"Prattfall..."

"Prattfall..." Part XIV

"Prattfall..."

Disclaimer: Would Joss want his name associated with this? I think
not...But anyway all BTVS characters remain the property of Joss
Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and all other owner/creators of the Buffy the
Vampire Slayer series...Though his brother Mort gets nothing...

Archived at the Normalverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse,
www.buffyrebecca.com/Normalverse...

Summary: As you know I leave the "Pratt" to the Whedonverse, except
for this one little bit...

In early 30's Hollywood Spike offers advice to a distant relative...

Part XIV...

Mission well on its way to accomplished...Spike happily thought as he strode through the hallway leading from where he'd left a fuming Lugosi with the two returned makeup artists...

A ton of crap on my head, no lines, and to top it off my character's a perverted maniac who slaughters little girls?

He had to sympathize...Unlife would be hell despite the pleasure of murdering the innocent without the ability to banter during and after.  I mean the killing would just be a chore without the chance to creatively exercise the wit...

Yes, Mr. Lugosi had chosen himself the right niche in horror for a handsome and urbane leading man.  That suave and elegant Unman of the Underworld, the vampire...

Just a matter of finding another Stoker or two...But surely some brilliant young writer would soon come to the fore and provide new material for the genre.

He could really pat himself on the back.  He'd just set two of the world's great artists...Three if one counted the creative directing genius of Jimmie Whale.  On their proper courses...

Really, if one pondered the matter, Humanity owed him.  Despite the 35,981 murders since that evening in 1880...

But, hey...No big deal...Happy to do it, Humanity...Especially given the involvement of family members.  In fact...  No reason that brilliant young writer who continues the saga of the vampire could not be one Walthrop...

He paused at the door to the outside...Hmmn...Luckily, dusk...He stepped out and pondered his next move...

Drop by his fellow writers' offices and report in on successful progress or head home and await their call?  Probably best to...

Hmmn...

The two suits from earlier were standing in the middle of the parking lot to the building, with them a furious-looking Laemmle...

And Florey, one of his own bosses...

Trying no doubt to add his bit to the success of their endeavor...Clearly Lugosi had already made his wishes known.  He made his way slowly toward the group, hoping to learn more...After all, he could always claim to wish to catch Florey for...

"All I wanna know is...Who let Lugosi have that damned script?!" Laemmle was shouting now...

Hmmn...Perhaps, best to head home...My work here is done.  Spike thought.

"Now, Carl...Jimmie probably wanted Bela to know just what he might be getting into..." Florey was noting.

On second thought, perhaps I could just hole up a moment here to catch the denouement...Spike felt his suit for a cigarette.  Just your average working lad catching a smoke before heading home, watching the comings and goings.  He lit up, eyeing the group...Keeping in the darkness at the side of the building...

"Goddamn it!" Laemmle stamped a foot. "Since when do we care what an actor thinks about a role?  And now Lugosi swears he won't play it with Whale's version..."