(no subject)
[series]: Buffy the Vampire Slayer / Angel: the Series
[character]: Angel (Angelus)
[character history / background]: Hopefully, this will be okay.
[character abilities]: As a vampire, Angel is granted with the typical enhanced abilities. This means he has increase strength and speed, though he's much stronger than many other vampires from his world. On top of these abilities, Angel is a gifted fighter, capable of wielding a variety of weapons (he's especially good with a sword, though), and he's also capable of myriad martial arts, as expected of someone who's lived for a very long time.
Along with his vampiric abilities, Angel has photographic memory (which is likely actually connected), is gifted when it comes to languages, and is a skilled cook, being proclaimed for his ability to cook a mean omelet.
[character personality]: It goes without saying that Angel is very much the result of a man who lives to atone. He separates himself from society, largely living a detached, if very noble, existence trying to help others. He's someone formed by guilt, by necessity, by coming into the understanding that while playing hero, he can also accept others into his circle. By no means does that make him a sociable creature, but it makes him hold on to tightly to what matters most to him. His friends, his loved ones, and above all else: his son. He is the vampire with the soul, and as a result, he's offered many opportunities because of it. He's offered the chance to be a father, a friend, and he's able to become a champion, a savior for anyone he can try to help.
Living for many years has proved to shape Angel's existence in every way.. As mentioned before, Angel isn't the most sociable of creatures. While he has his friends, he's much like a hero-or the Dark Avenger, as he's called once or twice. He lurks in the shadows of Los Angeles trying to bring things into a righteous existence. He doesn't want attention for his deeds. Though he may be confident in his abilities, understanding that, though he gets by barely each and every time-especially the most recent time-he's barely holding on, knowing that the next time may change. The city of of Los Angeles needs someone to help it, as it sits on the brink of being sunk back into apocalypse quite frequently. He's there to help it, to stop it, to keep it safe-even if he's meant to ruin it all in the end. Nobility and understanding his role is a large part of Angel's personality. He's someone who's just, always doing what's right, even when his better instincts put him in a situation where he needs to do otherwise. When his son died, what he wants most is to kill everyone around him, to bring about a blood bath, but Angel is able to get his head straight in order to bring about the most satisfying conclusion. He knows this is necessary, even if it's hardly the easiest conclusion laid out before him. He'll continue to lurk in the shadows when time is reset, understanding that people need him.
The righteous, somewhat confident, hero isn't the only role he seeks to play, and it's not all there is to his character. Given his unsociable nature, Angel is actually rather socially awkward. When around people, he's not good with words, telling himself constantly that he can't do it, that he can't make the right speech, but somehow he rallies people behind him anyway. There's an awkward charm in how he does things. He's not got the best sense of humor, he's not great with words, and at times, he's actually pretty terrible at understanding others, but it lends to his humanity. It's true. Several hundred years and a soul, and he's awkward and human, a real face among others. And though he's awkward, it's important to note that Angel's charm isn't the only thing that makes him a good leader. He's just good at it. His instincts may not lend to capable words or good jokes outside of the occasional snappy punchline, but he understands what's necessary in any given situation. Without that, he would have been unable to help himself and his friends as they went through numerous problematic situations. Now, if only he could deliver that sort of ability in social situations, rather than being the awkward one who busts in and out of situations easily by saying as little as possible.
But so what if Angel is a little quiet? Perhaps the most characteristic trait in Angel's personality is not the silent, brooding, lacking sense of humor side of him, or even the overwhelming amount of pessimism that seems to rule him. It's how much he deeply cares for humanity, and especially the people closest to him. This goes beyond needing to atone for his past, as mere guilt would not move him to care for these people. It started first with Buffy, and extended a bit through her friends, but it truly grew when he separated from Sunnydale and went to Los Angeles to seek his own purpose. It was there that he would find the means to protecting. First with Cordelia and Doyle, but with time, Wesley, Lorne, Fred, Gunn, and even Spike would end up joining him in doing what he needed. While he fought alongside them, Angel grew to care for each and every one of them in different ways. He was their leader, but he was also their friend. It was through them that Angel truly came into his own. With them, he came to understand his purpose. Life wouldn't be easy, but life's little miseries would grant him good things along the way. It would grant him people to fight for, to care for, and to do anything necessary for. Sure, it would also blind him at times when he needed to do what was necessary, but sometimes keeping who's important alive is what's necessary, no matter what cost.
Perhaps the most important part for Angel, however, was gaining his son Connor. Things with Connor never went smoothly, but for Angel, he was willing to give up all happiness and integrity to ensure that Connor lived a good life. Becoming a father was the highlight of Angel's life. He refers to it as finally finding his first love. His most significant person is Connor, and by now, he's been forced to go to hell and back-quite literally-for the sake of his son. Connor is everything to him. While the other friends are significant, and there's a selfish part of Angel that believes he needs them (in many ways, this is the only part of Angel that is selfish), he truly does need Connor in his life. Without Connor, Angel loses a bit of himself. Connor could do anything he wanted to Angel, and Angel would let him-and has let him. It's something that will never change. If moving to Los Angeles helped him come into his own, it was Connor that helped Angel realize that himself. Connor is the most important thing in his life. Full stop. Not Buffy, not Cordelia, not anything else-and though many of these factors led to Connor possibly existing, he will always remain on that pedestal for Angel. Being a father is significant, even if the world doesn't always make that easy.
