Interesting stats. I had a huge drop for my site during the summer, but since I didn't post anything new during that time, I shouldn't be surprised. What I was surprised to see was the upsurge in visits when I started posting again -- and my stuff is decidedly Spuffy.
I absolutely do not buy that post-S6 Buffy could possibly have loved, cared about, or valued Spike on his own terms without vast amounts of therapy and personal-growth.
I actually pretty much agree with that -- and you know I still like Buffy. The girl is messed up and needs some serious therapy work. Frankly, by the end of the series, even if she really truly had come to love Spike, there was a whole ton o' issues that needed to be handled first before she could deal with a relationship with him or anyone.
Looking back at my own work, I see that I've had Giles and Spike discuss getting her a therapist, actually had Buffy come back "wrong" with duelling psyches that is slowly driving her nuts, and had her go through therapy in a future fic...and she's still got problems. But then, I believe people are always works in progress. Even when I've had them push past the badness of S6 without major reprecussions, I've tried to hint that there are speed bumps they're going to encounter, even if you don't see it in the story themselves. And as well all know, take a speed bump too fast and you could really screw up your car.
As for mourning him, I think she might well be mourning an idealized imagine of him, much as she held up Angel once he'd gone. In fact, now that Angel is working with the Evil Lawyers, that idealized imagine may have nudged Angel out of the way...but I seriously doubt a corporeal Spike who suddenly appeared to let her know he wasn't dead would live up to that image.
no subject
I absolutely do not buy that post-S6 Buffy could possibly have loved, cared about, or valued Spike on his own terms without vast amounts of therapy and personal-growth.
I actually pretty much agree with that -- and you know I still like Buffy. The girl is messed up and needs some serious therapy work. Frankly, by the end of the series, even if she really truly had come to love Spike, there was a whole ton o' issues that needed to be handled first before she could deal with a relationship with him or anyone.
Looking back at my own work, I see that I've had Giles and Spike discuss getting her a therapist, actually had Buffy come back "wrong" with duelling psyches that is slowly driving her nuts, and had her go through therapy in a future fic...and she's still got problems. But then, I believe people are always works in progress. Even when I've had them push past the badness of S6 without major reprecussions, I've tried to hint that there are speed bumps they're going to encounter, even if you don't see it in the story themselves. And as well all know, take a speed bump too fast and you could really screw up your car.
As for mourning him, I think she might well be mourning an idealized imagine of him, much as she held up Angel once he'd gone. In fact, now that Angel is working with the Evil Lawyers, that idealized imagine may have nudged Angel out of the way...but I seriously doubt a corporeal Spike who suddenly appeared to let her know he wasn't dead would live up to that image.