Мне нравится, что можно быть смешной, распущенной и не играть словами...(с) Спаффи махровая (настоящая).(с)
или что там еще могло завять. 
Самого комикса пока так и не нашла, зато попался скрипт, кто хочет ознакомится, залезает под кат, нежелающие портить впечатление, проходят мимо.
читать дальшеBuffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8, Issue #12
“Wolves at the Gate, Part I”
Prologue Summary: The Slayer population of the world has gone from two to nearly two thousand. Buffy and Xander have established a base in the highlands of Scotland where they continue to train Slayers, and command their forces around the world, building their defenses against new threats. Willow comes and goes; Buffy has cut Giles off; and Dawn’s a giant. They’ve battled familiar foes, deranged zombies, and military goons, but only Buffy has faced the elusive new enemy apparently behind it all: Twilight.
Start of Issue #12
The opening image is seen through the familiar round lenses of binocular vision. In the magnified image we see two wolves in the foreground, one standing, one sitting. Behind them, behind the tree line, two more sets of eyes are visible. All the eyes are a glowing, harsh red. Possibly natural, but only possibly.
XANDER: (VOICEOVER) … Or maybe they’re panthers.
The view reverses, and we see a close-up of Xander holding the binoculars up with his left hand, staring through them with his one good eye.
XANDER: No, no – I was right the first time. Those are wolves. We got wolves at the gate.
From a wide view, Xander and another figure, Renee, are visible as small silhouettes on the castle rampart. Fog blooms up around the castle in the hills, and the moon fills the night sky behind them.
RENEE: I’m gonna need you to be sure on this one. Wolves: common sight along the moors. Panthers… not so much.
Next we see the two in close-up, Xander handing Renee the binoculars. He is standing beside and slightly behind her, like he is going to teach her to shoot pool. It looks briefly intimate as Renee glances up at him with a small smile.
XANDER: Yeah, you better check me. I got no depth perception here. For all I know, it’s a swarm of bees.
In close-up, we see Renee now looking through the binoculars. She’s studying the ground below but starts a separate conversation.
RENEE: You don’t have to do this, you know. I mean, I’m cool.
XANDER: Do the what now?
We see the two of them together, but now both of their faces are turned down and a little saddened – Renee’s embarrassed at what she’s saying, and Xander possibly disappointed in what he’s hearing.
RENEE: Last time I pulled sentry duty, Scottish zombies swarmed the castle. I get it. I screwed up. Not gonna happen twice.
The view shifts and we see past Xander to Renee looking him right in the eye.
RENEE: You don’t need to babysit me. (then, quietly) Definitely wolves by the way.
The next image is wider, and we see Xander holding out both index fingers in his familiar “wait a second” gesture. Renee looks away from him slightly.
XANDER: Okay, hang on. Nobody’s babysitting anyone here…
In close-up, Xander loses his train of thought, holding his fingers thoughtfully up to his chin with the new idea he’s having.
XANDER: If anything, that fantasy comes much later and only if we both agree to it and have a safeword.
In a wider view, Xander gets back to his point. We see him pointing out into the night sky, showing it to Renee as they continue talking. She is smiling now, happy to hear his reassurance.
XANDER: Trust me, I’m on my own time here.
RENEE: Really?
XANDER: Are you kidding me? Look out there – the moon is full, the stars are bright, the fog is particularly fog-tastic…
The image pulls out wide again, and we see the castle gate from ground level. Amidst the fog, the wolves are advancing, stalking forward to the apparently idle fortress as Xander completes the thought.
XANDER: … who wants to be alone on a night like this?
Off Xander’s apt question, the scene shifts to Buffy’s bedroom. We look down from the ceiling to see Buffy in bed. Satsu is there with her. The pink sheets are a tangle, tastefully covering them. Satsu is lying with her head on Buffy’s right shoulder, her arm draped over Buffy’s waste. Buffy’s left hand is resting on her forehead, palm out. On the floor, we see a pair of jeans, a pair of panties, a stuffed animal. They have clearly just then finished having sex.
BUFFY: Wow.
The next image shows the two lying in bed from alongside, Buffy still staring at the ceiling. Satsu lifts her head a little when Buffy talks, and Buffy’s speech is punctuated by gaps that can only be explained by her trying to catch her breath.
BUFFY: That was… that was… wow.
SATSU: Yeah…
The view reverses and we see the two in close-up, Buffy staring up, Satsu looking at her. Both have beads of sweat on their foreheads. At the end of the panel, a voiceover chimes in transition us out of this private moment.
SATSU: “That was wow” pretty much covers it.
VOICE: You’re supposed to say ‘easy miss, I’ve got you…’
And in the next scene, we see that it’s Andrew who’s speaking. He is arm in arm with Willow, flying through the night sky. He’s holding a suitcase in his right hand while Willow holds him on the other side. Willow’s face looks a little weary, looking more tired from the company than from the trip.
ANDREW: (cont) … and then I say ‘you’ve got me? Who’s got you?!?”
WILLOW: I’m supposed to call you ‘miss’?
ANDREW: ‘Lois’ is fine.
From a wide view, we see the two of them silhouetted against the full moon, like E.T., as they approach the castle. The fog is thick along the grounds.
WILLOW: If you start with that “can you read my mind?” speech again, I’m dropping you.
ANDREW: ‘Here I am like a kid out of school…’
We see them diving smoothly toward the castle in a closer view.
WILLOW: You know, most people just scream and hold on for dear life when I fly them places.
ANDREW: I took a Dramamine.
WILLOW: Ah.
As they near the surface, they fly over a barn. From inside, two pajama-clad, giant feet stick out – Dawn is asleep inside.
ANDREW: Is that Dawn down there?
WILLOW: Yep.
ANDREW: She sleeps in a barn?
WILLOW: Only when it looks like it might rain.
From behind, we see Willow has arrived and let Andrew get on his feet on the rampart. He is waiving to her from a door as he goes inside, while Willow hovers a few feet above.
WILLOW: You want me to give you the grand tour?
ANDREW: Nah. That Dramamine’s making me wobbly. I think I best retire to the boudoir, m’lady…
In close-up, we see Willow smiling warmly at him as he goes inside. The fog is building behind her.
ANDREW: (cont.) I could use a quiet evening tonight.
