Ночью пришла соседская кошка. Лизала лоб, жевала волосы, тыкалась носом в губы, ходила по лицу, вылизывалась, лежа на руке - и все это не переставая урчать. Прикольно, хоть и анти-гигиенично.

В общем и целом, примерно так:

@темы: stuff

---

Lost Season 2 DVD-Set

Не люблю Lost. Не люблю, когда мозги пудрят не методично и с определенной целью, а совершенно at random и по принципу "а давайте еще вот такую прикольную фигню туда впишем". Идиотии предела нет. Первый сезон с непривычки заинтриговал сначала, но потом смотрела через раз и исключительно по инерции - раз уж начала. Не люблю, знаете ли, бросать начатое. Поэтому вполглаза посмотрела все, что показывали у нас по телеку. А тут, значить, увидела у подружки вот этот самый Season 2 DVD-Set. Дай, думаю, гляну в оригинале. Уж очень хотелось акценты послушать. Послушала. Поразили не акценты, а голоса! У нас-то шел дубляж, и хотя я видела пару интервью с актерами, все равно голоса стали полной неожиданностью. Что касается акцентов, едва-едва понимаю Сойера. Прямо до неприличия едва-едва. Дома Монагана тоже сложновато местами. А у этой, what's-her-name, зазнобы его, австралийского произношения чего-то не особо слышно. Но, правда, я мало слышала, как она говорила. Потому что глянула только пару-тройку эпизодов и то с перематыванием неинтересностей. А Саид по жизни говорит с британским прононсом. Так прикольно, two worlds collide.

А теперь о главном. Вместо традиционных 6 дисков, в коробочке имеется все 7. Седьмой - целиком посвящен фичам. Вот тут они, конечно, дали. Открывается - и сразу чувак из Dharma Initiative в том же стиле толкает речь о том, что нас ждет на этом диске. Потом попадаешь в меню, разделенное на три phases.
Phase 1 - Observation: типа экскурс по эпизодам, где, как, что снимали - было бы интересно if I cared; "Анатомия эпизода" - зверски интересно, пошагово расписан производственный процесс от сценария до пост-продакшн (на всё про всё около месяца - с ума сойти!) и, почему-то, "The World According to Sawyer".
Phase 2 - Conditioning: обещают insights into psychological experiments already in progress. А де факто имеют место быть флешбэки (непонятно, то ли не попавшие в эпизод, то ли просто повторение пройденного), удаленные сцены, блуперы и промо видео, о чем ниже.
Phase 3 - Conclusion: сплошное самолюбование. Of moderate interest - про дизайн сета, похоже на то, как рассказывали про сет Firefly, но уж оооочень длинно
Понравилась сама концепция. Такое фанатское раздолье.

В зобу дыханье сперло на просмотре специального промо видео, сделанного, видимо, специально для Юнайтед Кингдом за какие-то нереальные миллионы каким-то мажорным чувачком. Уж это всем пЕарам пЕар!



а вот здесь есть еще интересная версия (фанатский монтажик) - под классную песню Portishead.

@темы: Lost, rambling

---

В ознаменование

Let the flooding begin.

EYE CANDY

@темы: коллажик

---

Быть или не быть?

Налазившись по чужим дневникам, подхватила вирус дневниковедения. Уже который день все подмывает отойти от баффо-ангельской узкопрофильностии постить ваще про все, что попадает в поле зрения. Вопрос к Пычам, если кто-то действительно читает - надо ли?
Подожду комментов дня три-четыре, а если их не будет - буду дальше bottle stuff up или, что вероятнее, буду рэмблить в другом месте. ЖЖ или май спэйс. а то что аккаунты пустуют ))

@темы: вопрос

---

Russian Hooker, мля

Из блога Эмбер Бенсон:

I have been very lucky in my life. I always knew what I wanted to do and I had the wherewithal to put myself into the line of fire and pray for a little buckshot to hit me.

With that said, let me just tell you right here and now that I have had a crap load of rejection during my past seventeen years in Hollywood. I can't tell you how many times I didn't get a job I tried out for, or how often I got told to lose ten pounds or bleach my hair blond and wear sexier clothes.

(Actually, the saddest part of what I just said is that even when I TRIED to change myself to please the people I was begging work from, I still didn't do it right. It seemed like no matter what I did, I was one step behind everyone else. I have very vivid memories of uncomfortable push-up bras that made me look like Boobs McBooberton and short skirts that I ripped while in the process of yanking them down to cover just a little bit more leg. I was a terrible sexpot. Frankly, it was a laughable proposition and it DID get laughed at once on the Paramount lot. While in a sexy Russian Hooker ensemble that I could barely walk in, the unwieldy heels caused me to trip in front of a group of Transpo guys and land on my Russian Hooker wannabe ass.)

Из блога меня:
Твою мать! А мне с этим стереотипом жить и отпихиваться от всех этих спермотоксикозных толп!
And, actually, Amber, the saddest part is that YES, you should lose 10 pounds (or more)!

---

Spiritual Atheism

Spirituality is something distinct from religion: the search for meaning is not the same as the acceptance of god.
Atheists write some of the most deeply spiritual works because they have thought about it, tortured themselves over it.
Atheists are amongst the most spiritual because they have not found an answer, their struggle for meaning never ends by definition.

“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Angel”

“If there’s no great glorious end to all this, if nothing we do matters … then all that matters is what we do. ‘Cause that’s all there is. What we do. Now. Today. I fought for so long, for redemption, for a reward, and finally just to beat the other guy. Because, if there’s no bigger meaning, then the smallest act of kindness is the greatest thing in the world.” — Angel, “Epiphanies”

Joss Whedon has said that “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” is the story of a teenager growing up and that Angel is the story of a twenty-something becoming a man. They are stages, waypoints on the path. They’re not just universal stories, they are the story of our society.

We were young once, toddlers, we followed the rules under threat of immediate punishment: follow the priests or they’ll cut out your tongue and stone your ass in the temple square. Morality enforced by spanking. Then we grew up a bit, had a renaissance, wrote some philosophy, religion and the state got divorced, we became tweens: follow the rules under threat of eternal damnation, do what the church says, or god will get you when you die. Morality enforced by grounding when dad gets home.

Buffy starts growing up the moment she starts sneaking out at midnight to do what she thinks is right, when she fights the darkness regardless of the consequences with her mom, with Principal Snyder, even with Giles. The point of no return comes on that night when the door to hell almost opens, when her mother tells her that if she walks out the door it’ll be for the last time, and Buffy does anyway, heart broken, mind made up.

The industrial age came with all the bluster and violence of machinery and ideology. Civilization as a teenager. Stole the keys to the car, got drunk, plowed through some pedestrians. We issued thunderous proclamations that no one preceding us could possibly understand our agony, trashed our room and then scrawled endless bad poetry about our angst and pain. Morality is dead, they say. We need the old ways they say. This is what you get when you kill god, when you don’t listen to your parents anymore.

Buffy sleeps with Angel. The world nearly ends. She watches Faith kill a man, helps her cover it up. These are the things that happen when we stop listening to our parents. She stabs Angel through the heart to save the world, blows up Sunnydale High to save her friends. These are the ways we find our own path, our own morality.

We’re a civilization trying to figure out what the hell it means to be a man. We’ve grown up, got those world wars out of our system, but we moved out on our own. There aren’t parents anymore to tell us what to do. Insisting that society cannot have a concept of morality without god is like insisting that an adult cannot have a concept of morality without parents. The opposite is true. In reality, it is only as adults, free and unfettered adults, that we truly adopt any sort of meaningful and mature morality. That’s the morality that comes from deciding to be the kind of man we want to be. Not because our parents say so, not because god says so, but because that’s the kind of man we want to be, that’s the face we can look at in the mirror without flinching. Society works the same way. We have labored so long trying to live up to the morality of god, that we finally threw down and had the crazy teenage rebellion clusterfuck of the last two centuries. We’re fucking hungover as a species: the car’s parked in the yard, we somehow vomited on the couch and shit in the sink, vaguely remember beating the crap out of someone at a bar, and we really can’t stand to look in the mirror. That’s the challenge of the next century: to build a society we can respect, whether it lives up to the old religions and ideologies or not.

