a major drop in fics when using OTP: true (more than Spike/Dru, even) and the number of fics that are Xander/Anya focused is very low
Anecdotally Spike/Dru seems to generate more attention and fanworks than Anya/Xander
A server vote result decided that Xanya would be rare and Spru would not be

Works for Spike/Dru posted to the collection previously will of course be allowed to stay! But from now on, Anya/Xander will be allowed for our events and Spike/Dru will not be. This may change in the future, but this is how it is now.

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Pinch hit #1

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 15:52:17 GMT

Posted by: harlow_turner_chaotic_ace

Hello everyone! We have a pinch hit in the Spring Fling exchange available for claiming, please check it out below:

This pinch hit is due March 30th at 11pm US pacific time. An extension can be offered, so if you'll need an extension, please tell me when claiming. You do not need to be signed up for the exchange to claim a pinch hit.
ETA: Pinch hit 1 has been claimed!

( 1: Carryingstarlightinherwake )

To claim, DM the mod on Discord, email otherworldly.chemistry@gmail.com, or reply to this post (comments are screened). Remember, this is an assignment like any other and anonymity should be preserved as much as possible; do not publicly discuss any pinch hit you have claimed! Podficcers may record their usual intro including their username, and visual artists may sign or watermark their works.
Minimums: 00 words for fanfic, 300 words for podfic (if recording a fic that is already written) OR 150 words if recording a new fic that you wrote (please post both to the collection + gifted to recipient), a nice sketch for fanart (digital/traditional) or one completed manip for photomanips. Each work should contain a beginning, middle, and end, and should be complete and stand on its own (NOT part of a series). Works should be in English. Works should be of a quality you would be happy to receive as a gift. Works should focus on spring, romance, or both, and include at least one ship, medium, and feeform requested.

Please make sure to include your AO3 username, exactly as it appears on AO3, when claiming!

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2026 Spring Fling Exchange

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 23:23:57 GMT

Posted by: harlow_turner_chaotic_ace

Spring is just around the corner, the birds are singing, love is in the air, and we've got another exciting Buffyverse rarepair event for you!

The theme is.... all things spring and/or romance! That's right, this event is for all rarepairs (especially romantic ones, if that's what you're into) and works can be focused on romantic relationships/romance, or the spring season! For this exchange, we allow all kinds of content including AUs, all archive warnings and ratings.

Please be sure to read all the rules before signing up/nominating. If you have a question, be sure to review these rules first as your question is likely answered here.

Schedule
All times in PST/PDT

Nominations: Feb 16th-23rd, closing at 11pm

Sign-up: Feb 23rd-March 2nd, closing at 11pm

Assignments out by: 11pm March 3rd

Deadline to ask for extension (exceptions for emergencies): March 27th at 11pm

Assignments due: March 30 at 11pm

Extension deadline: April 4th at 11pm

Work reveals: April 6th at 11pm
Author reveals: April 13th at 11pm

Nominations

Nominate at the tagset (linked below)
Nominate only rarepairs by our posting guidelines! For this exchange we will be allowing OC x OC and OC x canon. For example, you may nominated "Buffy Summers/Original vampire character", "Xander Harris & Original Nonbinary Character" "Original Female Watcher Character/Original Female Slayer Character" "Original female vampire character & original female potential she kidnapped" etc etc.
Use the canonical tag if there is one! Some may have disambiguations, leave those if it's the canon tag. Otherwise, you do not need to disambiguate your relationship noms.
Please nominate everything under "Buffyverse (TV)" no matter what canon the ship originates from.
You may nom up to 5 ships
Freeform tags: You may nom up to 3 freeform tags. Each should be related to spring, romance, or both. Add the category to the front of the tag (spring, romance, or spring romance, for example: "Romance - First date", "Spring - looking at spring flowers" or "Spring romance - spring rain interrupts date")
ETA: "Character &/ members of group" noms will be allowed provided that all possible combos are rare. For the tag "character &/ members of group," "members of group" will mean 2 or more members of that group (can be any 2 members). If the tag is not pluralized ("member of group") then the tag refers only to one member of the group (can be any member), "three members of group" will refer to any three members, etc etc.

Sign up: Requests

Please put your DNW in the signup form, if you have one. If you have no DNWs, then write "I have no DNWs."
On the topic of "do not wants" (DNWs), they must be clear, specific, and free of judgement. You may not DNW something like "gross kinks" because that is judgemental and unclear. Please instead list which kinks (or whatever) you do not want to see. You may also not DNW something that goes against the theme of the exchange, ("DNW spring themed" for example) but you can DNW things that fall under the theme ("DNW spring rain" is acceptable"). DNW may not be used to box your creator in (so nothing like "DNW anything other than Buffy/Willow in a high fantasy world").
You may also include likes or prompts in the sign-up if you like. These are optional and NOT BINDING to your creator.
You may include a letter as well if you like. These are often used when your likes and optional details are too long for AO3's text box. (DNWs in these will not be enforced; it must be in your signup).
You will need to request 3-20 ships, 3-20 freeform tags, and 1-4 mediums (HIGHLY recommended to request fanfiction as one).

Sign-up: Offers

You will be able to offer 3-20 ships, 3-20 freeform tags, and 1-4 mediums. You will be able to offer "any" for each of these: this means any in the tagset.
Please make sure you are matchable! If you are not, you will be contacted by me and asked to add more to your signup or risk having your signup deleted.

