satinsafefromreality

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happy father’s day to dawn’s dad 🖤

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kat's poem from 10 things i hate about you, 1999

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To me, Xander can’t even try to use the “I was possessed by a demon” excuse to separate him from Spike’s actions because what is a vampire if not a demon possessing a human? Xander’s behavior in ‘The Pack’ is clearly personally motivated by his preexisting human feelings toward Buffy & Willow, it wasn’t the demon fully taking over. He was just as much a “hybrid” as any other main character vampire we see with a full personality and backstory that includes continuity with their human self. Spike did something about his actions. Xander never could, never would. And he can’t face that. So he projects and weaponizes and deflects. Fuck off, Xander Harris.

ugh

So I'm listening to the Seeing Red episode of Another Buffy Podcast and I had a thought that made me hate Xander even more than I already do.

In The Pack, Xander tries to rape Buffy. Buffy does not share that info with anyone, not even him (!!!), as she believes he is unaware.

After Seeing Red, Xander can't stop himself from telling everyone, including Buffy's sister, that Spike tried to rape Buffy, expressly AGAINST Buffy's wishes. He also mentions it in Season 7, like, "Don't you dare forget he tried to rape you the way I pretended to forget I tried to rape you and you let me without ever weaponizing it against me the way I weaponize this against you!"

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that scene where the guys built a training room in the magic box and the second buffy enters to see the place riley tackles her to the ground out of nowhere???? and then proceeds to annoyingly fake punch her and antagonize her by saying she's afraid of fighting with him ???? when all she wanted to do was to check out the room and say thank you to all of them ???? and on top of it, he started behaving like this because he found he got way stronger so he thought he could finally match buffy's strength, so his first instinct was to hurt her?????

i hate when men

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I don’t understand the people who say that Spike changes at the end of the series because he falls in love with Buffy. Excuse me? When exactly does he change? In season three, he shows up completely wasted, a pathetic mess, whining because Drusilla left him, and talking to every woman he meets about her, looking for emotional support. He repeats the story twenty times and basically wants a love potion to get her back. He even delivers this over-the-top, saccharine romantic speech about love to Buffy and Angel.

I mean, Spike has always been a malewife who’s emotionally dependent on women, long before he ever fell for Buffy. He’s always been desperate with his partners. I honestly don’t know what the hell people are talking about.

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putting it out there that Buffy felt like she had to race out of school and use her newly acquired mind reading powers to finally know what her boyfriend is thinking. because she never knows what he’s thinking. because he remains very closed off, never provides information unprompted, and his responses are rarely ever completely honest and answered in full. and then he makes her feel bad for not being more proactive or better at asking him exactly what she wants to know. and that’s sad.

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I’m going to keep a running log on how much time Angel and Buffy actually spend together, talking to each other (and what they discuss) before they hook up in 1x07 "Angel" because they can’t resist the other, that they're in love. This endeavor is because it always seemed to me like there wasn’t much foundation, so I’m going back for evidence on if that’s true. Buckle in and let’s go!

1x01 - Welcome to the Hellmouth

(22:59-24:05) - Angel follows Buffy on her way to the Bronze; Buffy lays a trap in the alley. (24:06-25:37) Buffy surprises Angel and knocks him down, asks him why he’s following her. Angel implies he’s not a vampire. “I know what you’re thinking, I don’t bite.” He also knows she’s the Slayer, wants to team up, and questions her about being able to be left alone on a Hellmouth. He gives her a cross necklace, says she needs to be ready for the Harvest, refers to himself as a friend (“didn’t say I was yours”) and leaves.

*Buffy admits she thinks Angel is attractive. Giles reveals he doesn’t know Angel unlike what Buffy assumed. Angel doesn’t explain who he is or what the Harvest is.

TOTAL TALKING TIME: 1 minute 31 seconds RUNNING TOTAL: 1 minute 31 seconds

1x02 - The Harvest

(13:18-15:13) Angel appears in the crypt that Buffy is investigating. He says that [the vampires] really don’t like him dropping in. Buffy asks why and he says “they really don’t like me.” He says he knew she’d figure out the entrance but that he thought she’d do it quicker. She says if he’s going to continue his cryptic wise man act then he should give his name. Buffy's voice is soft in her response: “Angel…it’s a pretty name.” Angel tries to prevent her from going in, avoid the risk since tonight is the Harvest and the Master walks. Buffy asks why he doesn’t stop it. Angel says it’s because he’s afraid. Buffy ignores that and breaks the chains to the door which surprises him. It is revealed that Angel doesn’t really have friends. Angel gives directions to the Master through the tunnels. He doesn’t wish her good luck until she’s out of sight.

