#johnathan when it's just him and the vampires: i sleep

[dazais-guardian-angel]

fuck it, bringing what I said out of the tags because I was thinking about this all last night and today. Can't get over the thought of Johnathan somehow intercepting one of the babies the count brings before it reaches the three vampire sisters, and it just... becoming his entire reason for living. The only way I can possibly think he could be able to save one would be Dracula letting it happen, by intentionally leaving it somewhere in the castle for him to be drawn to, just another form of "enrichment" in his prison so-to-speak, to once again give him a little hope that will crush him all the more once it's eventually taken away. And Johnathan probably knows this, that this is just another method of toying with him and that it would never happen unless Dracula wanted it to, and that it can only end badly for so many reasons... but there's absolutely no way he's just going to ignore the cries he hears while he's out exploring the castle yet again one day, coming across the swaddled baby lying somewhere just waiting for him to help it, after how he had failed to save the last two.

Taking the child with him back to his room, he sits in front of his bed and holds it close, weeping alongside its own cries. It's so small, and so frail, fragile as glass, as small and frail and fragile as Johnathan himself feels every day now, and it breaks his heart and terrifies him to know how easily it could die, even without the vampires ever even touching it... and yet, it's so warm, and so alive. It's another human here with him, alive, and for the first time in so, so long, he's no longer alone. All he can do is feel its warmth, and listen to its cries and its heartbeat, taking comfort in the fact that at last he has a balm for the agonizing, unending loneliness he's had to endure... a small light, shining in the depths of his darkness. Johnathan clings to it, and knows right then and there that he will protect that light with everything he has, or die trying.

And so in that way, the child becomes Johnathan's biggest motivation for trying to escape. Even as hopeless as everything seems, even with everything he's thought of and all the options he's tried, no longer can he let himself just sit idly by and be too caught up in the fear and despair of it all, because now he has someone else counting on him. Someone who needs him, needs a protector, someone to help them survive, and to get out of the castle alive. Any rare dark thoughts Johnathan might have had of trying to give himself a less painful end as opposed to the fate that awaits him are out of the question now, because now the baby is there, relying on him. He has to live, not just for himself and Mina and Hawkins now, but more immediately for the child. In the past, he had thought about what it might feel like to be a father, but never in his wildest dreams could he ever have imagined that it would happen under these circumstances... and yet, it has.

...and this is where the idea falls apart, because I don't know how Johnathan could possibly feed the baby; definitely not with whatever luxurious food he's still getting(?) every night from Dracula (and no milk to be found lmao). Unless Dracula not-so-subtly leaves him something he can use somewhere, an obvious sign that he Very Much knows about this whole secret babysitting scheme Johnathan has going on, but is pretending not to know about it just like they're both still publicly pretending as a whole that absolutely nothing is wrong. Which would be even more terrifying, knowing that the count could turn on him for it and do something to the baby at any time he wanted, and this makes Johnathan even more protective of it. He would sneak food off to the child whenever he can again however that plot hole is resolved, and spend time playing with them and talking to them whenever he can, using them as a soundboard for his thoughts and anxieties. The baby can't talk back, of course, but it responds to his voice and his actions, it laughs and it cries, and just having someone to talk to is a huge source of comfort and makes him feel less insane, much better than writing in his journal. The child sleeps inside his closet, just because Johnathan is far too scared to leave it out in the open in his room (even if in this AU Dracula already knows about it and Johnathan suspects he knows), and occasionally he leaves them behind to do exploring, but is always terribly anxious not knowing if they're still safe and sound. He knows he has to leave his room if he's ever going to find any potential way of escaping, but he's always filled with relief when he comes back and reunites with the baby, letting it once again grab onto his fingers with its little hand, tears filling his eyes for the hundredth time at the continued solid, tangible reminder that he's not alone anymore, and that even in a place like this, life still persists.

And I don't know where this would go from here because I'm reading for the first time lol, but point is, Johnathan and unofficially adopted baby against the world. The child would be a source of strength for him, a comfort and a joy that he desperately needs when everything seems so dark and uncertain, and most of all, a reassurance that he is still human and still alive. Caring for it would be exhausting, but in a fulfilling way, a distraction from the exhaustion he felt before, simply losing himself in his anxiety and depression. Someone he can talk to, someone he can bare his soul to and cry to and be weak with, someone and something to protect— a driving force to never give up trying to escape, no matter how hopeless it seems. And then, if by some miracle they both make it out alive in the end, Johnathan is able to find the child's family, and reunite them with it <3 :')

With today's entry, I was rather surprised and confused that Johnathan seemed to turn around so quickly from the absolute pit of despair he was in yesterday, having newfound determination and energy when he's seemingly been completely hopeless and inactive for weeks now (and for good reason). Not that I ever thought he'd completely given up, but there's definitely been a slow decline in how descriptive his journal entries have been to reflect his declining mental state (more robotic, less of his actual feelings about things), and today was a sharp contrast; it feels more like the early entries again. I thought, well, his mind is probably just so cracked at this point that he's looped all the way back around to being bold and energetic again, because by now he's desperate enough to throw caution to the wind: he either succeeds doing something extremely reckless to escape, or he fails and meets his end in a far better way than if he just waits for his fate by Dracula's hands.

...But having thought about it and reading other posts, I realized (probably stupidly obvious as it is) that his sudden change in mood probably has to do with what happened to the baby. Despite how scared he's been all this time, yesterday he didn't hesitate for a single second to try to save the baby once he realized from the previous incident what was happening, not thinking about his own life at all. And then he despaired when he couldn't save the child, the first time he's mentioned crying in the book at all, and then he had to witness the mother blaming him for her baby's death, and being killed herself for trying to rescue it. Now, the day after that horrific and heartbreaking failure, he's suddenly more determined than he's been in ages to escape. Maybe that was a turning point for Johnathan, and lit a fire under him... maybe he's clinging to the need to escape not just for himself and the people he loves anymore, but for the vain hope that he can put a stop to Dracula's schemes somehow once he gets out, because he doesn't want to let any more children die :' )

[aster-blogging-dracula]

Ok so today's entry is definitely gonna be important for the analysis on how the topic of sexuality (which is one among MANY topics that this novel covers) is explored throughout the story and throughout the concept of vampirism in it.

I wanted to note these things down for myself cause this is a topic that really boils my blood when seeing academic analysis of it but I want to read the full text carefully through Dracula Daily and make a proper personal opinion of it before reading anything else (academia.edu PLEASE stop emailing me things I will crush my head on the wall). (For now, my overall opinion on this topic is that academics focus way too much on making a metaphor out of everything when a lot of things in this story make more sense when analyzed as parallelism, or as a literal part of the plot with no further meaning...)

Anyways. This is the first time in the story when a scene of (almost) vampire feeding is narrated, and the scene that makes Johnathan go "this is it, nowhere is safe". So this kind of settles a first impression on what being preyed upon by a vampire feels like (at the same time it could also serve as reference for when vampire feeding feels WAY differently from today, and therefore can be interpreted differently). We have:

The feeling of seduction of some sorts(EDIT: I should point out that vampire seduction by this time was already, from The Vampyre to Carmilla, along with several folklore, a well established trope). Is Johnathan's initial fear out of an unconscious feeling that they're vampires? Because of their sudden appearance in the otherwise empty room? Because he loathes being disloyal to Mina? Could be a mix, we will never know. But it's interesting to ask oneself these things.

I'm not going to expand on why the description of how the girl approaches Johnathan's neck is erotic, just go read it. I listened to the Re:Dracula entry today and aw lawd that's... The academics win on this one that does sound like a sexual thing good god.

It also sounds quite monstrous tho. The licking of the teeth, the red tongue, is similar to how the wolves were described on may 5th (and later, Dracula's gesture towards the other girls is compared to the one he used with the wolves, This is actually the first direct association between wolves and vampires as a similar being I think)

Dracula's "I too can love" speech and him undressing Johnathan is a whole topic for a different post which I do Not Have The Energy To Make (and that someone out there will probably do better than me today)

Lastly, we have Johnathan's dread at the end. That's a lot of dread wow, even worse than Dracula. Now, of course, a big part of this is due to them being VAMPIRES. WHO WILL KILL HIM. Because this is a vampire story. But it also leads us to other questions. Could this dread also be a dread of the desire he felt? Because of loyalty to Mina or because of the dominant stance the vampiresses took (which was Inappropriate in victoriam standards)?. These are the questions academics usually explore. There's also the less "This symbolizes That" approach which takes the fact that vampires=dreadful because of plot reasons, and draws the conclusion that making such a dreadful creature have a sexual attitude, said attitude is demonized. Additionally, in the Dracula Daily fandom, there are also people noticing how his dread is akin to the feelings of an SA victim. (Which leads us to the question of How Did Bram Know That?)

In any case. One thing is clear. They're vampires. They want his blood. Poor boy has been sleep deprived, questioning his sanity, and being manipulated by his employer for more than a week now. His employer who has just saved him from getting eaten. That's a shock. That's a big fucking shock alright.

[gothmuppetenthusiast]

I saw a post earlier on in the Dracula daily saga that they believed Bran Stoker initially wants his audience to believe Dracula is a werewolf, with his deep inclination and control over the wolves. Obviously this context doesn't entirely translate now as Dracula is kind of THE vampire but it does make looking at the entries on the 29th and 30th more interesting when you consider the context that early readers of the novel in its original publication would only really be getting confirmation in these entries that Dracula is indeed a vampire. While us reading in chronological order have the glimpses of Mina, Lucy and Sedward, the novel is structured with only Jonathan's journal up until Dracula's preparation to go to England and Jonathan's escape, then jumps to Mina

Consider this - being a reader unaware Dracula is a vampire, you slowly uncover more and more supernatural traits of his and discover he is sleeping in a coffin, then the next day discover he has gotten younger and that he has been drinking blood - OMG, it's a fucking vampire, that feasts on the blood of humans, and you now understand that Johnathan is trapped with 3 other vampires that don't just want him for vague evil but want to consume him, and he now has to escape, you follow his escape...

And then

Mina is writing a letter to her dear friend Lucy several weeks before

[drowninginredink]

WIP List

I always like it when people talk about their WIPs. I live for that. So it's my turn. But I am a one-shot writer at heart with way, way too many ideas, so here is a list of everything I'm toying with. For the record, some of these don't even have a single word written yet, and none are that far along, so don't get your hopes up too high.