Assignments and Minimums:

Minimums are as follows: 300 words for fanfic, 300 words for podfic (if recording a fic that is already written) OR 150 words if recording a new fic that you wrote (please post both to the collection + gifted to recipient), a nice sketch for fanart (digital/traditional) or one completed manip for photomanips. Each work should contain a beginning, middle, and end, and should be complete and stand on its own (NOT part of a series). Works should be in English. Works should be of a quality you would be happy to receive as a gift.
Works containing excessive spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors or overly confusing/complicated plots that hinder comprehension may be rejected and asked to revise. If you know this may be an issue then please consider asking the mod for help finding a beta reader/proofreader.
We will do our best to honor do not match requests. Please contact the mod privately if you have one. You do not need to specify why you are requesting one, but if there is a harassment concern then I would like to know.
Please contact the mod immediately if your assignment doesn't match your offers. This is the ONLY reason anyone will be allowed to change assignments. Please check your signup and ensure you are willing to write all requests that you could match with.
Your fills must abide by your recipient's DNW, and include at least one ship, medium, and freeform tag requested.
Defaulting: There is no penalty for defaulting. Please default as soon as you know you will not be able to finish your assignment. You are not guaranteed a gift if you default.
Extensions: there is an extension available, see schedule for more info. Please email or DM mod if you need it.
Remain anonymous during the unrevealed/anonymous period. Do not post about your assignment publicly.

Treating:

Treating will be allowed.
Treats don't have to meet the minimum but should still be complete and relatively free of comprehension-hindering spelling/grammar errors
If you are open to receiving treats and have the 'allow anyone to gift me works' setting turned on, please say so in your signup. Same goes if you DON'T want treats.
You don't have to be signed up to treat.
Gifts to the collection are also allowed.

Other Stuff:

This space follows these rules: Ship and let ship, don't like don't read, and your kink is not my kink (and that's OK). Absolutely NO harassment. Harassment will get you banned from the exchange, and likely the discord server as well if you're in it.
All works should follow AO3's policies as the exchange is run on AO3.
Please rate, warn, and tag responsibly. CNTW and NR are valid options!
Any pinch hits will be posted to this DreamWidth Comm, and can be claimed by replying to the pinch hit post (comments will be screened), DMing the admin on Discord, or emailing otherworldly.chemistry@gmail.com. Pinch hits are still subject to anon rules (don't publicly discuss the pinch hit you claim please!)
This is an all ages exchange (13+ by AO3 TOS). If you are under 18 you must DNW adult content.
Commenting is MANDATORY. Anyone who fails to leave a good faith comment on their gift(s) will be banned from the next exchange in this group. If you failed to comment on the last exchange, or are otherwise in bad standing, you may not participate in this exchange.
If you are a no-show or have not turned in a complete assignment by the deadline (or extended deadline if you have an extension) you will be defaulted, your assignment sent to pinch hits, and you will no longer be guaranteed a gift.
If you have questions contact the mod.

Tagset | AO3 Collection

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Drabble-fest 2026 Event

Sat, 27 Dec 2025 00:41:19 GMT

Posted by: harlow_turner_chaotic_ace

It's here! Our next announcement is a drabble event! Read on for the details.

Rules:

All works should be Buffyverse rarepairs consisting of canon characters and complying with the posting guidelines (romantic and platonic both welcome)
Works should be drabbles! That means single drabbles (100 words), double drabbles (200 words), tripple drabbles (300 words), etc. Drabble stories/series/sequences allowed! We also know word counters may vary from word processor to word processor so we allow a tolerance of +/- 2 words.
Drabbles can be individual works or chapters of a longer work. The important thing is that each prompt should be one chapter/one work. You can do a combo of standalone drabbles and drabble story(s), really whatever you'd like.
There will be a prompt list (list coming soon) with prompts! Each work should include one of the prompts, even if it's only in a small way. Prompts are open to interpretation and are "gen" (not specifically related to any particular ship or kind of ship). Prompts do not have to be used in order. Prompts may be repeated, but only one prompt should be used per drabble.
Works will need to be posted to our AO3 collection, Dreamwith comm, or LJ comm
There is no restriction on content, rating, or warnings. Create whatever you want, just use appropriate ratings and tags (CNTW and NR are valid choices!)
Absolutely no harassment/kinkshaming/ship-shaming directed at other fans. I don't care what the characters do, they can do all sorts of horrible things if that's what you want, but don't harass others in author notes/comments/etc.
Posting opens Jan. 1 and runs through Jan 31.

Are there rewards?

Yes!
There will be rewards in the form of a special role in the server for whoever writes the most drabbles (possibly 2nd or 3rd place as well depending on participation)
There will also be a special role for those who leave the most comments (more on that below)

What if I don't write fanfiction?

There are other ways to participate:
You may post artwork or graphics or any kind of visual art (including vids, gifs, etc) that fit the prompts. In keeping with the drabble theme, small art and graphics is encouraged!
You could podfic drabbles (your own or others)
You could make translations of drabbles
These will all count as "drabbles written" for prizes!

What is the commenting challenge?

Basically, comment on as many fanworks in the collection as you can
Comments should be "good faith" comments. At least 1-2 sentences complimenting something specific that you liked about the piece and refraining from criticism or off-topic conversation.
The person with the most comments gets a special role in the server
Anyone who comments on 50% or more of the fics gets a special role
If someone comments on all the fics that will also be a special role.

Oops, a drabble prompt spiraled and now I have way more than a drabble. That's okay. You can still post it to the collection. It won't count for your total number of drabbles but more rarepair fic yayyyyy please please share it with us!

Can I write about [X "problematic" thing]? You can do whatever you want forever. Please show it to me because I probably want to read it.

I saw someone write a ship/character/trope that offends me. Don't like, don't read.

