More squee! And a Spuffy thought!

[elisi]

Well, Christmas has obviously come early, because yesterday someone gifted me with more icon-space! Thank you so much anonymous benefactor! LJ-fairy? Christmas-fairy? Or... ::looks suspiciously at Anna and her magic wand::

Today we went to Impish Girl's pre-school/nursery to see their nativity play! Anyone who hasn't seen 25 3-year olds doing this hasn't lived! They were all just so cute!! And afterwards there was tea and cakes, and because about half the children are asian, and parent's brought the refreshments, I had Christmas cake and onion bhajis (sorry about spelling).

But - I also have a little thought to share:



Spuffy Thought

Now I doubt I'm the first one to notice this, but I felt like sharing anyway! We all know that heartbreaking moment:

Buffy: "I love you."
Spike: "No you don't."

I'm one of those who think that yes she meant it and yes he believed her. (See this post by the_royal_anna and this FitB by Kimi: The Way It Works - set just post-Chosen).

But that's not what I'm going to talk about. Because I discovered that there was a precedent for 'I love you' / 'No you don't'! And also that in this scene the denial doesn't mean disbelief. Let me show you - this is from the alley scene in 'Dead Things:

Spike: "You're not going in there."
Buffy: "I have to do this. Just let me go."
Spike: "I can't. I love you."
Buffy: "No, you don't."
Spike: "You think I haven't tried not to?"
Buffy hauls off and punches him in the face. Spike goes flying back into a couple of garbage cans, against the wall of the next building.
Buffy: "Try harder."

Buffy's denial is most certainly an instruction - a command even. And how interesting that this exchange comes at one of their lowest points and the mirror scene at their highest! I just liked the symmetry. Now go discuss! ;-)

Comments

[paratti.livejournal.com]

THere's additional symmetry between DT adn Chosen there too. In DT he loves her adn she beats him to a pulp and leaves him to die. In Chosen she tears his heart out with a spoon by jumping Angel and showing no remorse, then she gives him the amulet she and Angel won't risk wearing themselves and which kills him, as she leaves him there to die.

No wonder he decided against going back for more.

[elisi]

This is a reply to both comments - I see where you're coming from, but personally I just happen to disagree. See this thread from my Intervention essay which says most of what I think about those last moments (or rather, why Buffy smiled).

And I think that giving Spike the amulet was the biggest compliment she could have given him - can you imagine if she'd brought Angel home: "Well everybody, the Champion is here!" That would have been worse I think.

[paratti.livejournal.com]

She'd already done worse to Spike by snogging angel and completely dismissing Spike's rights to his own emotions of feeling upset and betrayed.

But then she'd already done that before in AYW, only this time instead of leaving Spike's home in flames she leaves him.

And smiles about it both times.

[elisi]

I think in AYW she was probably just happy to finally have found the strength to say no.

In Chosen I firmly believe that she was proud of him - of how far he had come! And I'm certain that there were plenty of tears later! (See Kimi's fic)

[paratti.livejournal.com]

A fic is a fic. It's not real, it's not on screen. What we got on screen was a monster that couldn't even muster up a moment of grief adn decency for her victims, be they Spike, Anya or the kids she got killed. But hey, why would she, they weren't her, so why give a shit.

[elisi]

I get a feeling that you don't like Buffy very much...

[paratti.livejournal.com]

I wanted to very much, and she just kept on not only not redeeming herself but making herself look worse.

[elisi]

Well, shall we just agree to leave it be and enjoy the yumminess that is Spike?