Smosh One-Shots

"Feelings are so fragile" — Platonic Shaymien thing where I project really hard onto Damien. (Yes it's for the aro collection)

"Most euphoric I've ever been" — A spetney fic based the fact that yes, they're technically a m/f couple... But like, no. Put them together, you've got nonbinary lesbian vibes. Sorry Spencer, you're getting your gender transed because there's no way you and Courtney are straight.

"But what's a home?" — A Damian QPR fic. Damien/Ian is already such an interesting rarepair and then you make it a QPR and it's like... They end up living together just temporarily because Damien's housing falls through and turns out they both really miss when they used to be living with their best friends and look I know everyone likes romance but do you know how good QPR fics can be? I love the idea of them as a QPR so much?

A thing for @aro-soulmates-fest about Anthony getting all his tattoos to hide the fact that he doesn't have a soulmate one.

A murderverse one shot about Arasha because God I fucking love gang AU!Arasha

A vampire!Spencer fic where Shayne plays the role of Johnathan Harker

"And I lie like the right thing to do" — me taking @generaltrashshecox 's whole "Anthony sleeping with Damien to cope with unrequited feelings for Ian thing that I love so much and just doing my own version of it where I lean into the angst so hard. With permission from bun, don't worry

A (platonic) nintendogs fic where I decide to do a little bit of own voices stuff on the fact that The Chosen is suuuuuuuuper schizo-coded

I bought a new ray and it's time to use it. Let's make Ian aplatonic this time.

"Then it's done." Killing off Spencer. Very one-sided Spommy.

A lil smut based on Anthony asking Tommy to choke him.

Hey @generaltrashshecox infected me again and now aro4aro Antmien needs to exist

This post into a real fic

Smosh not a one shot but also kind of a one shot?

14. "Once in twenty lifetimes" — A no smosh AU that's going to go through all the different ways Ian and Anthony could have ended, choose-your-own-adventure style. And as the title suggests, only one of them is the reunion. Most are things falling apart. And also to fit the title, it's going to be in twenty chapters (although that does not mean 20 endings. I don't hate myself.). So it's multichapter, but also it'll all be posted at once so it'll basically be a one-shot. It's going to end up as kind of an epic and God I hope it turns out as good as it is in my head. Inspiration for the good endings is "Cardigan" by Taylor Swift, and for the bad endings and a lot along the way is "San Cristobal" by Mal Blum.

15. Partners (in crime) — my Changela QPR fic that was supposed to be a one-shot right up until I wrote the thing, and actually wrote a chapter one. Not sure how long that's going to be, but I like it so far.

Smosh Multichapter

(The fact that my very one-shot oriented self has multiple of these is such a problem)

16. "Puppy Love" — I don't need to say anything about this. There are already 5 chapters on AO3. Either it's extremely your shit or you're wondering what the hell I'm doing and why I'm writing this extremely specific concept. If you're wondering why I still haven't posted chapter 6, it's because that has sex in it and I fucking hate writing sex scenes so I'm procrastinating really hard.

17. "I'll use you as a warning sign" (aka the evil fic, so named because chu-tea thinks I'm evil for coming up with the plot) — yeah so what I planned for PL was just a straightforward kind of fluffy ianthony piece. And then a certain friend of mine (*cough* chu *cough*) accidentally inspired me to think of a different ending that is such hardcore angst and hurt that I absolutely needed to make it happen and have been obsessed. It's interesting when you've already made the bad decision to start a long project and then oops, now you just really want the next 6 chapters to be done already so you can write the alternate ending. This one will *really* not be everyone's shit because I will rip your heart out in 6 different ways. But God I'm obsessed. Anyway, if you want details... I'll just say "major character death" and leave it at that. Oh and rarepair.

18. "I've come back changed and I can feel it in my bones" — an AU where "what if Anthony left because he got psychosis." Basically very hardcore projection on my part. This is on the back burner for a while because obviously when I have projects that aren't going to be emotionally gutting to write, I'd much rather work on them.

Non Smosh Stuff

(I'll be honest, I'm so deep in the smosh obsession that you should not get too excited about any of these. I know myself, so I know the smosh flame will eventually burn out but these are based on things I will be obsessed with until I die. So I know they'll happen. But not for a long time)

19. A Phantom of the Opera one-shot for @aro-soulmates-fest. This is the one thing I will actually write within a reasonable amount of time, because it's due March 17.

20. "Baby, please don't bore me" — A Series of Unfortunate Events — Sunny (well, Sorrel in this version because oops I transed their gender) teams up with Olaf to find their siblings after years of separation. I find them to be a very interesting chaotic, morally gray, bantery duo.

21. "Because the same night awaits us all" — ASOUE — A Klaus/Lemony fic that I swear I will write someday. Very morally gray, very much a codependent relationship, very leaning into the age gap. Basically they're together because they do not have anyone else in the world. It's just so delicious a dynamic that I will explore I swear.

22. ASOUE — I'm still not entirely convinced I'll ever be bothered to actually write this one, but I might do a Kit/Fernald FWB thing. I'm not sure where on earth the idea of that came from, but it's been living in my head for a long time now. Long enough that there's an early one-shot version of it that I don't really like anymore on *gasp* fanfiction.net

If anyone actually bothered to read all the way to the end of this long-ass post, you deserve a medal.

[nabanna]

Been thinking about Re:Dracula and how it's really difficult to do a truly accurate adaptation without just reading the book word for word in an audio format, and about how two big things I see in movie and other visually based adaptations are how they cut down the plot and they cut down the cast size.

Thinking about one that does it like: Mina, Johnathan, Lucy, Quincey, Van Helsing

Combine roles between Mina and Seward, and between Quincey and Arthur.

Mina is the medical student who studied under Van Helsing (emphasizes her role as the Smart One, lets Van Helsing see her more as an apprentice rather than a child to patronize, also gets in some Victorian gender role drama as Mina is a (highly qualified but still) woman going into a scientific/medical field dominated by men, she doesn't own an asylum though so alas no Renfield... unless... hmm, anyway one reason Jonathan is so eager to get that promotion is to help Mina finish medical school)

Give Quincey Arthur's most notable traits of being rich and having dogs, but also the most important traits of being an American cowboy from Texas who tells stories and plays up the persona for fun. And has a gun. Give Lucy other less important suitors in a flashback or something but make it clear these two Really Have Something

Mina becomes Lucy's best friend and doctor, maybe with Lucy's mother being dismissive of Mina as a woman trying to go into the medical field but accepting of her as an unpaid nurse for Lucy, Mina receives the news about Johnathan while Lucy seems to have gotten better but she asks Lucy's fiance to keep an eye on her just in case, and to contact her old professor if needed.

Harkers get married on the spot as god intended.

While Mina's gone, Van Helsing is unfortunately still a misogynist and doesn't handle Lucy and her mother as well as he could have, Quincey is just deferring to the apparent expert, Lucy dies and proceeds to Bloof, Van Helsing handles that roughly the same way as before but with only one sidekick this time.

Mina and Johnathan return upon receiving the news and Van Helsing tries to convince Mina that vampires are a thing the same way he did with Seward but with more "ah but you don't need to know all that because you're a woman" so she doesn't buy it until she connects the dots with Johnathan's experience and reads his journal, proceeds to tell him everything in there was real and gets Quincey to help them catch up on what happened with Lucy and to catch him up on what Dracula seems to be up to.

They go to Van Helsing for advice, he comes up with an arrangement that keeps Mina busy with something important but "safe" while he and the lads go out breaking and entering. Quincey shoots at a bat, Dracula gets Mina, Johnathan gets his anime transformation, Van Helsing burns Mina with something holy, there's an argument between the guys that gets cut off by Mina breaking down and Johnathan shooing the others out to comfort her, but Quincey sleeps in the hall outside.

Dracula runs away but forgets to turn off Mina's psychic "find your phone" settings, Mina is the Train Fiend, Van Helsing is confronted with how his efforts have led to further pain and realizes maybe they'll be better off if he steps back into a mentor rather than leader role, Quincey arms everyone and takes care of them by throwing money around and trying to be the level headed dependable comforting one, Mina can tell when Dracula is paying attention to her and this is the only time when hypnosis is necessary, the chase happens roughly as in canon.

Mina and Van Helsing go up to the castle to fight the Weird Sisters, maybe it's a bit more active this time, maybe Mina manages to channel Dracula's command in a way that saves them from the girlies but they realize that she's more vampiric than ever and killing Dracula is even more urgent.

Quincey and Johnathan follow Dracula by boat or by horse, whichever one is more exciting. They bond and it's low key kinda bisexual ngl but if anything comes of that it's a promise to talk to Mina once it's all over and they're safe again, they generally plan wistfully for the future, Johnathan feels a chill in sync with when Mina uses the Dracula power, Quincey suggests a spar to practice and get out their energy, maybe to add more interest here one of Dracula's scouts finds them and says there's a group of Dracula's servants that want to be free and will help them fight when they catch up.

The final battle goes a little differently, Mina puts herself in a barrier circle to protect Van Helsing from the possibility of her going vampiric but keeps a gun to provide ranged aid, Quincey and Johnathan roll up to Dracula's entourage and their secret allies back them up in the fight, Mina and Van Helsing provide cover fire and maybe make it seem like there's way more armed reinforcements up here to scare off the servants, the boys tag team Dracula as god intended, the gang reunites.

If I want to be evil and make good on those death flags, then Quincey dies (but not before seeing Mina's recovery and also getting kissed on the cheek by both Harkers at the same time) and the Harkers' first son is named after him. If I want to spare Quincey, then Van Helsing dies and his last moments are spent telling the gang that he's proud of them, and especially telling Mina that she's the brightest student he's ever had and he only wishes he could live to see her success but something about watching over them all from heaven idk. I guess the Harkers would name their first son Abraham then lmao, and maybe I'd give Quincey a lasting injury from the fight so he uses mobility aids in the future, and they'd definitely stay as a close knit trio forever. One might even call them roommates. See the thing is Quincey dying is canon and would bring more proper tragedy but also I don't want to kill him...