How can I contact the mods/admin?
Email: otherworldly.chemistry@gmail.com
Ping/DM on Discord
Comment on this post

AO3 Collection | Prompt List

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Rarepair AU Exchange: 1 week delay + pinch hit

Wed, 29 Oct 2025 05:08:43 GMT

Posted by: harlow_turner_chaotic_ace

Hello, everyone! Unfortunately, it looks like we are going to have a delay until the following pinch hit is filled.

The new reveals dates are as follows:
Works revealed: Saturday, Nov. 8th at 8am PDT
Authors revealed: Saturday, Nov. 15th at 8am PDT
The collection has been updated to reflect these new reveals dates.

Pinch hits: This pinch hit is due Nov. 7th at 8pm PDT. Minimum is 1k for fic, 1k for podfic of a previously completed work/500 for a newly written podfic, and 5 panels for comics.
( CLAIMED!Pinch hit #1: MadeInGold (F/M, F/F, M/M, and poly ships, all romantic) )

To claim a pinch hit: DM mod Harlow on Discord, email otherworldly.chemistry@gmail.com, or comment here (comments are screened). Please provide your AO3 account name exactly as it appears on AO3. Pinch hits are assignments and subject to anonymity rules; do not post about claiming them publicly.

For everyone else: sit tight as we get this pinch hit filled, might I suggest using this extra time to polish your works, work on your assignment if you have an extension, treat if you feel like it, claim a pinch hit, or just relax.

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2025 AU Exchange

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 16:18:51 GMT

Posted by: harlow_turner_chaotic_ace

Welcome all, to our alternate universe themed exchange!! I hope you all are excited, because I know I am. We're going to have some great AU rarepair fics, I can just feel it! Now, if you're ready to take a trip to an alternate universe, read on for the the rules, schedule, and other important information!

Please read the full rules before signing up as this is slightly different than our previous exchanges. Thank you.

Tagset | AO3 Collection

Schedule: (all times approx. 8am PST)
Exchange nominations Sept. 17 - Sept. 24
Exchange sign-ups (1 week) Sept. 24 - Oct. 1
Assignments out by: Hopefully Oct. 1 at 10pm PST
Works due: Oct. 28
Works revealed: Nov. 1
Author reveals: Nov. 8

Nominations:

Relationships: All relationships nominated MUST be rarepair by our posting guidelines. Non rarepairs will be rejected. Both romantic/sexual (/) relationships and platonic/friendship (&) relationships will be accepted for this exchange. Poly relationships and friendships with 3+ characters are welcomed. But please do not nom in the formal A/B&C. These will also be rejected; relationships should be all & or all /. No solo nominations are allowed.
Use the canonical tag for your relationship if there is one. If there isn't, please help keep our tagset neat, and capitalize all characters' names and list them in alphabetical order by last name.
OC x canon will be allowed for this exchange, but you are not allowed to nom specific OCs. For example, Buffy Summers/Original Female Character would be allowed, but not Buffy Summers/[specific named OC that you created]. You are allowed to add more detail to these types of noms, for example, the following are allowed: Dawn Summers & Original Trans Male Character, Rupert Giles/Original Female Vampire Character, Buffy Summers/Original Doublemeat Palace Employee Character.
All relationships should be nominated under "Buffyverse (TV)" as the fandom tag. Regardless of if they came from BtVS, AtS, comics, the audio drama, whatever. It all goes under that tag please.
Freeform tags: For this exchange, all freefrom tags should be nominated in the following format: "Alternate Universe - [thing you want the AU to be about]". For example: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shop.
There are a wide variety of canonical AU tags, but you aren't limited to them. Want to nom "Alternate Universe - Everyone Wears Crocs"? Fine by me. However, AU tags do need to be AU. So nomming "Alternate Universe - Vampire" wouldn't really be AU for this fandom. "Alternate Universe - Different Characters are Vampires" or "Alternate Universe - Sci-Fi Vampire Worldbuilding" is A-OK, though. Canonical AUs such as the wishverse, birthday verse, world without shrimp, world with nothing but shrimp, etc are allowed! Please nominate them like "Alternate Universe - Wishverse". Fandom fusion AUs are not allowed as we are going to be a small exchange and probably not a lot of us share fandoms other than btvs and it might make matching hard. So, while "Alternate Universe - Superheros" would be fine, "Alternate Universe - MCU fusion" wouldn't be allowed.

Sign-up: Requests

Please put your DNW in the signup form, if you have one. If you have no DNWs, then write "I have no DNWs."
On the topic of "do not wants" (DNWs), they must be clear, specific, and free of judgement. You may not DNW something like "gross kinks" because that is judgemental and unclear. Please instead list which kinks you do not want to see. You may also not DNW something that goes against the theme of the exchange, so "DNW AUs" would be a no for this exchange. You can DNW specific types of AUs, however. DNW may not be used to box your creator in (so nothing like "DNW anything other than Buffy/Willow in a high fantasy world").
You may also include likes or prompts in the sign-up if you like. These are optional and NOT BINDING to your creator.
You may include a letter as well if you like. These are often used when your likes and optional details are too long for AO3's text box. (DNWs in these will not be enforced; it must be in your signup).
You will need to request 3-20 ships, 3-20 AU tags, and 1-4 mediums (HIGHLY recommended to request fanfiction as one).

Sign-up: Offers

You will be able to offer 3-20 ships, 3-20 AU tags, and 1-4 mediums. You will be able to offer "any" for each of these: this means any in the tagset.
Please make sure you are matchable! If you are not, you will be contacted by me and asked to add more to your signup or risk having your signup deleted.

