#the Shanshu prophecy

[oveliagirlhaditright]

You know... I'm just thinking about Angel and the whole Shanshu thing. And I feel like it had to eventually happen in his future, right? Because prophecies are something you can't get out of.

I feel like that's not something Joss was going for, because his whole thing was "you don't get happy endings." At least if you're Angel. But he also set it up that prophecies can't be avoided and he wrote this prophecy into the story, so...

I feel like they tried to say that Angel got his Shanshu in Angel: After the Fall, when Wolfram & Hart temporarily made him human while he was in Hell. But that was to make him crazy. And according to Wesley, the Shanshu is supposed to be a reward for stopping an apocalypse. So, unless Wesley translated that part of the prophecy wrong, I feel like it doesn't count.

Same thing with people who try to say that when Angel got the Mohra demon's blood in him in "I Wil Remember You", that was the Shanshu. No: because it was supposed to be a reward for stopping an apocalypse. That whole thing was a complete accident and there was no apocalypse in sight in that episode.

The only other argument that makes sense, I guess, is if you say that the prophecy about "the vampire with a soul turning human" was about Spike, not Angel.

But if so, the point still stands that the prophecy should still be on the table. Because neither Angel nor Spike have yet stopped an apocalypse and turned human as a reward for that yet.

And, no: I don't think that's something you can just sign away, like Angel was forced to try to do towards the end of Angel season 5. I feel like that actually increases his chances of getting the Shanshu, actually, because that was a selfless act.

#angel the series #buffy the vampire slayer #shanshu #shanshu prophecy #angel #long post

[gh-0-stcup]

Angel. Hun. It's called the Cup of Perpetual Torment. Do you really think it's Spike's destiny to drink from that thing?

#we all know you're the only person whacked enough for that ❤ #spike just wants the recognition of being mr big hero man #which i do think he deserves #but i don't think being a part of some giant cosmic struggle between good and evil is necessarily his place #vampire who could perches on the precipice of good and evil and could fall over into either tipping the scales in a cosmic way #and who must drink from something called the cup of perpetual torment #you're right - that shit is tailor made for you #spike should have some acknowledgement that he managed to stumble into a prophecy by just trying to do right for his girl #you can have the shanshu as long as spike can get his girl ;) #ats s5 #he's dumb and he needs a therapist and someone to ruffle his hair #actually made me smile

[vampirologist]

angel literally says that he knows that no matter how much good he does it doesn’t make up for his past but it does mean a lot in the grand scheme of things as any kind gesture is significant and gives purpose even if there is no greater purpose for existing. like girl you don’t have to argue he’s fundamentally a bad or morally grey guy it’s pretty textual. why do you think he broods all the damn time. he knows but is trying to make amends in some capacity to redeem himself to some extent while knowing he’ll never be completely redeemed

#that’s why buffy and angel as a couple are compelling to me they can never be truly happy or together #because of his past and how together they strive for normalcy and neglect their duties. he can never get normalcy! #even with the shanshu prophecy he 1. isn’t into it enough snd thinks he’s unworthy as shown in destiny when spike wins the battle #2. when he signs off on the prophecy ever being fulfilled for him when he joins the circle of the black thorn #ik in the comics he becomes human again but idc about those really canonically

[vargamornight]

why does nobody ever talk about angel and spike fighting over the shanshu prophecy?

when spike points out that angel views his soul as a curse, as punishment, as being forced to live with the guilt of everything he's done, whereas spike fought for his soul. nearly died for it. the demon with no soul still wanted to do the right thing, to be a good man, so desperately he would destroy himself for the chance.

and then angel says something VERY interesting to spike. spike says he thinks angel hates him because he's a living reminder of his evil. "cause every time you look at me, you see every dirty little thing i've done. all the lives i've taken. because of you. drusilla sired me, but you made me a monster."

and angel, the man who, without his soul, tortures and kills people sadistically for fun and feasting, the man who insists he is not angelus, says, "i didn’t make you, spike. i just opened up the door and let the real you out."

SUCH an interesting thing to say, angel! let's talk about this. no, please—go on. explain how you are better than spike in any way. i'm fascinated. i'd love to hear how you and angelus are different people but the demon who possessed william the poet is somehow the same as the man.

you can't have it both ways, you horrifically catholic man. you aren't a better person just because you've suffered more.

#btvs #angel the series #angel btvs #spike btvs #to answer my own question: nobody talks about it because it happened in season five of angel #and nobody watched that far

[mcgnagallsarmy]

Spuffy style Reading Challenge - #27: Monthly Key Word Reading Challenge #3

1st month - Secret, Heaven, True, House, Come, Only, Know, Winter:

A Wonderful Awful Idea by The Danish Bird [NC-17]

With nothing apocalyptic looming on the horizon and hoping to avoid a certain thick-headed commando, it seems like the perfect opportunity when Giles mentions a monster terrorising the good people of Lake Tahoe. What could be more merry than a Christmas trip to the mountains to investigate? The gang is all coming along, defanged vampire in tow. Buffy should totally be able to deal with the demon, ignore Spike and their recent “engagement,” enjoy some resort-town shopping, and be back with Mom on Christmas Eve. Right? What could possibly go wrong? Set in season 4 at the beginning of Doomed.

2nd month - Heir, Night, Bride, Down, Women, Hand, Teach, Guest:

Drive by Holly [NC-17]

Freshly turned and very grumpy about it, Buffy finds herself in a weird place. One where her friends smell like food, her former mortal enemy smells like heaven, and the so-called love of her life has made it clear that killing her is on his to-do list. Throw in some overly zealous army guys and this is not Buffy's idea of a party. So she and Spike decide to hit the road at least long enough to figure out why neither of them can hit anything else. And since they're both single and free, well, Buffy wouldn't say no to a distraction from the never-ending laugh riot that is her life. And Spike can be very, very distracting. Good thing soulless vampires can't fall in love or she might be in trouble.

3rd month - Story, Hunt, Plot, City, You, Cry, Another, Paint:

I Can Get Money by scratchmeout [NC-17]

Spike puts his past to good use to get money for Buffy. However, things become complicated when her ex shows up and targets Spike.

