Best Actress based on the Buffy Universe - HETERO
Below are samples of writing from each of the nominees.
Please read the sample, then cast your vote in the poll at the_josscars
Best Actress based on the Buffy Universe - HETERO
-- Actresses based on or from the Buffy Universe that is in a Heterosexual relationship. --
01.
Cordelia is a force of nature. She just happens to people. And when she happens, she really happens. "Cordy!" was all I could said in response as she more or less attacked me through huggage, which was nice, enthusiasm gets points. I grinned, and hugged her back. At least I was doing one thing good - saving Wesley from her. That's my good deed for the day. I glanced at him before focusing my attention on Cordelia - why does she always look, smell and feel expensive? Whether or not she's wearing anything expensive, she still just is.
She pulled me away from her, hands on my forearms, smiling brightly, more or less forgetting her motherhennishness over Wesley. "Jeeze, it's been a while. How's Sunnydale? How's everyone?"
"Sunnydale is still, ya know, riddled with evils and demons, and everyone's okay, ya know, the same," I said, nodding, deciding that glazing over most details was a good idea. Cordelia wouldn't like to know the details, unless she asked specifically.
Besides, she seemed happy with my answer. "Good, good. Hey, sorry I had to go out and stuff, I had this audition," she turned to Wesley, "which, I think, went flawlessly," and back to me, "so I hope books for brains over here didn't bore you to death."
I blinked, surprised. About a year and a half ago, sure, but Wesley was different now and stuff - maybe Cordelia still thought of him as the man we knew back in Sunnydale. "Um, actually, I kinda had a good time," I said, glancing at Wesley almost shyly, but my smile faded at the look Cordelia was giving me.
"Oh honey," she said, "you must be so starved of entertainment."
"Heh," was my lame response, glancing at Wesley again. Times like this I remembered what a geek I was. And I guess Wes is in the same boat. Which is cool, because, the boat can get real lonely sometimes.
02.
"Probably," I said absent mindedly as we walked back to the elevator. Letting out a breath, I checked my arm, just in case cause I hit it pretty hard on the floor. And the floor wasn't exactly made of freakin' feathers. Stupid old people. They're all evil. It was forming a bruise, but that'd be fine, it'd be gone by tonight. Shrugging, I crossed my arms over my chest and watched as the little lights indicated where the elevator was. It was going all kinds of slow. Didn't it know that we were on a mission of something?
"I can check the spa, you can check the pool," I told him, then the doors opened and out came another couple. Dead inside, and I so stayed out of there way. I wasn't up for the whole 'let's throw Buffy down the hall thing.' As much fun as that was before, I can't take the excitement a second time. After they passed, I walked inside the elevator with Wes and we rode it down.
The doors opened again and we were at the lobby. My eyes traveled the lobby and they locked eyes with a woman behind the counter. Giving Wes a look, I started walking over towards the counter, smile planted on my face, acting like ... I dunno, like I was a vacationer person?
She smiled at me and asked if we needed any help. Oh, yeah, we could, but I doubt she could tell us anything. Unless she is part of it. Oh God, what am I saying, she so is. That smile is so fake. She's trying to lure me already without telling me what she has to offer. That 'sucking the life out of you' hussy.
"We were just curious ... do you guys have a spa?" I asked and placed my hands on the counter, folding my arms. I'm trying to act interested and I'm wondering if that whole glamour thing is still on us, probably not. So, yeah, this should be interesting.
03.
Being out with Candice was always an adventure, even on the subway. She always managed to attract attention to herself and make her presence known. I always ended up with my hand over my red face as I watched her from my seat.
I brushed my hair off my shoulder as we headed into Club Blue on 45th street. It was nice - if you liked loud - but I promised I’d give it a shot and I really did need to get out a bit. I think I was starting to bore myself.
“Hey.” I smiled and waved shyly as I sat down at a table off to the side of the bar. Candice introduced her friends to me, I knew everyone but I guess she thought she’d be funny.
“You drinkin’ tonight?” She looked at me and grinned, waving the bartender over before I could accept or object. “Lemme get a…hmmm…vodka and cranberry for her. Ya know, I’m gonna have the same.” She grinned and handed him a twenty, slipping it into his back pocket the way she always does.
I shook my head. “Can-” She shook her head and shushed me before I could finish. I just sighed and decided that I’ll just make it last. I wasn’t a drinker and I wasn’t planning on becoming one anytime soon.
Shrugging off my jacket I stopped and turned my head slightly, feeling a pair of eyes on me from behind. I turned and looked over towards the bar, I didn’t notice anyone special. There were a few people scattered, a few too drunk to stand and a man sitting near us who was hunched over his drink.
Shaking off the feeling I turned back around, smiling nervously as I tried to get into their conversation. I could fit in - or at least fake it well - as long as they kept off the subject off where I grew up or sex. Knowing Darlene though one of them would be brought up, soon.
“So Tara,” Darlene turned to me as if right on cue. “What’s going on with school? Found anyone special yet?” She smirked at me lewdly.
