From: owner-stillpt-digest@smoe.org (stillpt-digest) To: stillpt-digest@smoe.org Subject: stillpt-digest V4 #93 Reply-To: stillpt@smoe.org Sender: owner-stillpt-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-stillpt-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk stillpt-digest Wednesday, June 19 2002 Volume 04 : Number 093 Today's Subjects: ----------------- b/semi&noncanon ["Donald G. Keller" ] Re: b/semi&noncanon [Joseph Zitt ] Re: b/semi&noncanon ["David S. Bratman" ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 18 Jun 2002 15:10:09 -0400 (EDT) From: "Donald G. Keller" Subject: b/semi&noncanon I've been in a terrible writing slump (I don't know whether to say "again" or "still"), and I think one solution to such a situation is to just write off the top of my head about whatever occurs to me. One thing is to second Meredith's enthusiasm for the upcoming Buffy & Angel comic issue. That's a scene we really wanted to see, pretty obviously, and Jane Espenson has already proven herself in the comic-writing game with her recent four-issue sequence called "Haunted." It takes place in the aftermath of the third season, and is narrated by the Mayor(! from beyond the grave). It also features Buffy dreaming about Faith (the latter's first appearance in the comics), and transitions to the 4th season along the way. I liked it quite a bit (but then, anything with Faith in it...) Thanks to David for pointing the way to that fan fiction site. The Godzilla piece was =really awful=, but (speaking of Faith) I made a beeline for the one about Wolfram & Hart springing Faith out of jail; unfortunately, for technical reasons I couldn't get past the first chapter, but it did start with (yes!) more dreams. Springing Faith from jail is becoming a common trope: the =Buffy=/=Angel= prose crossover trilogy =Unseen=, which features just about all the characters from both shows, has a sequence in which Riley and Gunn(!!) break Faith out of jail to help out with the rather cosmic plot. And =next= month's novel is about the Watcher's Council getting Faith out to work for them, leaving Buffy aside. And then there was the fictional idea that occurred to =me=... Here's the scenario. Faith is part of a prison work detail, doing night work repairing/building a freeway in the wilds outside L.A. A gang of vampires attacks, and though Faith manages to dust them all, it's not before they massacre all the humans, prisoners and guards both. So there's Faith, all alone in the middle of nowhere in her orange prison jumpsuit. She flags down the first passing car, not realizing until they've gone a ways that they're not going back to L.A., but towards...Las Vegas. Now, doesn't it make sense that there would be a significant demon presence in Las Vegas? Lots of dramatic potential there. Also a couple of possibilities for the person who picks Faith up. I'm figuring it's a young woman who works in Las Vegas and has been visiting L.A. (she can give Faith some less conspicuous clothes). Does she get murdered as soon as they reach Vegas, giving Faith an emotional motivation to Get Involved? Or does she survive to be a friend and emotional anchor for Faith? Both ways work, I think. And I'm well aware that there are some rough spots in this setup (local color for L.A. to be added, etc.). But I think it's interesting in that it's very =noir=, with lots of gray areas: Faith is legally an escaped prisoner, and the "secular" law is likely to frame her for the massacre. Plus it's inevitable that she'll have run-ins with the demon underworld, and there are ambiguities to explore there, as well. But there's one other big factor that spurred this idea, which I'll introduce with the one actual piece of prose I produced from the story-to-be. (I'm no great shakes as a fiction writer, but clearly in this playpen one doesn't need to be.) This takes place not long after Faith arrives in Las Vegas: The last vampire exploded into dust, and the alley was empty. Or so Faith thought. Then she heard a rustling sound, and whirled to see a shadowed form cowering at the far end of a dumpster. She stalked slowly closer, stake raised, when a surprisingly calm British voice stated, "You can put up your weapon. I'm human, and no threat to you." "I'll be the judge of that," Faith snapped. "Show yourself. Now." With elaborate casualness, a lean figure of middle height emerged into the dim light. He was an older man (about Giles' age, Faith thought) with dark blond hair. His evening dress was a bit worse for wear. He looked at her warily, then smiled sardonically. "Well, well. Shouldn't you be home in jail, little girl? In a moment Faith had him up against the wall, her hand around his throat lifting him a few inches off the ground. "How the hell do you know who I am?" She hadn't fazed him much. As well as he could through her hold, he said, "Where =are= my manners. We haven't been properly introduced. If you'll give me a moment to explain..." With a disgusted exclamation Faith let him go, stepping back a pace and crossing her arms. "I shouldn't be surprised you have such a grip," the man continued conversationally. "To the educated eye, it's obvious that you're a Slayer. And since there are only two in the world, and I know the other one, you must be Faith. I'm Ethan Rayne." He extended his hand; Faith glared at him until he dropped