4th month - Darling, Funny, Familiar, Somewhere, List, Meet, Never, Word:

First Alternate by Soulburnt [NC-17]

After ‘Not Fade Away,’ Angel gets the Shanshu. A thrilled Buffy gets her curse-free soulmate. And Spike? He gets his heart shattered again. Gutted and seeing no point in staying in a world without his Slayer, Spike doesn’t hesitate when pursuing a deadly demon through a portal. He finds himself stuck in an alternate reality where he truly died closing the Hellmouth. He also finds another Buffy, one who is devastated that her Spike didn’t believe she loved him. They console each other over their losses… but are they only consolation prizes? Or can two heartbroken people get a second chance for love?

5th month - Library, Dark, Drown, Ex, Iron, Done, Love, Stranger:

If I'm Butter Than He's a Hot Knife by scratchmeout [NC-17]

Buffy meets a man at a bar on Valentine's Day.

6th month - Ink, Fragile, Road, Summer, Breath, Every, Push, Sorry:

Favor by EllieRose101 [NC-17]

Spike asks an impossible thing of Buffy––and is stunned when she says yes. Could he really have gone up in her estimation?

7th month - Mine, Again, Honey, Paradise, Still, Club, Train, Legend:

Eucharist by Holly [NC-17]

He had it all. The prophecy and the girl, merrily ever after and all that rot. But life doesn't stop.

8th month - School, Cut, Sky, Fate, Wing, Belong, Justice, Way:

The Time We Had by Dusty [NC-17]

She was there and then gone. All his life long.

9th month - Twice, World, Man, Quiet, Sweet, Hold, Shallow, Invisible:

Pardon My French by Girlytek [R]

In retrospect, it was probably a bad idea to let Buffy perform a spell in French. Begins at No Place Like Home.

10th month - Vampire, Here, Mist, Death, One, Missing, Bite, Witch:

Sweet William by cawthraven [PG]

After the fall of Sunnydale, Buffy’s living in Boston and working as a waitress, grateful that here, not everyone knows her name. She’s free for once to be herself—and to grieve.

11th month - Spice, Life, Hello, Keep, Truly, Couple, Joy, Young:

Candy Corn Mischief by honeygirl51885 [NC-17]

Spike gets roped into taking Dawn trick-or-treating.

12th month - Snow, Season, Ice, Merry, White, Under, Mistletoe, Inn:

A Christmas Wish by all choseny [PG-13]

On one lonely Christmas Eve, Buffy makes a wish to a stranger and is given a glimpse of what might have been with Spike.

#buffy the vampire slayer #btvs #spuffy #ficrec #reading challenges #elysianholly #scratchmeout #dustyfics #boy I was really trying to have this list consist only new stories

[thepunkmuppet]

angel’s story is 100% about addiction and redemption and that is BEAUTIFUL.

but humans find patterns that aren’t there and humans want to relate to things so damn it if it isn’t also a trans metaphor!!

he sees his past self as a different person. he has changed his name multiple times. his name is gender neutral and unconventional. he feels like an outcast in society (despite helping and saving people) and physically cannot do certain things.

but most importantly, you guessed it, it’s the idea of the shanshu prophecy.

the shanshu prophecy represents an end point in angel’s redemption - a reward. becoming human after being a vampire with a soul for years parallels the idea of either hiding your transness or the dysphoric feeling of being not quite your gender / being different. and the message of angel constantly working towards that end goal, but realising that 1, he has to go through huge hardships to get there, and 2, he might never get there, and that’s okay.

idk man it’s completely unintentional and I’m reading between the lines here but as a trans kid who very much thinks a lot about that “end goal”, it hits kind of hard

#btvs angel #buffy the vampire slayer #btvs #angel the series #ats #buffyverse

[buffysummers]

Just a fun little Buffy/Angel detail that makes me go absolutely feral is that once Angel finds out about the Shanshu Prophecy, he is soon after seen wearing his claddagh ring in AtS 2.01, “Judgment.” We haven’t seen him wearing it since 2.22, “Becoming, Part Two.” He wears it with the heart pointing towards him, which means his heart belongs to somebody. They actually frame the shot on his hand first so that you notice he’s wearing it, before the camera moves to show him completely in frame.

And what makes this even better is that the last time Angel sees Buffy, she’s with Riley (4.20, “The Yoko Factor”). But he just knows that her heart still belongs to him. He knows she’d leave Riley for him in a second. And idk. I find that to be super neat 🤪

#bangel #buffy thoughts #buffy x angel #angel x buffy #otp: you still my girl? always #I love them! #sorry for the LQ screenshots #I don't have this ep of angel on hand

[iwillrememberyoumarathon]

Bangel fans, we want to hear from you! During the run-up to the IWRY Fic Marathon in November, we’ll be getting to know each other through our Meet the Fandom series. Answer the questions here to join in.

What is your name?

Kean

Where do you hang out?

AO3, Tumblr: @keanherself and Discord

Do you create any fan works?

I write fic and have made some underwhelming gifs and art pieces.

Funniest Bangel/Buffyverse moment?

When Buffy is telling Angel about her 18th Birthday plans.

Buffy: I do have plans. Older man, very handsome, likes it when I call him daddy. Angel: (laughing, relieved) Your father. . . . Angel: (horror and fear taking over every cell of his being) It is your father, right?

Please see the very wonderful rendering by @liam-summers

What Buffyverse opinion would have you chased through the village with pitchforks?

Spike is the appendix of the verse. Functionally useless but will randomly explode and ruin everything just to get attention.

Share a headcanon you have about Bangel or the Buffyverse?

I have this theory that Angel only ever wore the Claddagh ring when he felt hopeful or when he felt he had something to offer to Buffy (and the maybe even the world).

First off, I just want to put down the guidelines for Claddagh ring wearing:

Single but open to something - Right hand, heart out.

In a relationship - Right hand, heart pointing in.

Engaged - Left hand, heart out.

Married - Left hand, heart in.

