#I AM SEEING NOSFERATU TOMORROW IF IT KILLS ME >:(

[chicago-geniza]

WE HAVE WATER, LIQUID IV, SALTY CHIPS, ALLERGY MEDICINE, NASAL SPRAY, AND KOMBUCHA. POTS + INDIGESTION + CONGESTION BEGONE. BY THE END OF THIS DAY I WILL BE ABLE TO STAND UP WITHOUT SWOONING, EAT WITHOUT HORKING, AND BREATHE THROUGH MY NOSE

[ofpineapplesanddawns]

Dear John, if you want to answer prompts right now (if not that’s fine, no rush), I‘d have a little request for the vardy au. Maybe Vardy and Lucian watching classic vampire-themed horror movies? Thank you in advance and an early Happy Halloween 🎃

Sounds like a fun theme! :D

I'm totally accepting prompts right now, especially Halloween ones.

On with the fic!

--

"It seems like a terrible idea, but it's the season, I guess." Hardy said as he moved to take a seat on the couch.

"Do you do this often?" Lucian asked. "Watch vampire movies?"

"I try not to. There was a set of movies that Daisy had me watch with her, same with Miller, those stupid romance ones that people really liked. I hated them, they were a horrible chore to sit through, only thing good about them was this one vampire."

Lucian chuckled. "Oh? And what was it about this vampire that made it somewhat bearable to sit through?"

Hardy shot him a look. "He was rather nice to look at and seemed like a proper fictional vampire, not some angsty teenager who shouldn't be in high school still."

This made the lycan laugh as Hardy put on a movie, the first of the evening being the classic Dracula from the 1930s. They sat quietly, watching the movie, before Lucian asked, "When you watch these sorts of films, do you ever compare yourself to the vampires?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, just in the sense of how they are in terms of abilities and such, do you ever think 'I can do that' or 'I am better skilled'?"

Hardy raised an eyebrow, leaning back against the couch, a warm arm wrapping around his shoulders. "Sometimes, but not often. I mean, do you do that when you watch werewolf films? Considering I don't think there are any lycan-based films."

"No lycan films, just werewolves and shapeshifters. But sometimes when I watch them, I see how humans think of my kind's relative species. A lot of it is terrible, werewolves are often seen as dangerous, feral, and tragic."

This made the detective frown. "You're not really feral, Lucian."

"True, unless if I am beyond furious, which has happened, and you cannot blame me for that, it was the start of the war and my wife had been murdered before my eyes. Though you have no comment about being dangerous or tragic?"

"You are dangerous in your own right, just as anyone can be, and your life has been tragic, I can't disagree with that."

Lucian chuckled. "Blunt."

"Never said I wasn't."

They continued to watch as Dracula attempted to get what he wanted, and of how people were trying to stop it. "Did you ever actually read the book?" Hardy asked.

"A long time ago, when it was first published, it was rather ridiculous and odd, a bit... narrow minded, and felt somewhat homoerotic."

This caught Hardy off-guard and he let out a small laugh, then quickly shut his mouth. He didn't miss the amused smile on Lucian's face.

The movie soon ended, and they put on Nosferatu, which Lucian said he had seen when it first was released and how there was a whole lawsuit involved with it, and then they put on a hammer horror. "I liked these ones, back in the day." Hardy commented, now leaning against his boyfriend.

"You like these?" Lucian made a face. "They're so... bad."

"Of course they are, but they're enjoyable for that."

"The blood is very clearly red corn syrup."

"Shush, just watch Peter Cushing trying to kill Christopher Lee."

"I don't want to, this is getting dumb, let's put on something else."

Hardy looked up at him. "Wolfman? Frankenstein? It's Halloween weekend, we have to watch horror movies, even if they're terrible."

"We don't, but I feel like I have no choice." Lucian sighed, resting his head against Hardy's own. "Frankenstein."

"You have no choice at all, especially when Daisy gets you to watch stuff with her, she wants to marathon Buffy or something tomorrow."

"I... don't know what that is."

"You'll find out tomorrow."

--

I'm thinking of the vampire movies I've watched this month and do want to watch, I avoided bringing up Fright Night though, haha.

[talrayne]

Bloodbag 25

"How did you even get in here?" Jacob asked, lifting Kat over his shoulder. She felt lighter than expected, reminding him of the strength given to him by his undead nature.