[scarletgemstone]

dracula hungry for another one

Disiclamer i own nothing everything belongs to the rightful owners please go and support them and be nice

(dracula’s castle is seen as jonathan wakes up in front of the door with he gets up and gose in )

Narrator” you don’t look like you belong here(jonhathan finds a lantern) did you pinch yourself to see if you’d wake up from a nightmare or could you still be asleep”

(jonhathen is seen sneaking around as the brides and count invite him in a living room)

Jonathan” i tell myself  it’s all a dream (he gets sleepy) and monsters are not all they seem”

(jonhathan wakes up in a bed with his candle on a night stand he takes it and leaves the room and walks down the hail way)

Narrator”you took a fall into the maw were hungers always peaking (some vampires are seen feeding) all we got for cargo are the meats for feasting (johnathan hides) lots of chomping jaws and rotten teeth for eating button up your coat this submarine is leaking”

(johnathan is hiding as bats fly around and the brides crawling on the walls)

Jonathan” i’m stuck in the dungeon (sees the bats) with some ugly company watching me hungrily  stumbling bumbling (he runs) thundering after me clutching their cutlery ducking and jumping they’re above and under me all of them wanna just smother and butter me gut me and dunk me in gravy  to cover me hide in a cupboard but not in the oven i don’t want go in that pot they got bubbling could i be sleeping cause i don't feel slumbery (his seen going through tunnels) tumble through tunnels their gonna discover me i’m on a boat  but it’s not any luxury (johnathan opens a door and slides under it before it closes) all that i got is my cunning to comfort me “

(two men are seen loding boxes to the castle as jonathan looks on through a window)

Jonhathan” if i get luckly somebody wil come for me time i depart from my prison under the sea take me away where the sun is abundant and give me some grub that i honestly wanna eat cause i’m fed up with this stuff i’ve been stomaching (his stomtcah growls and holds in pain) sick of this scum my tummy is grumbling (sees a loaf of bread) should i succumb to my hunger i’m wondering will i become a victim of gluttony?”

(john is seen hiding from the castles resentents)

Narrator” this nightmare ain’t over (johnathan looks out a window) i watched my window for the morning sun i know it’s over i’ll just be hunger for another one hungyr for another one (gluttony is over run) hungry for another one (wonder where your coming from) hungry for another one (do you know what you’ll become you’ll become are you hungry for another one)”

(the count is seen holding a mirror)

Dracula” oh mirror mirror how the face you show disgusts me (throws the mirror out the window) find me a child for whose youth my heart is hungry (johnathan hides in a box with earth in it) your vanity will eventually lead to your demise humanity a profanity under watchful eyes “

(johnathan gose through the catcacomes )

Jonathan” how can it be who sent for me a better question why  at the end of these dreadful fantasies i hope the sun will rise” 

(the count brings a child to his brides and they feed)

Narrator” but until the sun is up we’d better greet our guest with the wonderful buffet where all the meat is fresh they don’t even to eat this is so grotesque at least i’m not alone i hope the nomes know best “

(johnathan is seen letting a a nome out of a cage )

Narrator “hey follow us and you might make it alive (a rat is eating one) even thought not many of us survive (john hugs one) give me a hug tell me it’s alright whatever you do just stay out of sight powerful eyes watch all the time don’t ever step in the light that they shine (johanthan gets hunger again as a nome offers some food) we’ll give you something for your appetite the number six is the end of the line”

(johnathan bites the nomes neck and drink it’s blood)

Narrator” this nightmar ain’t over i watch my window for the moring sun i know when it’s over i’ll just be hungry for another one hungry for another one (gluttony is overfun) hungry for another one (wonder were your coming from) (shadow kids are seen) hungry for another one (do you know what you’ll become you’ll become) are you hungry for another one”

(johnathan is sneaking around the count’s room as the brides try to find him)

Jonathan” i’ve never been easily frighten  by the wrost in all my dreams was once a nightmare is bursting at the seams (johnathan trys to sneak past the brides) as i try to get by their eyes stare feel them burning into me did they come to have a good time here or where they force to feed (johnathan’s hair begins to turn white as he clutches his stomach in pain ) stomach is turing and churing with greed (shadow jonathan apperes behind jonathan) has someone cursed me i’m yearning to eat (shadow jonathan”eat) need something fresher than bread or dead meat (sees a rat and grabs it johnathan’s teeth becomes fangs and hair is white as he bit it’s neck) i want it to squirm in my teeth”

(johnanthan is seen with blood dripping from his mouth his hair is white and his eye’s are red shadows spin around as he walks down a hail way)

(he makes it to the count with a mirror and faces him)

Narrator” this nightmare ain’t over i watch my window for the moring sun i know when it’s over i’ll just be hungry for another one (the mirror blasted the count back) hungry for another one (gluttony has over run) hungry for another (wonder where your coming from) (the count grabs jonathan by  the throat ) hungry for another one”

Dracula” do you know what you’ll become”

Narrator” you’ll become you’ll become are you hungry for another one”

[renee-mariposa]

I’m having Thoughts about all the effort the Count went to in order to give Johnathan a sense of normalcy at the castle even though he has imprisoned Johnathan. Like, as soon as Harker got into the carriage, he was Dracula’s prisoner. Why pretend like he isn’t? Why pretend there are servants in the empty castle? In the mythology I remember, the victim becomes a vampire, and subservient to the elder, when their blood is drained. In that understanding, why wait to drain Johnathan’s blood? What does the Count need Johnathan awake-but-terrified for?

Because the whole scheme so far feels like Dracula trying to break Johnathan’s spirit. He’s well fed but his sleep schedule is terribly disrupted (a very basic tactic of mind control). He’s allowed in one or two rooms of the castle but everything else is firmly locked; he’s isolated from any saviors and Dracula drove around in circles so Johnathan couldn’t get back to civilization even if he did escape. The idea that Dracula saw someone cared about Johnathan (the crucifix) and that kept him from killing Johnathan during the shaving mirror incident - Johnathan needed to be broken enough to cause him to cast the aid of others, the signs that others might care about him, away.

It makes me wonder if Dracula gains his thralls not necessarily by supernatural means but by making them feel helpless, powerless for long enough, breaking their spirits. Like, later in the book, Lucy is helpless against Dracula; no one can save her from him. (Renfield is just obsessed with power and how to acquire it.)

Just fascinating to think about

[ginger-snaps014]

I believe the Count was feeding on Jonathan, but in only small amounts until it was time to go to England. Then he fed in full and left his scraps for the brides. He didn’t turn Jonathan because Jonathan had served his purpose and was no longer needed. Instead he was a bargaining chip to satisfy the brides upon the count’s departure.

1. Travels to the Castle:

Before even setting foot in the castle Jonathan begins having strange dreams every night when hearing Dracula’s wolves at window. When in Dracula’s carriage, Jonathan again hears the wolves, and the suddenly finds himself waking from a nightmare. It’s notable that the first instance of Jonathan having difficulty waking up follows his first strange dreams upon hearing the wolves. Despite having no one nearby (as shown in Jonathan’s journey) to teach the proper pronunciation of the English language, Dracula can speak near perfect English. A feat that books alone cannot accomplish.that would require exposure to a Brit.

2. Johnny Boy’s Purpose:

Dracula keeps Jonathan alive at the castle to finish up the legal matters and to teach Dracula how to blend more easily into English society - copying speech patterns and customs. It should also be noted that Jonathan is a test run for England’s awareness and protection against vampires. By having the ideal of the Victorian middle class man initially dismiss the supernatural despite the local’s warnings, rationalize the strange for months, and be put in a vulnerable position by his own accord, the count can gage just how long and how much strangeness he can get away with. Once Jonathan had completed his purpose, there was no need to keep him around.

3. Early Castle Days:

Once in the castle, Jonathan begins sleeping late into the day (which one initially assumes is a result of late night talks), but that inference becomes more questionable given Lucy’s constant exhaustion and need for daytime rest after she begins being fed on. Jonathan continues to have dreams and seems to lose periods of time while with the Count (always surprised by how soon the morning has come). This mirrors Lucy’s later use the term “dreams” to describe her attacks.

4. Crosses:

During the shaving incident when the Count temporarily loses control, Jonathan reaches instinctively for the cross on the rosary the peasant woman had given him, and he placed the crucifix over the head of the bed once he accepted that he was in danger. The more fearful Johnathan becomes, the more he holds onto the crucifix and wears it on his neck. When he escapes he even goes to a religious institution. He is in fact warding off the vampires to some extent.

5. Lack of Reflection:

There are no mirrors in the castle, and the count throws out Jonathan’s shaving mirror. As a result, Jonathan never had the ability to look at his own neck. The lack of any description of the tell-take red teeth marks is not a sign Jonathan is safe. Lucy’s marks are only described visually. There is no discomfort around them. Nor are they described are raised or noticeable by touch. Johnathan’s other symptoms (especially after his escape) do match Lucy and later Mina. He also can not gage his skin’s complexion without a reflective surface.

6. Brides:

Once entering a forbidden room at sunset and falling asleep, Jonathan is awoken by the 3 brides. He describes the whole encounter as a dream. A nightmare. He describes being put in a lustful trance, unable to fight back. Wanting the fair bride to “kiss” his neck. When Dracula discovers this. He busts into the room in a rage. He yells “"How dare you touch him, any of you? … This man belongs to me!" Jonathan awakes in his bed like all days prior. The Brides complain how Dracula has no love (he is abandoning them).

There is a reference to the count carrying and undressing Jonathan - leaving traces of the count’s presence in the bedroom. This was not the first time Jonathan was aware that count had been in his room and gone through his things. This is the first time he knows for a fact the nightmare was real. As such, Dracula finally prepares to leave for England and leave Jonathan behind.

7. Drac’s Last Night:

The last night Dracula is in the castle, he finally offers to “free” Jonathan by permitting him to walk through the newly unlocked door and be fed to the wolves. Jonathan says he will wait until the morning to leave.Dracula smiles and locks the door. Both know Jonathan will likely never leave alive. The 2 return to the library, the place of so many of their all-night conversations before Jonathan quickly retreats to his own room. Leaving plenty of time before daylight for other activities. The last action Count Dracula takes is “kissing” his hand to Jonathan’s. (Note how kissing was used with the brides even if this is only the brush of their hands). Dracula looks at Jonathan“with a red light of triumph in his eyes, and with a smile that Judas in hell might be proud of.” At this point Dracula has won something he wanted. Dracula says to the brides outside Jonathan’s door “Back, back, to your own place! Your time is not yet come. Wait! Have patience! To-night is mine. To-morrow night is yours!” The brides are satisfied with the deal. Jonathan opens his door to see the creatures laughing before going back in his room and throwing himself on his knees. No word is written to describe what happens between that moment and the moment he awakes in the morning (although it seems unnatural to me that he should be able to sleep at all). The next day is the first we hear of Jonathan waking early. Ready to face death by again throwing himself in his knees. The exact same position as when he was last awake. When Jonathan next see Dracula, the Count has fully fed and regained his youth. Blood still is in his chin as Jonathan looks in the coffin. That is the last we see of Dracula before he travels to the west. There is no notion that anyone other than Jonathan was around to feats on.