Right, so when he gives the ring to Buffy in Surprise it is on his right, middle finger. I'm putting forward the suggestion that he wore it that way because she had yet to accept his offer of her own ring, or more pointedly his heart. He wore the ring indicating that he was not seeking out a relationship but his heart belonged to another. Essentially, he loved Buffy but was unsure if she wanted a fully committed relationship with him. However, her acceptance of his ring signified to Angel that she did want a fully fledged relationship with him. This was further confirmed by the consummation of said relationship that night. I have a feeling he possibly would have pulled back from sleeping with her if they hadn't exchanged rings. No proof, just a hunch.

OK, so now it is season three and Angel does not wear the ring at all, in fact he doesn't wear it again for an entire two seasons. Not until he is told about the Shanshu Prophecy. I think he does this because for those two years Angel had no reason to believe he could offer Buffy any type of life. The only two times he does wear the ring are when he is blissfully ignorant of the curse loophole and when he is given hope of a light at the end of the tunnel i.e. Shanshu and humanity. He once again removes the ring when Darla and W&H mess with him and he loses all hope in regards the work he does, the difference he is making, and the nature of his fate.

Basically, when he has no reason to believe he can offer anything he removes the ring. I think the ring signified hope and possibility to him, and Buffy embodies both of those things for Angel.

How would you have given Buffy and Angel their Happily Ever After?

They start working together post canon. They both feel a shift in the apathy and coldness they have both been feeling separately during the years previously while they were separated. They realise that just being around each other makes a huge difference to their day to day emotional lives. They decide that they shouldn't wait around for some perfect time when they can be together. They realise that it will never happen. They seek out a way to resolve the issue with the curse and they live and fight together. It is a tough, challenging life, but one that is also filled with joy and love and gratitude. They die together in battle and spend eternity with each other in the Good Place.

Last fic you read?

Love Bites by Maquis Leader. It's a lot of fun.

Slay, Lay, Obey - Giles, Wesley, Willow?

Slay: Willow. Second only to [redacted] in my list of enemies. Good riddance.

Lay: Dark!Twisty!Wes. Giles just has too much Dad energy to boink.

Obey: Giles. Truly a terrible choice between "steal bff's baby" and "poison slayer!daughter because of tradition" but I am going with Giles in the hope that my fellow librarian will at least consult appropriate texts before ruining my life.

Fill in the quiz so the fandom can meet you!

#meetthefandom #iwryficmarathon2023 #bangel #buffy x angel

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Sunday, March 24

Riley: "So if this is the world he created, what's the real world like?" Willow: "I'm scared. Everything's going to change." Giles: "Well, actually it'll remain pretty much the same except Jonathan won't be Jonathan - not our Jonathan, anyway." Xander: "No! No! No! World without sunshine! World without joy!"

~~Superstar~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

Getting Ahead of Ourselves by silvain (Giles/Jenny, M)

blossom by The_Eclectic_Bookworm (Giles/Jenny, Explicit)

I'm Doing This for You by genericaces (Angelus/Wesley, Angel & Wesley, Explicit)

Dreadful by Jess_Ann_Perreault (Giles/Jenny, T)

here to stay by CallMeVampy (Giles/Jenny, Explicit)

Third Date's a Charm by RachaelJurassic (Giles/Jenny, T)

Held Breath by Enigmatist (Buffy, Spike, Joyce, not rated)

There Was Only One Way This Was Going To Go by Bobbie23 (Giles/Jenny, G)

Seasons Of Love by AddieH (Buffy/Giles, M)

Prom? What's that? by SnarkyGranger1 (Harry Potter crossover, Willow/Pansy, G)

Somebody I Can Kiss by zombiesam (Buffy/Giles, Explicit)

Telly Time by Enigmatist (Joyce, Spike, Dawn, Buffy, not rated)

Road Trip Revelations by Emerybird (Buffy & Wesley, T)

Untitled [What's the wi-fi passworrrrd] by scooby-group-texts (Spike/Harmony, probably worksafe, posted as an image)

Fates by Erics Valkyrie (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Soliloquy by Era Dubois (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

[Chaptered Fiction]

Six Inches Between Us - Chapter 1 by AddieH (Buffy/Giles, Explicit)

Bones and dirt, Ch. 1 by Blackoberst (Angel, Buffy, Drusilla, ensemble, Spike, 13+)

Can We Keep Him? Ch. 1-5 (COMPLETE!) by Desicat (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

[Images, Audio & Video]

Fuck it. I’m putting Spike in the Sims 4 spooky fishbowl. by eyes2entrails, aphony-cree (Spike, Joyce, worksafe)

A Jonathan "Superstar" vid by breezybeej (includes a brief Buffy/Riley intro ironically)

Tarot card design: The Hanged Man by isevery0nehereverystoned (Spike, worksafe)

Tarot card design: The Empress by isevery0nehereverystoned (Cordelia, worksafe)

Buffy/Angel drawing by angelthemanspanker (Scott Pilgrim fusion, probably worksafe)

Drawing: Dawnie!! They made me love her!! by forrestfaedom (worksafe)

Drawings: 3 versions of the "Is any one of you a doctor" meme by genericaces (Scoobies, Angel Investigations, probably worksafe, drug mention)

Ripper and Spike in London, 1974 by yarboyandy (worksafe)

Spike sketches by sanzosin (worksafe)

Some scene study by sanzosin (Buffy/Spike, worksafe)

[Reviews & Recaps]

Anne; Dead Man's Party; Faith, Hope, and Trick by edgarallanhoetry

imagine if the BtVS writers had just…let us ever be mad at Riley. by lilatara

I have a hard time viewing Angel as a character at all by lierdumoa

How bad is the remastered version for a new viewer? by throwawaymylife9090

S5 would be way more interesting for me if Buffy felt conflicted after finding out the truth about Dawn by sadhungryandvirgin

Who Are You? by Buffy the Vampire Straya

[Recs & In Search Of]

Harder to Swallow Than Most by SilverKitsune1 (a Connor-centric crossover with Supernatural) recced by vineofroses

Financial-Painter689 seeks podcasts discussing the culture impact

[Community Announcements]

Buffy The Vampire Slayer Episode Tournament — it's a tournament [poll] blog for episodes of BtVS

