Commentary - Small Spaces
So, I asked for fic commentary requests. (I’m still happy to do more, if anyone’s interested.)
This was written for lavastar, who requested a commentary for Small Spaces. You should probably read that before looking at this commentary.
The original fic still looks like it did, and my notes are the bits in blockquotes.
Small Spaces
This fic was written for a ficathon - for someone who wanted to see Wesley and Dawn interacting in season 3.
I’m still not sure where I got the title from. I think it was mainly because the entire thing takes place underneath a table, and that the scenes are all tiny bits between other stuff in season 3.
Disobedience
There was a small child underneath the table.
I have no idea how I came up with this fic. I just wrote that first line, and it seemed so fun…
She was wearing dungarees and trainers, and had her hair in bunches.
(That’s a translation. Originally it said “she was wearing overalls and sneakers and had her hair in pigtails” - which is what I’d say - but the British people I asked said that Wesley would put it differently.)
She grinned. “Hello.”
“What are you doing there?”
“I'm reading. See?” She held up a book, and explained, “Because it’s a library. You read in libraries.”
“Oh, right.” There really was no way to answer that. “Good for you.” He straightened up, and was about to walk away when a question came:
“Are you a Watcher?”
Wesley paused. And then looked under the table again.
“Who are you?”
“You look kinda like Mr Giles - and he is.”
“How did you know that Mr-”
“Buffy said he was fired.”
“Yes, but-”
“Are you the new librarian?”
“What? No!”
She grinned again. “I like your glasses.”
I love this first conversation.
Dawn is completely in control of what’s going on, and Wes is just trying to keep up. He really has no idea how to handle her.
A short pause.
“Thank you.”
“So - Balthattar’s amulet gave him special powers, right? Does it do that for everyone?”
(This scene is set just after Wesley’s arrival - in Consequences.)
Wesley didn't respond.
“Can I put it on, and see?”
He frowned, and said sternly, “The amulet of Balthazar is now property of the Watchers Council. How did you know about it?”
No reply.
“Have you been listening in?"
Of course she has. This is Dawn we’re talking about.
“Well, dur…”
“Why?”
“When Buffy talks about this stuff, she always leaves out the good bits. It’s much easier to find out this way.”
“You’ve been sitting there all afternoon?”
“Uh-huh. And last night, too.”
Stern voice again. “These discussions are confidential, and not for your ears. I’m afraid I must ask you to leave the room.”
She laughed at him. “You’re weird.”
“Get out of there at once!”
She shook her head, and didn’t move.
The different scenes in this fic are supposed to represent different stages of Wes-in-season-3. Here, when he’s just arrived, he’s completely incapable of controlling the Slayers. So, I made him just as incapable of controlling Dawn…
Wesley contemplated, very briefly, crawling under there and dragging her out by force. A fairly foolish idea, on reflection. After all, children were not his responsibility.
He’d get one of the Slayers to do it for him.
(Early!Wes was very clear on his role, and what things were definitely not his responsibility.)
Reassurance
There was a little sister underneath the table.
Dawn has now gone from “small child” to “little sister” - because Wes now defines her by her relationship to Buffy. He’s seen her quite a few times, by now.
He knelt down and looked at her. “Shouldn’t you be at home?”
“I like it here.”
“Oh. Okay.”
He waited.
In the first section, Wes leant over to look under the table. Now he’s kneeling down. He gets further involved with the area under the table every time…
He’s also getting slightly better at handling Dawn.
“How long-distance can she go?”
“I’m sorry?”
“Buffy. Can she read minds long-distance, or do they have to be up close?”
This scene is mid-Earshot.
“From what I’ve observed, proximity is fairly essential to the process.”
A blank stare.
“Not very long-distance,” he explained.
“So she can’t reach here from her bedroom?”
“I shouldn't think so.”
“Good.”
She hugged her knees, looking unsure what to say next.
Everyone else got freaked out by Buffy’s telepathy. I figured her 12-year-old sister definitely would too.
“Would you like a drink of milk?” ventured Wesley. “I think Giles has some in his office.”
“Okay,” she nodded.
He poured out a glass, and brought it over to the table. She sipped it happily for a minute before looking up.
