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immortalonus · 3 years

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Where You Belong: Chapter 3

A/N: I hate this chapter so, so much. Unfortunately, I also couldn't find any way around it. If I got anything wrong, chances are I just missed it, so feel free to let me know.

Read on AO3 here.

“...Humans with ghost powers!? Crazy, right?” Valerie snorted, then paused.

“Or humans that turn into ghosts, or ghosts that—stay human when they die or whatever. The important thing is that there was a part of Ellie that was real. And if it hadn't been for Phantom, I'd have just left her there with Plasmius, to do whatever—to hurt—to—”

Valerie took a moment, struggling to admit out loud what she had already begun suspect for herself.

“—kill her. he was gonna murder a little girl, mama, and if Phantom hadn't convinced me she still had some human in her, if I hadn't listened to a ghost, I woulda let him.”

Phantom, if she hadn't listened to Phantom, specifically. It was a detail that still irritated her every time it came up.

The ghost boy had been so persistent, for so long in his charade of being a “good guy,” that most days, she simply tuned him out.

And truly, was that so wrong?

Up to that point, Everything Phantom had said in his own defense had been nothing more than talk. Oh, he said sorry, he said he felt bad about it, but at the end of the day, what had he done?

Ruined her fathers job and her life, then fled the scene like the criminal he was.

Stole for the hell of it and couldn't even be bothered to take the blame when he got caught.

(Valerie still had no idea why the ghost thought an “evil mind controlling clown guy,” was a reasonable excuse, at all, for anything.)

Who was always ready to fight, but never to help.

Never, not once, in all the wretched aftermath of the Grey's financial dissolutionment, had Phantom come to their aid. Not in the immediate events that came after, nor during the process of her father's dismissal, when he could well have stayed his expulsion simply by appearing, proving Damian Grey's assertions of spectral interference months before he would have been otherwise believed.

Not during the move from her childhood home to her current residence down in Elmerton. Too strapped to hire assistance, it had been down to Valerie, her father, and Fenton, who had taken his weekend off to help her move instead.

No haunting the creditors who dogged their every step, even now.

Hell, he couldn't even be bothered to tell the public that it was his fault her life was ruined! In private, yes, where he knew no one could hear. But never where it mattered, to whom it mattered, since that would require Phantom to actually give something up for once and admit what he did was wrong. Which he would never do, because Phantom, like all ghosts, was a fundamentally egotistical creature, right down to his very core.

No, Valerie had good reason to believe that she had Phantom all figured out: A showboating prig, full of hot air and false excuses, distinct from other ghosts only in his capacity to fool the masses into believing he was ever anything more.

Then Elle happened.

The ghost girl's mere existence had managed to throw Valerie's world into a whole new tailspin, leaving her reeling even as events conspired to yank more and more of her footing out from under her, teetering on the edge of her own understanding as all her convictions suffered blow after blow.

Living ghosts.

Ghostly humans.

Friends acting as enemies.

While enemies acted as friends.

“I woulda let him kill her.” She repeated, “Just like I let him kill—end—All those other ghosts I gave him, just handed 'em over for whatever freak experiments he had cooked up.”

Just like she had snuffed out who knew how many other specters during her own patrols.

How many of them were still alive in there, she wondered, underneath the ghost?

Her mother's brows seemed to furrow in response, worried, no doubt, over what exactly her daughter had done.

“I didn't mean it mama, it wasn't my fault! It was all Plasmius, you know Plasmius? That knockoff Nosferatu all the time picking fights with Phantom. He used me and he lied, and—“ Valerie licked her lips futilely seeking moisture from a mouth gone dry.

“He played human to do it.”

Valerie felt a flush of rage and shame wash over her at the words. She had been used all over again, played for a fool and manipulated just like her so-called “friends” had used her before, dangling control and importance in exchange for the very essence of her soul.

To learn that she had struck the same deal with a different kind of devil, that all her power was a tool in someone else's hands had curdled into an ache that rivaled the raw burn of a whole new betrayal.

Because unlike the A-listers she'd run with not too long ago, or even Phantom, who she'd always hated, Vlad Masters had been a man she'd seen fit to trust.

“Plasmius was Masters, and—God, they even share the same first name—My sponsor, the guy who gave me my first suit, trained me up, even kept me and daddy off the streets when things were at their worst. And me stupid enough to think it was 'cause he cared.”

A hard exclamation escaped her throat at the thought, to forceful for a scoff, too sharp for laughter.

No such thing indeed.

“Everyone's out for something. Masters—Plasmius, he was out for Phantom, and I was just the pawn that was supposed to get take him out.”

That's part of what scares me too. Why was Plasmius so dead set on Phantom? Why'd he sink so much money into taking him out? Why does Phantom hate him back?”

And it was peculiar, how much Phantom seemed to hate Plasmius. Valerie had thought for a long time that it was some kind of territory dispute, a conflict over a rare and valuable thin spot between realities. After years of chasing after Phantom, however, it became more and more clear that the ghost boy's resentment of Plasmius went beyond that of simple competition.

The mere mention of the vampiric specter was enough to turn Phantom tense and snippy, as though the mere thought of the other ghost irritated him, somehow. After witnessing the two up close, Valerie's suspicions had cemented into certainty: Phantom hated Plasmius, and he hated him personally.

“There's so much I don't know, and no one to tell me. Plasmius doesn't know that I know, and until I get out from under him, that's how it's gotta stay.”

How Valerie was supposed to get out from under Plasmius was another question entirely. Plasmius, in Vlad Master's guise, was the sole reason the Grey family had managed to keep on top of its debts for as long as they had. To make matters worse, he also provided most of the materials Valerie's suit consumed for its more elaborate systems and weaponry.

Even so, the temptation to throw it all away and smash Plasmius' smug face against her boot was a strong one, stayed only by the fear of what would happen to her father if she tried.

“Phantom went squirrelly on me too,” she said. “I thought maybe I could get something from him, since we never ended that truce. But in the end, he was still just a ghost.”

She hadn't wanted to go to Phantom, in those days between Elle's escape and her decision to plunge into the Zone, had felt too much like would be admitting something, somehow, to do so. Had it not been for the fact that Phantom was her sole and only choice, she was sure she would never have asked at all.

Once she'd made the decision to do it, he'd been easy enough to track down. She found him—where else?—but In the middle of a fight, duking it out at altitude with one of the countless animal ghosts that regularly made their way across the paltry excuse for a veil stretched across Amity Park.

The fight had been easy, the conversation that came after it, much less so.

How could someone be alive and dead at the same time? Were they alive and dead at once? all the time? Did they alternate at will? Were they born? Were they made? How many were there? A lot? How did she spot a human-ghost if she saw it? Was there a way to tell? Or did you have to guess?

Phantom had been the one to tell her that these human-ghost, ghost-human things could exist in the first place, which had lead her to expect, rather despite herself, that perhaps he could explain them, too.

So it was only natural, really, that in that moment precisely, he had chosen to clam up. He knew nothing of these miraculous hybrids, could find out nothing concerning them, and as to finding them, he had no clue at all. Nevermind that it had been he who had first told her such beings were possible in the first place, the ghost was a veritable well of ignorance, utterly unable to aid in her pursuits.

“Ghosts are narrow minded and selfish, they go round everywhere like they've got blinkers on both sides of their head. You stick an idea in front of their nose, and they grab it if they like it, and shove it away if they don't. They don't consider where you got the idea from, they don't think about why its there, they don't even goddamn care why you picked it up in the first place. All that matters is somethings blocking their little slice of the world, theirs, specifically, 'cause they wouldn't never consider any other kind.

That was Phantom's problem, he wanted a truce yeah, but his way, not mine. A truce for beating things up, not a truce for trusting and talking or or anything that might give trouble to him. That wasn't how he wanted it to work.

He was even worse with Elle. She's the only other one I could talk to—not counting you, ma—who could tell me anything about anything about what was going on!

And Elle, I couldn't track her down. When she said she had places to be, I thought she meant like Phantom when there wasn't anything fun for him to hit, not just gone! I tried tracking her, I did, but it didn't work. Either staying human hides her, or she's run too far to track.

Stupid Phantom wouldn't help me with that, neither. It was just 'oh she's fine,' this and 'why do you care' that, like I can't worry about a human girl wondering on her own without nobody to make sure she's even fed!”

Not only had he been absurdly reluctant to answer her questions, but even had the audacity to wonder if they were at all related to her continued association with Plasmius. It was an insult, beyond all doubt, as though he didn't know how little choice she had.

As though he wasn't the one who forced her into making it.

“I guess so far as he figured, if Elle wasn't being kidnapped, then she was fine. It didn't matter that she's a kid, or alone, or was stealing apples just to eat. She was strong enough to survive on her own and not melt, and that was good enough for him. He just sat there when she left, too, watching her scat like any other ghost."

Did he know how far she intended to run, or simply fail to understand why he should care?

"No matter how well he thinks he means, Phantom can't help the human parts of her. Just because she could beat any man that tried to take doesn't mean that she doesn't get—scared, or lonely, or—“ Valerie wriggled uncomfortably in her pallet of dust. “—Or that she doesn't need people. Phantom can't give that, and Plasmius is a sick piece of shit, so that left me. Just me. If I let that go, then Elle'd be alone for real.”

The worry in her mother's gaze didn't lighten, exactly, but it did shift, consternation giving way to curiosity mixed with a hearty topping of concern. It was easy to imagine the question she would have asked, if she could but speak.

“Then what is it do you think you're doing all the way out here, hm?”

Valerie sighed. This, at least, she had a clear answer for.

“I'm on a mission. There's this thing called the infini-map. Don't have all the details, but with a name like that?” She scoffed, “don't need 'em. Whatever it is, its good enough to send Plasmius into a fit just at the idea of laying claws on it.

If I could get something like that, imagine, I could find Elle in a heartbeat. No more lookin', no more running blind and hoping for luck. And when I find her, I could use it get out from under Masters thumb for good. Use it, sell it, whatever, with that thing, it would be easy. Me and daddy could be set for life.”

At the time, the idea had seemed brilliant. With her search for Elle stymied, and rental payments approaching their inevitable due, she had latched onto the idea of a Ghost Zone mission the instant her so-called benefactor had brought it up. It was a chance to bleed “Mister Masters” of a little more of his money, without actually having to tolerate his presence for any length of time. Even better, it presented an opportunity to do right by her father while staying far away from the quiet anger, the soft, dispirited sense of regret that had seemed to overtake him as jobs remained scarce, and Valerie continued to hunt.

Perhaps most selfishly, it was the opportunity for the Red Huntress to become what Valerie had had always wanted her to be: A free agent, no puppet masters, no expectations, just the world, and herself within in it.

It was one thing she truly did not regret, even now, lying in the dirt looking up at the memory of a memory ripped to tatters in her hands. Whatever else happened in this strange, wild place, it was her decision, her choice. She was finally in control.

Thinking of control, there was another reason why she wanted to speed up her search for the ghost girl.

“Elle's a good kid, but she <i>is</i> a kid, with a ghost in her she don't even know to fear. I'm not sure how long she can fight it like that without anyone to tell her what's going on. She needs someone who knows about ghosts,who can show her how to fight back, 'cause if she doesn't, I'm not sure how long she'll last until she ends up Plasmius."

“Or Phantom.”

It was an ugly theory, but explained a great deal. The identical looks, the raw antipathy towards Vlad, in particular, or how a full ghost could see himself as related, somehow, to a being that was something so much more.

All ghosts came from somewhere, and Valerie rather doubted Elle was truly Plasmius' only attempt at capturing a hybrid of his own.

“'Cause I think they're the same kinda thing. It explains why Plasmius wanted her so bad, and they change the same way, too. They go from being a ghost, ectosignitures and all, to being alive. Not some fake, but breathing, heartbeats, everything. There's something in them that's really, truly alive.

Plasmius and Elle, they're both alive," she whispered, "but only Elle's human, and I don't know how long that's gonna last.

I can't stay stupid about all this ghost shit, neither. There's so much they won't tell me, and Elle's my ticket to figuring it out. If I can find her in time, I could fix it. Bring her to the Fentons, maybe, take out the ghost before it gets too big, make cash, move out me and daddy and Elle all together. Either way, this is how I do it, right here, right now. This is my chance.”

No more being lead around like a particularly witless donkey for his carrot wielding master, no more suppressing every violent impulse that threatened to take her over any time she chanced to look “Mister Masters” in his insufferable face, no more long, interminable periods of her nose against a grindstone day after day, scraping her fingers bloody against poverty's wall in the way her father seemed convinced was better, somehow, for all the pain it so obviously caused him.

“I know it's risky, but it's worth it, it's gotta be. If I can get the infinimap, then I can fix everything, all at once. I won't owe nobody nothing, and I can start fixing things again, for everyone.”

And perhaps her mother agreed, as the shadow that had gathered against her brow seemed to ease, relaxing back into something more serene.

Valerie smiled, running her thumb over the place where her face once was, pointedly ignoring the sensation of absence in favor of the smiling visage still shining across her display.

“See, I knew you'd see it my way.” Valerie was pretty sure she'd had to have gotten her sense of adventure from somewhere, after all. “It's hard, but I'm fine. And when this is all done, it'll be more than fine, it'll be better.

Just you wait.”

Overlay image: Session end.

The memory of Theresa Grey vanished slowly, victim of her daughter's own reluctance to see her go. But vanish she did, sunshine grew pale and laughter faded, memory crushed into data and erased of meaning, and Valerie was once again alone.

She sighed, finally allowing herself to lower the photograph as she reached over for her other parcels, which she began collecting into a small bundle atop her chest.

Technically, she could reach over to put her mother with her boots and rations instead of the other way around, but found herself suddenly disinclined to do so. Without the stress of the day to keep her going, she found exhaustion pushing down at her very bones, keeping her pressed against the meager comfort of her body warmed hollow of dirt.

No, lifting herself up as little as possible seemed a very enticing proposition indeed.

She grabbed both her boots, then her gloves, peeled off to reveal the same skintight leather which coated the rest of her, the remains of her wallet, and a single, battered bag, too smooth for leather, too thick for silk: All supplies from her earlier run in with the thieving insect from before, pared down to those goods and supplies she could actually use.

She chose not to dwell on how few of them there were.

Her mother came last, placed gently at the head of the pile, where she could look it over one last time.

She should have done this sooner, she knew, perhaps even the moment she entered the Zone. Keeping the photograph on her physical person was too much of a risk, one born of foolish sentiment and thoughtless desire. She had just wanted so badly to keep one good thing with her, somewhere tangible and real, she'd disregarded the threat she put it in.