[Fandom Discussions]

Quiz: what buffy character are you? by buffysbitca

I actually love William calling himself Spike by disco-tea

there is just something so incredibly butch about Spike by katzenschlafs

the episode where dawn finds out she’s the key by stardust-kiddo

why does nobody ever talk about angel and spike fighting over the shanshu prophecy? by vargamornight

angel and spike’s relationship and their eligibility for the shanshu prophecy by vargamornight

Theory about S4, Ep 1: Deep Down by hthbellhop76

Happy Birthday, Alyson Hannigan, who turns 50 today. by Asherware

What is an opinion a person can hold about the show that makes you question their understanding of the show and their “media literacy” in general? by dumbandconcerned

Is Superstar meant to be a commentary on Mary Sue/Gary Stu characters in fanfiction? by No-Role-429

[Articles, Interviews, and Other News]

Comic Con Aberdeen 2024 Reports, Pics & Videos via jamie_marsters

James Marsters' next scheduled con appearance is Metrotham Con May 17-19 - via jamie_marsters

Submit a link to be included in the newsletter!

Join the editor team :)

#btvs #buffy the vampire slayer #angel the series

[underforeversgrace]

we live like we're ready to die - 1

title: we live like we're ready to die

words: 2,169

chapters: 1 of ?

CROSSOVER FIC - Danny Phantom and Angel: The Series (BTVS)

AO3

Summary:

It’s time for the bi-annual convention of the supernatural and mystical arts in Los Angeles, an event celebrating magic and creatures science can’t explain! So, of course, it’s expected to be a frivolous affair to drag in tourists and wannabe witches, but there’s always something worth seeing at these conventions. For Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, it’s a rare text that may help him understand Angel’s part in the Shanshu prophecy. For Danny and his friends, it’s a summer field trip with Danny’s parents, where they get to listen to the Fentons explain why magic isn’t real.

When the book Wesley wants goes up for bid, some teenage girl outbids him, and he’s stuck trying to figure out who this girl is and how to request the text - if he can’t read it, she certainly can’t! Stumbling across her that evening, Wes isn’t sure how to react when her friend is attacked by a vampire… who then runs away, seemingly terrified of the teenage boy.

Danny, however, is drawn to a book in a way he can’t explain, begging Sam to get it for him. When he’s attacked that evening by a man with a deformed face and teeth the size of his fingers, though, is when he is forced to accept that maybe ghosts aren’t the only thing that go bump in the night.

Timeline of both shows: Danny Phantom is canon compliant through D-Stabilized. Angel is canon compliant through Epiphany (Angel has just rejoined Angel Investigations after helping with the Skilosh demons).

Prologue - Way of Change

Prologue - Way of Change

“I don’t see why you want me to come with you,” Cordelia grumbled, grabbing her purse from the air as Phantom Dennis handed it to her.

Wesley sighed, rubbing his temples. “Because, Cordelia, I am still recovering from a bullet wound and some of the things we have to get here may be up for a limited time. You may have to get them if I am resting.”

“It’s ‘cuz Gunn said no, isn’t it?”

“…And the convention is during the day, so Angel can’t join.” Wesley mumbled in defeat.

“Hey! Does that mean I’m your last choice?” Cordelia asked, hands on her hips as she glared.

“Dead last,” Wesley answered dryly. “I even tried asking Patricia - the prostitute who works two corners down from the Hyperion? - if she would accompany me and she said no.”

“Dennis,” Cordelia muttered and that was Wesley’s only warning before something was flying at his head. Instinct kicked in and Wesley ducked just in time. He hissed as the movement pulled harshly at his side. The stitches had been removed by now, but the area was still tender and didn’t like sudden movements.

“Cordelia,” he said, pressing his hand to the injured spot, the pressure relieving some of the strain, as he watched the rubber ball roll harmlessly away. It would’ve hurt less to get struck than it had to duck.

“Oh, right. Sorry. Just because you’re standing doesn’t mean you’re fine. Are you sure you don’t need the wheelchair?” She asked, gesturing to it. “It’ll fit in my car.”

“Maybe we should bring it,” Wesley conceded. He hated the wheel chair, hated feeling like an invalid - he was a trained Watcher, damn it! - but now wasn’t the time for pride. There was nothing wrong with others using wheelchairs, but a voice in his head - that sounded oddly like his father - told him he should be ashamed whenever he used it and wasn’t actively bleeding to death. He sunk down onto the couch, breathing through the pain radiating in his abdomen.

Cordelia’s face softened somewhat and she walked over, gently running her hand through his hair for just a moment. “You got it, boss,” she said, grabbing the wheelchair and heading out the door, Dennis closing it behind her.

Wesley stretched cautiously, the pain fading mercifully as he did so. He was briefly reminded of the time Angel got stabbed through with rebar and how rapidly Angel had recovered from that, and couldn’t help but be a little jealous. The vampire had been fine within a day, but Wesley was still suffering months after his injury. He’d never have thought being blown up would be a comparative walk in the park, but it certainly had been.

A familiar chill brushed along Wesley’s arm and he shivered as goosebumps formed. “Thanks, Dennis,” he mumbled, recognizing the gesture as one of comfort. Wesley smirked a little as he thought about his life.

Friends with and boss of a souled vampire, a Seer as an all-but-blood sister, able to be comforted by a ghost, with plans for a drink with an empath demon that evening. What would the Wesley Wyndam-Pryce who had first arrived in Sunnydale fresh out of Academy have thought of him now?

“Alright, the chair is in the car, you ready to head to the convention?” Cordelia said as she walked back in, eyeing him cautiously. He waved her off as he got himself up, the aggravated wound finally settled down.

“I am,” he said, making a point of walking by himself, past her and out the door, quickly running through the list of everything they needed to get. Supernatural conventions were few and far between - supernatural conventions that weren’t 100% poppycock were even rarer - but Cordy had checked their website and found one of the vendors there was reputable, even having an ancient text Wesley had been looking for. It was yet another volume of apocalyptic prophecy, but one that had been mentioned in conjunction with the Shanshu prophecy in some of the texts he had cross-referenced with, and Wes was determined to get it, especially now that Angel had chosen to return to the fold, to the side of good instead of revenge.

