Written by Sapphira,
And based on the cancelled CBS/UPN TV series, Wolf Lake
Sequel to "The Virtual First Season Continuation"
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Disclaimer: Don't own any of it… not the characters (unless they are my original creations) the music, or the original TV series in any form… I am making no profit off of this, or ANY of my other fanfics… I'm writing it purely for my own enjoyment, and hopefully for the enjoyment of some of the fellow fans.
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Author's Note – Okay, people... don't get too excited. I won't be posting the first part of the premiere of the second virtual season for another couple of days… This is just an author's note and specs entry (as well as a couple of treats related to the VS2 and VS3 towards the end that you should definitely check out!)…
Okay then, where to begin? Why is my second virtual season premiering here first, rather than at PVT, like I informed all of you back at the ending of my first season it would? Well, I've had a little bit of a difficult time with PVT of late, and even though I'm still affiliated with them, and will continue to hopefully post my series there, I'm going to be using ff.net as my primary release place, just like I did with the first season…
Speaking of PVT, remember the awards that I had mentioned a long time back? Well, my series was nominated for I think 14, but only won two…best new series, and best love story (Luke and Sophia)… and although I'm thrilled that they at least won those two, the authenticity and fairness of the judges was apparently called into question, as some people were concerned that the judges gave the majority of the awards to those who they were friends with, rather than give them to whose work was the best… Fortunately in some ways, I only have one possible entry for this year's award ceremony (if they even have one this year) and that is my finale for the first season… and if that doesn't get an award after being nearly 28,000 words in length… (growl)
But I'd still like to thank all of you who nominated me for those awards to begin with. Your support was amazing and very touching.
Expect things to be a little different than they were in the first virtual season… Instead of posting an ENTIRE virtual episode in one entry, I'm going to be breaking up all of the episodes into two, but more often three parts. That way, I'll be able to post more frequently, and it'll also provide me with more time between episodes to relax, and work on other projects.
Now then, before going any further, there's something else I want to address…
Although there has been a tremendous outpouring of support from the fans over the months of this series' hiatus, and the mass majority of all of you have been incredibly understanding, there is a very small minority (about four or five) that have been a little too pushy in regards to when I would begin the virtual second season. And a couple have severely crossed the line. They flooded my e-mails with repetitions of the same messages over and over again, they get pissed off when I refuse to answer them, and then they act as if they have the right to treat me like dirt, simply because I'm not writing what they want to hear. I have had to remove countless frustrated reviews on my OTHER projects, simply because their authors were unhappy that I was writing for other genres that were not WL, and I'm getting sick of feeling guilty every time I want to write something that isn't WL…
When I posted the last author's note for the Virtual Continuation of the First Season, I stated quite clearly that although I was hoping to begin the second season in late fall or early winter, I reserved the right for it to be as late as the beginning of 2004, which has only now rolled around…
I love writing. Writing fanfic has not only strengthened my writing ability in general, but it has provided me a much needed outlet when it comes to my life, and without it these last couple of years, well… I just don't know what state I would be in at the moment. I've developed incredible friendships, and I have literally received messages from people around the globe that have enjoyed not only this series, but my other ones as well. There is no greater honor than that.
But I have to tell you… Coming back to the WL genre has not been easy. It's been a chore. That's part of why it has taken so long to get this premiere out. The passion that I felt so strongly during the first season that had me churning out almost 200,000 words in only six months is currently not so strong.
Writing this premiere was probably the hardest thing I've had to do in a long time… and I want it to be understood that I've only done it for two reasons… A) for all those same fans that have supported me in the RIGHT way throughout this last year from all around the globe, and B) because I'm still hopeful that that same passion will come back to me, and that it wasn't just a fluke.
The majority of my series is planned out. I know what's gonna be happening, and I know pretty much how it is all going to end, unlike in the first season. But to get it to that conclusion, I can't be feeling like it's a chore. That is not what writing is. It is a love, a passion, and a product of your very soul. That is the way I feel about the first season I've already created… and it is what I'm still hoping to feel for this one… just understand that I'm not feeling that just of yet.
In a way, I think the reason why I feel so disconnected from my WL writings at this moment, is because I feel a sort of resentment towards it. Like I've already said, I've had those that have harassed me because I was writing for another series, like Tarzan… but you have to realize something… the life of this virtual second season is owed in its entirety to the "Reflections" series that I created for that other genre… That series helped me remember what it was like to really have your heart wrapped up in a storyline.
Which only made it harder to come back to WL when those who weren't pleased with where my writing was being directed, started pushing me even harder about the virtual series.