Because if there was one thing death was guaranteed to do, it was steal everything and everyone it thought was yours.

Valerie placed her hands over the small collection, reaching once again into the inorganic hum prickling ever at the edges of her mind.

Unit_1 selected (Gen_Storage:)

Report

Status: Stable (20% full)

Contents (See details)

Intake request:

Intake selected? (Y/N)

>Yes

Processing…

A flick of her mental fingers, and it was done. Boots, bag, and all turned into their own kind of mist, dissolving into the small pocket dimension that followed her always, shadows diffusing into the surrounding light, the weight of them dissipating until nothing but the memory of their pressure remained.

Valerie brushed her fingers over the space they left behind, a half smile tugged at the corners of her trembling lips.

“Goodnight, Ma,” She whispered. A grief like seaglass hung heavy on her heart, smoothed over edges cut no longer, though the heft of its sorrow lay leaden even yet.

“Sleep good now, you hear?”

No voice answered in response.

Valerie no longer expected it to.

Deep in the realm of the dead, a figure turned on its side, curled against itself on its small outcropping of stone. Legs up to its chest, arms clenched tight around its shoulders as it heaved, breath by mortal breath, seeking some moment of repose.

#Valerie Grey #Danny Phantom #Fanfiction #Where You Belong #Chapter 3 #Writing

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thenightling · 5 years

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Things you may not have known about Blade: The Vampire Hunter

1. A lot of people mistakenly believe that Wesley Snipes is the most accurate to the comic in regard to Blade The Vampire Hunter and that he was “perfect’ for the role. The simple fact is if you’re familiar with the comics you would know this is not actually true at all. Most of this list will be reaffirming this first point and that is why I write it first. Many people judge by first impressions and for non-horror comic readers their first introduction to Blade was those movies so they assume that it is the most accurate as it is the version that they are most familiar with. In a way I think discovering comic book Blade is sort of like when someone reads Frankenstein for the first time and realizes The Creature is highly intelligent and has no flat head or neck bolts...

2. Blade was not American. Blade was a Black British man. In the comics he was born in London and is now nearly a century old (his physical age is hard to determine and therefor a man of roughly any age between twenty through sixty can play him). He does not have an American accent. For some reason Hollywood still has difficulty imagining Black Brits (except perhaps Idris Elba). He is also of a mixed racial background. After Blade’s first appearance in the 90s Spider-Man animated series he was thereafter always played with an American accent and later specifically imitating Wesley Snipes voice and tone.

3. Blade didn’t always just wear black. Blade actually has very flamboyant tastes in clothes. His first appearance had him wearing a green jacket with a wooden stake holster, puffy “balloon” style pants, boots, and over-sized translucent aviator sunglasses / goggles. And it was not merely because this was the 70s. Less than ten years ago Blade appeared in a Spider-man storyline where he chose (deliberately) to wear a pink and green Spider-man costume with his now trademark leather jacket over it.

4. Blade does not always say “Mother f--ker” or “F--k.” Blade actually swears relatively minimally in his earlier comics. In some later comics they tried to imitate how Wesley Snipes speaks but in general Blade does not swear that often. He swears about as often as Doctor Strange.

5. Whistler was not a hard edged, gruff, old redneck type. The first depiction of Whistler was in the 90s Spider-man animated series and he was physically modeled after Peter Cushing’s version of Doctor Van Helsing. He walked with a cane and had an English accent. The homage to Hammer horror was so distinct that his and Blade’s lair in that cartoon was behind a horror theatre that specialized in “Terrence Fisher” movies.” Terrence Fisher had directed just about all the Hammer Dracula movies that featured Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. This version of Whistler was kind, gentle, and very paternal and doctorly (toward humans).

6. Blade’s first appearance was actually in the comic Tomb of Dracula where Dracula was actually sometimes portrayed in a sympathetic light. Tomb of Dracula was adapted into an anime movie which got dubbed into English in 1981. It is titled Dracula: Sovereign of the damned. Strangely, the company that adapted the graphic novel did not get the rights to Blade so they had to maneuver the story without him.

7. Blade had worked alongside Spider-man and currently is an Avenger. He was also a member of The Night Stalkers and The Midnight Sons. So much for “Not a team player,” eh?

8. As recently as three years ago Marvel had plans to introduce Blade’s long lost daughter, Fallon grey. The concept art was released at the 2015 Comic Con but the character was never introduced. Perhaps it was for the best.

9. Blade has shown some sympathy to certain vampires. Though it wasn’t the best eulogy, Blade did speak at the funeral of Morbius: The Living vampire (he didn’t stay dead...) And in some rare occasions he has even worked with Count Dracula.

10. Blade was actually AGAINST the Superhuman registration act during the comic book version of Civil War. Hurray for common sense! Seriously, unlike the movies that made the registration act seem reasonable, the comic book version was more like a Nazi census and children were rounded up much like the Mutant registration act of earlier X-men comics. Blade was not in the wrong.

11. The term Daywalker was first popularized by Blade however its oldest use may actually be in the third novel of Fred saberhagen’s Dracula book series. The book called An Old Friend of the Family has a spell to summon Dracula, which bore the line “Walker by day, Walker by night” and may have inspired the term “Daywalker.”

Daywalker, by the way, is a modern concept. Dracula in Stoker’s novel could walk by day and night. He was just weaker by day and could not take animal form or mist form by day. (He could do that at night though. Dracula often could take back, wolf, or mist form so long as the sun was down.) This is also true of Carmilla in her original novel in that she was merely weaker by day.

The first known story where a vampire actually burns in sunlight is the silent film Nosferatu (and that was mostly meant to be metaphor). It had not yet even become mainstream lore at the time of the release of the 1931 Dracula movie starring Bela Lugosi (Sunlight is never described as a weakness in that film). Sunlight was not used in the Universal monster movies as a weapon against vampires until the sequels.

12. Dracula in Marvel comics (where Blade first appeared) bares very little to no resemblance to the version in Blade: Trinity who answered to the name Drake. Dracula in Marvel comics is more traditional, able to change his own age based upon how much he has fed, and is able to turn into a bat, wolf, and mist and he can conjure storms like Storm or Thor. He does not look or sound like an American professional Wrestler. Also he was the self-titled king of the vampires in the comics and never claimed to be the first vampire as there are plenty of vampires older than himself. The only similarity the comic book version of Marvel’s Dracula has with the version in Blade Trinity is the implied high sense of honor which can only be found in the DVD / Blu Ray bonus and alternate scenes.

13. Hannibal King is NOT Deadpool. Ryan Reynolds is a fine actor. That being said it should be noted that Hannibal King’s personality is nothing like what you see in Blade Trinity. Hannibal King is a “vegan vampire” (a vampire that doesn’t kill) and works as a detective. He’s more of a Sam Spade type... but with fangs. Also much like Dracula (and most vampires in the actual comic books) he could turn into a bat, wolf, and mist. These are powers downplayed or out-right ignored for the films. (Personally I’m tired of vampires being reduced to just super strong and superfast. I miss the shapeshifting. It probably would have made the fight scenes more interesting...)

#Blade #Blade: the Vampire Hunter #Marvel #Marvel Comics

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jarmes · 5 years

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Blind Shield Nuzlocke Notes 9

-After feeding him an ungodly amount of curry, Snowball evolved into a Frosmoth, boing HV the Toxtricity, Freight the Coalossal, Riot the Falinks, Echo the Obstagoon, and Nosferatu the Dreadnaw on my League team

-Side note, while I was grinding Snowball up to level fifty I swapped my main team for the backups so they wouldn’t get over leveled. Loraine evolves into a Centiscortch and Lord Tophat evolved into a Weezing

-Second side note, I just realized I accidentally used the letter L twice, ruining my naming convention

-On to Wyndon, which is based of one of the largest cities in Europe (the biggest?) and is so big it has a monorail to get around

-Oh god, there’s a guy offering a trade for a duraldon in return for Snowball. I am tempted, but no

-“Prepare to see all the forms of rotom” where’s fridge and fan you liar

-Idea: make a ground type bike rotom catchable next gen

-So an Alcremie almost one shorted Snowball but he held on because he has high affection. Thank god for curry

-“How many companies does Chairman Rose own?” He’s so obviously evil

-Screw What I said about Chirchester, THIS is a fancy hotel

-Ah man, no monorail animation?

-I gotta say, Windon is a bit of a disappointment. It looks amazing, but there isn’t a lot to do, especially when compared to Lumiose or Castelia. I can’t even ride the London Eye!

-“I feel like Challenger Blinkin has a balanced team, but he doesn’t have any way to decisively win” say that to my face bitch

-Hop and Marnie are at the stadium, bet I’ll face them and Bede in the championship

Team going in to the challengers cup, all level 55:

-Freight the Coalossal, caught in Galar Mine. Holding the rocky helmet. Knows Rock Slide, Heat Crash, Bulldoze, and Tar Shot

-Riot the Falinks, caught on South Route 8. Holding the Muscle Band. Knows Brick Break, First Impression, Close Combat, and No Retreat

-Nosferatu the Dreadnaw, caught in Giant’s Cap. Holds the Assault Vest. Knows Liquidation, Rock Slide, Crunch, and Ice Fang

-Echo the Obstagoon, caught on Route 3. Holds the leftovers. Knows Night Slash, Obstruct, Take Down, and Brick Break

-High Voltage the Toxtricity. Gifted on Route 5. Holds the Chiice Scarf. Knows Overdrive, Poison Jab, Boomburst, and Toxic

-Snowball the Frosmoth. Caught on North Route 8. Holds the Shell Bell. Knows Bug Buzz, Aurora Beam, Blizzard, and Quiver Dance

-Only four trainers competed the gym challenge. How interesting considering I have three rivals

-Wait, that means I won’t fight one

-Leading with Snowball because I have a feeling Marnie or Bede will be the first opponent

-And it’s Marnie, not surprising. I assume Hop will be next

-I just got quiver dance literally a minute before this battle (rare candies) and its perfect to take out Marnies dark team

-Also no healing or switch mode I’m deciding

Marnie

-First up is Liepard, predicting a fake out and going for quiver dance

-It used Torment. Gg, Marnie

-Next up is scrafty, dynamaxing to make sure aurora beam takes it out

-Marnie sent out Toxicroak, I did the same thing. should be able to take out all of the troublesome Pokémon before dm runs out

-Out goes her signature, more people, who goes down in one hit

-Marnie sent out grimsnarl as my dm ran out, going for another bug buzz

-And she gyantamaxed and almost killed me with snooze. But I lived

-Full sweep by the new guy

Hop

-And Hop is my opponent in the final. Am I the only competent trainer is this country?

-Predicting Corviknight as his lead, so HV is mine

-I honestly want to lose someone, just because Hop deserves a win

-Oh, he started with Dubwool

-Overdrive, cotton guard, full restore overdrive, overdrive, dubwool dead

-Hop switched to Snorlax. Riot would be better, but I’ll stick with the overdrive strat

-Oh shit almost killed me with high horsepower Riot it is

-And a brick break takes it out

-I think I’m a bit over leveled

-Hop sent out Corviknight, switched to freight, tanked a scary face

-Dynamaxed, took it out with heat crash after tanking a steal wing

-Pincuring barely survived a bulldoze. I took it out afterward, but I won’t have dynamax to take on Rillaboom

-Big monkey used mass quake, it almost killed freight, and somehow took no damage from heat crash

-Switching to Echo to stall the dynamax with obstruct

-Oh dynamax bypasses protect that’s fair

-Whatever, we’re on an even playing field now. Time to use double edge I learned from Beating Marnie

-Used obstruct to get a bit of hp because I was below half, took it out with two night slashed

-Well, he didn’t kill anyone, but he got close, so he should feel proud

-Now to take on Leon

-Or we can get takeout that’s cool too

-The apocalypse is going to happen before I fight Leon, isn’t it

-Fuck off paparazzi

-“Beating Hop was just luck” HAHAHAHAHA

-“Hop was just the rival a knew he was” a bad one

-“Think you can win the finals” Yes I’m the main character

-How does this work, plot wise, if you lose?

-Oh, Leon’s missing. Of course he is

-Leon’s at badguy’s base I was right apocalypse time

-Also, I don’t recall being able to go to rose tower. This implies windon is larger than I thought

-Piers doesn’t want the finals delayed...perhaps because the leaders are fought in the finals!

-That’s How we fight Bede because he’s balloon tower defense’s leader now

-TEAM SKULL ARE MY MINIONS NOW!

-The monorail goes through the Ferris wheel that isn’t safe

-Oh look Oleana is interfering because she’s evil

-Let’s go find the douchebag wearing sunglasses at night so we can mug him

-Okay, this dumb motherfucker decided to hide his sunglasses not by taking them off, but by staring at a goddamn wall

-God I’m over leveled

-Team skull helps me out!

-It took me 20 minutes to find the man in the phone booth

-Piers took our enemies with rock music!

-This tower is hella evil

-Murder elevator tower

-So I started this tower with Snowball out front and they only use steel types so I have to keep switching to Freight

-Also Hop starts with a dubwool the shit man

-Take a chill pill Ole

-Wait, you want to stop me so Leon can’t fight me so he’ll be sad and manipulable? Seriously?

-Frosslass, Salazzle, Milotic? So beauty/feminine pokemon

-Oh shit leg onion almost killed Snowball with acrobatics

-HER FINAL POKÉMON IS A GARBADOR YES!

-And I used my dm on Snowball so I’m taking this thing out with a non dmed HV

-It has boats it’s trash island just like galar

-Nevermind, HV’s almost dead. Switching to Echo

-Tanked two blows, time for night slash

-Ha! It uses toxic spikes!

-It did it again now it’s dead!

-Oh wow hand drawn image

-Leon’s still a good boy! Also disaster in a thousand years what

-Oh, Rose isn’t an evil coal baron. He’s an evil Elon Musk. So normal Elon Musk

-Wait, we aren’t fighting him? He’s...he’s evil! We know he’s evil! His minions tried to kill us five minutes ago!

-Whatever, it’s champion time

-I’ve been here before, Hop. I fought you here

-All of the leaders are in the lockers its rematch time

-Wait, no Bede or Opal

-I have no idea who I’ll be facing. Riot is up front I guess

-Bede’s back bitches!