The next image shows Willow still hovering and smiling down, but behind her, in the fog, a woman’s face and hands are materializing. She’s wearing a top-hat, and her bangs come down over her face.
Next we see Willow caught around the face – the woman has materialized completely in mid-air behind her, and has Willow in her grasp before the witch can react.
The scene changes and we’re on the rampart again. Xander is looking out with the binoculars, while Renee stands beside him, leaning forward against the side wall. She’s smiling coyly as she speaks.
RENEE: You know, there are better ways to do this.
XANDER: Do what?
RENEE: Spend time with me.
We see Renee in close-up, smiling wider as Xander looks back at her. Her openness has his attention.
RENEE: I mean, off the top of my head, you could, you know… take me out.
XANDER: You want me to *assassinate* you?
RENEE: No. On a date.
In close-up, we see Xander, a little stunned.
XANDER: Oh.
The next image is from the same angle, but now Xander is opening up a pleasant smile.
XANDER: Renee, would you like to go out with me?
We see the two of them in profile, looking at each other, their ‘uniforms’ matching, romantically lit by the moon above.
RENEE: I’d love to.
XANDER: Okay then.
The next image shows them silhouetted as they walk back into the castle through a nearby door. The fog is pouring over the walls, as if following them.
RENEE: But first, we should probably deal with our wolf problem.
XANDER: I know. I’m not even sure who we alert. A zoo? Do they have zoos in Scotland?
RENEE: Nope. Scotland’s a primitive society. Their men hunt with clubs and their women wear corsets to bed.
XANDER: I don’t want to go out with you anymore.
The scene changes and we’re in Buffy’s bedroom again. As before, we look down from the ceiling. But now Buffy and Satsu are symmetrical, lying on their sides, facing each other, both with their hands curled up between pillow and cheek. The only things visible in the room are them, the pillows, and the sheets – as if the rest of the world doesn’t exist for them just then.
SATSU: So…
In extreme close-up, we see their faces just inches apart as Satsu continues with her very important question.
SATSU: How do we handle tomorrow?
BUFFY: What do you mean?
Satsu sits up slightly in bed, still leaning toward Buffy, though.
SATSU: I mean… I know what this is. I know you didn’t just… turn gay all of a sudden.
BUFFY: Right. Wait…
The view reverses and Buffy sits up in bed, suddenly anxious, her eyes wide.
BUFFY: *How* do you know that? Did I do something wrong?
From a wider view, we see Buffy now self-consciously holding the sheet up over her breats, gesturing nervously as she speaks.
BUFFY: Because I’m flying blind here. It’s not like they make instruction manuals for these sorts of things.
SATSU: Actually, they do.
BUFFY: Okay, but *I haven’t read them*.
In close-up again, we see Buffy’s face from beside Satsu’s cheek.
BUFFY: I didn’t get a lot of prep time here and I think that should be taken into consideration before final grades are given.
We pull out out wide again, but the bed is “back” now, we see them from the footboard. They are both sitting up, covered by the sheets. Satsu looks at ease, Buffy still nervous.
SATSU: Trust me. You didn’t do anything wrong.
BUFFY: But I didn’t do enough things! You did more things than me!
SATSU: And you let me. You were amazing.
Buffy visibly relaxes as we see past her shoulder to a close-up of Satsu. The younger Slayer is smiling, not shying away as she was in the previous issue.
BUFFY: I can live with amazing. What was your question again?
SATSU: What do we do about tomorrow?
The view reverses, and now it’s Buffy we see past Satsu. Buffy’s face looks wan, still a little tired from the sex.
BUFFY: You mean the whole “we slept together” thing?
SATSU: For starters.
The next image shows Buffy’s face in close-up, at the far right of the ‘frame’, the entire background just shadows. Her eyes are half open, her lips half-smiling. She’s not panicked now, not upset, just thinking.
BUFFY: I don’t know. It’s like… I had a wonderful night. And… it’s been a while since I said that. So… tomorrow, I’m gonna think about what we did. And I’m gonna blush. And then I’m gonna smile.
Then we see the two of them together. Buffy pulls her hand through her hair before resting her head on it. Satsu, hearing what Buffy is saying, looks down, clearly disappointed.
BUFFY: But I’m not sure it goes any further than that.
SATSU: I get it.
BUFFY: You sure?
SATSU: Yeah. We’ll leave it at “we had a wonderful night”.
The image pulls out wider, and Satsu has gotten out of bed, gesturing her thumb toward the wooden door to Buffy’s chambers. Buffy reaches out to protest, touching Satsu on the shoulder.
SATSU: I should probably get going…
BUFFY: No. That’s not what I’m saying. I mean…
We see Buffy’s face as she continues. Satsu sits back down in the bed next to her as they speak.
BUFFY: You can stay ‘til morning.
SATSU: Really?
BUFFY: Yeah. But do me a favor, though… don’t mention this to anyone.
SATSU: I won’t say a word.
In extreme close-up, we see Buffy looking at Satsu, starting to smile again. As she finishes, though, a voice cuts in from outside – Xander, who apparently is used to entering without knocking.
BUFFY: It’s not that I’m ashamed or anything. It’s just… you know, for now… it’s better if we keep this between us.
XANDER: (from out of the image) Okay, probably nothing to worry about…
We see Xander in close-up as he pushes open the door to lean in, already halfway into his report. Buffy shouts in protest, but too late.
XANDER: … but there seems to be a wolf and/or panther situation I should bring to your –
BUFFY: *Xander* –
The next image shows Xander standing just inside the open door. He is visible from between the two lithe and tastefully shadowed backs of Buffy and Satsu, both sitting in bed, covering their bodies with the sheets. Although we can’t see him, there may in fact be another, entirely separate Xander, standing beside the real one.
XANDER: *Oh Merciful Zeus*!
The image reverses, and Buffy and Satsu both pull up the sheets, their mouths open in protest.
BUFFY: *Xander, get out of here*!
In a close-up, we see Xander clip his right palm over his good eye, embarrassed.
XANDER: I didn’t see anything, I swear!
In profile, we see Xander, shaking as he fidgits, still covering his eye. Renee’s voice is heard through the door as she comes to check on their report.
XANDER: Oh my eye. My burning, beautiful eye.
