Lexi said it, not me.
As did Erica.
And then Liz made me some serious fanart.
I've also been inducted into Rolly's Spuffy Mafia.
And Caitlin would like to call me "Master".
NO BUFFY THAT IS NOT HOW MORTAL ENEMIES BEHAVE.
"Mari is full of joy and sunshine. She ships all of the things, especially Buffy/Anya, and she is a meta queen." -Nicole
Catching Elephant is a theme by Andy Taylor
#i’m so sad i can’t tag as spuffy season 9 also anymore
Untrue! Haven’t you ever read a Spuffy fic where they spend some time apart? Isn’t it still spuffy fic?
tl;dr sorry
One of the most interesting things to me about Season Nine is the switch in character dynamics between Buffy and Spike.
Because when we look at Season Seven, there’s some vague sniping on rare occasions, but it very much takes a back seat to mutual care. We have Buffy building Spike up and there’s a lot of protectiveness on her part throughout most of the season. And when does the shift happen, when Spike is suddenly the primary protective one, who endures Buffy’s quiet snippiness to support and encourage her? In Touched, when she’s been thrown out of her house and is all alone, very much vulnerable.
Because that’s what theydo. When Buffy is in a good place, when she’s confident in herself and what she’s doing, she takes a much more nurturing role toward a vulnerable Spike. When she’s in a bad place where she doesn’t know who she is or where she’s going, she loses that confidence and, in turn, the urge to nurture.
I mean, this is Buffy’s MO. She gravitates toward the marginalized, toward people like Willow over Cordelia, to protecting Tara in Family or Anya in Him or even Jonathan and Andrew in Two To Go. She puts the people who she feels need a champion first, and she’s very attentive and sensitive to them when they’re in need.
But when she’s in a situation where she doesn’t feel like a champion, where there isn’t that same inequality between Spike and her because she’s still guilty about the Seed and awful things keep happening to her and she doesn’t even have the moral high ground anymore, that’s when we get equals!Spuffy, where Spike isn’t someone she champions because she perceives him as equally in power (or messed up) in their relationship as she is.
So less babying, more snark and mutual respect! And respect is big because I don’t really think that Buffy had respect for Spike in S7? She had faith in him, yes, but any respect she had is equivalent to respect I have for, like…Shai being able to stand up by himself. Respect for a lesser trying hard.
The respect we get here is the respect from End of Days, where Buffy and Spike snark and insult each other but can also have heartfelt conversations, where Buffy would thank Spike just for being there for her. It’s about equals, and yes, it’s actually a step up from most of S7 because of it. :)
Review and speculation!
New review, specifically about Spuffy!
Someone tell me: did I or did I not just read a sly hint that there will be Spuffy kissage??
HEADSET BUDDIES
![The second question here has been sitting in my askbox all afternoon while I pondered, but now that I’ve got two I guess I should gather my thoughts! The “even” really did bother me and kind of still does because it isn’t consistent with Buffy’s character or attitude since S7.
I’ve seen speculation that these aren’t necessarily Buffy’s thoughts. I think they are, because it’s a little too meta to say that this is the audience talking? If we’re talking Watsonian perspective only, these are Buffy’s thoughts (or possibly what she imagines is her friends’, but I can’t see them very concerned with by Spike’s bugs being grossed out by her. Then again, there is the “we” in “We’d be better off if Severin had siphoned,” but that seems a general “we”.) And in a way, I kind of get the “even” because it means exactly what it seems to- Spike is still a vampire with an enormous history of evildoing, and Buffy hasn’t forgotten that. And right now, in her perceptions of self, she classifies herself as even worse than Spike, slayer of slayers and also sometimes little girls. Which is very sad and also very Buffy.
That second line can be interpreted in at least two ways, though- she’s surprised right now, that Spike’s getting piney over her body (much like Angel over Cordy in Birthday, as GG pointed out. “I’m more afraid of her dying than she is. What is that?” FEEEEELS), or that she’s still on this “doesn’t deserve” kick and can’t imagine why he’d still want her now that [she believes that] she’s such a mess. I’m inclined to think that, since these are Buffy’s insecurities speaking, it’s the latter.
I do like that the two lines about Spike in her thoughts establish that she’s very much thinking about him romantically (even if she doesn’t think it’s practical that something happen between them now or if she’s being avoidy), and she’s being so Buffy about it, denying herself love because she thinks she doesn’t deserve it. And some of her doubts are superficial and some are deeper, and I love that her relationship with Spike is counted in the deeper fears along with (one) Willow and XanDawn and slayerhood- all things she takes very seriously.
(I probably have better thoughts on this but I need more time for them to figure themselves out.)
(Also sidebar: I’m kind of turning to mush at the fact that she feels bad about the collector demon’s job. ljalkflskdjafsj why so perfect buffy summers)](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m033ak8uqv1qfu41do1_500.png)
The second question here has been sitting in my askbox all afternoon while I pondered, but now that I’ve got two I guess I should gather my thoughts! The “even” really did bother me and kind of still does because it isn’t consistent with Buffy’s character or attitude since S7.
I’ve seen speculation that these aren’t necessarily Buffy’s thoughts. I think they are, because it’s a little too meta to say that this is the audience talking? If we’re talking Watsonian perspective only, these are Buffy’s thoughts (or possibly what she imagines is her friends’, but I can’t see them very concerned with by Spike’s bugs being grossed out by her. Then again, there is the “we” in “We’d be better off if Severin had siphoned,” but that seems a general “we”.) And in a way, I kind of get the “even” because it means exactly what it seems to- Spike is still a vampire with an enormous history of evildoing, and Buffy hasn’t forgotten that. And right now, in her perceptions of self, she classifies herself as even worse than Spike, slayer of slayers and also sometimes little girls. Which is very sad and also very Buffy.
That second line can be interpreted in at least two ways, though- she’s surprised right now, that Spike’s getting piney over her body (much like Angel over Cordy in Birthday, as GG pointed out. “I’m more afraid of her dying than she is. What is that?” FEEEEELS), or that she’s still on this “doesn’t deserve” kick and can’t imagine why he’d still want her now that [she believes that] she’s such a mess. I’m inclined to think that, since these are Buffy’s insecurities speaking, it’s the latter.
I do like that the two lines about Spike in her thoughts establish that she’s very much thinking about him romantically (even if she doesn’t think it’s practical that something happen between them now or if she’s being avoidy), and she’s being so Buffy about it, denying herself love because she thinks she doesn’t deserve it. And some of her doubts are superficial and some are deeper, and I love that her relationship with Spike is counted in the deeper fears along with (one) Willow and XanDawn and slayerhood- all things she takes very seriously.
(I probably have better thoughts on this but I need more time for them to figure themselves out.)
(Also sidebar: I’m kind of turning to mush at the fact that she feels bad about the collector demon’s job. ljalkflskdjafsj why so perfect buffy summers)
If Buffy’s looking for something pointy and made of wood, and she thinks that Spike is being pine-y, then what are the comics trying to tell us through subliminal messages?
Sorry.
A Serious Spuffy Pondering
Since we know from the S9 comics that Spike and Buffy are texting buddies, do you think she changes his name in the contacts based off how she’s feeling towards him that day?
Spike
William the Bloody
William the Bloody Annoying
Pratty
Mr. Pratt
Blondie Bear
Best Friend
Stalky the Clown
The Wind Beneath My Wings
I THOUGHT THAT THIS WAS NECESSARY.
GOOD NIGHT.