8. Escape:

Following his escape, Jonathan is in bed, pale, weak, thin and in a state of mental distress. The nuns even note his “long illness”. He wakes up in fearful fits. All symptoms match Lucy. Perfectly. This is the first physical description of Jonathan we have since the Count threw out Jonathan’s mirror. And it’s of a vampire’s victim. Jonathan then describes the castle as a “dream” of a madman to Mina.

Ps. See there are also a lot of sexual implications between Jonathan and the Count. That was not the point here, but cannot be ignored

It's ambiguous whether Dracula fed on Jonathan- it doesn't say he did, but I can't imagine why he wouldn't. The interesting thing to me is that he evidently didn't feed him some of his own blood, as he did to Lucy and Mina. Why? Maybe he only found him amusing for as long as he was still back in Transylvania? Maybe he only turns women, as he didn't turn any of the sailors on the Demeter either? Or maybe he told his brides to do it to him once they had drank their fill?

[pumpkinstep]

An honest “Review” of Vampyr

I wanna preface this by stating that i haven’t beaten the game. I also want to say that i haven’t even gotten further than whitechaple or even delved much into the story line of the docks. The reason i’m writing is because i’m frustrated by this game and i noticed quite a few things while playing.  I am currently playing the Switch version so some bugs and complaints have been left out due to clearly being a result of not running on a proper system. I love the switch but i do recognize it’s not the best when compared to the beast that is playstation or pc gaming. 

To start, the main reason why I haven’t gotten very far in the game is due to wanting to play through the game where everyone lives and I fulfill all the civilian investigations/quests.  I discovered early on that the game does not restrict your ability to lock yourself into dangerous situations and heavily pushes you to act recklessly.  to speak plainly. I think a lot of the mechanics of the game sucks.  My first complaint is that once you discover a new district, you’re held responsible for the people therein with no regard for if you’ve met them or not. It seems that discovering a district activates it and it’s events, making it very very difficult to do a no death run when theres someone in the district who Will die if you don’t treat them right away. this has happened to me Every Single time i restarted my play through.  I also don’t think the way it’s going about it’s thematic messaging is very clever either. Theres this sort of forcefulness and tight grip on the narritive that makes it feel punishing to be a good person. I’m not talking about Johnathan, however, he’s just an asshole and an over dramatic twat who does everything in a needlessly over the top way. We aren’t john, he’s simply the vessel through which we watch the story unfold.  What i’m talking about is how from the very start, the game places a very heavy importance on killing people for power, pushing you to be a “bastard blood sucking monster” and continues to sort of fight you every step of the way when you want to be honest. John complains endlessly about being a vial monster, the man who speaks in his head says he’s a monster, the vampire hunters scream it the moment they get a glance at him, and to top it all off, the hints screen and the way you interact with citizens only continues to emphasize the point.  The game itself feels like it’s punishing you for not killing key citizens, taunts you with mobs of skals with massive agro pulls, that are for the most part more than 3 times your level by the time you reach the whitechapel quest area.  I also read that the xp you gain from killing skals and hunters does not scale with them being a higher level than you. i’m inclined to believe this is true. Theres no reward for killing and you cannot take advantage of the points you accrue without risking your no death run super early in the game. Not to mention, reaching citizens, specifically in whitechapel, is not an easy task and the only way to take advantage of your xp points is to sleep and damage your run. 

i’ve seen the defeated screen way more times than i’d like and at this point i know the opening sequence like the back of my hand.  The game auto saves so frequently that if you make a mistake, your only choice is to start all over. It’s needlessly stressful and gives you no opportunity to create save states to give yourself more breathing room. 

i know the game is difficult on purpose, i know it’s trying to be clever. I bet they thought it was smart to try to simulate the stress of being a vampire and saving people who are dying from disease whilst grappling with your new found lack of humanity but jesus christ it’s so forceful and down your throat about it.  It could be good.  It could be so good if the combat didn’t suck balls and they didn’t let you wander accidentally into new districts. it wouldn’t have been so hard, john could just go, oh i have more important things to attend to, and turn around to ensure you don’t activate a district before you’re supposed be ready to. 

i know it’s kinda gone off the rails so lemme talk about combat. 

Theres no way to counter flying bite attacks, i mean like when they are on you. you don’t have the option to break away or fight back, john just kinda, lets it happen. On top of that, skals have a huge agro pull and they seem to spawn out of nowhere and come in packs of 4 or 5 sometimes in the streets.  to top it all off, the animations for actions are very long and slow, every action must play out and cannot be interrupted, making combat clunky and tedious, and often times down right unfair. Now i’m not some noob when it comes to combat, especially not when it comes to melee. To my credit, i played a lot of skyrim and beat the sword trials in BotW, so i kinda have an idea of what good combat feels like.  Personally, i’m of the opinion that combat is really well balanced when you can beat the toughest enemy with the weakest weapon and a lot of patience. I think it’s a pretty good measure, of course you can tell when a game is broken when that task is way too easy haha In any case, you don’t get a lot of that here, at least it doesn’t feel that way.  damage output for the early on weapons i’ve found is a joke. hell, weaponry is a joke for the first part of the game.  So far, every weapon i’ve found outputs the same amount of damage in the same relative range due to almost every enemy i’ve encountered being resisted to long range, gun, and melee, sword, attacks. Like what is even the fucking point then? oh wait! it wants you to be a Vampire!!! Wow!

It really does feel like the game Wants you to play a certain way, grabbing you by the nose and going, “look! Look! This is the path of least resistance! you’ll have a much better time if you play This way!” and punishing you and fighting you when you dont follow its advice. Which may i remind you, is horseshit when you want to save everyone and do things the right way. It’s hardly a choice. it’s very aggravating because the game has a lot of potential but it falls flat and it’s difficult in all the wrong ways.  i want to like the game but it hardly feels like it wants to be played.  I forgot to mention, theres a lady in whitechaple who Will die if not treated right away and the area contains a mini boss esque priest, several sewer dogs, and really tough vampire hunters who can kill you in one hit. Lovely. 

[rheannaaaz]

Unexpected Visitor (Part 3)

Jason Todd X Fem!Reader

Summary: When Jason gets kicked off the Titans because of his actions with Johnathan Crane, he goes to his old “friend” who was once in the same situation.

TW: !TITANS S3 SPOILERS! Angst, character death, fluff at the end (it's so small I'm sorry I broke your guys hearts☺️..)

WC: 591

A/N: H/N is hero name!

——————————————————————————-

Y/N’S POV

It’s been about 3 weeks since I let Jason stay here for a bit, he’s been really trying to get me back into the “vigilante” lifestyle but I left that when I was with the Titans he’s been saying stuff like “Hey! Y/N, remember that knife move where you throw it under your arm and catch it can you teach me that!” Fun fact, that was just yesterday..This has been going on since week 2 of him being here but something about getting back out there doesn’t feel so bad I think Jason was able to tell I was thinking about it when I was reading articles saying “Where did H/N go? Will they return?”

I always sat in my room and thought about it but when I walked into my extra closet with my suit and weapons, it clicked for me.

I need to get out there and help Jason. After our first time out again which I wish hadn't happened, we were in our suits and it was about 3 to midnight. Jason was in his Red Hood suit which I have to say looked really h- besides the point. He had said he was meeting Dick somewhere since he's been messing with him I decided to go with Jason for some reason I wish I hadn't.

I went above a building and watched the whole Nightwing Vs Red Hood fight go down but that was when everything just stopped, there was a gunshot and it wasn't from Red Hood nor Nightwing but a local Gotham citizen had grabbed the gun and shot Nightwing in the neck. Since Jason’s mask had been flung off I could see the horror on his face, he knew that if someone gets shot in the neck it was game over. I backed away from the edge of the building and jumped down somehow landing, then Jason and I went back on our motorcycles to the loft.

-3 HOURS LATER-

Me & Jason had settled down after the shooting, he sat at the window just starting and kind of crying but just a few tears Bruce always told Jason that real men don't cry so when he held back his tears he always thought of that but me being Jason's ex I could always tell when he was upset or had something on his mind. “I got him killed,” Jason stated, “You didn't kill Di-” “I wanted to be better than him and now I caused his death, he's dead.” Jason had cut me off with that response his voice was hoarse and he looked tired, it was midnight and he still didn't sleep. He told me I could sleep but I didn't want to I wanted to stay by his side cause god knows what he could do if he was alone so instead, we sat and watched Do Or Die a random James Bond movie Jason chose.

It was something about the way we were sitting that was weird, last time we watched a movie we were cuddling and doing stuff you know a normal couple would do? I looked at Jason just to see he was falling asleep, he fell slowly to the side towards me so I got my blanket and put it over him while his head was on my stomach and his hands were around my waist. This wasn’t anything new to us it happened a lot when we were together, you know I never realized how cute Jason is when he's sleep!

Wait, oh shit.

------—————————————————————

A/N: hey guys! So I made this after my practice today so my mind was kind of everywhere, you guys can send me messages of like ideas I should do for this story if you want I’d highly appreciate it! Which leads me to my last thing I’m making a master list with lots of prompts and stuff so you guys will be able to request things! 💗 I do DC, Marvel, Vampire Diaries etc just depends so yeah!

[ladala99]

So, I’m joining in on the big Dracula book club! Probably only going to post thoughts on weekends, like usual nowadays. Will be tagged “Dracula Daily”; I know this isn’t my normal content.

I have not read Dracula before. No movies, no other direct depictions, I’m not a horror person. (Though I liked the book Frankenstein when I read it in high school) I know a smattering of things about Dracula/vampires from various pop culture, which I will put under the cut in case it’s spoilers for anyone somehow.

Thoughts so far: I just love how I instantly know that Dracula is a vampire. Not just because I know that fact, but because I know the tropes. Cold strong hands, pale skin, red eyes, active only at night, no mirrors, crosses being given out to protect Johnathan from him. I read the physical description of him and went “that’s Dracula, alright,” except the fact that he has a mustache. Like, this is where that all comes from.

But I also have no idea where this is going. He’s drawn Johnathan in with a business proposal, and making him feel at home with food and comfortable living quarters. He’s establishing himself as a friend, asking to know all he can about England and English so he can fit in, and acting all humble about his English skills.

Is he planning on eating Johnathan? Using him as bait? Is he really going to go to England? I don’t know, and I am going to go on this slow journey to find out.

I came in after the first date gap, so I missed the anticipation of “what happened to Johnathan? Is he okay?” but I love that the format has, and probably will in the future, invoke that. I don’t know the book. I don’t know what dates will be skipped. How many dates will be skipped. This is journal format, so if someone dies we probably won’t see it from their perspective - we’ll just stop hearing from them. And that adds suspense.

