Re: [The Incomplete Pass]

[danspector@xxxxxxxxx]

to: Dan (Australia)
from: Dan (LA)

Well, if you want to read heartbreak fic, I'd suggest hitting a B/F
archive. Plenty of fuzzies there, too, but a certain number of fics
that find Faith bitter over that blonde bitch who couldn't understand,
accept and/or return her love. Probably also a few where Buffy feels
she gave Faith everything and the other slayer still stabbed her in the
back.

For B/W, it would be interesting, but difficult to do. After all,
Willow is probably incapable of going into all-out pass mode without
some strong reciprocal encouragement, and Buffy is so devoted to
protecting her she'd have a hard time doing a full-on slap-down. In the
other direction, once Willow herself is gay, she'd have to be nice about
it (I personally think rather little of Tara, and so would have a hard
time coming up with reasons for rejection on W's part at all). So I
guess we're looking at 3 seasons' worth of opportunities for Buffy to
cross a line and freak out a Willow in denial (maybe less, if we
theorize that "Doppelgangland" at least planted the seed). And I still
think that that Willow would blame herself for not being able to respond
more than blame Buffy for the attempt, and would be convinced that being
a good friend means not letting this come between them. I can see a
schism coming much more likely from someone pulling away due to their
own feelings (as in Aeris Jade's recent "Tireseus: the Cycle") than
someone running from the other girl's passions.

Still, that's plenty of room for a fic or ten. I guess authors don't
write that because we're doing a lot of wish-fulfillment and kind of
imagine that the actual eps are sad enough, with B/W apart. Especially
at this point in time, where Buffy spent a year on the road to suicide
("I just don't see the point in going on if everything gets stripped
away") and then Willow spent a summer in patent agony. I guess it's
more palatable to write angst and depression without contradicting the
underlying fundamental belief that the girls do love each other, to
write sadness based on circumstances and self-doubt (and there is plenty
of that, here) but still let the reader say, dammit, if she'd only tell
her, it would all be okay. A total blowup not only wipes out that
particular B/W's chance for happiness, but the audience's, too. Maybe
we're just saps, I don't know.

Anyhow, I don't want to do this, but I guess someone should, just for
variety's sake. 

So, nice point, Dan (dammit!)

Dan