Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945)

Marlene Dietrich's Hot Voodoo number from Josef Von Sternberg's BLONDE VENUS, suggested by David Melville (who writes as David Wingrove). An intravenous shot of pure Silver Nitrate Euphoria (a drug whose addictive properties are well documented).

Where did Josef Von Sternberg's aesthetic sense come from? It's like nothing on earth.

Part of the answer may be found, along with much else, in Little Jo's autobiography, Fun in a Chinese Laundry, which serves as a kind of Rosetta Stone to his filmwork, cluing the reader in to sources of imagery, philosophy and incidents in the films. Crucially, Sternberg, as a child, lived next to Vienna's famous Volksprater:

"Hundreds of shooting galleries, Punch and Judy and the inevitable Satan puppet, chalk-faced clowns in their dominoes, boats sliding from a high point down into water with a great splash, leather-faced dummies that groaned when slapped, pirouetting fleas, sword-swallowers, tumbling midgets and men on stilts, contortionists, jugglers and acrobats, wild swings with skirts flaring from them, proving that not all females had lost their undergarments, a forest of balloons, tattooed athletes, muscle-bulging weight-lifters, women who were sawed in half and apparently spent the rest of their lives truncated, trained dogs and elephants, tightropes that provided footing for a gourmet who feasted on a basket of the local sausages with horse-radish that made my mouth water, graceful ballerinas, grunting knife-throwers with screaming targets whose hair flowed down to the hems of their nightgowns, hatchet-throwing Indians and phlegmatic squaws, double-headed calves, members of the fair sex, fat and bearded, with thighs that could pillow an army, magicians who poured jugs of flaming liquid down their throats, drum-thumping cannibals and their wiggling harems, a glass maze from which the delighted customers stumbled with black eyes and gashed heads, hypnotists who practiced levitation and passed hoops around the dormant females swaying five feet from where they ought to have been, and the central figure of a huge Chinese mandarin with drooping moustaches longer than the tail of a horse revolving on a merry-g0-round to the tune of Ivanovici's Donauwellen -- what more could I have asked?"

When Fiona and I visited the Prater, it was mostly shut for the winter, so we shared the off-season experience of Cotten and Welles in THE THIRD MAN and Fontaine and Jourdan in LETTER FROM AN UNKNOWN WOMAN.

I like to think the fun of the fair, with its gaudy, venal and surreal hubbub, planted a seed in the young Jonas Sternberg.

Of course, a sensitive child in this environment could equally well have turned into Fellini. I tend to think that the interaction of genetics and environment is so complex, nobody could ever predict the outcome upon a single human being. Certainly not a human being like Sternberg. One possibility that occurs to me is that he is recreating this tatty, gaudy and vulgar spectacle in his work, but imbuing it with all the beauty and ecstasy and fear that a child would feel upon being exposed to the funfair for the first time.

Footnote: re-watched NO DIRECTION HOME last night, and Dylan's childhood memories of the travelling fun-fair are the most evocative thing in it -- and directly inform the last sequence of Todd Haynes' I'M NOT THERE, in turn the most evocative sequence of that movie.

Footfootnote: Sternberg passed on some of his funfair impressions directly in THE CASE OF LENA SMITH (1929), a film which is now lost, apart from stills and a single four-minute fragment recovered by Hiroshi Komatsu of Tokyo's Waseda University.

 Get it on Youtube, Hiroshi!

Starbucks recently bought out all the local Diedrich's. Obviously, it's been awhile since I've been back, so I was a bit shocked when I went inside and could barely see anything past the line of people, the enormous security-like counter, and the product kiosks. I don't even know if they had chairs there. I need to see if there's a Peet's around here. Here's a trick I learned in Pittsburgh some time ago: if you cannot see a Starbucks store, turn left and walk 1 block...continue until you one, for no more than 1 minute. Can this be put into an equation?

d (Java_{crap, borg}) ≥ П /10steps.

Or something like that.

por Gustavo Coronel

Gustavo Coronel fue director de Petróleos de Venezuela (1976-79) y representante en Venezuela de Transparencia Internacional (1996-2000) y autor del estudio "Corrupción, administración deficiente y abuso de poder en la Venezuela de Hugo Chávez" [0] publicado por el Cato Institute (Noviembre 2006).