-Oh shit, Riot is my lead. Wait I have a dark type I’ll be fine

-How did he even get here isn’t there security

Gym Leader Bede

-He’s starting with a Mawhile, Switching up his style

-Oh right Mawhile is a fairy type I should have switched. Whatever, it’s dead now

-I actually don’t have a good counter for gardevoir. Nosferatu cause he has an assault vest I guess.

-Dont use a full restore you little bitch

-Gardevoir down, onto Rapidash. The one that doesn’t explode when it sees a rock water

-This thing is so goddamn girly I love it

-I’m pretty sure it’s psychic, but I don’t know for sure so I’m cautious on switching to Echo

-Ha! Psycho Cut doesn’t affect me!

-Oh shit dazzling gleam. NVMD it did jack shit

-Good News: rapidash is dead. Bad news: my dark type only has 21 hit points

-Switching off Set makes the same so much more difficult I should have done this from the start

-Bede switched to hatterene and gygantamaxed

-OH GOD IT SMITED MY SNOWBALL AND ALMOST KILLED IT

-Okay, back to Nosferatu

-Okay, Nosferatu’s almost dead, back to Echo

-Switching to stall out dynamax is such a bullshit strategy

-Scouted with Obstruct, it used dazzling gleam

-Switching to Freight because she’s my only Pokémon who isn’t poison type or almost dead

-Took next to no damage, now for a max flare to end this

-GG, Bede. I know this is faint praise but that was the toughest rival battle in the game

-Okay, now for the real leaders

-I know I’m not fighting Raihan or Milo cause they’re fighting each other, so I have to worry about Water/Fire/Ghost/Ice/Dark for my first match. Nosferatu is the best for that lineup so he’s leading

-Okay, it’s Nessa. Not great, but I was tempted to go with freight instead of Nosferatu so it could be worse

Nessa

-First is Golispod. Eat rock slide

-It emergency exited to baraskewda, Switching to HV

-OH GOD DRILL RUN NEW PLAN RIOT I GUESS

-You know what? Not saving the dm. Riot flutterbied barraskewda to death

-Oh no, pelliper. Flying types are bad for riot. B: Drizzle

-It tanked a Max knuckle and used tailwind I’m fucked

-Switching back to Nosferatu. Took out pelliper but took a ton of damage. I’d switch, but the next Pokémon is a pelliper and I’m not a coward

-It almost killed by with waterfall but it’s dead now

-That leaves golispod and gm Dreadnaw. I’m going back to riot

-Killed golispod with first impression because irony

-Riots almost dead, but a close combat brought it low. Switching to Echo

-A powerful offensive move that lays stealth rock that’s broken.

-Onstruct to tank, then kill it with night slash

-OH GOD IT OUTSPED ME AND KILLED ECHO WITH LIQUIDATION

-HV barely survived the stealth rock, but Echo can Rest In Peace now

-Accidentally clicked away from the tournament screen, only saw that Piers went on. Going in pretty blind

-Replacing Echo with Warrior the grapploct. I know it’s doubling up on fighting, but it’s the only box Pokémon up to snuff

-Used some tms, current moveset Waterfall, Superpower, Brick Break, Dig

-You know, this tragedy would have been averted if I allowed healing

-Okay, making me fight the Ghost leader right after my Obstagoon dies is a dick move, game

Allister

-Is this a horrible set of working conditions destroying the games industry? CAUSE ITS CRUNCH TIME

-Duskinoir? CRONCH!

-Polteageist? CRONCH!

-Chandelure? Liquidation, actually

-Cursola? DYNAMAX CRONCH!

-Gygantamax Gengar? IRONIC VORR MONSTER CRONCH!

-So yeah, I griffin McElroy’d Allister to death

-Next up is Raihan, then Leon and Rose and box doggo and the ending. But I’ll handle that tomorrow cause it’s 2:30 AM and I got school tomorrow

-I mean, it’s in the afternoon, but I also have homework due at the start of class

#pokemon nuzloke #pokemon shield #pokemon sword and shield #nuzlocke

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canadiankazz · 5 years

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The First Time - an L.A. By Night Fanfic

I received a positive response to my inquiry about people being interested in my new L.A. by Night fic, so here we go. Because I got my start on fanfiction dot net back in the day, I’m going to give my warnings thusly:

I obviously don’t lay claim to any of the characters involved. This fanfiction is part one of several, maybe as many as five parts, depending on when I run out of ideas. It is intended for a mature audience, and it is the beginning of what will end up being a pretty heavy multi-part Jasper/Annabelle story. SPOILERS for the end of campaign 1, but not for the one-shots. This is going to go off canon pretty quickly, so consider this an AU. Written before the premiere of Season 2.

Annabelle is going to try to help Jasper with his problems in finding food. He reluctantly accepts her help. They both have a better time than they thought they would.

Very, very special thanks to @cravatfiend, for their encouragement, ideas and enthusiastic reactions to reading the first drafts.You are the weird person into weird things. I dragged you into this fandom and we are both hopelessly down the rabbit hole now, friendface. ;)

First posted Jan. 11, 2019.

Now can also be found at my Ao3.

The Entire ‘Feeds From’ Master List Can be Found Here

The First Time

When Jasper excused himself early from their coterie meeting, Annabelle was the only one who followed him. Though Victor asked if anything was wrong, Jasper brushed him off. He was fine. He didn't like Victor or Nelli involving themselves in his problems. They both said they understood him, and perhaps they did, but despite their shared experiences, it was only a surface level of understanding. Other than sharing their already mutual coterie spaces, neither of them had done anything else to help him.

Annabelle caught him just before he got to the elevator, just before he disappeared.

“Jasper, are you okay?”

There was something in her tone that made him stop, or maybe it was because she had followed him and she was the only one making an effort. Normally, he did not like being followed. That was his job, not the other way around. Tonight, however, he was feeling more vulnerable than usual. He hated it, but he knew that he had to do something about it. He glanced at her over his shoulder and put on a fake smile.

“Sure, I'm fine.”

Annabelle saw through it instantly. She thought he looked awful, like what he did before his early and frantic departure from the Highland. It wasn't his physical appearance, nothing could be done about that, but it was something in the way he moved, in his tone of voice. There was something very important bothering him. She glared at him critically. “No, you're not,” she said softly.

He sighed.

“When was the last time you ate?” Annabelle asked, zeroing in on the issue.

“I can take care of myself.”

He went to leave, to continue to brush her off, but she was not having it. She closed the distance between them and put her hand on his elbow. His muscles were tense, like a bowstring that's been pulled back. He didn't pull away from her.

“Jasper, I... I know you can take care of yourself, but one of the things that has helped people survive as long as they have is others helping them when they needed it. Please, let me help you.”

His icy, inhuman eyes met her deep, dark, emotional ones. There was a beat where he weighed his options. She was stubborn, one of the most stubborn Kindred he had ever met. She was also still kind, still had the streak of humanity that he had all but lost a long time ago.

“Alright,” he relented. “Come with me. We'll talk.”

Her eyes lit up a little with this forward progress. “Okay, where are we going?”

“We'll go... back to my home,” he said reluctantly. “It's private.” He glanced back to the board room. The others could be listening in.

“Okay,” she nodded. She trusted him, but while they were in the elevator, she sent Victor and Nelli a text to tell them she was with Jasper and they were going to talk. She felt a little guilty about doing so. It made her feel like she was going on a dangerous date and texting someone about it just in case things went south and she needed the cavalry to come in and get her, or someone to tell the cops about the last person she was with if she went missing. She pushed those thoughts out of her mind. Jasper was her friend, and she had no doubt that if he really had wanted to hurt her, he would have done it already. Jasper was invisible now in the elevator, but she knew he would have seen her text.

“I can call an Uber,” she offered. She had a mental image of Jasper sitting perfectly still and invisible in the back seat while she chatted with and distracted the driver.

“No,” came Jasper's disembodied voice in her ear. She suppressed the urge to flinch. “We'll walk. It's not that far.”

She nodded and started walking. She did her best to ignore the shivers Jasper had given her down her spine.

They left campus and headed for the L.A. River. Once they were more or less alone and definitely out of ear shot, Annabelle felt it safe to be able to talk to him out loud, but softly.

“Jasper?”

“Yes?”

His voice was coming from her left. She glanced towards him, swishing her hair out of the way, but of course, she couldn’t see anything.

“You never answered my question. When was the last time you ate?”

“I haven't really... not since Tara.”

Annabelle blinked in surprise and mild alarm. “But that was weeks ago!”

“I know.”

“But, you...” She was suddenly much more afraid. His Beast, his hunger... it must be so bad, but he was only just now starting to show any sign of it. She admired the restraint, the willpower he had been quietly using all this time.

“I ate a stray dog the other night,” he admitted, “I haven't found another solution yet, but I will. Don't worry.”

“You ate a dog?! Of course I'm going to worry, Jasper,” Annabelle snapped. “You're telling me you haven't eaten in weeks! I – argh!” She made a sound of frustration and sighed. Anger wasn't the answer. “This has gone on long enough Jasper.”

“What are you going to do? Kidnap someone for me to feed on?”

“No! God, no! I... why don't you feed on me instead?”

She had said it without really thinking. She stopped walking and got the vague feeling that he had stopped too.

“No,” she heard him say.

“Well... why not?”

“Because... I don't want to hurt you.”

She hated that she couldn't see him. “You won't hurt me.”

“I could though. If I lose control, I could kill you.”

“You won't though, Jasper. You've never done that. You're too strong to do that.”

He was quiet for several moments. She wondered briefly if he had left. She tried to keep her voice steady. “Are you still here?”

“Yeah,” he said very softly. She didn't think he had moved based on where his voice came from.

A thought surfaced in her brain. This wasn't the first time she had thought this, but it was the first time she was going to ask about it out loud.

“Has anyone ever offered themselves to you before? To be fed on, I mean.”

“Let's keep walking.”

She thought she could hear him move, but she wasn't about to let him leave without her. “Jasper-!”

“Come on,” he invited her along. He wanted to walk and talk.

She fell back into step beside him, or so she assumed.

“To answer your question, yes, I have been offered,” Jasper's voice came in hushed tones by her side. “At the Succubus Club, I could have fed and no one would have protested. I've been to other vampire social gatherings and declined to feed there. But that was the others being polite and having to obey social rules. Outside of those circumstances, no. No one has offered themselves to me before. No Kindred, and definitely no mortals.” He chuckled softly. “The little game you were playing on campus before Victor and Nelli and I found you... I can't do that. It's different for me, for Nosferatu in general. We can't...” He sighed quietly, forming his thoughts into words. “We don't tend to get very many opportunities where people are happy for us to feed upon them. Have you ever seen Nelli feed?”

“Yeah. She um... she gets people who want to sit with her and she kisses them and...” Annabelle made a face. It was kind of disgusting.

Jasper chuckled again. “Yeah. I can't feed like that. No one is ever going to want to sit in my lap with champagne.”

Annabelle tried to play it light. “Oh, I don't know... there's a lot of weird people who are into weird things out there.”

“It's nice of you to say so, but none of those people have found me yet. To be honest, I don't know what I'd do if they did.”

Annabelle smiled a little. They walked in silence for a few minutes. They were close to the river now. She found her thoughts circling back around to her biggest anxieties about choice and consent. “So... you've never gotten consent before you fed?”

“No,” he said quietly, reluctantly, truthfully. “I wish I could though. As I said, that's not an option for most of my kind. Being a Nosferatu is like... hard mode vampire. We don't get the luxury of having people want to be in our company, and most of us aren't wealthy enough to pay people to be with us. People see us and scream and run, or scream and attack, unless they have been mind controlled, but in that case, are they still giving their consent?”

She chewed that over in her mind. It had dreadful implications.

They were quiet again until they were almost at Jasper's front door. Victor had paid to get the door replaced so it would be just as secure as it had been before. It was a nice gesture, but it didn't change the fact that the location of Jasper's home was still known to them, and that he wished it wasn't so.

“My offer still stands, by the way,” Annabelle said at the door. “You can feed on me if you want to, just to get you through the night, just until you... can find another option. Please, let me help you, Jasper.”

He become visible suddenly. His hand was on the work hatch-like door and he was pulling it open. He paused and looked at her, and she was relieved to be able to see his face. He seemed deep in thought, considering his options once again. As she watched, she saw him flinch and growl to himself. She knew then that this was his version of talking to his Beast. They all did it, Annabelle knew, some more vocally than others. She waited to see what he would do, what, if anything he would say in reply.

“Okay,” Jasper said at last.

Part of her was surprised, and almost hadn't expected him to say that. “What?”

“Okay. I'll do it, but... there are conditions.” He ran his tongue over his lips. “I want you to be safe.” He glanced around suddenly, up and down the river. They were alone, but he still seemed spooked. “Let's go inside.”

She nodded and followed him. He held the door open for her, and made sure it was shut tight behind them. He led her through the twisting path down to his living area, through the secret passages. He moved with utter confidence. This was his space. She wasn't hesitant, but she had to admit she was a little nervous.

“This is the first time I've had someone in here... who I've invited,” Jasper said as they emerged into his workshop room. Annabelle saw that Tara's cage was in the corner. She swallowed.

“Why is that still there?”

“The cage? It's very difficult to take that apart. I built it to be very... durable.” he smiled to himself and Annabelle could see his fangs. He was remembering something amusing, something she probably wouldn’t find amusing at all. Her nervousness grew, and doubt bloomed inside her. She found herself involuntarily taking a step back. Jasper saw her reaction and frowned. It was his own fears and doubts coming back to the surface. He hoped that saying yes to Annabelle to let her help him wasn't a mistake.

“Are you going to use the cage again?” she asked him softly.

“I hope I won't have to, but...” he shrugged. She took his unsaid meaning. It's still there if he needs it.

He moved past the cage, towards the pivoting door that lead to his living room. He beckoned Annabelle to follow. He correctly assumed that Annabelle would be glad to be out of the cage room.

Annabelle found his living room was more or less as it was when she, Victor, Nelli and Strikes the werewolf had been through. Some of the books on the table had changed, but the furniture was still sparse. Jasper turned on the lamp and gestured to a chair, offering it to her to sit. She did so. It was fairly comfortable, but in an inexpensive way. Far from any kind of plush leather seating that Victor and Nelli couldn’t seem to do without. Annabelle found her gaze drifting back to the closed metal door on the other side of the room that lead ultimately down to the labyrinth. She swallowed, and tried not to shiver thinking of that place. She forced herself to look at his painted landscapes instead. It was beautiful and sad, to think of someone who spent so much time in the dark tunnels under a modern concrete and glass city to want to admire green, rolling hills instead. Maybe that was why he liked to live near the park as well, she thought.

