This chapter has such an interesting and well done S/X dynamic (not surprisingly!). Also the scene by Buffy's grave is so very awesome.
I'm very entertained by the song that starts the chapter, because it always makes me think of Priscilla Queen of the Desert! What the hell radio station was that thing set on? teehee! *g*
I really like how it starts with Xander trying to process what happened the night before. This passage, in particular, so wonderfully deals with the varying reactions he'd have: He didn’t want to feel like this. He didn’t want to look at Spike and see ‘pretty’ and ‘strong’ and ‘dangerously hot.’ He dropped his eyes from the sleek lines of Spike’s back, staring blindly at the white sheets as if their blankness would blanket these thoughts. What was in this insane attraction to Spike? Was it just the inherent “Come to me, my pretty” danger in Spike that had nothing to do with him being a guy or no longer of the living? Or was it something more…and we’re not going there. I'm very fond of "their blankness would blanket", it's a very fun play with words and nicely describes the way Xander's staring. And I love that the last sentence opens up something more and then quickly backs away from it.
I love Spike moving in the bed because it makes me wonder if Spike's awake. And this is very awesome: Or hibernating or regenerating or whatever vampires did.
I enjoy the comment about the short shower (cause he doesn't need one after the night before!) and Xander trying to be all quiet. And I love this interaction so much, very funny and so S/X: “Suppose so,” Spike answered, snuggling back down into the sheets with a grin. “Find and mock your porn, answer the phone with ‘Harris’ bitch,’ put your albums in all the wrong cases…no shortage of evil I can get up to on my own.” “Don’t answer my phone,” Xander said with a stern finger point, and then grabbed his keys and left.
I continue to enjoy how you incorporate humour into the quieter parts: Peaceful, unthinky normalcy. Okay, time to get the witches and the teen of vague mystical energy to go visit the secret, hidden grave of a vampire slayer. Bring on the normal. Love the playing with what's "normal" in their universe.
I adore the entire going to Buffy's grave sequence, it's so wonderfully poignant. I love how there's an unspoken order that they walk in and the rituals that they have. It's so sad when he remembers Giles and Anya. This line really stands out, it's such a simple yet a perfect statement on the situation: The truth was, none of them really knew what to do once they got here.
Because I don't know flowers I looked up the Stargazer Lilies and they do seem perfect! I love all of Xander's internal thoughts and imaginings in this section, especially this part because of how he repeats her name: Buffy Anne Summers. If he just read it like that, all together, it didn’t seem like the same person. Had he even known her middle name was Anne? He stared at it harder. Buffy Anne Summers. Buffy. Buffy, I…. Buffy, I fucked Spike. Xander’s eyes opened wide and bit down on his lip, hard. He hadn’t thought that. It’d be like yelling, “fuck” or “goddamnit” in a church. Buffy, I left Anya, or she left me, and I fucked Spike, or almost, and now I think I might be…Xander’s teeth snapped down on the tip of his tongue, tasting blood. And I adore how he feels like he's sworn in a church. And it's so neat to me that he'd tell Buffy first (even if it's not really Buffy) because I suspect that she would be the one he'd tell first about this. Probably because he thinks she would understand the best. (It's late and I wish I could articulate that better ...)
It's also a really neat moment when Tara seems to misinterpret what Xander's thinking about, and he has that uncomfortable feeling that he's not thinking the right thoughts. I love Xander imagining Buffy in "Slayer heaven" and then comparing it to "Jesus heaven". And I love him chewing his lip, it's such a neat detail. It's interesting that Xander takes Giles' place unawares: “I suppose we should be heading back, then,” he heard himself say.
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Date: 2006-06-12 08:54 am (UTC)From:I'm very entertained by the song that starts the chapter, because it always makes me think of Priscilla Queen of the Desert!
What the hell radio station was that thing set on? teehee! *g*
I really like how it starts with Xander trying to process what happened the night before. This passage, in particular, so wonderfully deals with the varying reactions he'd have:
He didn’t want to feel like this. He didn’t want to look at Spike and see ‘pretty’ and ‘strong’ and ‘dangerously hot.’ He dropped his eyes from the sleek lines of Spike’s back, staring blindly at the white sheets as if their blankness would blanket these thoughts. What was in this insane attraction to Spike? Was it just the inherent “Come to me, my pretty” danger in Spike that had nothing to do with him being a guy or no longer of the living? Or was it something more…and we’re not going there.
I'm very fond of "their blankness would blanket", it's a very fun play with words and nicely describes the way Xander's staring. And I love that the last sentence opens up something more and then quickly backs away from it.
I love Spike moving in the bed because it makes me wonder if Spike's awake. And this is very awesome: Or hibernating or regenerating or whatever vampires did.
I enjoy the comment about the short shower (cause he doesn't need one after the night before!) and Xander trying to be all quiet. And I love this interaction so much, very funny and so S/X:
“Suppose so,” Spike answered, snuggling back down into the sheets with a grin. “Find and mock your porn, answer the phone with ‘Harris’ bitch,’ put your albums in all the wrong cases…no shortage of evil I can get up to on my own.”
“Don’t answer my phone,” Xander said with a stern finger point, and then grabbed his keys and left.
I continue to enjoy how you incorporate humour into the quieter parts:
Peaceful, unthinky normalcy. Okay, time to get the witches and the teen of vague mystical energy to go visit the secret, hidden grave of a vampire slayer. Bring on the normal. Love the playing with what's "normal" in their universe.
I adore the entire going to Buffy's grave sequence, it's so wonderfully poignant. I love how there's an unspoken order that they walk in and the rituals that they have. It's so sad when he remembers Giles and Anya. This line really stands out, it's such a simple yet a perfect statement on the situation:
The truth was, none of them really knew what to do once they got here.
Because I don't know flowers I looked up the Stargazer Lilies and they do seem perfect! I love all of Xander's internal thoughts and imaginings in this section, especially this part because of how he repeats her name:
Buffy Anne Summers. If he just read it like that, all together, it didn’t seem like the same person. Had he even known her middle name was Anne? He stared at it harder. Buffy Anne Summers. Buffy. Buffy, I….
Buffy, I fucked Spike. Xander’s eyes opened wide and bit down on his lip, hard. He hadn’t thought that. It’d be like yelling, “fuck” or “goddamnit” in a church. Buffy, I left Anya, or she left me, and I fucked Spike, or almost, and now I think I might be…Xander’s teeth snapped down on the tip of his tongue, tasting blood. And I adore how he feels like he's sworn in a church. And it's so neat to me that he'd tell Buffy first (even if it's not really Buffy) because I suspect that she would be the one he'd tell first about this. Probably because he thinks she would understand the best. (It's late and I wish I could articulate that better ...)
It's also a really neat moment when Tara seems to misinterpret what Xander's thinking about, and he has that uncomfortable feeling that he's not thinking the right thoughts. I love Xander imagining Buffy in "Slayer heaven" and then comparing it to "Jesus heaven". And I love him chewing his lip, it's such a neat detail. It's interesting that Xander takes Giles' place unawares: “I suppose we should be heading back, then,” he heard himself say.
Continued...