La batalla por la democracia y la libertad se intensifica en Bolivia y en Ecuador. En ambos países, la mano peluda promoviendo la implantación de regímenes autoritarios y anti-democráticos es la de Hugo Chávez. Esto significa que lo que suceda en Venezuela tendrá un impacto directo e instantáneo en estos dos países.

En Bolivia la situación es ya tan complicada para las fuerzas del fascismo que lideran Morales y Linera que, hasta mercenarios a sueldo de Hugo Chávez como Heinz Dieterich, admiten los errores del régimen. Dieterich critica el intento del gobierno de Evo Morales de impulsar una Asamblea Constituyente que los movimientos cívicos de protesta en una gran parte del país han dejado agonizante. Dice el cínico Dieterich: “Al no obtenerse la mayoría para conferirle el carácter jurídico de ‘originaria’ a la Asamblea hubiese sido más benéfico marginar de facto ese foro”. Al decir esto, admite que la verdadera intención detrás de la Asamblea Constituyente Boliviana no era la de dotar al país de una nueva constitución sino la de lograr un descabezamiento general de todas las instituciones del Estado, a fin de estructurar un sistema marxista-fascista, como el que Chávez está tratando de instalar en Venezuela. Se lamenta Dieterich (ver www.aporrea.org/tiburon/a43719.html [1]) que de los nueve departamentos bolivianos seis de ellos estén con lo que él llama “la derecha” y nosotros denominamos las fuerzas cívicas y progresistas de Bolivia: Santa Cruz, Cochabamba, Beni, Tarija, Pando y hasta Chuquisaca. Según Dieterich estas provincias están controladas “desde Washington”. Quien haya ido a ver, de primera mano, como lo hizo el suscrito, la acción ciudadana espontánea que impera en estos departamentos tiene que reírse de lo que dice Dieterich desde su “bunker” Caraqueño.

Mientras en Bolivia las huestes del fascismo marxista parecen estar en franca desbandada otro panorama se presenta en Ecuador, al menos en esta etapa de su proceso. Allí Rafaél Correa ha podido conformar una mayoría significativa en la Asamblea Constituyente y está hablando abiertamente, no ya de una nueva constitución, sino de disolver el Congreso y abrazar lo que el llama “el socialismo del Siglo XXI”, un guiso ideológico-estratégico creado por el mismo Dieterich a pedido de Chávez, para disfrazar sus ambiciones de poder ilimitado. Correa también amenaza con expulsar del país las empresas cementeras extranjeras, al FMI y al Banco Mundial. Hasta la CAF y el BID han sido objetos de advertencia: “Si esos organismos no responden a los intereses del país que se vayan” (www.aporrea.org/internacionales/n104160.html [2]). A las empresas extranjeras les ha dicho: “Si no les gustan las nuevas reglas del juego que les vaya bonito”. (El Mundo de España, “Ecuador anuncia que revisará los contratos con multinacionales…”, Noviembre 4, 2007). La arrogancia y la rudeza verbal de Correa, quien no comparte aquello de “lo cortés no quita lo valiente”, parecen estar calcadas del lenguaje chavista, un lenguaje diseñado para ofender al adversario ideológico.

Sin embargo, todavía es temprano para saber que pasará en Ecuador. La oposición en ese país tiene la ventaja de ver lo que ha pasado y está pasando en Venezuela y en Bolivia. En Venezuela la destrucción nacional a manos del hombre fuerte ha sido impresionante, pero sus pretensiones de presidencia vitalicia parecen constituir la gota que podría derramar el vaso. La oposición Boliviana, indignada por la exclusión y el centralismo que caracterizan el régimen de Morales, ha logrado paralizar el progreso del modelo chavista. Ello debería ser ejemplo para que en Ecuador la ciudadanía le exija a Correa un comportamiento democrático y civilista desprovisto de bravuconería y autoritarismo y una verdadera atención a los problemas fundamentales del país.
El caudillismo tiene que ser barrido definitivamente de América Latina.

http://getsongbird.com/

Desde siempre he luchado y luchado por encontrar un reproductor de medios que realmente me satisfaga, probé iTunes y se volvió demasiado lento, probé Winamp y simplemente no alcanzaba el estándar. Hace mucho tiempo, recuerdo, intenté este nuevo reproductor del que todo mundo hablaba, se llamaba Songbird, y aunque era bonito tenía varios problemas que fundamentalmente me ofuscaban:

1. No se mostraba lo que estaba escuchando en el Messenger (Sí, tengo una personalidad un poco vouyerista)
2. No había soporte para las carátulas del álbum. (Aparentemente esto es algo un poco difícil de conseguir)
3. El sistema de la librería de medios era un poco… tonto.

