Can I just remind people...

[themagicpixie]

LOL sassette. Exactly.

[hush30]

That's so true tyche. The reason we come to this board is because we LOVE W/T and want our Tara back in her soulmate, Willow's, arms. We have enough people in our own lives who don't understand and we come here to be with the people who do!!!

Look at me I have a psychology exam in a few hours and instead of studying I'm here getting my W/T fix for the day. Now that's dedication (or procrastination). Wish me luck!

[xita]

Good luck Hush w/t will give you good luck for the test!

[Epicurus]

Great reminder tyche.
Youd think pages filled with Willow and Tara Forever! or the gigantic pictures of Willow and Tara smooching posted all over the place, hell, even the title of the board would tell visitors something about us but I guess not.
Hmm maybe we should invest in a flashing neon sign.

[Penrose Orleans]

We'd have to make the sign interesting, though... maybe something like this:

Willow/Tara Oasis: The Surfer's Home for Smoochies and A Blatant Lack of Spuffy

[WiccansIllusion]

Tyche welll said.


might I also add for all the new fics going up, that it states anything that HAS NOT aired in the US is a spoiler, so there fore all of season six, including the finale and seeing red are already of the spoiled.

Sorry I've seen a LOT of spoiler warnings, and it's kind of odd.

[Katharyn]

WiccansIllusion... it is just a tiny courtesy thing (the spoiler warning) to those who have to wait for video's or even longer. It helps to know if a fic is going to spoil you when you do not want to be.

I know that, when the UK is behind the US, I appreciate those warnings even though your interpretation is correct. I believe that there are places that have just got S4 first run!!

But that is a topic for another place.

Katharyn
------------

[QuOS]

Thank you, [b:382e913af3] Tyche[/b:382e913af3], for putting into words what I'm sure so many of us are feeling.

There are very few couples that I will actively ship. Actually, there's only two. And the fact that both of my shipper couples are same sex pairings earns me criticism and ridicule both from people online and occasionally from family and friends. That is why the Kitten is so important to me, because you can say how much you love Willow and Tara without having to worry about backlash.

Please, people, let's keep this place as a haven for W/T shippers, free from those who would try to force their opinions on others. I spend enough time defending W/T in real life, I don't want to have to start worrying about it here as well.

-QuOS (Sorry for the long preachy post, but I kinda have strong feelings on the subject)

[Jennifer]

Right on, tyche! Very well said.

[tyche]

Just wanted to say thanks for not shouting at me, people. This was kind of an end-of-tether thing, really. Like I said, I can go to every other 'Buffy' board on the internet if I want to see speculation on who Willow's new love interest is going to be.
Anyway, thanks for letting me rant. Much appreciated.

[urnofosiris]

Well Tyche, I have posted rants like that before in the past few months in several threads, it is very nice to see it coming from a first hour Kitten such as yourself.

I have no problem with people who want to watch the show, praise it, ship Willow or Tara with someone else, I do not care, as long as they do it *elsewhere*. I cannot stand it when people come here to say they disagree with some of the basic rules such as this being a [b:70bc1ee536] WT[/b:70bc1ee536] board and telling us how to feel and then complain when people disagree with *them*. The premise of the board is clear, and if it is not to your liking there are so many other places to go. I do not go into someone's home if I do not like who lives there or if I cannot abide by their rules. It is that simple. I came to this board to learn more about WT, I love this place and the people here, that is why I stayed. I have looked at other boards, but none had what I sought and found here, it would be silly to say the least if I started posting there bemoaning their established costoms for not fitting my needs. There isn't a place in this world that would cater to [i:70bc1ee536] everyone's[/i:70bc1ee536] needs and expectations without ever upsetting [i:70bc1ee536] anyone[/i:70bc1ee536].

There are hundreds of regular posters here from every gender, race, profession, sexual preference and age, from all over the world. No board can please everyone all the time to perfection. I am not always happy or in agreement with everything I read and see here and I do not expect to be, but there isn't a board that comes close for me, so here I am and here I'll stay, and I thank [b:70bc1ee536] Xita[/b:70bc1ee536] for creating the Kitten. Considering just how many [i:70bc1ee536] different[/i:70bc1ee536] people [i:70bc1ee536] are[/i:70bc1ee536] here, who are [b:70bc1ee536] happy[/b:70bc1ee536] to be here, I thinks she has done a pretty amazing job.