RENEE: (from out of the view) What’s the verdict?
And now we see Renee has entered, standing next to Xander, once again visible between Buffy and Satsu on the bed. Xander uncovers his eye and looks at her, his face looking like he wouldn’t mind falling on any one of the ornate weapons on Buffy’s wall behind him.
RENEE: Are we supposed to sound the alarm?
And that’s when Renee turns to see the scene on the bed. She stares blankly at Buffy and Satsu as Xander answers her.
XANDER: I wasn’t aware we had an alarm for this, but yes. Sound the alarm.
The image reverses, and we see Satsu, the sheet pulled up to her chin, shyly hiding as she and Renee greet each other. Buffy, for her part, is trying so desperately to clothe herself, she has fallen off the bed with a *WHUMP*.
RENEE: Satsu?
SATSU: Hi Renee.
BUFFY: Please *shut the door*!
Buffy’s demand serves to cue Andrew to walk in the room. He is wearing a stocking cap and pajamas, thumbing out toward the hallway and what he’s seen.
ANDREW: Okay, to be fair, I’m still a little woozy from my medicine…
We see Andrew flick on the lightswitch with a *click* -- he is looking at Xander and Renee, who are, for their part, staring together, wide-eyed, at Buffy and Satsu.
ANDREW: But I’m pretty sure a dozen wolves just ran past me in the hall.
BUFFY: (from out of the image) *ANDREW*?!?
The next three images are of Xander, Renee, and Andrew, from left to right. First, we see Xander looking off to his right, away from the others. Renee looks up at the ceiling helplessly. Andrew smiles pleasantly when greeting Buffy.
ANDREW: Oh, hi Buffy. Hi nude asian girl.
Next it’s Xander looking at the ceiling, his mouth open as if letting out a heavy sigh. Renee studies her shoes. Andrew cocks his head a little, as if contemplating a post-modern painting.
Then it’s Xander looking over to Andrew, Renee glancing along with him, when Andrew puts his hand on the back of his neck and asks the reasonable question.
ANDREW: How much Dramamine did I take?
The view reverses, and Satsu is holding her head in humiliation, while Buffy’s hand reaches up from the floor to grab her pajama shirt off the bedpost. A voice calls in from outside the window as she does this – Dawn’s voice.
BUFFY: *EVERYBODY GET OUT OF MY ROOM*!
DAWN: Buffy, the entire barn is filled with bees and –
As Buffy pulls on her shirt, she and Satsu both look over to see Dawn’s astounded face filling the bedroom window.
DAWN: *Oh my God! Buffy, what are you doing*!?!
BUFFY: *Dawn*!
The next image shows Xander, clapping himself on the head as if he’s had an epiphany – it’s made him smile. Renee looks up at him dubiously.
BUFFY: (from out of the image) *This isn’t what it looks like*!
XANDER: Oh, thank God. This is a dream.
RENEE: I don’t think it’s a dream.
Waving her off, we see Xander help himself into Buffy’s desk chair. Renee stares at him with her hand on her hip.
XANDER: No, I’ve had this one before. You’re here. They’re here. I’m just gonna go sit in the corner and wait for Willow to arrive.
Nobody has a chance to answer this idea before the ceiling explodes inward with a *KRRRWHAM!*, sending a rain of debris into Buffy’s room. The two lovers both drop back into the bed, while Xander, Renee, and Andrew jump out of the way.
From above, we see Willow land in the pile of debris – she’s been thrown through the ceiling. Buffy leaning over the footboard to check on her.
WILLOW: Ow.
BUFFY: *Willow*!
In close-up, we see Buffy’s worry as she shouts in panic.
BUFFY: *Oh my God – what happened*?!?
WILLOW: (quietly, wounded) I think we’re under attack…
In a close-up of Willow, we see blood dripping from her nose as she tries to push up from the floor and looks over at Buffy.
WILLOW: (quetly) Why are you naked in bed with Satsu?
The image shifts back to Buffy, who is furiously putting clothes on, apparently no longer caring who can see what.
BUFFY: Where exactly are these wolves?
The scene shifts, and a wolf looks around a corner in a hallway.
Next, we see it at a metal door with a coded keypad. The door is marked “ARMORY”.
The next image shows the wolf ducking as if to sniff at the door, but instead, it begins to dematerialized, turning into a wisp of fog.
Inside the armory, the fog starts to rise from under the door.
It takes shape, floating in mid-air.
And then we see it coalesce into a man’s shape, wearing a single breasted suit, buttoned up, a red scarf, and with long hair.
From behind, we see the man reaching out to the object of their mission – Buffy’s scythe, the ancestral weapon.
Behind the intruder, more fog pours into the armory.
When that fog materializes into another man, taller, also long-haired, the first one is holding the scythe, looking at it longingly.
SECOND MAN: Kumiko brought down the witch. We’ve engaged the Slayer forces at the perimeter.
We see them both in profile, other weapons, less important, ignored on the walls.
FIRST MAN: Any confirmed fatalities?
SECOND: None so far. They’re stronger than we expected.
FIRST MAN: Oh, don’t sound so dour, Raidon…
We see his eye staring wickedly at the glinting edge of the scythe in close-up as he finishes his thought. He’s so fascinated, he doesn’t realize that the armory door has opened, because we hear Buffy’s voice from outside.
FIRST MAN: The future is bright.
BUFFY: (from out of the image) Okay, I try to be miss share-and-share-alike…
We see Buffy in close-up, holding up the armory door. Angry doesn’t begin to describe her. Behind her, Slayers are fighting wolves, bats, bees.
BUFFY: But I *really* don’t like it when people touch my stuff.
In response, we see the man holding the scythe point at it wordlessly, as if asking if this is what Buffy meant.
Next we see him poke it’s handle with his finger, looking right at Buffy when he does.
Then we see him shrug innocently – he touched her stuff, so what?
So what is the next image – Buffy drives her right fist into his face, shattering shelving behind him, but not shaking his grip on the scythe.
We see the man’s face at ground level, Buffy at the door looking down, ready for more. She’s slipped into a pink camisole and pajama pants. Between them, the other man turns back into fog.