Life itself not being easy is something Angel has reluctantly come to face. It's partly because he has to atone for everything, but partly because Angel doesn't think he'll get a happy ending. When faced with the possibility numerous times, he immediately has it stripped away from him. As a result, Angel is, unsurprisingly, fairly self-sacrificing, willing to put himself on the line for the sake of other's happiness and safety. He doesn't expect as much for himself. He doesn't even feel that he deserves it. His many years of wrath as Angelus put him in this position, as he killed, manipulated, raped, and hurt many people as a result. Despite spending many years in a self-pitying state of mind, he's moved past that. That doesn't mean that Angel isn't pessimistic. Though there's the faint glint of optimism and understanding that gives him strength-the fact that he can help others, after all-it's largely shadowed by this doubt and pessimism. But heroes can't be all that, so Angel has to move past that.
Pessimsim and atonement has to happen for a reason. Therefore, it's important to note the other side of Angel-Angelus. Angelus is supposedly within Angel's head noticing everything he's doing, and it makes sense. Angel describes being a vampire as having a demon that's constantly telling you what to do, and Angelus is that demon. Manipulative, cunning, cruel, and downright menacing, he's someone who doesn't have a conscience and truly seems to epitomize sociopathic behavior. He hurts people because it's a game, running on little to no guilt while he's doing it. Cutting people down and torturing them is something that he does for fun, but he also uses these tactics of reading and hurting people to his advantage. Manipulation isn't any fun if it doesn't lead somewhere. Needless to say, Angelus is one of the most notorious vampires of his time, and it's probably obvious as to this being the reason for why he ended up earning his soul-or rather, being cursed with it. Angel was the result of this.
Fortunately, Angel is very guilty now because of what he did and lives to atone. But even more than that, he lives to be a father, lives to protect his friends, and lives to be that dark hero in the shadows. People need him, and he has every intention of being there for them.
[point in timeline you're picking your character from]: A month after time appears to be reset regarding everyone going to hell. Therefore, after issue #17 of After the Fall.
[character]: Angel (Angelus)
[character history / background]: Hopefully, this will be okay.
[character abilities]: As a vampire, Angel is granted with the typical enhanced abilities. This means he has increase strength and speed, though he's much stronger than many other vampires from his world. On top of these abilities, Angel is a gifted fighter, capable of wielding a variety of weapons (he's especially good with a sword, though), and he's also capable of myriad martial arts, as expected of someone who's lived for a very long time.
Along with his vampiric abilities, Angel has photographic memory (which is likely actually connected), is gifted when it comes to languages, and is a skilled cook, being proclaimed for his ability to cook a mean omelet.
[character personality]: It goes without saying that Angel is very much the result of a man who lives to atone. He separates himself from society, largely living a detached, if very noble, existence trying to help others. He's someone formed by guilt, by necessity, by coming into the understanding that while playing hero, he can also accept others into his circle. By no means does that make him a sociable creature, but it makes him hold on to tightly to what matters most to him. His friends, his loved ones, and above all else: his son. He is the vampire with the soul, and as a result, he's offered many opportunities because of it. He's offered the chance to be a father, a friend, and he's able to become a champion, a savior for anyone he can try to help.
Living for many years has proved to shape Angel's existence in every way.. As mentioned before, Angel isn't the most sociable of creatures. While he has his friends, he's much like a hero-or the Dark Avenger, as he's called once or twice. He lurks in the shadows of Los Angeles trying to bring things into a righteous existence. He doesn't want attention for his deeds. Though he may be confident in his abilities, understanding that, though he gets by barely each and every time-especially the most recent time-he's barely holding on, knowing that the next time may change. The city of of Los Angeles needs someone to help it, as it sits on the brink of being sunk back into apocalypse quite frequently. He's there to help it, to stop it, to keep it safe-even if he's meant to ruin it all in the end. Nobility and understanding his role is a large part of Angel's personality. He's someone who's just, always doing what's right, even when his better instincts put him in a situation where he needs to do otherwise. When his son died, what he wants most is to kill everyone around him, to bring about a blood bath, but Angel is able to get his head straight in order to bring about the most satisfying conclusion. He knows this is necessary, even if it's hardly the easiest conclusion laid out before him. He'll continue to lurk in the shadows when time is reset, understanding that people need him.