What I know about Dracula/vampires:

Things I am pretty sure apply to Dracula:

Dracula is a vampire (duh)

He drinks blood (through the neck)

He can turn into a bat

He cannot be seen in a mirror

Crosses are bad for his health

Daylight is bad for his health

Stakes through the heart are bad for his health

He sleeps in a coffin

Other vampire tropes I know of that may or may not apply to Dracula:

Hypnotism

Obsession with counting things

Silver is bad for health (or is that only werewolves?)

Biting people turns them into vampires, too

Vampires must be invited in to enter houses

There’s also a woman Dracula is depicted biting in the movie.

Maybe more, too. This is just what comes to mind.

[vampireshdtw]

Nosferatu The Vampyre (1979)

Tonight Henry, Eve, and Matt watched Nosferatu The Vampyre!

Nosferatu The Vampyre, directed by Werner Herzog and released in 1979, is a movie about a Transylvanian vampire named Dracula who, with aid from an unknowing soliciter named Jonathan Harker, travels to Harker’s homeland to feed on his wife and bring about a horrible plague.

---

The curse of unlife weighs heavily on these vampires, and their horrific, unsightly features only intensify their social isolation. These vampires, also called Nosferatu, are recognized by their long, sharp, unretractable incisors and their equally sharp and even longer finger nails. The tips of their ears are pointed, their backs are hunched, and their skin is deathly pale.

Nosferatu simply need to bite their victims and wait for their deaths to gain an steadfast ally, who slowly gains their sire’s monstrous appearance with time. As vampires, they gain abilities such as superior strength, control over animals such as rats, and can mesmerize their prey to ease their hunt for human blood.

Being unable to walk among mortals due to their appearance is already a major weakness, but their unending existence is made harder with their repulsion of crosses, their avoidance of sunlight, their lack of reflection in mirrors, and the incapability to sleep anywhere except in coffins that contain graveyard soil.

However, their greatest and most human weakness is their lust for human contact and love- something their condition has forever deprived them of. Simply the temptation of claiming a pure heart can make them forget their fears and weaknesses, leading to fatal oversights such as forgetting the coming of the dawn and leaving themselves open to the sun’s immobilizing rays.

In order to properly kill a Nosferatu, you must stake them in the heart- made easier if they were previously in sunlight or sleeping in their coffins. You could also keep a vampire from fleeing or returning to their coffins by surrounding them with crumbled communion wafers. However, just because you killed one vampire doesn’t mean that their offspring will leave their sire’s death unavenged...

---

As a passionate fan of the Dracula novel, this was a fascinating watch. Rather than a suave, cunning manipulator with unmatched charisma, this Count Dracula is visibly repulsive and socially awkward- stumbling through his plot to infect Jonathan’s hometown and get Lucy to love him. It was certainly weird to hear complete quotes from the book, while also having character names swapped around (Mina is Johnathan’s wife in the novel, for instance), but it didn’t keep me from enjoying the odd, unnerving, pessimistic vibe of the movie. Although the pace can be agonizingly slow at times, if you’re a fan of vampires, this is a great watch! (Matt)

Finally an actual good movie! I enjoyed this movie quite a bit. It's a slow burn but the gothic atmosphere is palpable and keeps the film engaging. Herzog's background and preference for documentaries is apparent in how the film is shot, using wide shots of scenery to really establish a sense of place. Klaus Kinski as Dracula was phenomenal, his movements and expressions are often really unsettling with how long he stares at people for without blinking. If I had any criticism, some of the acting in minor roles isn't great. But overall it's a good watch and one I'd recommend to fans of atmospheric horror films. (Henry)

As a retelling of Dracula, it hits the major beats and then inverts the ending, turning a ride-or-die bro-quest (if an antisemitic one, unfortunately) into a pessimistic "nothing ever really changes, even when it appears to." Nosferatu the Vampyre's Dracula has a strangely human kind of horror to him: Underneath his obvious drive to be a massive creep is a completely dysfunctional (but recognisably human) desire for love. Really comes across as some guy who was cooped up in a castle a couple of centuries too long. The director, Werner Herzog, was quoted as saying (about the film) that during a plague "People throw out their things into the streets, and discard their bourgeois trappings..." so yeah I can't say I'm totally in line with the film's themes, but it was a good (if a little slow) watch. (Eve)

[the-darklings]

yooo!!!! that 2nd part to the vampire au was soooo good, i think you should at least make one more, just saying. also, loved how you included more of john in this one!

𝙑𝘼𝙈𝙋𝙄𝙍𝙀!𝘼𝙐: 【01】| 【02】| 【2.5】| 【03】| 【3.5】|

wc: 4.1k 🤡

.

“The situation in the East keeps escalating,” the man beside you speaks and you listen silently, not letting any emotion show at his reproachful tone. “Camorra’s power keeps growing. The more treaties they establish, the more creatures they recruit into their ranks, the more their power peaks. You and Johnathan must stay focused. The High Priest says that this war is just beginning.”

“We are focused, Winston,” you say and wince when a jolt rushes through your body. Walking is painful and even with the mild warmth of the sun and gentle breeze brushing against your skin, a bead of sweat still trails down the back of your neck. Your back feels raw and inflamed but you fight not to let your discomfort show. “John has been away for two weeks dealing with the werewolves and—”

“And your little incident was deemed as a failure,” the older man cuts you off, glancing your way as his hands fold in front of him. “The Camorra Devil…honestly. What were you thinking? You’ve been told not to use the Holy Text. You’re lucky it was Charon that found you and not one of the many foul things prowling those streets.”

You huff a breath, clenching your jaw. “I'm aware. What was I supposed to do? Let the Devil drain that girl?”

“One human life is not worth your life,” Winston says sharply, his eyes narrowing. “You and Johnathan are the only Holy Hunters of your generation. You fail to realise your own importance.”

Hardly.  

Stronger, faster, smarter, and with prolonged lifespans. You are not supernatural but you are hardly human either. 

You are neither. You are both. 

Your and Jardani’s names are known wide and far and being considered a legend before your death comes with a certain amount of scrutiny. Expectation. 

Something the High Priest, The Adjudicator, nor Winston ever fail to remind you of. 

“I thought the Holy Church protects all. Cares for all life equally.”

Winston’s head slants, the look in those old eyes knowing. “The Holy Church cares for the bigger picture. Which, at this time, is winning this war.”

He steps ahead of you and you watch his dark robes in the sunlight as his fingers brush over the rose petals. 

The Prayer Garden is in full bloom. It’s a site of reflection, of prayer, of hope and atonement. 

But the sickly sweet scent of flowers makes you dizzy so you try to slow your breaths, focusing on the man before you instead. 

“You will track down the necromancer again and remove him,” Winston states after few minutes of tranquil silence between you. “And once that is done you will return to the church for your Remaking.”

“Why?“ 

It slips out before you can stop it and your mouth snaps shut, a sting of regret following right after. Winston twists to face you, his eyes narrowed, and he pointedly glances around the garden, making sure that no one heard your slip up. 

At the church, there are no questions, only obedience. The will of the twelve priests and especially the High Priest himself is to be followed without questions or doubts. 

And their will is that you are not ready to use the Holy Text. That you need to undergo Remaking often—at least twice a year, if not more—and do so without question. Despite the agony of having to lay down on that cold slab of stone and feel the Holy Text being recarved into your skin anew. 

You’ve learned long ago how to stop the tears and the screaming. Not when you know that the High Priest’s hands will not be gentler for it. If anything, the blades always cut harder, more intently, and whether it’s to encourage or quell the anguish has always been beyond you. But the way the man always traces his work as if in reverence after never fails to leave you feeling dirty and used. 

It’s unfair that you have to go through it over and over again when Jardani hasn’t visited the catacombs in years. 

They say it’s because your power is less stable than his. That the Remaking simply keeps that potent holy power in your veins flowing freely so it never fails you. 

Yet it always makes you feel the opposite. Usually, you’re left feeling heavy and aching with pain for days after. Muffled somehow. 

Winston gazes at you for a long moment before nodding his head. “Come with me.”

You, as always, follow him without question and the priest is mute as you approach a more secluded area of the garden. Few wander here, and if they do it’s for reflection only.

“You have a fierce heart,” Winston begins and you blink, trying to focus on his words. “It burns right out of you. And while it makes you special, it’s also your greatest enemy. You feel too much. Want too much.”

His brief glance at you is telling enough. 

Jardani. 

Winston has never spoken his suspicions out loud but you know he’s always suspected that the nature of your relationship has long since changed.

“I—”

“Don’t bother. The less I know the better.”

His words are hard as the look in his eyes and your gaze lowers. 

He knows that if anyone found out the punishment that would befall you would be terrible. Brutal. So he doesn’t ask. He won’t risk it. 

Silence follows again and you swallow heavily, blinking at the heat of sun against your face. Gods above, even with your lightest clothes, you can’t help but feel like you’re cooking in your skin. 

Your back is twinging with dull pain and you silently curse the vampire prince for the thousandth time. 

Every since your encounter with the Camorra’s Devil, the prince has been appearing in your sleep every night. 

It’s been two weeks of him haunting every second of your slumber. 

Every night you escape by breaking out of his grip and every night he makes it harder to do so. He’s testing you, you know that. Seeing just how far that power in your veins can be pushed. 

He drives you near insane with his silky whispers and promises of joy and pleasure and power. With every sly suggestion and accidental caress. He never oversteps and that, perhaps, makes it even worse. You want to hate those green eyes. 

But he’s found a way to burrow himself deep under your skin. He marvels at your abilities, always eager to see more—as infuriatingly alluring as he is arrogant.  

Every night you awaken from your feverish dreams with your skin slick with sweat and your back aching. The Holy Text seems to itch for hours after, and the only way to suppress the raging fire in your veins is to submerge yourself in a tub of freezing water for at least half an hour. 

It’s gotten so bad that you see him in every dark corner now. Catch glimpses of his green eyes everywhere you look and hear a whisper of his voice in your ear wherever you go. However hard you look, however, he’s never actually there and you know that he can’t be. He is breathtakingly powerful but even he would never risk coming into the beating heart that is the Holy Church itself.

“Are you listening to me?”

“What?”

You blink, snapping out of your thoughts and find Winston frowning at you, his lips twisted into a dismayed line.  

“What’s gotten into you lately?” he questions briskly, the heavy furrow of his brows telling a tale of his subtle worry. “You haven’t been the same since—”

“Your Holiness.”

