The World Will Stain Us

Legion of the Black

Why Andy had decided to film the movie in a desert, Jake would never know.

Seeing as they were vampires, it seemed rather counter-intuitive to film a movie in the one place they couldn't go without serious risk to themselves. Aware as Jake was of the so-far-effective methods of protecting themselves from the sun's harm, it was still risky to be out here, miles from the nearest town and with only the blood they'd brought with them to keep their appetites whetted. CC was Jake's biggest concern, especially following the near-disaster a few weeks before―he didn't want anything bad to happen, not least for the toll it would take on CC.

Yet Andy had insisted, and so here they were, set up in the middle of the Mojave Desert to film a movie.

Rather than make the two-and-a-half-hour trek back and forth from their filming location to the nearest city, they'd rented a couple of RVs and would simply camp out in the desert until the movie was finished. Pat's camera crew had a trailer for their equipment as well. It all seemed very practical―despite his limited interactions with the human on music video shoots, Jake had to say that Pat was good at his job.

Jake had no idea how long they planned to be out here, nor how they planned to ferry extras, actors, and equipment from one set to the next; regardless, it seemed Andy, Pat, and Richard Villa had everything roughly planned out and under control. Jake was trying not to worry too much; it wouldn't do anyone any good, and he was sure Andy would tell them the details he'd left out fairly soon.

He watched from the windows of their RV as Pat's camera crew and Richard's construction crew scurried around setting up sets. All the exterior shots would be conducted using the desert itself as the backdrop; Jake could see a drum riser being set up a ways away from the RVs. Interior shots, by the look of things, would be a mix of props and greenscreen―or at least that was what he thought. Even his enhanced eyesight couldn't quite make out every set being built, stringing out in a line to the horizon.

It was truly fascinating watching the crewpeople work. They moved as a well-oiled machine, regardless of which person they answered to, working remarkably fast and in constant communication. They seemed oblivious to the desert heat, and even from here Jake could see the camaraderie between them.

"It's interesting to watch, isn't it?" said a voice in Jake's ear, and he turned his attention from the window to find that Andy had crept up soundlessly behind him.

"It is," Jake agreed, smiling at him. "They've got good teams."

Andy smiled. "Pat's a good director and Richard's a driven artist. Of course they do." He stepped forward, into Jake's space, and stole a quick kiss. Jake wrapped his arms around the singer, drawing him back; if he was going to demand attention, Jake was going to give it to him.

Andy grinned lazily at him when Jake pulled away. "Is that so?"

Jake raised an eyebrow. "You obviously wanted something."

Andy laughed. "I wasn't going to leave you lonely by the window, was I?"

Jake kissed him again. "What did you really come over for? Aside from needing attention."

"Pat said we should be able to start shooting once the sun goes down," Andy shrugged. "I was coming over to tell you that."

"So we are filming this at night," Jake said, and Andy nodded.

"Most of it, anyway. Why, were you worried?"

"A little. You brought us to a desert." Jake grinned. "Pointing out the obvious here, but we are vampires. Desert and vampires do not mix."

"I know," Andy laughed. "But we'll be okay. We know how to combat the sun when needed, and I think a good chunk of the movie is okay to be filmed at night."