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MOVED VLAD HERE!!!

(he was moved shortly after the above blog was opened btw, so this isn’t a recent move)

ʏᴏᴜʀ ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ ɪɴꜱɪᴅᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀ ɢʟᴏᴠᴇꜱ                           ꜱᴛᴀɪɴꜱ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏᴜᴄʜ

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sanguisfulgur‌:

Setka’s stomach and chest felt light, airy. Vlad was not the first person to tell him that, he had heard it frequently from Diane over the years. Yet it was different here, to hear from Vlad. Someone he barely knew and yet felt such a connection with. “I suppose I cannot argue with a prince,” he laughed. He knew Vlad held no authority over him and would never dream of even attempt to assert otherwise, but there was no harm in talking about it playfully. 

“Well… we are functionally immortal. We will live to see such a thing, if it is possible outside of less… mundane means,” he knew there were beings capable of time travel as well as certain magic users. But that was different, and came with the risks of damaging timelines and other such problems. But that was something he had no knowledge in, he was not any sort of physicist. 

He went back to focusing on finishing his coffee, aware it was growing lukewarm. “Only if you allow me to pay next time,” Setka answered, looking at Vlad over the brim of his cup. That answered his question, he would very much like to see the other vampire again. 

He was thankful that Setka played along with the joke. Vlad was not exactly the joking type so whenever he got in such a mood, part of him worried if others might take it seriously. And with the other’s response he found himself smiling more easily.

“I suppose we will have to wait and see then,” Vlad responded. Time for creatures like them felt like no time at all. So if such a thing came to be, it wouldn’t seem like very long. He couldn’t believe he was seriously thinking about this. Perhaps it was possible but honestly, Vlad couldn’t say. He had been a scientist once but that had not been his field of expertise.

For a moment, Vlad was taken aback by that statement. Setka was interested in seeing him again and a warmth spread through his body at that thought. Why was he reacting this way? He barely knew the other and yet, he felt so comfortable and pleased that the other was interested in seeing each other again. But this didn’t have to mean anything. Maybe they would simply become friends. Yes, that was it. Just friends.

“I suppose I could let you pay next time,” he said. ”Same place or...?”

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Vanilla sex is hardly spoken about but it’s cute like imagine whispering I love you to someone and hearing them moan and being so caught up in the pleasure and endorphins that you basically melt into eachother while holding hands and kissing eachother

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sanguisfulgur‌:

Setka saw no harm in old creatures longing for the home that had vanished centuries ago providing even with their rose-tinted lenses they understood it was not all wonderful. No civilisation had a perfect history, some just happened to be far darker than others. 

“We are creatures long out of time, longing for homes even if they were not always a place of happy memories is normal. I admit I cannot give the insight you or others might want about my home. I was no one important and did nothing noteworthy. Just the son of a fisher and a baker. One fortunate enough to have frugal parents that allowed for a rare visit from a tutor to help teach me to read and write. But… I cannot give much insight beyond that. Not into the lives of nobles or such.” He could give insight as an archaeologist, but nothing personal or otherwise unknown to the masses. 

It was something Setka would have loved to have shared with Vlad, alas it was an impossibility. “If only we had the ability to time travel then I would show you a great deal. Unfortunately that is well beyond my capabilities which is undoubtedly a good thing. Too easy for something to go wrong.”

“No, no, you have given me valuable insight,” Vlad insisted. “Perhaps the most valuable. You were and are not a nobody, Setka. No one is a nobody. I’m a former Prince so you have to go by my word,” he said, his voice taking on a joking tone with that last sentence. But he was completely serious in his sentiment.

Vlad smiled easily at the elder vampire. “We would have to be careful, is all. Maybe in the future once scientists have figured it out we can go.”

It was easy to let loose around Setka, Vlad found. So easy it was actually slightly startling but even so, Vlad didn’t entirely mind and he wished to speak more with the other but he felt their time together today was drawing to a close as the waiter brought them their cheque. “I’ll pay,” he said, already digging for his wallet. “I had a...good time with you today. Would you care to have a coffee again, sometime?”

