A Night on the Town ("Window Shopping" from Ep.15) - PG

[coco]

I will never tire of this fic, Lilly. It always makes me giggle and remember so fondly the Mick and Josef banter.

I love that the Coffee House has once again highlighted the joy of this fic.

[cassysj]

I'm back from the Coffee House.

I truly love this story. It captures the two of them perfectly.

“Yeah, right.” Mick considered, “What about that cream one over there?”

Josef glanced over his shoulder in the general direction that his friend had pointed. His eyes narrowed and he looked back at Mick. “Where?”

“That one.” Mick insisted. “The cream one.”

“Mick – that’s not cream,” Josef corrected, “It’s ‘mushroom.’ In the eighties, it was ‘taupe’ or, in La-z-boy lingo, ‘tan’ - but it’s definitely not cream.”

Mick shrugged, “It looks like cream to me.”

“Have you ever seen cream that looks like that? It’s been a few centuries, but I’m pretty sure if cream turns that color, it’s time for a new goat.”

I also like the Eggplant/Purple comment. I'm much more of a Mick when it comes to colors and decorating

This captures the easy banter of the two guys but also shows how they understand how to take care of each other.

[jen]

Just came by for a reread of this treasure, and must confess that I had forgotten how beautifully it captured the friendly insults at the heart of the Mick-Josef relationship. They pulled no punches with each other and nothing was off limits, but beneath the snark and verbal jabs was genuine affection. This was just two guys, who happened to be vampires.

Charming, Lilly.

Thank you.

[Shadow]

Thank goodness for the Coffee House recommendations, even though I've been really slow getting to them... this is PERFECT, Lilly. I can't believe I've never come across this story before - but then I've started into fan fiction late, and moved along terribly slowly. Anyway, I seem to have saved myself a very special treat! I am so glad to be reading it now.

I could see every instant of this story as if I were watching it on screen (and WHAT a delight that would have been to see at the beginning of WLB! Having this filmed would be utterly priceless.) I'm always going to imagine this at the beginning, now, because it fits perfectly at the beginning of the episode and it captures both Mick and Josef exquisitely well. There's so much going on in the story - and I love the little remembrances of things like the San Diego Wild Animal Park (just what might have happened there?) I so enjoyed Josef's extensive designer knowledge, and Mick's utter cluelessness, and I will always treasure those delightful discussions about - colors.

Thank you for this, Lilly! This will be an eternal favorite of mine as well.

[allegrita]

Thanks for bumping this up, Shadow--it prompted me to reread one of my favorite Moonlight fanfics of all time.

Thank you so much, dear Lilly, for this amazing story.

[Lilly]

Thank goodness for the Coffee House recommendations, even though I've been really slow getting to them... this is PERFECT, Lilly. I can't believe I've never come across this story before - but then I've started into fan fiction late, and moved along terribly slowly. Anyway, I seem to have saved myself a very special treat! I am so glad to be reading it now.

I could see every instant of this story as if I were watching it on screen (and WHAT a delight that would have been to see at the beginning of WLB! Having this filmed would be utterly priceless.) I'm always going to imagine this at the beginning, now, because it fits perfectly at the beginning of the episode and it captures both Mick and Josef exquisitely well. There's so much going on in the story - and I love the little remembrances of things like the San Diego Wild Animal Park (just what might have happened there?) I so enjoyed Josef's extensive designer knowledge, and Mick's utter cluelessness, and I will always treasure those delightful discussions about - colors.

Thank you for this, Lilly! This will be an eternal favorite of mine as well.

Oh, Shadow -- Thank you so much for your kind words. It's just thrills me that there are still people discovering this for the first time. I'm so glad you enjoyed it.

One of the things I love best about Josef is his playfulness -- that and his ability to embrace the here and now. Whether it's the latest lingo or the most current trends in upper-scale fashion and design, he seems to have his finger on the pulse of the present. Perhaps it's due in part to his need to blend in and stay current, but I've always felt there was a fascination there, not only with the finer things, but also the latest innovations. A quest for "newness" to keep from getting bored. No "been there, done that" for him!

At any rate, I think scenes and interactions like this would never have been possible with the original "older" Josef, who seemed mired in the past. "Our" Josef is able to dish out a few lessons and still have fun while doing it.


Alle - thank you stopping back and signing the guest book.

[jen]

Lilly

Back for a reread and struck with the number of things that work so very well in this story--the Mick/Josef reparte, from their verbal sparring, the wonderful snark, to the rock solid friendship that underlies their exchanges. The personalities of Mick and Josef play off each other so very well.

Although I had read it before, this line was particular delightful on this reread:

“I know you got that small dirigible when you were human, but I’m telling you, Mick – fangs and air mattresses? Bad combination.”