it, turning it into a dusting gesture at his trouser-leg. Faith was nodding. "I've heard of you. Buffy says you're a real scumbag who deserves a good ass-kicking." "Ah, Buffy," Ethan mused. "Impetuous girl. A quality you share, obviously. I confess I find it quite charming." Faith gave him the fisheye. "I'm not down with your sweet-talk, Mr. English Wuss. What's the sitch here?" "The 'sitch'?" said Ethan, puzzled. "Oh, the =situation=! One of your colorful American slang terms. Well. I find myself at quite a disadvantage here. You see, two of the...individuals you so enterprisingly disposed of were my bodyguards. The other four were a gang of thugs who set upon us." "You had =vampires= for bodyguards?" Faith said incredulously. "Funny thing about vampires...they're very strong, much stronger than humans, and surprisingly cheap to feed. Though they have drawbacks others lack." "Meaning what?" Faith was running out of patience. Ethan was looking at her speculatively. "I'm wondering if you're at liberty to take up a new position." Startled, Faith said, "What are you, some kind of pervert?" "You have no idea," Ethan purred. "Whatever!" Faith waved away any and all mental pictures. "I'm still not following you here. Speak English or die!" Ethan laughed delightedly. "How menacing. Silly girl, I'm offering you a job." And that was my idea: the combination of two of my favorite continuing characters. By sheer happenstance Faith apparently did not meet Ethan Rayne: she was in Sunnydale but not involved in "Band Candy" for some reason (she's in the episodes before and after, "Homecoming" and "Revelations"), and as of "A New Man" in 4th season she's still in a coma. Ethan Rayne was last seen (in "A New Man") hauled off to Nevada to be incarcerated by the Initiative. After said outfit crashed and burned, doesn't it make sense that Ethan would somehow get free, and drift to Las Vegas? I'm figuring he's managing a demon casino for a shadowy owner, and needs a bodyguard because he'd be a target otherwise. Faith suits the situation well, because she can =look= like just another young woman in Las Vegas, but is serious muscle. And the aforementioned ambiguities...Faith has been trying to reform, to atone, and it wasn't her doing that she's on the lam. But if she's involved in the demon underworld, she's out of sight to human law. (Another idea: what is Kate Locksley up to these days?) Anyway, no idea if I'll write any more of this, but it's a fun idea. Comments are welcome. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 18 Jun 2002 15:35:56 -0500 From: Joseph Zitt Subject: Re: b/semi&noncanon On Tue, Jun 18, 2002 at 03:10:09PM -0400, Donald G. Keller wrote: > She flags down the first passing car, not realizing until > they've gone a ways that they're not going back to L.A., but > towards...Las Vegas. FWIW, we also have another useful character in Las Vegas right now: Lorne. Can Faith sing? - -- | jzitt@metatronpress.com http://www.josephzitt.com/ | | http://www.metatronpress.com/jzitt/ http://www.mp3.com/josephzitt/ | | == New book: Surprise Me with Beauty: the Music of Human Systems == | | Comma / Gray Code Silence: the John Cage Discussion List | ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 18 Jun 2002 13:30:09 -0700 From: "David S. Bratman" Subject: Re: b/semi&noncanon At 12:10 PM 6/18/2002 , DGK wrote: >One thing is to second Meredith's enthusiasm for the upcoming >Buffy & Angel comic issue. That's a scene we really wanted to >see, pretty obviously, and Jane Espenson has already proven >herself in the comic-writing game with her recent four-issue >sequence called "Haunted." Gads. How many Buffy-universe comics have there been by now? >Springing Faith from jail is becoming a common trope: Of course it has. You don't even need to bring anybody back from the dead (as if _that_ were so difficult). >And =next= month's >novel is about the Watcher's Council getting Faith out to >work for them, leaving Buffy aside. They probably consider her the real Slayer now, anyway. >Now, doesn't it make sense that there would be a significant >demon presence in Las Vegas? Lots of dramatic potential >there. Have you read Tim Powers' _Last Call_? Vegas is the most repulsive city I have ever visited, but even I really enjoyed that novel. >Also a couple of possibilities for the person who >picks Faith up. I'm figuring it's a young woman who works in >Las Vegas and has been visiting L.A. (she can give Faith some >less conspicuous clothes). Name her Deirdre, in honor of your favorite Buffy fan (and in that case, don't kill her). If this story is a spin-off of the _Angel_ series, she turns out to be either 1) Chantarelle/Lily/Anne, having changed her name yet again; or 2) working for Wolfram & Hart. >Faith is legally an escaped prisoner, and the >"secular" law is likely to frame her for the massacre. If this story is a spin-off of the BTVS series, they can't catch her with both hands tied behind her back. >(I'm no great shakes as a >fiction writer, but clearly in this playpen one doesn't need >to be.) Oh my. Your dialogue is actually pretty good. I can definitely imagine the actors in the roles saying most of this. Narration not so outstanding, but you have a better handle on said-bookisms than most fanfic writers. ------------------------------ End of stillpt-digest V4 #93 ****************************