She thought of it as a science. As chemistry, only with more newt. She didn't embrace it as a religion and a way of life. She didn't respect it.

I'm not sure that lots of talk about 'it's all connected' will really help with that. (I'm okay with season 7 here, aren't I?) What I've seen so far doesn't convince me she's really embraced it as a way of life.

Season 7 is good.

And I agree with you. She's missing the real problem. It's a thing with her. She fixates on one thing that is wrong, addresses that (or tries to) and thinks that everything will be fine. I'm thinking here of the cookies in Something Blue. And now I'm going to stop; I've talked about this too much recently.

She fixates on one thing that is wrong, addresses that (or tries to) and thinks that everything will be fine. I'm thinking here of the cookies in Something Blue.

Wrod. On a slight tangent (in that it's still about Willow but more about you than her): does you dislikehatred of Willow get in the way of your enjoying the show? I mean, sometimes I've disliked a character (or an actor) so much that I simply can't watch anything with them in.

Interesting.. I wonder if that might be what's wrong with my enjoyment of this season.. . No, because I have a remarkable ability to excise unpleasant things (vis, I manage to forget how prominent R*l*y was in FFL). She makes me roll my eyes, that's true... But if the writing is good, if the characters are making sense, if Willow isn't a major focus - I enjoy the show immensely.

Something happened to me in Season 6, though. Gone made me so fucking angry that I couldn't enjoy any of the spots that would normally make me happy. The Xander, the Spike. I just couldn't get beyond that. Yet I was able to get beyond the first 40 minutes of Him *season 7 episode* to enjoy the final 20 very, very much.

In conclusion: eh, I dunno. I don't think so.

Gone made me so fucking angry that I couldn't enjoy any of the spots that would normally make me happy.

Buffy's behaviour, was that?

eh, I dunno. I don't think so.

Right. Just wondered- as a writer, I'm createing characters all the time, and sometimes I wonder 'what if someone really hates this character? Will that ruin the story for them?' So I thought I'd ask and see if something similiar had that effect on you.

If the writing is good, if the character is consistent (or if inconsistency is the character, if I make any sense) then I have no problem reading fic that has characters, even main characters that I don't like. Thing that bothers me is when people try to make any character a plaster saint. That bothers me to no end. Now, there is a time and place to just ignore things and go with the flow. And that's usually porn.

Mind you, I might not be interested enough to actually read a piece with Willow as main character. Or, at least, I would not seek it out.

Oh, yes, Buffy's behaviour, specifically toward the Social Worker. Pissed me the fuck off.

specifically toward the Social Worker. Pissed me the fuck off.

I can see that. Especially on rewatching, with a bit more knowledge of the character, it wasn't something Buffy would normally do. Bad writing.

Thing that bothers me is when people try to make any character a plaster saint. That bothers me to no end.

I know what you mean about this, too- it doesn't work. They all have flaws (and in fanfic, you have to keep the flaws shown in the series. Or sometimes add one or two in, if they aren't there to start with.)

I might not be interested enough to actually read a piece with Willow as main character. Or, at least, I would not seek it out.

We all have kinds of fanfic we don't seek out. Doesn't have to be hate, or even dislike to not be intrested in them.

I have no problem reading fic that has characters, even main characters that I don't like.

Thanks- that's intresting.

Oh my lordy lord lord. Just meant to dip in here, but that was well over an hour ago and I've just read a gazillion posts. DAMN, you folks are good. Really very, very good.

So last night/this morning I dipped into ficwriting again. And I wasn't writing BtVS fic, I was writing X Men fic. But now I'm wanting to write Dru/Willow. Or even Dru/Buffy. ( Even Dru/Dawn would be tempting, but for the whole "But she's wee Dawn!" response that it provokes in me - concept-wise, with the Key etc, it's got a definite appeal. But she's wee Dawn, and I feel like she's younger than wee Buffy was at the same age. Which is weird. I am not Logic Gal.)

Hmm. Presently, however, I'm just starting to write a little Dru. And man, I'm so rusty at the writing thing. More than a month of not writing now, what with real life stuff... Hmm. Anyway - thoughts appreciated?

* * *

Drusilla wasn't a lady and she never had been. She hadn't known she was common until her father's money pushed them into different social circles and she heard her accent being mimicked by prettier, wealthier girls whose clothes were that little bit more modish and whose bodies were that little bit more appropriately curved. Girls who wore privilege as thoughtlessly as they did their jewels. The belated sense of her own inadequacy was another reason to retreat into her shell and cling to her sisters, and Drusilla had taken comfort in books and prayer and chaste little daydreams of a handsome prince who didn't make such nice distinctions in matters of class.

When he arrived, her handsome prince had a tongue sullied with both blood and brogue, and he terrified her beyond all imagining. He was as beautiful as any painting and he broke her almost tenderly. And viciously. And forever. His name was the perfect jest and before she died he had her kneeling. "Angelus Domini nuntiavit Drusillæ…" he said, and laughed. "But I recognise no master, sweetheart, so that's not right." The floor was hard and cold against her kneecaps. Blood soaked into her hem like ink into blotting paper, a cinnabar stain to remind her of the good women who had died because of this creature's savage whim, and as she opened her mouth the last traces of hope and faith melted away like snowflakes landing on a smoke stack. His fingers bruised Drusilla's narrow shoulders as she knelt to perform her orison, and her eyes were full of darkness. There was no fighting fate.

Death, when it came, was welcome. Rebirth was pure delight, and she looked back upon her former existence with pity and distaste. She had crawled like some grubby little caterpillar, but now she had beautiful rainbow wings. Drusilla had become a dainty cloisonné butterfly in a dirty world, and all her former hopes and fears were meaningless. Everything was grown beautiful.

But her handsome prince already had a brazen queen, and she was not disposed to share. Angelus was an indulgent lord and master, a good daddy, a wonderful king, but he was not Drusilla's alone. The knowledge sometimes made her weep for the injustice of it all, but then she found herself a knight who was brimming with passion and potential and for a long while her sunless world grew bright.

But all good things came to an end. The Slayer had a lot to answer for.

* * *

(....would particularly appreciate corrections to the Latin, as I'm winging it.)

But now I'm wanting to write Dru/Willow.

Eeeeee!

And-- mme. Jay, you fill me with delight just by existing. So imagine how I feel when I read your goddamn writing. I'm just sad I won't be able to code this story and feel it underneath my hands in that way, because I don't run your BtVS site.