Fabulous!

Thank you!

Jenna

[Lilly]

Thanks for coming back, jen! You know, in the 2 years since I first wrote this, I don't think anyone has ever mentioned that line before. We know Mick was sleeping on something in his living room when he was mortal. I always thought it must be an inflatable bed. Comfortable or not, I imagine Josef would have an opinion on that.

[jen]

There are just so many wonderful lines here, the only way a reader can capture all of the wonderful is to cite the who fic.

This time through I loved this section

“Now that,” he said, nodding toward the grouping of bold, fluid forms, “reminds me of some very good times.” He added succinctly, as if it would say it all, “Good ol’ Vlad.”

Mick’s eyes went wide. “Tepes?”

“No – Kagan. Vladimir Kagan. He did some custom work for me in the late fifties. Very avant-garde. Way ahead of his time. His catch phrase is ‘When in doubt, use red.’” Mick caught the twinkle in his friend’s eye and knew immediately that designing for a vampire -and Josef Kostan in particular -had everything to do with the genesis of that slogan.

Fabulous. The rapport here is just classic and you have a delightful command of the trademark snark.

Thank you

Jenna

[Lilly]

Thank you, Jenna!

That whole section was inspired by perusing the Roche-Bobois website and the catalog that the sales associate at the store sent me. Vladimir Kagan's designs were so different and NOT like anything that Josef would want in his office, but I was intrigued by them and decided to research him as a designer. After I read a bit about him, things just fell into place.


The current line is very similar to the one that inspired me: http://www.rochebobois.com/#/en-us/designers/10

[jen]

Fabulous!

Thank you so much!!

Jenna

[allegrita]

Lilly, I was just writing the opening post for the "What's Left Behind" episode discussion thread, where I mentioned that WLB inspired some wonderful fanfic. And, of course, this was the first one I thought of. I've spent a few minutes reading through the comments, and I have to echo Red's sentiment: I am pretty sure that a time will come when I remember seeing this story onscreen, as part of the episode. What makes this story so complete is that you combine perfect Mick-Josef banter with amazingly descriptive prose. I can see the showroom, and the two vampires wandering through it (or sitting impatiently on an uncomfortable couch). Of course I've "seen" it. Inside my head.

This is what I mean about descriptive prose:

With the flick of two fingers of his right hand, Josef eased the Spider into gear and headed northwest on 5th. As the sound of the 483 horses thundering just behind his ears intensified through a series of up-shifts, Mick ran both hands through his wind-swept hair, pushed it back off his face, and closed his eyes.

And this hilarious moment:

The two vampires got out of the car, closing their respective doors almost in unison. When Josef began walking toward the building without as much as a glance back, Mick stood open-mouthed, holding his hand out over the open expanse of the convertible. There was no way his friend was going to leave the Spider exposed like that at almost four in the morning.

“Josef!”

Before he could elaborate, Josef raised the remote over his shoulder and, with a click of a button, locked the car.

“Great,” Mick groaned, “No one’s gonna break into it now.”

His sarcasm was immediately answered by the low hum of the hydraulic actuators as the rear cowling lifted slightly and the soft top began to unfurl from its narrow hiding place beneath the twin fairings behind the seats. In no more than twenty seconds, the top had appeared, stretched itself out like a cat after a long nap, and secured itself in place and the cover firmly reseated.

Josef turned toward Mick, beaming with satisfaction. “You were saying?”

“Geez, Josef. This thing’s like a damn transformer. Your toys are bigger, but maybe you and Logan have more in common than I thought.”

The broad grin melted from the billionaire’s face as he pressed his lips together, turned on his heels and muttered a curt and definitive, “No.”

These descriptions bring so much to the story. You paint the scene for us, and then you populate that wonderful "set" with the best Mick-Josef conversation EVER.

Thank you again for writing this. I will never tire of reading it.

[Lilly]

Alle - Thank you for this.

[jen]

If we ever need a refresher course on the fabulous reparte, the amazing chemistry that was the a piece of what made Moonlight such a delight, all they need do is read this gem.

Very few fics I've encountered do such a remarkable job of capturing the Mick and Josef friendship with all of its complexities and fabulous snark, but you have absolutely nailed it here.

Somewhere during the multiple rereads of this, it has slipped seemlessly into my own personal canon for Moonlight. We all come upon fic that so remarkably captures the ambiance of the show we still love so much that it takes its place among the episodes.

They should really do a rerelease of the DVD's and have a fanfic section, including THIS!

Thank you!

Jenna

[jen]

It may be to early to buy the candy for Halloween (buying it early could lead to it being eaten by others than those it is intended for) but it is the perfect time to search out treasures like this!

Absolutey fabulous and cries out for a sequel.

Anyone else agree with me?