Fashion and Coldfire

[winter]

Mall today, mostly so I could take a gander at various mp3 players and chew out unsuspecting ignorant salespeople about their features and sound quality. The fact that between three electronics shops there wasn't one where I could actually listen to the players is rather mind-boggling.

Fashion-wise, I rather like this spring's lines, especially the jewelry, but I've got two general comments:
- Can we have some non-lowrise jeans, please? Not everyone wants their arse hanging out of their trousers, really.
- I get it that most clothes are cut "flatteringly" to disguise any lack of breasts, waist, hips and leg length in the wearer. But on people amply supplied in all of these, they just look grotesque.

And during the shopping trip, we started discussing Coldfire again, and casting of a hypothetical miniseries. I'd post this on hunters_forest, but I'm sure they had a ton of casting threads already, so just here for the perusal of those interested - who I think would fit various roles.


Gerald Tarrant - the hardest to cast, hands down. I'm not fond of whatsisname that the author mentioned. A young David Bowie might fit. Visually, it might be Hugh Panaro the way he looks in the Lestat trailer...

Damien Vryce - Russel Crowe? He fits visually and he'd do the raging great, would have to see about the humour.

Narilka Lessing - a china-doll beauty, both fragile and strong, so Natalie Portman by default.

The Patriarch - very, very stereotypical... but really, who else but Christopher Lee?

Hesseth - for some reason I'm thinking Tina Turner, or someone like a younger version of Tina. The same bone structure and regal warmth.

Ciani - Emily Watson. Not quite the visual type, but I think she could convey the warmth and strength and fragility and amorality that's required of the character at various points of the story.

Riven Forrest - Christian Bale. Partly because Christian Bale can play everyone, but also because Riven-in-my-mind has that sort of cynical half-smile.

Gerald Tarrant Mark Two - oh come on. Beautiful, charming, somewhat shorter than Damien, dark hair, golden skin, looks young but with old dark eyes, a swaggering walk-on part at the very end of the story? Johnny Depp or bust.

Comments

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

I can't see him as Gerald, persay, but maybe as the mpreg spawn of Gerald and Damien ;)

However, for some reason, Viggo Mortensen has popped up. Not sure how he would look with fairer hair, but he would be ethereal and eerie enough, I think. Viggo seems to have a quiet, agelessness about him and he can definitely play dark and completely mentally messed-up so beautifully.

I'm just trying to think of someone - anyone - British, who isn't Jeremy Irons, who could pull it off...

[winter]

...you know, Viggo might just work. Cleaned up, put in fancy clothes, and he'd surely do the role justice even if he's not quite as beautiful/fragile as Gerald is described. Might be a bit old for it now since he's pushing fifty, but the way he looked in American Yakuza...

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

The problem is looking for any beautiful and fragile-looking men who can play ruthless and dangerous while not being openly and flamingly camp, which is - alas - what a good many pretty men end up type-cast as.

*ponders and pokes about on imdb*

Alas that Peter O'Toole went and got old, because that was a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful man and a fabulous actor to boot.

[winter]

Uh-huh. About the only one I can think of is Johnny Depp, and he doesn't have the height. He'd be perfect for new!Gerald though....

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

*ponders* You know, I think Jack Davenport has the potential to be a great actor, if only they would let him. Plus, it helps that he's pretty. Not quite Gerald-y enough, but judging from comments below, definitely a whole lot better than the Midget Cruise-chap.

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

Ooh! Ooh! Oooh! How about Ralph Fiennes? :D He's got the arrogant-to-the-tips-of-his-hair thing going for him ;)

[winter]

...you know, my first reaction was "no way", but then I googled a bit and found a picture of a younger Ralph that could just work. And he's got the arrogance, and while I used to be iffy about his ability to menace he did it perfectly (and in such a charming way) as Ralphdemort...

:D

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

I'm not the man's biggest fan, but he certainly has character :D

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

How about Guy Pearce? Admittedly, some of the films he has been in suck mightility, but he really is a remarkable actor and wretchedly pretty as well :)

Yes, I'm just idling time away, looking at pretties:
Luke Goss - he's played a psycho vampire before and he has fascinating eyes :)
With a decent director and a bit of age on him, Hayden could be captivating.
James D'Arcy. Um... hello... *ogles*

(And, on a sidenote, Ray Stevenson has crept up on me as a Damien. He was fabulous as Dagonet in King Arthur and brilliant in Rome as Titus Pullo. Plus, he's loffly :D)

Now, though, I trot to work on Spike having a fanboy fit at von Krolock's library ;)

[winter]

Hey, I had the same idea about Hayden :> Would need a lot of acting lessons though, or a body-switch with Viggo. The others also look yummy interesting...