Assignments and Minimums:

Minimums are as follows: 1,000 words for fanfic, 1,000 words for podfic (if recording a fic that is already written) OR 500 words if recording a new fic that you wrote (please post both to the collection + gifted to recipient), and 5 panels of clean finished art for comics (both kinds). Each work should contain a beginning, middle, and end, and should be complete and stand on its own (NOT part of a series). Works should be in English. Works should be of a quality you would be happy to receive as a gift.
Works containing excessive spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors or overly confusing/complicated plots that hinder comprehension may be rejected and asked to revise. If you know this may be an issue then please consider asking the mod for help finding a beta reader/proofreader.
We will do our best to honor do not match requests. Please contact the mod privately if you have one. You do not need to specify why you are requesting one, but if there is a harassment concern then I would like to know.
Please contact the mod immediately if your assignment doesn't match your offers. This is the ONLY reason anyone will be allowed to change assignments. Please check your signup and ensure you are willing to write all requests that you could match with.
Your fills must abide by your recipient's DNW, and include at least one ship, medium, and AU tag requested.
Defaulting: There is no penalty for defaulting. Please default as soon as you know you will not be able to finish your assignment. You are not guaranteed a gift if you default.
Extensions: the mod may be able to offer an extension if you need one. Message the mod privately if you need an extension.
Remain anonymous during the unrevealed/anonymous period. Do not post about your assignment publicly.

Treating:

Treating will be allowed.
Treats don't have to meet the minimum but should still be complete and relatively free of comprehension-hindering spelling/grammar errors
If you are open to receiving treats and have the 'allow anyone to gift me works' setting turned on, please say so in your signup. Same goes if you DON'T want treats.
You don't have to be signed up to treat.
Gifts to the collection are also allowed.

Other Stuff:

This space follows these rules: Ship and let ship, don't like don't read, and your kink is not my kink (and that's OK). Absolutely NO harassment. Harassment will get you banned from the exchange, and likely the discord server as well if you're in it.
All works should follow AO3's policies as the exchange is run on AO3.
Please rate, warn, and tag responsibly. CNTW and NR are valid options!
Any pinch hits will be posted to Discord.
This is an 18+ exchange. Works do not need to be NSFW in nature.
Commenting is MANDATORY. Anyone who fails to leave a good faith comment on their gift(s) will be banned from the next exchange in this group.
If you have questions contact the mod.

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New Event: Transformative, Recursive, and Derivative Works!

Fri, 11 Jul 2025 16:06:04 GMT

Posted by: harlow_turner_chaotic_ace

Hello all! Welcome to our newest event, which focuses on transformative, recursive, and derivative works. Yup, that's right. For this event, we'll be working with fic based on fic, fanart of fics, (or fic about fanarts), podfics and translations of existing works, etc. And of course, all works submitted should focus on Buffyverse Rarepairs.

Schedule:

July 13th-19th: Free for all week. You may post as many new and original (non-transformative or derivative) works to the collection as you would like./li>
July 20th-August 16th: Main posting weeks. You must post at least one transformative/derivative work before you may post a new and original work.

Other Rules:

Permission: Works posted to the collection can be seen as fair game for the event, however please do check with the author first, or look at their blanket permission statement if they have one. For works not posted to the collection, please be extra-sure to get permission, or check for a blanket permission statement.

All works transformed or posted should feature Buffyverse rarepairs.

Please don't include any of these things in your transformations without EXPLICIT permission from the original author: character bashing/ship bashing, any archive warning that wasn't there before or smut/explicit sex that wasn't there before, changing the ship (especially in a way that breaks up the main pairing in favor of another-- for example, it's probably OK to transform a fic so that it focuses on a background rarepair instead of the main rarepair in the original, but don't break up the main ship without permission from the original creator of the work.) That's not to say that you can't include any of these things: just check with the creator first!

As always, be respectful of others' shipping/character preferences, no kinkshaming, and be kind to one another.

All types of content is allowed, including works that may be disturbing to some readers/viewers. Please rate and warn responsibly (not rating and CNTW are valid choices).

Ao3 Collection | Blanket Permission Statement Builder

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New Event: Turn up the Heat Exchange

Mon, 26 May 2025 19:00:41 GMT

Posted by: harlow_turner_chaotic_ace

Welcome to our newest event! Our Summer 2025 event will be a rarepair exchange centered around the theme of heat.

( Theme and what )

( Matching: )

( Requests: )

( Offers: )
( Assignments/Minimums: )

( This event ONLY: Canon x Original Characters: )
( Nominations: )

( Opt-Ins )

( DNWs: )
Collection link | Tagset

Noms open now!

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New Event: Ultra Rarepair Bingo!

Sun, 16 Mar 2025 23:20:14 GMT

Posted by: harlow_turner_chaotic_ace

We will have custom cards for the event... you pick the prompt pool you want, and we randomize a card for you.

Dates:

Collection opens: NOW!
Collection Reveals: April 1, 2025
Posting Ends: April 30, 2025.

So basically, you can get an early start on posting if you want. The works will just be hidden until the official beginning of the event.

Rules:
100 word minimum or the equivalent in another medium.

What is an ultra-rarepair? Less than 50 works in English, on Ao3, with the OTP: True filter on.

Feel free to interpret the prompts however you want! You do not have to use them for the genre they are categorized as (for example, you can use a "domestic" prompt for a whump fic).

NO AI GENERATED WORKS, PLEASE. Using an AI tool to check your grammar is ok (though we encourage the use of a human beta-reader) but do not have chat gpt write your fic or whatever.