I am NOT going to put up any longer with feeling guilty for writing a story that I love, I don't care what it is, or what genre it is for… If I have to put one thing on hold for a little while to work on something else, then you'll all just have to deal with it. In the end, it'll all work out better, because it will help keep the series from becoming stale or noticeably forced, and it'll keep me happy.
I am still planning with all of my heart completing my series in its entirety. I am not the kind of person that could live with myself if I gave up on a story. That's not who I am. Not only is there going to be a second season, but there will be a third as well, with the possibilities of future sequels. I have to prove to myself that I can do this, before trying to publish on the mainstream market… and working in fanfiction has helped me cultivate my writing abilities in ways that I had never expected. I truly think, looking back on just the first few episodes in the Virtual Season One Continuation, that my talents have really grown a lot over the span of almost two years… and I think some of you will be able to see that difference in the VS2…
To be perfectly clear, I am in no shape or form giving up on this series. But if it takes me longer than just a couple of weeks to post a new episode, or I post another project instead, then that is the way its going to be, and all of you will just have to deal with it. It's either that or I shelve the project all together.
Okay, now that that has been said, keep your eyes peeled. The premiere has already been created in entirety, I'm just putting those final touches on it. The first part will be posted sometime in the next few days, so keep checking back…
Anyway, as a thank you for putting up with my ramblings, read on for a sneak preview of the premiere, as well as a revealing interview compiled by one of my closest friends and a big fan as well…
Here's to another season!
Yours faithfully,
Sapphira
P.S. If you would like to keep track of what is going on in the creation of this series, as well as my other projects and life in general, then check out my new online journal. There will be a lot of stuff released there that I won't even necessarily be releasing at my message board, as I try to keep my announcements there official and professional.
The journal however, will address all different aspects of VS2 and VS3, including almost daily blow by blows of each episode's progress towards getting released…
It'll basically just be a helpful way of keeping everyone informed of what is going on, and whether or not I'm even working on anything at that given time.
So, make sure you take the time to check it out, and book-mark it if you are interested in checking into it on a regular basis. Go to my bio page and scroll down to the end of my bio to reach the link, or type in the (make sure you put the www. In front of it)
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((Preview))
The flames of the massive bonfires swept staggeringly high, and the intense flickering glow cast against the expanse of her smooth, pale skin revealed to the night air still carrying a chill from the dying winter months. Beads of moisture slid off of her lithe form in a constant repetition, as she tossed her head back. Flinging the now almost waist-length sodden mass of dark hair away from her face. Using her fingers to help with the process as she slowly began to make her way down the length of the docks. Her soaked black bra and matching underwear still intact and covering their respective areas despite not having been intended for swim wear.
She made her way up the plank wood steps. Blinking water out of her eyes, and oblivious to the way reflections of the firelight caught in the beads of water still clinging to her skin. Turning them into faint shimmering embers, that echoed in the depths of her dark eyes. A familiar crystal pendant settled on its silver chain against the place over her heart.
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Many of you have asked me various questions about what I was planning for the Virtual Season, but at that time, I was unable to answer you… however, with the premiere looming, a friend of mine suggested that it would be fun to compile all of the more important and revealing questions into sort of a Q & A… so here goes! (Thanks go to CherryBomb for coming up with this idea, and "giving the interview"… you're the greatest!)
Q – What are some of the surprises that await us in the Virtual Second Season? What can you share with us without giving too much away?
A – Well, I think one of the biggest is going to be with Tyler's character. I've heard of some other authors who refer to their characters almost as if they were real, and how they all took on different personalities and attitudes during the writing process… Some were more dominant, others were hard to fit in. Some wanted to cooperate with your initial plans, while others completely took over and wrote their own story.
Well, I can relate to this now, because that is exactly what happened with Tyler… Up until the finale of the first season, I had every intent of killing his character off. He hadn't been what I had considered a major player throughout the VSOC anyways, as he had always been difficult to fit in… but then I got to the part where he was turning Ruby and John over to the Hunters, and his character just exploded to the forefront. Much to my surprise, and I think to the surprise of the fans, I didn't kill him off. But I didn't have much choice in the matter. He took on a life of his own, and apparently would have haunted me for eternity if I had terminated his character… So instead, I inserted a plot twist that even I hadn't been planning on, and he reluctantly became the unlikely hero only to disappear from Wolf Lake after performing his service to the Pack. And even though he isn't going to be coming back to Wolf Lake right away, his story will still be a very critical part in the second virtual season.
