Vampiric

[AngelOfDarkness]

Christian was surprised to hear about her emotions and that she attended mass regularly. From every heavenly source he'd talked to, vampires were locked into a constant state of hatred, unable to experience any of the happy emotions they had during their youths, before they became monsters. In fact, that's why the heavens had been on such a crusade to change them. It was the general belief that vampires were to be pitied and that they should be helped to feel love and kindness. But if they, or this one in particular already could . . .

Then what was so wrong with her? Maybe she wasn't so terrible after all. Had there been a mistake? Should he leave her as she is? "Stop it," he thought, she's still a vampire, and vampires need to be saved. "Don't fail her." He found that last thought strange and out of place in his mind. It was not the typical compassion he had felt for every other person he had ever met; this was something different. He paused and turned to her, reaching out and taking her hand into his. He was shocked at the coldness of her dainty hand against his warm one. Looking directly into her eyes, he asked, "Still, don't you wish you could be free of all this?"

Giving her a moment to respond, he glanced about him at their surroundings, realizing that he had no idea where they were. There was a huge mansion sitting in the distance. His instant reaction was that he should be cautious, she was far more powerful than he. But then he had the feeling that Vivienne, the all powerful vampiress, would not threaten him. He felt comfortable with her.

 

[erusian]

Alice pressed against the wall
So she can see the door
In case the laughing strangers crawl and
Crush the petals on the floor

Lucas couldn't hear them over the Sisters of Mercy baritone baseline thudding from the dancefloor. His eyes focused on her lips, recognizing some words and stringing the rest together by context. The word 'vampire' was clear enough. The way that she lightly drew her lower lip across her teeth on the first syllable conveyed the allure that she laced into the utterance. She wanted this one.

She needs you like she needs her tranqs
To tell her that the world is clean
To promise her a definition
Tell her where the rain will fall
Tell her where the sun shines bright
And tell her she can have it all
Today

'A bedtime story'. Lucas smirked. His fingers felt inside the sleeve of his trenchcoat to the cool steel shanks secreted away in the lining. As he fingered a sharpened edge, memories beckoned him to reflect, to remember. So many wars -- wars were feasts for the undead. His mind flooded with bloodied recollections of Bosnia, Rwanda, Vietnam, Korea, Normandy, Tripoli, Gallipoli, Antietam, Transvaal, Yorktown, Quebec, Kanisza, Styria, Graubünden, Tyrol, Agincourt, Portiers, Damascus, Jerusalem, Pamplona, Verden, Brunanburh, Clontarf, Manau-Gododdin, Llongborth...

Alice in her party dressed to kill
She thanks you turns away
She needs you like she needs needs her pills
To tell her that the world’s okay
To promise her a definition
Tell her where the rain will fall
Tell her where the sun shines bright
And tell her she can have it all

Lucas cursed himself for his reverie and focused again on his mark. "...then you must drink from me", she said.

Fuck.

She was going to turn him.

 

[DelilaSophia]

Vivienne

She watched him struggle with himself, no doubt the elders had something to do with his misconceptions even if it was in no other way than their own horrible behaviors. How she loathed them, their killing of innocents, their awful attempts at domination and...she stopped herself. She'd already become tense in only the short moment.

She turned to face him. The moon shone on her ivory skin so as to gave it a sort of glow, certainly not as prominent as his, but it did highlight her skin. The air had stilled finally, the fabric of her dress and her thin wrap fell in still folds. Her hand still remained on the gate, resting on the pole. Her eyes met his once more as he took her hand. She could see his reaction to her cold skin. She'd always had colds hands, even when human so long ago, but now they stayed that way. She wasn't sure why. Perhaps vampires hadn't been designed to drink blood from IV bags.

