(protect me from what I want)
Jul. 3rd, 2004 09:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
reenkaI love Buffy & Spike, and yes, I love them in a way that's pretty similar to what I like about Harry & Draco, except Buffy & Spike are more... developed I guess, so there are less places you could go with them. ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
malafede said once that (a part of) what she loves about H/D is the idea of 'loving the monster'-- within & without. And with B/S, it's much more explicit, of course-- both Buffy & Spike become monsters at one point, quite literally. Killing is what they -do-. Redemption is a tangible concept here, and the need for some sort of impossible peace possibly even more poignant.
I was reading Ariana's `Whispers in the Dark', an H/D smutlet, and then `Equal Opportunities', which is B/S. And they're not really very similar-- B&S have so many more ingrained, serious issues. Ariana's H&D are just boys, engaged in a boyish superiority struggle (which is what I love and adore, and she does it wonderfully). The need for equality is just as pressing, but, I think, Harry is a lot less serious than Buffy is about conquering the 'monster' in their bed. Harry seems to like his ability to wield power over Draco, and he likes that Draco resists-- whereas Buffy seems to -need- that power over Spike to feel okay, and Spike keeps showing the sheer hypocrisy involved because he -doesn't- resist-- he loves her. It's his lack of resistance that confounds and infuriates Buffy.
'Equal opportunity' is a theme I can see well applied to both pairings, but I think Buffy & Spike actually -are- equal-- their potential is -different-, but I think they're both pretty special, and it's just a question of them both realizing that. Whereas in the case of H/D, the need for equality basically rests with Draco's sense of self-worth-- even though Harry could definitely use realizing that Slytherins are human too, it's not like his whole story literally depends on it. Harry has all the power, basically. In a way, this is why I -need- Draco to resist, to not want to just give in to Potter sexually or emotionally-- I just think he can't afford to stop challenging Harry in every way possible, sexual or otherwise. If you let him, Harry -will- become complacent with his power.
The thing I love about B/S (well, season 6) is how desperately they -both- need each other, and how destructive this is. It's always the flip-side of the equation-- love destroys in direct proportion to how it can redeem.
I guess I also love seeing sexual love as a way to challenge someone-- to offer up one's own vulnerability as a weapon. The idea of being able to threaten and do mental battle while actually being utterly defenseless is just appealing to me. It's like, love makes Spike weak, and he admits that-- but it doesn't stop him from fighting Buffy in every possible way. He never submits, really, and I think Buffy respects that in spite of herself.
Harry, of course, doesn't respect any part of Draco-- any signs of dignity or strength would just disappear under his mental radar. Harry wouldn't really feel guilty for 'only using' Draco, if he did-- I'm sure it wouldn't be a struggle to believe that this is just what Draco deserves. I think this is a situation more akin to second season B/S than even fourth. Draco isn't about to get the equivalent of a chip in Harry's mind, so all bets are off, aren't they. Harry can't accept Draco without seriously re-evaluating himself, and he's not the introspective type, so it's quite a task.
I think if he wanted Draco, it would be Harry's Slytherin side at play (like... the desire for power over others), so by necessity, any fic seriously exploring H/D would have to explore Harry's darkness-- just as B/S necessitates exploring Buffy's. You can't have a hero-type falling for the villain-type without some serious mental contortions on both sides going on, and I -love- that precious, hard-won ambiguity. Mmm. Of course, I don't think you can have a villain-type falling for a hero-type without exploring -their- potential for some sort of... redemption or growth or well, subtlety. Of course, to me, the villain loving (while wanting to corrupt because they feel that's all they can do) the hero needs no great set-up or explanation-- it's just natural, isn't it? The dark lusts after the light. Tale as old as time, no?
And I love it-- I love it that Spike always points out Buffy's hypocrisy; like, Draco's always on about how everyone's wrong about Potter, and well-- Potter Stinks. Heh. It's all so -unfair-, the way the good guys get a way with things, the way there are different sets of rules for them. It's unfair the way they do all sorts of nasty things and stay clean and pure, while the villain just gets dirtier and dirtier until it's time for them to die. No 'good' deed should go unmocked-- I believe that. Just as no 'bad' deed should go unquestioned.
The weird thing is, Harry&Draco, while less intricately characterized in canon, seem so much more -real- and less symbolic to me. In a way, I like them better when they're not too deep, actually-- brings out all that childish petty squabbling that's more at the heart of their conflict than any great hero vs. villain dichotomy. I don't like mature!Draco because... well, I have Spike for that (not that Spike is mature).