He's also not going to know what hit him, as I have many things in store for his character… including not only a new person in his life that is going to turn his entire world as he knows it upside down, but also many temptations from the dark side that he may not be able to refuse a second time. It'll be interesting to see what happens to Wolf Lake's bad boy, as even I'm not too sure at the moment (I mean, he's already completely fooled me once about his intentions)… But he's still going to be a strong driving aspect in the series from here on out.
I mean, what would Wolf Lake be without the infamous Tyler Creed?
Q – What about Damien? Will we see him again?
A – Damien was another character that surprised me in the first season… As he was an original character, I hadn't really anticipated bringing him to forefront the way I did. But then again, when I originally started to create the VSOC, I had no intention of creating a second and third season, and when you're looking at continuing a series for that long, then you need to bring new blood into it, just like they do with an actual TV series… When I first started to write Damien into the series, he immediately developed an attraction for a certain young blonde Skinwalker, whether I liked it or not, and even though developing his character to such a level hadn't been the original intention on my part, I know now that those last few episodes of the VSOC wouldn't have nearly been as good as they were if it hadn't been for him.
So yeah… he'll be a pretty big character in the next two seasons. I think he's going to be one of my favorite characters actually, in the VS2… But he won't be in Wolf Lake, and he has absolutely no intention of ever going back. I really don't know at this time that even if he did, if Presley will be able to forgive him for abandoning her, or if he would even be willing to let down his guard enough for her to do so. You have to remember that their relationship up until his departure from Wolf Lake had been a rather volatile and dangerous one. Damien gave the order for Presley's capture and torture long before he actually found himself in her presence and felt that connection form between the two of them… And you also have to realize that, despite his loyalty to the Skinwalkers, he has been trained all of his life to be a killer. To be unemotional and cold. He still has his demons with him, and he always will. He doesn't believe himself capable of truly being able to safely love someone… or that someone could love him. Not after seeing the full extent of what he was capable of… which again, Presley hasn't.
Some love stories, no matter how incredibly powerful, are just not destined to have the fairy tale endings (like Buffy and Angel for example, to bring up a reference of one of the most powerful love stories to ever happen on the small screen)… But everyone will just have to wait and see which category Damien and Presley's will fall under… Remember, Damien's not a Skinwalker (at least not a full-blooded one) but he's most certainly not human either, which is a concept I don't think Presley (or the fans) have quite grasped onto about him. His nature is such that he could never be mistaken for one over a long period of time. And he's been left with some pretty hefty baggage by his father, whom he killed for those who may not recall that bit from the finale. So be prepared to see a very dangerous, cold, and calculating side of him come out strongly right from the beginning. It was a darkness in him that was only hinted at in the VSOC, that I plan on really delving into this go-round…
Q – What about Presley herself? What role will she fulfill in the series to come?
A – Presley was another surprising character… I know that she was also one of the characters not well liked, and a lot of people didn't want me to keep her around at first, but I actually did see something I liked in this character in the original series, and what I saw was a young woman only doing what was expected of her by skinwalker standards. She wasn't necessarily bad. She was just an alpha bitch (and no, that is not meant in the derogatory sense) trying to maintain her position within the Pack.
I'm actually very pleased that I set up this whole unrequited love dynamic between her and Damien… it's added an element of that intense relationship angst to the series that I really thought would be needed, what with some of the couples already settling down comfortably with one another… And its something that I know I'm going to enjoy playing around with, even though Presley and Damien are currently on opposite sides of the world.
In the VS2, Presley's destiny will pretty much lie solely in the decisions that Damien will make… You will see her occasionally, but I don't think she'll be a strong character until much later in the series, and that will only be if Damien comes back to Wolf Lake… Until then, I think most of the references you'll see to Presley's character will be in the scenes that Damien has, as he reflects back on her. Even though he has no intention of coming back to her, he's not having as easy a time as he would have preferred forgetting her, either.
Q – You created some interesting original characters in the VSOC… can you give us any hints of the ones that we will meet in VS2 and VS3?
A – Not really. Although I can say that there will be a whole heck of a lot more popping up then there was in the first… And more of them will be taking on the kind of strong roles that we saw with Damien, too… Their lives will be entwining rather intimately with the original characters, and I think they will really assist in bringing the entire series to its powerful conclusion over the next two seasons. I will also be bringing a couple of characters only hinted at in the original series to the forefront as well.
Q – You kind of hinted towards the end of "Never Cry Wolf", that there might be the potential for trouble between Luke and Sophia ahead… are the readers' premonitions about that going to prove to be true, or is it just silly speculation?