Angel goes to L.A., 200 years old and with a river of blood staining his hands, but still needing to learn to be a man. He watches friends sacrifice themselves. He becomes a father. He tries to help people, he tries to find some measure of redemption to dispel the darkness. But the more he fights for absolution, the more it slips away. The indifference sets in, the cynicism that rises up in self defense against the banality of evil, scoffing at him. “I just can’t seem to care.” It’s that crushing nihilism that sets in when you move to a city alone for the first time, no parents, no friends. It doesn’t matter what you do. No one is watching, no one is keeping score. But that’s the seed of real morality, that’s the epiphany: when nothing you do matters, the only thing that matters is what you do.

Статья целиком

@темы: angel, buffy the vampire slayer

---

Классное интервью с Джоссом

Nothing too exciting, but interesting nevertheless.

тыц

@темы: joss whedon, interview, buffyverse

---

Yummy Treat

Хииии, а что я еще нашла!!! Золотая коллекция, хотя, конечно, далеко не полная.
Кто меня и впрямь читает - приглашаю на этот праздник жизни! Делитесь своими любимым перлами!

Lorne: That he's not entirely unmaking with the moves on the girl who might have been?
Angel: Can you shove that into English for me?

Cordelia: I don't know where to start...
Angel: Then skip to the end where you leave and we don't talk

Gwen: I already apologized for killing you, what do you want, a wake?

Lorne: I'm the one out there doing all the legwork. Well, it's really more lapwork, coz guess what just fell into it.

Andrew: fight evil with a taste of its own sinistro

Andrew: You're a loner, playing it cucumber, as in 'as cool as a'.

Cordelia: I had a vision. From the you-know-what that be.

Angel: What are you? What do you do for the senior partners?
Eve: I'm a liason. I liase.

Lorne: This thing coming after you - how bad on a scale of, say, one to Terminator?

Spike: Or what - he gets deader?

Spike: I just wanna see you happy. Of course, not too happy coz then i'd have to stake ya. Second thought, have at it.

X: You're safe!
Cordelia: Little bit.

Spike: Hey, you wanna go find something to hit?

Angel: I'm talking about killing every single member of the Black Thorn. We don't walk away from this.
Lorne: Can we crawl away at least?

Gunn: Who had the book?
Wesley: Angel! - Angel: Wesley!
Wesley & Angel: No i didn't!
Wesley & Angel: Yes you did!
Lorne: Did we look in the car?
Angel: It's not there, i checked to make sure we didn't leave anything.
Lorne: Oh, like say the BOOK?!?!

Wesley: It's a difficult question. I think it's fair to say... no. Not a chance. Never. No way. NOt in a million years. And also, nah-ah.

Angel: It wasn't like i went evil or naything, it was just-
Cordelia: You just went male.

Wesley (doing Angel): Oh Buffy i love you so much, i almost forgot to brood!

Fred: Can i say something about destiny? Screw destiny. If this evil thing comes we'll fight it, and we keep fighting it until we woop it. Coz destiny is just another word for inevitable, and nothing's inevitable as long as you stand up, look it in the eye and say, 'You're evitable'!

@темы: angel, quotes

---

Продолжение банкета!

OWENOCITY

Спасибо бетам Liyirna и VeraVicca

Night 3

Night 3

"So, these are the options."
"Wow, you really did your homework."
"I tried. I wish I could do better."
"I think you did great. Drink?"
Man!
"God, you're seventeen!"
"Oh please. Like you never drank before your 21.”
Good point.
“And it doesn't make a tiny bit of sense anyway. In France people can drink since 16."
Wow. That’s the French for ya.
Still, Bloody Mary? Kinda strong.
Plus, yuck!
"Ok, but how on Earth do you do that? He didn't even ask for I.D.!"
"Oh, that guy, he knows me. We hang out. Think he's got a crush."
No wonder.
Did I say that out loud?
Do they teach that smile?
Gotta give props to the red lipstick too.
Gee, who knew I'd—
“So, about that drink?”
“I’m fine, thanks. Anyway, back to business."
"Yeah… Detectives are out for me. Too many cons. Singing demon - too weird."
"No, no, you gotta sing to this demon and he sort of tells your fortune."
"Whatever. It's just-- I'm trying to get rid of demons chasing me, not run straight into the lair of one."
"Well, it's not so much of a lair as it is a karaoke bar--"
"Ok, now you are making this up."
"Haha, no. They say, there's this place where all these creatures hang out, some people too--"
"I've had enough of creatures, plural, thank you very much."
Ok, so this is the kind of behavior I don't get.
Will check it out on my own then, one of these days. Nights.
After I save the damsel in distress.
Oh, and after I get this anniversary thingy out of the way.
Why are some people like this?
I'd rather be the One
It's bright impossibility
To dwell—delicious—on
I would definitely rather.
"We'll just do the spell for starters, ok? And if that doesn't help - we'll see."
Aww.
wonder how the fingers feel
Whose rare—celestial—stir—
Evokes so sweet a Torment—
Such sumptuous—Despair—
Get a grip dude.
Not that way.
"Owen?"
"Sorry, what?"
"I said, do they even work?"
"Who?"
"Spells."
"Oh yeah. I mean, if you do everything right, they work."
"Cool. We can do it tonight. My place or yours?"
Uh-oh. Spell, huh? My place or yours--
That'll end well.
So sweet a torment, dammit.
"I didn't get any supplies. You need your rabbit's feet and virgin's saliva, you know."
Wonder if you are--
Of course not.
"Just kidding. But we do need some stuff. I'll get it tomorrow."
Hell.
"Um, no, not tomorrow. Kinda busy tomorrow. Next day, ok?"
"Ok sure. I just hope I'm going to be there to see it."
"You will."
Silky.
Silk.
"You just, you know, stay put."
"So you're not going to see me tomorrow at all?"
"Sorry, I can't. But please promise me you won't go anywhere. I'll be worried as hell."
"I guess I can do that."
"And even during the day, if you need to go somewhere, take crosses with you, just in case. A whole bunch of them. Placed within reach and in all the strategic places. Here, I brought some. That'll repel them, give you some time."
"You're so thoughtful."
"Here."
"It's ok really, I got plenty at home."
Really?
"Go with the look."
"Oh."
Sumptuous. That's what you are.
Despair? The night's still young.

Day 3

Day 3

It was supposed to be their day. But it wasn't. How could it be, when all he could think of were the red lips on the white face, red lips, and red drink climbing up the straw, to touch them. Sharp quick tongue licking off some stray drop.
"Gosh, I wish all the food in the world was ice cream."
He looked at Loona. Her tongue was, too, licking off a stray drop.
"Yeah, it's great."
And the grey eyes framed by black lashes, their deep - magnifying - inviting - gaze. And the danger. The pumping pulse. The adrenaline rush. Did he even want this girl to get rid of her pursuers? All he gotta do is follow her. He won't even have to seek trouble out. It will find him.
Black silk on white silky skin.
"Here, try mine. It's divine."
Forcing out a smile, he took the sweet creamy stuff off her spoon.
"Divine it is. No kidding."
"Gimme yours."
He did. Slowly she took his spoon in her mouth and slowly she let it back out again. She closed her eyes and made a moaning sound.
"I could die right now and not even care."
And her cool touch on his hand and her face - so close.
How long do you have to wait after an anniversary to break up and without being, you know, rude? She's no longer what he needs. He was very lucky to find her, true. She showed him things and took him places. She taught him stuff. But he couldn't share his other life with her. She wouldn't understand. She was all about wicca good, and love the earth, and women power. She was close, but not close enough. Margo, on the other hand, was closer. Sure, she didn't express a desire to go mix with the nasties, but she had this aura around her, a completely different energy. And seems to-- They'll do the spell, and he'll see. It's often like that, for some reason. He'll see. And he'll touch. And he'll taste.
Oh boy. Owen exhaled. Didn't help. Loona came into his misty stare. She was stroking his hand, watching him, smiling.
"I love it how you can suddenly retreat into your own world and then reemerge, as if from underwater."
He exhaled again. Didn't help either.
"You know what I was thinking about?"
"Thrill me."
"There's still a present to be unwrapped."
"Oooh, I like that train of thought."
"Then let's get going."
And get going they did, with Loona positioned strategically in front of Owen.