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sanguisfulgur‌:

“Thank you,” Setka appreciated that. It was all too easy for some to keep pushing, or to expect the information somewhere down the line even if they were respectful at the time. To have the assurance that he did not have to speak of it ever was comforting. “and you have nothing to apologise for. I understand the urge to talk about common ground we may share.”

Another sip of his latte, his drink only half down compared to Vlad’s own finished one. This was not uncommon for him, Setka often found himself distracted by conversation or work and took longer to finish drinks and meals than most. 

Ah, now there was something he could answer with ease. His smile returned, just thinking of his home spread a comforting warmth throughout his body. So far away and so long ago— yet so clear in his mind. “Beautiful,” he answered simply, finding himself growing wistful. “golden… a place like no other. Hard and cruel at times, yes. Less glamorous than our tomb art would have you believe. A dark history that came after I was already a grown man but… it was home and the jewel of the world to me.”

The last thing Setka needed to do was thank Vlad but the younger vampire let it go. He suspected that if he did, there might be some back and forth on if such a thing was necessary or not. Instead he smiled and nodded.

As Setka spoke about his home, Vlad found himself immediately more fixated on the other, taking in the wistful look he adopted as he spoke. You could always tell when one loved something from how their tone changed and the look in their eyes and general expression. It was a lovely thing to see, actually, and especially so now, Vlad thought.

“I understand the sentiment when it comes to your home,” Vlad said. “Romania, or well, Wallachia, as it was not yet Romania then, was not perfect but I adored it. It was my home and for all its faults it was beautiful to me. Still is.”

God, how he missed home at times but there was still too much pain there. He could never return. Not permanently.

“You talk about Ancient Egypt so wonderfully. I wish I could have seen it how you saw it despite those...dark times.” He and Emilio had been to Egypt before but that was sometime during the late 16th century. A far cry from what it had been thousands of years ago.

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I have a Dracula Untold problem (3/???)

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sanguisfulgur‌:

Setka bit down on his tongue in an attempt to stifle laughter. He hadn’t meant to overhear but it was difficult not to, being what they both were. It was a sentiment he understood. He hated to wish ill on anyone, but there truly were a few evil souls out there that deserved whatever misfortune came their way. 

His smile died however, as Vlad spoke on. Setka set his mug down as he felt his hands twitching and tensing. It was liable to shatter if he kept hold of it. A lump rose in his throat. Vlad had not done or said anything wrong but it was simply the thought of speaking of her. Only Diane and Braden knew of what he’d been through and even then not all of it. 

“I… would prefer not to talk about it. It is not something appropriate to talk of in public or something I am comfortable speaking of at all, truthfully.” Setka stumbled over his words, hazel eyes fixed on the table between himself and Vlad. He knew there was no reason to feel guilty, that he did not have to air his traumas to anyone and everyone. But part of him always felt like it was a deception to keep it hidden away. 

“Perhaps I will share eventually. Once we know one another better.” Setka offered up. He was certain they would grow closer, that was not a question of ‘if’ they would in his mind. He was already more open and comfortable around Vlad after talking so briefly than he was around with others he had known for months, sometimes years. 

Even with that, he couldn’t share this. Not yet.

“You do not have to even then,” Vlad reassured him. Part of him wanted to reach out and rest his hand atop Setka’s, to comfort the other but he held himself back. It wouldn’t be appropriate, they hardly knew each other. The best Vlad could do was use his words. “I do not mean to pry and I apologize.”

He finished off his coffee then and folded his hands in front of himself, glancing up at the other and taking in his eyes again. They really were beautiful. The kind of eyes one could get lost in easily and they sparkled so prettily like a newly polished gemstone.

He cleared his throat. “I do have one more question before the bill arrives,” he said, his eyes quickly darting to the waiter who appeared to be writing up their cheque now. “I’m terribly sorry I seem to be asking you all the questions but...what was it like in Egypt all those years ago? There are plenty of studies and the like, sure, but nothing compares to being there.”

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sanguisfulgur‌:

What Setka found to be ironic is that for all in the past humans seemed so set to blame everything on demons, oft cases of actual demonic presences were not seen as such. Truly it was a testament to how well inhuman creatures had always managed to hide themselves and their workings. 

