Vid: Beautiful Song (Buffy the Vampire Slayer; Xander&Buffy)

[butterfly]

Beautiful Song

Summary:
All love is unrequited, expectations hurt everyone, and friendship can be very complicated.

(mpg file; 49.14 MB; zipped
also available as a smaller wmv file here (yousendit link)
if you'd like the link renewed, just comment and let me know)

Understanding all you are
and all I am.

Beautiful Song is off of Adam Pascal's CD Civilian. Adam is also known as the OBC/Movie Roger in Rent.

Comments

[trepkos.livejournal.com]

That was gorgeous.
Xander can be such an asshole sometimes, but my heart still breaks for him.
The sexy dance... guh.

[frelling-tralk.livejournal.com]

Beautiful video

[par-avion.livejournal.com]

Lovely. :)

http://www.paravio.net/vids/Beautiful%20Song.mpg.zip

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

And yes, Xander could definitely be an asshole (and Buffy really could be a bitch, and Willow was passive-aggressive, and Giles was a very inconsistent mentor/parent figure), though that hasn't made me love him any less. He could be a complete jerk and then he could turn around and be an absolutely amazing friend.

The dance has, quite clearly, stuck around in my head. Because... yeah. Also, though, cruel as it was, it did break the dance barrier than they had in S1, and he did get to dance with her after that.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Aw, thank you!

(and the downloading statistics you sent are, I think, actually blowing my mind. Dude.)

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Oh, hey, have received a report that the vid isn't downloading fully for some people. Any theories/possible solutions?

[wanderlustlover]

Oh! Oh! Oh!

I'm not usually a Xander/Buffy person at all. But this covers sooo much and it so well done. I just got to downloading all your vids, because a friend of mine originally sent me Tangelwood Tree and then showed me to the way to your lj. This is beautiful though, the ups and downs, semi-atraction, atraction, sibiling, friends, best friends, everything is in there.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

I'm so glad that you liked the vid. I really did try to cover all the different facets of the B/X relationship/friendship, because even the painful times are part of them, part of why I am a B/X person.

[nemo-gravis.livejournal.com]

Very beautiful video. It really captures a lot of what I loved about Buffy and Xander when they were together. I'd never seen of the "sexy dance" moment as a potentially good thing but you're right when I come to think about it, afterward there was no more dance floor barrier between the two characters after that.

Thanks for making this :)

Mind if I inflict my friendship upon you?

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Very beautiful video. It really captures a lot of what I loved about Buffy and Xander when they were together. I'd never seen of the "sexy dance" moment as a potentially good thing but you're right when I come to think about it, afterward there was no more dance floor barrier between the two characters after that.

I've always been glad of it for that, at least. Because after that moment, they could dance together, even just the two of them.

I love their relationship/friendship so much, for all its potential.

Thanks for making this :)

You are very welcome. Thank you for the feedback.

Mind if I inflict my friendship upon you?

Not at all! I've actually been going through and reading all of your other B/X stuff and thinking about asking you the same question. You write them really well, especially the jokey banter that is key to why I think they're so well-suited for each other.

[nemo-gravis.livejournal.com]

You just got friended :)

And I'm glad you like the Buffy/Xander stuff. Roughly ninety percent of what I write revolves around either their friendship or a future romantic 'ship, and so far I've explored only a couple of facets. From the simple warmth to the simply dark and some of what's in between. But there are still so many stories to tell.

That's what hooked me into the fandom, really. The potential of the B/X 'ship. The complete depth of their relationship. Buffy and Xander and how well they worked together in canon. Their rhythms, their banter, their view of the world. They just fit well together *grin*

Again, I loved this vid. Recently, I'd been feeling very disconnected, been having trouble recapturing the voices, and seeing this really helped. Thank you :)

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Ah, and I've just discovered that you're a guy, which is both surprising (because there are relatively few guys in lj-based fandom) and not.

I did notice a higher percentage of guys as B/X fans back when I was actively in BtVS fandom -- probably has a bit to do with the fandom guys tending to adopt Xander as their avatar, while the girls tended to feel for Willow. I was hovering between gay and straight even then, and was attracted to both Xander and most especially Buffy, and so even though I'm a bookish girl, I could never put myself in Willow's head (until she met Tara, who I absolutely adored).