Pero, hace poco me dije: “Ya me aburrió Winamp”, ¿qué debería de hacer?, en eso recordé a Songbird y decidí probarlo. Afortunadamente ya superaron los tres problemas de arriba y tiene una interfaz considerablemente mejorada. Algo que es importante hacer notar es que todo funciona como Add-ons, quien ha usado Firefox no tiene problemas con esto, simplemente es genial, vale la pena probarlo, es más rápido que iTunes pero con interfaz mejor que la de Winamp.

Una foto de Marlene

http://flickr.com/photos/seattletim/2363979826/

Simplemente espectácular, sin palabras.

Exposed

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/25/magazine/25internet-t.html?pagewanted=10&_r=1&th&emc=th

Esta es una pequeña historia de una reportera digital cuya vida totalmente colapsó a partir de que expuso demasiado de su propia vida en línea… me dejó pensando.

Zedge

http://www.zedge.net/

Yo utilizo el ringtone original que trae mi celular, siento que tiene un poco de elegancia el hacerlo o andarlo eternamente en vibrador. Pero Zedge es una red social basada en compartir ringtones, temas e imágenes para el móvil… lo dejo para quien le interese.

Alexander McQueen

Creo que había posteado sobre esta anteriormente, pero este video totalmente tiene muchas más imagenes y es más divertido. Como digo siempre no voy a adentrarme en si el diseño de modas es arte o no, pronto haré un post sobre eso. (Ese pronto me recuerda a alguien a quien conozco).

Viktor & Rolf

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/main.jhtml?xml=/fashion/2008/05/31/sm_viktorandrolf31.xml

Un pequeño artículo sobre el proceso creativo de estos dos diseñadores y como, extravagantemente convierten toda la historia de sus diseños en pequeñas muñecas totalmente proporcionales al original.

Video de Burma

[vodpod id=Groupvideo.1330254&w=425&h=350&fv=]

En serio… Si este video no les parece hermoso tienen serios problemas psicológicos.

SoundCloud

http://soundcloud.com

Todos los que me conocen saben de mi obdiseción por siempre pasar canciones raras de esas bandas que creo que solamente yo conozco, este servicio es perfecto para mi entonces, básicamente es para compartir canciones, se pueden poner tags, descargar y hasta se ve todo como un histográma. Bello… si solamente pudiera conseguir una invitación.

Julie Taymor en TED

http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/277

Vi Across the Universe y me pareció muy buena, tenía una idea de como era el musical de The Lion King, pero nunca me había sentado a escuchar a Julie Taymor, su trabajo es simplemente espectácular, su visión es totalmente adecuada y por alguna razón cerca del final de su exposición me sentí abrumado. Por cierto, ella está trabajando en una adaptación a musical de Spiderman.

33 Sitios para inspirarse

http://freelanceswitch.com/designer/33-new-places-to-get-design-inspiration/

Aunque no les guste el diseño o no sea su área este sitio vale totalmente la pena, hay dos o tres que tratan de productos e impresos que me podría pasar horas observando sin aburrirme.

Firefox 3.0

http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/

Podría pasarme horas y horas escribiendo sobre las bondades del nuevo firefox, pero la verdad es que es simplemente genial, infinitamente más rápido y mucho más visual, la nueva barra de navegación es tan inteligente que me abruma un poco y la integración con los feeds de RSS es simplemente genial. Pero en lugar de hablar de las bondades del nuevo Firefox quisiera concentrarme en varias extensiones que he estado probando últimamente y que creo que valen la pena.