Your address interrupts Winston’s shrewd words and you bow to your waist, gritting your teeth at the flare of agony through your back muscles. The High Priest, or The Elder as some still refer to him, expects nothing less. As one of his Holy Hunter’s you only have to bow your head, others have to get on their knees before the man. 

Something deep down in your chest scratches and snarls as you stare at the ground, your head ringing.

Do not bow to him—

A hand touches your chin, raising your head and effectively banishing the distant voice that sounds too much like the green-eyed prince from your head. 

“My child,” the man utters, his voice soft. You keep your eyes lowered respectfully but he raises your chin higher and you focus on him only, overlooking the familiar raven-haired man behind him. Even if your heart yearns to look at him. It’s been two long weeks without him after all. “It pleases me to see you out and about once again.”

“I apologise for any worry caused.”

The High Priest brushes his thumb against your jaw and something in your gut twists. 

Winston and your Jardani are quiet and you don’t dare to look away from the man before you. His white robes billow in the faint breeze, adding to the sounds of nature and trees.  

The man inspects you for a long, solemn moment, unblinking.

“I hope this can be a valuable lesson to you, my child,” he says, and there is just enough ice lacing his voice that it feels like one of your blades scraping against your throat. “My words are to be heeded. Always.”

Your heart hammering in your chest, you only manage to dip your head in small a nod. “Yes, Your Holiness.“ 

The man finally releases your face and you try to mask you relief. 

“Good,” he mutters, his dark eyes piercing. “I assume Winston has informed you of your next course of action?”

He doesn’t wait for your reply, his voice stern but tempered, “You will hurry with your task and then return for your Remaking,” he continues, pausing on the last word and something shifts in those dark depths just for a second as he scrutinises you. “I need my Holy Hunters strong and pure. This war will get worse before it will get better.”

Pure. 

A manic laugh almost bubbled out of you there and then. 

Pure. What a joke. If only he knew about the wicked, sinful things you and Jardani do in the folds of the shadows. If only he knew how your bodies tangle together till you can’t separate your edges from his as you drive each other to ecstasy. Smothering every whimper and moan and sigh, stealing and hoarding every moment between you out of fear that it might be your last. 

There is nothing holy about what you two do in the dark. Or perhaps you’re wrong. Perhaps the holiest thing about either of you is how you share each other. 

Because there is divinity to be found in the feeling of his mouth on you.

“Come, Winston,” the High Priest calls out, his gaze finally moving away from you and towards the older man. “Johnathan has returned with some interesting information regarding the werewolves. The Table must hold council.”

Winston dips his head graciously and the High Priest glances at you again before looking behind him where your Jardani stands clad in black. He’s like a storm could, an ink stain, marring a perfectly happy scene. 

“Do not disappoint me, my children.”

A warning if you’ve ever heard one, even if his voice remains amiable. 

You know better than to doubt its sincerity though. 

You both bow as one, and force yourself to speak the monotonous oath out loud, “I have served. I will be of service.“ 

.

.

You don’t look at each other the entire way back to the Northern Building. 

The Holy Church has massive, sprawling grounds with several buildings all blessed to withstand attacks from the darkest creatures lurking throughout the land. You doubt even Giovanni D'Antonio with all his endless, monstrous power could break through the wards etched into the very air here.  

You and Jardani keep easy, meaningless conversation as you pass other members of the Holy Church. Nuns and priests and healers. Forgers of weapons. Other hunters. Just human. Ordinary apart from being trained. 

You and Jardani are a different breed. Standing apart from everyone else here. 

You’ve managed to keep your relationship a secret by never giving anyone any room for suspicion. Except for Winston, clearly, but that man always had a gift of reading you both like an open book.

The Northern Building is special for one reason. That reason being that the entire structure belongs to the Holy Hunters and no one else. 

Of which there are only two in this generation.

You keep several feet distance between you, partake in dull, meaningless conversation that won’t catch anyone’s attention the entire way there.

But the moment the doors close you slam into each other eagerly, your hands greedy and desperate as you tangle in each other. 

Your back hits the door and you hold back a wince of pain as he kisses you with enough passion to stall your breathing. His warm sigh tickles your lips and you moan into his kiss, tangling your fingers in his raven strands. The heat between you, the tingle of pleasure that comes from simply kissing him, manages to dull the pain a little and you melt into his embrace. 

Your dark shadow. 

Gods above you’ve missed him. So very much. 

“I heard about what happened,” he whispers against your mouth when you part for breath and his thumb strokes down your cheek. There is a brief second in which his touch gets replaced by a man with cold eyes and eerily calm voice but you shake it immediately. “I worried. Are you injured?”

His other hand rests against your lower back and you ignore the pain that touch brings, focusing only on him. You lean forward, pressing a kiss against the corner of his mouth. 

“I’m fine,” you reassure him and tug on his hair, delighting in the familiar gleam in those dark pools. A desire for you. A flame that never stops burning no matter how much he insists that you shouldn’t do this—shouldn’t touch or kiss or fuck like the world is seconds away from ending. But he can’t deny you. He can never deny you. “Missed you,” you add because it’s true. 

His expression softens, the impassive man fading for your eyes alone. “I missed you more,” he tells you softly and lays a careful peck against your lips; fleeting and tender.

But you don’t want fleeting and tender. 

Your nails drag against his neck and his expression strains under your deliberate coaxing. 

“Jardani,” you hum quietly and kiss his jaw, pressing into him. “My Jardani. My umbra mortis.“ 

“You’re upset.”

You still. “I’m not.”

“The Remaking—”

“Don’t.”

Your voice is an icy, shaky exhale. Jardani just looks sad but a shadow lingers across his expression, too. He hates seeing you suffering. But this isn’t the outside world, he can’t kill those that would harm you. All he can do is wait for when you are brought back from the ceremony, swaying and delirious, and too weak and drained to do anything for the next three days. All he can do is hold you as you sob into his chest after, begging him to never let them touch you again even though you both know that there is no other choice. He doesn’t bother making you promises he can’t keep.

He touches your face then, your foreheads almost touching. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s agony, Jardani. I can’t—”

His fingers smooth over your hair, his expression dark, distant. “If there was another way…”

Your smile is bitter. “But there isn’t. I must obey or they will force me. And if they ever find out about us they will kill me or banish me—”

“No,” he cuts you off and this time his voice is lower, harsher; practically a growl that rumbles from deep within. “I would never let them hurt you. I would kill them all.”

You cup his face, desperate to have him closer. “I hate it here, Jardani,” you confess in a wet whisper. “This place is a prison. I feel like I'm suffocating here. Have been for years.”

He kisses your cheek and then again, trailing up. Your brow, forehead, nose; a handful of caresses at the time. Lastly, he kisses your lips, dragging you to him carefully and you hold onto him. Your shadow and sanctuary and home. 

“I will find a way,” he vows quietly against your quivering mouth, his voice a deep rumble. “I will find a way, moy svet.”

My light.

His mother tongue rolls off his tongue effortlessly and you shudder at the dark, reassuring blanket those words wrap around you. 

You kiss him again—all teeth and hunger and fingertips seeking his heat—and with his strength he picks you up easily, your legs wrapping around him soundlessly. 

You don’t make it to the bedroom.

.

.

You awaken in silk. 

You’re so used to it by now that for a handful of seconds you don’t stir, simply lying there. 

He isn’t beside you. 

A surprise.

He seems to delight in watching your expression when you wake up with him hovering near or trailing his fingertips down your arm. Once you woke up with his arm partially curled around you, holding you close, practically against his chest. 

You punched him right in his smug face. 

A downside of this being the dream world is that no real damage could be done. It still didn’t stop the swell of satisfaction you felt at the way his head snapped to the side, clearly haven’t had expected an attack even with his finely honed predator instincts. 

Or perhaps he simply didn’t see you as a threat. 

Or trusted you enough to lower his guard which was a thought you had banished the second it came because it was absurd. 

You had felt self-satisfied until he laughed, grinning widely, his cheeks dimpling. 

“You’re a delight,” he had purred and his lack of wrath had been as surprising as realising how appealing his smile is. “Now imagine what you could do with an immortal’s strength, hm?”

But he is not beside you this time. 

Your head slants and you find him sitting a little further away from the bed, bathed in the beam of light coming from a window overhead. 

It takes you a moment to realise what he’s doing. 

He's painting. 

A brush between those long, graceful fingers moves lovingly like he’s taking all the care in the world to make sure that whatever he’s trying to capture is done so to perfection. As if not one mistake could be afforded. 

At least this time he’s not naked. 

It took you a few visits to realise that you come to the dream world dressed in whatever you had fallen asleep in. 

Though the realisation that the vampire prince sleeps naked between his silken sheets had warmed something in your blood. 

“My mother was a great lover of art,” he begins conversationally, still focusing on his work. You sit up deliberately, watching the ripple of his back muscles as he shifts in his seat, facing away from you. “Personally, I never saw much appeal in it. Just a bit of paint on canvas, you understand? That changed after she met Eternal Death. There is indeed something, hm, extraordinary about creation in such a form.”

Your bare feet touch the floor and your fingers grip the edges of the bed as you observe him silently. 

From this angle, you finally get a glimpse of what he’s working on. 

It's you. 

But not.

The woman depicted on canvas has your features. Your lips and nose and hair and colouring but—

But your eyes are something else. They look like they’re raging from within even though your expression is captured as calm and composed—almost empyreal. Your gaze is strong, consuming, sensual and fierce. It demands to be looked at. Respected. Admired. 

He’s painted you as you could be, you realise numbly, an immortal like him. 

His head turns towards you when you stand shakily on your feet, your fingers gripping the side of your nightgown tightly between your fingers. 

The vampire prince eyes you with a slight twitch of his lips as light plays across his tanned skin and wild curls. 

He’s dangerous.  

For the first time, you feel that understanding settle deep in your bones but—

“Do you not like it, amore?”

“I want to leave.”

If you didn’t know any better you would say that he looks disappointed at that. But it’s gone in a blink, whatever it is, so you can’t be sure. 

“You are free to leave whenever you please, bella,” he tells you dismissively, raising the brush back between his fingers. “Don’t let me stop you.”

Brushing past him, you let your fingers clench, trying to pull on the power in your veins. 

“I don’t want to come here anymore,” you bite out, glancing at him over your shoulder before turning to face him fully. “I'm done playing your games.”

Santino’s head tilts, humming in consideration, and it’s hard to think of him as a vampire—the enemy—when he looks so breathtaking in this blinding, warm light. When he looks so approachable, almost normal. 

