... Wow.

Ladyamberjo voiced an interesting problem with the West Side Story fic that I'm surprised no one pointed out before, as it's been in my mind from the start.

When did wearing bullet resistant vests become standard?

Well, since my stories are present day, it's safe to say they're standard. Which means that if Schrank was wearing one, it was old. Why? Had he not been diligent and replaced it when he should have? Or was he issued an old one by mistake?

... Or, was someone deliberately trying to kill him and made sure he had an old one that night?

That last thought just came to me while pondering on the problem and adding in some paragraphs that address the characters' confusion over it.

Should I go that route? It would make the fic a lot longer and throw in some new elements that had originally not been planned at all. But it would be interesting.

If I don't go that route, I'll say that there was a mix-up and Schrank was issued an old vest by accident. That could put the entire precinct in a bad spot, though.

I'm kind of leaning more towards this mystery idea that someone really was out to get him and hoped he would get shot that night.

EDIT: Nevermind. I did some poking around and I have my answer: plainclothes police are not required to wear bullet resistant vests and usually keep them in the trunk, if they have them. That explains Captain Stottlemeyer being shot, too.

Squeeee!

... Why is it that, even though I still love both Darren McGavin and Simon Oakland dearly, I seem to have flipped from crushing the most on Darren to crushing the most on Simon? dangelos_song had it right when she said I had it bad for Simon.

Actually, I can pinpoint when and how it mushroomed (even though it had already been heading in that direction). It was the second time I watched The Night Strangler and realized how much Tony was trying to do for Kolchak when Kolchak just didn't seem to recognize or appreciate it. From that point, I never could quite feel the same about Kolchak. And though I'd liked Tony for ages before that, he grew in my admiration and esteem afterwards. That seems to have expanded into a huge crush on his actor.

I do think Kolchak changed by the time he and Tony got to Chicago. He was still aggravated by Tony, but somehow he seemed more appreciative than he did in the movies. And in the comics, he has flat-out acknowledged that Tony has tried to help him many times. In the story Pain Most Human, after Kolchak ends up absolutely devastated by something that happened to him, he tells Tony that he's been a "good, decent, and much misused friend." He also says that he's tired of getting Tony fired and for Tony to get away from him while he still can. Tony outright refuses, exclaiming, "Have you lost what little sense I thought you had?!" He goes on to say that he hates it when Kolchak gets human and tells him to sit back down; they can't have all of New York thinking they're having a lovers' quarrel. (I giggled so much over that.) And it's a comfort to Kolchak when Tony is adamant about staying with him. Eeee, that story has such wonderful friendship squee! Sometimes Moonstone really pulls off some amazing things.

One thing is certain: you can't have one without the other. Their dynamic is awesome and unmatched. Darren and Simon brought those characters to life as no other actors could hope to do. And even though I've switched to crushing the most on Simon, I still adore them both and thrill to watch things that either of them are in.

... And the Black Sheep Squadron episode Forbidden Fruit is awesome and squeeable. Yes.