Black Magic White Lies, chapter 10

[moscow_watcher]

Title: Black Magic White Lies
Chapter 10 - Xander Squirms. Xander Shoots. Well, He Mostly Squirms
Timeline: BtVS, alternate season 5
Genre: drama, mystery, action
Characters, pairing: general, Xander/Faith
Rating: R (for intense situations).
Summary: Xander thinks he has a little secret. He doesn't know that his little secret is a part of a big

Comments

[moscow_watcher]

Hey, honey! *waves*

I think about you every time I post a new chapter and people comment. I recall our discussions and I realize that some of your advices that seemed unimportant, were actually very important. People react strongly to Buffy's behavior, and I'm starting to wonder if I go too far and overstep onto the Buffy-bashing territory.

You may remember my debates with another fan about her older fic a year ago (in my book, it was a bashing fic, in her book it wasn't). Now I feel like I'm stepping into that fan's shoes. I love the way my story unfolds, and I think that Buffy would react the way she reacts in the story, and it doesn't turn her into a bad person. But sometimes my fingers itch to rewrite some lines and to delete some other lines. :)

I'm happy that you have a vacation and can rest. Forget about the fandom problems and enjoy yourself. *hugs tight*

[moscow_watcher]

Thank you for kind words, hon. *hugs*

[angearia]

I think when you take the characters into areas where they might seem unlikeable, you have to clearly detail the circumstances for their behavior. Like Buffy in Season 6 - lots of fans hated her character then, but there were others who felt completely at her side, understanding her pain. gabrielleabelle's recent meta on Buffy in Season 6 shows how well-established Buffy's POV and motivation is laid out. Some people just might not understand it

[moscow_watcher]

Ramble away, honey!

I've been lurking on Buffyforums, although I can't bring myself to join the debates. I can only say that it went a bit surreal. Thinking that Xander can't be the Big Bad of season 8 is regarded as "dismissive"? It's something new. (I also think that he can't be Twilight. Xander doesn't have that "bigbadness" in him, IMHO. Does it make me a Xander-basher? :)

I'm looking forward to the next chapter of TYSK. I think you've caught their confusion perfectly. They need a desperate situation to stop overthinking and overanalizing and to start acting.

As to Buffy and Faith in BMWL, my fingers are itching to type a long comment - but it would be extremely spoilery, so I'm shutting up.

[moscow_watcher]

they want Xander in a complicated storyline.

I understand it. I felt the same about Spike on AtS. *sighs*

The fact that many fans think Xander isn't complicated enough to be Twilight is what irks them.

I see. I don't think he's not complicated enough to be a Big Bad. I thing he's not bad enough for that. I just can't come up with a convincing motivation for Xander to turn evil.

Pity the writers weren't strongly invested in the character.

I think it's not about investment. It's rather about the type he represents. He has to be good because he represents the humanity. The downside is that he can't be complicated enought to want to end the world.

But I'd like to read (or see in the TV show) a big Xander storyline with so much complex.

Right now I'm reading nwhepcat's story
Another Door. Fascinating stuff. nwhepcat came up with an inventive premise - in You're Welcome Cordelia kissed Xander and passed him her visions - creating an interesting, complex psychological situation without turning Xander into an evil guy. It's a sequel of Keeper of

[angearia]

I'm looking forward to the next chapter of TYSK.

Still working out some kinks before I post. Sadly, this week has been incredibly busy. It'd be so much easier if I weren't involved in other areas of fandom and were just writing. But instead we have the comics out this week, I'm running the usual Q&A and a writing challenge over at SlayAlive. I'm only now able to see some time for polishing the next chapter, so it should be very soon. I envy your being so far ahead that you're on your tight schedule. But in a Dickensian way, some of TYSK was greatly influenced by reader-feedback in the early stages of the story. And being aware of reader expectations is actually quite interesting from a writing standpoint.

I think you've caught their confusion perfectly.

That's lovely of you to say.

As to Buffy and Faith in BMWL, my fingers are itching to type a long comment - but it would be extremely spoilery, so I'm shutting up.

Hee! Looking forward to seeing it all unfold.