The next image is from the same angle – and the man is a vampire, slipping into gameface with a grin. Behind him, his friend has rematerialized… as a panther. Buffy no longer looks so certain, her arms open cautiously as she looks at the big cat.
BUFFY: Did your friend just turn into a kitty?
Buffy’s distraction is the moment the vampire needs; he comes up quickly and sends Buffy flying into the armory wall with a back fist.
We see the panther-vamp, Raidon, take the scythe in its teeth as the vampire reaches down.
VAMPIRE: Go.
As Raidon bounds from the armory, the vampire stares down at Buffy, who watches helplessly as the panther escapes.
VAMPIRE: ‘Bye now.
And then he disappears in a puff of fog.
In a close-up, we see Buffy looking up where he had vanished.
BUFFY: Okay. That’s new.
In the hallway, Raidon bounds past Slayers still fighting the other shape-shifting vampires. They either don’t notice what he has, or can’t stop him.
From behind, we see him begin to leap toward an outside window, the moon visible outside.
Raidon bursts through the window with a *KREEESH*. As he does, Kumiko, the vampire who grabbed Willow, flies up from the ground, where more Slayers are fighting outside.
We see her grab the scythe from Raidon’s jaws as she flies past him, his drool on the handle.
As Raidon drops to the ground, Kumiko rockets up, smiling.
From the ground, we see her shadow racing past the moon in the distance.
BUFFY: (VOICEOVER) I’m not saying it makes sense…
The scene changes, and we see the gang gathered in the command center. Xander, Buffy, and Willow are all on the center dais. Willow is sitting against the rail, holding a cloth to the back of her injured head. Xander has his arms crossed, listening to Buffy. Buffy is next to him, gesturing in exasperation at what she saw. She has also slipped on a cut-off UC-Sunnydale hoody over her pajamas. Satsu is standing, but on the step below the others. Various other Slayers are gathered, sitting on the floor or standing in the back of the room. Behind them, the vampire who stole the scythe is smiling on the main display – a video feed of him during the robbery, visible through static.
BUFFY: … but a vampire punched me and then turned into *fog*.
XANDER: We got similar reports from the frontlines…
The view reverses, and we see Satsu, and behind her, Leah, Rowena, and another Slayer – Alpha Team has all congregated on this side of the room. Satsu looks forlorn, like she’s staring across the grand canyon.
LEAH: Yah. Definite transmogrification abilities.
ROWENA: Saw ‘em flit between wolves, panthers… even bees.
On the dais, Buffy looks over at Willow for explanation. Willow sits up, still holding what looks like ice against her head.
BUFFY: How is that allowed? They’re *vampires*. Did I miss a meeting or something?
WILLOW: Believe me…
The next image shows Buffy looking down soberly when Willow says what she has to say. Behind her, Satsu hangs her head – sad, embarrassed. Even Xander looks a little surprised, since he knows what Willow means. Although we only see part of her face, Willow looks like she’s staring at Buffy very pointedly when she says it.
WILLOW: Nothing seems to make sense tonight.
Buffy apparently ignores this, turning back to Xander for consulation. Behind her, Satsu is eyeing her leader, and other Slayers listen.
BUFFY: They took the scythe.
XANDER: I know.
BUFFY: The *scythe* scythe. My scythe. That *can’t* be a coincidence – they must know about the spell.
XANDER: Yes, granted. This counts as “bad”.
We see Xander look over his shoulder at the vampire on the display as he tries to sound positive.
XANDER: But we’ll track ‘em down. How many Japanese vampire goth gangs can there possibly be out there?
The view shifts, and we see Willow sitting up again, weighing in. Buffy looks over at her.
WILLOW: Are we even sure they *are* vampires? I mean, when was the last time we saw a vampire turn into a swarm of bees?
In close-up, Buffy agrees with Willow’s confusion, before slowly realizing.
BUFFY: *Right*! That’s what I’m saying! I just said that! Since when do vampires turn into wolves…
From a wider view, we see Willow and Buffy both turn and stare at Xander as the figure it out.
WILLOW: Or… panthers…
BUFFY: Or fog…
We see a close-up of Xander, his eyes wide in suspicion.
XANDER: What? Why’s everybody staring at –
Xander’s exprеssion turns slightly horrified – he’s made the connection.
He lowers his head, shutting his eye unhappily.
XANDER: Aw crap.
The scene changes, and we see Xander and Renee together in a light helicopter, one that’s entire cabin is plexiglass. Xander is piloting it, and they converse through the necessary headsets.
RENEE: This isn’t exactly what I meant by “date.”
XANDER: I know.
RENEE: I was thinking something less… helicopter-y.
XANDER: I’ll make it up to you.
From above, we see the helicopter on approach. Below, there’s a huge, gothic castle, maybe bigger than the Slayers’ own. Alongside, there’s a stone tower with steps that apparently also serves as a helipad.
RENEE: I’m not even sure what I’m supposed to be doing here.
XANDER: You just need to keep an eye on me. Make sure I don’t do anything strange.
They land the helicopter, and continue discussing it as they climb out.
RENEE: What do you mean “strange”?
XANDER: It’s nothing to worry about, it’s just…
We see the two of them in silhouette as they approach the castle’s front door, a torch burning beside it.
XANDER: Sometimes when I get around this guy, I start acting… wonky.
RENEE: Like wonky how?
In close-up, we see Xander’s eyes wide in alarm as the door opens with a long *CREEEEEEK*. Renee is still staring at him intently, wanting an answer.
RENEE: Xander, like wonky *how*?
On the other side of the door, we see him – Dracula, the dark master, the unholy prince (-bater, in both cases). He stares evenly at Xander from inside the door.
DRACULA: Hello, manservant.
We see Xander alone in close-up, looking back at Dracula gamely.
XANDER: Hey. How’s it going…
The last image shows Xander in the same close-up, but now lowering his head in resignation. When he speaks it seems as if the word is almost dragged out of his mouth against his will.
XANDER: (quietly) Master.
To Be Continued…
End of Issue #12
Надо новый тэг сделать, сильное помешательство.
Самого комикса пока так и не нашла, зато попался скрипт, кто хочет ознакомится, залезает под кат, нежелающие портить впечатление, проходят мимо.