“Hm. You are exceedingly attractive when angry,” he notes with a sliver of a smirk, peering at you curiously and the green of his eyes is piercing. “What other angry words are you going to bestow upon me, hm? I do so admire a sharp tongue.“ 

His attention transfers to your mouth and you scowl at him. 

”Enough, Santino.“

Shit. 

It slipped out. 

You’ve always addressed him as “D'Antonio” or “vampire” but never by his given name. 

His smirk disappears instantly, something stuttering across his expression; a flicker of emotion you don’t quite understand passing over his features. 

“Say it again.”

You don’t think you have seen him sound or look quite so serious.

“What?”

“My name,” he utters, his gaze burning. “Say it again.”

Forcing oxygen into your lungs, you breathe a deliberate, vicious, “Santino.”

He’s in front of you in a blink and fear is not the reason why you step away. He stalks closer, his lips parted and you see his fingers form loose fists. 

“Again.”

It’s an order and your lips press together when your back kisses the cold stone of his room. 

This isn’t real, you try to remind yourself, it’s just a dream. But one’s mind has the power to make things real. The Dream Realm is just as powerful as any other reality. 

His hand braces next to your head and you stare at each other for a halted breath. 

His body is tense, coiled, his attention focused solely on you. With the light falling from behind him, it looks like a halo is caressing the crown of his head. He resembles an angel even if you know the devil lurks beneath.  

“San-ti-no.”

He leans closer and you exhale forcefully, your lips parting. 

“You,” he murmurs softly and you feel his fingertips brush up your bare arm, making goosebumps explode across your skin. “Are more dangerous than sunlight." 

You force your suddenly dry tongue to work. "I thought… that the sun doesn’t affect a pureblooded vampire like you?”

He’s close enough that you can feel his breath against your lips. 

Not real. Not real. Not real—

“No, it doesn’t,” he agrees lightly under his breath, the velvety promise of his lips brushing against the edge of your jaw. “Ah, but it’s very good at something else, bella. Can you guess what that is, hm?”

His lips part against the curve of your jaw, a puff of air tickling your skin, and your head tips to the side, his large hand coming to grip your hip. You’re not sure which one of you he’s trying to steady. 

“No.”

His nose slips down, dragging against your skin and he freezes, inhaling deeply. A low snarl erupts from deep in his chest and he nuzzles against your neck intently. 

Through the dizzying haze, there blooms confusion, but then you remember the fact he can no doubt smell Jardani on you. Maybe even scent you earlier lovemaking. You would be surprised if the intensity of it didn’t leave a mark.

“It’s very good,” he hisses against your ear, his breath prickling against your skin and his fingers flex against your hip. “At making us weak.”

Choking down a gasp, you try to pull back but he ducks his head against your neck again, his lips pressing a featherlight kiss against your fluttering pulse. 

“They’re lying to you,” he reveals in a hoarse whisper when his head lifts and your eyes clash. He looks ravenous, wild. His eyes are more black than green. “You are so much more than they’re trying to convince you, amore. Let me show you. Let me." 

His grip on you constricts. 

You blink; once, twice, and bare your teeth at him before promptly snapping the tether between you in half.

There is a glimpse of fury before you are dragged back to wakefulness. 

You fly up into a sitting position, your skin damp and throat dry. 

Every inch of you tingles made only worse by an acute ache between you thighs. 

”Fuck.“ 

…

an: hahaha…….i’m in trouble :) also apologies for any mistakes. one edit only and done at 2:30am ayyyy. hope you enjoyed jfghfdg please don’t try and ask me why i’m actually trying to build a world/lore/plot because “i’m stupid” will always be the answer jhdfg. also I just really dig the feral/dark vibe of this AU so *shrugs*

[dragon-kazansky]

93 and 82 with dracula?

Basically you’re in Johnathan Harker’s position

93.  “Don’t make me tape your mouth shut.”

82.  “Why are you being so difficult?”

Upsetting Dracula was not the best thing to do. This was something you had learnt during your stay in his castle.

You found that the more you explored, the more places that closed off to you. This was his first warning about how far you were willing to look. He had told you, when you arrived, where you could go and where you should stay away from.

You were far too curious to obey his rules, despite how rude it was to go against your hosts wishes.

You let that slide though. He was just trying to show you he meant what he said about not going to certain places. It was your punishment.

At first you didn’t realise you were paying a much higher price for staying with him. Your stay at his castle was supposed to be a number of days, but he told you he organised it to be much longer. You found the weeks passing by.

You found yourself dreaming a lot more during your stay here. Some of them were quite pleasant. Quite pleasant indeed.

You woke up feeling well rested, but looking a little drained.

Dracula had made a comment or two about your complexion, offering you anything you felt you might need to perk up a bit. You thanked him for his offer, but told him you probably just needed a little rest. You figured you had over worked yourself during the day, and despite feeling you had slept well, you needed the extra rest.

This went on for several nights. Each time you would be feeling a little more unwell each time.

You came to the conclusion something was wrong.

One night you decided you wouldn’t go straight to sleep. You would lie in bed, listening to any sounds that came close to your room.

Yet, somehow you didn’t hear anything.

He was on you in the blink of an eye, not a sound to his approach. You gasped when you felt his straddle over you.

“You’re awake.” He sounded amused. You struggled against him. “Quiet now.”

“What are you doing? Get off me!” You thrashed against his hold.

“I had hoped you wouldn’t put up so much of a fight.” He sighed.

“What are you? What’s happening?” You glared up at him.

“Do not worry about it, lie back, rest.”

You continued to put up a fight. Dracula grew tired of your resistance and tightened his grip on your wrists.

“Why are you being so difficult?”

“What are you doing in my room?” You asked, tired of his lack of answers.

“What do you think I’ve been doing? Look at you, looking rather unwell, yet still well enough for a taste.”

You glared at him.

“A taste?”

“Yes dear, I’m a vampire and I’ve been drinking your blood. You taste delicious.” He ran his tongue over his lips. “The best I’ve had in a while.” He chuckled.

“HELP! SOMEONE HELP!”

Dracula rolled his eyes.

“Don’t make me tape your mouth shut.”

“HELP!”

“No one can hear you. It’s rather annoying if you’re going to be so loud.” He sighed.

You began to quiet down, tears beginning to fall.

Dracula watched you silently.

“This was all a trap…” You whispered.

“Yes.”

“Are you going to kill me?”

“Not right away. That would be such a waste.”

“A waste?” You glared up at him.

“You taste delightful. I’ve only been taking a little each night.” He chuckled. You looked so…. cute.

“Each night? How long has this been going on for?”

“Several weeks.” He shrugged. “Though I have been taking very good care of you, wouldn’t you say?” He was chuckling.

It was true that he had been very kind to you, making sure you ate, asked how you were feeling. He appeared to be such a nice host, but now all that had gone out the window.

“Being nice isn’t going to make up for slowly killing me!”

“I did just say I’m not going to kill you.” He sighed. Slowly, he climbed off of you.

You scrambled further up the bed and eyed the door. Dracula stood at the end of the bed adjusting his cuffs. He was grinning.You would never make it.

“I shall let you rest. I’ll only end up making quite a mess if I try while you’re awake.” He turned on his heel. “I don’t think I could get close enough to kiss you.”

“Kiss me?” You grabbed your pillow and threw it at him. “I’ll get out of here, you’ll see.”

Dracula chuckled.

“You’ll see…”

The door closed behind him and you were alone again. How did this happen? How did you end up alone with a vampire?

Why did he have to treat you so nicely?

You looked at the door.

Damn him for being so handsome yet so dangerous.

Tags:

@awyr @fandombeehive @charmed-asylum  @sigynbandraoi-blog@procrastinatingmurder  @sitkafay  @misfitgirlwrites

[vampiricfairy]

I Never Told You What I Do For A Living

Chapter 2

Word Count: 1851

Pairing: Jonathan Harker x Reader

Warnings: none

A/N: Updates will be probably very inconsistent? Anyway, have fun. Also btw you're pansexual, ahaha.

"Y/N, wake up! It’s past 1 pm.”

You groaned and sat up, “what is it..?” You asked groggily.

“When did you go to sleep?!”

“Around.. 1 am? I don’t see why you care Zoe..” You said and slipped out of bed.

“I know it’s hard when your parents are barely around, but you really need to practice being responsible. Also put your slippers on before you catch a cold, I brought you coffee.” Your aunt, well Zoe Van Helsing said before she disappeared again.

You sighed as you shuffled into the bathroom and washed your face. You looked at your reflection still feeling a bit tired, you got into the shower.

While showering you thought of what happened yesterday, trying to process what happened. After that you dried your hair and put on an oversized t-shirt before walking downstairs to the kitchen, where you sat on a chair opposed to Zoe.

“How did you sleep?” Zoe asked, as she looked through various letters, files and everything. It confused you, if you were being honest. Why did your aunt come here, with so much stuff. You did like Zoe a lot, she was pretty nice to you and quite cool actually.

“Had some weird dreams but otherwise it was.. Alright. How’s work?” You asked her, yawning as you took a sip of your now cold coffee.

“Could be better, the thing I had been working on for so long failed. Remember Count Dracula? He is out of his cell and he has a lawyer. It also seems like there is another vampire that is.. Running around freely. In fact he was Dracula’s solicitor, Jonathan Harker-“ Zoe stopped talking when she noticed that you were choking on your coffee.

You swallowed as you coughed a little, “I’m great- I’m good please-please just continue talking-“ You had a small brain malfunction there. You were praying Zoe wasn’t catching on by now.

“You’re acting a little weird.. Anything happen last night?” She raised an eyebrow.

“Nope, nothing. I was at home and watched movies, then I went to bed-.” You clearly lied.

“My point is, I don’t want you wandering alone around at night. It’s dangerous, if Dracula finds out we have the same bloodline he is going to come after you. It’s best if you stay inside as soon as it gets dark.” Zoe explained with a stern voice.

“What about Jonathan Harker though?” You asked, maybe it wasn’t smart but you still did it. You were burning with interest for the vampire.

“Jonathan Harker is harmless but he is still a vampire.. Meaning he may not intend to hurt anyone but he can’t control himself around blood.”

“Got it..” You smiled sweetly, exactly knowing what you were going to do.

“Why do you seem so happy? Come on Y/N, something’s definitely up. You’re not a movie watcher anyway.” Zoe said.

“What-? No, I always liked watching movies!! I- I un watched SAW I.” You said, well more stammered.

“You know you can tell me if something happened, I’ll make sure there are people around you who can protect you.” Zoe tried to remind you.