"Oh? You thought I'd walk right into a mage trap? I dealt with this guy before. I also took the time to blackmail a tremere on the run afterwards. I knew what to look for and figured when I saw the clues he had the windows trapped as well. So, I used the wall. The mirrors in this place go right through the drywall. Used another talent to silence the cracking. It's also how we're getting out of here. I don't know how long those wards will last and I pity whoever opens the door next."

Before they climbed through the hole where the mirror used to be, Natasha turned to Jacob.

"When we get down into the sewer, be ready. The stench down there will likely hit harder than smelling salts. Whatever happens, don't let her go. I overheard the mage and she heard way too much. She gets away, we'll have to hunt her, and everyone she talks to, down and kill them. Its messy and I don't like doing it."

Jacob nodded. Natasha climbed down first and had Jacob let Kat down gently. They then shimmied between the walls ducking under various cables and pipes until they reached a small door. On the other side of the door was a breaker room in the basement.

The small door closed, the cracks revealing it indistinguishable from the rest of the bricks. The grate to the sewer was close by.

Kat didn't wake up until they were a few turns away from her apartment building.

"Whhhhuut haaaapennnd? Thaaat smelllll..." she trailed off before gagging.

"We're in the sewer escaping a guy who tried to kill you," Natasha responded.

"Naaat? You souund different, aare you okay?"

"I'm fine. We're bringing you to my place so you can rest."

"Who was that guy?" Kat asked, finally regaining the rest of her composure.

"It's complicated. We'll talk about it when we get back. For now, just rest. We'll be back soon."

"I need to talk. Otherwise how am I going to keep my mind off the smell?"

Natasha sighed and pulled a disk-shaped container out of her pocket. She dipped a claw into the pale-green substance and walked over to Kat's face.

"OH MY GOD! WHAT HAPP..." she started before Natasha smeared the goo under Kat's nose.

"Like I said, we'll explain everything once we get back. That should help with the smell until then," Natasha told her before resuming her position, leading Jacob back.

Kat was apparently shocked into silence for the remainder of the journey. As soon as they climbed into the familiar hallway, Natasha told Jacob to bring her into his room while Kat's new room was prepared. Once in his room, Jacob set Kat down onto his bed.

"I suppose it's question time now," Jacob said, pulling his chair to her side.

"I mean, yeah. Who, or what was that guy, what happened to Natty, what was that guy talking about and what did you do? He did shoot me, why doesn't it hurt so much anymore?"

"Well, first, to explain Nat, her real name is Natasha and that's what she really looks like. We're vampires."

"What? Vampires? Do you really expect me to believe that?"

"It's the truth. Hell, it looks like we aren't the only weird things out there either. You remember getting paralyzed by that guy. You may have been too out of it to see him disappear though."

"Wait. You made me drink your blood, didn't you? Oh crap! An I going to become a vampire?"

"From what I've been told, no. You won't be a vampire and you're still alive. Apparently in order to become a vampire, you have to be dead first and then drink vampire blood."

"Wait, I'm confused. How do you drink blood after you've died?"

"Honestly? I have no idea. Apparently I've done it, but I definitely don't remember. I woke up in a morgue less than a month ago. Anyway, apparently there are rules against making vampires. If I made you one, you, me, and Natasha, I mean Nat, would all have been executed."

"What? Who would have executed you?"

"He's called the Prince. He's apparently in charge of all the vampires in the city. Also, Nat has looked like that for over a hundred years. From what I understand, there are a few different kinds of vampires. She's a Nosferatu and they're cursed with looking like that. I'm a Malkavian and from what I've found out, I'm cursed with either going crazy, hearing voices, or both. I don't know much about ghouls though so I don't know what problems you'll have."

Kat, by this time, was sitting up on the edge of the bed, listening intently, when she looked up and cried in surprise.

"You might start going a little crazy," Natasha said, from behind Jacob. "For the most part though, the benefits will outweigh that potential issue. You won't age and you'll recover quickly, evident enough with the fact that you got shot in the stomach and have already recovered enough to sit up. You'll also be a bit stronger and can take a hit better. After you've drank his blood a free times though you'll think you're in love with him." Kat blushed a bit at this part.

"All of that stops if you stop drinking vampire blood though. Even worse, all the years you've lived since your first drink will catch up with you and quick. I've seen ghouls that lived fifty years past their due date lose their vampire sugar momma or daddy and die looking like they ran from an old folks home and had a heart attack.