"Of course I wish I could be free of this. I never chose this path, but I have a chance and the power to bring the elders out of power." She held up her hands and looked at them, turning them palm side up. They were pale and completely smooth. "I know I can because I killed one once before. The one who turned me." She continued before he could get too worried. "That was years ago. He turned my sister too, and then had her slaughtered. Call me a weakling if it suits you, but sometimes family vengeance is stronger than kindness. But that's no longer and issue. They're all dead, the humans and the vampires alike. But you probably already knew that didn't you?" Her voice grew shaky for a moment and she made no effort to hide the blood tinted tear that slid down her cheek. "Yes, I would love to be free of this, but not before I do what I can to end the elders awful reign. Sometimes the good of the many comes before saving the one, especially when the one is, quite honestly, so important." Her words were delivered with purpose and in a way that made it quite clear she was an aristocratic woman, both in birth and in dimeanor.

 

[AngelOfDarkness]

He was amazed at her honesty and the goodness in her heart. Vivienne was not as he had expected her to be. He wanted to touch her, to comfort her and wipe away the tear gracefully sliding down her cheek. Finally, he bent and wrapped her into his arms, holding her against his warm, strong body. He wasn't sure how she would take this, and he half expected her to angrily shove him away, but it seemed that she had found some comfort in his embrace, if only for a moment.

He wished he had been around to help her and her family, but that had been long before he had become an angel, and long before he had been born human, for that matter. After a minute, he felt her body harden, a physical sign that she had recovered from her brief sadness. He released her with a slight carress and stepped back. The electricity in her green eyes had returned, but he now felt confident that he had seen into her soul. He ran his hand against the wrought iron gate they had approached and took pleasure in the coolness of its bars.

"What can I do to help you?" he asked finally.

 

[AntonioG]

Logan shivered slightly as Bianca ran her finger along his neck, it was probably the single most sensitive spot on his body, but having someone sink their teeth into his carotid artery isn't exactly his cup of tea. Still, for some reason he feels safe with her, instead of running for his life he remains, steeling his nerve he asks..."Okay, Bianca, you've been blunt and answered my questions, however misguided they may be, so I've one more for you. What exactly are your intentions?"

 

[DelilaSophia]

Vivienne

She had not at first been pleased with his touch, she had learned that in this day physical contact was a dangerous game to play. However, she could feel his intentions were good and she allowed herself to relax momentarily.

She considered his question for a moment. Vivienne expected no help. She formulated her every plan without calculating in any assistance. It was not an issue of trust or competence, it was that Vivienne simply did not feel comfortable asking anyone to share her burden. "I'm not sure it can be helped. The usual tactic is to go on a rampant killing spree and kill all the vampires one finds. Personally, I'm not fond of that method, but it's the most taken." Her voice at that moment seemed to contain a dose of sarcasm, perhaps to guard her from the true cruelty and truth in what she said. "It's not too dreadfully hard to kill an ordinary vampire according to most. It's when you get to the elders and the rich bloodlines you start having issues. I can't count how many attempts have been made on my life." There was a definate ending to that statement and she turned from him.

She pulled a key from her bosom and unlocked the gate, stepping inside and inviting him to follow. "I'd like to speak with you more. That's my estate there. It's safe, no one there but me anymore."

 

[DelilaSophia]

Bianca

This one was a bit bolder than she'd originally gauged him to be. However, he seemed to be getting a bit uneasy and she didn't exactly feel like having him turn on her and try to stab her with the leg of one of the wooden barstools or some nonsense. He didn't seem the type, but she'd learn to be careful.

Her tone became serious for a moment "I'm not going to kill you or turn you, if that's what you're worried about." Then she smiled, a soft, teasing sultry smile and added "As far as biting you, well, I'm afraid the jury is still out on that one. Of course any activity we engage in would be conscentual. So you really can relax, Logan."

Bianca was almost certain what he had in mind was a nice evening of steamy sex and she could give him that, at least she was pretty sure she could. It was only a matter of him pushing for that direction and deciding on the particulars.

 

[AntonioG]

Logan smiles softly... "For some reason, I believe you. I don't think you want to kill me, or turn me. That's good, I don't think I'd want to go through life as a Vampire. I don't think I could bring myself to bite another person." Do I still want to take her home... possibly, not everyone can say they've slept with a Vampire, I'd even have the marks to prove it, well if the jury came back for biting. Well.... what do I want to do?