Jasper sat in another chair near her. He seemed suddenly awkward, unused to pleasant company in his personal space. He pulled his hood back, exposing the black veins that crossed his bald scalp and disappeared down the back of his neck. It was his equivalent of letting his hair down, she supposed, now that they were in the comfort of his sanctum. Annabelle caught herself wondering if the whole rest of his body was darkly veined like that... and surprised herself by some small curious bit of her wanting to see his torso without the black hoodie.

“So, um...” she said, trying to break the awkward tension.

“So...” Jasper said at the same time.

They laughed. Tension broke.

“So... feeding?” Annabelle asked. She wasn't so nervous as to want to back out on her offer to help Jasper.

“Right.” Jasper licked his fangs as he collected his thoughts again. Back on track. He leaned forward so that his elbows rested on his knees, his hands clasped in front of him. “Are you're still sure you want to do this?”

“I am,” she said with a nod.

Jasper nodded back. “Okay. So, here's how I want it to go. Just... going to lay out a plan here. I'm only going to take enough from you tonight to keep me going for a little while. I don't think that this should be a reoccurring thing between the two of us.”

Annabelle nodded, agreeing and following along.

“I'm not so hungry yet that I'm about to frenzy like I did before,” Jasper continued, “but I don't want it to get to that point, and I know that you don't either, so that's why I'm agreeing to do this, just this once.”

Annabelle nodded again.

He had been looking at her, but his gaze moved down and away. “I don't think that the others need to know about this.”

“Oh, no. No, I agree.”

He looked at her again, sharply. “Ever.” There was a note of warning in his voice now. “We'll never hear the end of it if they do find out.”

“No, I totally agree. I won't tell anyone. I promise.”

Jasper nodded. “And... if you want... you can count me as owing you a favour afterwards. A boon.” He made air quotes around the word 'boon.'

Annabelle's first instinct was to deny him that. “Oh no, I'm not doing this for-”

“Actually, I insist,” Jasper cut her off. “I owe you one. This is... kind of a big deal. Kindred usually don't take feeding from other Kindred lightly.”

Annabelle nodded. “Okay,” she said softly.

Jasper nodded as well, satisfied. “Take off your jacket, please.”

“Um... okay,” Annabelle stripped off her red leather jacket and lay it over the back of her chair. She was wearing a grey T-shirt underneath with an Anime character printed on it. She was still a little nervous, but now it was a little more excited than fearful. She wondered where this excitement came from.

She could see Jasper considering her body in a way she had never seen him look at her before. His eyes drifted over her neck very, very briefly and settled on her hands. He reached one hand for hers. “May I?” His voice was soft. He was nervous too. He wasn't used to getting permission, or having it given.

“Yes,” Annabelle said, steadying her courage. She offered Jasper her hand. He took it and turned it over to expose her wrist. His fingers were long, pale and cold. He looked into her eyes, one last time, one last chance to back out, but she wasn't going to.

Jasper moved. Without letting go of her wrist and hand, he slid off his chair and down onto one knee on the floor in front of her. He was so tall, his limbs so long, that this was a more comfortable height for him to do this from without her having to move from her chair. It was a submissive gesture she wasn't expecting. He exposed his fangs, his terrifying long, gleaming, dangerous canines and with a tenderness that surprised her, sunk them into her wrist.

She gasped at the sudden pain of it and resisted the instinct to pull her hand back. His grip on her hand wasn't at all strong. He was just using one hand to lightly steady her wrist against his mouth. She could pull away at any time if she wanted to end this early.

She gasped again when the pleasure hit a half a second later. Oh, she wasn't expecting that either, not at all. A kind of ecstasy began to cloud her brain. It reminded her oddly of sexual pleasure, of her first time in bed with Elleanor or Mark, but at the same time not quite the same at all. She had a sudden sensational memory, one she had heavily suppressed until now, of an entirely different set of fangs entering her throat and the smell of well-worn black leather. She could feel her Vitae moving down her arm and into Jasper. Her Beast squirmed in her chest. She could feel something delicious and eager coiling down deep inside her lower belly. If her heart could still beat, it would have been hammering away like a rail road piston going full steam. She wondered if his heart would be doing the same if it could, and decided that yes, yes it would be.

In the haze, she managed to notice a few things about Jasper. His eyes were tightly closed while he fed from her, and his free hand, the one not holding hers to his mouth, was clenched in a tense fist. It was as if he were holding an invisible leash, and whatever was at the other end of that leash was straining against it with all its might. She could feel Jasper's lips, his tongue, his fangs and the rest of his teeth on her, violent and a little disgusting but at the same time, so, so gentle.

She realised suddenly that he was holding back with every ounce of his being. He could bite down harder, she could tell he wanted to, but he was resisting. It was intimate and much more... loving than she imagined. She concluded that none of this was how she pictured it would go. She had a sudden urge to touch him, maybe to caress his head, but her other hand was clinging tightly to the arm of the chair and by the time she wrenched her fingers free, Jasper had let her go. What had seemed to last for ten or fifteen minutes was really only a few seconds.

She felt him run his tongue one last time over the wound he had made to seal it closed and he released her arm. She withdrew it slowly back to her chest, staring at him. She was breathing hard, a left over human reaction to the extreme stimulus she just went through. She felt dizzy and light headed and she was glad they had done this with her sitting down, or she feared she may have swooned like some Victorian lady in a too-tight corset. Her hand trembled, just a little.

Jasper was perfectly motionless for a moment, still on one knee, staring up at her. She could see a faint line of red on his lower lip, which he quickly licked away. He seemed to realise the pose he was in, and lowered his other knee and leaned back so he was still on the ground, but a little further away. He didn't want to be further away from her though. He had been expecting this, and was fighting it back. Both he and his Beast wanted to be closer to her, to be consuming her still. Instead, he was giving her space to recover. He watched her, and waited.

“That was..” she panted. She took another moment to collect herself. “That was good,” she exhaled. “I didn't know it would... feel like that.”

Jasper gave a tiny, humble shrug. “There's a reason why most vampire victims stop fighting once they're bitten.” He cocked his head a tiny bit to the side, still watching her, unblinking. “Did you never notice?” Annabelle would have found it creepy before, but now she found it oddly... adorable.

“Yeah, but... wow...”

Jasper made a small sound of amusement. He smirked a tiny bit. “You'll be dizzy, maybe weak for a little while. I tried not to take too much, but... you should probably feed tonight also, if you can.”

Annabelle nodded. “How do you feel?”

“I feel better.”

He certainly looked better, Annabelle thought. A lot better. She told him as such.

“You look better.”

“Thank you,” he said with feeling, “for letting me...” He gestured toward her.

“You're welcome.” She felt pleased inside, more than just the fading ecstasy, at having helped him. She remembered suddenly Tara saying she had felt that way too, but fought to push that out of her mind.

She must have frowned, because Jasper suddenly looked a little worried. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I just... that was more... it wasn't like what I thought it would be.” Her eyes felt wet and she put a thumb to them to stop any tears before they began.

Jasper moved back onto his chair. “Well,” he said softly, putting a long, pale hand on her knee. He was suddenly more willing to touch her. She wondered if the blood had anything to do with it and knew it likely did. She also noticed that she did not mind the touch, not in the slightest. “It's over now, Annabelle, and we don't have to ever do this again if you don't want to. Thank you again for tonight though.”

She put a hand on his. It was the one he had been sucking from such a short time ago. She smiled at him. “You're welcome,” she repeated. She hesitated, looking at their hands together. The cloud of pleasure had lifted now, but it left an invisible memory on her body and soul. She realised that she would probably not mind at all if they did this again. “Can I ask a weird question?”

Jasper chuckled. He hadn't pulled back from her touch yet and he was a little surprised at himself at that. He hadn't been quite like this with any of the other Kindred he had fed upon in the past. Maybe actually liking the person made all the difference. “Sure. Ask.”

“What do I taste like?” Annabelle asked shyly. Her nose wrinkled adorably. This was just this side of taboo, she knew, but she was so very curious.

Jasper smiled and she saw his fangs again. They were clean. She felt an odd little ache in her wrist. “Are you worried that you don't taste good?”

“No! No, I'm just... curious?”

“You taste good,” he assured her. He almost didn't want to admit it, but it was the truth.

“Better than a dog?”

He laughed out loud, fangs flashing. “Yes, Annabelle, better than a dog. Animals taste... nowhere near as good as other Kindred do.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” he confirmed. “Feeding from you...” he shook his head. He didn't want to elaborate too much on how fucking good her Vitae had tasted, and it had been good. He couldn’t taste any of the terror he had on the others. Terror was delicious, but this was different. He didn't want to scare Annabelle and he was relieved that he hadn't, not really. She had been nervous and excited... in more ways than one.“I could taste your emotions.”

“Oh... you could?” Annabelle squeaked.

He nodded, amused by her reaction.

She put her hand to her mouth, drawing away from him for a moment. “Ah... no, that's cool,” she assured him. “I kind of enjoyed it, so...”

He was very well aware that she did. “Yeah.” He pulled his hand back.

Another little moment of awkwardness set in. “Well... what now?”

“You should probably go home,” Jasper advised. “Feed a little if you want. Don't go using any crazy powers tonight. Please understand, I'm not kicking you out, it's just...” he ran his tongue over his fangs and Annabelle was again finding herself surprised at how oddly aroused that made her feel. She tried to shake it off. It was probably just because the intimate moment they had shared was still so recent. At least, she hoped that was why. “It's just that I think you should have some 'you' time tonight,” Jasper concluded.

Annabelle nodded. “Yeah, okay. That sounds good.” She stood up slowly and yes, she was a little light headed. Jasper rose too, and put a hand on her shoulder to steady her. He held up her red jacket for her to slide her arms into, like a gentleman, and she did.

He walked her back to his front door. She didn't even look at the cage on the way past it this time. She was only watching him. At the threshold, they paused.

“See you tomorrow night?” she asked.

“Yeah. See you tomorrow night. And remember... this is just between us, right?”

“Yeah,” she agreed.

In a stupid rom-com, she realised, this would be a moment for a kiss.

Instead, she pushed the door open. Jasper lingered back in the shadows, but she could see him give her a wave when she looked back. She waved back and made sure the door was closed securely behind her.

She realised she had a text from Victor asking if all was well with her and Jasper. She bit her lower lip in a sudden urge to laugh out loud. She confirmed that she was fine, that Jasper was fine, and they'll see him tomorrow. Then she went home.

#l.a. by night #la by night #vampire the masquerade #jasper/annabelle #annabelle/jasper #fanfic #fanfiction #does this ship have a name yet? because if not i am hereby calling it jaspabelle #times jasper fed from annabelle

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rcttle · 6 years

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@emeraldhellfire from x

THE MANAGER IN question was a stout, balding gentleman, with a gut that arrived in the room five minutes before he did. He was a man Rattle had only ever met twice and neither time had left a lasting impression; now, thanks to the mental image of Nosferatu superimposed on the somewhat mole-like man, he’s going to have a hard time keeping a straight face should he ever meet him again. Talk about making a rod for your own back, it was bad enough that he practically choked from trying to swallow and snort out a laugh at the same time. He wipes the bottom of his glass on the napkin atop the bar from where the motion has caused the sticky soda to dribble down the side.

“Well now I’m not gonna be able to picture him as anythin’ but a bad Lugosi cosplayer, cos Brad Pitt he ain’t. Closer to Danny de Vito’s Penguin in that one Batman movie.” Not exactly a vampire and perhaps more of an insult than he intended, but Rattle’s no movie buff and he’s lacking in references. “Anyway, he’s less ‘I want to suck your blood’ --” he knows it’s meant to be Romanian, but the closest he can come is the thick Russian of his mother but he does a decent enough job at sinking his teeth into the ‘W’s and over-pronouncing the harder sounds, “-- and closer to ‘I wish to drain your bank account dry’.”

It’s not much of an explanation and he leans back on his bar stool, rolling his neck and shoulders to try and work out the knots he can feel there from being hunched over equipment that were mounted too low -- a problem he always got when he played this particular club. “Apparently the guy that owns this place also owns a small record label. Tried to get me to sign exclusivity. He’s got balls, I’ll give him that.” He takes another mouthful of his soda, lips turning down at the taste of a coke that was cheap and obviously bought in for the sole purpose of mixing with something stronger. Right now he wished it was. “I don’t think he was expecting my answer, might have to find an alternative watering hole in the future because I don’t think I’ll be overly welcome here after tonight.”

#emeraldhellfire #♫ | 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙭 [ marvel/dc verse ]#♫ | 𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮 𝙧𝙪𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 [ queue ]

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momorabu · 6 years

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Code Realize Playthrough - Chapter 5: Vampire Requiem

Sorry for the delay for this chapter’s playthrough to be released~ I actually finished playing this chapter around 2 weeks ago, but it turned out to be quite long and thus took quite awhile to be written. Will be playing the next chapter soon so hopefully, another post of Code Realize will be written this month~ ^^

This chapter greatly focused on Van. I’m actually surprised this arc was in the common route as I thought it may only be available on his route when I watched this part of the story in the anime. It’s a sad and depressing arc though, I’m not good at dealing with serious arcs TWT

Life was back to normal when the group continued to stay at Saint’s mansion. During breakfast one day, Impey noticed that Sisi had really warmed up and gotten close to Cardia, and she replied that they’ve gotten close to the point that they’re sleeping together~ That made Impey jealous as he wanted to be a dog instead just to be able to be close and sleep with Cardia ^^; (You pervert Impey XD) He grumbled at Sisi to get out of the way, but he bit his hand instead XD

Lupin complained that they’re noisy and asked them to tone down. Yep, nothing much changed for the last few days ever since they’ve failed the kidnapping mission. They had not landed themselves in any danger (not yet), and luckily Twilight didn’t find out where they’re located (for now)~ Cardia remembered back to the incident where she met Twilight’s leader - Finis, who claimed to be her brother. He was also the person that Van was looking for and mentioned about before. Adding the mysterious Finis to ponder about, Cardia had more to think about regarding herself and her past. She had realised the Horologium in her heart had gotten hot when she met Finis, but now it had gone back to normal which made her wonder what is it about.