Now, though, I trot to work on Spike having a fanboy fit at von Krolock's library ;)

*pokes with a sharp stick* Excerpt?

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

According to legend, the whispers of the internet and Empire magazine, he's actually a very good actor. It's just that Lucas has the ability to make everyone wooden. Just look at the original films - they had a little more leeway. By trilogy 2, Lucas was so up his own arse that he was kissing himself from the inside. He couldn't direct. Even Spielberg wanted to try and save him from it.



And this is all I have so far:


Staring around the vast room, awe written on his face, William’s hands trembled by his sides. Von Krolock, though his eyes were directed ahead, watched him from beneath his lashes.

As he had suspected, this intriguing young creature was far more than his shabby appearance indicated and in the presence of von Krolock’s library, the boy looked as if he might go into paroxysms of delight.

“I would prefer that Angelus were not informed of this room,” he murmured.

William shook his head at once, eyes travelling from shelf to shelf. “No… no, he wouldn’t know what to do with himself in a place like this,” he agreed, taking a faltering step into the room. “All this is yours?”

“A hobby,” von Krolock made a casual gesture with one hand, moving deeper into the room. “One has so much time when one will live forever.”

He could almost sense the youngster trying to pull his carefully constructed mask back in place, to hide behind the coarse, ragged little ragamuffin that Angelus seemed to prefer; someone harsh and raw and utterly without emotion and most certainly not an educated person who looked like he might burst with delight at the sight of the grandest library Eastern Europe.

Even so, anyone with half a mind and a single wit who saw how William treated his beloved and quite mad Sire could see that he was not the animalistic creature Angelus seemed convinced he was.

“I should go and catch up on the hunt…”

Von Krolock paused where he stood, glancing over his shoulder. “In my house, guests are at liberty to do as they choose,” he observed quietly. “Not as they feel they should choose.”

The child’s indecision was precious, his perplexed frown almost palpable on the air.




(This scene is followed by Spike geeking out, Herbert appearing, reciting poetry and lo, 1 year old William's first kinked experience ;D)

[winter]

Awww :D

Spike is such a precious puppy. And I think the lord of the castle is quietly enjoying the opportunity to subvert another of Darla's and Angel's crew...

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

Considering that Herbert has told Angelus that if he catches him, he can play with him for a while, but when Angelus was out chasing shadows, Herbert snuck back into the castle and is waiting in the library for Spike, I think it's a case of both father and son wanting to frustrate Angelus all the more ;)

[winter]

I don't blame either of them, really... *is not an Angelus fan*

Am I right in thinking that if Angelus ever did catch up to Herbert, he'd find the tables rapidly turned and himself in chains?

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

*grins* Oh, yes :D I think that's probably why they don't visit for a while. Angelus goes into a mood and sulks for about 10 years, so they don't go anywhere near the von Krolocks, during which time, Spike gets the emotional smackdowns from Angelyus turning him more into SPike than William.

[winter]

I would assume the von Krolocks are not too amused by it during the next visit? Though again, the mass of contradictions that results would certainly seem interesting to Herbert, if not his father :>

And oh, can't wait for the post-AtS S5 fic...

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

As I recall, at some point shortly after Spike is turned, Darla goes back to the Master (her sire) for a while, leaving Spike, Dru and Angelus doing the socialising together. That's when Angelus deliberately orchestrates a situation so Spike catches him with drew and from then, what dubious respect Spike ever had for Angelus was shattered, because - in the way of the noble moppet he is, Dru was his and seeing her falling on her back for the guy he considers more a big brother than a rival hits him hard.

From them, he's adamant that Angelus is a git and competition, thus begins the "anything you can do, I can do better", killing anything mentality to both keep Dru interested in him over Angelus (after all, she left him because he went soft by siding with Buffy to save Dru's life) and to try and raise his own personal feelings about things (ie. it gets to the point that they have to hide out, because Spike's one-up-man-show against Angelus has meant they're being hunted). The tougher he is and acts, the harder he figures it'll be for anyone to smack him down again. So, so wrong.

The fun with Herbert and dad is that they remember what he was like and they know he's still like that underneath, despite the fact he still lets the demon have more fun than it otherwise would. I think that's why they continue to call him William, as well. Herbert's adamant that he's not fooling anyone (I like the idea of Herbert being quietly perceptive aside from all the boinking) and von Krolock finds him both intriguing and pitiable because he feigns such confidence and arrogance, but has so much more beneath the veneer of the savage.

Me again :) Next fragment.