 

[DelilaSophia]

Bianca

Bianca took a more than a little offense to what Logan said about being a vampire. Bianca didn't feel that being a vampire was a curse. Of course she didn't think everyone should be a vampire either, but it wasn't an awful thing. It was both a burden and a gift. She didn't justify his statement with a reply.

She turned back towards the bar, and away from him, a few degrees. She took another sip of her wine and her fingers stroked the glass absently. He could sit there and mull over it all night if he wanted to and if the idea of being bitten bothered him, she could certainly find more than enough volunteers. Unfortunately, the "volunteers" tended to be drunk or high, often both, and that didn't work for her. She missed the times before when she'd been under the protection of a more powerful vampires and willing hosts had been provided.

Her irritation only mounted as she ran the thoughts of in her mind, then gently stroking of the glass became a grip and the grip became so tight, the glass broke. The pain that shot through her hand from the cuts only recieved a half-hearted reaction. She turn her body palm over and flicked a few shards of glass out, then watched as the cuts closed almost instant. She brought her freshly healed hand to her face and began lapping the blood off, sapphire eyes glowing darkly.

 

[erusian]

Lucas slipped out of his corner as the leather-clad domina bimbo and her friends obstructed his view. Peasants. He just caught the last bit as she smiled, "...you can really relax, Logan."

Sure, relax. It's a lovely flower, little fly. Just step on those trigger hairs and snap! Lucas dug his fingernails into palms, leaving tiny crescents in the soft flesh.

He hated the frailty of man. He had watched the human race grow bloated and vulnerable, century after century. And now the illusions of security and recourse to the law had become so ingrained in the mass consciousness that people couldn't help but 'relax'. Fat, dumb, and happy... lambs for the slaughter.

"Are you using that?", the domina motioned to the chair Lucas had abandoned.

He didn't answer. He just slipped into the crowd, searching for a better vantage point.

 

[AntonioG]

At the sound of the broken glass Logan turned to look at Bianca. "I've obviously upset or offended you in some way, and it was not my intent. You have my most sincere apologies and also, if you are in need of a host or donor, I am willing if not a little nervous. I meant no offense, and am actually interested in hearing your story as well, if you want to share it."

 

[DelilaSophia]

Bianca

What Bianca really wanted to do was tell hum to buck up and take her like a man, but she didn't feel it would be appropriate. She also considered saracasm, but instead she replied "Perhaps just a companion will do for tonight. I don't think you're ready." That was simple enough.

She looked at the mess of blood, glass and wine splattered across the bar. This was why she couldn't solve anything, she was so cursed irritable. She softly to herself and tried to relax her tense body. She didn't need to go through another episode. Her last one had landed three murders in the ICU at the local hospital. They had tried to gang up on her and attack and rape her. She'd had a difficult time explaining how she snapped the one guy's arm.

Her strength was one of the many heightened attributes she'd acquired from her vampiric bloodline. She was a good deal stronger even than the average vampire. It was what was often call "a perculiarity of the bloodline."

 

[erusian]

Lucas struggled his way through the throng of spinning, twisting, gyrating twenty-somethings. Whatever their apethetic misgivings on life and death, they were beautiful things, these goths, aesthetically speaking. One girl, wrapped about with black lace and dark, guazy muslin shimied the silver coin-belt riding her hips as her eyes followed him over the mask of her veil. In a rare moment, he smiled to her before mounting the stairs to get a better view.

From above, he lost sight of the vampire's lips, but he could see her well enough. Lucas blinked, confused. She was bleeding. How the hell did that happen? Ah well, whatever it was didn't seem to deter her prey. Lucas could see him better from this angle. He was hooked, the poor thing.

She was sucking a fingertip as she listened to what must have been a clumsy attempt to lure her back to his place. Lucas was trying to make out what he was saying when he caught the shift in her gaze. She was looking directly at him. Lucas looked away, doing his best to appear entranced with something on the dance floor. When he glanced back, she had again turned her attention to her companion.