Read it Later

Desde que empecé a trabajar me encontré con el problema de poder ver tranquilamente en mi casa los links que descubría en la oficina, probé incontables soluciones desde hacer correos a mi mismo con estos links hasta usar Google Notebook. Pero luego descubrí Read it Later. ¿Qué hace? Mantiene un feed de RSS en sus servidores mágicos lo cual sincroniza una lista de links que quiero leer luego, esa lista la puedo generar desde cualquier link, desde google reader hasta un link genérico en una búsqueda de google. ¿La privacidad?, todo funciona totalmente con password, así que no hay que preocuparse.

Fast Dial

Esto lo descubrí desde que accidentalmente instalaron Opera en una de las computadoras de la oficina una lista de links que recurrentemente visito y que quisiera tener a la mano, con pequeños thumnails que me dejan ver de lejos lo que pasa. En mi lista tengo: Twitter, Greader, Gmail, Facebook, este blog, los stats de wordpress, box.net, photobucket y Tumblr, ¿qué puedo decir? soy adicto a todos esos servicios.

James McAvoy, Keira Knightley, Saoirse Ronan, Benedict Cumberbatch, Gina McKee, Romola Garai, Juno Temple, Brenda Blethyn, Alfie Allen, Patrick Kennedy, Vanessa Redgrave / From the novel by Ian McEwan / Soundtrack  Dario Marianelli /  Editing Paul Tothill / Art Direction Ian Bailie / Production Design Sarah Greenwood / Cinematography Seamus McGarvey / Production Tim Bevan / Director Joe Wright

Despite the Surgeon General's wise warnings, cigarettes are a wonderful visual tool. Film Noir must have smoked it's collective way through enough tobacco to block out the sun, but modern cinema likes it's products nicotine free these days.. Lauren Bacall may have looked sexy mouthing clouds of chesterfield's finest floating into strategically placed spotlights, but you won't catch Nicole or Cate puffing on a roll-up. The old jiggery-pokery of smoke and mirrors to enhance the beauty of the modern Dietrichs & Garbos has been replaced with CGI & madame botox. Atonement marks a comforting return to form though, bathing Keira Knightley in luxuriantly defiant monsoons of haze. And though it's not at all difficult to make Keira look appealing on film, the loss in clarity is an apt visual metaphor. The entire story is distorted through the narrator's eyes, from both her youthful perceptions of events, to her adult, selective recollections of the past. So the filtering of visuals through smoke, mirrors, glass, water.. add to the film's dreamlike character, painting an ever shifting picture, dropping in and out of focus at heights of sensuality, or obscuring views where details are less than certain.

There is of course an attempt to be authentic to the time period by including these smoking scenes, as with the machine gun delivery of the speech (if Keira sounds at all unbelievable, listen to Celia Johnson in either 'Brief Encounter' or 'In Which we Serve' to convince), but above all it's more of a stylistic devise. Keira's long, tapering, art nouveau fingers, and angular looks lend themselves so well to such Pre-Raphaelite displays, reminiscent of the young Katherine Hepburn, and neatly slipping into Helena Bonham Carter's Period drama shoes. I'll not bother to go into the whole phallic argument with regards to cigarettes, as it really is a tired old simplistic observation.

'Sometimes a cigar is indeed just a cigar'.

'The 1935 section of the film has a fairytale quality to it. The reds are very red, there's a magical quality to it, and a part of that is emphasising Briony's imagination. Briony is very much a character who lives in her own head. She's a writer, she's constantly inventing stories and she puts all the people around her into those stories, and that's when tragedy occurs.The 30s and 40s were the pinnacle of the stiff upper lip and that very famous British emotional repression, and it was really interesting to look at that with Cecilia. She can't express what she's feeling, and therefore this rage is constantly bubbling underneath her which explodes, perhaps, in the library scene [she smiles]. It had to be incredibly erotic and passionate because you have to believe that these people waited three years without seeing each other based on that moment. It was incredibly important that you get that tension between Cecilia and Robbie because it's certainly not really spoken about, it's about what's not being said..'

KEIRA KNIGHTLEY BBC INTERVIEW 2007

STILLS & PRODUCTION

(i)

(ii)

_________________________________________________________________________________

TRAILER

The New Wave preoccupation with the cigarette..

Per tutti i fan di Tolkien là fuori.
E per tutti noi altri, anche....

Grandissimo.