“Stuffed pigs can’t think, can they?”
“Er… no. Probably not.”
“So he won’t be able to tell her about me being in her room?”
“Who?”
“Mr Gordo.”
“Um…”
“Probably not,” she concluded. “But that would be really fun.”
I love the way Dawn thinks.
Wesley just nodded.
She returned to the milk.
He waited a moment, and then asked, “Does your mother know that you’re here?”
She shook her head.
“Well, I should probably call her and let her know. Or else I could drive you home, and you could let her know yourself.”
He now does see Dawn as (partially) his responsibility.
A pause.
“Does Mr Giles have Doritos?”
“Pardon?”
“Doritos. They’re my comfort food.”
“I’m not sure. I can go and check…”
“No. It’s okay.” She crawled out, and handed him the glass. “I’ll go home. We have Doritos there.”
Invisibility
This title is because Wesley and Dawn are both feeling invisible to all the others.
There was a spy underneath the table.
Dawn does this a lot.
He almost kicked her accidentally when he sat down, but he managed to keep his face blank so as not to alert the others.
Which was not the correct way to handle the matter - not at all. She should be revealed, and summarily banished from the room before she heard any more of their conversation.
That was certainly what the Council would recommend for this situation. And the Council was correct, obviously. But these days… he was starting to wonder if, maybe, they sometimes got it wrong…
By now, Wes is working with Giles, and is mostly letting Buffy do exactly what she wants. He’s changed a lot already.
Xander restarted the video.
“See: there we are, minding our own business, and Destructo Dog comes smashing through the window.” He shrugged. “Only Sunnydale could make clothes shopping into an extreme sport.”
This scene is set during The Prom. Actually, it’ll shortly become a scene that’s actually in the episode - I just started a little earlier.
She giggled at that - and Wesley wondered why no-one else had noticed. But they all seemed fairly engrossed in Xander’s description.
“He takes out three clothing racks, a full-length mirror, and Tuxedo Guy, and we’re all just standing there with no idea what to do, or how to take him down.”
There was a whispered suggestion from floor-level: “A flamethrower would have worked…” and Xander turned.
Flamethrowers are wonderful weapons. They should be used as often as possible.
“What was that, Buff?”
“What was what?” She looked blank.
“I thought you said something about flamethrowers."
“Er, no. That was me.” Wesley cleared his throat. “But moving on… why don’t you play the video again?”
It wasn’t as if their discussion was entirely confidential. The attack had occurred in public, after all. In fact, as a citizen of Sunnydale, the sooner she learned the dangers surrounding her, the better… and what was he doing? When had he become someone who came up with excuses like this?
He shook his head, and tried to concentrate.
This is where the episode starts the scene. While Wesley’s thinking of something completely different, and missing all the dialogue.
It meant I didn’t have to repeat a whole bunch of stuff we’d already seen.
Giles was explaining the creature’s origins: “…bred during the Machash Wars. Trained solely to kill. They feed off the brains of their foes.”
There was a soft “eww!”
“Look!” Cordelia exclaimed. “Right there. Zoom in on that.”
Xander rolled his eyes, and started explaining the mechanical capabilities of VCRs.
Wesley took the opportunity to slip an open bag of liquorice under the table. It was taken out of his hands, and the underneath-furniture portion of the room lapsed into silence.
(Wesley had liquorice in Bad Girls.)
The others still hadn’t noticed a thing.
Oz sat up. “What's that? Hey - pause it.”
The video froze mid-massacre, and they all crowded around the television to look at the young man standing just outside the shop.
Wesley got to his feet. It was unlikely that he’d recognise the boy, but there was always the possibility that his knowledge and experience would prove useful… and his shoelaces were tied together! She'd actually tied his shoelaces together!
Because she so would…
He sat down, quickly.
And no-one else had even noticed.
Wesley put his face in his hands, and wondered how many years he’d get for first-degree murder.
I’m not entirely certain whether he wants to murder Dawn (for the shoelaces) or the others (for not noticing).
Solace
There was a friend underneath the table.
(Aww…)
He pulled the chair aside, and crawled in too.
“Hello.”
