happy endings

[deird_lj]

Someone, recently, was commenting on the Buffy/Spike comic cover that was released – you know, the one with them fighting back-to-back. And they pointed out that, in fact, none of the Dark Horse people thought it was a shippy cover, because they didn’t realise that Buffy and Spike fighting back-to-back is incredibly shippy from a Spuffyish perspective.

In fact, a shippy Bangel cover is going to look very different from a shippy Spuffy cover, just because the two groups of fans have very different ideas about what a happy outcome is.


Which is all a long, roundabout way of saying that I’ve been thinking about what happy endings I’d want for each character…


Buffy:
- ends up in a relationship with someone (although not Angel)
- goes shopping for clothes and tacky souvenirs
- is also in charge of the Slayers – because she finally doesn’t have to choose between slayage and shopping expeditions

Angel:
- doesn’t end up in a relationship with anyone
- instead, drops in on all the Scoobies from time to time, and makes broody jokes that they only get a few hours after he’s left
- gets to watch Connor grow up

Spike:
- either dies in a blaze of spectacular fighting glory, or ends up with Buffy
- spends a lot of time hanging out with Dawn and trying to beat her at poker
- also makes fun of Buffy’s constant glaring at and subtle threatening of all Dawn’s boyfriends

Dawn:
- becomes a brilliant Watcher
- has a run of incredibly cool boyfriends, and then decides to go out with Andrew instead
- lives in Boston

Faith:
- ends up as joint head of the Slayers, at Buffy’s request (protesting this decision constantly, and making repeated attempts to step down)
- probably ends up single (but I’m not entirely sure)
- develops a secret passion for museums, but tries not to let anyone know, in case it hurts her cred

Comments

[elisi]

In fact, a shippy Bangel cover is going to look very different from a shippy Spuffy cover, just because the two groups of fans have very different ideas about what a happy outcome is.
*nods a lot* It's like the_royal_anna's summary of the two ships made real:

If I started drawing a comparison of the Buffy/Angel and the Buffy/Spike relationships, I'd go on forever, but in all honesty, I don't know that there's anything to be gained by it. I've seen so many discussions of which of the two Buffy loved more, but I don't know that we love in amounts. We love in ways.

Besides, I suspect Buffy/Angel shippers either have a different concept of love to mine, or a different concept of what they want from a fictional love story. I can't argue with that.

All I can say is when I think of some of the key scenes each of them share, I think of them this way.

When I think of Buffy and Angel, they are always standing opposite one another, face-to-face. They are looking only at each other, caught in the moment, still, timeless, static.

When I think of Buffy and Spike, most often they are side by side. I think of the back doorstep in Fool For Love, in Flooded, the moment he sits down beside her in Touched, the night he holds her while she lies awake in Chosen.

That says it all for me.

[beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com]

Plus, y'know, Buffy's a lot shorter than Angel so when she looks straight at him she literally doesn't see anything else. ;)

[elisi]

LOL!

(Using my Riley icon, since I don't have B/A one that shows the height difference. Don't have a B/A icon at all, actually.)

[eilowyn.livejournal.com]

Buffy has neck problems in the Bangel relationship! Ship Spuffy to save her from neck problems!

[peroxidepirate.livejournal.com]

Oh, very well said!

Is it telling that one of my favorite love quotes is, "love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction"? Buffy and Spike do a lot of looking outward together.