The righteous, somewhat confident, hero isn't the only role he seeks to play, and it's not all there is to his character. Given his unsociable nature, Angel is actually rather socially awkward. When around people, he's not good with words, telling himself constantly that he can't do it, that he can't make the right speech, but somehow he rallies people behind him anyway. There's an awkward charm in how he does things. He's not got the best sense of humor, he's not great with words, and at times, he's actually pretty terrible at understanding others, but it lends to his humanity. It's true. Several hundred years and a soul, and he's awkward and human, a real face among others. And though he's awkward, it's important to note that Angel's charm isn't the only thing that makes him a good leader. He's just good at it. His instincts may not lend to capable words or good jokes outside of the occasional snappy punchline, but he understands what's necessary in any given situation. Without that, he would have been unable to help himself and his friends as they went through numerous problematic situations. Now, if only he could deliver that sort of ability in social situations, rather than being the awkward one who busts in and out of situations easily by saying as little as possible.
But so what if Angel is a little quiet? Perhaps the most characteristic trait in Angel's personality is not the silent, brooding, lacking sense of humor side of him, or even the overwhelming amount of pessimism that seems to rule him. It's how much he deeply cares for humanity, and especially the people closest to him. This goes beyond needing to atone for his past, as mere guilt would not move him to care for these people. It started first with Buffy, and extended a bit through her friends, but it truly grew when he separated from Sunnydale and went to Los Angeles to seek his own purpose. It was there that he would find the means to protecting. First with Cordelia and Doyle, but with time, Wesley, Lorne, Fred, Gunn, and even Spike would end up joining him in doing what he needed. While he fought alongside them, Angel grew to care for each and every one of them in different ways. He was their leader, but he was also their friend. It was through them that Angel truly came into his own. With them, he came to understand his purpose. Life wouldn't be easy, but life's little miseries would grant him good things along the way. It would grant him people to fight for, to care for, and to do anything necessary for. Sure, it would also blind him at times when he needed to do what was necessary, but sometimes keeping who's important alive is what's necessary, no matter what cost.
Perhaps the most important part for Angel, however, was gaining his son Connor. Things with Connor never went smoothly, but for Angel, he was willing to give up all happiness and integrity to ensure that Connor lived a good life. Becoming a father was the highlight of Angel's life. He refers to it as finally finding his first love. His most significant person is Connor, and by now, he's been forced to go to hell and back-quite literally-for the sake of his son. Connor is everything to him. While the other friends are significant, and there's a selfish part of Angel that believes he needs them (in many ways, this is the only part of Angel that is selfish), he truly does need Connor in his life. Without Connor, Angel loses a bit of himself. Connor could do anything he wanted to Angel, and Angel would let him-and has let him. It's something that will never change. If moving to Los Angeles helped him come into his own, it was Connor that helped Angel realize that himself. Connor is the most important thing in his life. Full stop. Not Buffy, not Cordelia, not anything else-and though many of these factors led to Connor possibly existing, he will always remain on that pedestal for Angel. Being a father is significant, even if the world doesn't always make that easy.
Life itself not being easy is something Angel has reluctantly come to face. It's partly because he has to atone for everything, but partly because Angel doesn't think he'll get a happy ending. When faced with the possibility numerous times, he immediately has it stripped away from him. As a result, Angel is, unsurprisingly, fairly self-sacrificing, willing to put himself on the line for the sake of other's happiness and safety. He doesn't expect as much for himself. He doesn't even feel that he deserves it. His many years of wrath as Angelus put him in this position, as he killed, manipulated, raped, and hurt many people as a result. Despite spending many years in a self-pitying state of mind, he's moved past that. That doesn't mean that Angel isn't pessimistic. Though there's the faint glint of optimism and understanding that gives him strength-the fact that he can help others, after all-it's largely shadowed by this doubt and pessimism. But heroes can't be all that, so Angel has to move past that.
Pessimsim and atonement has to happen for a reason. Therefore, it's important to note the other side of Angel-Angelus. Angelus is supposedly within Angel's head noticing everything he's doing, and it makes sense. Angel describes being a vampire as having a demon that's constantly telling you what to do, and Angelus is that demon. Manipulative, cunning, cruel, and downright menacing, he's someone who doesn't have a conscience and truly seems to epitomize sociopathic behavior. He hurts people because it's a game, running on little to no guilt while he's doing it. Cutting people down and torturing them is something that he does for fun, but he also uses these tactics of reading and hurting people to his advantage. Manipulation isn't any fun if it doesn't lead somewhere. Needless to say, Angelus is one of the most notorious vampires of his time, and it's probably obvious as to this being the reason for why he ended up earning his soul-or rather, being cursed with it. Angel was the result of this.
Fortunately, Angel is very guilty now because of what he did and lives to atone. But even more than that, he lives to be a father, lives to protect his friends, and lives to be that dark hero in the shadows. People need him, and he has every intention of being there for them.
[point in timeline you're picking your character from]: A month after time appears to be reset regarding everyone going to hell. Therefore, after issue #17 of After the Fall.