Loona emerged from the bathroom wearing something which brought a whole new dimension to the little black dress phenomenon. Of course, the accessories counted too. It was all in place - the purple feather neckpiece, the low cut, the lace, the elbow-length gloves, the fishnet stockings, the high heels. And of course, it was also all wrong. Imitating as best as she could a stripper's walk, Loona approached him, saddled his lap.
"And here's you present, baby. Wanna unwrap it?"

But it was all wrong. The neckpiece lay, abandoned, on the floor, a few disattached feathers spread around it and a few - on the bed. The latex corset and skirt were on the chair where Loona had carefully placed them after they were done and were going to sleep. The two darkly glimmering things looked very much out of place in this room. Wonder, what's her room look like? It might be banal and dreary. Or it might be fascinating and different, and reflect the personality of its owner. He didn't want to think that Margo's room might have Justin Timberlake posters or something in it. Or any posters at all, for that matter. But the girl has a style, there's no way there's going to be posters. Next to him, Loona rolled over. She was wearing nothing, but the covers concealed all the good stuff. He thought about how thin she was. How he always could feel her ribs when he'd run his hands along her sides. He used to like it, not one day ago - he liked it. Now he kept imagining how that silky voluptuous flesh would feel. Owen was restless. He'd been lying there for the last four hours, slipping in and out of uneasy slumber, haunted by memories and phantasies. Come to think of it, he knew practically nothing about her. He looked at the girl beside him. Carefully, he climbed out of bed. She kept sleeping peacefully. He grabbed his clothes. He only knew, he needed a release, he couldn't just stay at home and snore away like some dumb Joe regular.
I'm Nobody! Who are you?
Are you — Nobody—too?
Then there's a pair of us!
Don't tell! They'd banish us—you know!

Night 4

Night 4

So. Dumbass. Which apartment?
Fuck.
Of course, there's phone, but--
Dammit.
Come on, night folk, ou te caches-tu?!
Never a demon around when you need one.
Well, it's just a matter of time, and we both know it.
What if she wakes up and I'm not there? Huh.
Hey, I actually could use a beer. Or a Bloody Mary.
Yuck, just how does she drink that stuff?

I wonder if regular goth chicks go for us normal people?
Probably not.
Gee. Also, can be hard to tell chicks from roosters. Jesus.
Go on, pal, nothing to stare at.
Guess I do stick out like a sore thumb.
And the funniest thing, yeah, they do stick out.
"Vodka-tonic."
Did you all lose both parents or what? I mean, what's your problem?
Ugh, that must have hurt.
"Thanks."
Wait a minute.
Is it or is it not?
Sure looks like her.
Fuck.
And fuck. Does she have a death wish?
Don't we all.
But--
The guy seems to have a hell of a time.
Girl must be good. French and all.
Lucky bastard.
Did the French really invent the French kiss?
Hi honey, I'm home.
God, you're beautiful.
"Look, I know, but I'm here with company."
"Yeah, I caught the show."
"Uh, that guy? Forget about it, he's drunk."
Like you aren't.
"You seem to have had a few yourself."
Giggling just doesn't go with that look.
Or does it?
"Come on, just how many Bloody Mary's do you have in you?"
"Dude, none!"
Dude?
"That charmer right there, he treated me to something way better."
"He looks so out of it, by the way"
"I think he passed out."
It doesn't and it does, it's all very strange.
And gosh, you're beautiful.
You might actually be glowing.
"Poor guy."
"Well, he's had his, I've had mine."
And you sure are wasted.
"Do you wanna get out for some fresh air?"
"Yeah, why not."
Ahh, that skin, how I missed you.
There's definitely no bra under there.
"You're not even wearing a cross."
"But I'm here with friends. I'm never alone. In fact, what are you doing here? Didn't you say you were busy?"
"I was, but then I--Then I thought I'd take a walk."
"I don't think a night club qualifies as a walk."
"The night club came after the walk didn't bring any satisfaction."
"So are you now?"
"What?"
"Satisfied?"
"No, not yet."
Oh God.
Oh God Oh God Oh God.
You might have not invented it, but you sure as hell--
--know how--
--perfection--
--tasty--
Oh God.
"Now?"
"Getting there."

Oh God.
"Now. Officially."
Oh God.
"Glad I could help."
Well, that was something new.
"Oh God, I've never done something like this before."
Thump thump thump.
Oh God, can I even walk?
"I think I should sit down."
Chill. Chill.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
"You're cute."
Doesn't that sound patronizing.
"Thanks. I might need a minute here."
Well, talk about feeling alive, huh?
"Sure, suit yourself. In fact, if you wanna go some place more comfortable--"
"Oh, do I ever."
Ok, legs, work. Heart, chill. Hands, don't tremble.
"Come here."
Can't believe I've done it.
With her.
Right here.
"That was the most tripping experience of my life."
"It's not over yet."
"No?"
"Come on."

"So. Finally you're here, huh?"
And let me tell you, it doesn't disappoint.
"It looks amazing."
"Aww, thank you, baby."
"Wow, that must be every expensive."
"Yeah, I like pretty things."
So your parents must have left you quite a fortune.
"That's why I like you."
Haha.
"I don't know if I'll be in the right place among all these."
"Sure you will. And I have just the right place for you."
Just how seductive a girl can be at such a young age?
I don't remember our girls being like that.
Ahh, so nice to lie down.
This could be a start of something entirely new and exciting.
"I bet you have a girlfriend."
Uh-oh. That.
"Why?"
"Of course you do."
"Why are you so sure?"
"So how did you learn about vampires and stuff?"
Ok. This subject I like a lot more.
"Uh. You know. Circumstances. Got into a situation."
"Like me?"
What's so funny?
"Kinda."
"And you decided to fight evil?"
Ok, I can see how that's funny.
"Nah. It's just, it was this near-death situation, and you know how people often get this whole change of perspective thing, and that's what it was for me."
Hey girl, that's some intimate stuff, what's so goddamn f--
"And, are you getting a new perspective right now?"
"Well, I'm not in a near-death situation now, am I?"
"You sure as hell are."
What?
Fuck!
"Fuck!"
"Been there, done that."
"But-- "
Oh my fucking God!
"You got yours, now it's time to give me mine."
"But-- I--"
--saved you! From vampires!
"Did they get you? When did they turn you? Last night? God, I'm so sorry--"
"Aww, don't be, you fluffy little puppy, you."
Oh God, I'm so sorry.
I'm a total failure.
But how do I get out of this?
My stuff's too far.
"Easy, easy, puppy. No sudden movement. Might have to put you on a leash."
"Ok, ok, I'll-- be still."
Thump thump thump.
I just had sex with a vampire?
Most tripping experience ever? No kidding.
Thump thump thump.
The important thing is not to die.
My life closed twice before its close
But I don't want it to close!
Gotta distract her! Or something.
Thump thump thump.
Just don’t stutter.
"So how does it feel? Being a vampire?"
"Wonderful. But don't get me wrong, it's nothing new to me."
"What do you mean?"
"It was all a game, you silly puppy. Girl gotta keep herself entertained."
Oh man!
"But I--?"
"What, saved me?"
Ok, laugh, of course, I deserve it.
On the other hand, how the hell should I have known?!
"So you - just wanted to play?"
"Uh-huh."
"Why?"
"Tja... No reason. You came along, all knight in shining amour. It was fun. Plus, you know, I wanted to see how long it'd take to break you?"
"Break me? Like a horse?"
"You're right, bad metaphor. Domesticate you."
Ha fucking ha.
"And now that you have..."
"I don't know. I guess this is the part where I give you a choice?"
My life closed twice before its close;
It yet remains to see
If Immortality unveil
A third event to me.

THE END

@темы: buffyverse, fanfiction

---

Продолжение банкета!