If I were to choose the single most titillating and arousing film costume, my mind doesn’t run towards Ursula Andress’ white bathing suit in Dr. No or Barbarella’s space suit in … well Barbaralla. Less is more, and the less we see the more our imagination runs wild. In Von Sternberg’s Morocco (1930), Marlene Dietrich is a stage performer who has arrived to make a new life for herself. It’s made clear to her that making it on the stage in Morocco is like finding a needle in a haystack, usually within a month those who arrive on the boat are never seen again.

When Dietrich emerges onstage dressed in a tailored man’s suit, the audience is already booing. Performers have to fight from the bottom up to make a success, and Dietrich makes it seem effortless. What people often forget about costumes, is that the suit is only as good as the person who wears it. This is not a case of simply looking good, but inhibiting what the clothing suggests. Dietrich’s indifferent sexuality, and gender ambiguity are played up to maximum effect as she performs her song parodying he other sex. She oozes a laissez-faire attitude, while simultaneously having every man and woman pining on her every word and action. In the film’s most notorious moment, she flirts with one of the society women before embracing her tenderly.

The costume is integrated as being an essential to the scene, and it’s because of this that the costume becomes so ingrained into popular consciousness. I also have to wonder, if any other actress could have pulled if off quite as well as Dietrich. Not only because audiences would have been aware that she was a bisexual, but her attitude and relative calmness that leaves us all clamouring for more. As good as the costume may be, if the figure inside is bland it's never worth remembering. It takes that added Ooomph! to pull if off.

            King Ulric frowned at Sir Gisbourne; his words were full of treasons against the crown, treasons against him.

            He leaned forward, staring intently into the young face of Sir Guy. “Is what you speak true?”

            “Aye. All it took were a couple of ales and Lord Countier spilled the whole plot. It is to go down tonight,” Sir Guy said, smirking. “I shall expect full compensation of course.”

            King Ulric nodded tracing a finger over his mouth thoughtfully. His eyes stared intensely at Sir Guy.

            “No. You will only receive compensation if these men do attempt a kidnapping. I will ask you to stay here, hidden, on guard. If this is a lie….You will be hanged. If this is true, you will be rewarded beyond your wildest dreams. You may leave now,” The King said. Sir Guy scowled and nodded. A young woman smiled at him as he stalked off.

            “Jenna,” the King called. “Show our guest to his rooms.”

            She nodded and hurried to catch up with Sir Guy.

            “T-this way,” She said softly and led him up stone steps and down a chamber.

            His eyes were as cold as ice, and his silence was louder than the echo of his boots on the hard stone floor. When they came to stop at his door, she curtsied at him and turned to take her leave.

            He caught her by the arm and pressed her to the door. Her eyes widened as he pushed up against her.

            “N-n-nay, I cannot!” She cried, struggling.

            He pulled back, his eyes two pits of fiery anger. “You cannot refuse,” his voice came out gravelly and harsh, but he did not make another move to her.

            “Aye, lest I have the wrath of the King upon me,” she said her voice barely above a whisper.

            He pulled her arm and shoved her from his door and entered his room. The hard wood slammed against the stone.

            Jenna picked herself up off the floor, fingers covering her stomach.

          “Lets go Blais!” Niall said angrily. “You will have to take the Kings place.”

            Magnus nodded and nudged Blais forward with the edge of his sword.

            They sprung open the door to the Kings chambers. Chaos ensued, and Magnus grabbed the King, pushing him back to the bed with his sword.

            “The girl!” Niall roared, as a small woman ran past them.

            “Jenna, RUN,” Ulric cried.

            Jenna grabbed the nearby basin of water, running along the corridor, water slopping against her underclothes. Two men with swords ran after her and she spun, dumping the water on the floor. She threw the basin at one of the men, and it hit him in the head with a loud clunk. The other man slipped and slid into the other man. Together they went down, landing in a heap of tangled limbs.

            Jenna flew down the stone steps, slipping, her legs splitting, she tumbled down the last few steps, but she didn’t notice as she jumped, landing at the bottom of the steps.

           “Sir Gisbourne!” She screamed, reaching his chamber, she pounded on the door.

