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Post by Wind Fish on Apr 23, 2005 12:27:21 GMT -5
I sat down Thursday to write something that wasn't even Buffyverse related so I don't know how I came up with this, but whatever. The mood is kind of all over the place, and I really didn't want to deal with the plot point that becomes clear after the second vampire encounter, but I couldn't not acknowledge it. I stopped as soon as I could, which may or may not be a good thing.
Overall, I think this turned out okay. Not great, but not bad for what I've done. Oh, and if the final plot seems a little too unresolved, there is a reason. <small voice> I have a semi-sequel in mind that briefly wraps it up. </small voice>
Characters: Connor and Salome
Words: 1791
Rating: PG-13 for violence, strong language, and slightly graphic imagery
Summary: Connor and Salome's patrol is anything but routine. I guess it best fits in between episodes 8 (Still Life) and 9 (The Vampire Slayer).
Story in following post(s)
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Post by Wind Fish on Apr 23, 2005 12:37:13 GMT -5
"It would be nice if people could take care of themselves." Connor was in the process of avoiding a charge from one vampire and blocking a kick from another.
"And here I was under the impression that you liked this gig," Salome replied after punching a third vampire in the nose.
Connor had grabbed the leg of the second vampire and threw it into a wall. "I do enjoy this part," he hit the other with a left jab. "But what if we hadn't shown up?" A right cross left it stunned. "They were helpless." He finished it off with a stake to the heart.
"That's why they had us." Salome used her left leg to sweep the vampire and finished it off with a stake of her own before it could defend itself.
The last remaining vampire stood up and took a few steps forward. It found itself facing Connor with Salome on its left. The two demon fighters made brief eye contact before Connor ran towards the wall on the vampire's right. He ran up the wall and started to push off. The vampire was ready to defend against the flying kick. It was not ready for the flying stake that hit its heart from behind. Connor landed standing up just in front of the fresh pile of dust. Connor looked down at it and frowned.
"What's the matter, Ace? Dust get on your shoes?"
Connor looked up at her, "They would have died." He was referring to a man and woman who were serving as the vampires' pray.
Salome turned serious, "Not that I don't understand how you feel, but where are these thoughts coming from? This isn't how you usually respond to saving lives."
"I don't know why tonight is different." Connor started forward and Salome followed in step. "I guess I've just been thinking about the people I couldn't... can't save."
Salome took her boyfriend's hand. "I know it's hard, but you have to accept that you can't help everyone. That's not your fault. You have to concentrate on those you can help."
"Still, it would be nice if more people could defend themselves."
"So why don't you start a self-defense class?" Salome asked with a grin.
"That's... not a horrible idea." Connor was surprised he thought that.
"Better yet, put it on DVD. You could educate a larger audience that way."
"Are you making fun of me?"
"A little. But what these people need is running shoes, since that's what they should be doing if they come face to face with something they don't know exists." Salome wrinkled her nose, "Did that make any sense?"
"I know what you were getting at." As they turned a corner, Connor decided to change the subject. "So I was thinking, since we're both free tomorrow afternoon, that we should do something."
"I was thinking of doing something: replacing Oni's bed spread. I still don't understand how the paint ended up that far away from the canvas."
"I could go with you. But I wanted to... you know... take you..." Connor didn't know why he was so nervous.
It was funny seeing Connor struggle, but Salome decided to help him a little, "Are you trying to ask me out on a date, Ace?"
"Well... yeah." Connor was relieved she finished his thought for him.
"What, this isn't romantic enough for you?"
Connor laughed. "I was thinking something a little more normal."
"Walking around looking for demons at one-in-the-morning isn't normal?"
"I think 'different' was the word I was looking for. How about something different?"
"Different sounds good. What do you have in mind?"
"Uh... I haven't gotten that far yet."
"You're not very good at this," Salome said in a teasing tone.
"I haven't really gotten past the 'asking to go out' part in years. Last time you said yes I was completely lost. Then we fought."