He was no exception to that, though it was relatively easy to go unnoticed when he was - as Diane had once put it - a shrinking violet. Most did not look twice at him unless approached first and that aided itself in keeping a 6000 year old vampire under the radar. 

“I suppose if it was tied to his curse then it would no longer apply. The moment he was free that likely went with all the rest… though so long confined to the dark likely still left him sensitive to light.” Setka did not even want to think about that. He liked the sun, liked warmth and brightness. Thinking about being trapped in some mountain cave sent a shiver down his spine. 

Something they had in common beyond their similar professions. “A sentiment I understand,” the smile that had been present throughout their conversation faded. “I hope to never see my own creator again.” 

“I hope it did leave him with such a sensitivity,” Vlad half-mumbled to himself. He knew that he must sound like some petulant child but could anybody blame him? There was no love in his heart for his sire nor should there be.

And perhaps his sire did not care for him either. He couldn’t imagine the other vampire did. After all, they had only used each other but he knew his sire was not done with him yet. But Vlad would not do his bidding. He was powerful. He could fight the other off if it came down to it.

“Our similarities grow,” Vlad said, tracing the ring of his mug with the tip of his pointer finger. “I will not pry into your reasons why.” It wasn’t his place to do so. “But if you are comfortable speaking about it I am here to listen. Even if we only just met.”

Only just met but he felt something with the other vampire. Something he had never felt with anybody before. Not even Mirena and that thought felt so strange to him but he couldn’t deny it. There was simply something about Setka.

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Mirenas white dress from Dracula Untold

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sanguisfulgur‌:

It was not in Setka’s nature to hold prejudices, but it was near impossible not to with Ravagers. Once they turned it was as if all semblance of humanity drained from them, barely different to the zombies of modern human pop culture only far more deadly. He hoped one of them would be able to hold on to their sentience eventually and could be a healing factor to the strain, but until then they were a danger to everyone. 

Much like the progenitors of his strain. Setka could not say he was sorry that they seemed to have disappeared off the face of the Earth. The world was better for it. They brought nothing but destruction in their wake. 

He was truly surprised that the very man who had thrust vampires in the the forefront of human literature and beyond… had not known of the creatures before. It was amusing but he managed to contain a laugh by taking another sip of his coffee, hoping the cup obscured his smile. Europe seemed so steeped in stories of vampires that it was just a bizarre thought. “Humans always seem so eager to blame every little thing on demons,” Setka mused. There was something he was more curious about however. 

“Sunlight protected you, yes? But you seem fine with it yourself now. I know from the book that you begin your transformation vulnerable to it but it fades with time. How was it your own creator was weakened by it? Simply so long trapped in the dark?” Perhaps he was asking too many questions but it was in his nature. An archaeologist wanted to discover and understand. 

It was true. If one examined the whole of human history they would find that humans used demons often to explain away of blame misfortunes that fell upon them and their communities.

There had even been a time when the majority of humanity blamed demons for mental illness. Not that some still didn’t blame mental illness on such things which was unfortunate but it had been much more rampant in the days of old.

Vlad had been fortunate enough that no one had entirely picked up on his own mental illness when he had been human or he might have been subjected to being locked away or have exorcisms performed on him. He didn’t even want to think about such things and certainly shouldn’t be now.

“I do not know exactly why sunlight harmed him even so long after being turned. My best guess is that it was tied to his curse. Something in my gut tells me sunlight no longer harms him but I have not seen him since I left that cave so it is impossible for me to say.”

“I hope I never see him again,” Vlad admitted seriously. Perhaps too seriously for the current mood but he felt strongly about it.

He never wanted Caligula to show his damned face to Vlad ever again.

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Endless Dracula Untold [5/???] 

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sanguisfulgur‌:

“I supposed there is that,” Setka nodded. “Though I think the latter of those we all want to run from.” It was perhaps unfair and unkind, but so far no Ravager had been able to control themselves or their violent, flesh-hungry impulses. It was fortunate they were so rare. 