“Hi.”
It was quieter under here. The chairs and table legs formed a barrier: their own personal cave. You could keep the world away forever in here.
This scene is set mid-Graduation Day. Wesley is not having a good day.
Wesley looked over to her. “So… how are you doing today?”
“Mom’s packing lots of suitcases.”
“Why?”
“I think we’re going to Aunt Arlene’s for a couple of weeks.”
…because Buffy’s about to fight the Mayor and wants her family out of the way.
“Oh.”
If they pulled the last chair back in behind them, no-one would ever guess where they were. They could stay there for years, if necessary. And the world, with all its expectations, and responsibilities, and betrayals, and accusations, and insanity - the world would never find them. Never again.
Did I mention that Wes is having a bad day?
Of course, they’d need supplies…
“What about you?” she asked.
“Me?”
“Mmm.”
Wesley shifted nervously. “I… think I’ll be packing too.”
She didn't ask - just nodded. And they both fell silent.
What else was there to say, after all?
“Is Buffy going to win?”
…apart from that.
And that was really the point, wasn’t it? Winning, triumphing, doing whatever it took - no matter the cost. No room for emotions, distractions, conflicting feelings. You did the job, and you did it right.
The Watchers Council is all about being pragmatic, making unemotional decisions. Wesley has always known that that’s the right way to do things.
That was what he’d always done.
That was the whole basis for…
And now…
Now…
“Wesley?” She was still sitting next to him. “Is she going to win?”
“That depends on what you mean.”
“With the whole evil-Mayor thing. Will she win?”
“I’m not-" he hesitated, and amended the sentence: "I hope so.”
A frown. “Shouldn’t you be doing lots of Watchery stuff with her?”
Oh please, can’t the world just stay away for a while?
“I don’t think that she wants me doing… Watchery stuff… anymore.”
“Then what are you going to do?”
And there really was no way to answer that.
He just looked at her - and she smiled reassuringly and handed him the Doritos.
In the second section, Wes was comforting Dawn. Now, she’s comforting him.
Which is pretty much the point of the fic.
They sat there together, munching quietly, and waited for it all to get better again.
I hope you enjoyed this!
This was written for lavastar, who requested a commentary for Small Spaces. You should probably read that before looking at this commentary.
The original fic still looks like it did, and my notes are the bits in blockquotes.
Small Spaces
This fic was written for a ficathon - for someone who wanted to see Wesley and Dawn interacting in season 3.
I’m still not sure where I got the title from. I think it was mainly because the entire thing takes place underneath a table, and that the scenes are all tiny bits between other stuff in season 3.
Disobedience
There was a small child underneath the table.
I have no idea how I came up with this fic. I just wrote that first line, and it seemed so fun…
She was wearing dungarees and trainers, and had her hair in bunches.
(That’s a translation. Originally it said “she was wearing overalls and sneakers and had her hair in pigtails” - which is what I’d say - but the British people I asked said that Wesley would put it differently.)
She grinned. “Hello.”
“What are you doing there?”
“I'm reading. See?” She held up a book, and explained, “Because it’s a library. You read in libraries.”
“Oh, right.” There really was no way to answer that. “Good for you.” He straightened up, and was about to walk away when a question came:
“Are you a Watcher?”
Wesley paused. And then looked under the table again.
“Who are you?”
“You look kinda like Mr Giles - and he is.”
“How did you know that Mr-”
“Buffy said he was fired.”
“Yes, but-”
“Are you the new librarian?”
“What? No!”
She grinned again. “I like your glasses.”
I love this first conversation.
Dawn is completely in control of what’s going on, and Wes is just trying to keep up. He really has no idea how to handle her.
A short pause.
“Thank you.”
“So - Balthattar’s amulet gave him special powers, right? Does it do that for everyone?”
(This scene is set just after Wesley’s arrival - in Consequences.)
Wesley didn't respond.
“Can I put it on, and see?”
He frowned, and said sternly, “The amulet of Balthazar is now property of the Watchers Council. How did you know about it?”
No reply.
“Have you been listening in?"
Of course she has. This is Dawn we’re talking about.
“Well, dur…”
“Why?”