OWENOCITY

Спасибо бетам Liyirna и VeraVicca

Night 2

Night 2

Chilly. Good contrast. What more do you need?
Oh yeah. Some big-ass stinky demon chasing you down.
What is she doing with that register every day? Must be boring as hell. Except, wait, hell would probably be all kinds of un-boring. Boring as heaven? Anyway.
Gift, huh? Pants, maybe? But how the heck am I supposed to pick? No, dude, stay away from women's fashions.
Looky-looky, a bar. Come in for a drink? Nah, something comes along to warm you the hell up.
Hey, I guess I never did start a fight in a bar. Well, not that I'm aware of.
Oh right. That's why. I have all this pointy stuff on me, don't I?
"Night, officer."
"Night."
Might be hard to explain if I get arrested.
Ok, steer away from the nice police person. Away and into some dark little streets.
Ngaah!
"Man!"
"Oh, mon Dieu! I'm so sor-- Savior?"
Crazy goth chick?
"Oh, wow. Hi."
"I'm sorry I scared you."
"You nearly gave me a--"
Ok, this just keeps coming up.
"Hey, do you happen to know if you could get a heart attack at the age of twenty-two?"
"No idea. I'm not a big heart-specialist."
Thought as much. But hey, stranger things have happened. And just how old are you? Or should I say, how young?
"Didn't last night teach you anything?"
I'm guessing, senior. High school senior.
"Well, what am I supposed to do now? Never get out of my room after the darkness falls?"
"Well, I don’t know, I guess you’re right…
Like I’m the one to talk.
“Where were you heading anyway, at an hour like this?"
"Home, actually."
"Ok, then where from, at an hour like this?"
"A party."
Gee, they don't make high school boys like they used to. To let such a pretty one go all by herself? Freaks of nature.
"I could walk you home, you know. I feel somewhat responsible."
"Wouldn't want to waste your saving effort, huh?"
Haha.
"That, too."
Help one fainting Robin
Unto his Nest again
Heh. She really is brilliant.
Should I go get my car? Coz--
“Don’t worry though, it’s not far."
Huh. Ok.
“Goody.”
What is it about French girls? This one is barely a woman and yet she manages to look like one, behave like one, and smell like one.
Hey, perfume would actually be a nice gift--
"So do you want to go by Savior or--?"
"Haha, it does have a ring to it."
Ah, and even her laughter is sexy.
Bet she worked with a vocal coach on that one. Heh heh.
"Well, me, I'm Margo."
"Like the Queen?"
“I like to think so.”
No, seriously, how is that possible? Laughter doesn’t have French accent. How?
"Uh, I'm Owen."
Huh?
Oh that’s right, the French always kiss cheeks.
Funny.
And gee, you’d think it was Alaska out here.
"You must be cold in all that lace."
"I'm fine. It's not all lace."
"Heh, yeah, I guess. I think there's leather, and some silk, and what's this then? Like, wire?"
Hope it wasn't offensive.
No.
Just how?! I want a laughter like that too!
"Also lace."
"Gee. What makes it stand up like that?"
"You don't wanna know."
I probably don't.
Ok what’s this then? Could it be something I could slice and dice?
"Yo, dude, you got a light?"
Fuck. Just a mugger. How banal.
“Um, I might. Let me see.”
Ok, look around – of course, where’s a policeman when you need one?
Luckily enough, we can do just as well do without.
That’s the thing, with them it’s too easy.
I mean, all you gotta do is—
Whoa!
Vampire!
Cool!
Guess you are no more crazy about electric shock than your average Joe Regular, huh?
Aw.
Fuck.
Aw.
Thump thump thump.
Ha! Simpleton.
"Ha!"
"Oh my God, are you alright?"
Thump thump thump.
Alive. Alive again.
“I’m great. You?”
“I’m scared. Did you notice how he kept throwing you away and trying to come at me?”
"In fact, yeah, that’s weird. And it’s not the first time, too… Is there a reason vamps might want you dead? Or un-dead, for that matter?"
"Are you kidding me?"
"You never know."
"So I don't."
"Right."
"So... So, you were pretty cool there... With the, you know, what do you call it?"
"Staking? Thanks."
"Are you some kind of vampire hunter?"
Vampire slayer is the term, chica.
"Nah, I just know how to defend myself, that's all."
"Cool."
You betcha.
"It might be."
But, after all--
"You know it is peculiar that you got attacked twice in a row. Guess there's something brewing around you. Are you in some way... special?"
"In many exciting ways."
Whoa.
Now that’s--
"Ok, I'm sorry, I just have to ask, how old are you?"
"What's your guess?"
"Seventeen?"
"Bingo."
"Wow. Where're your parents looking?"
"I don't have parents. Well, not anymore. They passed away."
"Oh, I'm very sorry. Accident?"
"No, they just died. Of illness."
Ok, probably better to live it at that. Explains a lot though.
“I’m terribly sorry.”
If I can ease one Life the Aching
Or cool one Pain
Or help one fainting Robin
Unto his Nest again
“Yeah… I’m alright now, though. It happened pretty long ago.”
Well, the aching has most probably been eased, and the pain's been cooled.
But there's your special, in a way.
Who knows. There might be something there.
"Here we are."
"Ok. Do you live alone?"
"Couple of roommates."
"Good. I don't think they will try anything--"
"I don't know, I'm kinda scared. Do you wanna come up and stay with me?"
"Really, I think you're gonna be fine, they didn't attack you again last night - did they?"
"No."
"So it's one attempt per night then."
"Great. That is very, uh, lénitif, you know?"
"No, but I'll look it up. Anyway, they can't enter your home without your expressed invitation, so you just gotta watch out for those tendencies, um--"
--of yours--
"--like maybe warn your roomies too."
"Oh. Ok. Will do. But you're going to sort it out?"
"I'll try."
"Thank you so much. It's all freaking me out."
I shall not live in vain.
God, I hope I can help her.
"You just try not to be alone, and let's exchange phone numbers, and I'll meet you some time tomorrow, ok?"
"Sure."

Day 2

Day 2

Owen couldn't wait to get out of class. But the goddamn seminar just wouldn't end. Why did he even show up? Guess, wasn't thinking all that clearly so early in the morning after so little sleep. That's ok, he'd blow the rest of them. After all, hello? Priorities check. It's someone's life we're talking about. What's she doing so far from home anyway? Must have been here a while though, her English is so good. Except that accent, but she doesn't wanna lose that. What with the name and the queen-y look of hers, it all comes together very nicely. Wonder where she gets that stuff.

Owen lifted his head from his doodle of a sword and looked around. Somebody was answering some question, Professor Sexy managed to look both skeptical and pleased. The guy must be babbling but she appreciated the effort. Sometimes she'd get mushy like that. He looked around. Faces - some bored, some focused. Wonder, how many of you have faced something... interesting and then just moved on, conjuring up some dumb but reasonable explanation? How many of you didn't move on? How many of you actually appreciated the experience and understood something real about life?

No, no, don't look at me. I don't even know what the question was.
"Excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom."
And how the hell will he help her? Sure he can escort her once or twice, but first, he's no slayer, and second, he can't do it forever. Damn! Anniversary, we have that whole thing tomorrow, and I need to get some stupid gift... Hire some supernatural detectives, maybe? He's seen some ads in the papers, but how do you know which ones are real and which are crooks? Also, who's going to pay? No, can’t do that, I don't grown money in backyard after all. Don't even have a backyard. Ok, anyway, first of all, she'll need a cross on her. Not panacea, but still. Then, some self-defense - electric shocker, stake. Some moves. But how the hell is he going to find out who's hunting her and why? He contemplated not returning to class at all. Looking out of the window in the hall, he watched the students milling about under the morning sun, reading, talking, eating. How many of you? Reading's good though. This Travel may the poorest take. Heh. Ok, hit the Internet first, there should be some sites, some forums. These days, There is no Frigate like the world wide web, To take us Lands away. Bet I'll find something there, if not answers, at least advice.

Smell of coffee, deep, rich. Owen breathed in, the way he always did whenever he felt - well, felt anything worthy of savoring. For a while he just sat there, smelling it, watching it. Thick blue glass, brown fluid, white foam. Muffin, also brown. Mmm. Owen rubbed his eyes. They were tired, dry, and, most probably, red. He's been staring at the screen of his laptop for the last five hours. He's found sites, forums, chats, blogs. Lotta stuff. He even felt less special now that he knew how many yahoos out there claimed to be vampire and demon experts, travelers through dimensions, ghost whisperers. The question remained of course, how many? But hey, even if it's 10 per cent then it's still a lot. He snapped out of it. So what? Of course he's not the only one. Doesn't make his experiences any less real. Anyway, what he had gathered was that they should do some kind of spell, ask the spirits or some such, or sing to an aura-reading demon. Wow. He sure did learn a lot. To take us Lands away, indeed. Aura-reading demon? C'mon!