            The door jumped open and Sir Guy rushed past her, sword in hand. He connected with swords with the upcoming Hart d’Lorriane. He gave a loud angry roar, and shoved his sword in the clavicle of the man. Hart fell, clutching his shoulder, sword clattering on the floor.

            “What do we do?!” Blais asked, fluttering his hands, walking back and forth.

            “They will get the girl,” Niall said calmly, setting himself upon the chair, smirking at the nearly nude King on the bed.

            “For now, we wait…”

Surviving murderous thieves, a nerve-racking sea voyage, and the deadly sands of Egypt with Napoleon's army, American adventurer Ethan Gage solved a five-thousand-year-old riddle with the help of a mysterious medallion. But the danger is only beginning. . . .

Gage finds himself hurled into the Holy Land in dogged pursuit of an ancient Egyptian scroll imbued with magic, even as Bonaparte launches his 1799 invasion of Israel, which will climax at the epic siege of Acre. Pursuing Napoleon to France, where the general hopes ancient secrets will catapult him to power, the wily and inventive Gage faces old enemies with unlikely new friends, and must use wit, humor, derring-do, and an archaeological key to prevent dark powers from seizing control of the world.

Entertaining and vividly evocative, The Rosetta Key is William Dietrich at his fast-paced, cliff-hanger best. For lovers of stirring historical adventure laden with intriguing mystery and puzzles galore, The Rosetta Key is a terrific thrill ride not to be missed.

Toro Rosso founder Dietrich Mateschitz (that's easy for you to say...) has put the team up for sale in accordance to the new Concorde Agreement. For anyone unfamiliar with the Concorde Agreement, it is a secret document between the FIA, the administration, and the teams which dicatate the governing of the sport. Under the new agreement, a team cannot will not be able to provide a "B-Team" with parts, as Red Bull currently do with Toro Rosso.

Mateschitz says there is no need to field two teams, and he and co-owner and former racer Gerhard Berger want to have sold the team by the end of 2009. "I see the necessity that we continue with one team only for 2010, but we will not sell Toro Rosso during 2008." says Mateschitz.

This also means that McLaren will not be able to build the car for the Prodrive team who were set to make an appearance this year, but pulled out before the season began.

I still think there's too much money in F1, but that's just the way the sport has gone. Almost every year one team drops out or is taken over or comes into contention. This idea of a "B-Team" was set to make more teams and more drivers in the sport, but now that's been banned as well.

18/03

A reminder of the 40's when Marlene Dietrich sported fine tailored jackets and long skirts, the acclaimed German actress was the ultimate epitome of elegance. A lit cigarette in one hand and a glove on the other, she had a strong personality in and out of the silver screen. She once said, "I dress for myself. Not for the image, not for the public, not for the fashion, not for men." Till date, she inspires both actors and designers alike as for seasons they tried to bring her style and aura alive. But while flowers, colors and ultra feminine looks adorn the catwalks of Spring/Summer 2008, a refreshing antidote of androgyny is all the rave from designers such as Karl Lagerfeld, Maison Martin Margiela and Helmut Lang. Heavy suited jackets and blazers that accentuate big, broad shoulders was a recurring scene as models showcased clothes that looked like they walked right out the doors of the elite Savile Row.

Rather than featuring designs that looked like women just raided their boyfriends wardrobe, the results are silhouettes that define and reflect the body but still apply the trope of masculinity. Brace yourselves as fashion has a way of moving towards sharing one closet with your boyfriend.

Billy Wilder strips Marlene Dietrich of much more than her pantsuit leg in A Witness for the Prosecution. Dietrich relinquishes her role as the quintessential femme fatale to reveal a tamer, more vulnerable version of the sexy German vixen. Crisp and smart, Dietrich's character Mrs. Christine Vole is called to testify as a witness for the prosecution at her husband's murder trial.

Throughout, Dietrich's character is seemingly polarized by the significantly less enticing and comedic Miss. Plimsoll the nurse whose function appears to be limited to her failing struggle to deny our hero the Barrister Robarts of his personal vices while he presents his defense. And yet here is the crux of the film - a woman must be either a nuisance or a murderess unless she sacrifice herself for a man's sins. In contrast, her counterpart can only support a woman's crime if it fits within his concept of justice - consider Detective Spade's ultimate decision in Huston's Maltese Falcon.