"Why don't you try again when you have an idea? I might not even hit you this time."
"Did I ever tell you..."
"I cannot do that! You will not make me! I do not have to listen to you!" the loud voice didn't allow Connor to finish his thought.
"You can tell me later." Salome and Connor took off.
The source of the voice was a lone vampire in full game face inside the entrance to a parking garage.
"I will not let you manipulate me! I am sick of being told what to do!"
"Salome? Who is he talking to?"
"I have no idea. Maybe he's practicing a speech?"
"Either that or someone spiked his blood."
"Blood?" The vampire finally saw his new audience. "Where? Get it away from me! I cannot stand the stuff!"
"You don't... you don't drink blood?" Connor is the one who asked, but both were genuinely shocked.
"Bleh! Only when Leon forces me to."
"Who's Leon?" A logical question, Connor thought.
"What? Are you blind? That," the vampire pointed to the concrete wall on his left, "is Leon! And how did you get in here? You did not pay the toll!"
Connor and Salome looked at each other. Salome is the one who replied, "Yes we did. We gave it to Leon."
"Huh?" The vampire turned to something only he could see. "Why was I not informed? Are you holding out on me?" The outraged vampire threw a punch and winced when its hand hit the wall. "You asshole! You were not supposed to duck!"
Connor built up the courage to ask, "When was the last time you drank blood?"
"It was..." The vampire turned to his right. "Hey, Pedro! When did I last drink that horrible red crap?"
Connor whispered to Salome, "Wasn't he talking to Leon?"
"Leon's over there!" The vampire pointed to his left. "God, would you start paying attention?"
"Yeah, Ace, pay attention." Salome was laughing. Connor wondered why he was getting a lump in his throat.
The vampire was listening to something. "Did you catch that?" he asked Connor.
"Catch what?" Connor's voice was getting weak.
"Blind and deaf! Great. Pedro thinks it has been 43 days. That seems too recent. I cannot trust him. He is a chronic liar. Right, Pedro?" The vampire waited for a response that apparently came. "Stop lying, Pedro, you are to!"
"Hey," Salome stepped forward, "I didn't catch your name."
"My friends call me Travis. Leon calls me dickwad."
"Uh... Travis. Do you want to see a magic trick?"
"Magic trick? You mean with cards?"
"No, much cooler than that."
"I really..." Travis paused, then looked up at the ceiling in frustration. "Dammit, Leon! Fine!" He looked back at Salome. "Okay, we will watch your trick."
Salome held a hand out in front of her. She concentrated hard. A fireball started to form.
"Hey, how the hell did you do that?"
"Here, I'll show you." The fireball shot from her hand into Travis' chest.
"Ow! Hot! Get a hose, Pedro!" Pedro didn't react in time and Travis turned to dust.
Salome turned back to Connor with a small smile. "You can take care of Leon and Pedro."
"I..." Connor seemed at a loss for words.
"Was I the only one who found that whole exchange hilarious?" her smile widened.
"I... shit, Salome! Is that what I did to Angel?"
"Huh?" Now Salome was the one who was lost. She had figured he was surprised by the odd vampire.
"Maybe that vamp was just nuts, but what if the lack of blood did that to him?" Connor sounded horrified.
"I don't understand what that has to do with..."
"Get away from me!" a woman's scream served as a perfect interruption. Connor, deciding that a distraction is exactly what he needed, ran towards the source. Salome was a step behind.
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Post by Wind Fish on Apr 23, 2005 12:46:23 GMT -5
As they approached, the distinct sound of two gunshots could be heard.
The couple shared a quick look before continuing on. Upon arrival they saw a sight that was new to both of them.
"He is..." Salome, looking slightly flush, started to ask in a low whisper.
"...a vampire," Connor finished without the woman hearing. "Yeah."