Awards (Get a shout-out on our tumblr at the end of the event):
Bingo participant: One or more fills
Bingo: 1 bingo (five fills: vertical, horizontal, or diagonal)
Blackout: 25 fills, covering the board.

Commenting participant: Comment on 50% of works in the collection
Commenting star: Comment on all the fics in the collection.

Links:

Collection: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Buffyverse_Ultrararepair_bingo2025
Prompt pool: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1V5Odea_qY69c-nxfOSJ85MYVviZteWffiHx8JUKNXVQ/edit?usp=sharing
Sign up for a card: https://forms.gle/WqjTBxJidF3zT995A

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Bingo posting is open!

Thu, 02 Jan 2025 05:12:08 GMT

Posted by: harlow_turner_chaotic_ace

Hi everyone! Bingo posting is now open. Here is the collection: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Rarepair_bingo_2025

We can't wait to see what you create!

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Bingo Event!

Sun, 08 Dec 2024 19:43:59 GMT

Posted by: harlow_turner_chaotic_ace

Hello all! We have a new event! It will be a bingo event. There are three cards to pick from: relationship dynamics, gen prompts, and kinks/smut (18+ ONLY on that last one).

Rules:

To get a bingo, you need five fills in a row (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal). For a blackout, you need to cover the entire card.
Minimum for fills is 100 words of fanfiction, a sketch or doodle for fanart, or the equivalent in other mediums (if you're not sure what feels fair, ask me! We can work something out.) Fills need to incorporate the prompt filled somehow. One prompt per fill, please!
Posting opens Jan 1st.
You can post to Dreamwidth, LiveJournal, or the AO3 collection.
Your fills need to be rarepair somehow! All rarepairs are eligible (though some prompts may apply to only certain types of ships). Follow the posting guidelines outlined in this community.

Cards below:
Relationship dynamics: a card with prompts that focus on types of relationships, and tropes dealing with relationships.

Gen prompts: a card with prompts that are "gen," that is, they don't specifically deal with relationships. (That being said, you can use them with any rarepair, romantic or platonic.)

And finally, for those of you who are 18+, here is the kink/smut card. Fills don't have to be smutty, you're welcome to use the prompts however you'd like.

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A Couple Announcements

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 07:14:06 GMT

Posted by: harlow_turner_chaotic_ace

Firstly, although Obsessed With You is still in full swing until Dec 1 (be sure to check out the collection), we're proud to announce that our next event will be a bingo. Cards will be revealed at some time in December, and posting will be the month of January.

Secondly, we have an "unofficial" event running this winter. All ships (rarepair or not, as well as gen stuff) is allowed. We have a collection that will reveal on Christmas, and you can gift works to friends who are in the community! I'll be adding more in the comments, so please check there. Here is the collection for that.
It's very unofficial and relaxed, I won't be moderating the collection or guaranteeing anyone a gift, but if there's someone in the community you'd like to gift, now is your chance!

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Obsesssed With You 2024

Sat, 14 Sep 2024 16:57:54 GMT

Posted by: harlow_turner_chaotic_ace

That's right! We got a brand new rarepair event!
As you can probably tell from the title, the theme of the event is obsession(s).
What counts?
The works must comply with posting guidelines: https://otherworldly-chemistry.dreamwidth.org/604.html
Works must be a minimum of 100 words, feature a rarepair (romantic, platonic, whatever) as the main focus, and abide by posting guidelines. Works don't need to be complete; you just need to post the first chapter by Oct 31 (the collection will open Oct 1), and feature obsession somehow. This is very broad! Is Buffy obsessed with Riley? Are Willow and Oz obsessed with each other? Are Joyce and Angel together, and Joyce is obsessed with grilled cheese sandwiches? Or maybe Dawn and Willow are besties and obsessed with solving a mystery? Whatever you choose, get ready, because we'll be doing participant awards!
To get the author award, simply post a story to the Ao3 collection or here on DW or LJ. Here is the Ao3 collection: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Obsessed_with_you_2024
To get the commenter award, comment on 5 or more works in the collection/on DW or LJ.
Posting opens Oct. 1 and closes Oct. 31.

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F/F Ficathon Wrap Up Post

Tue, 02 Jul 2024 17:59:39 GMT

Posted by: harlow_turner_chaotic_ace

Hello all! We've just concluded another successful event, our first ever f/f ficathon!
Featuring works by harlow_turner_chaotic_ace, queennhalloween, evesock, local_clown_liv, and aufredpratt.
Works can be seen on the Ao3 Collection, the "event: f/f ficathon" tag here on our DW, or on our LiveJournal.
Now, for some statistics...
We had 6 new works added!
5 were fanfiction, and 1 was fanart!
Fanfiction ranged in length from 698 words to 4,879 words.

We will have a new event soon, so stay tuned for that!

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Cordelia/Buffy Drabbles

Tue, 25 Jun 2024 05:31:32 GMT

Posted by: harlow_turner_chaotic_ace

A collection of drabbles for the Cordelia/Buffy ship

Building Heat
Rating: G
Summary: It's a hot day, but it's about to get hotter.

( Read Building Heat )

First Day
Rating: G
Summary: Buffy meets Cordelia on her first day at Sunnydale High, and they become best friends. And later, something more...

( Read First Day )

High Fever
Rating: G
Summary: Buffy takes care of Cordelia when she has the flu.