A – (grin) No, it's not just them. Although I am a strong romantic at heart (especially for these two) I believe that any connection with such extensive value like theirs, is never as simple as some of the fairy tales make it out to be. I believe that your true soul mate is worth fighting for, or else how do you know that that bond is worth anything? Luke and Sophia came together very fast in the VSOC, primarily because of everything that was happening around them. They came together on a very instinctive, primal standing, because that was the only option open to them at that time. Well, let's face the facts here… they still carry within themselves that human mentality to screw things up, and they are also still very young. They need time to mature, and make mistakes, and struggle with each other, so they can also grow into their relationship, and have that relationship become stronger for it… So yeah, I'm gonna be throwing a monkey wrench into the mixture, and there is definitely going to be some conflict between them noticeable almost right off the bat. Sophia has accepted her destiny and her abilities, but she still isn't quite as ready as she thought for some of what that entails, so Luke is going to be offering her an ultimatum that is definitely gonna raise the sexual tension between them through the roof, and provide a very spicy – and frustrating – read as things progress.
Q – Will we see the birth of John and Ruby's twins in the second season?
A – Maybe… maybe not… You'll just have to wait and find out… Ruby is going to have her hands full with the fulfilling of her side of the prophecy, and John is going to have his hands full with his pregnant wife... (wink)
Q – What about Matt and Vivian? Will they finally be acknowledged as official mates by the rest of the Pack?
A – You'll just have to wait and see… But I will say that as far as relationships go, theirs will have the easiest go of it in comparison to the rest of the group.
Q – What about Rianna? Will she return?
A – Rianna wasn't exactly Rianna… she was just the image that the ancient yet sentient powers of the white wolf used in order to converse with Sophia… that power is sort of like a collective consciousness of all the white females that have gone before. And to be honest, I really don't think "she'll" be back at all until the finale of the third season… But you never know… something could change.
Q – What are some of the major over-all plot lines that you will be focusing on in the second season?
A – The two primary ones are going to be the threat of the radical human society trying to pick up where the now extinct (except for Damien) Hunters left off, and also the knowledge of the second pack's existence, and the impending confrontation between the two Clans, that many fear (with good reason) will turn into an all-out war for dominance and supremacy… I will also be getting into the more political and personal anarchy within the Wolf Lake Clan, that was the driving force of the original series. I will be drawing upon a lot of the different hints that were dropped in those nine episodes about the different factions on opposite sides with one another, as well as their leaders and their heirs… And I will confront the issue of the 'agenda' within the Pack as well, that was the point of one of the conversations between Luke and Tyler and a driving point throughout all nine episodes in the original series as well…
Q – About how many episodes are we going to be looking at for each season?
I'm going to be enforcing a much stricter control over the amount of my writing and the length of the 'episodes' than I did with the first season. There will be thirteen episodes per season, so you have a total of twenty-six overall… But it may become necessary to extend that out at the end of the third season, into like a three part finale… but each episode up until then will be averaging roughly between 10,000 and 13,000 words in length. I have taken liberties with the premiere however, as it is the foundation of which the entire VS2 will be placed upon. It ranks close to 19,000.
I will also be breaking up the episodes into two or three parts, to provide not only more frequent updates, but to also allow me to have a break in-between episodes to work on other projects while at the same time keep the fans happy with regular posting.
Q – Your unofficial soundtrack for your first virtual season continuation seemed to go over well… can you tell us what kind of music we can be looking forward to in the second and third virtual seasons?
A – That is a very difficult question to answer, because I really don't know till I write a particular scene or episode, what song I'll put with it… Plus I like to keep my choices (if I have any) a secret till then anyways. But I will say that I'm drawing a lot of just my basic inspiration for the series from the more dark, edgy tracks that also seemed to influence the original series. My primary addiction at this time is the soundtrack to "Queen of the Damned"… I think that is probably the most awesome soundtrack I've heard in a long time, and every song on it would fit WL to a T… For those of you that loved the song Change (in the house of flies) by Deftones that played in the original series pilot, when Sophia was in the back seat of Luke's car, and Luke was watching her in the rear-view mirror with glowing eyes, then you will love this soundtrack, because that is the kind of music it is. Change is even on the album, as well as KidneyThieves, who had another one of their songs on the original series as well. Rather ironic, actually… I don't know if I'll actually use any of the music in the VS2 or VS3 soundtrack, but it is possible that one or two of them will pop up. Right now though, it's just providing my muse with the fuel it needs to write this season…
Q – What about Sherman? What surprises can we expect from him?