читать дальшеBuffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8, Issue #12
“Wolves at the Gate, Part I”
Prologue Summary: The Slayer population of the world has gone from two to nearly two thousand. Buffy and Xander have established a base in the highlands of Scotland where they continue to train Slayers, and command their forces around the world, building their defenses against new threats. Willow comes and goes; Buffy has cut Giles off; and Dawn’s a giant. They’ve battled familiar foes, deranged zombies, and military goons, but only Buffy has faced the elusive new enemy apparently behind it all: Twilight.
Start of Issue #12
The opening image is seen through the familiar round lenses of binocular vision. In the magnified image we see two wolves in the foreground, one standing, one sitting. Behind them, behind the tree line, two more sets of eyes are visible. All the eyes are a glowing, harsh red. Possibly natural, but only possibly.
XANDER: (VOICEOVER) … Or maybe they’re panthers.
The view reverses, and we see a close-up of Xander holding the binoculars up with his left hand, staring through them with his one good eye.
XANDER: No, no – I was right the first time. Those are wolves. We got wolves at the gate.
From a wide view, Xander and another figure, Renee, are visible as small silhouettes on the castle rampart. Fog blooms up around the castle in the hills, and the moon fills the night sky behind them.
RENEE: I’m gonna need you to be sure on this one. Wolves: common sight along the moors. Panthers… not so much.
Next we see the two in close-up, Xander handing Renee the binoculars. He is standing beside and slightly behind her, like he is going to teach her to shoot pool. It looks briefly intimate as Renee glances up at him with a small smile.
XANDER: Yeah, you better check me. I got no depth perception here. For all I know, it’s a swarm of bees.
In close-up, we see Renee now looking through the binoculars. She’s studying the ground below but starts a separate conversation.
RENEE: You don’t have to do this, you know. I mean, I’m cool.
XANDER: Do the what now?
We see the two of them together, but now both of their faces are turned down and a little saddened – Renee’s embarrassed at what she’s saying, and Xander possibly disappointed in what he’s hearing.
RENEE: Last time I pulled sentry duty, Scottish zombies swarmed the castle. I get it. I screwed up. Not gonna happen twice.
The view shifts and we see past Xander to Renee looking him right in the eye.
RENEE: You don’t need to babysit me. (then, quietly) Definitely wolves by the way.
The next image is wider, and we see Xander holding out both index fingers in his familiar “wait a second” gesture. Renee looks away from him slightly.
XANDER: Okay, hang on. Nobody’s babysitting anyone here…
In close-up, Xander loses his train of thought, holding his fingers thoughtfully up to his chin with the new idea he’s having.
XANDER: If anything, that fantasy comes much later and only if we both agree to it and have a safeword.
In a wider view, Xander gets back to his point. We see him pointing out into the night sky, showing it to Renee as they continue talking. She is smiling now, happy to hear his reassurance.
XANDER: Trust me, I’m on my own time here.
RENEE: Really?
XANDER: Are you kidding me? Look out there – the moon is full, the stars are bright, the fog is particularly fog-tastic…
The image pulls out wide again, and we see the castle gate from ground level. Amidst the fog, the wolves are advancing, stalking forward to the apparently idle fortress as Xander completes the thought.
XANDER: … who wants to be alone on a night like this?
Off Xander’s apt question, the scene shifts to Buffy’s bedroom. We look down from the ceiling to see Buffy in bed. Satsu is there with her. The pink sheets are a tangle, tastefully covering them. Satsu is lying with her head on Buffy’s right shoulder, her arm draped over Buffy’s waste. Buffy’s left hand is resting on her forehead, palm out. On the floor, we see a pair of jeans, a pair of panties, a stuffed animal. They have clearly just then finished having sex.
BUFFY: Wow.
The next image shows the two lying in bed from alongside, Buffy still staring at the ceiling. Satsu lifts her head a little when Buffy talks, and Buffy’s speech is punctuated by gaps that can only be explained by her trying to catch her breath.
BUFFY: That was… that was… wow.
SATSU: Yeah…
The view reverses and we see the two in close-up, Buffy staring up, Satsu looking at her. Both have beads of sweat on their foreheads. At the end of the panel, a voiceover chimes in transition us out of this private moment.
SATSU: “That was wow” pretty much covers it.
VOICE: You’re supposed to say ‘easy miss, I’ve got you…’
And in the next scene, we see that it’s Andrew who’s speaking. He is arm in arm with Willow, flying through the night sky. He’s holding a suitcase in his right hand while Willow holds him on the other side. Willow’s face looks a little weary, looking more tired from the company than from the trip.
ANDREW: (cont) … and then I say ‘you’ve got me? Who’s got you?!?”
WILLOW: I’m supposed to call you ‘miss’?
ANDREW: ‘Lois’ is fine.
From a wide view, we see the two of them silhouetted against the full moon, like E.T., as they approach the castle. The fog is thick along the grounds.
WILLOW: If you start with that “can you read my mind?” speech again, I’m dropping you.
ANDREW: ‘Here I am like a kid out of school…’
We see them diving smoothly toward the castle in a closer view.
WILLOW: You know, most people just scream and hold on for dear life when I fly them places.
ANDREW: I took a Dramamine.
WILLOW: Ah.
As they near the surface, they fly over a barn. From inside, two pajama-clad, giant feet stick out – Dawn is asleep inside.
ANDREW: Is that Dawn down there?
WILLOW: Yep.
ANDREW: She sleeps in a barn?
WILLOW: Only when it looks like it might rain.
From behind, we see Willow has arrived and let Andrew get on his feet on the rampart. He is waiving to her from a door as he goes inside, while Willow hovers a few feet above.
WILLOW: You want me to give you the grand tour?
ANDREW: Nah. That Dramamine’s making me wobbly. I think I best retire to the boudoir, m’lady…
In close-up, we see Willow smiling warmly at him as he goes inside. The fog is building behind her.
ANDREW: (cont.) I could use a quiet evening tonight.
The next image shows Willow still hovering and smiling down, but behind her, in the fog, a woman’s face and hands are materializing. She’s wearing a top-hat, and her bangs come down over her face.
Next we see Willow caught around the face – the woman has materialized completely in mid-air behind her, and has Willow in her grasp before the witch can react.
The scene changes and we’re on the rampart again. Xander is looking out with the binoculars, while Renee stands beside him, leaning forward against the side wall. She’s smiling coyly as she speaks.