"The best way to avoid that is by always having a source of blood, and if something happens to your 'donor' to find someone else who'll provide. That's easier said than done though. Biggest thing to keep in mind though out of all of this is we need to maintain the 'Masquerade'. We're already being hunted by people in the church and government. If our existence gets known by the populous, we all get killed. Unlike us, you can still walk under the sun, so I'd appreciate it if you acted like everything was normal.

"Now, we need a cover story for what happened at your apartment and why you won't be at work tomorrow. However, the sun is going to start rising soon and we'll need some sleep. My own ghouls have prepared a room for you down the hall. Oh, and don't leave. Even if you got back to your apartment, that mage left some nasty surprises at your door and windows. If you need anything, just ask my assistants."

Natasha left the room, leaving Jacob and Kat alone again.

"Well, I better get some rest. I've been up long past my own bedtime," Kat said, getting up from the bed. She hesitated at the door. "Have a good... day? I guess? Anyway, I'll see you in the evening."

She paused a moment before exciting the room. The voices just laughed again. Jacob's hunger started reminding him of his own missed meal, so he pulled out the cooler and had a couple of bags before torpor. They tasted hollow, but he still preferred them over the idea of killing again.

Portions of the materials are the  copyrights and trademarks of Paradox        Interactive AB, and are used with  permission. All rights   reserved.     For   more information please visit worldofdarkness.com

[artsynanotech]

Fuck My Undead Life - Part 1

What did I do? Who did I upset? I want to know. I need to know. This past month I’ve kept my head down, done everything right, and dammit… Dammit it’s not fair! Isaac might be dust, Ares left me, the one person I never wanted to drag into this world is Xavier’s freakin’ blood junkie, and there’s a blood hunt on my coterie. It’s not even my fault! I know I’ve been nothing but a burden since the start, but the crime I’ve been accused of is a complete fabrication. A fabrication that convinced the two people who know me best in the entire world. Dammit why didn’t they trust me? I’ve only been with Ares a month and a half, but Isaac of all people should have known I’d never do… do anything like what’s on that disc!

The night started fine. I’d fallen asleep with Ares holding me. When we woke he told me his sire was visiting and he wanted me to meet her. I wanted to, I really did, but I wasn’t going to risk my coterie by making it look like I was consorting with more people outside the Camarilla than necessary. Ares understood. I gave him one of my pottery pieces though, as a gift for his sire. Even if I couldn’t meet her I still wanted her to think well of me. Ares seemed happy with the compromise, and left to go pick his sire up from the airport. Isaac came by not long after that, and that’s when everything crumbled. He… he slapped me. Isaac has never laid a hand on me. Not once. By the time I’d realized what he’d done he was yelling at me, demanding to know what I’d done and why. He was crying. I had no idea what was going on, and Isaac… he was terrifying. That’s when he showed me the disc. A DVD titled “The Prince’s Slave,” featuring a very convincing image of me dressed in… in fetish gear holding a man by a leash. I thought it must have been a joke, some sort of cruel prank. But Isaac said no. It was definitely me on the video, doing  lord-knows-what and shattering the entire masquerade in the process. The prince had seen it and put a price on my head, and on that of Caroline and Michella. Isaac wouldn’t believe me when I told him I didn’t make that tape. But he still came to warn me, and to try to throw my pursuers on a false trail. Even seeing me do and say those things couldn’t make him abandon his childe. I did what I was told. I ran. And I left just in time to see men with guns storm my building. There was no time for my sire to leave.