Lupin was also thinking about the failed kidnapping mission at the moment, sighing and remarking that why had he not suspect that the information he had gotten was a trap itself to led them to the train. Van seems encouraging when he said that they should not keep themselves wrapped up in the past, to which Saint pointed out that Van was being oddly calm, seeing that the person he’s looking for was the Twilight leader himself. Van admitted that Finis was indeed the person he was looking for, and murmured to himself that he would make sure Finis dies the next time they meet. Cardia wondered how he was feeling since he looks calm but also felt like a string that might break anytime... She thought back to the old man she met on the train next to Finis, who had called Van by his first name (Abraham) and talked to him in a way that they seem to know each other. Unfortunately, the others did not know about this man and Cardia just could not find the right time to mention about him to them.

The group fell silent as they found themselves feeling heavy about the failed mission from the other day, and Cardia noticed that Fran was having an extremely gloomy look and clutching his head. She asked him whether he was feeling bad about the failed mission and the others tried to encourage Fran to cheer up too, but turned out that it wasn’t the reason why Fran was being gloomy and sighing. The real problem was... he doesn’t have any more money!

(It took him quite awhile to spit this out though since he was really troubling whether to talk about it. ^^; In the end, he decided to since he felt it’s not a problem he should be tackling by himself, and after Lupin getting frustrated about him taking his time ... ^^;)

Fran had taken upon himself to help to manage the group’s finance since in the past they just put all the money in a pile and took whatever they need anytime. Van was disappointed in Fran that he could make the group broke and lectured him that he has very bad financial management skills. Lupin dissed back at Van for always going to Fran for a payout whenever he needs money.

Fran revealed a very shocking truth on what he realised on the day he started managing the finance... they didn’t have any money to manage to begin with!

(I admit I started roaring with laughter when I heard this though XD Sorry guys but this is just too funny for me XDD)

Saint remarked that he had thought that was it since he had noticed Fran was sighing almost everytime when he opened the wallet. Fran felt that Saint was taking this information too easily since it would be bad if they do not have any money, as that would mean that they would not even have food soon. Impey was shocked and commented out loud that he greatly suspect there was embezzlement going on in the group (not good to start suspecting and breaking trust here, Impey...), but Fran reminded him that Impey himself had requested a large amount of money before to maintain the Ornithopter. Lupin blamed Impey but got nagged at by Fran next for using three times the amount of money he originally requested OWO” Fran later nagged on Van too for using an even larger amount of money than Lupin or Impey on bullets, but when Cardia asked Fran whether he had not used any money at all from the funds...

He ended up being the person who used the most money. (Oh gosh, Fran... =w=“ I actually find this expression of him pretty funny XD)

Impey immediately shot back at Fran for scolding him when he was the one who used the most out of the funds. Fran apologised and said that he had made too many flash bombs and since Lupin asked him not to worry about the finances, Fran went carried away making them since he felt that he was creating something useful. Lupin immediately rebutted that he’s not taking the blame XD

Fran revealed more on where the money went from the funds, Lupin had taken a huge amount to use it to gather more information (he’s using it to bribe people I bet), Impey had asked Fran to create supplementary fuel for the Ornithopter which took a part of the funds as well. Van had also requested Fran to make something for him, though the way he asked it was like... well just like how Fran had described it. Van got scolded by Cardia that he was threatening others to get what he wants.

The group realised that they’re in a very bad situation, since they may not have enough money for food. Van was also running low on ammunition, which Fran suggested that perhaps he could use his guns to hit people rather than shooting them. Impey isn’t allowed to tinker with machines and parts anymore, giving him a huge shock as tinkering was like breathing for him =w=“ Fran was also giving up his daily research in order the save funds, which means the daily operations of the group would be winding down. That’s even worse than what they had imagined since, at this rate, the group might not be even to defend themselves if Twilight were to show up here one day since they do not have food, bullets, machines or chemicals to fight them on.

Impey tried to ask Saint to lend a helping hand to them in terms of providing funds, but Saint refused, saying that he doesn’t want to a part of their “unpredictable expenses”. Impey asked Saint not to be cold to them and suggested that he sell some of his antiques to get some money for their expenses. Saint smiled and replied that if Impey ever do that, he would be prepared to get a “suitable punishment”, which sounds pretty scary and one can sense he’s angry even though he’s smiling his usual smile OWO” Lupin quickly stopped Impey before he says anything more and gets himself thrown out of the mansion.

In the end, Saint advised them to work and earn their money, by using their talents. Van immediately proposed that Lupin shall steal from riches who obtain their money illegally, but Lupin refused, saying that would be a crime. As much as theft is a crime himself, Lupin had his principals such that he would not steal for his own personal gain. He usually earns by taking a small amount of “handling fee” after punishing the bad guys and returning the money to their original owner. Van asked him to quickly steal from rich people and collect these “handling fees”, but Lupin refused, saying that that would sound like he’s acting for himself. (That may be weird, but Cardia actually finds Lupin cool in that way +W+)

Fran said that it would be too inefficient if everyone were focusing their efforts on earning money, and wondered if there can just be one big job that pays alot in a short time. The casino used to be a great option, until Lupin revealed that the group was blacklisted since they’ve won an insane amount the last time (or say Lupin had won an insane amount the last time.) Just then, Van pointed to an ad he had spotted on the newspaper, Cardia thought he was referring to one that was looking for a teacher at an all-girls school, which Impey immediately jumped onto it, wanting to do the job. (The others immediately dissed him that he would get rejected because of unpure intentions.)

Turned out the ad Van was referring to was another one - one that stated that the Adele and Brutus Firm was planning to capture a thief who had sent in a note that he/she was going to a valuable pendant “Nosferatu’s Saber” at the year’s annual outdoor auction. Lupin clarified that he’s not the thief they were looking for, claiming that he doesn’t resort to vulgar violence which is what the thief did at other auctions. There’s a reward of 10 million pounds for those who managed to capture the thief, which gets Van excited as he confidently said that the group would just greet the thief there, grab him and get the reward money easily. Fran didn’t really like this idea as the group would be in contact with the Adele and Brutus Firm, and they were known as an organized crime ring. (Not good to associate themselves with the underhand world D:) He also felt that this mission would be too risky, which Saint agreed as well.

Impey was alright with it since they’ll earn from it, and Van would go and capture the thief himself even if the group is against it (So Van is going no matter what then... =w=“).

(Hmm... This was hard for me to choose... but I really hope there’s another way...)

Cardia (or say I) revealed that she felt uncomfortable having to make such a dangerous decision, which gets Fran’s agreement. However, Van made a point that they would have to do dangerous or illegal things if they ever want to make a large amount of money in a short time... which Fran immediately shot it down by saying “Ilegal is not good!” (Van is seriously showing a bad example here ><”)

Cardia was convinced though and felt that this may be their only option (so we’ll just have to accept this job no matter what I guess =w=“). Van suggested that they’ll head there and take a look at the situation there before making a decision on whether to take on that job, which was finally something everyone was able to agree on. He seems very interested in the pendant, but when Cardia asked him about it, he replied that he’s just saying that the pendant looks beautiful (really...? *shoots suspicious look at Van* =w=“)

And thus the group head off to the auction site, which is located in the same area as the casino. As Van had caused a scene here before, Fran was worried whether the group would get kick out from here, but Van had already gone off and had a talk with the event’s host to make he’s alright to come in. (Impey took this time to diss whether Van had gotten scared and run away though ^^;)

The group went to a large tent where the auction was taking place. Even though there were alot of elegant people here, Cardia noticed that there’s a group of fierce-looking man gathered in a corner. These were actually bounty hunters who were interested in the reward money too and had gathered to capture the thief. Cardia was quite afraid of them but Van assured her that they’re not really strong and even she can easily handle any one of them. (Really? o.O)

And among the crowd, there’s one very familiar person...

Lupin realised that Cardia had noticed him too and they wondered why he’s doing here. Fran recognised the man as the Imperial Guard Captain Leonhardt (omg I totally forgot about his name until Fran mentioned it) and asked whether Cardia knew him. Cardia mentioned that Leonhardt and his army had tried to kidnap her before, which worried Impey as he suggested that they leave here in case they’re landing her in danger by staying here. Lupin assured him that it’s dark here in the tent and Leonhardt won’t recognise them since they’re dressed differently from the last time they saw him. The bounty hunters recognised Leohardt as one of the imperial guards (not sure if they knew he was the captain though) and started messing around with him. Saint remarked that it’s Leonhardt’s fault for not dressing appropriately for the occasion. (I guessed he must stick out like a sore thumb~)

Suddenly, the person in charge that posted the ad showed up and started to explain the terms of the bounty payments. Cardia and the group began to walk over to the bounty hunters in order to hear the person in charge better, but nobody dared to mess with them as they steered clear of Van since they had heard of how powerful he was, being able to bring down the entire vampire lair with just him and another partner. (I wonder who is the other person? He must be really strong too O.O”)

The person in charge relayed the information to them, Adele and Brutus Firm had received a letter that stated that the crime will start place at 10am when Nosferatu’s Saber will be shown as it was put up for bid. Since the firm wanted to make sure that their customers do not experience any interruption in the auction, they asked for the bounty hunters to capture this thief, regardless of whichever method they use... even if the thief dies. (Yikes!)

The group talked about how this bounty was a “dead or alive” type of bounty, and it seems like the firm values their reputation very well, and thus they were even willing to give such a huge reward to capture the thief. Saint guessed that Leonhardt was here to oversee what will happen, and he might personally capture the thief himself and send him to the authorities rather than handing him over to the firm.

The person in charge continued by adding on an additional 10 million pounds to the bounty if anyone were able to catch the thief alive, which makes it a whopping 20 million. Van explained that catching the thief alive would be more to the advantage for the firm since they would torture the thief before killing him and using him as an example to show this will happen to other thieves if they ever plan on robbing the firm. (Woah... That sounds scary D:)

Obviously, Cardia doesn’t feel good about it after hearing that, stating that she didn’t want to earn money at the expense of someone’s life. Saint announced that they shall quit since he doesn’t like how the firm thinks either, remarking that if they make any money from this, they will be tainted by blood (since either the thief would die in their hands or die later on in the hands of the firm... ><”) However, the group still needs money... so Saint decided to lend a loan to them, until the day they were able to earn enough to repay him~ (Thank you Saint!) But there’s still a condition to him approving this loan, which is that they would still have to participate in this hunt and capture the thief. The only difference would be turning him over to Leonhardt instead after that anonymously so that he can bring the thief to the authorities. Van wondered why Saint was suddenly being so generous, which Saint replied that he just thought of it on a whim, though he looked over at Cardia and added that his decision might have something to do with her looking sad. (Aww~ That sounds abit like Saint was concerned about Cardia +/////+)

(Kind of random but it’s not easy to get a close up on Saint usually ^^;)

The auction started, and it was rare that Van and Impey had the same thought that auction was just an event for the rich to show off and compete with each other on how rich they are ^^; (But Van took back what he had said when he realised Impey thought the same as him, hurting Impey’s ego Orz Van really doesn’t like praising or being on the same page as Impey that much... ^^;)

Finally, after a long wait, it was the time when the main item of the auction - Nosefaratu’s Saber was put up on the auction. It was a really beautiful pendant, which even Saint was considering on bidding for it if it only costs a few million. (I’m amazed that he said it like “only” a few million O.O” Saint is rich alright...) It was stated that this pendant was a priceless antique worn by Delacroix, the leader of the vampire forces. That was a legend that the belongings of vampires had special powers so the powers may be passed down to the wearer of it. The person in charge boasted about the pendant even more and talked about its craftsmanship and etc about it.

(Saint was really interested in the pendant that Impey remarked that this is the first time he had seen Saint being greedy. This was a really unexpected side of Saint I guess?)

Just then a voice rang out, shouting at everyone not to touch the pendant. The voice belongs to a young boy which announced that he would be taking back what belongs to him as stated by his notice.

The bounty hunters were surprised by his appearance and didn’t feel that he was the master thief since he’s just some kid to them. That pissed the boy off as he asked whether no one had gotten his letter. One of the bounty hunters approached him to ask him to go away but since the boy didn’t listen, the man decided to punish him by attacking him.

Cardia was worried and sub-consciously moved forward as she wanted to help the boy, but Van held onto her shoulder to stop her, telling her that it’s dangerous. She thought that he meant the boy would be in danger, but Van was serious as he answered it was the man instead who was in danger. As Cardia’s attention was taken away from the boy for just a short moment, she didn’t realise what happened when she saw the man was high up in the air. The crowd was shocked when they saw the boy easily threw the man up in the sky to fling him away.

Van told the group that the boy was a vampire, which is a sub-race that possesses extraordinary physical capabilities that humans could not match. (Not sure whether they drink blood or not though =w=“) Impey found that the boy was just too strong, believing that just being a vampire can’t have given him such a strong advantage in beating a physically strong man. Van knew the reason though, but he can’t give them a detailed explanation now as there isn’t time for this now, as the boy once again announced his presence in the auction tent.

(I’ll just let him introduce himself here~)

The crowd ran away after hearing his name, and Saint explained that rather than being afraid of him, people were afraid of vampires as a whole. He talked about how humans had decided to get rid of vampires a few years ago, after finding out a way of doing so and thus launched into the purging of the vampire race, which was known as the Vampire War. Even when the war is over, the people were still living under the fear though... (Were they worried that the vampires would come and take revenge someday? like... now?)

Delacroix had grabbed the pendant away in the meantime, and the bounty hunters were all ganging up to capture him together. They shot at him, but he’s totally not wounded at all since he actually moved at a fast speed and was able to evade all of the bullets OAO The boy started fighting and in just one stance, all of the men but one had all fallen to the ground.

Delacroix announced that the vampires would never forgive the humans and planned to launch their anger and pain on them as revenge. Cardia could see the hatred in his eyes when he said that and felt suffocated to witness that. Delacroix escaped from the venue after that, with Van following soon after, saying that they had to stop him before he starts attacking other humans suddenly. Cardia tried to follow Van too but Lupin told her to calm down as there’s no way for the others to run and catch up to Delacroix’s speed. Lupin had noticed that Van was unlike himself to get this heated but assured Cardia that he won’t abandon him and will try to get ahead of both of them by taking another route.

(Van sounds like he knew this boy from his words...)

The group ran to a nearby forest, which just nice, was the same place where they met Van the last time. Lupin deduced that the boy was working alone, so he knew that he won’t be able to outrun a large firm with them on his heels. The best plan for him was to hide somewhere first and wait until it’s safe to leave, and in Lupin’s eyes, this forest is the most accessible area around (since he picked this spot to escape the last time too ^^;)

As expected, Delacroix ran here and was shocked to find them there. He asked them whether they had followed him and expressed that he was impressed that they were capable to keep up with him. He’s not giving back the pendant nor letting them capture him though, which Lupin said he won't since he knew that pendant belongs to Delacroix’s father, and they actually didn’t want to hand him to the firm either (since they would torture him to death ><”) Fran told Delacroix II that he wished that Delacroix would turn himself into the yard and explain about the situation, but of course Delacroix won’t and showed a stance that he’s about to attack the group since they were just in their way.