( Read High Fever )

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Fanfiction: When the Morning Comes

Mon, 24 Jun 2024 04:50:11 GMT

Posted by: harlow_turner_chaotic_ace

Summary: Follow up to Debrief. Buffy takes Riley home, but their struggles are far from over.
Rating: T
Paring: Riley Finn/Buffy Summers, Riley Finn & Graham Miller

( Read more... )

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Fanfic: One, Two, Three

Mon, 24 Jun 2024 04:40:48 GMT

Posted by: harlow_turner_chaotic_ace

Title: One, Two, Three
Summary: One, two, three. Faith, Buffy, Kendra. Three parts of a whole. Three girls kissing.
Author's Notes: So I've long held that Faith, Buffy, and Kendra represent the id, ego, and superego of Freudian theory. As a (combined with English and a bit of biology) psychology student, I can't resist letting everything I learn in the classroom bleed into my fic. The result of that, is this.
Ship: Buffy/Faith/Kendra
Rating: T
Warnings: None, unless makeout session is a warning

Click here to read

One, two, three. Three's a charm, three's company, three's a crowd. Three wishes, three little pigs, three billy goats gruff. Three primary colors, three sides on a triangle, three main subatomic particles.
Three main subconscious forces in Freudian theory: id, ego, superego.

Three girls kissing.
Faith, Buffy, Kendra.
One, two, three.

Faith is rash and impulsive, taking what she wants with little regard for consequences. Her mouth plunders Buffy's lips, kissing her deeply, hungrily, arms around Buffy's waist, holding her tightly.
Kendra is more rigid, strict, doing things by the book. Her hands rub up and down Buffy's back in practiced, rhythmic strokes, over and over, precise and exacting.
Buffy herself is the mediator between the two. She responds to Faith's hungry kiss, and leans into Kendra's rubbing, subservient to them, yet seeking balance.

The apartment is warm, and they sit on pillows on the floor. Kendra leans in to trail kisses up Buffy's neck, and Faith bites down on Buffy's lower lip-- not hard enough to draw blood, but enough to leave Buffy's lip tender. Faith starts sucking on Buffy's lower lip.
Buffy lets out a low moan, from deep in her throat.
Kendra shifts her rubbing to massaging of Buffy's shoulders, still precise, kneading and working at the knots in Buffy's shoulders. Buffy sighs softly.
Faith pushes Buffy backwards, and Buffy falls into Kendra's lap. Kendra holds Buffy, as Faith straddles Buffy, grinding against her, their jeans rubbing together.
Kendra looks up at Faith, and Faith looks at Kendra, then the two of them kiss, their lips coming together. Kendra is slightly resistant, her lips almost stiff, whereas Faith's are insistent and hungry.
Buffy sits up, as Faith and Kendra pull apart, and Kendra loops an arm around Buffy's waist, and Buffy kisses her, the soft meeting the stern, and all is right in the world.
The three of them are hopelessly tangled now, a pile on the floor, limbs tangled together, hands in each other's hair, kissing and holding each other.

One, two, three.
Faith, Buffy, Kendra
One, two, three.

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Worms in the Earth

Sun, 23 Jun 2024 20:53:16 GMT

Posted by: local_clown_liv

Pairing: Xander Harris/Drusilla/Angelus

Summary: Xander has been turned into a vampire, and the benefits are better than he could have ever dreamed.
Goes au during Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered. This is the aftermath.

Rating: Adult Only

Warnings: Blood and gore, threesomes, anal, mommy/daddy kink, praise kink, underage

Written for Round Thirteen, Challenge #2 of the Land of Magic

Prompt: Rebirth

Beginning Notes: This is not beta read, so you’ve been warned. It’s one of those fics I finished pretty fast and I’m proud of myself for that. I hope you enjoy it!

The title is a reference to something Jesse, seen in the first two episodes and then completely forgotten about, says in relation to becoming a vampire (hopefully this works, I'm bad at posting on Dreamwidth

-

( Read more... )

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Fanfic: Debrief

Sun, 23 Jun 2024 20:33:38 GMT

Posted by: harlow_turner_chaotic_ace

Summary: She's not sure they're going to make it. Riley is badly hurt, and seems to have lost a lot of blood. Buffy herself is bruised and battered, and bone weary from the battle and the spell. She helps Riley take a few more shaky steps. She can't lose him. Can't lose anyone else. Sees the faces of all the people she's been too late to save over the years. She won't let Riley be one of them.
After the battle in Primeval, Riley is badly hurt. Buffy won't, can't, let him die.

Author's Notes:
This is a bit canon divergent in that Riley is hurt much worse than he is in canon and there's some other canon divergent elements.The M rating/violence warning is more of a precaution, really. There's a fair bit of blood and some allusions to violence and other badness. Basically all the canon stuff. It deals with some heavy-ish themes so. Yeah. It felt like it merited more than a T rating, and I tend to over rate/warn instead of under rating/warning. Written for Gen Prompt Bingo round 26, prompt: blood.

Rating: mature
Warnings: violence, blood
Ship: Buffy/Riley

Click here to read...

It's all she can do not to break down, seeing him this way, broken and bleeding on the floor.

Buffy crouches down next to him. "Riley? Riley? Are you alright?"

Riley groans, and rolls over. Buffy breathes a sigh of relief.

"Buffy... what happened? I remember... Adam... then not much..." Riley tries to sit up, but fails, and falls back to the floor of the secret lab.

"Shh. It's okay. You're safe now." Buffy says, putting an arm around his shoulders and helping him to sit up. "We're going to find you some help, and you're going to be fine. Everything is going to be fine."

Buffy tries not to look at the wound on Riley's chest. It looks bad, jagged and bleeding.

"What happened to you?" Buffy says. "You're hurt."

"I... I had to." Riley looks down at his hands, as if he can't believe that they belong to him. "I would have... he would have made me hurt you. Would have made me like him. I couldn't let that happen. So I cut it out."