'Chance', he thought. He hoped.

 

[AntonioG]

"A companion it is then." Inwardly Logan let out a sigh, he hadn't really wanted to be bitten, in fact this is exactly what he wanted. Just a night of passion, with no strings, and it would appear that he will get that.

 

[DelilaSophia]

Bianca

The situation was beginning to bore her. Logan was acceptable, but honestly she was hoping for some excitement. Life failed to be a challenge sometimes and it was getting to her that night. She had the power to massacre every person in that club and walk out without a scratch. However, she has compassion for them, and honor.

No matter how many times she reminded herself that she should be finding blood through blood banks, she still wanted human hosts. The seduction, the look in their eyes when she licked her lips, the way their bodies arched in that moment of brief pain before the hormones in her saliva acted on them and the moans and wriths of pleasure the offered while she drank. Never too much, not even as much as they withdrew when humans donated blood. She ached to feel full even if only for a day.

Passion...sexual passion, yes, she was quite excited about that prospect too, but somehow her lust for blood was overriding her lust for sex. And...she saw him. The man on the dance floor. There was something about him. He was looking at her and he knew. He knew what she was. Who knows how long he'd be watching her, she thought. Her eyes held on to his figure for a moment, and then she turned back to Logan.

"If you'll excuse me, I'm going to be blunt." She was tired of playing the flirting game. It was time for more. "I am currently far more interested in find a blood host than I am in spending a night engaging in meaningless sex." She paused for a moment, clearing looking him up and down. "Although I must confess, the idea of sex with you, it's a very tempting thought."

She paused in her statement to await his reaction and to glance back at the man on the floor once more. Something about him had grabbed her curiousity. Was he just interested in watching a vampire seduce her prey? Did he want to be turned? Or was he perhaps a hunter?

 

[erusian]

Lucas slipped into the mass of revelers on the upper level. The first glance could have been taken for chance, but the second had lingered. She sensed something. Or, perhaps, she knew something.

"She's too young", Lucas tried to console himself. There were very few Elders left in the world. Besides, an Elder wouldn't come to a place like this.

"Oh you don't know that. And she could be very well preserved", came the voice of the mocking demons that taunted him from the darker recesses of his psyche. "And that means she's good enough. That means she could do it..."

Lucas dismissed the nagging pessimisms and headed for the bar. Best that he disappear for a bit. He didn't want to ruin this one. He was close. Too close to lose it now.

"Everclear, no ice", he yelled to the slyph of a girl behind the bar. She nodded and smacked a shot glass in front of him. The bittersweet elixir filled the glass. Lucas hadn't been drunk in fifteen hundred years; alcohol required blood as a conduit to the brain. He drank Everclear for the burn. It was one of the few things that he could feel anymore.

He tapped the empty glass on the bar and nodded to the girl, "Another".

 

[AntonioG]

"You've been blunt the whole night, and I'm quite interested in meaningless sex, being a blood host, you say I'm not ready. Maybe, maybe not, I've no idea really what to expect. I've seen movies, of course, we all have, and the whole experience is always portrayed as rather erotic, sensual, obviously there is pain, but pain is a short lived thing. We can leave this place, and whatever happens, happens, whether it's only meaningless sex, or a more fulfilling moment in your quest for a blood host, we'll let fate decide."

 

[AngelOfDarkness]

Christian

He had felt badly about holding her. It was his nature to touch. That's always how he had showed that he cared: kissing the cheek of a girlfriend, patting the back of a friend, or embracing someone when he felt it was needed. Most often, people found comfort in it, but he reminded himself that Vivienne was a different type of creature, not wrong, but just different. He would adapt to suit her needs, whatever made her comfortable. The last thing he wanted was for her to feel uneasy with him.

Christian was a bit unsure about going into this lovely vampire's home. Angels and vampires had never been on good terms with each other and he wondered, momentarily, if Vivienne's kindness and sincerity was merely a ploy to destroy him. He decided he would trust his instincts. She seemed like she had the best interest of peace and humanity in mind, and perhaps she could make an unlikely partner for the heavens. There was no use in trying to turn her away from vampiricism if she was trying to reinvent the entire race of vampires. Maybe that was the way to go.

