Gorgeous in an Annoying Sort of Way

[foxstarreh]

I've been trying to complete a third sequel/prequel for my story Those Things for a while now, and all I've managed to come up with are bits and pieces that don't even come together well enough to make the sort of bits-and-pieces story that Those Things is

Comments

[rebcake]

I don't know, either. ;-) Forbidden fruit syndrome?

I've read stories wherein Buffy's attraction to vampires was explained as something built in to Slayers generally, which seems counter to the point of being a Slayer. But hey, it's all mystic anyway, right? Variations on this are that the demon essence used to create the Slayer has a preference for "old vampires" or that Buffy's first death sparked the demon part into high gear. That one is interesting because it addresses the extra pep Buffy gets when Xander revives her.

It's been awhile since I watched S1, but my impression was that Buffy didn't get that into Angel until S2. There was the chest-branding kiss, however. That much I remember!

[baphrosia]

Amen to the creepiness of early season Angel! (And Spike too, to be fair - if anybody acted like either vampire with myself, my friends, or my daughter, I'd be running for a restraining order

[foxstarreh]

As far as Spike's creepiness goes, Spike is supposed to come off as creepy, and the other characters respond accordingly. Angel, somehow, isn't? With Spike, the fact that his behaviour is not befitting of a good love interest is pointed out often, but with Angel, it's just ignored.

Ah, but I don't have issues with Buffy still having feelings for Angel, honestly because they mostly function as star-crossed lovers. They can't quite ever make themselves come together for an extended length of time, and that's allowed Buffy to maintain the idea of Angel that her sixteen-year-old self created, which, at least from my perspective, is what she actually fell in love with

[slashmarks]

Speaking as a current teenager -- really, not everyone does the 'life and death love' thing. In fact, I'd say it's fairly rare.

In Buffy's case, I suspect the strongest part was that Angel was, unlike the only other possibilities she had, someone who would understand her *other* life -- the Slaying. Buffy has friends. She also has several human, teenage dates who do not act terribly creepy as teenage boys go, and who are reasonably nice to her. What she doesn't have is someone who shares the fact that she has to kill to survive, at this point -- and sure, she's killing in defense of herself and others, not to feed on blood, but the fact that someone who understood violence would be appealing to her isn't surprising. Combat veterans often feel disoriented and isolated upon returning to civilian life; how much worse would it be if you were sixteen, stuck in high school and being treated like a child, and couldn't tell anyone about it? It's also possible that having a date who wouldn't end up collateral damage factored into it.

[foxstarreh]

Oh dear. I certainly didn't mean to offend, that wasn't my intention at all. Nor did I mean to generalise. I'm very sorry if it came off that way

[slashmarks]

Thanks for the apology. I usually don't get those concerning stereotyping teenagers. *wry

[foxstarreh]

Yes, it's set post-NFA. The parts I've already done are over here:

Story#1: Those Things

Story#2: Pride

Story#3: Love and Pancakes

(I'm trying to interpret the first comma of your third paragraph, but it's throwing me. I'm assuming it's meant to mark a parenthetical aside, but I can't find its partner. My interpretation of your intent may be slightly off. Sorry!)

I like the idea of Angel feeling better around Buffy, but I think I'd need to introduce it. I don't know that it's already there. Angel, from what I've seen, tends to feel a need to hide his past and who he is, in order to spend time with Buffy. I think I'd have to establish that change.

And, while I may do so, I am hoping for something already there to build off of, rather than starting them anew.

I do definitely see a basis for Angel wanting that comfort, but I don't think it's there already.