Annoyance of the day:

[lirazel]

People who flat-out say that Buffy didn't love Spike despite the fact that she said she did.

She said she did. The only reason we have to believe that she didn't is one thing Spike said, and since when do people believe anything that comes out of Spike's mouth? Boy can speak the truth that no one else will, but he also says a ton of b.s., and everyone knows it.

I just hatehatehatehatehatehate all of these people sitting around telling a woman (and it would be a woman--if a man said, it I think a lot less people would disagree with her) who finds it nearly impossible to say the words "I love you" even to people she regards as family (remember "Intervention"? That's canon) that she doesn't love someone when she said she did.

I don't have a problem with people quibbling over the nature of her love. You can argue that she didn't love him romantically or as much as she did Angel or whatever (I would disagree with the first one and re: the second, I would remind you that, as the_royal_anna says, we don't love in amounts. We love in ways). That's legit. But to say, flat-out, that she didn't love him even though she says she did takes agency away from Buffy in a way that I am entirely uncomfortable with and that DRIVES ME CRAZY, OKAY. If she had said she loved Riley (she didn't, did she?), I would be pissed at people saying she didn't love him, either. Uuuugh why does this annoy me so much?

Comments

[gryfndor-godess.livejournal.com]

she cannot verbalize or even really openly perceive that love... except in the context where she doesn't have to envision any future in it. She never manages to choose to pursue a romantic affiliation with Spike when it's there for the having, open ended and with a possibility for a future. Only under the circumstances when that door has already been closed.

every instance prior to that where he thinks she might, the circumstances are plagued with plausible deniability. (Such as her saying "I'm not ready for you not to be here." Sure it's a request that he stay, but it also indicates there will be a time when she will be ready for him to go).

I love this comment. I'm too tired to write any coherent thoughts that actually add to the discussion, but I just thought I would say that I completely agree with your rationale for why Spike (and some audience members) might not believe Buffy.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

Thanks. Sometimes I wonder whether I'm expressing myself very clearly. Things are easily miscommunicated in posts.