“Still don’t get why I gotta go,” Cordelia muttered as she locked up behind them, drawing a small smile from Wesley.

Yeah, the old Wesley wouldn’t even be able to comprehend who he had now become.

~~~~~~

“I can’t believe we agreed to come along,” Tucker grumbled, words barely audible over Jack’s excited blathering in the front seat.

Sam shrugged. “What else were we gonna do? Technus blew up your computer and your parents won’t let you near tech for the rest of summer because of it.”

“Sorry about that,” Danny threw in.

Sam kicked him for his interruption. “And I’d rather go to hell than spend a weekend with my folks, much less the entire summer! And not the boring hell in your basement Danny -” Sam ignored Danny’s indignant Hey! -“but an actual hell. With demons instead of ghosts.”

“Demons aren’t real, Sam,” Danny said with an eye roll, that was interrupted when they hit a pothole and the motion jarred the burn still healing on his side.

“Says you!”

“Yes, says the,” Danny glanced up front, making sure his parents were still blathering away about high level science that may as well have been a dead language to him, dropping his voice to a whisper, “half ghost superhero who’s seen the afterlife. There’s nothing else here with us, no demons or witches or vampires. 'Kay?"

“Danny, you really should keep a more open mind,” Tucker said, shrugging, not bothering to keep his voice low like the others had. “We have proof the supernatural exists, after all.”

“Oh, there’s nothing supernatural about ghosts, sweetie!” Maddie chimed in. Tucker grimaced as Sam and Danny glared at him, knowing they’d just been pulled into another discussion with the elder Fentons none of the teens actually wanted, something that had happened many, many times in the very, very long drive from Amity Park, Illinois to Los Angeles, California. 

“Ghosts are all science! It’s the law of conservation of energy! Energy can neither be created nor destroyed. Humans are a particular type of energy. Sometimes, emotions can cause the energy to fail to dissipate back to the ether properly, not going back into the available free energy of the universe, thus ghosts who have traumatic deaths -” Danny was grateful his mother didn’t see him flinch “- can sometimes remain as an echo. Magic, witchcraft, demonology? They’re all fake!”

Danny saw Sam and Tucker’s eyes glaze over around the same time his did, as his mother delved (again) into the scientific particulars of why ghosts were possible and magic wasn’t.

It was almost funny, Danny realized, as he thought about the last time he’d been dragged to one of these conventions two years ago, a month before his accident, when this was all insanity to him. Back then, he’d have been willing to bet his life that ghosts weren’t real, that it was all a big old hoax.

…in a way, he supposed, that was exactly what he had done. He’d gambled, and he’d lost. He adjusted slightly in his seat as the unwelcome thoughts forced their way through his mind, not even the pain of another pothole washing them away. Jazz was trying to help him be more positive - remember that he was lucky he hadn’t completely died, completely gone away.

Sometimes, though, he wondered if he did completely die in that portal. The Danny of today was nothing like the Danny before the accident. Danny now was strong, sure, swift. He had confidence, he could fight and think on his feet, plan on the fly. He had saved the world a time or two, even. But as a human? Danny had been meek and cowardly, fleeing and hiding and letting someone else take the hits the bullies threw. It wasn’t a bad change, of course not, but… he didn’t feel like the same person.

He didn’t feel like the Daniel Fenton who’d died at fourteen, who’s life was taken by careless mistake.

Danny was still staring off into space when Sam nudged him with her boot, looking at him curiously. He grinned sheepishly at her, finally tuning back into the conversation, realizing his parents had again managed to talk the teens out of the discussion again. “Oh thank the Ancients,” he mumbled.

Sam reached out to Tucker, snatching his beret from his head and whacking him with it repeatedly. He squeaked in terror at the onslaught, holding his arms up to protect himself. “Not the face, Sam!” Tucker whined while Danny cackled, his parents electing to ignore the display of violence in the backseat (probably because it didn’t give them the chance to prattle on about ghosts, if Danny had to guess).

Danny relaxed as the scene shifted back to something approaching normal, with his friends arguing while his parents talked nonsense. If he ignored the way the bodies beside him were too warm, if he ignored the hum of his core, if he ignored the way his teeth were a little too sharp against his tongue, he could pretend he was normal, pretend he was a human with abilities, instead of a dead child possessing his own corpse. 

Yeah, he didn’t think pre-accident Danny would even recognize himself anymore. He’d run, terrified of the monster he’d become.

~~~~~~

“Ugh, man, why’d we have to come here?” The vampire whined, lighting up a cigarette. Sure, his breath wasn’t real, but the nicotine still made his shriveled heart dance and they just tasted good, he’d explained.

“Do I look like I make the decisions here?” His friend answered, twirling her blonde hair around one of her fingers. “Still, like it more than where we left.”

“Are you crazy?” James demanded. “I’d rather be in Rome! God, the virgins. The convents! Those Catholic girls, whoa boy. They had some fun fight in them. Almost got off just from them struggling!”

Sheila rolled her eyes, flicking her own cigarette butt into the pile in front of them, grinning at the whimper it elicited. “Too many damn crucifixes for my tastes. Virgins don’t taste any better than the streetwalkers. ‘Least the whores had cocaine in their blood sometimes.”

“Did you lose your sense of taste when you got turned?” He huffed, reaching into the pile and jerking one of them out, ignoring the pathetic let me go as it whimpered in his grasp. “You can’t tell me this doesn’t taste like spoiled meat?”

Sheila grinned and grabbed the quivering human from James, rapidly sinking her teeth into its neck, relishing the warm blood as she sucked, the human’s screams a seductive song in her ears. She drank until she felt the human - a girl, she idly noticed - begin to weaken, pulse fading. Sheila pulled away, wrapping blood from her mouth and letting go of the girl, who collapsed immediately to the ground, sobbing and clenching at the bleeding wound. She made a show of licking her lips as she settled her face back down into a more human-esque appearance. “Nope. Tastes like filet mignon, like every other human.”