If the Kitten had not been here I never would have stuck around anywhere online, and aren't you all positively glowing with joy that I stuck around here? And remember before answering, if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all, and also remember that I have the power to delete you and that I am a total bastard. Thank you for your time, have a nice day.

[heironyma]

Quityquite. And vaguely on the subject, I do sometimes wish we could have a fun composite WillowTara name-thingy. Though not in anything else, in this I am a leetle bit jealous of the Spuffy and Xanya and Taffy and Billow and Spankya and Spander and et cetera people. There must be some desperately suitable and exceptionally witty vowel/consonant combination out there, which someone cleverer than me could think up.
Tallow would be very pretty if it weren't a kind of beef fat they make candles out of.

[RayneFire]

I have a question. And I swear I'm not trying to stir things up. But, is it possible for someone to be a W/T shipper, to continue to love the show and still be welcome here?

I love this board. Or at least I did in the past, but now when I come here everything is so negative. I don't feel like I can come out and say, "I still love Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

I hate that they killed Tara, but I won't overlook the fact that they brought to life a character and a couple that I fell in love with. This was the first gay/lesbian couple that I got/loved/actively rooted for. I fell in love with them because they were written well. And Im thankful to ME for helping me understand and even appreciate gay relationships.

But it seems like this board will no longer tolerate people who continue to love and support the show. And that makes me sad, because the kitten board has always been my sanctuary on the net.

[feena191]

Tillow?

[urnofosiris]

Rayne I am sorry you feel that way.
This board was created because of Willow and Tara. The show and it's creators have always been praised for the good they have given, but now they have hurt us in the worst possible way, not just by killing Tara, but by lying to us before and mocking us afterwards. So now they get anger and criticism instead of joy and praise, and considering it has been less than 2 months and considering the things still coming out of Joss Whedon's mouth it can't be surprising that here bitterness will pop up in various threads that deal with the show and/or writers.

There are however plenty of threads and the entire Pens board where that is not the case. You can still read the board and enjoy and discuss Willow and Tara and avoid the bitterness at the show in general if you want, but just like Buffy/Spike, Willow/Oz are not topics for this board, neither is BtVS in general for now, and as far as I am concerned until they bring Tara back alive, BtVS is topic non grata forever.

That does not mean you or anyone who still wants to watch and who will still enjoy the show is not welcome here, but for discussion and praise there are other places. This is a WT-centric board, and it obviously has it's limits.

[ninjitsugrrl]

Wara, Willara... Yeah, no combination seems to sound quite right.

[emma peel]

Great post,tyche. Thanks.
Janice

[Killin Joke]

Doctor, huh... Who said that ? Now I have a mental picture of Willow and Tara playing doctor... /chortle/ Gee, thanks ! /radiant / Tara would probably have a major in something artsy... Then again, those girls are both so incredibly intelligent they could do anything if they set their minds to it.

While I was studying for my Victorian poetry-exam, I noticed Tennyson's poem "The Lady of Shallot" contains the word "willow" 2 times ! and "willowy" (I am so going to use that one in my fanfic one day) Yeah, I'm obsessed, but in a good way, right. And it looks like I've come to the right place here. The fact that I made it to "willowhand" (there's her name again ) must mean something... I got my act right <G>

Willra ? Sounds like a Viking-name or something: Willraaaaa !!! /chuckle/ Nope, that won't do. Tarow ? -> similar to Tarot ? Interesting question...

[xita]

Rayne, I hear you. I am still looking at ways in which good people like yourself and others can still have an active part on the board. In fact I don't think loving the show puts you in a bad position here. I think when people try to tell us to stop being angry because buffy is a great show, that is when that message is not welcome.

Anyway, I hope the anger dies down, we can't run a board on anger. I hope Buffy can make it better and bring back Tara. I hope we can find the right balance for this board by the fall. There are many people who have left the board in a huff and I don't regret that for a second. There are also some treasured kitties who don't feel comfortable here anymore and I would like to fix that.

