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round 1, winners

Round #1 Winners Pt1
Hey Guys! It's award time :D

We're doing this in 4 posts for ease of loading. It's the guys up first, then Spike/Female followed by the Judges choices in 2 posts with the Best Graphics and Best Author.

Congratulations to all the winners AND all the nominees - even if you didn't get a shiny this time someone thought your work merited one so well done :D




Wine and Wheetabix Award - Best Spike/Giles



Alive and Kicking by jenny

Judges Comments: I loved the voices of Giles and Spike in this fic. You were spot-on!



Blue Abyss by inklacedfeather

Judges Comments: I love how you showed Spike's vulnerability and Giles need for control. It was pretty accurate, as to how things COULD have been. Your character representation was very good.

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Smooth and Scruffy Award - Best Spike/Wes



A spot of action by entrenous88

Judges Comments: I love how you showed the rift between Wes and Angel, and how Spike maneuvered himself in there. I also enjoyed how you used Spike's hatred of boredom, and love of beer! This was a great fic, that I will be reading again!



Everyday by soft_princess

Judges Comments: I hadn't expected to enjoy something so much that was from Xander's POV. This was beautifully written. I love the simplicity of the story, and the beauty of the threesome. Not as raunchy, as some tend to be. Well done!

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Ride a Cowboy Award - Best Spike/Lindsey



Revelations by ash_carpenter

Judges Comments: If you could paint a painting by words, ash_carpenter's Revelations would be it. It's a beautiful, haunting and amazing story. The style is so clean and clear, and full of emotions. ash_carpenter doesn't explain anything, she just tells her story of two broken characters who meet and share the night together. The story is calm and frantic at the same time, the mood of the piece just as fragile as the characters in all their vulnerabilities.



By any other name by lyrstzha

Judges Comments: By Any Other Name explores what might happened if Lindsey had been telling the truth about being a seer sent to Spike. Lyrstzha manages to tell the beginning of a relationship in this one-shot and make it feel like you've read a long history of how the two first met and how the relationship grew from there. The dialogue between Spike and Lindsey is so funny and in character and you can really see them talking to each other in your mind's eye.

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Army of Two Award - Best Spike/Riley



Altered states series by trepkos

Judges Comments: I could talk about this series forever, so I’m going to try and keep it short and only mention highlights. In the first story, Spike gets under Riley’s skin, and vice versa, as they talk through the glass of Spike’s Initiative cell. Spike opens Riley up to the knowledge that demons have personalities and Riley falls in love, putting his career at risk to keep Spike from harm and help him escape. Professor Walsh “wipes the slate,” programming Riley to be interested in Buffy, instead. We have a really heart-wrenching moment when Riley sees Spike and doesn’t recognize him, but the memory of the incident haunts him until he goes to Spike and finally remembers everything and they run away together. The second story is also really touching and sweet, with the introduction of the sassy character of Riley’s cousin and the challenges the odd couple face. Drusilla makes an appearance in the third story to complain that time is out of order, and we see glimpses into how the world is “supposed” to be, like BtVS Season 4.



Manservant by jans_intentions

Judges Comments: Manservant takes us through Spike’s transformation from an unwilling-Riley’s pet, unable to speak and not even resembling the Spike we know, to a shadow of canon-Spike’s brash self because he’s gone through so much that was never even imagined in canon. I like to think I’ve read most of Sexymermaid’s work, but for some reason I avoided this story until I was forced to read it to judge. As soon as I started reading, I got sucked in by a story that was disturbing and upsetting, forcing myself to continue after the first chapter when I was as disconcerted as Riley by the appearance of the naked vampire in his office, not because it isn’t a pretty sight, but because Spike wasn’t anything that Riley or I could find attractive: he was a beaten dog on a short leash in a doghouse he has soiled because nobody ever lets him out. But Riley feels sorry for the creature, who he can’t get out of his head, and I was drawn in as Riley helps Spike heal. The Initiative has a lot more control in this world; Buffy is on Walsh’s “vitamin” program and estranged from her mom and Giles, Xander is captured and turned by Angel, who the Initiative also got their hands on. Ethan is in town, running a brothel, and helps the men put things back to rights as much as is possible.

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Beauty Alike Award - Best Spike/William



The Innocence series by denied_heaven

Judges Comments: This touching story takes you all over the place. No emotion is spared when this author creates characters so wonderful that the last thing on our minds is stopping these boys from getting together.



Masks by purplefeen

Judges Comments: WOW! I mean...no, wow covers it. This story is hot, sweet and keeps you reading and fanning yourself while aching for more.

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Moonlight Fantasy Award - Best Spike/Oz



Concurrence by rubywisp

Judges Comments: This fic is a brilliant example of what I think fan fiction should be. The characters are believable and Spike’s decision to dance with Oz is deliberate and explained by clear descriptions of Spike’s mood and mindset before he even sees the werewolf. We watch Spike throw caution to the wind, which rewards him (and us) with some wonderfully hot sex in an office off the bar.



Book of Thress by frk_werewolf

Judges Comments: While this story isn’t yet finished, it provides a unique perspective about what would happen if Spike had returned to Sunnydale right after season 3, instead of partway through 4. This causes the beginning of a prophecy, which Doyle said The Powers told him shouldn’t have happened for another century or so, that manipulates Oz, Spike, and Xander into a relationship that probably would never have happened without divine intervention. Each chapter in The Book of Threes focuses on the transformation of one of the three men, and how the other two help him find his ground.

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Gentlemen's Company Award - Best Spike/Other Male



Point of Convergence by _beetle_

Judges Comments: Interestingly moving, seeing as how I’m not much of a fan of Connor. His semi-split personality via his two identities is very intriguing…most authors portray Connor as a sniveling, whining teen who hates Angel and just wants to break things. Instead, _beetle_ gives him actual feelings, gives voice, face, and explanation to the confusion, betrayal, misanthropy Connor emotes, but along with the negativity, Connor finds things to remember that are pleasant, worth remembering, detail for detail. The interaction between a newly-human Spike and Connor is something to really pay attention to. Yes, it is a Spike/Connor fic, but not in an immediately sexual way. The author plays them off each other well, both characters carrying so much baggage. Such baggage is expected with both, but they carry different kinds. The humor of Spike experiencing everything that is human offers both humor and enlightenment into an aspect of Spike’s character that we rarely see.



Second hand by kita0610

Judgers Comments: Brilliantly composed. An amazing character study of Spike. While the coupling of Spike/Connor is important, what we see is Spike’s view of events that have happened since Buffy’s death at the end of Season 6 of BtVS. The title of the fic is perfect…as the author points out, everything Spike has had in his life is second hand, with the exception of the stories he’s compelled to tell. Those stories, the ones he tells Dawn, to console her and dry her tears and dampen her anger, and the ones he tells Connor, are his. Wholly and fully. No one else tells stories like Spike does. He’s the bard who’s seen it all but owned nothing.

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Hello Mate Award - Best Spike/Original Male

Unfortunatley this category didn't recieve enough nominations to qualify to be judged. The nominations will be carried over to round 2.

Congratulations to all the winners!