His cell phone went off. No one was calling, but it was his reminder to go get the present for Loona already. He shut the laptop. He'd talk to Margo tonight, they'll discuss the options. Who knows, after all, she might be crazy rich. Ok then. Girly present now, dance macabre later. He paid for his countless cups of different beverages and the fattening stuff he's wolfed down while searching and brooding. Went out in the street, started walking, looking around trying to spot a shop that would look like there would be potential girly presents in there. While looking he continued thinking about his investigation. It was frightening and exciting at the same time. Exciting - coz hey, it was the night world, the underworld, the other world - whatever you call it - it was the world that fascinated him, that intoxicated him, that made him feel so deliciously alive. Frightening - coz someone's life depended on him. A bit too much for him. It's all fun and kittens when the only person you can get killed is yourself. But when someone's relying on you, and not in a fluffy what-should-I-order way... She was so petite. French word for French lady. Strangely, she wasn't thin, but in no way whatsoever was she fat. Curvy is the term, I believe. And with that black lace framing her white skin, purple feather brushing softly against that neck, sparkling pins in that black hair... Suddenly something caught his eyes. He stopped in front of the window display of a small shop. He looked at the stuff for a while with a slight sneer. Wouldn't that be interesting?

@темы: buffyverse, fanfiction

---

Продолжение банкета!

OWENOCITY

Спасибо бетам Liyirna и VeraVicca

Night 1

Night 1

Run. Run. Run.
Out of breath. Heart jumping out of the chest. Might trip and fall and then--
Fucking run!
Thump, thump, thump behind.
Stop, turn around, get the shocker... No, get the shocker, stop, turn around...
Or just run.
It's a long fucking way.
Finally. Side street. Time.
Heart. Can you get a heart attack at 22? Shocker!
There you go baby!
Phew.
Heart, get over it already.
Nasty thing. That'll teach you.
I did have a knife, didn't I? Goody. Could have lost it in all the--
There, my preciousss... Ewww.... Fuck, now I'll have to dry clean this.
Heee. Whatever. You big dumb ugly. Wonder if you had family, heh heh.
Oooh. So that was cool. Except the shirt... Damn!
Anyway, ahhhh, air! Deep, deep. Someone's baking... At this hour? Mmm, cinnamon... Could use a snack, actually. Doughnuts? Nah. Chinese? Maybe. Drink, definitely. Isn't there a night club or something somewhere around?

Talk about weird, huh? Well, whatever works for you people... Gee, are you a he or a she? "Thanks, I'm good. I'm just gonna go now, getting kinda late."
Even for me. Ok, crazy mohawk guy, no need to stare. I might not have make up all over my face, but I do have a shirt smeared in demon blood, and you don't even know what may get you one of these balmy nights...
"Excuse me."
Gee. How much time and how many people did you need to get into that corset?
Mmm. Air. Nice when you can just breathe in like this. And breathe out. And breathe in again.
What? Is it just me or--
Or is there a vampire attacking a crazy goth chick?
"Dude."
"Aw!"
There. Felt that, huh?
"Don't get scared, it's not a person!"
Well that was even fun.
"There, it's ok, miss."
"You saved me."
Man, look at those sleeves. Came out of the club of course, for a smoke or something.
"I believe I did. Glad I was there in time."
"Oh God. Thank you so much."
Accent. French?
"My pleasure. Are you from France?"
"Yeah. Accent?"
"Accent."
"Good guess though."
"Thanks."
"So uh... When you said it wasn't a person--?"
The truth?
The truth must dazzle gradually.
"Um... See, it might sound crazy... But you saw it yourself, right? The face, the fangs, the dusting?"
I'm not good at dazzling gradually.
"That was a vampire."
"Vampire."
"Are you dazzled?"
Haha.
"Dazzled? I guess not. I mean, you gotta be blind not to notice weird stuff happening from time to time."
Blind?
"Wow. So thank you, Savior. Do you want to come inside? I'll buy you a thank you drink."
Hmm. You sure are cute. But it sure won't go anywhere.
Plus, aren't you too young for this stuff? Let alone drinks.
"Thanks, but I really gotta go. I was actually on my way home."
"Are you sure?"
Are you this beautiful because of the make up or despite it?
But no, damn, big day tomorrow.
"Yeah, sorry. Was nice saving you though."
"Hmm. Ok. See ya"
Probably not. But--
"Au revoir."

Day 1

Day 1

Owen Thurman was nervous. And tired. But pleasantly tired, like after a night of hot passionate sex. Like, 'yeah, I feel crappy now, but man, it was worth it' kind of tired. Nervous - not so pleasant. Of course, he was prepared for the big test, he knew all he had to know, or at least he thought so, but there was this nagging little voice at the back of his mind - what if--? Many, many ifs. And in between, he was also busy reliving the events of the past night. The chase, the knife, the blood. The thumping - of the demon's feet, and of Owen's heart. He really does need to read up on heart attacks. Do they happen to healthy young people? And that peculiar, beautiful face. He had to make an effort to shove that as far away from his memory as he could and concentrate at the white sheets of paper lying in front of him. In a few minutes, the professor would tell them to see the tasks and then it will be absolutely no time for everything extra-curricular. Breathe in. Breathe out. Now.

On somewhat shaky legs Owen exited the auditorium. Somehow, he'd always get dizzy after the stress was over, unlike those lucky ones who'd be all chatty and excited. But then, did he ever get all chatty and excited? Well, not over goddamn school stuff, however important it might be. Or seem. Owen shook his head. He didn't want to get into that again. Yeah, yeah, yeah. School, education, job, money, life... But life isn't about school, education, job or money. Life is about living. Breathing. Smelling. Feeling. No one appreciates that until it is taken from them.
To venerate the simple days
Which lead the seasons by,
Needs but to remember
That from you or I,
They may take the trifle
Termed mortality!
And Owen did. He remembered. And he appreciated.
Of course, there were side-effects. He suffered from a profound not-caring syndrome. He was going through the motions, yeah, he invested himself - as much as he was willing to - in this whole fuss, but he didn't really care.
He'd see Loona soon though. That's the stuff worth feeling anything about.

"Hey, baby." He planted a quick kiss on her lips.
"Gimme a couple of minutes, I'll be right with ya."
Loona turned her back to him to finish whatever it is she always does with the cash register at the end of the day. Owen let his eyes rest on the girl's butt under a flowy knee-length skirt. That was one nice-looking butt. Felt good too. Pity she doesn't show it off too often. Or at all. The day after tomorrow is their first anniversary. Has he ever seen her wear some pants? Hell, he still has no gift!
"Done!"
"Cool."
Gifts are so unimportant. Motions. But you gotta.
He hopped off the stool. She came into his arms, pressed herself against him, kissed him thoroughly. He felt his body warming up to this kind of treatment.
"Where d'you wanna go?"
"Home's fine. I made a yummy lasagna last night. How'd you do with the test?"
"Well, I don't know yet, do I?"
"Yes, but how do you feel about it?"
"Think it went ok. But I prefer not to think about it."
She laughed. He liked the way her upper lip went up when she laughed. He stopped to kiss her once again. What a pleasure it is to feel. The soft light of the sun going down. The warm air. The slender body pressed against his. Oh yeah, home's fine, baby. I'm so glad you made that lasagna.

He loved visiting her at her place. Although it was just a room that she rented, but she made it really hers. Soft fabrics and juicy colors. Cushions, curtains, feathers. And the fragrance. She always burnt incense. It made your head spin a little at first but then - then you entered the realm of feelings. Seeing, smelling, touching, tasting, hearing. Everything was intensified. Sometimes they'd get chanty and float a rose or something. And then he'd get this tingling all over his body, and then a wave of goose bumps right down to his toes, and then this warmth that would fill him whole, every little part of him. And then - seeing. Smelling. Touching. Tasting. Hearing.

And then - then comes the other edge of the stick.

@темы: buffyverse, fanfiction

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Hardcore

Закопалась по самое не хочу тут
Как всегда, интересно почитать и сравнить впечатления.
Не столь интересно обзавидоваться insight'у some people have и способности все это выразить.
24-летний парень. И не надо мне после этого говорить, что это девчачье шоу. Конечно, парень - программист и явно geeky, но какая к черту разница и кто сказал, что мачизм, бездумье и narrow-mindedness лучше?