James sighed. “You must have had no taste before you died, then,” he grumbled, pulling a snack of his own from the pile of humans at their feet, all bloodied and weakened. They had been told not to hunt more than necessary - told they needed to make their food last as long as possible, they couldn’t risk being discovered by the forces of good in this town, not while their boss was making his plans.

“I was a chef before I died, remember?” Sheila pointed out, tossing up her feet, ‘accidentally’ kicking one of the humans in the stomach before using it as a footstool.

James just rolled his eyes as he dug into the man he’d grabbed and Sheila eyed the girl she’d dropped. Mid 20s, blonde, pretty for a human. Sheila was reminded of her own humanity, the one she’d had mercifully taken from her nearly twenty years ago. A simpering little thing - in training to become a nun, volunteering at food kitchens and charities, always so weighed down by the pain of the people around her, praying to a God she refused to believe had turned His back on them, despite the evidence He had. She’d screamed and begged when her Sire had found her leaving the homeless shelter she’d volunteered at, pleaded with him to find God in his heart and let her live.

He’d instead transformed her into a higher being, one freed from the restraints and cares and fears of humanity, and Sheila had embraced it. She almost laughed, thinking of the stupid, worthless little big she’d been before her death.

If only human Sheila could see herself now, see the proof God had long since abandoned them. She’d have ran from the monster Sheila was now - a thought that made Sheila grin.

#grace writes #Danny Phantom crossover #Angel the series crossover #Danny Phantom #angel the series

[bestepisode]

Vote on more episodes here!

Episode descriptions below the cut.

Disharmony: Angel and his friends fight a new vampire running a motivational pyramid scheme. Cordelia helps her old friend Harmony, who's now a vampire.

Release: As Faith and Angel continue their battle, the voice of the Beast's master invades Angel's mind.

Loyalty: Wes dreads the fulfillment of the prophecy that Angel will kill Connor, and Sahjhan becomes dissatisfied with Holtz's progress in staking Angel.

First Impressions: Angel encounters an amorous Darla in his dreams; Cordelia vows to protect Gunn after she experiences a vision of him in mortal danger.

Billy: Angel's friends are affected by a man with the power to make other men brutalize women.

There's No Place Like Plrtz Glrb: Wesley and Gunn storm the Pylean castle while Angel fights the Groosalugg.

Sanctuary: Angel attempts to reform Faith as Kate, the Watchers Council, and even Buffy Summers pursue her.

Shells: As Angel and the gang try desperately to bring Fred back, Wesley begins to understand that the ancient demon Illyria, now fused with Fred's body, is here to stay. Exhausting all options for saving Fred, the gang switches gears to stop Illyria and her plan for global domination.

Soulless: Cordelia offers Angelus a deal: if he tells what he knows about the Beast, she'll give herself to him.

To Shanshu in L.A.: A scythe-wielding demon targets Angel's allies as Wolfram and Hart lawyers attempt to summon a powerful force from beyond.

#angel the series #ats best episode #atsr1 #wolfram & hart #wesley wyndam pryce

[oveliagirlhaditright]

It IS interesting that the first episode of Buffy season five has Dracula notice the bite mark on Buffy's neck that Angel left (which is a whole interesting thing in and of itself: that with Buffy's Slayer healing, she never scars, but this is the one scar that always stayed on her), and he remarks things like, "But the embrace ... his bite ... you remember," when Buffy is supposedly supposed to be content in her relationship with Riley right now.

Meanwhile, Angel season two starts with him wearing his claddagh ring (for the first time since Buffy season two), as he's trying to do as many good deeds as he can in order to speed up his Shanshu, essentially (the prophecy that he'll become human). A.K.A. He's of course hoping that the prophecy will come true and then he can finally be with Buffy.

And, of course, you were supposed to watch these two episodes together.

#buffy the vampire slayer #angel the series #bangel #basically both were a forever kind of thing #i think fans are right that the reason that angel's mark on buffy scarred when nothing else ever did is because he's her canon soulmate #and that's not me being a bangel fan and biased that's canon to the series. him being her canon soulmate that is: look at season 8 #and of course the claddagh rings were supposed to mean forever. and angel is hoping he'll turn human and they can then spend all their huma #years together

[buffy-targaryen]

What is the most selfless act Angel has done?

In my opinion he has done two selfless acts, and one sort of selfless act.

Controversial opinion maybe, but I think IWRY he was technically selfless in what he did, but there was also a kind of ironic selfishness as well? Angel can’t be happy unless he is unhappy, he will never be free of his guilt, and by becoming human (especially whilst Buffy is still the Slayer), he can’t help people and will still be stuck with what he did as a vampire. I think the only way he could ever really be happy with Buffy was if they both got to be normal people, so whilst I think he made the right choice for good reasons, ultimately I think it was the best choice for him as well.

The next most selfless thing he did was to give up the Shanshu prophecy in order to take out Wolfram and Hart and Blackthorn. After all those years of fighting, he willingly gave up his only hope to take down evil and that was selfless of him.

I personally think he was the most selfless when he gave up Connor though. Angel loved Connor and it was heartbreaking seeing what happened to his son and how Connor ended up hating him. Everything his son went through, all the mistakes Angel made and he willingly gave up his only son to give him the life he always should have had, and then once again took on the memory when no one else was allowed to. Even when Connor came back and said that he now remembered but he didn’t want to take their relationship past a casual acquaintance, Angel never pushed Connor.

Idk I just think he’s a really good guy and he gets so much shit when he doesn’t deserve it ☹️ he does good things and gets punished at every opportunity and it hurts 💔

#inbox #angelustheimmortal

[cangelgifs]

Would you know any fics that have cangel with a side of spuffy

Four Corners by Psycgurl Rating: PG-13 Summary: Angel, Cordelia, Buffy and Spike get stuck in a room mysteriously. How will they spend their time? Plus friendships, romances & evil lawyers!!!

Check, Please! by eilowyn Rating: R, for language. Summary: In some happy post-NFA world where Cordy comes back, Lorne opens another club (this time with a classy restaurant attached), and Spike and Buffy are finally reunited, Angel has the brilliant idea of a double date. Yeah, Angel's idea. It's his inner dork at play, because Buffy, Cordy, and Spike all know this is a bad, bad idea.

