ever_neutral | your stitches are all out but your scars are healing wrong;

06 | the ship where fandom is DOING IT WRONG

What about me? I love you so much. And I tried to make you go away. I
killed you and it didn't help. And I hate it. I hate that it's so hard,
and that you can hurt me so much. I know everything that you did because
you did it to me. Oh God, I wish that I wished you dead. I don't. I
can't.

I dallied on this "day", but then I figured that in the realm of "fandom IS DOING IT WRONG" ships, there is no formative contender than Buffy/Angel. I mean "formative" in the sense that the Buffyverse was my first fandom and I'd never before seen such incorrect shipping in my life. There are no scars like Buffy fandom scars, &c. &c. Obviously, the wrong shipping (as in, WRONG WRONG WRONG, not wrong!shipping which is in fact what we're here for) surrounds the idea of B/A as a straightforward pure epic starcrossed forever love, when clearly at its best it's pretty deliberately a horror story. I do think the show(s) had a tendency to romanticize the story (... a lot), but in some ways I also think that was a somewhat necessary part of the story -- it's the epitome of that heady, destructive (understatement) first love, the kind you feel like you "can't breathe" without, the kind that scars you for life. And Buffy really is emotionally scarred by Angel -- and all of the bad related to Angel -- for years into her adulthood.

In a word, it's trainwreck syndrome. I don't care for the fluff/schmoop; I don't buy into their pure forever love; I'm not sure they'd even work together in the long-term or are even particularly compatible as people aside from their damage (though I do see the potential in their friendship). But dude, watching this shit growing up, I all but threw myself before the altar of Joss Whedon's sadism.

Also, Buffy/Angelus is the kind of thing that makes one scared to walk around their house, do u feel.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I ship them but I am not sure if I'm doing it wrong or doing it right! I mean, I was watching this show when I was the same age as Buffy and EVERYONE that you met seemed like they were your ONE AND ONLY. And he was all dark and broody and tormented and it was kind of compelling. And then they had sex and HE BECAME ANGELUS and my heart BROKE for Buffy. And she never really healed from that. Or at least their relationship never did. SHE SENT HIM TO HELL. And part of me wanted them to find each other again when they were older and wiser and could accept each other for what they were and what they weren't. But that was clearly never going to happen because the scars that they left on each other were too deep to really ever heal. I think that both of them treated the other as something that they never really were. They found it easier to believe that they could be better when they were together because the validation of the other person allowed them to look past their own flaws. (Stefan/Elena parallels abound in my brain) IDK, I am not explaining this very well. I blame the late hour.

Basically, I CRIED A LOT AT ALL THE TIMES THAT ANGEL BROKE BUFFY'S HEART.

And Angelus/Buffy was probably my first wrong!ship.

Disclaimer: Although I have rewatched Buffy sporadically I have not had a proper rewatch since it actually aired. My memories are those of my teenage self. She was not as cool as me.

YOU ARE EXPLAINING IT PERFECTLY. I think you ship them just right! Erm, by which I mean wrong. In a good sort of wrong way. ;P

(lol yes, the Stefan/Elena::Angel/Buffy similarities are unavoidable. It's up in the air as to how I can actively dislike the first but still have fondness for the latter tbh.)

Basically, I CRIED A LOT AT ALL THE TIMES THAT ANGEL BROKE BUFFY'S HEART.
SAME WHO DIDN'T.

And Angelus/Buffy was probably my first wrong!ship.
That's so beautiful.

Every version of you is cool. BUT OOOH DO A REWATCH, DO IT DO IT. ::bounce::

your stitches are all out but your scars are healing wrong;

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