@темы: metafiction, buffy the vampire slayer

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Buffy: Season 2 - OVERAPPRICIATED?

Сообщество живет своей жизнью, я - своей, оффтопной ))
В-общем, я не собираюсь говорить, что сезон мне не нравится. КАК?! Angel, Angelus и Spike в одном флаконе - это вам не в тапочки написать. Но вот если брать отдельные эпизоды at face value, получается как-то недо.

When She Was Bad - сюжет не впечатляет, хороши Buffy/Angel interactions, и "mating" with Xander под офигительную песню Cibo Matto.
Some Assembly Required - ерунда, смотреть только ради приревновавшего Ангела
School Hard - ну, это переоценить сложно. все отлично.
Inca Mummy Girl - leaves me cold
Reptile Boy - метафора метафорой, но лично я ценю только Buffy/Angel на кладбище и Xander в финальной сцене.
Halloween - good, смотреть интересно и прикольно, только the "be careful what you wish for" stuff поддастала
Lie To Me - good!
The Dark Age - люблю темное прошлое Джайлза, но здесь смотреть не на что
What's My Line, Part 1 & 2 - хорошо местами, особенно теми, где Spike, Drusilla и полуголый Angel
Ted - ерунда, хоть и метафора
Bad Eggs - по необъяснимой причине нравится!
Surprise - пролог с след. эпизоду. Хороша только первая сцена в квартире Ангела
Innocence - классно, конечно, против самого главного эпизода в сезоне не попрешь
Phases - никак
Bwitched, Bothered and Bewildered - see above
Passion - при первом просмотре, может, и хорошо. повторно - ничего особенного, кроме Angelus/Joyce
Killed by Death - наверное, единственный эпизод, который видела 1 раз
I Only Have Eyes for You - нра! пара дебилизмов, но resolution - рулез
Go Fish - ничего, кроме 2 сцен: почти голый Xander и Willow, допрашивающая Джонатана
Becoming, Part 1 & 2 - ну, нормально, наверное. Buffy/Spike - апогей, Angelus: "And you fall for it every single time!", Angelus/Giles, Drusilla/Giles, Willow/curse. По кусочкам хорошо, так что... Копеечный спецэффект в конце портит впечатление. Но вообще, ладно-ладно, пусть будет хорошо.
Ну и на протяжении всего существования Angelus'а - это interactions в вампирской семейке, это даааа.

Вот и получается, что безоговорочно (да и то, не столько безоговорочно, сколько где хорошее перевешивает дурацкое либо банальное либо неудачное) мне нравятся только 6 эпизодов, two-parter'ы - только 50/50, и много эпизодов, которые хороши только одной-двумя сценами.
Какие имеем арки?
Баффи весь сезон доказывает окружающим, что она not a girl, not yet a woman, с переменным успехом.
Баффи же проходит стадии dating'а, от "не знаю, что он там себе думает" через бальшую и чистую любофф к "я тебе позвоню". Жизненно, да; потоптались по ней от души, да; море всяких метафор, да; откуда столько восторгов - понятно.
Xander и Willow существуют на периферии, немножко иллюстрируя другие юношеские замуты, но исключительно немножко.
В итоге - все понятненько и прозрачненько, character development практически никакого, сезон тянут несколько priceless сцен и вампирская троица.

@темы: season 2, buffy the vampire slayer

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Великое Противостояние

И тут Остапа понесло.
Ибо не могу не вывесить 2 безумно красивых видео на 2 главных баффиверсных пэринга.

Безумно красивое видео номер раз

Название: Stupid
Автор: buffyfanvids

Заценить

Восторги: ах, какая романтика! всегда люблю, когда авторы умеют делать спецэффекты, а уж когда все в тему - вообще зашибись. Аж дыхание перехватывает на начале первого припева - ну про ту сцену скоро все сообщество будет знать, что меня от нее кроет и плющит, но ведь как смонтировано! Ну и в конце, золотая коллекция и замечательный, душераздирающий последний кадр. Applause applause.

Критика: не избежали the cheese factor, когда под слово desert подставляется Баффи в пустыне, на словах set me on fire подставляется Баффи в горящем платье - не знаю, почему-то меня такие вещи слегка нервируют. Типа как певец со сцены на словах про прощанье будет махать рукой. Cheesy.

Безумно красивое видео номер два

Название: Pride
Автор: SpuffyProductions

Заценить

Восторги: Удивительная атмосфера при минимуме поцелуев в кадре. Все на взглядах, музыке, монтаже. Ощущения, как будто вдохнул - и забыл выдохнуть. Слов нет.

Критика: Повторное использование нескольких кадров. Казалось бы, уж при трех (минимум!) сезонах, которые можно было использовать, дефицита материала не будет.

Воззвание
Ищу видео такого же уровня про Спайка и Друзиллу, Ангела и Дарлу
Если вдруг есть кандидаты - буду рада посмотреть!

@темы: fanvideo, buffyverse

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DarkWillow

А че это я как лох, собственный фанарт, явление само по себе редкое, даже в собственном дневнике не вывесила?!



Интересно, а результатов того конкурса про неожиданные амплуа мы так и не увидим?? Или народ должен сам голоса подсчитывать??

@темы: фанарт

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Бету бы...

А?! Anyone?
Для не раз уже помянутого грядущего рассказа.
Единственное пожелание - свободное знание английского.

@темы: fanfiction

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Interesting Piece of Info

Ответ на вопрос, который мы слегка затронули с фрау Марвин.

Из не столь давнего интервью Amy Acker

What sort of storylines did you have setup for season 6?

All I know is he [Joss] was going to have Illyria have the ability to switch back and forth to Fred, like a Superman/Clark Kent kind of thing between Fred and Illyria. She was going to be transforming into different people which I was excited about, not having to do 3 hours of make-up. So that was one thing and another was going to be this whole big mafia thing where we went over and killed all the bad guys and then we were going to kind of become like all these groups were going to turn into a sopranos type mafia thing.

Вопрос, собственно, заключался в том, кто придумал то, что творится в комиксах.

@темы: angel

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Финита Ля Комедия

WE HAD SOME TIMES

Part 10

EXT. CEMETERY - NIGHT

Su-Li Kim и Sid энергично забарывают двух вампиров.

SID
Ну как там с новыми красками?

SU-LI KIM
(смачно врезав своему противнику)
Начинают проявляться.

Покуражившись еще немного, парочка приканчивает противников. Тяжело дыша, смотрят друг на друга. У обоих по лицу расползается улыбка.

INT. - PATRICIA'S HOUSE - NIGHT

Mr. Grant, одетый в стиле римского патриция, возлежит на кровати в позе римского патриция. Patricia, в элегантном длинном халате, припудривает носик перед трюмо.

PATRICIA
Не могу не отметить, что я замужем.

Mr. Grant в шоке.

MR. GRANT
Прошу прощения?

PATRICIA
Это я к тому, что в дальнейшем, если нам захочется устроить повторение пройденного, это будет не так-то просто.

Г-на Наблюдателя будто окатили холодной водой. Он встает и начинает нервно одеваться.

MR. GRANT
Ты не сочла нужным упомянуть об этом вчера.

PATRICIA
(со смешком)
Знаю я вас, английских джентльменов.

MR. GRANT
Если ты его не любишь, то почему не попросишь развода?

Patricia сочувственно наблюдает лихорадочными движениями своего героя-любовника. Потом извлекает из одного из ящичков трюмо изящную шкатулку, снимает с нее крышку. Внутри на фоне черного бархата зазывно поблескивает золото-брульянты. Patricia ласково смотрит на украшения - потом на Mr'a Grant'a.

MR. GRANT
(отказываясь верить)
Только поэтому?!

Patricia убирает шкатулку.

PATRICIA
Нет. Но это самый простой ответ.

Mr. Grant качает головой. В его жизни было мало бесстыдных женщин.

MR. GRANT
И твой муж... Мы ведь наверняка встретимся, как я буду жать ему руку? В глаза смотреть? Как ты ему будешь в глаза смотреть?

С тяжелым вздохом Patricia поднимается.

PATRICIA
Ты меня начинаешь утомлять. Руки, глаза - ради бога, не жми и не смотри, какая мне разница.