"Oh my god! I... I killed him. I killed someone," said the woman, who was in her early-to-mid-thirties. She leaned against a wall, dropped her gun, and slid down to the ground. The vampire, laying motionless on the ground, was missing parts of its head.
"It's okay. It'll be alright. Can you explain to us what happened?" Connor bent down and put a hand on her shoulder.
"He... I... this alley is a short cut. I... I usually don't take it, but I was in a hurry. He came up from behind and... said some things that made me nervous," a few tears started to fall. "I've been attacked before, that's why I carry the gun." She pointed to the magnum sitting on the ground by her feet. "I panicked and... he's dead. He's dead and I'm... am I going to go to jail?" The tears were more frequent.
"Don't worry," Salome spoke up, "we'll take care of it."
"But..."
"We'll tell the cops I did it."
The woman looked oddly at Salome before wiping her eyes and turning her attention to Connor. He and Salome made eye contact before he looked back and nodded. "Leave the gun with us. Go straight home. It's the only way to ensure you won't be in trouble."
"How can I..."
"Please," Connor gently pulled the woman up, "we can take care of it."
The woman stared at them for a few seconds. She took a few slow backward steps before turning and breaking into a run.
When she was out of sight Connor spoke up. "Was that smart?"
"I don't know, but what would have happened if he woke up?"
"Is he going to? I mean, he looks dead-- er."
"I don't think vamps can be killed this way, Ace." Salome sounded a little unsure of herself.
Connor hesitantly pointed around the alley. "He's missing a good chunk of his brain. I don't think he's going to be contributing much to society."
"I wonder if this has ever happened before."
"I'm not sure. Maybe I should call Andrew." Connor started to get the phone out of his pocket.
Salome grabbed his hand. "Wait, we need to finish up here before someone comes by."
"Yeah, you're right. We can ask later. I guess I should put him out of his misery."
Connor bent down and put a stake through the vampire's heart. It, including the parts that weren't attached, turned to dust.
"So now what?" Connor looked lost.
"Have you heard sirens? Any signs that someone else heard or saw any of this?"
"No, nothing. The only thing I hear is music from that building." He pointed down the alley. "There's no one else around."
"What about the woman? Hopefully she doesn't call the police, but she has to talk to someone."
"Andrew might have to call the Council, see what they recommend."
"We should follow her so that we know where she lives."
"Yeah, that's a good idea." Connor picked up the gun. He looked it over, "She could have taken out a tank with this thing." He concealed the weapon, then started to follow the woman's scent, Salome by his side. "Man, this is so much easier when the demon-ignorant are helpless."
Salome looked at Connor with raised eyebrows before breaking into soft laughter.
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Post by Emcee on Apr 24, 2005 9:44:27 GMT -5
Okay, I know I should be TOTALLY impatial being that I write the series but... *lets out Connor/Salome shipper* Dude, those two are so cute together.
You've captured their spirit well. Connor's a lot more serious than Salome is. I like her jibes at him. And Connor fumbling over trying to ask her out is hilarious... Thought I wonder if Connor would really have trouble with it, considering, knowing my girl, when he picked her up to go patrolling she most likely stuck her tongue down his throat.
It's funny you picked the name Travis for the crazy vampire... That was what Jamie's name was originally! Crazy vampire was a weird concept. I'm wondering, what he REALLY mad from hunger, or was it the evil Hellmouthy vibes that have been coming up ever since Jules' sacrifice?
I say go for a sequel.
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Post by Wind Fish on Apr 24, 2005 14:36:59 GMT -5
Yeah, I wasn't sure if it made sense. But the idea amused me so I decided not to second guess what played out in my head... with this part anyway. My official excuse, I guess, is that because he hasn't seriously asked anyone out for a real date in so long, he was just nervous about the act itself and not about whether she'd say yes or whatever.
Can I pretend I did it on purpose and meant the whole thing as a parallel to Jaime having to listen to the different voices in his head regarding how he feels about Wesley?