In the end though, without Tara this board can't focus on Buffy. Not because of the way they killed her or the way they have treated us, but because she's not there. We'd have to change our theme to be a board still devoted to BtVS and I am not willing to do that. I put my time in for Willow and Tara.. not for Willow and whomever. So what do we do now? Yet, obviously there is still a need for the board. We were all bound by Buffy, it is safe to say we are all still interested in Buffy. I know that in fact many people here will probably still watch the show next year (perhaps even me, though I still haven't seen the finale ) even without Tara. Yet there might be Amber, the board by definition says anything Aly and Amber related is on topic. I don't know. It is something I haven't worked out. I just wanted that out there for the kitties. It confuses me and gives me a headache. Maybe it's just fear of the unknown. We've done things the same way for years and now... it's all up in the air. I don't want to further divide the board.

[AutumnT]

Well said xita. As you and I have talked I told you I was in [i:b3a8032c9f] Buffy[/i:b3a8032c9f] for the long haul. I watched from the start and I am a completist. But that doesn't change the feelings I have about the way ME [b:b3a8032c9f] lied[/b:b3a8032c9f] consistently and how [b:b3a8032c9f] unfunny and crass[/b:b3a8032c9f] it is to hear of Joss Whedon giggling over Tara's death. And even though I will watch I totally respect anyone who walks away now. I just can't. And because of that [b:b3a8032c9f] I[/b:b3a8032c9f] will adjust to the tenets of this board whatever they may be. If there is no buffy discussion here next year and I enjoyed an episode I will talk about it elsewhere. I'm not going to try to change the board to meet my demands. I think that is the point of the original post. And you know, it's not that hard to follow the rules and enjoy the kitten board.

[RayneFire]

Im all for this board being all Willow/Tara, all the time. Thats what Ive always loved about this board. I guess my biggest concern is that I now see more Buffy bashing than Willow/Tara love - and thats what makes me sad.

Xita, I dont envy the position youre in right now. Youve given so much of yourself to this community, and I cant even imagine the pain youre going through. I ache over the loss of Tara, but I find that I can just be grateful that we had 2 years of the magical relationship of Willow and Tara. But thats me. I hate being angry, so I try to find ways to get around it. I know it isnt that simple for most of you. So Im not saying get over it or move on or anything like that.

I guess my hope is that with time, the anger will lessen and this board can go back to being a loving, positive place. I really did consider this place to be a sanctuary on the net. If I ever felt down, I knew I could come here because there would always be laughter and love - and that is so very rare on the internet. I feel like when I lost Tara, I also lost my sanctuary of this board.

{{{{{Kittens}}}}} I know I dont post here often, but youre very important to me.

[Penrose Orleans]

Good for you, Autumn! It's important to remember that this board isn't a spouse-- you can talk about whatever you want elsewhere, if the Kitten doesn't talk about it... I think it would be a real shame if there wasn't a side post next year on Buffy (even w/o the reset) because I really DO think that there's a chance it could improve...

[Wiccagrrl313]

I think, like people have said, the key here is time. Everything is still fairly fresh. People are still trying to sort things out and see where they stand. Frankly, I don't know at this point if I'll be watching next year or not. I didn't watch the finale this year, and am keeping up with the spoilers to see if it seems like there'll be anything worth watching or not. If Amber is around (and it sounds like she will be, in some capacity) I'll probably watch. And my guess is we'll talk about it a bit here, even though we aren't ever gonna be a general Buffy board. But a lot depends on how things play out. I want there to be something worth watching, I really do. For me personally, though, Xena cured me of the need to be a completist. I just don't feel the need to subject myself to the show if it's lost its enjoyment factor.

[Kieli]

I must say that, as eloquent as tyche's post is, it annoys me to no end that a reminder had to have been in the offing. There is a big honkin' thread at the top of the page that specifically tells new members to READ THE DIRECTIONS before posting. I wonder how well these people do in their classes because their grades must be hideous if they don't know how to follow simple instructions.

It must have taken a lot for you to finally post this, Ty. Lord knows you have the patience of a saint. Cheers.

Toni

[Pegalopolis]

Tyche, thanks for clarifying what this board is about. I will not be satisfied with anything other than our Tara being brought back to the show...which is looking like it won't happen, but at least we can have our refuge here.