Midnight in the Olive Garden of Good and Evil by angearia Rating: PG Summary: Two vampires with souls, the women who love them, and the date night that brings them all together.

Bad Timing by Kelly22 Rating: PG-13 Summary: This story is set a little after Cordy comes back from vacation with Groo, except in my AU world, there was no bad father-devouring-son prophecy and no babies growing up in hell dimensions. So people still like Wesley and I guess Holtz and Justine ran off to the mid-west together, because they certainly aren’t rearing their ugly heads in MY story. The scoobies come to L.A.

Found by CupcakeCute Rating: PG-13 Summary: Begins between TGIQ and Power Play, continues post-NFA. Buffy learns of Spike's resurrection from an unlikely source and immediately sets out to make things right as The Apocalypse breaks out in L.A. Spike/Buffy pairing, some Angel/Cordelia.

Where You Belong by Spuffygirl Rating: M Summary: Post First Date Spike and Buffy Crossover with Angel. The events I want to see happen. New Ch. 25 Now complete!

Life or Death by HydesBride Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Summary: Set during the Ats series finale "Not Fade Away". A hopeless Angel is given a choice of life or death from the PTB, but what he fails to realize is that it is not only his life and fate in the balance. With the help of his guide (Doyle), will Angel make the right decision?

Double Date by klutzy_girl Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Summary: Buffy and Spike and Angel and Cordelia go on a double date (the boys aren't happy about it).

The Long Road by JEAN-VIC Rating: NC-17 Summary: Angel is alone and in a deep depression over the death of Cordelia and the loss of the Shanshu. He sees no reason to continue fighting and spends his days locked in his apartment, occasionally coming out to kill the odd vampire or two. This changes however when someone he never thought he would see again returns to set him on the path to his destiny. Reunited with Wesley, Angel must choose his future and the fate of the world.

Taken by Gabriella Rating: R for language and sexual situations Summary: “Look, the bottom line is, Darla and Drusilla are together, and they’re planning on Angel and Spike joining them. At any cost.” Warning: Torture and graphic depictions of violence and the character deaths of Darla and Dru.

Second Chances by YoAngel4E Rating: T Summary: Angel and Spike get a chance to get back the people that meant the most to them after the battle against Wolfram and Hart. But can they keep the real past a secret from the only people they want to share it with? Warning: Everyone is pretty OOC but was I entertained? Yes I was.

Partners by Princess Plum Jade Rating: PG-13/SOFT “R” (for language) Summary: Alternate reality/Romance fic. Buffy, now a retired Slayer, is employed to be Spike’s partner in pairs ice skating competition. Angelus pursues a relationship with Cordelia Chase, a champion singles skater.

If anyone knows of more Cangel & Spuffy fics, please share! :)

#ask #media: fanfiction #cangel & spuffy #cangel #spuffy #cordelia x angel #buffy x spike #thanks to the cangel gc <3

[vargamornight]

angel and spike's relationship and their eligibility for the shanshu prophecy have got my brain on puree and i'm tossing episodes in one at a time

when spike was first turned, immortality was a gift. he could live forever! the first goddamn thing he did was go to his mother and turn her. he told dru the three of them can travel the world together! it didn’t go well, but that was okay, because he still had dru, and she was his everything. she was his whole world, his sire, the woman who gave him life. she was his destiny. spike-as-william was perfectly content to just live with drusilla, and angel and darla, because he loved dru, and she loved them. they were family, they were his home, and that was all he ever wanted. just somewhere to belong.

and that pissed angelus right the fuck off. angelus, whose first act as a vampire was to kill his father, whose love for darla was more like rage, who took every opportunity to slaughter and bathe in the blood of innocents, could not fucking stand that this guy was just like "hahaha that was so funny when you killed that guy. anyway, i think i'm just gonna go hang out with dru." angelus didn’t want love, or peace, or contentment. he wanted to rip heads off of shoulders, eat babies, and rape teenaged girls. seeing spike so well adjusted made him genuinely angry, so he did something that he knew would ruffle spike's calm: he slept with dru.

ever since then, they've hated each other. angel literally started it, but neither of them was ever particularly kind about their retaliation. angel tortured spike emotionally and psychologically for like a hundred years, and spike had angel physically tortured for like, three whole hours for information, plus spike definitely went after buffy (in more ways than one) just to piss off angel. but even without a soul, spike was never anywhere near as bad as angel. not even close.

so angel gets a soul. it's an enormous burden, because of how much of a shitstain he's been for the past 150 years or whatever, and he suddenly is capable of guilt again. it's a curse.

(but then he sees a 14 year old girl, the one girl in the world who might put him out of his misery, and he, a 27-slash-200 year old man, literally immediately decides he's in love with that 14 year old girl. okay dude. sure.)

angel becomes a good guy and joins the fight against evil, instead of just eating rats and not dying, because he wants the girl to like him. she does, they bang, he loses his soul again, tortures her psychologically, kills some people, gets sent to a hell dimension, gets out, and leaves. honestly, can't blame him for that one.

angel leaves buffy voluntarily so that he won't/can't hurt her by being a shitstain without a soul again.

and then there's spike. spike basically just noodles around, delivering threatening monologues from rooftops while watching one protagonist or another, and it's very cool and scary until it's time for the dastardly plan to kick in, at which point everything immediately falls apart like a cartoon car with no bolts, leaving spike blinking comically, holding a steering wheel and sitting on air. spike refers to angel as a drama queen several times, and he's not wrong, but he is very hypocritical.

spike gets to sunnydale and goes after buffy for fun, fails terribly, then succeeds at kidnapping angel, who he needs because dru, the light of his life, his moon and stars, his effulgent beauty, his destiny, is not feeling well and he needs the blood of her sire to heal her. that's it. no real ulterior motive, no "i'm gonna getcha" threats, just. business. his wife is sick and he's getting her magical chicken noodle soup. it just so happens that the chicken in said soup is angel, and spike has no problem with that.