“No, no. I’m fine!” You finished drinking your coffee and yawned again. “I’m going shopping later with my friends, I’ll try to be back before sundown.” You lied, again.

“Well, alright. You have fun- I’ll probably come over when I’m done with work. Take care.” Zoe then walked out of your apartment and you walked back upstairs to your room and took your phone.

J.H.: Good morning, dear.

Sent at 6:24 am

You chuckled to yourself as you typed a message.

Me: Good Morning?

Me: Wanna meet later??

You then checked your social medias, before walking back downstairs. You were still slightly tired, so you decided to take a quick nap. A quick nap seemed to have turned into a pretty long one and so you found yourself waking up in the dark, you flipped on the light and checked your phone messages.

J.H: If you insist, then sure. What time?

Me: 8:30pm?

It was 7:15 now, which meant you had enough time to get ready.

J.H: I’ll be there.

With that you walked into your room and put on a black dress, fishnet thighs and a jean jacket. You put on a light makeup and curled your hair. You walked back downstairs into the kitchen where you drank a glass of water.

Knock, knock, knock.

You cautiously walked to the door and opened it.

“Good evening, darling.” Jonathan said, even smiling a little.

“Evening- I haven’t put on my shoes yet! Wait, you want to come in?” You asked him as you stepped aside.

Johnathan hesitated as he watched you put on your shoes, “are you sure?”

You shrugged. “Sort of, look I know what you are but frankly I think you wouldn’t hurt me. I mean why? There’s nothing beneficial about me- unless you want my blood. But even that, I really don’t mind.” You said, as you tied your shoes.

Jonathan stepped inside, “that’s odd. People back in my days would have panicked by now-“

“Please stop saying “people in my days” or “back in my days” it makes you sound like my grandpa!” You said jokingly.

Jonathan chuckled, confused. “Alright, then.”

“Also I would like you to come anytime you please but don’t come when my aunt is here- I’m not supposed to be outside and especially not with you.” You took your keys, Jonathan and you stepped outside.

“You should really be staying at home then, it is not safe outside anyway. Yes, I am able to protect you but.. Not as much as you think. Dracula is much more experienced and stronger than me!” Jonathan said with a worried expression.

“I have garlic with me and a cross chain in my purse- I doubt he can do much now, hmm. I also won’t hesitate to use it on you, should you try anything!” You said and chuckled.

“I won’t hurt you.. I can’t.” He said, a sad smile on his face.

“What’s that about?” You asked.

“Nothing- I just can’t bring myself to kill a young lady-“

“Sounds fair!! I wouldn’t spill holy water on you either!” You said.

“Van Helsing?” Jonathan asked, sighing slightly.

“That noticeable? Just my mothers side-“ You said.

“So that is why he is after you-“ Jonathan said, sighing.

“He is after m-????? Why is he after me??? What would he want from me? My knowledge of My Chemical Romance lyrics???” You were slightly confused. “Wait, how do you even know that he is after me?”

“He tried to choke you, remember? He was about to drink your blood, if I hadn’t appeared you.. You would probably be almost undead by now.”

“Sucks for me.” You stated plainly.

“I don’t understand how you can’t worry about such things.”

“First of all, you are with me. Second of all, I am safe as fuck. Third of all, I want to kick the fucker that killed a family member of mine in the pp, really badly. Again. Smash his intestines too. Also being a vampire sounds really cool.”

Jonathan seemed confused by your language. “As fuck? Pp?” He repeated.

Your brain had a small malfunction there. How were you gonna explain a gentleman all that, a gentleman not from your century. “As fuck? It’s when you want to do something really bad or something is really great- or something is really bad. Like I’ll tell my friends “It’s cold as fuck” and they’ll understand it as “it’s extremely cold, I’m dying.” A pp is.. That thing you have.” Maybe you should have worded it better.

“What thing?” Asked Jonathan dumbfounded.

“The thing you masturbate with-“ you said plainly.

“Masturbate???”

“I- just google it please.”

“I will- I’m sorry darling, I’m still getting accustomed to the new age.” Jonathan smiled awkwardly.

“Nah, it’s okay. Now that you’re getting accustomed to the new age- can you drink energy drink?”

__

Jonathan had declined your energy drink offer, but there you were with your white Monster.. Hoping to not spill anything of it again.

“It’s getting late.. Darling, you have to go home. It’s not safe for you outside.” Jonathan said.

“You’re kinda right.. Wait, you are extremely right- Zoe said she’ll come by. Oh fuck. She already is off work- help.”

“I think I can help-“ he pulled you in his cold embrace, “don’t let go alright-“ with that he sprinted off.

You couldn’t comprehend his vampire super speed very well, you closed your eyes because it made your head hurt. “Thank you..” You said, still a bit dizzy.

“No problem- get inside now. Good night, dear. Rest well.”

“Good n-“ he was already gone and you pouted as you walked inside and closed the door, walking upstairs to your apartment you pulled out your phone.

You walked upstairs and entered your apartment.. Yawning. You flopped on the couch and died inside a little.

15 minutes later the door opened.

“Hey, Y/N- are you alright? You’re not crying over.. Her, are you?” Zoe asked as she walked into the apartment holding a bag.

“Huh? Oh- no I just fell asleep with my make up on I guess.. Actually she said she wanted to contact again but I’m not completely sure whether I should talk to her or not- what’s in the bag?” You asked.

“Dinner and yes.. Think about it but remember there’s millions of others out there.” Zoe tried to remind you as you sighed.

“I will- what’s for dinner?” You asked, realizing you hadn’t really eaten all day.

“I got Chinese take out-“ Zoe said with a smile.

“Sounds good..” You said on a kitchen chair as you watched Zoe getting out plates and spoons. “I’m tired..” You said.

“You’re always tired, that’s nothing new.”

“Well, yes.. But I have a questionnn!!” You said and smiled sheepishly.

“What is it?”

“Could you take me with you to your work??” You asked, looking like an excited child.

“Do you have a death wish?” Zoe remarked.

“At times, yes. But if I’m dead I don’t have to write that French exam, everything has it’s pro’s and cons!” You said.

“Yes, but the cons here would be, you’d be dead.”

“Cool right?”

“You’re impossible.. Depends, I may think about it.” Zoe said.

“But after my 18th birthday- I want to live for a couple months until I turn 18!” You smirked.

“That actually sounds fair-“

“What would I have to do??”

“Hush, I don’t know yet! You’re so impatient and curious, you really need to work on that.” Zoe remarked as you rolled your eyes.

“Nope, I refuse!” You said, smiling sheepishly.

“I hope that the people you’ll date are going to have strong nerves.” Zoe said as she put some of the take out on your plate.

“Ouuchhhh!” You laughed before taking bite of a spring roll.

__

You woke up the next morning, realizing you must have fallen asleep. Upon sitting up you noticed.. Blood on your window? With blood smeared written was:

I FOUND YOU

[archons-star]

Eternal

Chapter Three

WC: 807

"Momma!" A young girl with pale hair shouted as a woman entered through the front gate of the estate. The girl ran up and hugged the woman, then looked behind her, hoping to see her brother. But he wasn't there.

"Momma? Where's Hunter?" The girl asked, and the woman, who had been desperately trying to hold back tears, hugged the girl tightly as she began to cry as well.

***

Aris woke up crying. She looked around the room, thankful that no one else was there as she curled up in a ball and continued to cry silently. 

***

It was around midnight when Aris woke up next. And this time, she wasn't alone.

Will was sitting in a chair across from her, sleeping peacefully. Not wanting to wake him up, she stood and walked out of the room. She stopped when she smelled something sweet. Following her nose, she found that the smell had been coming from another room, in which were her classmates. They were surrounding Justin, who was wincing as his brother wrapped a bandage around his arm.

Aris flinched, remembering what she'd done, and attempted to slink away unnoticed when Justin called out to her.

"Hey, Aris!" He said, and everyone turned around to watch her as she walked into the room.

"Are you okay?" He asked her. She stiffened, staring at the boy.

"You're worry about a blood thirsty monster who almost killed you?" She said in disbelief.

"You didn't mean to. I could see it in your eyes," he said, standing up. He walked towards her and she inched back until her back hit the wall. Or, more accurately, a closed door. She fumbled around with the doorknob, but it was locked from the outside. Justin came closer, lifting his hand towards her.

"The fact that you tried to stop yourself is enough for me to trust you," he said. He held his hand in front of him. Aris shook her head violently.

"You shouldn't trust me at all! I'm a freak! Someone who's been hunted every since she was born! If you get too close, then you'll be hunted,too!" She yelled, breaking the doorknob and rushing out.

***

"What was that about?" Quinn asked. Everyone turned to Carter.

"What?" He asked.

"You seem like you'd know what she's been through, so spill. What did she mean when she said she was being hunted?" Henri asked. Carter sighed, sitting back in his chair.

"Look. She doesn't like anyone knowing about this, so you have to swear that you won't tell her I told you," he said, and when everyone nodded, he continued, "Aris used to have a twin brother named Hunter. He and my baby sister were the ones that were supposed to be married, but then when Aris was five, Hunter was killed by humans who wanted his body to experiment on.

"Ever since then, she's been cold and detached. Not even her father can get her to be happy. It was then that she started hating me, too, because of what our fathers decided on. We'd both get married when we were eighteen."

"Why do the two of you have to be married? Can't she just choose not to?" William asked as he sat down.

"No. The reason she can't is because, when he and Hunter were born, the pure blood of the Solomon demon-family was tainted by vampire blood. My father is hellbent on keeping our blood pure, which means one of two things: one, we get married and the pure demon blood purges the vampire blood in our children, or two, she is assassinated."

Once Carter finished, everyone looked away. Then, Carter began again.

"Shes also usually very careful when it comes to fighting. But today, I saw something I haven't seen since I was six. Today, it was as if Justin's blood made something inside her snap, and she turned into a mindless demon, the ones that my family uses as guards," Carter said.

"Then maybe she's not your fathers niece. Maybe she's the daughter of one of those guards," Justin offered, but Carter just shook his head.

"Every one of our guards has entirely black eyes. She doesn't. And even her vampire blood wouldn't be able to counteract that feature," Carter said. He sat up, looking at Johnathan, who nodded. "The only thing missing is she would have to have two different colored eyes, like it is common in our family," as Carter said this, he snapped his fingers and his blue eyes became a blue and a green eye. Everyone stared at him.

"Unless she had these, she isn't considered a Solomon. Even if her and her father took a blood test t I prove they were father and daughter."

Will mulled over what Carter had told them before getting up and walking out.