He quietly followed her through the broad door into her home. It was very dark and his large eyes, accustomed to constant brightness, had to refocus. He wondered if his preconception about vampires and the dark had been correct or if she had simply left the lights off because she had been away. Whatever it was, he knew he had a lot to learn about vampires. He didn't mind learning from Vivienne.

He glanced around, taking in the grandeur of the mansion she lived in. "Vivienne, you seem like a very reasonable woman. You certainly don't fit into the stereotype of a vampire, I hope that doesn't offend you. Perhaps we could find a better way to deal with the vampire elders you speak of than killing them. Perhaps they could be reached too?" He figured his suggestion wouldn't sit well with her, but they were creatures of very different mindsets.

She silenced him with her eyes and though not for the first time tonight, he noticed her stunning beauty.

 

[DelilaSophia]

Bianca

He was at least interested in her enough that he wasn't leaving to go find an easier girl she gave him credit for that. He didn't understand her, he probably couldn't understand her, but he was trying. "You're honest. That's admirable, but you can get a cheap whore if all you're interested in is sex." She was testing him, she wouldn't hold it against him if he agreed and went on his merry way, but she had to test him.

The other man seemed to have slipped off elsewhere and Bianca felt no real concern. If he had plans to harm her, he'd be foolish to do so in such a crowded place. Of course he still had her curiousity, she'd just put it on hold for a bit.

She finally made eye contact with Logan again for the first time since she'd broken the glass. Her eyes were nothing short of glowing a shade of eerie blue. Her eyes were absolutely focused on him, locked on. The club could have caught on fire and her gaze would not have been interupted. She would not allow him to treat as just another woman. She was not human, she was a vampire. She wasn't sure he quite understood the exact meaning of her identity. "Perhaps you might be interested to step outside and sit there. Maybe a little history lesson will put things in perspective for you."

 

[AntonioG]

Logan was a little offended at the suggestion of getting a cheap whore, he wanted a woman who wanted to be with him, not one REQUIRED to be with him. A history lesson, hmmm, that could be interesting, he'd majored in history after all. "I'd love to sit outside, I believe you have an interesting history to share, and I'd like to hear it."

 

[DelilaSophia]

(OOC: I'm going to give the general layout of her house in this post for future reference, then do the reply in the next in a minute)

Vivienne's mansion was a beautiful Victorian style mansion. She'd owned it since 1880 and had made on the improvements she deemed necessary.

The entrance foyer was a huge marble floored space. Two huge tapestry carpets featuring Renaissance era artwork served to lay out a walkway. To the direct left was a staircase with perfectly polished banisters and deep green carpeting. Just past the staircase was the entry to the dining room. Directly in front of the main door was heavy curtain that into a hallway and to the right was another curtain that led into the library.

The dining room was outfitted with it's own offset powder room, a gorgeous carved mini bar and a matching side board, chia cabinet and table. There was a door that presumably led into the kitchen.

The hallways behind the heavy curtain provided entry to Vivienne's chambers on the right, the giagantic ballroom straight ahead and another curtain to the right which lead into the parlor/living room.

The parlor once again displayed the vampiress's love for the color green. The furniture, a sofa, love seat, two high-back chairs and a chaise longe, was imported Victorian French in origin made of mahogany and upholstered in rich green brocade. Most of the pieces were arranged around the coffee table, but the lounge was set off in a semi rounded outlet. There was also a fireplace.

There was a curtained doorway between the library and the parlor. The library was magnificent, one of her greatest prides. The sofa and chairs were similar to those in the parlor except that the sofa was upholstered in green velvet and the chairs in ivory. A coffee table offered a place to lay books. Two floor lamps and a chadelier provided excellent lighting. Her "office" sat in the round portion that mirrored the one in the parlor and had a small set of shelves of it's own where the oldest and dearest looking of the books were kept.

I'll describe her bedroom and the upstairs later if/when needed.