Honestly? I wasn't sure what the real reason was. When you first mentioned the patrolling idea, I pictured involving the hellmouth somehow. This story is different from that concept, but the vampire kind of came from that. The blood part didn't surface until Connor mentioned spiked blood. Even with that, I think there's a few different ways you can interpret the whole situation. That's what I was hoping for, anyway.
One question I'd like to ask, if you don't mind answering, is did I make a mistake in bringing up Angel but not really discussing it? Mentioning the issue definitely wasn't planned, but Connor started freaking out on me. They originally talked about it a little, but two things came up:
1. At the time I assumed Salome knew all about Angel's ocean vacation. But with the audience (and maybe even Connor) not really knowing what she knows, I wasn't sure how to handle any response from her.
2. Based on what I got from Parents Day, TNP-Connor doesn't feel exactly the same way that I think my Connor would. And since I don't know for sure how he feels in this series (though I think I have a good idea), or if it'll be brought up later, I decided I shouldn't have him comment on it much.
I almost cut the idea entirely, but I felt it made sense that he made some connection. Especially since he was reminded of it not that long ago by First!Holtz.
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Post by Emcee on Apr 24, 2005 23:28:13 GMT -5
Yeah, I wasn't sure if it made sense. But the idea amused me so I decided not to second guess what played out in my head... with this part anyway. My official excuse, I guess, is that because he hasn't seriously asked anyone out for a real date in so long, he was just nervous about the act itself and not about whether she'd say yes or whatever. It works... After all, Xander had trouble asking out Cordy after they did the grope thing. There's a big difference between making out and asking a girl out. Besides, it was cute. Oh, I TOTALLY got that. *nods firmly* I think the whole story works as a nice example of the Hellmouth getting more active. I mean, a woman blowing out a vampire's brains? DEFINITELY not of the norm. It worked fine. Connor does that all the time. Just metions stuff and doesn't get into it. |
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Post by Buffy8Fan on Apr 25, 2005 14:02:27 GMT -5
I thought this story was really great and I would love to see a sequel if you would like to write one.
A couple of things though. In your introduction before the story you say which episodes it takes place between. To me personally it would be easier to actually give the episode names because I had to look them up to remember which numbers they were.
Also, while the crazy vampire section was great (it actually reminded me of pretty much every crazy person that has been of Buffy and Angel) the girl with the gun who shot the vampire, I had to read twice because I had a little troube understanding it but I think that was mainly because I didn't get why a vampire would be knocked out after a bullet would even if it was to the head.
I would love to (as I've said before and will say again) continue to read more of your fanfiction. Especially since your the only one brave enough to put any up.
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Post by Wind Fish on Apr 25, 2005 18:39:31 GMT -5
I'm glad you liked it, but there's a little bad news. I decided I didn't like my sequel idea. I still want to do one because I kind of set it up, but something else that fits will have to come to me first.
Sorry, I was being lazy this time. I should be the one who does the work to look that information up, not the reader. Actually, I think next time I'll list both names and numbers (I'm someone who remembers plots by episode number, not name).
I think there are different interpretations of that circumstance, but I'm of the opinion that a vampire has to get its memories and motor functions from somewhere. So if the brain were severely damaged, the vamp is going to be fairly useless. Maybe the brain would heal itself eventually, but until then I picture the vamp being very similar to a braindead human. And magnums are pretty powerful guns. Maybe I didn't do proper imagery, which I know I need to work on, but I was seeing quite the mess there.
If you don't buy that explanation? Well, vampires have been knocked out before. Two powerful shots to the head could have at least left it unconscious for a couple of minutes, whether the injury would have had any long-term effects or not.
I'm happy you've liked my writing so far. Like I said, with people interested I won't hesitate to keep writing if I have ideas.
Hmmm... I think my next story is just going to have vampires dying (or being incapacitated) in untraditional ways. A steam roller here, a pack of hungry lions there, yeah... it'll be fun... is there a market for that?
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