Со скучающим видом она обходит уже полностью одетого Mr'a Grant'a, вытягивается на кровати.

MR. GRANT
И ладно бы, если бы это был большой город, мы и не встретились бы никогда, но здесь... Кстати, а зачем Вы вообще сюда приехали? Я-то думал, ты из-за демона...

PATRICIA
(с закрытыми глазами, лениво)
Я-то да... Ну и дом приготовить, то-се... А муж мой здесь будет вести один особый проект...

MR. GRANT
Проект? Здесь? Это что-то со строительством что ли?

PATRICIA
(с улыбкой)
Он юрист.

MR. GRANT
Юрист, особый проект, наша деревня. Как-то у меня эти три слагаемых никак не сложатся.

PATRICIA
Я уже упоминала, что ты меня
утомляешь?

Mr. Grant, оскорбленный в лучших чувствах и покоробленный ее резким тоном, молча разворачивается и выходит.

EXT. CEMETERY - NIGHT

С озабоченным видом Mr. Grant идет по дорожке. Оснащен колом, дергается при каждом шорохе, часто оглядывается - а когда не оглядывается, постоянно вытягивает шею, всматриваясь в темноту по сторонам.

Внезапно до него доносится хихиканье - и женским, и мужским голосом. Наблюдатель замирает. Чем больше он вслушивается в приступы веселья, доносящиеся откуда-то из-за деревьев, тем выше поднимается его бровь.

MR. GRANT
(себе)
Однааако.

Он громко прокашливается. На несколько секунд наступает тишина, которую взрывает громкий хохот. Шорох и хруст. Явление слегка взлохмаченной, слегка смущенной, но в общем и целом, довольной жизнью и собой Избранной. В сопровождении слегка взлохмаченного, совсем не смущенного, довольного жизнью, собой и Избранной охотника на демонов.

SU-LI KIM
А, Mr. Grant. Как свидание с заказчицей убийства меня демоном?

Молодые люди ржут, Mr. Grant пережидает.

MR. GRANT
Ребятишечки, это даже не смешно. Я-то думал, что привил тебе определенные стандарты.

Они успокаиваются.

SID
А вы, собственно, почему здесь?

MR. GRANT
А я здесь, как это ни странно, неспроста.
(to Su-Li Kim)
Неприятное известие.

SU-LI KIM
Ну, конечно. Не придете же Вы меня навестить просто так, по доброте душевной.

MR. GRANT
В доме у... "заказчицы убийства тебя демоном" я увидел визитки ее мужа.

SID
Мужа?!

MR. GRANT
Мужа.

Мужчины обмениваются красноречивым взгядом.

SID
Однааако.

SU-LI KIM
Это и есть плохая новость?

MR. GRANT
Если бы. Он юрист из Wolfram & Hart.

Эффекта разорвавшейся бомбы слова не произвели.

MR. GRANT
Эта фирма очень старая, и хотя на вид и очень солидная, те, кто в курсе, слышали о весьма и весьма темных делишках, которыми они занимаются.

Эффекта все еще нет.

MR. GRANT
И ее муж приезжает сюда, чтобы вести здесь некий особый проект.

Su-Li Kim фыркает.

SU-LI KIM
Я Вас умоляю. Юрист? Проект? Почему я не бегу с воплями ужаса?

MR. GRANT
Он человек, ты не сможешь его просто убить, если он станет тебе мешать. И он может доставить нам кучу неприятностей. Надо готовиться. Попытаться выяснить, почему именно сюда, почему именно сейчас.

SU-LI KIM
Удачи.

Sid не может сдержать смешка, восхищенный ее наглостью.

Mr. Grant смотрит несколько секунд в чистые глаза Истребительницы. Усмехается.

MR. GRANT
И вам.

Разворачивается и уходит.

Su-Li Kim и Sid переглядываются.

SU-LI KIM
Юрист-шмурист. Подумаешь.

Снова переглядываются. Уже по-другому.

SU-LI KIM
Ну что, еще парочку?

SID
Да хоть всю ночь.

SU-LI KIM
А сил хватит?

SID
Хватило бы монстров.

И растворяются в ночи.

С хрустом, гиканьем и непристойными шутками.

Но растворяются.


Таки КОНЕЦ.

P.S. Уф. Аффтар восстал из пеплов. Правда, хвост и задние ноги еще где-то там, но упорно цепляясь ломающимися когтями и кариесными зубами за эскапизм, пофигизм и New Year resolutions, аффтар выползает из творческого небытия. На подлете еще один рассказик, пост с интересным piece of information и дальнейшие умствования по поводу сезонов и эпизодов. ...Эх, а за последнюю-то главку-то тово - страшновато. Вердикт? Questions? Comments? (с!)

@темы: buffyverse, fanfiction

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ДЛЯ КОНСТРУКТИВНОЙ КРИТИКИ И ПРОЧИХ ОТЗЫВОВ. PLEEEASE ^_^

WE HAD SOME TIMES

Part 9

INT. SLAYER COMMAND CENTRAL - NIGHT

Смотрит вопросительно на Sid'а. Тот пожимает плечами, берется поплотнее за меч. Мееедленно Mr. Grant приоткрывает дверь.

На пороге стоит невысокая женщина средних лет, стройная, ухоженная, в строгом европейском платье и шляпке. Она светски улыбается.

ЖЕНЩИНА
Mr. Grant, если не ошибаюсь? Добрый вечер, меня зовут Patricia Williams.

Она протягивает руку через порог. Переложив меч из правой руки в левую, Mr. Grant обменивается с женщиной рукопожатием. Открывает дверь до конца, отступает в сторону. Женщина проходит внутрь, кивает Sid'у, который бесцеремонно разглядывает ее с головы до ног.

PATRICIA
Пожалуйста, присаживайтесь.

SID
(саркастично)
Разрешаете, да?

PATRICIA
У меня был долгий день.
(усаживаетя)
Чаю не предложите?

Sid фыркает.

MR. GRANT
Насколько я понял, вы наняли демона Grosslar убить Su-Li Kim, Истребительницу вампиров и мою подопечную. Вам полагается не чай, а яд.

Patricia цокает языком.

PATRICIA
Не торопитесь с выводами, мистер Наблюдатель. На самом деле Ваша девочка оказала мне огромную услугу, убив это ходячее недоразумение. На что я, собственно, и рассчитывала, подписывая с ним контракт.

Несколько секунд ее аудитория растерянно молчит.

SID
На троечку.

PATRICIA
Прошу прощения?

SID
Историйка - на троечку.

MR. GRANT
Не говоря уже о том, что демон не был убит.

PATRICIA
(to Sid)
А к вам, молодой человек, у меня, кстати, отдельный разговор.
(to Mr. Grant)
Простите, что?

SID
Чего это вдруг?

MR. GRANT
Демон жив.

Пара секунд молчания.

PATRICIA
В каком смысле "жив"?

Мужчины фыркают. Снисходительно и злорадно.

PATRICIA
(раздраженно)
Можно подумать вам от этого какая-то польза.

MR. GRANT
Мне лично пользы никакой, но все равно приятно.

SID
А мне лично очень даже большая польза, вполне такая материальная. Так что тем более приятно.

Patricia внимательно изучает обоих собеседников. Кивает.

PATRICIA
Ах, вот как.
(улыбается широко и с облегчением)
Так тоже сойдет.

Мужчины переглядываются.

SID
Хм.

MR. GRANT
Так Вы действительно хотели от него избавиться?

INT. SLAYER COMMAND CENTRAL - DAY

Su-Li Kim и Sid завтракают. Оба одеты на восточный манер, в широкие штаны и тунику с поясом.

SU-LI KIM
Что за извращение.

SID
А по-моему, очень изящно. И заметь, бесплатно.

SU-LI KIM
Хмм... А что за деньги тот чудик должен был забрать у того в логове?

SID
Она ему типа задаток заплатила, чтобы все как по-настоящему.

SU-LI KIM
Ндаа... И чем же он ей так не угодил?

SID
Вроде как убил ее брата.

SU-LI KIM
Ого. Это грустно.

Молча жуют.

SU-LI KIM
Минуточку! А какого черта она вчера слиняла из дома? Да и как, раз уж мы об этом?