I blushed deeply, looking down as I shook my head. “N-no, I h-haven’t found anyone.” I’d have to have been looking for that to happen and I Tara Mclay was not a looker by any means.
Trying to change the subject I looked up and started to mention what I've been doing in school. "I s-started a new art project...A painting actually..."
04.
I eyed the paintings on the wall with distaste. Knock-offs, you'd think someone with this much money would bother to get the original, but of course everything was fake. Then again that was the business I was in, full of airbrushing and model behavior, pardoning the pun of course.
The party was fairly dull, a string cortette butchered Chopin, there was a reason his pieces were played on a piano. God. I couldn't stand this, but my agent informed my it was of my best interested to be seen at this party. I didn't really like to be seen, that was why I worked behind the camera despite many offers to put me in front of it.
My life had been behind the scenes since I was a child, since my mother died and I joined "the scoobies" I'd never been in the spotlight and though as a teenager I'd craved her place in the limelight, these days I preferred to be the lame-o in the corner. College had proved too easy for my mind, my entire experience had been insane. I couldn't believe the stupidity of most of my peers and I'd found my calling in an elective.
Since then I'd been discovered by the main stream media. They loved my work and though I prefered the quiet days taking pictures of people and places that weren't posed, it was what paid the bills.
I sighed and looked around. Most of the people here were agents and models, though there were always random people from professions not directly linked to the business. I took a sip of my wine and pulled at my black cocktail dress.
I rarely found anyone interesting to talk to at places like this, but I noticed a guy that didn't exactly look out of place because he was well gorgeous, but he seemed slightly uncomfortable, like he wasn't use to all these people prancing around. I felt his pain.
I looked down and bit my lip before looking back over to him and noticing that his eyes were this intense blue, and then I caught them and blushed furiously before looking back down at my feet nervously.
Sure I wasn't 16 and entirely shy, my college years were filled with some experimentation, I was 25 after all, but nonetheless I still felt 16 at heart when I got noticed by people of substance.
I looked back up and he was gone, I couldn't help but frown before sighing and figuring it was just my luck anyway.
05.
I watched his mind taken in what I'd said. It took a minute or two and I wondered what he was thinking. Then again that was nothing new with him, I always wanted to know what he was thinking because I could rarely figure him out.
I mean I could always tell if something was up, but figuring about what that something was? Not my strongest suit.
"It had never really been about the sex. You made me feel like a man when I wasn't, Buffy. That's what it was about for me."
I nodded.
"You were always a man to me. Hell you were more of a man than any other man I knew, know and you still are."
I let my arms trail down his and moved so I could wrap them around his frame, I rested my head against his chest.
I could hear the pounding of his heart. His heart, I felt completely overwhelmed. I just stood there arms wraped around his waist and my head on his chest.
"Your ... god your heart." I whispered.
I felt a tear escape my eye. I wasn't sad, I was just ... in awe, again. This was an aw'ing type of day it seemed.
Finally I looked up at him with a smile, one tear was caught on my cheek.
"That's the most wonderful sound I've ever heard in my entire life."
06.
"You could have just... left me."
I'd tried. I'd tried not thinking about Angel as soon as I'd found out he was a vamp, and we all saw how well that had gone over. I'd tried, he'd tried, and... we couldn't. There was just something that kept bringing us back to each other which was so not fair, but what could I do?
"I could've," I lied. "But I won't." I looked him square in the eyes as I repeated it. "I won't."
He finished up the blood and I put the cap back on and set it in my bag, trying to figure out how I'd be able to get some more for tomorrow night as I grabbed the washcloth and dipped it into some water. I hadn't had time to heat it up, but... well, vamps were all body-temp and stuff, so it shouldn't matter, right? As long as it was clean?
Ugh. I should so go research that sword and see if there was anything in Giles' books on it. Maybe then...
"Not exactly back on my feet, but better."
"Good," I said as I walked back and sat on the bed, carefully pulling back the sheet I'd just put there to look at his wound. Peeling off the bandages, I bit my lip and stumbled on my words. "I mean, not good about the not back on your feet. Good about the better."
I leaned forward over his chest and began dabbing lightly. "Tell me if I'm hurting you..." I blew some air onto the wound, since it wasn't closing the way a normal vamp-wound should, but I really wasn't Nurse Buffy.
I looked up into his eyes and my voice caught. "I..." I got up and grabbed a fresh set of bandages and sat back down, trying not to look at his eyes, but that only made me look at his chest.
"And once I am back on my feet... then what?"
"I don't know," I replied quietly, cuz it was the truth. I couldn't kill him, obviously. And I had a feeling he wasn't going to be leaving town like Spike and Drusilla did.
"Angel," I began, "I don't know why I'm doing any of this. I don't know why I'm here, why you're not dust... I don't know why I can't stop thinking about you." I looked up at him again and tried to hold my tears in me.
"I just know that if you don't kiss me now, I'm gonna die."