Considering Angel and Dawn
Apr. 19th, 2005 09:29 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jetpack_monkeyAngel and Dawn have always had a curious relationship, in that in one sense they have three years of solid history together, but in another they've only had one communication on-screen ever (and that was Angelus, with only his side of the conversation seen).
So, how are they? I'm not talking in a shippy sense, because I'm frankly not interested in that. It's just one of the great conundrums of the Whedonverse - how does Dawn interact with people like Angel, Cordelia, and Oz, who were all gone by the time she appeared on the scene, and yet would have memories of her.
My guess is that they have an understanding. Dawn sees Angel as Buffy's boyfriend from way back when, who broke her heart more than a couple times. She's probably come to terms with him on some levels, but probably regards him with more than a little antagonism. She may even project some of her issues with her dad onto him - an asshole who leaves without so much as a goodbye, but keeps intruding at inopportune times.
Does she have bad memories of Angelus, or was Buffy able to shield her from all of that? Would Angelus allowed that? I'd prefer to think that her contact was limited but frightening. She may have been with Joyce during that scene in Passion where Angelus reveals his tryst with Buffy.
If Angel was at Buffy's funeral, as I suppose he must have been, they may have come to some kind of understanding then. Survivors bonding. I doubt Dawn would ever grow close to Angel, but then I doubt he'd let her.
I see a BtVS-era Angel viewing Dawn as an annoyance. In the early years, he had a low opinion of people like Xander who he believed were getting in the way (although part of that was jealousy, also). He might be surprised by her maturity today, compared to the brat who probably stuck her nose where it shouldn't have been more than once.
An S5/post-NFA Angel, who's seen ordinary and occasionally irritating women like Cordelia and Fred become absolutely vital keys to the fight against evil, might see Dawn as a possible ally. He admires strength in women, and Dawn is hardly the victim she once was.
Any thoughts?
So, how are they? I'm not talking in a shippy sense, because I'm frankly not interested in that. It's just one of the great conundrums of the Whedonverse - how does Dawn interact with people like Angel, Cordelia, and Oz, who were all gone by the time she appeared on the scene, and yet would have memories of her.
My guess is that they have an understanding. Dawn sees Angel as Buffy's boyfriend from way back when, who broke her heart more than a couple times. She's probably come to terms with him on some levels, but probably regards him with more than a little antagonism. She may even project some of her issues with her dad onto him - an asshole who leaves without so much as a goodbye, but keeps intruding at inopportune times.
Does she have bad memories of Angelus, or was Buffy able to shield her from all of that? Would Angelus allowed that? I'd prefer to think that her contact was limited but frightening. She may have been with Joyce during that scene in Passion where Angelus reveals his tryst with Buffy.
If Angel was at Buffy's funeral, as I suppose he must have been, they may have come to some kind of understanding then. Survivors bonding. I doubt Dawn would ever grow close to Angel, but then I doubt he'd let her.
I see a BtVS-era Angel viewing Dawn as an annoyance. In the early years, he had a low opinion of people like Xander who he believed were getting in the way (although part of that was jealousy, also). He might be surprised by her maturity today, compared to the brat who probably stuck her nose where it shouldn't have been more than once.
An S5/post-NFA Angel, who's seen ordinary and occasionally irritating women like Cordelia and Fred become absolutely vital keys to the fight against evil, might see Dawn as a possible ally. He admires strength in women, and Dawn is hardly the victim she once was.
Any thoughts?
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Date: 2005-04-21 03:19 pm (UTC)I can see Angel treating Dawn like Kathy. Weird. There's a drabble/shorter story in and of itself.
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Date: 2005-04-22 12:04 am (UTC)