pet peeve

[estepheia]

Grrrr. If I read one more Spander fic that starts with an out of character Anya heartlessly leaving Xander, I'm going to hurl. I think I must have read this feeble intro a hundred times now and frankly, I'm sick sick sick of it. Who left whom at the altar? Who crushed whose white-picket-fence fantasies of domestic bliss? Don't tell me Anya has to leave in a huff so Spike and Xander can embark on an emotional journey of domestic bliss. Xander broke off with Anya because he was afraid of growing up and assuming adult responsibilities, afraid of getting stuck in a domestic life of recrimination and abuse, and he was worried that he was the one unfit for marriage.
Anya on the other hand, while opportunistic and often saying the wrong things, clearly has ethical standards, however weird. She was industriously trying to make a perfect home and life for them, economically comfortable too, and she clearly catered to Xander's sexual whims and fantasies.

I know, I know, I'm not saying anything new, but this is my LJ. I can air my peeves. I love Anya, she's a wonderful character. I wish people weren't too lazy to do her justice.

Comments

[mpoetess.livejournal.com]

Agreed - it's very hard to write S5 Spike/Xander for just that reason, I'd say. Not only is there the beginnings of Spuffy, but there's a real relationship with Anya. And while I've always had some issues with how much *Xander* loved *Anya* (or at least, how much he loved her in the "want to spend the rest of my life with you" sense) vs. how much he wanted to, I've never thought that Anya wasn't devoted to the relationship. There are places where she could leave him and have it be in character (early relationship, or right in the middle of the pre-wedding tension, if she can't take his cold feet anymore) but even there, it wouldn't be a cold and heartless abandonment, and Xander would definitely have a part in it.