W/T only!!

Peg

[Katharyn]

[b:8559ce83d9]Raynefire[/b:8559ce83d9] - The Buffy/ME bashing is natural and will continue for a while yet I think. The Aussie Kitties have yet to get the finale on air (4 weeks I think), UK kitties without Sky will not get the video's till August-ish... more and more people are going to continue to be hurt. In that climate the hurt about the story and the lies that were told are going to remain open wounds.

But I understand exactly what you mean. I know where the anger is coming from. I feel it myself and I hate the fact that it - and therefore ME - has changed us like this. But I am afraid they have - there are some threads on Kitten that are downright depressing, angry places. I get that... I even contributed to some of them... but they make me sad for what we have lost as a community.

Ultimately ME brought the anger on themselves and it is going to find an outlet here but I do know what you mean. I want things, on the board, the way they were. But for that to happen I fear that we would need to have Tara back... more than that we would need to be able to erase the entire storyline and that is never going to happen.

I hope you can stick around Raynefire and I hope that the Kitten returns to something like what it used to be. I will wait for it... cos I am not going anywhere.

Katharyn
---------------

[Penrose Orleans]

I would say that you have nothing to worry about, guys-- it's easy to be angry right now, when there's not too much we can do constructively to change things, and we know that it's at least a little up in the air. When all's said and done, though, I think you'll be surprised at the number of now angry people who watch next season!

[Warduke]

Although I will never watch Buffy next season, I do understand people who will be watching till the very end, because I have done it twice myself. With Xena and the X-Files, both were painful to watch in the end but I watched anyway because I had been there since the very beginning, but with Buffy, I started watching because of W/T, so no more W/T, no more Buffy for me.
And with the other shows I was never betrayed (not counting Xenas last episode because it was the series finale) but with Buffy, I have been betrayed like never before, and the mere thought of watching next season sickens me

It angers me to no end to think that Joss believes that by saying Amber will be back (but making sure that we know Tara wont be back) that should somehow appease me and make me forget all that happened on the show and all that happened outside the show (all the lies and the crap said by Joss and other writers) [b:68beeda2dd] NEVER[/b:68beeda2dd].
I love Amber, but as I have said before, when it comes to BtVS, its all about W/T, not A/A playing other roles, and the thought of an AU Tara or a look-alike is absolutely disgusting.

The only thing that would make me watch again would be of course the return of Tara, [b:68beeda2dd] not[/b:68beeda2dd] Amber in another role but Amber playing our Tara, but it still would never make me forget what happenedor forgive.

In the end, I simply will not/cannot be part of this board if BtVS is discussed, (unless of course it's the return of Tara, but I know that will never happen) because it will inevitably lead to some people (maybe many) liking what they are watching, and of course if BtVS is allowed to be discussed, then people will have a right to say they like it and it will only become a big argument, divided into two groups, those who like it, and those who hate it and it doesnt take a genius to figure out that these two groups will not get along.

And the last thing I want to read about on this board is how good the show is now or how Willow is moving on with her life, so if that happens, then my time on this board will be over.

[WebWarlock]

Mine as well Brian.

There are 1,000s of boards out there for anyone to talk about Buffy or even what Willow is doing now.

But those are not the boards I go to.
I come to the Kitten and consider it my home because of Willow and Tara. Not even really Aly and Amber, but Willow and Tara, togther.

This is why I am here. If the board keeps this focus, then great. If not, then I'll be here less and less. I won't be watching Season 7, so Willow can date whomever or no one at all. I am only interested if it is Tara. Not Amber as another character, but Tara.

I'll follow Aly and Amber's careers with great interest because they were part of something that I loved. But I'll follow ME's only to make sure that everything they do from this point fails.

Warlock

[sam7777]

I'd like to see the kitten board continue to be fanfic central. I love Different Colored Pens. I agree that we shouldn't discuss BTVS not that there is no Willow/Tara on the board. There are lot's of other places to duscuss BTVS. The Kitten can conitune to be a community and discuss Willow/Tara, gay issues etc. May be we could recreate the rant thread for folks to vent. I'd like to see articles on the lesbian cliche continue to be posted. Anyhoo that's my 2 cents.