"What did you cut out?" Buffy asks.

"There was a chip..." Riley whispers. He looks so pale...

"Okay. Can you stand? We need to get out of here." Buffy says. There's a crashing sound in the distance, punctuating Buffy's point.

"I think so." Riley grimaces. Buffy helps him to his feet, her arm around his shoulders, and he leans on her.

Getting out of the Initiative is the easy part. Buffy collects the rest of the scoobies, who give Riley concerned looks while he puts pressure on his most serious wound. Buffy even manages to get Spike out, who is actually somewhat helpful for once (even though he had just tried to betray them for Adam).

Outside on the UC Sunnydale campus, there's... not much indication that a great battle is taking place. Buffy and her friends and allies limp out onto the lawn.

"You guys should get out of here. It's not safe. I'm going to get Riley to a hospital." Buffy says.

"How do you plan on explaining his injuries?" Giles asks.

"It doesn't matter. I'll think of something. Go on. Go home." Buffy says.

"How much further?" Riley asks.

"Not much farther," Buffy lies, as she helps him down the sidewalk. She should have asked Giles for a ride, but she needed him to get Willow and Xander as far away from UC Sunnydale as possible. "We'll be at Sunnydale memorial soon, okay?"

She's not sure they're going to make it. Riley is badly hurt, and seems to have lost a lot of blood. Buffy herself is bruised and battered, and bone weary from the battle and the spell. She helps Riley take a few more shaky steps. She can't lose him. Can't lose anyone else. Sees the faces of all the people she's been too late to save over the years. She won't let Riley be one of them.

"Can we stop? Just for a minute," Riley asks.

"We have to keep going," Buffy says, but as she looks at him, she knows he can't walk much longer. "Alright. Just for a minute."

A pair of headlights appear, as Buffy and Riley sit on the curb. Buffy keeps her arm around him.

"I'm so sorry. I should have asked Giles to drive us. I was thinking about Willow and Xander. I'm sorry..." Buffy says.

"It's okay. I'm going to be fine." Riley winces. "Hurts, though."

The headlights grow brighter, and a black van pulls up alongside where Buffy and Riley sit.

"Oh, what now?" Buffy asks, exasperated. She stands up. Without her support, Riley collapses, and lays supine on the sidewalk.

A couple men in suits get out of the van. One flashes a badge at Buffy. She doesn't get a good look at it.

"Buffy Summers and Riley Finn?" One asks.

Buffy nods. She doesn't want to fight anymore, not tonight. Not when Riley's eyelids are fluttering shut. He needs help, badly.

"We need you to come with us. Both of you." the man says.

"Where are you taking us?" Buffy asks. "What's going on?" She knows what this is about, of course the fight she was just in was bound to get someone's attention.

"We need to debrief you." the man says.

"I'm not going to do that." Buffy says,

"We can help him." the other man says. This is the first time he's spoken. "He's injured. We're prepared to take him to a hospital."

"Fine." Buffy says. "But you help him first. Then you can debrief us, whatever that means."

The second man nods, and gestures to his partner. The back of the van opens, and a couple of men in uniform that seem vaguely familiar get out. One of them Buffy recognizes as Riley's friend Graham. They must be Initiative soldiers. Graham and the other man help Riley into the back of the van. Graham offers his hand to Buffy and helps her in, too. They shut the back of the van and start driving.

There's a couple other men in the back, dressed the same as Graham. One of them starts tending to Riley's wounds. He must be a medic or something, Buffy assumes.

"How bad is it?" Buffy whispers.

"Bad." the medic says. "He's got this cut on his chest, but there's also a deep puncture wound here. He's lost a lot of blood."

"He must've gotten skewered by Adam again. He didn't tell me." Buffy says,

"Hey. It's gonna be okay." Graham says. "We're gonna take care of him."

The medic nods, as he bandages up Riley's wounds. "I think he'll be okay. He needs more than I can do for him, though."

"See? Everything is going to be alright." Graham says. It would be more comforting if Buffy couldn't see how much his hands are shaking.

"This isn't Sunnydale memorial." Buffy says. They've stopped outside a nondescript grey building on the edge of town. "We had a deal!"

"Please calm down, Ms Summers. We promised that he'd receive medical treatment, and he will." one of the men in suits says.

Graham sticks close to Buffy as a couple of the other men help Riley into the building.

"Where... where are we?" Buffy asks.

"We have...er... had... more than one base." Graham says.

"I don't trust them."

"I know. I don't either. But we don't really have a choice."

Buffy sits in a cold metal chair in the hallway of the small medical wing. They'd taken Riley in for surgery an hour ago, and Buffy hasn't heard anything since. Graham sits next to her, silent and stoic. The men in suits had wanted to debrief him, but he'd insisted on staying with Buffy, who was refusing to go anywhere until she knew that Riley was alright.

"Thank you, Graham. For staying." Buffy says.

"It's nothing." Graham says.

"I really appreciate it."

"You shouldn't have to be alone right now." Graham says. Then, "He loves you, you know. Really loves you."

"You... you really think so?"

"I know it. He's something special. Don't let him go."

A tired looking doctor approaches Buffy. She holds a clipboard. "Ms. Summers? Your boyfriend is awake and asking for you."

Buffy stands up, as the doctor leads Buffy down the hallway and into a room. Riley is lying in bed, but is indeed awake. He looks a little better than he did earlier.

"Hey," Buffy says, not sure what else to say. "How're you feeling?"

"I'll let you two have a minute alone." The doctor says, stepping out of the room.