Nonetheless, an excellent Sunday afternoon diversion!

Quotable quote: "I am surprised the testament did not leap from her hands..."

Seit heute früh sind wir doch ernstlich beunruhigt, weil wir ihn nachdenklich um unser Auto schleichen sahen ...

Разне црно-беле фотографије чувене глумице познате по томе што је била прва немица која је успела у Холивуду. Постоји нека посебна чар у тим старим портретима, зар не?

All Hallow's Eve
A Trinity Blood Fic

"Ne, Isaak, don't you think it's silly?" Dietrich glanced out of the window. "For people to try and scare others at Halloween?"

The magician took a deep breath on his cigarette, glancing towards where the chocolate-haired puppetmaster was sitting, before returning his attention to a book held between gloved fingers.

"Do you know the reason why people do things like that, Dietrich?"

The puppetmaster shook his head slightly in what the mage barely managed to interprete as a negative response.

"I would do it."

"You're always bored, Dietrich. You would do anything if it amused you." Isaak barely glanced up from the book, flipping a page gently, ebony black eyes studying the text on the yellowing pages.

For a moment there was silence, until the muffled snap of a book closing broke it.

"Because on All Hallow's Eve, it is said that the boundaries of life and death are overstepped, and monsters and spirits walk. And if you don't dress like them, they'll drag you down to hell. Do you believe it, puppetmaster?"

Dietrich merely shrugged, absently tracing patterns into the frosted glass.

"Should I?"

He barely turned around when a shadow was cast across the glass, and a gloved hand gripped his hand. Isaak's lips lightly brushed against his ear, the mage's words barely audible.

"There are things that you should be scared of, puppetmaster." The mage murmured softly against his protege's ear. Dietrich suppressed a shudder, Isaak was close, too close perhaps, pressing against him, trapping him between frosted glass and a dark mage. He shifted slightly, not really trying to get loose, and not bothering to try and free his hand from the mage's vice-like grip.

"Like what, Isaak?"

"Like things that really go bump in the dark." Shadows started to creep up the puppetmaster's legs, binding him and trapping him in place. Beside him, the mage smirked, nipping none too gently at Dietrich's throat, leaving red marks against a pale white throat.

"Things that are completely out of your control."

The puppetmaster glanced up at the mage who was holding him in an iron tight grip. He was now completely being pinned against the cold glass, with cool shadows creeping up his lower body. Amber-brown met smoky-black, and a smirk curled at the puppetmaster's lips.

"Like you, Isaak?"

The shadows were now gripping Dietrich's legs, subtly pushing them apart. Long, slender fingers slid over his coat, slowly undoing the silver button which held their coats shut. Dietrich reached up, lightly grasping at Isaak's wrist.

"Perhaps."

The mage paused slightly as he replied, before sliding Dietrich's coat off his shoulders and dropping the black material rather unceremoniously to the ground.

"And if I don't dress like them?"

"Then you'll just get dragged down to hell, my dear puppetmaster." The shadows had now wrapped Dietrich's entire form in its grip. Isaak's fingers had now begun to undo his captive protege's shirt, slowly exposing pale flesh. His nails dug in against the skin, leaving reddish welts on Dietrich's pale chest.

"Is that so?"

Dietrich shifted in Isaak's grasp, twisting around and slipping an arm around the mage's neck. Fingers meshed in ebony black hair, tugging him down and crushing his lips against the older magician's.

"Perhaps not those which came from hell, but I'm quite sure there will be at least one monster more than willing to drag you back from whence he came."

Isaak's arm snaked around the puppetmaster's waist, pulling him closer. The shadows had receded, when had they receded, neither of them had actually bothered paying attention to. A hand crept up Dietrich's stomach, caressing what little skin the half-unbuttoned shirt still covered, dragging nails over unmarred flesh.

The smirk on Dietrich's lips merely widened as the chocolate-haired youth stole another kiss from the black-haired mage who held him close.

"That would make me a monster's prey now, wouldn't it?"

Isaak merely smiled, nipping at Dietrich's throat hard enough to leave a red mark.

"We'll see."

When the moonlight next fell against the window, the remnants of shadows retreating into the ground was all that remained of where the two had stood.

END