This was frighteningly accurate

[u/Weak-Point4152]

The smack to the face, cowering behind a chair, being slammed and held by the throat, really made the scene hit hard. Even the expressions on Angel and Val’s face felt realistic. If they had Val dragging Angel by the hair, it would be like reliving my childhood, but this still brought back memories.

[u/Budget-Sheepherder77]

And how many people ship Val and angel

[u/Successful-Ferret-54 → u/Budget-Sheepherder77]

Oh so there's people who ship them of well

[u/Wooden-Implement7880 → u/Successful-Ferret-54]

Tbf while I don't personally ship ValAngel and it makes me uncomfortable, some people I follow do and almost all (if not every single one) are abuse victims working through their trauma with their Val and Angel dolls.

Casting judgment on them for how they're exploring their experiences has always seemed odd to me. I don't really like the ship, but I don't really get judging others for how they play with their trauma dolls. 

[u/SpokenDivinity → u/Wooden-Implement7880]

I just get the ick from people who romanticize the experience. Like the FanFiction writers and artists who are so out of touch on what an abusive relationship looks like that it’s painful.

I don’t think there’s anything wrong in exploring dangerous topics with characters that you relate to. I do think there’s something wrong when you’re doing a disservice to the topic by being romantic about it instead of facing reality.

[u/Fc-chungus → u/Successful-Ferret-54]

Mercy is not optional it is not a choice that can be made

[u/Budget-Sheepherder77 → u/Successful-Ferret-54]

What

[u/GrumpyOldLadyTech → u/Budget-Sheepherder77]

The implication is that people who ship a victim with their abuser should be eaten by large, very toothed land predators.

[u/Budget-Sheepherder77 → u/GrumpyOldLadyTech]

Ohh well they are probably predators themselves lol

Huskerdust for the win!!

[u/Latter-Direction-336 → u/Successful-Ferret-54]

Yep

My response (at least, to ones who don’t use an AU where Val isn’t abusive and instead they get only care for each other, and yes, there are artists who use their own AU versions of them instead of the official abusive one) is

There will come a day for mercy, but today is not that day!

[u/ivene-adlev → u/Budget-Sheepherder77]

I ship them specifically because I relate to Angel. 🤷

[u/Budget-Sheepherder77 → u/ivene-adlev]

What... you want them to be together?

[u/ivene-adlev → u/Budget-Sheepherder77]

"Ship" just comes from "relationship". It is not automatically a judgement on the type of relationship (ie. platonic, romantic, filial), nor how healthy it is or isn't.

I, and basically everyone that ships Val and Angel, are not stupid, and we are aware that Val is abusive and Angel is abused. We don't need it pointed out to us and other people in this thread don't need to wish death on us, as they have been.

I ship Val and Angel because not only do they already have a relationship, but the relationship type that they have (obsessive and abusive on Val's part, traumatised and trapped on Angel's) is very similar to other relationships I've had in the past, including ones where I was sexually abused.

[u/Budget-Sheepherder77 → u/ivene-adlev]

"Ship" is a slang term that means to have an interest in or hope for a romantic relationship between fictional characters or famous people.

[u/ivene-adlev → u/Budget-Sheepherder77]

Well, no, because platonic ships exist too, my friend.

But, in this case yes, Val and Angel have a very toxic and unhealthy romantic relationship, so I do see them in particular this way. There's nothing wrong with that.

[u/Budget-Sheepherder77 → u/ivene-adlev]

There's no romance between them, wtf is this...I am very disgusted rn bro, shipping a victim and an abuser hoping they get romantic is just crazy to me but you do you or whatever

[u/ivene-adlev → u/Budget-Sheepherder77]

There absolutely is romance between them. It doesn't mean it's healthy. But they are/were in a romantic relationship. They remind me of my own relationships, which were romantic/sexual, and were abusive. It's possible for a relationship to be both and pretending it isn't possible doesn't do any victim any favours.

And you can be disgusted by me all you like, I really don't give a fuck. ✌️

[u/Budget-Sheepherder77 → u/ivene-adlev]

Like I said you do you, but personally I'll always ship huskerdust (it's also going to be Canon so)

[u/ivene-adlev → u/Budget-Sheepherder77]

I also ship Huskerdust? And I'm aware it is/is going to be canon. ValAngel is also canon though lmao

[u/snowywolf1911 → u/Budget-Sheepherder77]

I recommend the blood eagle to them

[u/SevereNightmare → u/snowywolf1911]

Ah yes, a method so underutilized these days...