"Better. I think. They've got me on some pretty strong painkillers." Riley says.

"I'm glad you're alright." Buffy said, reaching out to brush some hair out of his eyes. "I... I was worried about you."

"Buffy, there's something I want to say. There was a moment back there, when I thought that I was going to die. And the thing I was most afraid of..." Riley reaches out and takes Buffy's hand, squeezing it tightly in both of his. "I've never told you... that I love you."

Buffy clutches his hand. "I love you, too. And whatever happens next, we're going to face it together, cause I'm not leaving your side. They can debrief us right here if they want to, but I'm not leaving."

Buffy leans down, and kisses Riley. His lips are warm and soft and feel like home, somehow. They're together, and right now, in this moment, that's what matters.

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Posting Guidelines

Sun, 23 Jun 2024 20:04:10 GMT

Posted by: harlow_turner_chaotic_ace

Hi! Welcome to Otherworldly Chemistry, a BtVS and AtS crackship and rarepair community. I'm Harlow, and this is how it works.

What kind of content can I post here?

Fanfic, fanart, and other fanworks devoted to Buffyverse rarepairs. The primary focus of this community is rarepairs, so the primary ship in your fic needs to be a rarepair!

What counts as a rarepair or a crackship?

Well, it's hard to define this. For our purposes, we're going to go off of AO3: if it's not in the top 10 pairings for BtVS or AtS, we call it a crackship/rarepair. If the pairing (or threesome, foursome, moresome etc) isn't in the top 10, then we'll take it! Here are some further clarifications, please read them. We also now count Spike/Drusilla as a rarepair, more details here. Here's a listing of what isn't counted as a rarepair. For the most part, we only take canon characters in our rare ships (we're looking for canon x canon, not canon x oc or oc x oc here-- we love OCs but for our purposes we're looking for fanworks featuring rare ships between canon characters), unless otherwise stated.

The following are NOT rarepairs:
    Spike/Buffy
    Angel/Buffy
    Giles/Buffy
    Xander/Spike
    Tara/Willow
    Faith/Buffy
    Spike/Angel
Spike/Drusilla
    Jenny/Giles

    Angel/Cordelia
    Angel/Wesley
    Fred/Wesley
    Lilah/Wesley
    Angel/Lindsey

What about background pairings?

Background pairings can be whatever you want, even if it's in the top 10. As long as the primary ship is a crackship or rarepair.

What about platonic pairings/friendships?

If they're not in the top ten, (as of writing this, no platonic pairings, represented by an "&" sign are in the top ten for BtVS or AtS), then you're all good! We love unlikely friendships as much as unlikely romances! It just needs to be the focus of the story to count, unless the primary romantic ship is also rarepair. (as far as I know, all & ships are rare in this fandom)

What do you mean, primary focus of my fic?

This means that your fic needs to be focused on a rare pairing. For example, if you're submitting a fic here because it features a Xander/Drusilla pairing, it needs to be focused on Xander/Drusilla, not have Xan/Dru as a background pairing in a primarily Spuffy fic, for example. The same goes for platonic ships. If you're submitting a fic that features Spike & Dawn as a platonic ship, it needs to focus on their friendship, not merely be a background friendship in a Spuffy-centric fic. You could have Spuffy as background in both these examples, but not as the primary pairing.

What are "Variant Ships"?

Variant ships are what I call ships like Bangelus, Cangelus, Buffy/William etc-- they're technically not in the top ten. However, Bangel, Cangel, and Spuffy are all top ten. Bangelus, Cangelus, Buffy/William etc are all OK to post here, with one caveat. They actually need to feature the "variant" character. So a Buffy/William fic needs to have Victorian poet William (the personality of, at least) and not just a Spike who goes by William. See more here.
Allowed variants:
    Buffy/William
    Buffy/Angelus and Buffy/Liam
    Spike/Liam, Spike/Angelus, William/Angel, William/Angelus, William/Liam
    Xander/William
    Angelus/Cordelia, Liam/Cordelia
    Angelus/Wesley, Liam/Wesley
    Angelus/Lindsey, Liam/Lindsey

What info do I need to include when I post?

All pairings (you're welcome to use spoiler tags if you'd like. This applies to all the info in this section.), warnings, and a rating. Length is nice as well.

What rating system should I use?

We would prefer if you use the rating system that AO3 uses just to keep things consistent. The rating system is:

G: General. This is OK for everyone. No violence. No swearing. No sex.

T: Teen and up. Oh, look, dirty words! Just saying them, though. Not doing them. Be reasonable: would you be OK with your 13 y/o cousin reading this?

M: Mature. Sex but no porn. More violence. Themes that are just more, well, mature. Nothing too explicit, though.

E: Explicit. Porny stuff, graphic violence, 18+ only.

DW has age restriction settings. For works with no mature/explicit content, use the "no age restriction" option. For mature works that aren't explicit, use "viewer discretion advised". For explicit works, use "age 18+".

What about warnings?

Everyone has opinions about warnings. Here, you can choose not to warn if you'd like. If you do want to warn, some things you should warn for are character death, graphic violence, sexual content (specify if explicit or non explicit), rape/noncon, underage sex, or anything else that you think might be triggering to people.

Can I post things here that I've posted elsewhere? What about crossposting things to other sites after I post them here?

Yes, and yes! DreamWidth isn't the most popular place to read fic nowadays. Think of this more as a place to organize BtVS and AtS crack pairings and rarepairs, and to connect with likeminded people.

For our events, though, we may ask that you submit new works, and that you submit them here first.

I don't want to write or make art. I just want to read. Can I still join!

Yes! Please do!

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