Vampires and Stuff

[ht_murray]

First, belated thanks to almightyspaz and vanae for the baby otters and to jellicle for the adorable puppy. Sooo, cute! My profile is happy making. :D

Second, only two weeks until LA! I know a few people who are going to be there; kj_svala, heather03nmg, and 3rd_leg are going to be Me overloaded by the end of the weekend. I swear, I only stink a little. :P

Is anyone else going to be there??

And now onto the point of this post. Vampires. Funny story about last night's pre-emption of SPN. I mentioned it to hubby several times during the day that it wouldn't be on, and yet, he turned it over to the CW at 8:00 and said, "You didn't even remind me to turn it on." I don't know why I waste my breath. I also mentioned I wasn't planning to watch it, but again, deaf ears. Now the funny part is, he didn't bother to change the channel when Nikita came on. So, I came in and found him watching Nikita. The traitor. Well, okay, it was mostly watching him at that point. So, I clicked it onto American Idol which I had DVRed the night before. Long story short, they moved Nikita to compensate for the loss of audience to AI, and I still managed to turn on American Idol instead. (The AI abbreviation always makes me think of Artificial Insemination. I grew up on a farm. Sorry.)

About the vampires, though. Tonight we watched Lost Boys: the Tribe on Netflix. It was all right, lacked the plot twists that made the first one epic, but not bad as vampire movies go. But it got me thinking about Dean Winchester (like everything doesn't get me thinking about Dean Winchester, anyway.) Y'know, what I'm talking about, the Twihard episode? In this movie they went with a very similar plot, people get 'turned' by drinking the blood of the vampire, but aren't a full vamp until they make a kill and drink someone themselves. I got to wondering if there are any stories out there in which the infected humans hold out indefinitely.

The reason I wonder is, well we had Dean hold out for awhile, though it was portrayed as excruciatingly difficult. Not really a surprise for me, though, that he could do it, since he's basically had to hold out on the pursuit of anything that makes being human worthwhile. He's been doing that his whole life. I'm beginning to think being human's never going to be anything except angst fodder and misery in that universe, since they're obviously never supposed to enjoy it. Anyway, that's beside the point. It just made me think, though, how is it that people, Dean Winchester as an example, can basically abstain from the joy of being human, but people are seemingly unable to withstand the draw to become something other than human. I wonder why that is? What is human nature if it's so much easier to deny than the nature of the beast?

It makes me want to write a story in which someone is infected by a vampire or some other such creature and never succumbs to drinking blood or killing. I mean, we have examples of full vamps who drink only non human blood, but they still got fully vamped by giving in to the call. It seems vampire lore isn't entirely set in stone, or else how would you explain the Twivamps? I think, if it was twisted so that an infected person didn't actually need blood to survive but only craved it, there could be a fascinating character to play with. He (or she) could still have some of the power (I kinda like the idea of thrall myself) but be neither human nor vampire, indefinitely. How would other vampires treat him? How would he interact with humans?

Does anyone know of any stories like this? Because I kinda have it in my head that vamps are divided by this character, some who see him as a Messiah type, some who see him as a threat. It could be epic...

*is pondering* But really, does the world need another vampire story?

Comments

[a-carnal-mink.livejournal.com]

Blade, m'dear.

:)

[albeitslowly.livejournal.com]

Really? Never seen it. LOL. What's the story? I mean, should I just give it up completely, because it's already done?

Or is there still an angle, because now I'm intrigued, but I don't see myself watching that movie to find out.

*is disappointed* Seems all the good ideas are taken. Hence, I haven't written a lick since before Christmas. :/

[a-carnal-mink.livejournal.com]

The original comic version (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blade_%28comics%29#Fictional_character_biography) and the movie version (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blade_%28comics%29#Films) of the character differ a little, but for the most part he's got the vampire strengths but none of their weaknesses (except the thirst). The first movie is actually not a bad vampire flick and has some interesting ideas...

There are only seven stories in the world, remember. It's the telling that makes 'em worthwhile. ;)

[albeitslowly.livejournal.com]

But does he drink blood? Or has he? Because my idea isn't so much about having the powers. I'm not interested in having a superhero, vigilante type character so much as one who's perceived as super just by being NOT, if that makes sense. I know they try to tell us that's what they're doing on SPN, but the delivery isn't working for me. I think it's more about the ability of self-denial, but where it's actually a good thing, not like we have now where they deny themselves everything and get nothing in return. I'm not exactly sure yet what my character does get out of it, though. I mean, if I had that, I'd know the story. LOL. And I don't want any Sam Winchester parallels, because I have no interest in that character. /irrational resentment. LOL.

[a-carnal-mink.livejournal.com]

I haven't read the comics, so I don't know for sure if there were ever any instances there where he was forced into a situation where he had to drink human blood, but in the first movie there is. Basically, a bunch of vampires have drained him to the point of death and the heroine of the piece tells him to drink some of her blood so that he can get the strength back to fight and get her and himself out of there. It's one of those horrible situations where a character has to go completely against their entire sense of self because the situation pushes them into a corner. I find that kind of thing interesting. Like Dean breaking in Hell. It's so horrible and fascinating. Ryan Reynolds gets a similar situation in Blade Trinity which is even more horrible than Blade's one, because the vamps torturing him throw him a child - Blade's heroine was adult and could consent to the course of action, even suggested it herself, but the kid can't, of course.

Gods, now I'm really wishing I had all the Blade movies on dvd. Why don't we have them? *yells out to hubby* "Hey, why don't we have the Blade movies on dvd?". "I don't know," he yells back. :)

[albeitslowly.livejournal.com]

Sounds like you need Netflix over there. Since I got Netflix, I've seen so many things I would never wish on anyone but luckily don't really have to pay for, LOL. Hubby has really terrible taste in movies. What can I say?