It was a common assumption that with his age, Setka would have answers to any question put to him. He did not mind it, it was an understandable belief to have. His age and experiences were difficult to comprehend for most, if he was anyone but himself he would struggle to understand it too. “My strain is… far older than I. How old I cannot say, I did not converse a great deal with the progenitors I met.” He hadn’t wanted to. They were as vile, if not worse, than his own creator. Setka had wanted to be far from her, them and any others like them.

“How did you believe your strain came to be?” He asked, even if it was not true he was curious. Vampires, much like humans, had their own stories of creation and it was deeply interesting to him. 

Vlad nodded at that. He was inclined to agree with such a sentiment. However harsh it seemed but Ravagers were dangerous by nature. If there was one out there who fought against it then they would be perfectly fine in Vlad’s book but given the research done, it seemed as though it did not happen. Or happened so rarely and before the author’s time that she couldn’t get any accounts of it.

Either way, Vlad couldn’t disagree given what he currently knew.

Perhaps there was a good reason Setka had not spoken to the progenitors of his strain much. It could very well be the same reason Vlad had been avoiding his own master this whole time. They were no good, to put it lightly.

Sometimes he thought the other man would come knocking on his door one day, to make good on what Vlad had promised in exchanged for vampirism. But it had been hundreds of years. If he was lucky, then Caligula would have no idea where Vlad was. He hoped that was the case and that it stayed that way.

“Believe it or not, I had not heard of vampires until shortly before I became one. At least, not like I am. In Romania we have the Strigoi and the Moroi. Strigoi is simply a troubled spirit that feeds on blood while Moroi are vampires or, like Strigoi, ghosts that feed on blood. The only thing in common is their feeding habits,” Vlad explained. “A priest that served my Principality told me of this creature called a vampire after I had an encounter with one on a mountain called Broken Tooth. This vampire had killed many Turkish soldiers whom had stumbled upon the cave it was entrapped in. Even killed two of my own men when we had gone to investigate. I only managed to survive by getting to the mouth of the cave where sunlight was coming in.”

Vlad took a sip of his coffee before continuing. “But now I’m rambling. This priest told me that this vampire was the first of its kind, that a man had been changed by a demon. I believed it until that book came out and now I cannot help but wonder who is the true progenitor of my strain and how it happened.”

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sanguisfulgur‌:

“You would think so but alas, it does not stop those already determined to cause us harm.” Most occult hunters were not aware of the names given by vampires to each strain given such knowledge was understandably kept from them. But any other creature with a mind to grapple with a vampire likely cared nothing for a strain’s name and traits. More fool them. 

“At least your strain is fortunate to have a more flattering name,” Setka mused. Though both were fairly direct and dramatic in their namings. Not at all surprising given they were given by a vampire about other vampires. They all have a flair for the dramatic, no matter how old or young. 

Setka stirred his latte, watching as the syrup sank through the foam further into the drink. He preferred it that way, allowing the sweetness of the caramel to spread throughout the drink more than the shot already put in the coffee did.

He took a sip before answering, mug still clasped in his hands. “I wish I had an answer for you but the truth is I do not know. I have no idea how the first of my strain came to be, though I had the misfortune of encountering some of them before they… vanished.” That was the only way to put it, whether they were alive and imprisoned or dead or simply living secluded he did not know. One day they simply disappeared. “I could not say whether they spoke truthfully of their creation or not.”

“At least we can take solace in the fact that both of our strains have a name that one would want to run from. Us, the Bloodletters, and the Ravagers.” Those four strains didn’t exactly have the most inviting names when it came to vampire species. They were pretty too the point as they all were. Even the more reserved strains, the Oracles, Menders, and Spiritualists. The woman who wrote that book was apparently not one to beat around the bush.

Vlad hummed softly though Setka not having such knowledge did surprise him. He was over six thousand years old. So how old were the first of his kind? How old was the true progenitor of his own strain if his own sire was not that person?

There were so many questions in a vampire’s life and that book had brought more.

“That is fine,” Vlad reassured him. “I only assumed from your age that you might be one of the first and would know for certain. I am in much the same boat. That book claims our origin in unknown as well from how we came to be to who the first of us was. I thought I knew, I thought it was my own sire, but clearly I was wrong.”

So was the priest.

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Sarah Gadon as Mirena in Dracula Untold (2014).