then he continues noodling around, tortures angel about a ring, fails terribly, goes back to sunnydale, and immediately gets caught and collared by the literally underground military group operating out of a california college campus. and then he can't hurt humans anymore without getting a migraine, and he's the world's biggest baby, so he is effectively neutered from here on out.

gradually, he learns to be less of a shithead, and falls for buffy the real way, the long way, the hard way—he sees her, and he knows her, and he learns to respect and love her. he is dogged in his pursuit of her. relentless. because even when she tells him to back off, she kisses him right after. she's putting on a show for the benefit of her own pride, and he knows that, and he understands, because he believes it when she says he's beneath her. he knows it. he's not good enough for her, and he never could be.

but he could be better.

so he leaves. he goes and gets his soul back. he fights tooth and nail to get it, almost dying several times in the process. because he's not being cursed with a soul—he's earning his. he's proving, once and for all, to himself, to angel, to buffy, to everyone, that he is better than what everyone thought he could ever be.

and, just in case anyone had any doubt, he goes back to sunnydale and he does the one thing angel could never do: he gives his life to save the goddamn world. burns up, knowing he's leaving buffy behind, knowing there's no coming back from this. knowing, ultimately, this is the only thing worth doing. he dies, not for buffy, but because it's the right thing to do.

and that pisses angel off, too.

he's like, why the fuck should it be so easy for him? all he has to do is die and now suddenly he's a hero? a champion? angel's spent a thousand years suffering! that has to be worth more! that has to mean he's the better man! because if he's not, if spike can be weighed against angel and find a balanced scale, then he suffered for nothing! and spike barely suffered at all! (factually untrue, but angel doesn't exactly see clearly when it comes to his protege) so, no. he does not keep his cool when it turns out spike is eligible for the shanshu prophecy just as much as angel

and the reason for all of angel's dumbfuck behavior is made all too clear when he tries to convince spike not to claim the shanshu prophecy for himself: "it's a burden. a cross. you have to live."

diagnosis: terminal catholicism

angel is catholic and spike is not and that's why all of this happened the way it did.

p.s. also: SPIKE WITH A SOUL WAS NOT A DIFFERENT MAN THAN THE SPIKE WITHOUT A SOUL WHO LEARNED TO BE GOOD. he put the fucking work in, he just needed it to be official. like a high school diploma. "went through hell and here's the proof."

p.p.s. also: the initial angelus getting mad was because angelus totally wanted to fuck spike, took him on a date, and spike bailed to hang out with dru, so angelus had revenge sex with dru. canon.

#btvs #angel the series #spike btvs #angel btvs #spuffy #spangel

[konboyblues]

only in my old age does it hit how awful of a decision it was for angel to not only transplant the fang gang into a timeline where connor lives, but erase their memories too! it’s like the irreparable damage in season four was merely amplified. of COURSE angel doesn’t feel like his struggle’s getting him any closer to shanshu because he keeps not DEALING with this shit. he’s outchea changing timelines, wiping memories, rewinding days, etc. of COURSE he still harbors resentment against wesley bc the motherfucker’s repressed his feelings of both love and hatred towards him because how DARE one of his closest male friends try to STEAL his child and raise him on his own iNSTEAD OF WITH ANGEL HIMSELF???

and not to mention gunn/fred! they raised that boy for months! they played mom and dad while angel was hallucinating at the bottom of the ocean and wesley was enjoying his dark’ness with lilah AND tryna bring angel back to the surface, and lorne??? lorne clocked that boy’s crazy! angel, in his inability to deal with his grief and loss, stripped his team of their OWN ability to deal with their grief and loss. because THEY deserved to grieve too! wesley deserved to grieve his ousting from the group AND THE FACT THAT HIS PROPHECY FUCKING CAME TRUE. fred should have been able to grieve the crumbling of her relationship with gunn, her shame of not thinking she’s ‘champion’ enough, and the decisions she made in the throes of the literal apocalypse and the revelation that one of her key abusers was a trusted confidant. gunn should have been able to grieve the death of the son that was not his but the one he DID look after, and the relationship he ended after years of feeling helpless himself with no one caring for his needs and declining mental health.

connor was a bitch. his entire existence outside of when he was a baby was the bane of everyone’s existence, BUT HE WAS THEIR CHILD. THEY ALL TOOK TURNS RAISING HIM AND LOVING HIM. they should have been able to grieve not only his death but all the what-have-could-haves!

the tragedy of ats is that the writing was so fucking bad, it inadvertently made angel, the hero, the BIGGEST clown in the show by never allowing him to truly and honestly deal with his pain, and by extension, his team’s pain. the memory wipe was paint on rotting plaster. it wasn’t even half the fix-it angel thought it was, and all it did was diminish the suffering the fang gang had to go thru. it’s always angelus this, angelus this, wolfram and hart this wolfram and hart that, it’s never ANGEL, PLEASE DEAL. and it’s fucking tragic, because after eight seasons of content, he DID deserve to have some respite, to deal with his pain, and finally be put to rest instead of selfishly taking from his friends what only a god could do.

and angel was never a god, and yet he had access to god’s powers. instead of letting this man fucking DEAL with his shit with his friends’ support, joss instead flipped the story on its ass. deaths and unreconciled losses and relationships everywhere, until angel was left to what? fight eternally?

lmao the man never actually left hell, and his poor friends got dragged into it with him. this is why we never need a buffyverse reboot ever again. imagine giving one of the central characters from your original show a whole ass show of his own, and not even writing a conclusion for him. all these years and for what? so he could hurt lorne, watch the others die, and become the very bastard buffy called him out to be thru andrew? it’s grimdark shit from hell and i hope we never have to see a reboot or continuation of it bc IF we did, and angel was STILL doing his clown shit, then buffy WOULD be the one to send his ass to hell again bc all the story would have proved is that you can put a soul in a man, but you can’t make him like it. and how’s THAT for a metaphor? forget trying to atone for your fucking sins, cuz your ass is grass and goin straight back to hell regardless 🤦🏽‍♀️

angel im so sorry joss that dumb fuck did this to you. you were a whiny cunt, but you were loved, and i have every faith that you finally made it out of this hell 😭

#angel #angel the series #ats #btvs #buffy the vampire slayer #real talk #buffyverse