SID
Испугалась, что ее сначала будут бить, а потом вопросы задавать. Если вообще дело до вопросов дошло бы. А как - потайной ход.

Su-Li Kim возмущенно вскидывается. Sid предупреждает ее вопрос.

SID
Он типа зачарованный какой-то, типа просто так не найдешь.

SU-LI KIM
Она еще и ведьма?

SID
Немножко. Кстати.

Картинным жестам он распахивает тунику и указывает на всего такого мускулистого и здорового себя, без единой перевязки и без единого следа недавних травм. У Su-Li Kim отвисает челюсть.

SU-LI KIM
Кстати.

SID
Вы, говорит, вообще невинно пострадали. Вот вам, говорит, от моего доброго сердца лечебное зелье.

SU-LI KIM
С ума сойти.

SID
Предлагаю отметить завершение всего этого недоразумения хорошей драчкой.

SU-LI KIM
(смеется)
Тебе одного раза мало было?

SID
Зелья у меня еще чуть-чуть осталось.

SU-LI KIM
(смеется)
Заметь, не я это предложила.

Поднимаются из-за стола.

SU-LI KIM
Минуточку, а где Mr. Grant? Что-то я его сегодня не видела.

SID
(ухмыляясь)
Ты не поверишь.

INT. PATRICIA'S HOUSE - DAY

Mr. Grant и Patricia попивают чаек, уютно расположившись на диване. Мило улыбаются друг другу, Mr. Grant смотрит на нее с восхищением.

EXT. SLAYER COMMAND CENTRAL - DAY

SU-LI KIM
Что за извращение.

SID
Каждому свое.

Они во дворе. Sid, по прежнему голый по пояс, нападает на Su-Li Kim - не очень успешно, конечно. Проходит некоторое время. Sid изрядно вспотел, Su-Li Kim слегка запыхалась. Ничего не сломано - Истребительница ведет себя осмотрительно. А еще она не раз и не два поглядывает на торс Sid'a.

Что не мешает ей в очередной раз уложить его на спину. Тот со вкусом простирается на траве, издав долгий стон.

SID
Есть в этом что-то этакое.

Su-Li Kim подходит к нему.

SU-LI KIM
Сдаешься?

Sid протягивает ей руку, поднимается с ее помощью на ноги. Руку не отпускает.

SID
В каком-то смысле.

Целует ее. На этот раз девушка отвечает с готовностью, обвивая его шею руками, запуская пальцы в его волосы.

SID
(между поцелуями)
С другой стороны - возможно - моя окончательная победа - еще впереди.

SU-LI KIM
Еще посмотрим.

Атмосфера накаляется. Sid поднимает Su-Li Kim на руки, та обхватывает его талию ногами. Отрываясь от нее только, чтобы посмотреть себе под ноги, Sid уносит девушку в дом.

INT. PATRICIA'S HOUSE - DAY

Здесь тоже обстановочка более, чем просто дружественная.


P.S. Это ишшо не конец )))

@темы: buffyverse, fanfiction

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ДЛЯ КОНСТРУКТИВНОЙ КРИТИКИ И ПРОЧИХ ОТЗЫВОВ. PLEEEASE ^_^

WE HAD SOME TIMES

Part 8

EXT. VILLAGE STREET - DAY

Su-Li Kim и Mr. Grant наблюдают из-за укрытия, как демонообразное существо прокрадывается в один дом через задний ход. Подкрадываются к двери, прислушиваются. Из-за двери не доносится ни звука. Осторожненько Su-Li Kim толкает дверь - не заперто. Изнутри по-прежнему никаких признаков жизни. Переглянувшись и пожав плечами, детективы-любители прокрадываются внутрь, держа оружие на изготовку. Пройдя небольшой темный коридорчик, они оказываются в комнате, обставленной в европейском стиле под рабочий кабинет. На столе при этом девственно чисто, и только недопитая чашка конце стоит в гордом одиночестве. Su-Li Kim осторожно проверяет соседние комнаты - спальню, кухню - и убеждается, что дом пуст.

SU-LI KIM
Вот гаденыш. А мы - дураки.

MR. GRANT
Нда, либо переоценили степень своей убедительности, либьо недооценили органы чувств нашего подследственного.

SU-LI KIM
Куда-то же они должны были деться.

MR. GRANT
Стоит поискать тайный ход, но в худшем случае они могли и телепортироваться.

SU-LI KIM
Будем искать.

Пока девушка лазает на четвереньках, простукивая пол и чуть носом не тычась во все углы, Mr. Grant осматривается повнимательнее.

MR. GRANT
Обрати внимание, как здесь необжито. Либо наша кусачая муха только-только прилетела, либо это просто место для встреч. Но она здесь была только что - кофе еще не остыл. Черт, какие же мы идиоты.

INT. SLAYER COMMAND CENTRAL - EVENING

Sid сидит на постели, облокатившись о стену. Рубашки на нем нет, но есть множество перевязок. Su-Li Kim сидит, как обычно, на полу, скрестив ноги.

SID
Ну что, не так уж было и плохо, правда?

SU-LI KIM
Ты ни слова не слышал что ли из того, что я говорила?

SID
В смысле, скучно-то не было.

Su-Li Kim кривится.

SID
(недоверчиво)
Да ладно! А звучало прикольно.

SU-LI KIM
Ну и странно. Особенно тебе-то что от всего этого? Рутина.

SID
Да ну, какая рутина! Не, конечно, бывает иногда легкая добыча, но в основном-то! Это ж адреналин. Идешь за кем-то по следу или в засаде сидишь, или шею сворачиваешь. Их же много, и они разные!

SU-LI KIM
Но способов свернуть шею не так уж много.

SID
Положим. Но помимо шеи вариантов немало.
(издает смешок)
Как секс, кстати. Суть все время одна, но скучно не становится.

Su-Li Kim опускает глаза, заметно смутившись.

SID
(как ни в чем ни бывало)
Конечно, ты можешь возразить, что от убийства демона или там вампира ты не получаешь столько удовольствия, но я тебе отвечу только одно: а если по-честному?

Девушка ерзает, не зная, куда смотреть.

SID
Так как?

SU-LI KIM
Что?

SID
Как оно, с удовольствием-то, если по-честному?

SU-LI KIM
Ах это ты уже мне? А может, будешь и дальше сам с собой беседовать, тебе вроде интересно.

SID
Ага! Так и запишем. Есть, значит, что-то такое, надо только понять, что это и с чем его едят, глядишь - жизнь заиграет новыми красками.

Вконец выведенная из равновесия Su-Li Kim резко поднимается, все так же не зная, куда деть глаза.

SU-LI KIM
Мне надо идти. Патруль, все такое.

Резко разворачивается и направляется к выходу. В глазах поблескивают слезы, губы сжаты.

Видя, что маневр, мягко говоря, на удался, Sid срывается с места и, наплевав на боль во всем теле, нагоняет Истребительницу прямо у выхода. Без лишних слов, хватает ее и целует. Неуверенно Su-Li Kim отвечает ему. Из напористого и скоропалительного, поцелуй становится долгим и основательным. Su-Li Kim отстраняется первой.

SU-LI KIM
Патруль. Все такое.

SID
Новые краски, куколка, новые краски.

SU-LI KIM
Разберемся.

Наконец, она улыбается. Разворачивается, выходит. Sid, согнувшись пополам от боли, но с довольной лыбой во весь рот, добирается до постели и со вкусом плюхается на нее.

INT. SLAYER COMMAND CENTRAL - NIGHT

Mr. Grant читает в большой комнате, время от времени зевая и попивая чай. Раздается стук в дверь. Наблюдатель вздрагивает. Смотрит на часы: два с четвертью. Из двери в соседнюю комнату показывается Sid.

SID
(тихо)
Мы кого-то ждем в гости?

Mr. Grant качает головой. Поднимается с кресла, снимает со стены 2 меча. Один, поменьше и полегче, бросает Sid'у, второй берет на изготовку. Стук повторяется. Мужчины занимают места по обе стороны входной двери.

MR. GRANT
Кто там?

ЖЕНСКИЙ ГОЛОС
Вы меня пока не знаете. Но не далее как сегодня днем очень хотели познакомиться. Открывайте смело. Я не кусаюсь.

MR. GRANT
Нда, сюрприз удался.

@темы: buffyverse, fanfiction