“When Buffy talks about this stuff, she always leaves out the good bits. It’s much easier to find out this way.”
“You’ve been sitting there all afternoon?”
“Uh-huh. And last night, too.”
Stern voice again. “These discussions are confidential, and not for your ears. I’m afraid I must ask you to leave the room.”
She laughed at him. “You’re weird.”
“Get out of there at once!”
She shook her head, and didn’t move.
The different scenes in this fic are supposed to represent different stages of Wes-in-season-3. Here, when he’s just arrived, he’s completely incapable of controlling the Slayers. So, I made him just as incapable of controlling Dawn…
Wesley contemplated, very briefly, crawling under there and dragging her out by force. A fairly foolish idea, on reflection. After all, children were not his responsibility.
He’d get one of the Slayers to do it for him.
(Early!Wes was very clear on his role, and what things were definitely not his responsibility.)
Reassurance
There was a little sister underneath the table.
Dawn has now gone from “small child” to “little sister” - because Wes now defines her by her relationship to Buffy. He’s seen her quite a few times, by now.
He knelt down and looked at her. “Shouldn’t you be at home?”
“I like it here.”
“Oh. Okay.”
He waited.
In the first section, Wes leant over to look under the table. Now he’s kneeling down. He gets further involved with the area under the table every time…
He’s also getting slightly better at handling Dawn.
“How long-distance can she go?”
“I’m sorry?”
“Buffy. Can she read minds long-distance, or do they have to be up close?”
This scene is mid-Earshot.
“From what I’ve observed, proximity is fairly essential to the process.”
A blank stare.
“Not very long-distance,” he explained.
“So she can’t reach here from her bedroom?”
“I shouldn't think so.”
“Good.”
She hugged her knees, looking unsure what to say next.
Everyone else got freaked out by Buffy’s telepathy. I figured her 12-year-old sister definitely would too.
“Would you like a drink of milk?” ventured Wesley. “I think Giles has some in his office.”
“Okay,” she nodded.
He poured out a glass, and brought it over to the table. She sipped it happily for a minute before looking up.
“Stuffed pigs can’t think, can they?”
“Er… no. Probably not.”
“So he won’t be able to tell her about me being in her room?”
“Who?”
“Mr Gordo.”
“Um…”
“Probably not,” she concluded. “But that would be really fun.”
I love the way Dawn thinks.
Wesley just nodded.
She returned to the milk.
He waited a moment, and then asked, “Does your mother know that you’re here?”
She shook her head.
“Well, I should probably call her and let her know. Or else I could drive you home, and you could let her know yourself.”
He now does see Dawn as (partially) his responsibility.
A pause.
“Does Mr Giles have Doritos?”
“Pardon?”
“Doritos. They’re my comfort food.”
“I’m not sure. I can go and check…”
“No. It’s okay.” She crawled out, and handed him the glass. “I’ll go home. We have Doritos there.”
Invisibility
This title is because Wesley and Dawn are both feeling invisible to all the others.
There was a spy underneath the table.
Dawn does this a lot.
He almost kicked her accidentally when he sat down, but he managed to keep his face blank so as not to alert the others.
Which was not the correct way to handle the matter - not at all. She should be revealed, and summarily banished from the room before she heard any more of their conversation.
That was certainly what the Council would recommend for this situation. And the Council was correct, obviously. But these days… he was starting to wonder if, maybe, they sometimes got it wrong…
By now, Wes is working with Giles, and is mostly letting Buffy do exactly what she wants. He’s changed a lot already.
Xander restarted the video.
“See: there we are, minding our own business, and Destructo Dog comes smashing through the window.” He shrugged. “Only Sunnydale could make clothes shopping into an extreme sport.”
This scene is set during The Prom. Actually, it’ll shortly become a scene that’s actually in the episode - I just started a little earlier.
She giggled at that - and Wesley wondered why no-one else had noticed. But they all seemed fairly engrossed in Xander’s description.
“He takes out three clothing racks, a full-length mirror, and Tuxedo Guy, and we’re all just standing there with no idea what to do, or how to take him down.”
There was a whispered suggestion from floor-level: “A flamethrower would have worked…” and Xander turned.