And I like those kind of situations you described, as well. Just not what I had in mind. It occurred to me while I was watching this movie tonight that I'd never heard of a story where someone was infected with the vampire thirst and was able to avoid drinking blood indefinitely. It seems like all the plots are based on finding and killing the lead vamp before the change is complete, so it's implied that no one could hold out forever, or a good deal of the urgency would be gone. I'd be interested in seeing a character who's somehow been in that never-never land for years, at least. Either starts out so far under the radar that other vamps don't know about him, or maybe has some kind of mentor who keeps him sheltered. I keep thinking about that woman and little boy vamp in the original Lost Boys, how they were both still vampires, but the woman was nurturing and protective of the little boy, and the little boy still somehow seemed like a little boy, and not like, say, the little girl in the supermarket in 30 days of Night.

I wonder what the boy would've been like if the woman was staked? (Which very well may have happened, since it's been forever since I saw that movie. LOL.)

And I just realized I've basically described Obi Wan Kenobe trying to keep Anakin from going to the dark side. LOL. There really are only seven stories. Dammit.

*plugs ears* lalalalalalaaaaaa. I've never seen another movie or read another book in my life. These ideas are mine, dammmmiiiiitttt!

[alwaysenduphere.livejournal.com]

You should definitely look into Blade. I love the movies but I feel like people would shun me for saying that without reccomending the comics too, so...yeah.

Also I totally feel like my "Dean is the alpha hunter" idea fits well into your how Dean struggles to stay human or whatever. idk.

[albeitslowly.livejournal.com]

I feel like I'm the only dumbass in the world that doesn't know Blade. :S I can, however, tell you just about every line of dialogue from Empire of the Sun. LOL.

I had the same idea of Dean as the alpha hunter. I think I posted something to that effect on one of the forums right after they introduced the concept of the 'alpha' on the show, but was immediately booed off the board for bringing up things from season four and five which were obviously closed and not open for discussion. ://// But I agree. However, I think that was addressed in one of the recent Gamble interviews, and she seemed as dense as the forum peeps about that concept. Maybe you should write for the show and I'd have something to look forward to. :D

And happy birthday... I think.

[x5vale.livejournal.com]

I think both TVD and SPN focus on how much important being human is. Point is that both Dean (which is human) and Damon (who used to be) feel and suffer because of their humanity.

If we look around, we see in the reality. I guess being human mean to struggle not to succumb, to find our own way to have peace.

Your idea of fic is very very interesting :)

[albeitslowly.livejournal.com]

I agree. I guess the problem I have with SPN is that I don't see them ever having peace. I think Sera even said in her interview that she'd let Dean come to a settling point, but then shake things up again. I guess I'm tired of shaking. It's shaken Dean syndrome! Stop shaking the Dean!

*glomps you* I hope Gaia is feeling better today.

[x5vale.livejournal.com]

Yep Sera said it.

I agree, Dean deserves some peace and rest now.

She is sleeping now, she is nervous and whiny but she is better. Thanks for asking hon.

[chocca2.livejournal.com]

I, like everyone thought of blade the movie. First is worth the watch, even the second, but I wasn't fond of the third and forth.

*is pondering* But really, does the world need another vampire story?

From you? Hell yeah.

*smishes*

[chocca2.livejournal.com]

You may have seen these already but some similar vamp movies along those lines are:

Near Dark (1987)

The Forsaken (2001)

I've always been a sucker for a good old vampire flick.

[albeitslowly.livejournal.com]

I don't know if I've ever seen any of those either. I used to sit around and watch movies all day long. Now, I either can't sit through one, or I'm not in control of my television, so I can't watch anything, period. I guess that's what comps are for. I think I have Ten Inch Hero on here. Maybe that will make me feel better. LOL.

[ewanspotter.livejournal.com]

The world can never have enough vampire stories... in so long as they're treading new ground (and don't sparkle). That idea sounds really awesome. I'd certainly read that book.

[albeitslowly.livejournal.com]

I have to be careful, because as soon as I thought of the 'mentor' aspect of it, the story started wanting to be about brothers. I'm not doing that again. :/ Now that I've written in this fandom, I think no one will ever read anything I write and not assume it's really SPN fanfiction. Man, did I screw myself over.

[ewanspotter.livejournal.com]

Well, there's always a sockpuppet account, or just keeping it to a few people who won't judge you on it. I think you're pigeonholing yourself too much. :)

[albeitslowly.livejournal.com]

Heh, you're probably right. Though, I did have a little help with the pigeonholing. Perhaps I need a journal where I post nothing but squee and crackfic about penguins and armadillos. :D

[ewanspotter.livejournal.com]

... are the penguin and armadillo brothers who fight otheworldly creatures?

[albeitslowly.livejournal.com]

No. One's an angel and one's a demon. Perhaps I should make one a koala, but then the 'land down under' thing might be to anvilish. The armadillo falls through a hole in the world and ends up in Antarctica, where he's nothing but a cool sled for the penguin and a curling stone for all the penguin's buddies but is, nonetheless completely dependent upon the penguin who keeps the armadillo warm by sitting on him with his big belly of fluff. And the penguin keeps the armadillo around because he's the only one that has one, and it makes him cool(er). Then, one day, due to circumstances which were set into motion by the armadillo falling through the wormhole, killer whales sprout legs and come on land to eat. They decimate the entire penguin population except for the armadillo's penguin who is safe and protected under the armadillos armored shell. Then, the killer whales take back to the sea, and the penguin and armadillo must find some way to end the killer whale apocalypse and save a world they were never a part of.

[ewanspotter.livejournal.com]

[albeitslowly.livejournal.com]

LOL, Marshall. He can be the armadillo.