Isaac! Isaac why?! Why couldn’t you just let them have me? Then you’d be safe. I went through so much to save you, and between the two of us, you matter more than I do. Idiot… I had no choice but to leave him. I needed to get to Ares. Regardless of our feelings toward each other, he’s the only vampire in the city not obligated to kill me. I hailed a cab and headed towards the airport. I was followed. My cab was ambushed at a red light just blocks from my destination. I ran again. Thank god for celerity or I’d be dust. As soon as I was safely hidden I texted Ares – Isaac had the foresight to get a burner phone for me – and asked him to pick me up. Said it was an emergency. Of course he called after I did. God, he was so worried… Ares promised to be there in half an hour, and sure enough he was. I stayed safely hidden until then. He was dressed to the nines (apparently his sire hates it when he dresses casually), and I wish I had time to fully appreciate it. He looked breathtaking. But there was no time, and I hopped into the passenger seat of his car before anyone else might spot me. He started to drive. I was so scared, and worried, and I wasn’t thinking. I should have waited until we got to his apartment to tell him what was going on. But he asked, and I had to tell him. I explained my situation and showed him the DVD case. It shocked him so much he slammed on the brakes in the middle of the street. And worst of all – and I don’t know why I didn’t consider this in the first place – his sire was in the back seat! I was so embarrassed. I manage something of a proper introduction despite it all. Miss Salvatore seemed unfazed, perhaps even entertained, though, so perhaps I didn’t screw things up with her completely. She even said she likes my pottery. Not that it matters. Ares said absolutely nothing until we reached his apartment. He let his sire out and told me to stay in the car. And once she was gone he told me he’d take me anywhere I needed to go. He was so cold when he said it. I didn’t understand at first, but as we spoke it was clear he thought it really was me on the DVD. I told him it wasn’t true. I needed his help to find who made the disc, but nothing I said reached him. He was crying! I had nowhere else to go, no one I could turn to, and he knew that, and he still turned me away. How could he believe I’d cheat on him, and like… like that? The thought of doing something so terrible to him makes me sick. He didn’t say the exact words, but I think Ares made it clear he wants nothing more to do with me. There was only one other person I could think of who might help me. Well two actually, but I can almost guarantee you Ricardo’s under watch (if they haven’t killed him already, dammit). That left Charlotte, my best friend from before my embrace. I moved to D.C. on her suggestion and prior to becoming kindred she was the only friend I had in the city. I hadn’t seen her since after I met Isaac. But that also meant she probably wasn’t on any other kindred’s radar.

It was hard to call her after so long, especially knowing the danger I would put her in. But she was happy to put me up for the evening. I’d need to figure out where to hide during the day, but this would hopefully keep me safe for the rest of the evening.  Ares drove me to her apartment without saying anything else to me. I apologized for hurting him before he left. I know it’s not my fault, but… but what? Why do I still feel so guilty? It was good to see Charlotte again, at least. It didn’t feel like there were years of separation between us. She gave me a shoulder to cry on (and with Ares dumping me, I had plenty of non-Camarilla drama to vent to her). She had to step out to take a phone call for a few minutes, but aside from that, we had a good time catching up. She, at least, understands the absurdity of me dressed as a dom. And she seems to be doing well for herself. It was good to see that. Eventually she went to bed. I used the time to try and find out more about the DVD. I’d acquired a new Auspex power over the past month, Spirit’s Touch, which lets me read memories from objects. I’d hoped to use it to find out where the disc came from.  I didn’t exactly do that, but I did see everything that happened from when came into the Prince Maxwell’s possession.

It was like I was floating in the Prince’s office. I saw him with Bethany being… close. Maceth and Bethany’s other hound came in and delivered the DVD. Maceth said it came from one of his contacts. They all watched it. Maxwell was livid. He called for a blood hunt. Demanded the Scourge, of all people, bring me in. Bethany asked if that was necessary and Maxwell, that bastard, choked her. Picked her up by the throat and threw her against the damn wall. God, Bethany deserves so much better. I won’t ask what she sees in him – I know how easy it is to fall for someone who hurts you – but that doesn’t mean I can’t hate our Prince for it. Not that I didn’t hate him already. After that they left the room. Then I saw Isaac come in and watch the disc. Whatever was on it (It didn’t show up in my vision) broke him. As if I needed to see how much he was hurting… He took the disc and left. My vision ended there, as the sound of Charlotte’s door being kicked in startled me from my trance. I turned and saw two armed Nosferatu storm in. They demanded I leave with them. Then Charlotte came out of her room and apologized. She, apparently, had become Xavier’s ghoul in the years since we’d seen each other. Of course she’d sell me out to him. I told her not to be sorry. The blood bond being what it is, she couldn’t have said no to him even if she wanted to. But dammit, Xavier’s ghoul? I’ve seen how he treats his playthings. He’s no better than Maxwell in that regard. Then again, I’d rather take my chances with the Anarchs than with the Camarilla.

I went with them quietly. We drove for a couple hours, to a wooded area with an old house and some sort of storm cellar. Xavier was waiting outside. Then everything came to a head – Isaac hitting me, Ares leaving me, Charlotte being a ghoul – and I snapped. Xavier, at least, I could hold to task for what he did. I frenzied. Not that it did much good. Even in a blood rage I’m not match for him. He held me off until I heard Caroline scream for me to calm down. I regained enough lucidity to aim my rage elsewhere (at a rather unlucky tree) and tore at it until I calmed down. So here I am now, in an Anarch safehouse with Caroline and Michella. I don’t know how they got here or why Xavier is sheltering us. But those are questions for tomorrow. For now, it’s time to sleep.