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

Turning to face the youth, little more than a fledgling, barely a year beyond the touch of mortality, von Krolock smiled fleetingly, gently encouraging. “I have no doubts Angelus would be most put out, should you intrude on his choice of hunt.”

“Drusilla...” William’s voice wavered uncertainly.

“She and Darla are also otherwise occupied,” von Krolock murmured. He had seen to it, in fact, having the two women pampered by some of his most loyal and, above all, strikingly handsome companions. He was silent for a moment, then made a casual gesture with one hand. “If you would rather roam the castle until they have a little time, I will not restrain you. There is much to see.”

Though he shied back towards the door slightly, William’s blue eyes darted along the shelves that lined the walls. Chewing his lower lip, he dared to look at the door, then puffed out his chest, as if he had known his decision all the time.

“Since they’re busy, might as well kill some time in here,” he said loudly.

Lowering his eyes and hiding his smile, von Krolock inclined his head in a brief bow of acquiescent acceptance. “I trust you will leave all as you have found it, when you tire of lingering here?”

He could sense the boy’s relief. William certainly did not want to admit he was an admirer of literature, so to hide behind the facade of boredom was an excuse he was quite willing to grasp and one von Krolock was quite content to offer.

In days such as these, it was usual to find fascinating vampires as unique as the ones harvested by Angelus. Drusilla on her own was quite the find, but young William, clearly so much more than he appeared, was a charming addition to the little family and one von Krolock intended to observe and - if possible - preserve.

Re: Me again :) Next fragment.

[winter]

Oooh, von Krolock in studious scientist mode <3 <3 <3 (though I think you meant UNusual there?)

BTW, just managed to dig out your parcel from my mailbox, almost undamaged except for the bits where I gouged it with my claws, because it was jammed in tight ;) Thank you so much, and OMG your handwriting is so pretty! All round and flowing and full of character!

Re: Me again :) Next fragment.

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

One day I'll start reading through my stuff before posting :D What a day that'll be ;) and yep! He's fascinated at this new little vampire, especially seeing what makes him tick :D He probably understands Spike more than any other vampire he encounters.

And yay! I'm glad it arrived safely :D I have little trust for the UK postal service.

(also, is it bad that Herbert's planning on convincing William to recite this poem? It seems so fitting and Herbert's already prepped to quote Rimbaud at him.)

Re: Me again :) Next fragment.

[winter]

I'm still wondering about his reaction the next time he meets Spike - disappointed? Even more curious? Sees through the rough layer to the same core?

(Oh, and von Krolock throwing handsome vamps at the girls to distract them is... diabolical, really. He's such a practical fellow <3)

...it's probably a good thing that William's still polite and proper for the most part. Spike would try to gut Herbert for even suggesting that poem. (And then abscond with the book to read it in peace, of course.)

Re: Me again :) Next fragment.

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

I think he can always see the same little William beneath it all. The way Spike tends Dru never changes, in fact, the rougher he seems on the outside, the more notable his gentle affection for Dru :) He probably would understand why Spike became the way he was - he could see the seeds of it, even then, which is why he's encouraging the reading and suchlike, so Spike will always have that little bit of him that is a dork after his turning, so he can never claim "oh, I was just a geek when I was human" and dismiss it.

As for the William/Herbert interaction - William was raised to behave around gentlemen and, up to a point, Herbert is behaving impeccably :D He's not made any indications of naughtiness and he quite 'innocently' suggests that William read that poem for him, as his English is terrible. William, in all innocence, does so, only for Herbert to get horny and jump him :D

Re: Me again :) Next fragment.

[winter]

Is someone playing Pygmalion, then, at least a little? then again, with his future-seeing abilities, the temptation is probably irresistible...

...you. Write. Now :P

Re: Me again :) Next fragment.

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

I think it's mainly because of what von Krolock sees in Angelus - the complete lack of humanity disgusts him. Such simple things as curiosity, intellect and all the little niceties that he appreciates in William have been crushed down in Liam.

With Liam, the directionless sot he was as a human was overrun by the demon with few traces of the man he had been (not that he was entirely pleasant to begin with). With William, he had such a distinctive character, such a strong nature, it remains, even tied to the demon. Too many vampires just give way to the demon, but I suspect von Krolock appreciates the ones with enough humanity left to still be interesting. Even the Judge says that Spike has humanity in him in the middle of season 2, which I adored ;)

Picture the scene - William wandering the library, captivated and thinking he's completely alone, when a voice starts reciting dirty french poetry from a chaise. There, Herbert is sprawled, leg dangling over the end, all purr-y voiced and pleasant...

Poor William doesn't stand a chance.