"School Hard" / "Chosen"

[red_satin_doll]

Like Mother, Like Daughter original artwork a gift to me from comlodge, an amazing artist and generous friend. Check out the original on her journal.



Apparently, Buffy isn't the only Summers woman who is going to be "a fireman [sic] when the floods roll back."

ETA: beer_good_foamy reminded me that Joyce's threat to Spike, "You get the HELL away from my daughter!" (Rock on, Joyce!) could be seen as applicable to Buffy's actions in Chosen, if we consider the new Slayers as her metaphorical "offspring".  (What's the plural for "childe"?)


Or, Kendra was her "daughter", Faith her "granddaughter", then Buffy and Faith got together and now the new Slayers have two mommies - which. ok, is kind of
incest-y, but no worse than the Fanged Four, right?

 And Willow is their midwife. Something like that.

.

Comments

[beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com]

Brilliant.

There's a pun here somewhere... Buffy fighting back the threat against the Slayer line... noun form of "slay"... "Get the hell away from my slaughter."

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

OUCH.

You did make me realize that the pun isn't necessary at all - the Potentials are Buffy's metaphorical daughters. Hmmm *runs to edit post*

[beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com]

the Potentials are Buffy's metaphorical daughters

Bring them to the slaughter and let them go!

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

*lol* SOMEBODY needs to make a Buffyverse vid to that tune! (Don't look at me...)

FYI - post has been updated, thanks for the brain wave, kind sir!

[infinitewhale.livejournal.com]

the Potentials are Buffy's metaphorical daughters

Mom hair.

[beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com]

...huh. Good one.

[infinitewhale.livejournal.com]

The metaphorical mother to the potentials idea is one a buy into. Buffy doesn't have mom hair, of course, and Chosen references Lessons in lots of ways on top of the obvious Buffy leads a group of teens out of a hole in the school basement stuff.

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

*lol* Totally forgot about the "mom hair"

That seemed pretty clear to me when I watched S7 last year, and I think it's an extension of Buffy's role as Dawn's legal guardian (surrogate parent? everyone calls Tara her surrogate mom so - does Dawn have three mommies?) in S5-6

I definitely see Buffy as "mother" to Kendra and Faith in the exact same way that Angel is to Dru and Spike; but I don't see that referenced very often in the areas of fandom I've been to. (Which admittedly is limited.) But then again neither does the show, whereas the Fanged Four are referenced as "family" very explicitly. (childe/sire) There's no equivalent terms for the Slayer line of descent.

Although - it just occured to me (DUH) that it's the WC, not Buffy, who sire Kendra and Faith, until Buffy takes the power away from them. *Smacks forehead* I am so dumb. (But I still like the imagery, WTH.)

[rebcake.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I don't think that Buffy is Kendra or Faith's "mother" in the same way that Darla>Angelus>Dru>Spike are a family, because, well, she didn't make the choice to have offspring — until Chosen. I think that's why the "Sister Slayer" nomenclature works for me. Siblings don't have to choose or do anything for new ones to arrive, while parents need to be a bit more involved.

Now, there's always the argument that not all parenthood is planned, but there's accidents and then there's accidents if you know what I mean.

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

Now, there's always the argument that not all parenthood is planned, but there's accidents and then there's accidents if you know what I mean.

Somehow I suspect I shouldn't be laughing about this so much....

And of course I mean symbolically rather than literally for the Fang Gang. But it also works for me metaphorically as a reference to the fact that, until sometime until the 20th century, the leading cause of death among adult women in the Western world for several centuries was childbirth. (I haven't checked figures in the developing nations today for comparison.) Having children was considered a woman's destiny and duty, but it always came with the risk of death. As for the Slayer, if biology is destiny, then destiny sucks.

Of course I could also go with the Greek philosopher (forgot who) who claimed that everything of a child came entirely from the man and the women were nothing more than empty vessels that contributed nothing whatsoever....yada yada.

[eilowyn.livejournal.com]

There's a meta in a Buffy essay book about sisterhood and being a potential in Buffy Meets the Academy (I think that's what it is, but a lot of the scholarly Buffy books run together in my brain), and I know angearia has something on Buffy and Willow as the parents of the slayers somewhere (it's comics-compliant though, as I recall, so it may not be your bag). But Buffy=mother of the Slayers needs to be explored in fic.