*Buffy wears the necklace Angel gave her. Angel reveals he knows about the Harvest, the Master, and their location, but didn’t stop them because he’s afraid. The vampires know and don’t like him. He does not appear during the Harvest itself.

TOTAL TALKING TIME: 1 minute 55 seconds RUNNING TOTAL: 3 minutes 26 seconds

1x03 - Witch (no Angel scenes)

TOTAL TALKING TIME: 0 minutes 0 seconds RUNNING TOTAL: 3 minutes 26 seconds

1x04 - Teacher’s Pet

(7:25-8:34) Buffy catches sight of Angel at the Bronze and approaches him. [Sidenote: unprompted, Xander talks about how buff and attractive Angel is 😂] Angel says he won’t be long. Buffy is very sarcastic about how he’ll “give a cryptic warning about an exciting new catastrophe and then disappear into the night, right?” Angel takes the opportunity to give her his leather jacket, putting it on her himself, leaving him in a tank top that shows his arms because she “looks cold”. [Xander makes a comment about it being a blatant move.] Buffy notices a wound on Angel, who says “he’s coming” about the attacker. He says not to let Fork Guy corner her and to not give him mercy. She makes a quip about him being less cryptic and he says he has to go. (42:37-43:21) Angel approaches Buffy at the Bronze. She’s still wearing his jacket. He says he heard a rumor she killed Fork Guy. She says she should thank him for the tip and hints it’d be easier if she could contact him. Or knew who he was. He smiles and says he’ll be around, starting to leave. Buffy blurts that she can give him his jacket back but he says it looks better on her. He leaves, looking back at her through the crowd. Buffy mutters to herself “oh boy”.

*Buffy makes several remarks about Angel being cryptic and tries to play it cool but is flustered by the jacket manœuvre and she continues to wear it. There’s a pointed discussion on how an older woman being interested in a teenage boy is more about preying on their naïveté rather than his maturity or compatibility. [Nope, no similarities here!] The Fork Guy that Angel warns Buffy about is scared of the other monster she’ll face. Angel still does not tell Buffy who he is and leaves their meetings to when he finds her. Buffy is clearly interested in him.

TOTAL TALKING TIME: 1 minute 53 seconds RUNNING TOTAL: 5 minutes 19 seconds 1x05 - Never Kill a Boy on the First Date

(27:35-30:33 [screentime]; 27:53-28:46 [direct conversation with Buffy/Buffy & Owen])

Angel walks into the Bronze and Cordelia is lusting immediately despite only seeing the back of him. He walks right up to Buffy and says he was hoping to find her there. She looks happy until he says there’s serious stuff out there and that she should be slaying. Immediate disappointment from Buffy “not you too”. She tries to walk away but Angel pulls her back and asks what she knows. She’s flippant but mentions the Prophecy and Anointed One and Angel, combative, hits back that he “just thought he’d warn her”. Frustrated, Buffy mentions that she’s here on a date and points out Owen. Angel repeats it back “you’re here on a date?” Buffy confirms it, exasperated at the question, right as Owen shows up with food and a smile. The guys both look at each other. Buffy introduces them as Angel and Owen “who is my date” and stands next to him. Awkward greetings ensue. Owen asks how Angel knows Buffy and he says from work. Owen uses that to ask Buffy directly about work. Before much more can happen, Xander and Willow arrive about Giles. Owen notes how odd it is that it’s the second time he’s seen them when he only expected Buffy. Xander questions Angel’s presence who insists they’re there for the same reason. Buffy asks why they’re all here. Obvious fake dating as an excuse. Owen is very confused. Buffy wants to go back to her date with Owen. Willow suggests the funeral home with heavy implication that Buffy notices. Owen seems down for a double date there. Xander confirms in a veiled way that it’s vampires. Buffy mutters “bite me!” and then looks to Angel who stares at her, I guess it’s meant to be confirmation? Buffy tries to leave Owen while she checks it out. He asks her directly if she wants to bail on him, while Angel is clearly in frame watching them. Buffy reassures him that she’s interested, she’s been having a good time, and will come back. He nods, accepting. She leaves, and then rushes back to give him a kiss. She does not look at Angel at all. Owen stares after her, besotted, and says “she is the strangest girl”.

*Buffy has been completely enamored with Owen this entire episode despite how the previous one ended on Angel. Owen also rushes immediately into danger in order to help Buffy. Angel came to warn Buffy about danger but did not come with - unlike the four fragile humans. Buffy sees how her lifestyle could put Owen in danger so she regretfully tells him they can’t date. Buffy feels the responsibility of needing to be the Slayer over being a teenage girl. The Anointed is shown as a child.