However... Cardia had an idea~! (Of course, I don’t think they can capture him so I chose a more... less violent choice?)

Cardia tried to persuade Delacroix, telling him that they’re not going to hurt him and was on his side, but Delacroix doesn’t believe in that since he doesn’t have any trust in humans and thus decline the offer.

(Saint, you are not helping the situation by threatening to capture him if Delacroix murders a human ><”)

Just then, Van showed up and called out to Delacroix, referring to him as the “son of the dragon”. Delacroix was shocked when he first saw Van but told him that he already forsook that name and had now taken the name of his father - Delacroix. Van seems to call him in his real name instead, Dracula, which made Cardia wondered they knew each other when Delacroix started attacking Van. (Van, you seems like you had alot of acquaintances ^^;)

Delacroix started shouting at Van for even daring to show himself in front of him, while Van told the boy that he would fall into the darkness if he keeps hating humans, and would end up just like Van himself. (Van... TWT) Delacroix yelled that he would kill Van, but Van cooly answered that he can’t die yet currently. The other bounty hunters turned up so Delacroix had to escape, leaving behind a word to Van that he would be waiting at the place where Van had murdered his father, even threatening to hunt him down and killing him and everyone important to him if he doesn’t turn up. (These bounty hunters... way to ruin a reunion =w=“)

The group returned to the mansion after that. With Delacroix successfully escaping without being caught, the firm placed an even greater bounty on him, which was good news for these greedy hunters =w=“ Van said that he needed some fresh air when they returned, and head outside to get away from the group. Everyone fell silent as they started thinking about the same thing, what did Van do in the past? Did he really kill Delacroix‘s father?

Just then Saint spoke up and said that group must come to a decision together. Should they confront him and urge him to change his mind? Or... make sure he doesn’t come and harm them in the future... which may mean that they might have to kill him from Saint’s tone... OWO” Impey expressed that he can’t bring himself to attacking him since he’s just like a kid to him. (Asking Impey to beat a kid up would be impossible ><”) Cardia agreed with him too and remarked that the poor boy seems to have his own reasons for doing all this, as much as they’re considered crimes. Lupin decided that the group shall start finding his lair the next day since they can’t just wait around to be killed. Impey wondered how they’re going to go there though since Van seems like the only place who would know where the place was located, and Saint wondered whether Van would let them accompany him. They have no answers for that though, so Lupin decided that they shall just head to bed instead as it was getting late.

Cardia didn’t want to sleep though and stayed in the living room. Guess who came and paid her a visit?

It’s Fran~! (I didn’t choose any options beforehand so this was a surprise that he turned up ^^) Fran revealed that he was also thinking about Van and Delacroix , and had also done some research on him, and knew that all the objects which Delacroix had targeted were originally part of his family’s fortune. So in a way, one could say that Delacroix wasn’t stealing, he was just taking back his vampire fortune that was stolen from him and mementoes of his people. Fran guessed Van would know better about the extermination of the vampires than him since he was the person who was in the operation after all.

Cardia asked Fran whether he knew Van well, but Fran only knew Van from what he had heard about him. Van was a hero in the Vampire War two years ago and it was said that his actions had brought an end to the war quickly with the army only suffering from a few losses. The war pretty much ended when the vampire king, Delacroix was killed along with his entire clan, other than a few stragglers who had escaped. The reason why the Vampire War was proposed in the first place was that the humans were told that vampires were trying to wipe out humanity, though Fran wasn’t sure now on how much of that was actually true...

(Fran is someone who really doesn’t like the war at all. I do agree with him that it really causes alot of murder that was stated to be “needed”. Welp, this topic is depressing as a whole D:)

Cardia could sense that Fran seems to take the Vampire War very close to heart, but he claimed that he’s only feeling very personal about it since he used to be a royal alchemist. Someone Cardia felt that he’s not telling the entire truth from his tone... (... I keep feeling that I’m very tempted to want to know more about Fran each time he avoids talking about himself ><”) Fran continued on that he doesn’t think that Van could be someone so cold that he could casually kill someone since so far they didn’t see him use real bullets and hurt people D: The conversation with Fran ended here as he turned and went up to bed.

(Bye bye Fran and good night~)

Cardia went outside of the mansion since she still could not sleep, and had seen Van outside through the window earlier on. She saw him standing there in the darkness, seeming in a sorrowful state and hesitated on approaching him. But then Van noticed her and asked her whether she had wanted to come and ask him about his past.

(This would be a good chance to know more about Van actually, but... I’ll leave this chance to the time when I’m planning to go on his route.)

Cardia decided not to since she knew that she could not do anything even if she knew the truth. Van told her that he’s going to look for Delacroix tomorrow, which Cardia took it that Van was willing to either kill him or get killed instead, as Delacroix had already vowed to end everything and kill him there. Van then heads back to bed and asked Cardia to sleep too.

(I really like what Cardia thought as the night ends... She wondered what burdens she actually has, since she had lost her memories and doesn’t know about them.)

The next day, everyone decided to head to the place where Delacroix was waiting for them together. (It’s actually quite far that they had to take a train there OWO”) Cardia wondered whether Van and Delacroix were going to fight each other until one of them collapsed over there. She thought more about Van and Delacroix and realised that she was actually staring at Van as she did so. Van noticed her gaze, and she explained that she was just wondering whether he’s alright since it doesn’t seem like he had gotten much sleep.

(Van was actually quite nice here since he advised Cardia to rest instead. ^////^)

They arrived at the station after a long ride, but there’s still a long journey ahead... by foot D: It’s a two-hour walk but finally, they reached the destination. (Beautiful scenery though it looks abit scary and sad.) The group started talking about the mansion’s history as well as remarking on how it looks like. All Cardia could think about was Delacroix who was waiting all by himself in his mansion that used to be stand with such dignity in the past...

They head inside, and Van decided to answer Impey’s doubts about why Delacroix was so strong - Delacroix is a pureblood vampire. The vampire race was initially very reclusive, but since they were very similar in nature to humans, they could not remain completely detached from the human society. Some of the vampires deepened their relationships with humans and thus their blood began to mix. (I guess that means they gave birth to half vampires/half humans?) There were still a group of vampires who were against of relations with humans and was considered the minority in the vampire race. These vampires possessed the incredible physical abilities that vampires originally had and was called the “pureblood vampires”. This was why Delacroix was so strong, he doesn’t have any human blood in him.

The group walked further into the mansion, and they finally reached a room where Delacroix could be seen waiting for him, the place where Van had killed his father - the Vampire King Delacroix. Van said that he would handle the situation by himself and didn’t want the group to help him since after all, this is his problem to deal with. Delacroix smiled and said that he doesn’t mind if they group up and attack him though since he would just have more dead bodies to clean up afterwards. (Scary! D:) He told Van that he had been training endlessly ever since to get stronger so as to ending Van’s life by his own hands, and will be avenging his father’s regret, his mother’s misery, and all of his people’s anger here now at this very spot.

(Off topic - Van’s sudden close up sort of surprised me for a second, but he looks so good here >///< *Stops random fangirling*)

As Delacroix attacked Van, Van just seems like he’s receiving all the attacks and doesn’t even attack back. That pissed Delacroix as it seems like Van was belittling him since Van doesn’t even take out his guns. Cardia was amazed that Van was actually blocking the attacks easily and wondered how he was able to take so many hits from Delacroix, even if they aren’t direct hits. Saint helpfully answered her question though ^^;

(Erm... I think Van is still considered a human right? He’s not some supernatural human being I thought?!)

Cardia suddenly remembered her past of being called as a monster and being hated by humans and felt that this scene of the two people fighting out their lives looks really sad to her. She wanted to step forward and help but Lupin told her to stay out of it, telling her that they should wait for now. If Van was really in need of help, the group would still sweep in and save him, since Lupin definitely isn’t going to abandon him.

(Aww, Fran seems so encouraging here~ I wonder how they can be so positive when someone else is fighting over the other side OWO”)

Suddenly, Delacroix lost his balance, causing a stop to his attacks. Van took this chance to deliver a blow to Delacroix ’s head with his elbow (sounds painful ><”), took out his guns and pointed them at Delacroix.

Delacroix isn’t scared though and even taunted at Van to shoot at him. Van told Delacroix that he’s way weaker than his father so Delacroix could not defeat Van. He asked Delacroix to surrender himself as he didn’t want to harm him in the first place. That ended up causing Delacroix to shout back at him why didn’t he shows such mercy to them two years ago at the Vampire War since if he had done so, his parents would still be alive by now.

Van ended up shooting at Delacroix, but there isn’t any blood on him. Van didn’t want to kill Delacroix at all, and thus loaded the gun with rock salt just to stop his movements if needed.

Delacroix painfully stood up and refused to give up though, bellowing that he would kill Van and also everything that’s important to him. Van shot at Delacroix again, but Delacroix forced himself to get up, talking about how he would get his revenge as he will never forgive Van ever...

Finally, Cardia could not take it and asked Van to stop, which Van listened, and just told Delacroix that he’s no match for him, and he should stop stealing treasures in case he gets caught, since.. humans can be more cruel than what Delacroix might have thought. (Just imagine what the firm would do to him scares me... D:) He also told Delacroix to give up trying to get his revenge on the entire human race, but instead take it out on him instead. He’s willing to be killed by Delacroix, but not now as there’s something that Van still wanted to do. Therefore, he proposed that Delacroix would kill him when Van had done what he must do, but on the condition that his death would put an end to Delacroix’s quest for revenge.

Delacroix didn’t understand why Van was saying all this and asked him whether he was just trying to atone for his crime. He doesn’t approve at Van’s action, saying that he’s pretending to be good after doing all these horrible things to him. Instead, Delacroix would rather to be killed by Van than to accept his sympathy and shouted at Van to kill him.

(Cardia’s thoughts seriously summed up the sad depressing feelings I’ve been feeling when reading this part...)

Cardia thought about Delacroix living in this huge mansion who had gone to ruin for two years by himself all alone. It was just like her when she was in Wales, and she knew that he must have suffered more than her since there were hatred and anger in his heart that he can’t do anything about. She stepped forward and asked the group whether they could bring Delacroix back to stay with them, which pretty much shock everybody. Impey and Fran felt that it would be too dangerous since Delacroix even declared to kill them earlier on (and he could if he tries...) Lupin, however, was calmed as he asked Cardia for her reason in suggesting so. (Damn, I keep liking Lupin more and more when he does such actions, it’s not like he’s siding her, but more of like... he’s respecting her decision and is willing to understand her thoughts, and I really like this side of him ^^)

Cardia answered that she felt that it must be very lonely for Delacroix to be staying at the mansion by himself. She didn’t think that being lonely was bad initially as she was used to it and felt that it was natural, but after knowing these guys and enjoying her life now, she looked back to her old life and realised that those years when she was alone were a very painful time in her life. (No one likes to be alone if there’s a choice to be happy and surrounded by people you like TWT) She felt that Delacroix won’t be able to see or understand alot of things if he continues to stay here, and thus she wanted him to come with them, telling Delacroix that he would definitely see the world differently with a change of scenery. (Cardia is such a kind-hearted lady~ She doesn’t have much, but she cherished the people and moments she had and was willing to share them with Delacroix ^^)

Delacroix was wary and asked Cardia why she was so desperate to help him since she doesn’t even know him before. Cardia explained that she knew a little bit about loneliness as much as her life might not be as hard as Delacroix ’s, and thus she wanted to do something to help. Delacroix shut her out though, claiming that he had to stay here as a keeper for his family’s tomb.

(You know... Even though Delacroix’s a kid, his thoughts about his family sounds mature to me... TWT)

Van asked Delacroix to keep an eye on him for the sake of the dead, just to make sure that Van doesn’t change his mind and ran off when his said mission was done. Even Van realised his own crime and knew that his death will atone for what he did, but that’s pretty much all he can offer at this point in time. In the end, Delacroix decided to come with them... (Yeah! Welcome, Delacroix to our party~! So now we have a phantom thief, an ex-vampire hunter - or so I thought, an alchemist, an inventor/mechanic, a... rich man? and a vampire boy~ ^^)

The scene changes to somewhere else, where Finis was at and he felt that he was communing with his father whenever he is here. Aleister showed up with a report on the location of what Finis was looking for. (I think he’s looking for Cardia and the gang if I’m not wrong.) Finish remarked on how inefficient the Twilight is, thinking that they may be understaffed (so please hire more, boss?). He isn’t pleased that the report just states that they’re somewhere in London (cause’ that’s really not helpful information at all =w=“), reprimanding Aleister about it.

(I would have the same reaction as Finis if someone gave me such a vague report seriously Orz)

Aleister explained about their difficulties since they’re facing a master escape artist (Lupin) after all, and also mentioned about “something” opposing them. That pissed Finis though as he thought that Aleister was just giving excuses, and asked them to work harder.

(Erm, is Aleister working part-time on this job? He’s also working as a teacher, which ironically seems like a 180-degree change from this job =w=“)

Finis called Aleister out for sparing Van’s life on the train, (and as I thought, the two knew each other, Van was Aleister’s apprentice when they were in Twilight) but Aleister merely stated that he had lost sight of Van when he was taken aback by the fireworks. Finis doesn’t sound like he's convinced =w=“ He complimented Aleister for not being completely heartless, but warned him that he won’t be giving him any more chances. Finis seems to be in a good mood and doesn’t mind Aleister’s blunder on that day since he looks forward to meeting his sister soon and becoming one with her...

(Welp, way to end off the chapter sounding like a creep, Finis =w=“)

#code realize #common route #otome game #playthrough #cr:playthrough

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zipgrowth · 7 years

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How One Master Educator Uses Visuals and Tech to Make Dracula a Must-Take Course

When Stanley Stepanic was growing up in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, he lived in a house built in 1823. “Back then,” he says, “it was always cool to say, ‘I live in a haunted house. There’s a ghost here, and she committed suicide during the Civil War.’”

“I was obsessed with ghosts and skeletons,” he says, “and Halloween was always my favorite holiday.”

When he was five or six years old, Stepanic told his mother he wanted a Halloween-themed birthday party. “I had a cake with a skeleton,” he says, “and I dressed as Dracula.”