RENEE: You know, there are better ways to do this.
XANDER: Do what?
RENEE: Spend time with me.
We see Renee in close-up, smiling wider as Xander looks back at her. Her openness has his attention.
RENEE: I mean, off the top of my head, you could, you know… take me out.
XANDER: You want me to *assassinate* you?
RENEE: No. On a date.
In close-up, we see Xander, a little stunned.
XANDER: Oh.
The next image is from the same angle, but now Xander is opening up a pleasant smile.
XANDER: Renee, would you like to go out with me?
We see the two of them in profile, looking at each other, their ‘uniforms’ matching, romantically lit by the moon above.
RENEE: I’d love to.
XANDER: Okay then.
The next image shows them silhouetted as they walk back into the castle through a nearby door. The fog is pouring over the walls, as if following them.
RENEE: But first, we should probably deal with our wolf problem.
XANDER: I know. I’m not even sure who we alert. A zoo? Do they have zoos in Scotland?
RENEE: Nope. Scotland’s a primitive society. Their men hunt with clubs and their women wear corsets to bed.
XANDER: I don’t want to go out with you anymore.
The scene changes and we’re in Buffy’s bedroom again. As before, we look down from the ceiling. But now Buffy and Satsu are symmetrical, lying on their sides, facing each other, both with their hands curled up between pillow and cheek. The only things visible in the room are them, the pillows, and the sheets – as if the rest of the world doesn’t exist for them just then.
SATSU: So…
In extreme close-up, we see their faces just inches apart as Satsu continues with her very important question.
SATSU: How do we handle tomorrow?
BUFFY: What do you mean?
Satsu sits up slightly in bed, still leaning toward Buffy, though.
SATSU: I mean… I know what this is. I know you didn’t just… turn gay all of a sudden.
BUFFY: Right. Wait…
The view reverses and Buffy sits up in bed, suddenly anxious, her eyes wide.
BUFFY: *How* do you know that? Did I do something wrong?
From a wider view, we see Buffy now self-consciously holding the sheet up over her breats, gesturing nervously as she speaks.
BUFFY: Because I’m flying blind here. It’s not like they make instruction manuals for these sorts of things.
SATSU: Actually, they do.
BUFFY: Okay, but *I haven’t read them*.
In close-up again, we see Buffy’s face from beside Satsu’s cheek.
BUFFY: I didn’t get a lot of prep time here and I think that should be taken into consideration before final grades are given.
We pull out out wide again, but the bed is “back” now, we see them from the footboard. They are both sitting up, covered by the sheets. Satsu looks at ease, Buffy still nervous.
SATSU: Trust me. You didn’t do anything wrong.
BUFFY: But I didn’t do enough things! You did more things than me!
SATSU: And you let me. You were amazing.
Buffy visibly relaxes as we see past her shoulder to a close-up of Satsu. The younger Slayer is smiling, not shying away as she was in the previous issue.
BUFFY: I can live with amazing. What was your question again?
SATSU: What do we do about tomorrow?
The view reverses, and now it’s Buffy we see past Satsu. Buffy’s face looks wan, still a little tired from the sex.
BUFFY: You mean the whole “we slept together” thing?
SATSU: For starters.
The next image shows Buffy’s face in close-up, at the far right of the ‘frame’, the entire background just shadows. Her eyes are half open, her lips half-smiling. She’s not panicked now, not upset, just thinking.
BUFFY: I don’t know. It’s like… I had a wonderful night. And… it’s been a while since I said that. So… tomorrow, I’m gonna think about what we did. And I’m gonna blush. And then I’m gonna smile.
Then we see the two of them together. Buffy pulls her hand through her hair before resting her head on it. Satsu, hearing what Buffy is saying, looks down, clearly disappointed.
BUFFY: But I’m not sure it goes any further than that.
SATSU: I get it.
BUFFY: You sure?
SATSU: Yeah. We’ll leave it at “we had a wonderful night”.
The image pulls out wider, and Satsu has gotten out of bed, gesturing her thumb toward the wooden door to Buffy’s chambers. Buffy reaches out to protest, touching Satsu on the shoulder.
SATSU: I should probably get going…
BUFFY: No. That’s not what I’m saying. I mean…
We see Buffy’s face as she continues. Satsu sits back down in the bed next to her as they speak.
BUFFY: You can stay ‘til morning.
SATSU: Really?
BUFFY: Yeah. But do me a favor, though… don’t mention this to anyone.
SATSU: I won’t say a word.
In extreme close-up, we see Buffy looking at Satsu, starting to smile again. As she finishes, though, a voice cuts in from outside – Xander, who apparently is used to entering without knocking.
BUFFY: It’s not that I’m ashamed or anything. It’s just… you know, for now… it’s better if we keep this between us.
XANDER: (from out of the image) Okay, probably nothing to worry about…
We see Xander in close-up as he pushes open the door to lean in, already halfway into his report. Buffy shouts in protest, but too late.
XANDER: … but there seems to be a wolf and/or panther situation I should bring to your –
BUFFY: *Xander* –
The next image shows Xander standing just inside the open door. He is visible from between the two lithe and tastefully shadowed backs of Buffy and Satsu, both sitting in bed, covering their bodies with the sheets. Although we can’t see him, there may in fact be another, entirely separate Xander, standing beside the real one.
XANDER: *Oh Merciful Zeus*!
The image reverses, and Buffy and Satsu both pull up the sheets, their mouths open in protest.
BUFFY: *Xander, get out of here*!
In a close-up, we see Xander clip his right palm over his good eye, embarrassed.
XANDER: I didn’t see anything, I swear!
In profile, we see Xander, shaking as he fidgits, still covering his eye. Renee’s voice is heard through the door as she comes to check on their report.
XANDER: Oh my eye. My burning, beautiful eye.
RENEE: (from out of the view) What’s the verdict?
And now we see Renee has entered, standing next to Xander, once again visible between Buffy and Satsu on the bed. Xander uncovers his eye and looks at her, his face looking like he wouldn’t mind falling on any one of the ornate weapons on Buffy’s wall behind him.
RENEE: Are we supposed to sound the alarm?