A – lol! Sherman is Sherman. Even I don't dare try to assume what that crazy Keeper is going to do, especially on my time. I'm a little worried that he's going to be a difficult character this season. He's really being very secretive at the moment, and is refusing to give me any hints about what he might be thinking. He may not be quite as prominent in the series right off the bat… he's probably too busy chasing some skirt around town. ;)
Q – Will you finally confront the issue of Willard Cate's murder?
A – Yep, I will… but it may not be in the second season… and it definitely won't be quite what you think!
Q – What new relationships will be occurring in the VS2 and VS3?
A – I'm not going to answer that… if you want to know, you'll just have to read and find out with everybody else…
Q – Looking back on the finished product, if you could, is there anything that you would have changed about the First Season Continuation?
A – I've wondered that myself… And I think my immediate answer would be yes… there are a couple of things that I think I could have done a little differently… but to be thoroughly honest, I'm actually quite pleased with it overall. I think it is written in the way it was meant to be written, and the way it was meant to be written, was for it to be the foundation of an even bigger story yet to come.
I mean, yeah, the earlier chapters are noticeably not as well written as the ones that came later – or in comparison to my newest works – but that is just an example of my writing talents being cultivated and polished over the shifting of the months. This change was particularly noticeable to me, in the 10th virtual episode. Up until then it had been a very slow progress, and then all of a sudden it all clicked into place, and really started to flow smoothly. That probably had something to do with finally getting my own PRIVATE computer set up. (grin) And then there are those last three episodes, which I think took my writing to a completely new level.
I do think that the chance is very good though, that I'll eventually go back and do some work on those first nine virtual episodes of mine to polish them up a bit… make things a little less choppy. That is something that I've already done with most of my other early on works.
This series has been worth it, just for the experience it has provided for me in just the writing aspect. Not to mention in the confidence arena. Especially considering how I used to think I couldn't write worth a flip. (no pun intended… well, maybe a little pun intended. *wink*)
Q – What about Embrace of the Wolven? What is your plans for that series?
A – To be honest, I think I should have held off on posting EOTW to begin with… I think I got in just a little too much of a hurry with that series, and was too excited to think things through rationally. I hate the idea of abandoning a story for months on end, but with everything else that has been going on, that is exactly what I've found myself doing.
Trying to work on two WL projects at the same time is going to be extremely difficult, and I think that EOTW is going to find itself on quite a few long dry spells for a while… but I am still going to try my best to update it now and then with new chapters, even though it really was a series that I should have held off on starting for another half year or so. It's really difficult to have two very different relationships happening to the same couple, being written at the same time… It's something that may take me awhile to learn how to juggle.
Q – After it is all said and done, and VS2 and VS3 have been completed, and EOTW had reached its conclusion, will you do anything else for WL?
A – I really don't know how to answer that at this time… by then I think I'll be wanting to wrap up ALL of my fanfic projects, and begin working on my original series, which isn't going to leave much room for anything else. I think by then I will have told my WL stories to the fullest extent possible, and will probably just bow out gracefully from the genre. You can only take a story so far, and this one is going far and beyond anything else I've ever done, or even seen. I don't think I've read another fanfic series that already has the word count that this one does, and it's not even halfway completed.
But that is a question you really should just ask me again when the day arrives in which I upload that final chapter to my WL epic, and then I should be able to answer it more decisively.
Q – What about some of your other fanfic projects? What else do you have in mind to create?
A – Go to my bio page… you'll be able to read all about the stories that I have rolling around predominately in my mind at this moment… But definitely nothing ever again as extensive as this series has become. (grin) I'll be saving that energy for my original series…
Q – Why did you start the Virtual Seasons?
A – Well, when I first began to scribble "Wolven Behavior" down in my notebook, I never had the faintest idea that the first virtual season continuation would become as big as it did. I wasn't even planning on doing more than eight or nine episodes, which is probably a good thing. If I had known just what it would grow into, I probably never would have even bothered to pick up my pencil!
But I am glad that I did… I mean, how can you possibly know what you can do, until you bother to do it? I had never considered myself much of a writer before I began this series… and now I'm laying the ground works for something all my own that you will hopefully see on the main-stream market in a few years. As of a few years ago, that wasn't a realistic dream of mine, but now it is. My writing fanfic was what had a hand in that change.
For that alone, I owe this series and the people who have supported it everything… And it is an experience I know I'll always carry with me, and an accomplishment that I know I'll never forget.
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