I'm a huge B/X fan. I've been shipping them since my first episode of the show (which was The Pack, which I saw in the first summer reairing.). That might be over nine years now, I think. And they're still my ultimate OTP, the pairing that I love more than any other, and the pairing that I could see actually working out in the end, for the long run. Which is, I think, one of the big reasons that Joss never did put them together all the times that he thought about doing it -- because once together, they'd be too well-suited to break up easily. Xander wouldn't drown in masculine insecurity like Riley (Xander always managed to deal with his insecurity in a non-idiotic way), wouldn't scare Buffy with danger-seeking like Owen, doesn't have the kind of darkness that Angel or Spike did.

Like you said, they work.

[jgracio.livejournal.com]

I've just seen this wonderful vid. Loved it. Can I friend you?

[jgracio.livejournal.com]

And I notice this wasn't mentioned on the SU Herald, want me to pimp it?

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Thank you. Even now, Buffy and Xander are one of my favorite unconventional fictional pairings.

You definitely have my permission to mention my vid to the Herald, and I'm always flattered to be friended.

[sparklyfabulous]

Hey, I just finally got around to DLing and watching this (I, um, usually read LJ at work, and not so much with the watching vids there), and I think it's really well done.

I might have more substantial praise after I watch a few more times, but for now I just wanted to say hi, and great job, and thanks!, and I really enjoyed it. Oh, Xander.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Thank you. Xander's my favorite BtVS much of the time, and I really adore him.

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

Would you renew this link for me at some point? I missed it when you first posted. *Hugs*

[silviakundera.livejournal.com]

Gorgeous. You absolutely captured Buffy&Xander for me. Great clip choice, and it moved so fluidly!

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

As you know, I just really love them, and I know that you really love them, so that you like the vid is... good. Great. Hee. Thank you.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

*is puzzled*

I was really, really certain that I'd replied to you. With linkage and all. And yet, here your comment is, all by itself. Very puzzling, not at all good.

This is the link for the large version: http://www.paravio.net/vids/Beautiful%20Song.mpg.zip
And I just uploaded a new ysi for the smaller, if that's what you needed: http://s18.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=2OB883X179Q673PRM5OYOQCA9T

I'm really sorry about the long delay.

*hugs*

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

Wow, that was totally my fault for not noticing that the main link was a non-YSI one; I always dl the big versions of vids because that way if they aren't ones I want to keep, I can dispose of the file and its size isn't an issue, and if they *are* ones I want to keep (like this one!) I prefer to have a higher-quality file.

This is *so good.* B/X is such a great pairing anyway, partially for me I think because of personal reasons (a tendency when I was younger to get involved with Not So Nice guys and ignore the Very Nice ones standing right next to me.) I've always thought that with enough time Buffy would come around and realize what a great fit she and Xander would be; he knows who and what she is, he's so impressed by her strength (not just physical) and he *understands* her.

You did such a fantastic job choosing clips -- I adored watching all the little moments in which B looks at X with a smile on her face, her eyes glowing softly -- that's not the way you look at someone unless you have some Pretty Strong feelings for them. And gah! The could-have-been-a-kiss at 2:15! *Dies* And the sexy bad wrong dance! Poor Xander, he was so turned on and confused and I think Buffy knew exactly how mean she was being to him (hey, we all have our moments, right?)

So wonderful. :-)

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

I've always thought that with enough time Buffy would come around and realize what a great fit she and Xander would be; he knows who and what she is, he's so impressed by her strength (not just physical) and he *understands* her.

And yes, that's pretty much exactly how I feel about Buffy and Xander -- he really does understand and... appreciate her. Which is probably why I can sympathize with but not agree with vids that take a bitter approach towards their friendship and possible relationship -- they are not bitter about it at all at the end. They appreciate each other, despite and because of everything they've done with and to each other.

You did such a fantastic job choosing clips -- I adored watching all the little moments in which B looks at X with a smile on her face, her eyes glowing softly -- that's not the way you look at someone unless you have some Pretty Strong feelings for them.

There really are times when Buffy looks at Xander like she thinks he's just about the sweetest guy in the world. One of the good ones, as she puts it in Hell's Bells. I love the way he makes her smile. And I'm also more than moderately fond of his smile, too, I must admit.