Flamethrowers are wonderful weapons. They should be used as often as possible.
“What was that, Buff?”
“What was what?” She looked blank.
“I thought you said something about flamethrowers."
“Er, no. That was me.” Wesley cleared his throat. “But moving on… why don’t you play the video again?”
It wasn’t as if their discussion was entirely confidential. The attack had occurred in public, after all. In fact, as a citizen of Sunnydale, the sooner she learned the dangers surrounding her, the better… and what was he doing? When had he become someone who came up with excuses like this?
He shook his head, and tried to concentrate.
This is where the episode starts the scene. While Wesley’s thinking of something completely different, and missing all the dialogue.
It meant I didn’t have to repeat a whole bunch of stuff we’d already seen.
Giles was explaining the creature’s origins: “…bred during the Machash Wars. Trained solely to kill. They feed off the brains of their foes.”
There was a soft “eww!”
“Look!” Cordelia exclaimed. “Right there. Zoom in on that.”
Xander rolled his eyes, and started explaining the mechanical capabilities of VCRs.
Wesley took the opportunity to slip an open bag of liquorice under the table. It was taken out of his hands, and the underneath-furniture portion of the room lapsed into silence.
(Wesley had liquorice in Bad Girls.)
The others still hadn’t noticed a thing.
Oz sat up. “What's that? Hey - pause it.”
The video froze mid-massacre, and they all crowded around the television to look at the young man standing just outside the shop.
Wesley got to his feet. It was unlikely that he’d recognise the boy, but there was always the possibility that his knowledge and experience would prove useful… and his shoelaces were tied together! She'd actually tied his shoelaces together!
Because she so would…
He sat down, quickly.
And no-one else had even noticed.
Wesley put his face in his hands, and wondered how many years he’d get for first-degree murder.
I’m not entirely certain whether he wants to murder Dawn (for the shoelaces) or the others (for not noticing).
Solace
There was a friend underneath the table.
(Aww…)
He pulled the chair aside, and crawled in too.
“Hello.”
“Hi.”
It was quieter under here. The chairs and table legs formed a barrier: their own personal cave. You could keep the world away forever in here.
This scene is set mid-Graduation Day. Wesley is not having a good day.
Wesley looked over to her. “So… how are you doing today?”
“Mom’s packing lots of suitcases.”
“Why?”
“I think we’re going to Aunt Arlene’s for a couple of weeks.”
…because Buffy’s about to fight the Mayor and wants her family out of the way.
“Oh.”
If they pulled the last chair back in behind them, no-one would ever guess where they were. They could stay there for years, if necessary. And the world, with all its expectations, and responsibilities, and betrayals, and accusations, and insanity - the world would never find them. Never again.
Did I mention that Wes is having a bad day?
Of course, they’d need supplies…
“What about you?” she asked.
“Me?”
“Mmm.”
Wesley shifted nervously. “I… think I’ll be packing too.”
She didn't ask - just nodded. And they both fell silent.
What else was there to say, after all?
“Is Buffy going to win?”
…apart from that.
And that was really the point, wasn’t it? Winning, triumphing, doing whatever it took - no matter the cost. No room for emotions, distractions, conflicting feelings. You did the job, and you did it right.
The Watchers Council is all about being pragmatic, making unemotional decisions. Wesley has always known that that’s the right way to do things.
That was what he’d always done.
That was the whole basis for…
And now…
Now…
“Wesley?” She was still sitting next to him. “Is she going to win?”
“That depends on what you mean.”
“With the whole evil-Mayor thing. Will she win?”
“I’m not-" he hesitated, and amended the sentence: "I hope so.”
A frown. “Shouldn’t you be doing lots of Watchery stuff with her?”
Oh please, can’t the world just stay away for a while?
“I don’t think that she wants me doing… Watchery stuff… anymore.”
“Then what are you going to do?”
And there really was no way to answer that.
He just looked at her - and she smiled reassuringly and handed him the Doritos.
In the second section, Wes was comforting Dawn. Now, she’s comforting him.
Which is pretty much the point of the fic.
They sat there together, munching quietly, and waited for it all to get better again.
I hope you enjoyed this!