And that’s when Renee turns to see the scene on the bed. She stares blankly at Buffy and Satsu as Xander answers her.
XANDER: I wasn’t aware we had an alarm for this, but yes. Sound the alarm.
The image reverses, and we see Satsu, the sheet pulled up to her chin, shyly hiding as she and Renee greet each other. Buffy, for her part, is trying so desperately to clothe herself, she has fallen off the bed with a *WHUMP*.
RENEE: Satsu?
SATSU: Hi Renee.
BUFFY: Please *shut the door*!
Buffy’s demand serves to cue Andrew to walk in the room. He is wearing a stocking cap and pajamas, thumbing out toward the hallway and what he’s seen.
ANDREW: Okay, to be fair, I’m still a little woozy from my medicine…
We see Andrew flick on the lightswitch with a *click* -- he is looking at Xander and Renee, who are, for their part, staring together, wide-eyed, at Buffy and Satsu.
ANDREW: But I’m pretty sure a dozen wolves just ran past me in the hall.
BUFFY: (from out of the image) *ANDREW*?!?
The next three images are of Xander, Renee, and Andrew, from left to right. First, we see Xander looking off to his right, away from the others. Renee looks up at the ceiling helplessly. Andrew smiles pleasantly when greeting Buffy.
ANDREW: Oh, hi Buffy. Hi nude asian girl.
Next it’s Xander looking at the ceiling, his mouth open as if letting out a heavy sigh. Renee studies her shoes. Andrew cocks his head a little, as if contemplating a post-modern painting.
Then it’s Xander looking over to Andrew, Renee glancing along with him, when Andrew puts his hand on the back of his neck and asks the reasonable question.
ANDREW: How much Dramamine did I take?
The view reverses, and Satsu is holding her head in humiliation, while Buffy’s hand reaches up from the floor to grab her pajama shirt off the bedpost. A voice calls in from outside the window as she does this – Dawn’s voice.
BUFFY: *EVERYBODY GET OUT OF MY ROOM*!
DAWN: Buffy, the entire barn is filled with bees and –
As Buffy pulls on her shirt, she and Satsu both look over to see Dawn’s astounded face filling the bedroom window.
DAWN: *Oh my God! Buffy, what are you doing*!?!
BUFFY: *Dawn*!
The next image shows Xander, clapping himself on the head as if he’s had an epiphany – it’s made him smile. Renee looks up at him dubiously.
BUFFY: (from out of the image) *This isn’t what it looks like*!
XANDER: Oh, thank God. This is a dream.
RENEE: I don’t think it’s a dream.
Waving her off, we see Xander help himself into Buffy’s desk chair. Renee stares at him with her hand on her hip.
XANDER: No, I’ve had this one before. You’re here. They’re here. I’m just gonna go sit in the corner and wait for Willow to arrive.
Nobody has a chance to answer this idea before the ceiling explodes inward with a *KRRRWHAM!*, sending a rain of debris into Buffy’s room. The two lovers both drop back into the bed, while Xander, Renee, and Andrew jump out of the way.
From above, we see Willow land in the pile of debris – she’s been thrown through the ceiling. Buffy leaning over the footboard to check on her.
WILLOW: Ow.
BUFFY: *Willow*!
In close-up, we see Buffy’s worry as she shouts in panic.
BUFFY: *Oh my God – what happened*?!?
WILLOW: (quietly, wounded) I think we’re under attack…
In a close-up of Willow, we see blood dripping from her nose as she tries to push up from the floor and looks over at Buffy.
WILLOW: (quetly) Why are you naked in bed with Satsu?
The image shifts back to Buffy, who is furiously putting clothes on, apparently no longer caring who can see what.
BUFFY: Where exactly are these wolves?
The scene shifts, and a wolf looks around a corner in a hallway.
Next, we see it at a metal door with a coded keypad. The door is marked “ARMORY”.
The next image shows the wolf ducking as if to sniff at the door, but instead, it begins to dematerialized, turning into a wisp of fog.
Inside the armory, the fog starts to rise from under the door.
It takes shape, floating in mid-air.
And then we see it coalesce into a man’s shape, wearing a single breasted suit, buttoned up, a red scarf, and with long hair.
From behind, we see the man reaching out to the object of their mission – Buffy’s scythe, the ancestral weapon.
Behind the intruder, more fog pours into the armory.
When that fog materializes into another man, taller, also long-haired, the first one is holding the scythe, looking at it longingly.
SECOND MAN: Kumiko brought down the witch. We’ve engaged the Slayer forces at the perimeter.
We see them both in profile, other weapons, less important, ignored on the walls.
FIRST MAN: Any confirmed fatalities?
SECOND: None so far. They’re stronger than we expected.
FIRST MAN: Oh, don’t sound so dour, Raidon…
We see his eye staring wickedly at the glinting edge of the scythe in close-up as he finishes his thought. He’s so fascinated, he doesn’t realize that the armory door has opened, because we hear Buffy’s voice from outside.
FIRST MAN: The future is bright.
BUFFY: (from out of the image) Okay, I try to be miss share-and-share-alike…
We see Buffy in close-up, holding up the armory door. Angry doesn’t begin to describe her. Behind her, Slayers are fighting wolves, bats, bees.
BUFFY: But I *really* don’t like it when people touch my stuff.
In response, we see the man holding the scythe point at it wordlessly, as if asking if this is what Buffy meant.
Next we see him poke it’s handle with his finger, looking right at Buffy when he does.
Then we see him shrug innocently – he touched her stuff, so what?
So what is the next image – Buffy drives her right fist into his face, shattering shelving behind him, but not shaking his grip on the scythe.
We see the man’s face at ground level, Buffy at the door looking down, ready for more. She’s slipped into a pink camisole and pajama pants. Between them, the other man turns back into fog.
The next image is from the same angle – and the man is a vampire, slipping into gameface with a grin. Behind him, his friend has rematerialized… as a panther. Buffy no longer looks so certain, her arms open cautiously as she looks at the big cat.
BUFFY: Did your friend just turn into a kitty?
Buffy’s distraction is the moment the vampire needs; he comes up quickly and sends Buffy flying into the armory wall with a back fist.
We see the panther-vamp, Raidon, take the scythe in its teeth as the vampire reaches down.
VAMPIRE: Go.
