Re: FIC: Deterioration (2/?)

[danspector@xxxxxxxxx]

Shannon,

Actually the chapter itself isn't at all "sad" per se (save for the
reference to Willow's having cried). But Buffy's impending doom casts
such a pall of ineffable grief over even such a fluffy moment as the
picnic that I could barely make it through the chapter--indeed, the
extreme fluffiness of the picnic merely throws the tragedy into starker
relief. Very well done.

(Semi-OT) Of course, this is true to an extent about the show
itself--Buffy is doomed to suffer and die and that makes her joys all
the more precious, all the more poignant. Which is why I spent last
night getting waaaaay too emotional watching the "saved you a seat"
scene at the end of "When She Was Bad", and why scenes like that and the
end of "Never Kill a Boy on the First Date" get me so mad at Buffy/Spike
'shippers and their "you belong in darkness/only another predator can
understand her" stuff. (No offense meant to any multi-shippers present,
just my personal reaction.)

It's also one of the greatest reasons I got so annoyed at Season Sux,
when Joss decided to make life not precious, but Hell on Earth (and turn
Buffy's friends into louts, not to mention murderous psychos, but that's
a slightly different issue). Taking away Buffy's desire to live
cripples the tragic power of the character and the show, in my eyes,
even though I suppose I should be glad to know that she has
"Heeeeeeaaaven" to look forward to. (And then to remake her whole reason
for living into mentoring Shiny McWhiny, a character glaringly grafted
onto the plot and not generally well-received,
well....There.Are.No.Words.)

Anyway, this bitterness is taking me away from the point, which is that
through simplicity and sweetness, you managed to hit one of the more
emotionally-resonant points of the series for me. I'd say "well done',
but I've already said "very well done" and I don't want to demote you :)

Dan