TOTAL TALKING TIME: 0 minutes 53 seconds RUNNING TOTAL: 6 minutes 12 seconds

1x06 - The Pack (no Angel scenes)

*Willow does reference Angel at the Bronze and how Buffy is still wearing his jacket, which Buffy deflects. She admits he’s hot but “he’s never around! and when he is all he wants to do is talk about vampires and…I just can’t have a relationsh-“ she is cut off by Willow noticing Xander’s arrival, and disappointed because she thought it might be Angel.

TOTAL TALKING TIME: 0 minutes 0 seconds RUNNING TOTAL: 6 minutes 12 seconds

So there you have it! Buffy and Angel interact in four episodes, for a grand total (actual talking, not just looking at each other or speaking about the other) of 6 minutes and 12 seconds before the episode in which they declare/heavily imply their love for one another. Not a single conversation lasts even 2 minutes. And one episode of that is Buffy being super into another guy and annoyed by Angel being so vague and disappearance-prone. While there are moments of Buffy appreciating his good looks, and thinking about him when he's not there, I am desperately struggling to see how love happened. But hey, she's sixteen and he's hot older guy?

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Not gonna say this on someone's shippy post but like

when he says this I feel so many feelings because yes it is true and that one person WAS DARLA. Remind me again who was it he would have given his life for in AtS 2x09 the Trial? Remind me what was his reaction when the fake swami mentioned that to deal with his Darla feelings, he could perhaps find another petite blonde to have sex with & then leave (AtS 2x06)? Remind me which relationship he tried so hard to salvage despite the teeny-tiny soul difference (AtS 2x07)? When did he ever put even a fragment of all that effort into whatever he had with Buffy? 😭I'm sorry Angel but I cannot see this as anything else than purposefully misleading Buffy because I know who it is you are really talking about.

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Angel being all like “I didn’t like girls in my time, they were so vapid and boring 🥱” as if it wasn’t just that he preferred whores - no conversation required there

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honestly i need to get into buffy`s head, cause i know it`s so locked up and guarded by seven walls, and she never relaxes to just be. but i just need to know if she even remembers that the first familiar face she saw after she had been resurrected was her own face in the image of buffybot. and that she saw "herself" getting ripped apart and dying again. she was so scared, confused, disoriented, her vision was fucked, everything was so loud, and she was grabbed straight from heaven and spat back into the chaoitic burning hellmouth, and then she sees herself being killed as if she is just a mere observer from the sidelines, as if it`s not happening to her. this scene is a torture in intself, of course she thinks she is in hell. does she even remember that?

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Amazing how, in this moment captured by @spuffygifs, Buffy is having more fun than she did in the entirety of her relationship with Angel.

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the accidental foreshadowing of restless that has nothing to do with dawn’s arrival and everything to do with willow, xander and giles not actually being the friends and support the show claims they are but instead, not-so-secret, opps who will always betray her in her moments of need and deepest moments of vulnerability

To me It can easily be interpreted that Sineya was trying to protect buffy by trying to remove those three from her life. The breakdown in communication from “no friends” that could easily have been her trying to say “those are no friends of yours”

Maybe the ritual allowed sineya access/connection to their souls and the second the slayer line sensed the hearts and souls of those three she started CLAWING her way to buffy to warn her/help her in trying to eliminate threats so close to her in the same way faith kept trying to eliminate angel/get him away from buffy (I know the show has it’s own narrative for why faith did that and eliza has her own lesbian motivations which are all valid but as faith is her shadow that season it’s also perfect that while buffy is back with her abusive groomer boyfriend and basically being his caretaker and doormat, she has a horrible relationship with her shadow self and said shadow is trying to protect her in it’s twisted way by eliminating the main cause of Buffy’s self abandonment - angel)

this is my way of coping with how horribly such a brilliant episode ends - I hate that it ends with buffy insulting and fighting sineya - of course joss whedon creates this ancient divine feminine, Medusa/Lilith type character to be the original slayer and instead of buffy listening to her or their meeting leading to Buffy’s empowerment she quips and fights her :/

Anyway instead of sineya showing up to be like “you can’t have friends and support because I didn’t” in my mind she showed up to be like “girl FUCK these “friends” why are you letting them treat you like this??” because that’s how it would have gone if actual feminists had been at the helm of the show

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Buffy: I know I have to acrobatically spinny-high-kick-flip my way to slaying vampires and all manner of beasties tonight, but I will be wearing the shortest mini skirt or tightest possible leather pants I can find and you’re just gonna have to deal with that.

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I just wanna say, buffy is a freak who loves public sex it could have never been forehead or mr cardboard