The Olympic Torch of Love

[botias]

I just made the mistake of reading some rather purple fanfic prose to my hunny. Now he's making me LOL by surprising me with sweet nothings like: "My pits are aflame for you!" Who says romance is dead?

Speaking of aflame pits and dead romances, am I the only one who didn't quite get the 'flaming hands' thing? How is catching on fire romantic? Of course, as a Spuffy, I found that whole scene pretty :P anyway. Denied all the way to the end.

Comments

[rahirah]

I think maybe it was supposed to refer back to Buffy's S6 desire to 'get the fire back," and was supposed to show Buffy taking the leap and loving someone fully again even though she knows they're going to die and leave her. For a lot of reasons I don't think that came across very well, but over the years I've learned to separate my readings into What I Think Joss Meant Me To See, What I Actually See, and The Interpretation I'm Going To Use For Purposes Of Fanfic.

[aycheb.livejournal.com]

Joss said it was supposed to be a metaphor for their relationship so I don’t think it’s meant to be unambiguously romantic. Transformative, which is quite a romantic idea but not in the pits and flowers way.

They’ve both had love and fire associated throughout the series. Buffy’s love is brighter than the fire (according to the guide in Intervention), Spike sings about bearing a torch in OMWF. Then there’s the real love that burns and consumes from Seeing Red. So in blackly ironic fashion Spike did get all he ever wanted. Death and glory. But he seemed content.

[botias.livejournal.com]

Grrrr (but not at you). Perhaps Spike loves glory more than he loves Buffy. Maybe her main attraction was that she was unattainable and difficult, and that's the real reason he didn't go after her once she'd professed her love. Don't know quite how I got that from your post but, there you go.

[botias.livejournal.com]

Does Buffy ever get a break? No. To self: It's a horror story stupid. I don't enjoy horror as a genre, don't know why I let BtVS sneak into my heart and then cut it into little pieces.

Hee! Joss' writing works on many levels...

[rahirah]

Of course she gets a break! She spends it clubbing with the Immortal. *g*

[botias.livejournal.com]

That's always how I interpreted the Immortal. Since they didn't have an actress it was either A) Dead B) Missing or C) Living Happily Ever After. A's been done to death and C's the equivalent in fiction really.

[aycheb.livejournal.com]

Maybe not loves. Maybe feels safer with. Glory's not going to up and love him back after all. Ben perhaps but there's the love that speaks not its name in fic. For what it's worth that's my personal wank for why he was too chickenshit to even call her. He's spent his life and unlife being all nobly unrequited. It's a complete paradigm shift for someone to actually reciprocate and he's scared. Might get over it eventually but by then it might be too late. Stupid vampire.

[owenthurman.livejournal.com]

In my experience there's only so far you can resist before your (prospective) partner takes you seriously and stops trying. It's usually not a situation where the partner still wants to invest any more hopes in the relationship.

I think I've see it happen to friends. Occasionally someone will relent and say "oh, maybe you're worth a try after all." It never works.

[owenthurman.livejournal.com]

It's like walking in the rain, a suppposedly romantic thing that isn't really romantic. Makes a good symbol for romance, though.

People (single people) say they enjoy a romantic walk in the rain, holding hands. But really walking in the rain is wet and sweaty and usually cold and your clothes stick to you and salt and oil from your hair gets into your eyes and yuck.

My wife suggests it's a euphamism for safe sex. Wear your rubber raincoat.

Hand fire is the same kind of symbol in the Buffyverse. Except that Angel claims vampires don't need to use protection. And how many times did I use that line on a naïve sweet young thing!

[botias.livejournal.com]

I can totally get that. I think I stopped having an interest in canon Spuffy in that way. No doubt ME would only breathe a great sigh of relief if that were overwhelmingly the case.

[botias.livejournal.com]

And how many times did I use that line on a naïve sweet young thing!

I don't know, but I'm sure you feel bad about it now.