I love squeamish-prude!Draco (while Spike would never be); I love fumbly-inexperienced!Harry (while Buffy isn't); I love the teasing and circling and the sheer denial on both sides. I love that they're so thick-headed and emotionally stunted and basically both complete idiots. No, really. Not just Draco. I guess I don't have this urge to 'skip to the good parts'-- it's like the so-called (violent and angsty) 'foreplay' is more than half the fun. Getting what you want-- who wants -that-, anyway, ahahahah :D
malafede said once that (a part of) what she loves about H/D is the idea of 'loving the monster'-- within & without. And with B/S, it's much more explicit, of course-- both Buffy & Spike become monsters at one point, quite literally. Killing is what they -do-. Redemption is a tangible concept here, and the need for some sort of impossible peace possibly even more poignant.I was reading Ariana's `Whispers in the Dark', an H/D smutlet, and then `Equal Opportunities', which is B/S. And they're not really very similar-- B&S have so many more ingrained, serious issues. Ariana's H&D are just boys, engaged in a boyish superiority struggle (which is what I love and adore, and she does it wonderfully). The need for equality is just as pressing, but, I think, Harry is a lot less serious than Buffy is about conquering the 'monster' in their bed. Harry seems to like his ability to wield power over Draco, and he likes that Draco resists-- whereas Buffy seems to -need- that power over Spike to feel okay, and Spike keeps showing the sheer hypocrisy involved because he -doesn't- resist-- he loves her. It's his lack of resistance that confounds and infuriates Buffy.
'Equal opportunity' is a theme I can see well applied to both pairings, but I think Buffy & Spike actually -are- equal-- their potential is -different-, but I think they're both pretty special, and it's just a question of them both realizing that. Whereas in the case of H/D, the need for equality basically rests with Draco's sense of self-worth-- even though Harry could definitely use realizing that Slytherins are human too, it's not like his whole story literally depends on it. Harry has all the power, basically. In a way, this is why I -need- Draco to resist, to not want to just give in to Potter sexually or emotionally-- I just think he can't afford to stop challenging Harry in every way possible, sexual or otherwise. If you let him, Harry -will- become complacent with his power.
The thing I love about B/S (well, season 6) is how desperately they -both- need each other, and how destructive this is. It's always the flip-side of the equation-- love destroys in direct proportion to how it can redeem.
I guess I also love seeing sexual love as a way to challenge someone-- to offer up one's own vulnerability as a weapon. The idea of being able to threaten and do mental battle while actually being utterly defenseless is just appealing to me. It's like, love makes Spike weak, and he admits that-- but it doesn't stop him from fighting Buffy in every possible way. He never submits, really, and I think Buffy respects that in spite of herself.
Harry, of course, doesn't respect any part of Draco-- any signs of dignity or strength would just disappear under his mental radar. Harry wouldn't really feel guilty for 'only using' Draco, if he did-- I'm sure it wouldn't be a struggle to believe that this is just what Draco deserves. I think this is a situation more akin to second season B/S than even fourth. Draco isn't about to get the equivalent of a chip in Harry's mind, so all bets are off, aren't they. Harry can't accept Draco without seriously re-evaluating himself, and he's not the introspective type, so it's quite a task.
I think if he wanted Draco, it would be Harry's Slytherin side at play (like... the desire for power over others), so by necessity, any fic seriously exploring H/D would have to explore Harry's darkness-- just as B/S necessitates exploring Buffy's. You can't have a hero-type falling for the villain-type without some serious mental contortions on both sides going on, and I -love- that precious, hard-won ambiguity. Mmm. Of course, I don't think you can have a villain-type falling for a hero-type without exploring -their- potential for some sort of... redemption or growth or well, subtlety. Of course, to me, the villain loving (while wanting to corrupt because they feel that's all they can do) the hero needs no great set-up or explanation-- it's just natural, isn't it? The dark lusts after the light. Tale as old as time, no?
And I love it-- I love it that Spike always points out Buffy's hypocrisy; like, Draco's always on about how everyone's wrong about Potter, and well-- Potter Stinks. Heh. It's all so -unfair-, the way the good guys get a way with things, the way there are different sets of rules for them. It's unfair the way they do all sorts of nasty things and stay clean and pure, while the villain just gets dirtier and dirtier until it's time for them to die. No 'good' deed should go unmocked-- I believe that. Just as no 'bad' deed should go unquestioned.
The weird thing is, Harry&Draco, while less intricately characterized in canon, seem so much more -real- and less symbolic to me. In a way, I like them better when they're not too deep, actually-- brings out all that childish petty squabbling that's more at the heart of their conflict than any great hero vs. villain dichotomy. I don't like mature!Draco because... well, I have Spike for that (not that Spike is mature).
I love squeamish-prude!Draco (while Spike would never be); I love fumbly-inexperienced!Harry (while Buffy isn't); I love the teasing and circling and the sheer denial on both sides. I love that they're so thick-headed and emotionally stunted and basically both complete idiots. No, really. Not just Draco. I guess I don't have this urge to 'skip to the good parts'-- it's like the so-called (violent and angsty) 'foreplay' is more than half the fun. Getting what you want-- who wants -that-, anyway, ahahahah :D
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no subject
Date: 2004-07-03 07:13 pm (UTC)Dude. I swear I never saw this parallel before (and you cannot believe how I'm blushing now because of it).
no subject
Date: 2004-07-03 07:20 pm (UTC)