As Raidon bounds from the armory, the vampire stares down at Buffy, who watches helplessly as the panther escapes.
VAMPIRE: ‘Bye now.
And then he disappears in a puff of fog.
In a close-up, we see Buffy looking up where he had vanished.
BUFFY: Okay. That’s new.
In the hallway, Raidon bounds past Slayers still fighting the other shape-shifting vampires. They either don’t notice what he has, or can’t stop him.
From behind, we see him begin to leap toward an outside window, the moon visible outside.
Raidon bursts through the window with a *KREEESH*. As he does, Kumiko, the vampire who grabbed Willow, flies up from the ground, where more Slayers are fighting outside.
We see her grab the scythe from Raidon’s jaws as she flies past him, his drool on the handle.
As Raidon drops to the ground, Kumiko rockets up, smiling.
From the ground, we see her shadow racing past the moon in the distance.
BUFFY: (VOICEOVER) I’m not saying it makes sense…
The scene changes, and we see the gang gathered in the command center. Xander, Buffy, and Willow are all on the center dais. Willow is sitting against the rail, holding a cloth to the back of her injured head. Xander has his arms crossed, listening to Buffy. Buffy is next to him, gesturing in exasperation at what she saw. She has also slipped on a cut-off UC-Sunnydale hoody over her pajamas. Satsu is standing, but on the step below the others. Various other Slayers are gathered, sitting on the floor or standing in the back of the room. Behind them, the vampire who stole the scythe is smiling on the main display – a video feed of him during the robbery, visible through static.
BUFFY: … but a vampire punched me and then turned into *fog*.
XANDER: We got similar reports from the frontlines…
The view reverses, and we see Satsu, and behind her, Leah, Rowena, and another Slayer – Alpha Team has all congregated on this side of the room. Satsu looks forlorn, like she’s staring across the grand canyon.
LEAH: Yah. Definite transmogrification abilities.
ROWENA: Saw ‘em flit between wolves, panthers… even bees.
On the dais, Buffy looks over at Willow for explanation. Willow sits up, still holding what looks like ice against her head.
BUFFY: How is that allowed? They’re *vampires*. Did I miss a meeting or something?
WILLOW: Believe me…
The next image shows Buffy looking down soberly when Willow says what she has to say. Behind her, Satsu hangs her head – sad, embarrassed. Even Xander looks a little surprised, since he knows what Willow means. Although we only see part of her face, Willow looks like she’s staring at Buffy very pointedly when she says it.
WILLOW: Nothing seems to make sense tonight.
Buffy apparently ignores this, turning back to Xander for consulation. Behind her, Satsu is eyeing her leader, and other Slayers listen.
BUFFY: They took the scythe.
XANDER: I know.
BUFFY: The *scythe* scythe. My scythe. That *can’t* be a coincidence – they must know about the spell.
XANDER: Yes, granted. This counts as “bad”.
We see Xander look over his shoulder at the vampire on the display as he tries to sound positive.
XANDER: But we’ll track ‘em down. How many Japanese vampire goth gangs can there possibly be out there?
The view shifts, and we see Willow sitting up again, weighing in. Buffy looks over at her.
WILLOW: Are we even sure they *are* vampires? I mean, when was the last time we saw a vampire turn into a swarm of bees?
In close-up, Buffy agrees with Willow’s confusion, before slowly realizing.
BUFFY: *Right*! That’s what I’m saying! I just said that! Since when do vampires turn into wolves…
From a wider view, we see Willow and Buffy both turn and stare at Xander as the figure it out.
WILLOW: Or… panthers…
BUFFY: Or fog…
We see a close-up of Xander, his eyes wide in suspicion.
XANDER: What? Why’s everybody staring at –
Xander’s exprеssion turns slightly horrified – he’s made the connection.
He lowers his head, shutting his eye unhappily.
XANDER: Aw crap.
The scene changes, and we see Xander and Renee together in a light helicopter, one that’s entire cabin is plexiglass. Xander is piloting it, and they converse through the necessary headsets.
RENEE: This isn’t exactly what I meant by “date.”
XANDER: I know.
RENEE: I was thinking something less… helicopter-y.
XANDER: I’ll make it up to you.
From above, we see the helicopter on approach. Below, there’s a huge, gothic castle, maybe bigger than the Slayers’ own. Alongside, there’s a stone tower with steps that apparently also serves as a helipad.
RENEE: I’m not even sure what I’m supposed to be doing here.
XANDER: You just need to keep an eye on me. Make sure I don’t do anything strange.
They land the helicopter, and continue discussing it as they climb out.
RENEE: What do you mean “strange”?
XANDER: It’s nothing to worry about, it’s just…
We see the two of them in silhouette as they approach the castle’s front door, a torch burning beside it.
XANDER: Sometimes when I get around this guy, I start acting… wonky.
RENEE: Like wonky how?
In close-up, we see Xander’s eyes wide in alarm as the door opens with a long *CREEEEEEK*. Renee is still staring at him intently, wanting an answer.
RENEE: Xander, like wonky *how*?
On the other side of the door, we see him – Dracula, the dark master, the unholy prince (-bater, in both cases). He stares evenly at Xander from inside the door.
DRACULA: Hello, manservant.
We see Xander alone in close-up, looking back at Dracula gamely.
XANDER: Hey. How’s it going…
The last image shows Xander in the same close-up, but now lowering his head in resignation. When he speaks it seems as if the word is almost dragged out of his mouth against his will.
XANDER: (quietly) Master.
To Be Continued…
End of Issue #12
Надо новый тэг сделать, сильное помешательство.
@темы: Комиксы, BUFFY, Легкое сумасшествие, 8 сезон
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07.03.2008 в 13:43-
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07.03.2008 в 14:53-
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07.03.2008 в 19:27-
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07.03.2008 в 21:36Бедная Баффи, никакой личной жизни!
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07.03.2008 в 22:07-
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07.03.2008 в 22:20Джайлс еще где-то шляется, может даже гнома кадрит. Или планирует у Ангелочка дракона отбить.
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07.03.2008 в 22:22но-но! руки прочь от Дрангела!!!
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07.03.2008 в 22:25Мало ли кто что пытается. Дракон верный. Дрангел форева!
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07.03.2008 в 22:31