#((cordelia gets lonely and upset she does not like being alone that often...))

[tfsroleplay]

Cordelia sits on her living room couch, wrapped up in several blankets. She's playing a game by herself, both her parents are down in the cafe working, as well as Arius. It gets a little lonely when she has a day off...

"...I know I was the one who said I should take today off but... I'm not feeling any better than I was yesterday..."

She frowns, pausing her game and glancing at her phone. She'd sent a text to Arius, asking him how things were going in the cafe and if they needed help. He hadn't responded yet, though she had a feeling he was avoiding her text since she knew when he took his break... She sends him another text, this time she's a bit angry.

"I know you're on break. I have half a mind to come down there and talk to you about why you've been avoiding me! Did I make you upset? I can't fix what's wrong if you don't tell me! >:("

She waits a bit, staring at the screen. Three little bubbles pop up that indicate he's typing, which is a first in a while...

"...It ain't something you did. It's my own thoughts that I'm trying to work out... I'm sorry, but I just can't talk to you properly until I figure it out."

Arius frowns, leaning back in his seat. Of course she noticed, he's not exactly good at hiding his feelings from her. Everyone else? No problem. But she knew him better than most people did—

"Uh uh! If you can't look at me I'm gonna make you look!"

She went in through the back of the cafe and into the break room, startling Arius. He nearly dropped his phone, eyes wide.

"What the hell?! Don't jus' come in like that! Ya scared me half ta death!"

He moves to stand, though Cordelia has already grabbed his hand and pulled him up.

"Arius, you're coming upstairs with me. Your break is gonna be longer today! Mom! I'm taking Arius for a bit! He'll be back in a bit!"

Meredith pokes her head into the breakroom, a little confused.

"...Everything alright? We aren't too busy right now so go ahead but..."

"Yes, Mrs. Murray. Jus' gotta take care o' somethin' real quick. I'll be back as quick as I can."

Arius sighs and allows himself to be dragged upstairs by Cordelia, careful not to trip up the stairs. This wasn't a conversation he was expecting to have today but... Guess he's gonna have to have it now...

[we-pay-for-everything]

So about that meta re Cordelia v. Buffy and Angel's happiness, can you do one for us?

It’s funny that I usually over-explain everything but you guys always manage to find the vague opinions I leave open, either ‘cause it’s too much work to explain them or ‘cause I don’t know how to. do want to answer but I’m dreading it at the same time since every time I speak up against Cangel or Cordelia, I get some sort of push-back… 

I think, in order to answer this, I’ll need to go through both shows.

Part 1 - Buffy and Angel (BtVS)

Starting from the beginning, season 1 Angel’s pretty morose but lights up around Buffy. This dude spent 20 years living in an alley and 100 years or so alone and depressed. Happiness isn’t possible for him with his life so out of order and with no support group. However, Angel smiles around Buffy in pretty much every episode he’s in - particularly in Angel, when he gets his flirt on.

Moving on to season 2, Angel and Buffy have their ups and downs. They seek each other out often, but know they can’t, and struggle between the giddiness of being in love and the tragedy of their romance. There’re plenty of examples of happy Angel though: Halloween, both parts of WML, Ted, Bad Eggs, Surprise. When they truly get together, they’re happy. Surprise might be angsty but Angel achieves perfect happiness. Contentment on Angel looks differently than on most people because he’s an inexpressive guy (a lot like Oz) who struggles with opening up or getting close to people. Angel feels vulnerable and boyish around Buffy. She sort of sweeps him off his feet. After 100 years of practically not smiling (as seen in every flashback scene ever), Buffy’s a small miracle. 

In season 3, our hero has spent 100 years in a hell dimension, so when he comes back he doesn’t feel like smiling much, or like living, either. The small moments of peace come from the stolen moments he’s allowed to have with Buffy. He’s all alone, depressed, haunted. Who else makes Angel smile other than Buffy? Honestly, who else does he have?

Post-season 3, Angel and Buffy don’t see each other much, but there’s a lovely moment of friendship in The Yoko Factor, in which they laugh with each other, and that brief reunion in Chosen, in which they both look weirdly carefree after how badly their lives sucked that year. Honorable mention to how genuinely, in character, happy Angel was in IWRY when his love for Buffy was fully expressed the way he wanted. 

Part 2 - Cordelia and Angel (AtS)

Cordelia and Angel get together in season 1 when Angel is, once again, trying to find his footing after recent events. He ended a relationship and was lonely. You can tell he feels the loss of Buffy, and later Doyle, because he becomes more apathetic as times goes on. Like Cordelia and Wesley notice, he has nothing to live for: love can’t be his, redemption can’t be his. He smiles rarely even if usually around Cordelia and Wesley (Doyle made him smile too). He’s happy at the end of the season, when the possibility of Shanshu is brought into the table.

Season 2 is a mess. Angel is briefly in a good mood but that doesn’t last long considering Darla and W&H. Cordelia isn’t much help as Angel slips away from reality and himself. Epiphany is a turning point though his happiness has nothing to do with Cordelia. Angel has discovered hope and believes that his actions are worth a damn, regardless of redemption™. After a near death experience (of the soul kind, which was almost a suicide), Angel is very giddy. He maintains this behavior until the end of the season. 

Season 3 is the era of goofy Angel. He smiles excessively, has a spring in his step, becomes interested in Hockey, seems to be wiped off remorse or grief until the serious episodes™. Note that he behaves this way whether he’s around Fred, Cordelia or a plant. In fact, Cordy is gone for the Wesley trilogy and that doesn’t affect Angel one bit. 

Season 4 is an angst fest. Cordelia being there, not being there, Angel is always upset over something. His “love” for Cordelia doesn’t seem to help him.

Season 5 is Cordelia-less with the exception of You’re Welcome. Angel is pretty beaten down all season, with some scenes of DB’s personal brand of dorkiness interceding it. He smiles in You’re Welcome more than in most episodes though, because a long time friend is back and the whole Gang feels hope.

Part 3 - Buffy vs. Cordelia

It’s unfair to compare BtVS’s Angel to AtS’s Angel. In the former show, Angel’s isolated, recovering from a period of physical weakness and melancholia. In the latter, Angel is the main character, surrounded by friends and forced into being more dynamic. 

While on BtVS, Angel’s only outside source of happiness was Buffy. On AtS, he has Cordelia, Gunn, Wesley, Connor, Fred, Lorne, Doyle. There’s not just one variable: Cordelia or Buffy, they’re multiple variables. 

The truth is, though, that while Cordelia definitely improves Angel’s life with her friendship, she doesn’t really make him happy by herself. One person can’t make anyone happy, naturally, but he’s sad during season 1 and half of season 2, becomes giddy in seasons 2 and 3, crashes back down in seasons 4 and 5. Cordelia is there throughout 4 of those seasons (and yes, season 4 counts because Angel thought it was the real Cordelia for most of it), yet Cordelia can’t manage to bring a smile to his face unless he’s already in a smiley mood. 

And that is the difference between Cordelia and Buffy, imo. Cordelia helps with his overall mood but doesn’t have enough impact to produce happiness when he isn’t feeling it already to a certain extent. Buffy, on the other hand. can make Angel smile in the darkest of circumstances (like on his death bed), because her presence soothes Angel in a way no one else does, except Connor.

And this is it? I don’t have anything else to say. I didn’t think I’d write this meta like this tbh. And I probably didn’t convince anyone? 

Thanks for the ask!