And gah! The could-have-been-a-kiss at 2:15! *Dies*

That moment always kills me so dead in canon. They really were intensely close to kissing there. So close! There really were a lot of times in canon when they could have shifted just the tiniest bit and had B/X. It was never taken away as a possibility, because whenever they did stamp it down ("You either have feelings or you don't.") they would then do something like the almost-kiss, and it's a possibility again. They never pulled a Willow/Xander and defused the possibility of the relationship.

And te sexy bad wrong dance! Poor Xander, he was so turned on and confused and I think Buffy knew exactly how mean she was being to him (hey, we all have our moments, right?)

Another of my favorite B/X moments. It's cruel, but there's a horrible honesty in it. And it does break the dance barrier between them. Because once you've done that to a guy, just dancing with him doesn't seem like such a big deal.

So wonderful. :-)

Thank you, again.

X Marks the Spot

[(Anonymous)]

Hi, as an ardent BX guy I just had to say hello


Just had to get my BX feelings out, please bare with me:


I'm down with BX...

Because the two share a chemistry that just feels more natural than any other of the shows character combinations, regardless of romance. The passion in their legendary verbal showdowns is remarkably passionate, raw and real, far more so than any other characters'.


Their interaction uterly bares all the hall marks of the kind of friendships that can easily evolve into budding romance. They quite simply complment each other perfectly and effortlessly, something they can't get at all or too much or enough with the dynamics of other pairings to ultimately be able to see going the distance in my eyes, the way BX could.

The two share so much in common, same strenghs, same flaws, hell their humour particulary gels so well, that they'd practically be able to finish each others' sentances and yet they also have the oposits attract thing in their favor too, thus they'd be the total package.

Plus humour is such an inportant thing in being able to complement each other in a realationship surely and both characters suffer when forced into enviroments that damage their abilitie to see the funny in anything, no matter how dark, it's how they cope, more than any other characters, they barely make it through a single sentance without some joke or pop culture witty reference finding it's way in and this has proved ultimately something that other characters can't quite match up enough. They're way of doing it is either too different or it's lost entirely on more torchered, bitter, serious personalitys at heart. Where as with Buffy and Xander, they just for the lack of a better word "fit" especially in this respect. They're on the same page, same wave link, they basically just let themselves be themselves and boy do they challenge each other like no one else. The middle ground that both their personalitys need to balance them out, has always lied in each other. I think there was always unresolved feelings on both sides, thought I'm not saying they were in love all alone just that there seemed to be feelings for each other that never got the chance to grow or be explored, it was just never the right time, all they needed was something to push them together, for there was never the right time to contemplate it enough, circumstances and bad timeing always got in the way. Although by Season Seven, they kind of found their way to finally slowly but surely possiblely seeing each other differently eventually.

Buffy certainly already had begun to percieve him in a different, more attractive cooler light. Buffy was so happy and finally free in herself by Chosen, that I could imagin, something maybe and just maybe finally happening down the line. All the events of the past, Angel, Riley, Spike etc, she seemed to have closed those chapters in her life, finally allowing herself to move on from all that and them, whilst execpting that they were trials that have helped shape her growth, they'd always have a place in her heart, just as past epic loves would for most woman. I'd say, she'd have finally had her fill of all that pain and thus be very carefull and clear-headed about future serious realationships, being a strong woman of her own right in her mind at last. No longer the inpressinable young school girl or the screwed up, tormented young woman who'd just been pulled from Heavan etc. She'd finally come to some kind of peace with herself at least and was ready to face a new chapter in her life, one big long book finally seemed closed, another bright new and challenging one opened. She was ready to set out on a journey of finding more about herself as a person and nobobey has always been there to let her do just that more than Xander, despite all the ups and downs they've faced.



In closing I too would like to propose for your friendship aswell. Afterall, we BXers should stick together.

Re: X Marks the Spot

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Hi. It's nice to meet you.

That's a really good sum-up of the changes they went through over the years and how it made them really even more suited for each other at the end of the series than they were at the beginning. I agree completely.

[arabian.livejournal.com]

Butting into say "hi!" and I'm totally checking out your journal because there isn't much BX out there.

[arabian.livejournal.com]

Ah, Buffy and Xander ... one of the best romantic relationships that never happened. I'll never not wonder just how awesome they could have been.

Thanks for this.