It was destiny.

You have to envision yourself as basically an entertainer.

Decades later, Stepanic teaches a standing-room-only class at the University of Virginia entitled—cue up the spooky organ music—Dracula. The course is one of the school’s most popular, with a waitlist that once swelled to 1600; it was included in a roundup of “Top 10 Must Take Classes at UVA.”

An associate professor in UVA’s Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures, Stepanic earned the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Teacher of the Year Award in 2012. He has also been selected as a Master Educator by the education technology company Course Hero, which produced a ten-minute film that features Stepanic and his crowd-pleasing class.

With Halloween upon us, we chatted with Stepanic about what his course addresses, how it became so popular, and why Bram Stoker’s Dracula is not a required read.

EdSurge: Can you give us a little background on the history of the Dracula course?

Stanley Stepanic: When I first came to UVA in 2005 to study for my master’s and my PhD, I was a teaching assistant to the course and was mentored by Professor Jan Perkowski. He had originally taught the class under the title of Vampires of the Slavs. He later changed the name of the course to Dracula. When I came here in 2005, the course had been taught for at least two decades.

When Perkowski retired, the department wanted to keep the course because it was their biggest in terms of enrollment. Since I was the last person who had taught it and knew anything about the subject at all, they asked if I wanted to do the course myself.

So I said, “Sure, but I’m going to do it entirely different. I am going to rework the course from the ground up. It’s going to be nothing like how it originally was, other than that title. I’ll keep the title.”

Master Educator Stanley Stepanic discusses his course, Dracula; video source: Course Hero

Professor Stanley Stepanic

What do you cover in your course?

The title, Dracula, is actually just symbolic. Basically, I track the development of human experience and human history, using the vampire as the frame to make it fun. We talk about anthropology. We talk about diseases, issues of racial identity, homosexuality—things you wouldn’t expect. Students usually are amazed when they take it.

We talk about the prehistory, the Slavs, Eastern Europe, then we go all the way to the modern day. Then we see what is a vampire, in the original folklore what does it mean, and then from there we see how that thing was adapted and assimilated and appropriated by Western culture and gets into literature. And then we go from literature to theater and then films and then pop culture in general.

The big takeaway is that the vampire is an expression of the human species itself. It has over time become a mirror for what we are, or for things we strive to be and haven’t achieved.

How do you teach a class called Dracula and not require students to read Stoker?

I used to have Dracula as one of the core texts. But students didn’t like it; they hated the book. Typical complaints are that it’s too confusing at some points; there are plot holes in it; and the characters are fake, I can’t connect with them. I don’t like the book personally. So I just took it out.

It’s really interesting to me that most people actually have not read the book. But they know that name and they think it’s the most famous work in horror literature ever written.

. . . you just can’t keep teaching the same notes with coffee stains from the 1950s on them.

How do you keep your students engaged?

This is one of the big changes I implemented. If you’re not entertaining students enough, they’re not going to pay attention to you. Professors will often ask me, “Why are you so good? What do you do that’s different?” I always say the same thing: You have to envision yourself as basically an entertainer.

Even though you’re teaching them, you have to entertain them at the same time. Otherwise 1) they’re not going to pay attention, and 2) they’re not going to learn. If you entertain them while they learn, they’re going to learn a lot more. I’ve always loved public speaking, so that was easy. But I realized early on, students are more and more visually oriented. So, if I’m talking about a film, I’ll show some of the original film posters or perhaps a clip or a trailer. It gives you a visual perspective of that time period.

How do you leverage technology in your course?

I’ve automated the grading for my essay test, which I was finally able to do with the help of a friend who programmed me a special little system this past year that I call Alucarda. [Editor’s note: What is alucarda spelled backward?] That’s made grading a lot faster and easier. I can do 30 exams in 15 minutes, which used to take me three days.

There’s one other thing I should mention about why the class has become so popular. I’ve always tried to keep up-to-date with the way the technology is advancing. So now I’ll use Google maps, archive.org, YouTube, the Internet and other sources students use.

Resources to Inspire Your Course Design

Professor Stanley Stepanic’s Dracula course file, with links to notes, quizzes, and study guides

Bram Stoker’s Dracula comprehensive study guide, featuring character maps, plot summaries, helpful context, and more

Bram Stoker’s Dracula infographic, highlighting characters, themes, symbols, and biographical information about the author

“Why do we associate vampires with sex?” — Course Hero Master Class by Professor Stanley Stepanic

“How did Dracula become the world's most famous vampire?” — TEDEd Lesson by Professor Stanley Stepanic

How do you pump new blood into your course?

Every semester I’m like, “I don’t like this slide. I need a clearer picture of this. I don’t like the way the text appears.” Every once in awhile, I’ll come across something new like a video. “Ooh, I could use this for this lecture.” I download them to save for later. So there are always things that I’m changing. Every semester it’s going to be a different course. The other thing we’ve got going is, of course, the vampire’s not going anywhere. It’s going to be in the media probably until the human race is extinct. Because the vampire represents problems we have yet to solve, and until we solve those problems, it will be one of the methods we use to symbolize them in order to cope with our lack of understanding.

As a friend of mine once said, as a professor these days, you just can’t keep teaching the same notes with coffee stains from the 1950s on them. You’ve got to be updating. You’ve got to be looking at what students are doing. So who knows how lectures will be taught 20 years from now. Whatever it is, I’ll be teaching that way. Maybe we’ll have some new social media app and we’ll be plugged into computers in our brains and you can experience Dracula through your eyeballs.

Whatever is going to happen, I’m going to have to adapt to it. You have to make yourself as relevant as possible every single year.

The Good Words

Here are six of Professor Stepanic’s go-to books for research on vampires:

1. The New Annotated Dracula, by Bram Stoker and Leslie S. Klinger

2. Bram Stoker: A Biography of the Author of Dracula, by Barbara Belford

3. Vampires, Burial, and Death: Folklore and Reality, by Paul Barber

4. The Vampire Film: From Nosferatu to True Blood (Fourth Edition), by Alain Silver and James Ursini

5. Bram Stoker's Notes for Dracula, by Robert Eighteen-Bisang and Elizabeth Miller

6. Dracula (Norton Critical Edition), by Bram Stoker, edited by Nina Auerbach

Vamping for the Camera

The vampire has been a cinematic stock-in-trade since the French short "Le Manoir Du Diable" was released in 1896, a year before Stoker’s Dracula was published. Here are five vampire films and one anime series recommended by Professor Stepanic:

1. "Hellsing Ultimate" (2006–2008, 2012, 2014; created by Kohta Hirano)

2. "Blade" (1998; directed by Stephen Norrington)

3. "Bram Stoker's Dracula" (1992; directed by Francis Ford Coppola)

4. "Dead of Night" [aka, Deathdream] (1974; directed by Bob Clark)

5. "Dracula’s Daughter" (1936; directed by Lambert Hillyer)

6. "Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles" (1994; directed by Neil Jordan)

How One Master Educator Uses Visuals and Tech to Make Dracula a Must-Take Course published first on http://ift.tt/2x05DG9

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geek-patient-zero · 5 years

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Part 1, Chapter 13

Or: Encyclopedia Vampirica

Blood War: Masquerade of the Red Death Trilogy Volume 1

Paris—March 14, 1994

Paris is a city of many mysteries.

Why are Parisian stereotypes simultaneously sexy and repulsive? Did Victor Hugo ever get to fuck the cathedral? What’s Jean Reno doing these days?

Take, for example, the electric power lines leading into the foundation of Notre Dame Cathedral. No records exist showing why the cables are there or where they lead. They are live wires, supplying electricity to a location somewhere beneath the church. Since no one complains about the lines, the powers that be in the public works department leave them strictly alone. The policy, as in most big-city administrations, is, if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.

The first page and a half of Chapter 13 is about describing several weird things about the city and how Phantomas is responsible for all of them. The most interesting what-was-Stonehenge-type mystery (or would be if we didn’t already know the truth) is the network of underground tunnels under the city, not to be confused with the Catacombs.

Located hundreds of feet beneath the ground, these passages are not the result of any known city engineering project. Impossible to reach, no man has walked through them in public memory.

Beats me how mortals were able to learn about the tunnels when they can’t even get to them. Maybe they used a ground penetrating radar, but modern ones can only reach a hundred feet at best.

No one knows who built the tunnels or when, but official policy, considered ludicrous in-universe, is that they’re the remains of an underground Roman fortress. ‘Course, we already know from the first Phantomas chapter that the tunnels are for the old vampire’s personal use.

The tunnels aside, the mysteries described in this chapter are more along the lines of modern infrastructure quirks like the power lines. There’s a two hundered year-old Vert-Galant warehouse whose owners’ identities through the centuries are unknown to everyone but whose rent is paid promptly by a Swiss bank cashier’s check each month. Shipments of computer supplies and expensive art prints are delivered to the warehouse, but nothing is ever shipped out and no one knows what happens to the deliveries. The clerks who work in it are paid stupidly well not to ask.

Phantomas knew the truth lurking behind the mysteries. The power lines snaked down to his hidden lair deep beneath the Crypte Archeologique in the main square fronting Notre Dame. The tunnels, constructed in secret over the centuries through subterfuge and deception, provided him with access to hundreds of locations in Paris. The warehouse belonged to him and the purchases were made through the convenience of ordering merchandise by computer.

What he used the warehouse for during the 190 years before online shopping isn’t said.

The necessary capital came from his bank account in Switzerland. The funds had been raised over the centuries by the judicious use of blackmail among the rich and famous of Paris. No one, living or undead, in the vast metropolis could keep a secret from the prying eyes and ears of Phantomas.

In short, all of Paris’ little mysteries are funded by upper class sins to power and maintain a vampire’s PC. In front of which is where we find ol’ Phantomas.

He’d spent the past few hours on a computer terminal trying to find anything on the Red Death, only to find nothing. A scholar in life and a Nosferatu in death, Phantomas is obsessed with information. Despite reaching that age where passions are long since cooled and when, as the prologue indicated, he should’ve started craving only the blood of other Kindred, Phantomas maintained a passion for knowledge.

Phantomas lived for facts. He collected them, saved them, ordered them, and tried to weave them into a pattern. Especially facts concerning vampires.

Phantomas hasn’t been searching for “Red Death” on Ask Jeeves. He has his own personal database.

Here we learn about Phantomas’ “great project” and why the Red Death had called him “the meddling record keeper.” For the past millennium, he’d been writing an encyclopedia about the Kindred.

A thousand years ago he had conceived of his great project involving the history of the Kindred. He had been working on this masterpiece of information ever since. It was his obsession, his dream. [...] It contained every fact, every scrap of information he had been able to learn about the Cainites during the past millennium.

There was a Tumblr thread going around about the idea of vampires using their immortality to focus on their personal hobbies, like creating new plant hybrids through a century of cross-breeding. Not evil magic plants either, just regular garden stuff.

The invention of computers had greatly helped his work, eliminating the tedious work of hand-writing the information into journals. Also, the powerful database he used enabled him to cross-reference millions of vampiric acts, establishing clear links between hundreds of seemingly unrelated incidents and occurrences.”

Search engines and tabs understandably being a bigger deal back in ‘94.

The most important feature of Phantomas’ project is a “family tree” of the Kindred, starting with Caine and including enough vampires for him to consider it “the most complete family tree ever attempted of the Kindred race.”

Along with describing each Kindred’s relationship to the other Cainites, the chart also featured a detailed biographical profile of the vampire.

This recorded genealogy, backed up by “a hundred different sources,” includes thousands of Methuselahs and other one thousand plus year-old vampires that could potentially fit the Red Death’s profile, but so far it hasn’t helped.

About those sources, or at least the modern ones. Despite his age, it turns out Phantomas is one of the few vampires who can keep up with the times.

Phantomas had been using computers since their invention and was perhaps the greatest hacker in the world. He could access the files from any major data bank or information file. No security code was safe from his descramble program. The secrets of the world were at his gnarled fingertips.

You’re never too old to hack the planet.

I’d be annoyed that we have yet another character who has to be the greatest or most whatever in the world, but it’s all in service of his hobby and he doesn’t seem to be the unknown power behind a major historical event like Troile’s diablerie of his sire or the rise of the Giovanni, so I’ll let it slide.

Most of Phantomas’ data came from the mainframes used by the Camarilla and the Sabbat. Both sects maintained extensive code-word systems to protect their files from their hated enemy. Neither were aware that a third party, uninvolved in their blood war, had been stealing data from them for years.

Phantomas had to sift through mountains of awful Toreador poetry and Tzimisce how-to guides on gift wrapping using only one toddler, but he’s tough. He endured.

Phantomas also gets his info from the usual sources: the CIA, SAS, CID, Sûreté, Mossad, and KGB.

He was insatiable in his quest to make his encyclopedia as accurate as possible. That it was never seen by anyone else didn’t matter. Phantomas worked for his own satisfaction.

Yeah, but when social media gets started, we’ll see if Phantomas can resist dumping the whole thing on ShreckNet MySpace.

Speaking of ShreckNet, that’s the secret vampire dark web created, maintained, and used mainly by Clan Nosferatu. I’ve heard that writers used to like to emphasize it’s security, like in Bloodlines when Mitnick talks about wrecking several computers just to break into an unimportant server, so I thought it was weird that Weinberg resisted the urge to namedrop it as one of the databases his greatest hacker character broke into. I looked it up and it looks like ShreckNet wasn’t a part of the lore until the release of the revised Nosferatu sourcebook in 2000.

Phantomas has also got taps on phone company computers all over the world, getting more intel on the Red Death’s attacks on Camarilla strongholds.

Together with his own information on the monster’s appearance in Paris, Phantomas had fed the encapsulated data into his computer. Then he had programmed the machine to search and evaluate his files for those Kindred powerful enough to wield the powers of the Red Death. He purposefully had the machine eliminate the thirteen members of the third generation of vampires. It wouldn’t require a computer to tell when they had arisen from their ages-long torpor.

After initiating the search, he realizes he forgot to exclude Caine and the second generation, and has to start the whole thing over again in the age of dial-up.

(No, not really.)

His proto-Google showed twenty-seven possible Red Death identities. Then he does a second search, eliminating any vampire either “engaged in major blood feuds” for whatever reason or in torpor.

To Phantomas’ frustration, the procedure left two possible names, neither covered in his files of biographies—

Boy oh boy, I wonder who they could be...

Anis, Queen of Night, and Lameth, the Dark Messiah. Both were legendary figures of the fourth generation. But among the Kindred, legends often were based in fact.