 

[DelilaSophia]

Vivienne

She led him through the heavy, forest green velvet curtain to the right and into a library. The entered through the west wall and Vivienne's passion for books became quite obvious as the remainder of the west wall, the entire east wall and a portion of the north wall were covered with bookshelves from floor to ceiling. She turned the lighting up a bit more in the room, up to an almost normal level. She swept across the room and flicked the switches on to the two tall floor lamps, one next to the sofa, and the other next to the chair on the north wall next to the parlor entry curtain. It was very apparent presentation of her home was important to her.

She returned to him and removed her wrap, hanging it on the nearby coat rack. In any other house she would have been chilled with her shoulders and uppere chest bare, but her house was kept at a very regulated 72 degrees. She gestured towards the sofa and neighboring arm chair. "Please, have a seat. Can I get you anything?"

Vivienne had always been an elegant hostess. Her father had been an important man and she had always been the first to wear his newest fashions so she'd naturally become the center of attention. The same fashion line was still intact today, in a few guilds of Germany and France.

She was considering his question all the while. Of course she would love to make the elders see things the way she did and have their assistance in containing vampirism. She did admit vampirism was like a disease. She didn't feel it was awful, but it acted in much the same way. It was also transmitted to many people who later regretted it and the number of suicides in vampires had far surpassed the numbers of murdered vampires in the recent decades. Some people couldn't handle living forever, drinking blood or just the enhanced senses. However, some could and some thrived beautifully like Vivienne.

However, she was certain the elders would not listen to an angel, no matter how charming, and they certainly didn't want her anywhere near their prodigies. They kept tabs on her and she kept tabs on them. That was as close as they got to one another. If she and Christian even tried to talk to them they'd likely end up seriously wounding or perhaps killing Christian were such possible and they'd tear her apart as a group. Of course she would heal and they wouldn't kill her, that she knew. They wanted her alive, she didn't know why, but if they had wanted to kill her they would have done so long before.

 

[DelilaSophia]

Bianca

Bianca stepped off the stool gracefully, her boots making inaudible thuds as they made contact with the floor. The club had a nice private balcony that few people knew about. It was open access, but not easily found. She took Logan's hand and guided him briskly through the crowd. They moved past goths, whores, pretty boys and thugs. The club had become so crowded they had to squeeze through in some areas, but they finally reached the back of the club where there was a door painted the same color as the wall. Bianca opened it and led him outside onto a simple balcony. There was a plain awning of it and a few couches against the building, they were clean, always taken in at night to keep them that way.

She released his hand and sank down on one end of the first couch, reclining slightly. "You better make yourself comfortable. This may take some time.

 

[AngelOfDarkness]

As he was led through the beautiful mansion, Christian was amazed by its splendor. He had never seen anything like it, either in heaven or on earth. He had lived his life on earth without a cent. When he was sixteen, he had left his family to find work and sent every penny he earned back to them. He had died without ever seeing them again. This thought saddened him; his parents and all of his siblings were still alive and he thought of them often, but he refused to "check in on them" as many other angels did. Christian gently shook his head to rid himself of the memory; this was, of course, not the purpose he had come here for and he felt rude for drifting off.

He noticed Vivienne glancing at him skeptically and he apologized. "I'm sorry, I was just thinking," he said, although he knew she was well aware of that. "Were you saying something?" He hadn't thought he'd heard her speak, but he wanted to check anyway. He didn't want to miss a word coming from Vivienne. She simply repeated her question, pointing at an armchair and asking if she could get him anything. "No, no, I'm fine, but thank you," he said, easing himself carefully into the chair. He hoped she would sit too, and not worry tirelessly about housekeeping, like he had seen many other women do. Vivienne was not like any other woman he'd ever met though.

 

[AntonioG]

Logan sits next to Bianca, with her permission being very glad he thought to grab a diet soda before they left. He'd only had one beer, but still he wanted his mind as clear for this lesson as possible, so he could understand as much as possible. He waits patiently for her to begin the history, and smiles gently.