Notes on 'Everything a Big Bad Wolf Could Want'
Consider this a general thanks for the feedback on Everything a Big Bad Wolf Could Want. I'm not gonna reply to each comment individually, because it feels a little strange to do so with that fic. It's more the fic that you cast into the wind and then pretend you didn't do it.
I appreciate all the responses, and I'm glad it had its intended effect.
Just some points about the fic. In case you're curious.
- The title is, of course, from the song by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs. It's a song that I thought was fun and catchy as a kid. Then when I learned about the creepy sexual undertones to the Red Riding Hood story, it took on a different aspect. I think of it as a pedophile song now. It seemed pretty appropriate.
- I wish I'd had a chance to rewatch S7 before writing the fic, just to make sure everything "fit". As it is, I set it after LMPTM to provide a bit of irony. Spike at the beginning declaring that he's "safe" now that the trigger is out, and then by the end realizing that he's actually not quite as safe as he'd thought.
- There was originally an extra sentence right before the final paragraph that would have made it much more ambiguous as to whether the two girls made it safely home with Spike. I opted to take it out because the fic, to me, is an exploration of Spike's eventual triumph over his demon. Even though he has those compulsions and urges, his soul and Buffy's faith in him keep him from acting on it. It's a thin line for him, but he makes it.
- The subject matter is, obviously, difficult. I didn't want to portray it in any prurient, titillating fashion. I've read fics that have done so (not in Buffy fandom), and it's always very disturbing. And yet I knew I had to make it graphic in order to demonstrate the depravity of what Spike had been. Otherwise, the reader may tend to take the nicest possible interpretation of any vague text on it. I wanted to make it clear that what Spike had done (and still wanted to do) was evil. Recognizing the depth of his demon makes his redemption arc all the more powerful to me.
- I don't know if Spike actually had/has an out-and-out predilection for young girls. His "veal" comment could mean anything from "I have a fixation on young children, ages 6 to 14" to "You're on the older end of middle age, and I tend to prefer young adults". However, I don't doubt that he did rape and kill people, some of whom probably were children. Again, the beauty of his redemption story is that the good he attained must be contrasted with...well...unabashed evil.
- I've always felt the more significant struggle for a souled vampire would be not only coming to terms with past sins, but also coming to terms with their own demonic impulses to continue to sin. A person can find a peace with things they did in the past. However, having a constant reminder of what they are, what they're capable of, what they want to do, must be a perpetual torture for a being trying to be good.
I appreciate all the responses, and I'm glad it had its intended effect.
Just some points about the fic. In case you're curious.
- The title is, of course, from the song by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs. It's a song that I thought was fun and catchy as a kid. Then when I learned about the creepy sexual undertones to the Red Riding Hood story, it took on a different aspect. I think of it as a pedophile song now. It seemed pretty appropriate.
- I wish I'd had a chance to rewatch S7 before writing the fic, just to make sure everything "fit". As it is, I set it after LMPTM to provide a bit of irony. Spike at the beginning declaring that he's "safe" now that the trigger is out, and then by the end realizing that he's actually not quite as safe as he'd thought.
- There was originally an extra sentence right before the final paragraph that would have made it much more ambiguous as to whether the two girls made it safely home with Spike. I opted to take it out because the fic, to me, is an exploration of Spike's eventual triumph over his demon. Even though he has those compulsions and urges, his soul and Buffy's faith in him keep him from acting on it. It's a thin line for him, but he makes it.
- The subject matter is, obviously, difficult. I didn't want to portray it in any prurient, titillating fashion. I've read fics that have done so (not in Buffy fandom), and it's always very disturbing. And yet I knew I had to make it graphic in order to demonstrate the depravity of what Spike had been. Otherwise, the reader may tend to take the nicest possible interpretation of any vague text on it. I wanted to make it clear that what Spike had done (and still wanted to do) was evil. Recognizing the depth of his demon makes his redemption arc all the more powerful to me.
- I don't know if Spike actually had/has an out-and-out predilection for young girls. His "veal" comment could mean anything from "I have a fixation on young children, ages 6 to 14" to "You're on the older end of middle age, and I tend to prefer young adults". However, I don't doubt that he did rape and kill people, some of whom probably were children. Again, the beauty of his redemption story is that the good he attained must be contrasted with...well...unabashed evil.
- I've always felt the more significant struggle for a souled vampire would be not only coming to terms with past sins, but also coming to terms with their own demonic impulses to continue to sin. A person can find a peace with things they did in the past. However, having a constant reminder of what they are, what they're capable of, what they want to do, must be a perpetual torture for a being trying to be good.