I'll be right back - plot bunny happening.

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

I think I've heard of Buffy meets the Academy; I've not read it. (I looked through the state's interlibrary loan database and found none of the scholarly books on the buffyverse whatsoever.) I'll have to look for Emmie's story - I don't like the comics but I appreciate what she does to/with them.

But Buffy=mother of the Slayers needs to be explored in fic.

ABSOLUTELY. It's right there in the DNA of the show. I'm really still surprised how little fic or meta I've seen on the subject. I don't know why I expected more, given what I would guess to be the number of female fans especially? We've all been daughters and/or mothers at some point.

I'll be right back - plot bunny happening.

*bounces eagerly in chair* Has it happened yet?

[rebcake.livejournal.com]

Or, to take it in a more Spike-centric direction, the events of Chosen can be seen as him taking Joyce's instruction to its literal conclusion: he uses the amulet to keep Hell away from Joyce's daughter(s). Just sayin'.

[beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com]

Heh. Imagine Spike trying to sneak that into the Flaming Hands moment:

SPIKE: Gotta move, lamb. I think it's fair to say, school's out for bloody summer.
BUFFY: Spike...
SPIKE: I mean it, I gotta do this. I made a promise to your mum.
BUFFY: My... what? When? How?
SPIKE: About six years ago. Don't you remember? She hit me with an axe, "Get the hell away from my daughter!"
BUFFY: Uh, kinda burning my hand here.
SPIKE: So, well, here I am. Getting it done.
BUFFY: What?
SPIKE: Well, I am bringing down the hellmouth.
BUFFY: Which is why I need to tell you - Wait. You're saying...
SPIKE: That's right.
BUFFY: ...the last few years have been a cunning plan on your part to literally get the Hell away from me?
SPIKE: And your daughters.
BUFFY: [checks her hair with her free hand] My...? I don't -
SPIKE: Metaphorically speaking. The Slayerlings.
BUFFY: Whatever. Spike, I love y-
SPIKE: Your mum had a hell of a commanding voice. No wonder your room is always so neat.
BUFFY: Would you stop talking about my mom!
SPIKE: But this time it's up to me to do the clean-up. It's what she would have wanted.
BUFFY: I'm trying to tell you - OW! Son of a bitch!
SPIKE: Language!
BUFFY: My. Hand. Caught. Fire.
SPIKE: That's no reason to use that kind of language. You need to set an example for your daughters.
BUFFY: They're not my - forget it. Isn't there something you want to tell me?
SPIKE: Buffy?
BUFFY: Yes?
SPIKE: Do you think Joyce will be waiting for me with a cup of cocoa in heaven?
BUFFY: Fine. Whatever. Yes, I'm sure she will. I'm out of here. [leaves]
SPIKE: Thanks for saying it!

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

BUFFY: Would you stop talking about my mom!
SPIKE: But this time it's up to me to do the clean-up. It's what she would have wanted.
BUFFY: I'm trying to tell you - OW! Son of a bitch!
SPIKE: Language!
BUFFY: My. Hand. Caught. Fire.

OMG...NEED...AIR...NOW....

2013 Award Winner: Funniest non-penguin Spuffy fic. (Christ now I'm imagining THAT mash-up: Penguins in Hell.)

[beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com]

Haha, thanks!

Penguins are versatile. I'm sure they'd cope. And by "cope", I mean take over the place and make it freeze over.

[rebcake.livejournal.com]

The unladylike snorting going on over here would NOT meet with Joyce's approval, I'm sure.

This is OMG brilliant.

But this time it's up to me to do the clean-up.

Of your room. Or town. Whatever. *snerk* Oh, god. Make it stop.

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

You're pretty damn amazing yourself, kiddo! :)

[beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com]

But this time it's up to me to do the clean-up.

Of your room. Or town. Whatever.

You might also imagine Spike telling Buffy "Now go... clean your mouth out with soap." But I don't think Joyce would approve of that either. :)

[kikimay]

Lolling so hard! This is perfect!

[beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com]

Thank you!