“Queen of Night,” huh? That’s a kinda generic title for a woman vampire. I might’ve talked trash about Lameth’s title, but it’s a little better than Queen of Night. And given how petty immortals in stories like this tend to be, you’d think an Antediluvian woman like Arikel or Ennoia would have shut this shit from an upstart Methuselah down long ago.

I’m also gonna go out on a limb and say that, from what we’ve seen of her characterization and how we’ve yet to see the Red Death feel up his own amazing tits while talking about the power of passion, she isn’t our culprit.

We’re given summaries of the two Methuselahs. Lameth, as we already know, was a powerful sorcerer, considered the greatest one “to ever walk the earth,” believed to have been taught by “one of the primeval forces that had once walked the earth,” but no two tales can agree on which. We’re then finally told how he got his grandiose title.

According to myth, Lameth discovered a potion that artificially induced Golconda, the mental state that allowed vampires to exist in perfect harmony with their surroundings. Whoever controlled the elixir controlled the Kindred. That was why Lameth had been dubbed ‘The Dark Messiah.’

And subbed “The Great Evil Jesus”

He had vanished into the mists of history over five thousand years ago. Though rumors of his meddling in Cainite affairs continued to surface.

It’s that time again. Time to pause the story so I can talk about vampire crap.

Golconda’s the name for a sort of vampire enlightenment, supposedly discovered by the Salubri Antediluvian Saulot in India and the overall goal of Clan Salubri. Or it was, until Clan Dick Wizards slaughtered them. It’s thought to be complete freedom from the Beast, or the Beast and Human aspects of a vampire’s nature becoming perfectly balanced. What, exactly, any of that means...

Early game books gave some suggestions, like no longer going into frenzies, or not needing blood so much, or losing all Kindred weaknesses. Hell, it could even be a full-on cure, turning a vampire back into a mortal and maybe even keeping a few powers. Obviously that last one isn’t very popular among storytellers and players.

Later editions made it more vague, and ultimately, it’s another one of those things that’s up to the storyteller. Is it true enlightenment, a balance of one’s two natures, not human yet something beyond Kindred? Some kind of vampire Super Saiyan? Is it true salvation in the eyes of God? Maybe it’s an impossible ideal, something you’re unable to obtain but still something one should strive for, like perfection in your craft or Enuff Dakka. Or maybe it’s all bullshit, a fairy tale believed by the desperate and the misinformed.

How you reach Golconda’s also vague, but what’s there’s your typical enlightenment routine. First you’ve gotta find out about it, which isn’t easy thanks again to the dick wizards. Then you’ve gotta maintain your humanity and feel remorse, or in gameplay terms, keep your Humanity stat at 7 or above and never, ever frenzy. While doing that, you make up for any wrongdoings you’ve ever done as much as possible. It’s just like My Name is Earl, only the guy’s atoning for things like “Hey, I’m sorry I diablerized your sire” or “Hey, sorry I ghouled your dad and casually killed him to make a point I don’t remember.”

During all this, you’ve probably got a guru helping you out. Preferably a real (vampire) guru and not a cult leader or gigolo.

If you do all that enough you’ll reach the final step and go into a trance called a suspire, where you’ll have a spirit journey into the self, the soul, or whatever you want to call it. The whole thing’s a test you only get one shot at. If you succeed, congrats, you’ve achieved Golconda! If you fail, it means you’ll never reach Golconda, most likely because your brain broke so hard you’ve turned into a mindless animal.

Or you can skip all that and drink a magic elixir.

What I’ve learned from fiction and actual real-life religions is that there’s no shortcut to enlightenment. You can’t just do one weird trick and suddenly reach full understanding of yourself and the world. It’s supposed to be a trial. Now, Lameth and Anis believed the elixir would cure them of their compulsion to drink blood, but we don’t know what it actually did yet. We’ll have to wait to see whether the elixir was a lead-in to a moral, something beneficial but mistaken for Golconda after millennia of legends, or actually did induce Golconda and it’s more OP shit.

Alright, back to the story. We’ve heard what legends say about Lameth, and now it’s Anis’ turn.

Anis, Queen of Night, was a contemporary of Lameth’s. Myths dating back to the Second City held her responsible for the revolt in which the third generation rose up and killed their sires.

She did that too? Next you’ll be telling me she was the one who got Caine to kill his brother.

She was described as the most beautiful woman who ever walked the Earth (of course she was). And among the most deadly.

That’s the third time in a single page the phrase “walked the Earth” was used. You’re a writer and editor, Mr. Weinberg. Stretch those writing chops a little more.

The legends of the Second City described Anis as consumed with ambition. She was said to possess seductive charms nearly as intense as Lilith, the lover of Adam and one of the most powerful of demons.

To ever walk the Earth, I’m sure.

And yeah, of course Lilith would fit into the World of Darkness somewhere. Jewish mythological figure and favorite of Wiccans and occultists everywhere, Lilith was said to be the first wife of Adam, the actual second human created by God and molded equally from the same clay as her husband. Adam wanted her to be subservient to him, so she dumped his ass, left the Garden of Eden, and started banging demons out of spite. In V:TM’s backstory, God cursed her for this, dooming her to never truly know the love of another. Meaning anyone she fancied would ditch her eventually.

It was actually Lilith who invented the vampires’ superpowers. She found Caine, injured by all those people pissed at him for inventing murder, healed and fed him, and taught him the powers that would eventually become the Kindred disciplines. Then he ditched her too. In Caine’s defense, it was the curse, and anyway dating his dad’s ex-wife must’ve been too weird for him. But Lilith’s still pissed about it...

Anis, too, had disappeared more than five millennia ago. And, like Lameth, rumors of her reappearance circulated constantly among the Kindred.

Some say she’s the creature in the Patterson-Gimlin film. Hey, who says standards of beauty weren’t different back in the Second City?

Phantomas is frustrated that his only search results are mythological figures, so he changes tactics and looks for powers resembling the Red Death’s fiery death touch. He looks through disciplines, Paths of Enlightenment, and even the latest developments in chemical and biological warfare. He also searches for any mention of demons granting someone powers like it. In the end, he finds jack.

The Nosferatu shook his head in distress. Recent reports from America, obtained by phone taps on supposedly safe lines, indicated that there might be more than one Red Death. The possibility of an entire bloodline of vampires not included in his genealogy chart depressed him. He had worked for hundreds of years on his chronology. It was inconceivable that he had missed an entire branch of the Kindred family. Yet the facts seemed to point directly at that conclusion.

Poor guy. I’m no historian, but I bet this is something they go through at least once in their lives. Someone out there feels for you, buddy.

Phantomas pounded his keyboard in frustration.

Phantomas walked so PC gamers could run.

Lameth or Anis had to be the Red Death. Or one of them had founded a bloodline, all of whose members possessed the power of the Red Death. That was the only possible solution to the mystery. Still, he was not convinced it was correct.

Sherlock Holmes puffed on his pipe thoughtfully. “When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”

“Fuck you, Monsieur Cokehead,” replied Phantomas.

Nor did any of his speculations, Phantomas suddenly realized, address the equally mysterious young man who had warned him in advance of the Red Death. And who knew his name.

As if set off by this thought, his keyboard, luckily not broken by his mighty undead fists a moment ago, suddenly starts typing on its own.

Shocked, Phantomas lifted his hands off the console. The keys continued to type, as if hit by invisible fingers.

Reuban’s been watching Ghostwriter. The show’s gonna end in ‘95 so let’s hope he ain’t too big a fan.

A single phrase appeared on the computer monitor.

“Lonely Single Women in Your Area!”

Staring at it, Phantomas shivered. He had no idea what the words meant. Yet he was convinced that his stray thought about the man in the Louvre had triggered this response from his computer. Voice trembling, he read the name aloud.

“The Sheddim.”

Actually it was “djefhfkhfkffdThe Sheddim.” The narration didn’t say Phantomas or Reuban deleted the results of his keyboard pounding.

Shedim are spirits or demons from early Jewish mythology thought to represent foreign gods, but they have other theorized origins, as the children of Adam and Lilith or humans God didn’t finish making before he rested on the seventh day of creation. Here’s a link if you want to know more.

With that ominous name, this chapter ends and so does Part 1 of Blood War. Part 2 marks a change in viewpoint characters, so we’re gonna take an extended hiatus from Dire McCann, Flavia, Madeleine Giovanni, Phantomas, Makish, and company. We’ll see them again in Part 3, which suits me fine. I need a break from McCann’s “Ohoho, if you only knew what I knew” thing.

#vampire the masquerade #vampire: the masquerade #vtm #vtmb #world of darkness #blood war

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canadiankazz · 5 years

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The Fifteenth Time AKA: Rest in Peace - An L.A. by Night Fanfic

Jasper takes Annabelle to his grave and they discover something distressing there.

This fic is part of an AU series where Jasper has been feeding from Annabelle and they now have a Blood Bond and a slow burn romantic relationship. It’s obviously worth reading the rest of the "Feeds From" series before this part.

The Entire ‘Feeds From’ Master List Can be Found Here

SPOILERS for the end of Campaign 1, the one-shots, and up to and including Episode 7 of Season 2. This was written before the author saw Episode 8 of Season 2.

Episode 7 of Season 2 "Red Flags," had a lot of talk about graves, what with over half the episode taking place in a cemetery. That got me thinking about Jasper's grave and how it might be interesting to see that. I was also thinking about Chloe's investigative arc in season 2 and what she might do if he were upset and obsessive enough.

As always, I lay no claim to owning any of the characters involved, and my eternal thanks to everyone who has read and enjoyed my fic. Thanks to @cravatfiend and @gokaiyellow for editing, inspiration, and encouraging me to write "fee fees."

Also posted to the author’s Ao3.

First posted March 29, 2019.

The Fifteenth Time Jasper Fed From Annabelle (AKA: Rest in Peace)

“I have something I want to show you.”

Annabelle had noticed that Jasper had been very quiet this evening, more so than perhaps usual. “Sure,” she said. “What is it?”

He licked his fangs in nervous habit. “It's um... my grave.”

Annabelle's eyebrows rose. It was certainly not something she had expected him to say. She knew that his death had been faked. Well, 'faked' was the wrong word. Jasper was dead, there was no denying that, but he was still walking and talking and very much not in his grave. Neither she, nor the others in their coterie were listed in any kind of official records as having died, save for Jasper.

“Oh, um, sure, if you'd like. Um... why?” Annabelle inquired.

Jasper shrugged. He seemed very downcast. He had a lot on his mind and most of it wasn't good. “I don't know,” he said quietly. “I've been doing a lot of thinking. I just... well, you've been wanting to know more about me, and there is a lot that I still don't want to tell you, but I think this is something I can share with you... if you'd like.”

Annabelle nodded. “Sure, Jasper. Is it... are we coming up to an anniversary?”

He knew what type of anniversary she meant. He shook his head. “No. I died in November.”

November was still many months away from when they were at now, but Annabelle realised that she had known him while the anniversary of his death had come and gone and he hadn't said anything about it. Well, why would he have? Especially because he hadn't known her that well back then.

“Should I bring anything? Do you want me to leave flowers?” Annabelle asked with a tiny hint of humour.

Jasper shook his head again. “No, it's fine.”

“Right, well, I can always just give you flowers. You like roses, right?” she smiled at him and, despite himself, he smiled back, just a tiny bit.

“I know you like pink ones,” he said, remembering Eva's gift to her. “If you ever get a grave, I'll leave some for you.”

“Aww. That's sweet. Morbid, but sweet.”

“Annabelle, I'm taking you to see my grave,” he reminded her. “'Morbid' is a little moot at this point.”

Jasper led Annabelle to a small cemetery in eastern L.A. The gate was locked, but Jasper had no intention of going in that way anyway. He took Annabelle around the side, over by some tall trees that provided some shade for the graves and the people who visited them. The trees also provided some cover for stealth. The fence was twelve feet tall and topped with spikes to deter people breaking in at night. It would not deter Jasper though.

Annabelle eyed the spikes with a little nervousness. “Are we going to climb over?”

“No,” Jasper said, judging the height and distance and making mental calculations. “I'm going to jump.”

“I can't jump that high.”

“Yeah, I know. I'm going to jump. I'll carry you.”

Jasper crouched down, presenting his back to Annabelle. She smiled and climbed on. He held her, piggy-back style, his arms and hands supporting her legs as she clung to his neck and shoulders.

“Don't drop me, please,” she said, trying not to sound nervous. She could take a basic fall, but she didn't like the look of those spikes at the top of the fence. Annabelle figured she could survive the impalement, but it would be very painful.

Jasper smiled over his shoulder at her. “I’d never drop you. Never.”

Annabelle felt his muscles tense in preparation for the soaring leap. She squeezed her eyes shut tight. Jasper leapt, clearing the height easily and landing quietly on the well-manicured lawn on the other side. Annabelle giggled softly despite herself.

“That was kind of fun,” she whispered.

Jasper knelt to let her down. “Well, we'll have to do it again to get out. Now... we'll have to be quiet. There might be a security guard, but I doubt it.”

Annabelle nodded. “Okay.”

Jasper lead the way again. He had only been here once before, not long after his embrace, but he remembered the way. One of the other Nosferatu had taken him here when they told him that he had been interred – or at least, that an empty coffin had been buried and a headstone with his name on it was in place. His grave was towards the back and off to the side, away from heavy traffic. Annabelle tried not to think of it as a 'forgotten' corner of the cemetery, but it sure seemed that way. They approached it from behind, unable to read any of the names on the stones unless they looked back behind them. For the sake of making sure Annabelle didn't lose him in the dark, Jasper did not activate Obfuscate, but he did move silently. Annabelle tiptoed, almost as quiet as he was.

Jasper's headstone was a small, simple curve of dark granite. They came around a corner and there it was. There was no flowery epithet, no Bible quotes, not even a “Beloved Son,” just his name and two years sandblasted into the smooth, dark grey stone.

Jasper Heartwood 1989 – 2013

Annabelle didn't know what her reaction was going to be upon seeing it. She was struck by a wave of sadness. It was a simple, inexpensive grave. Not that having a big, fancy tomb would have meant he was any less loved in life, but there was something about it that was still monumentally heart breaking. Annabelle used the light from her phone to read the inscription clearly. She reached out to touch the stone, but hesitated. She glanced back at Jasper, as if for permission.

Jasper was standing back, not as close to the grave as Annabelle was. His face was a blank, unreadable mask. He did not like being here. He did not need any reminders of his current circumstance or what he had lost, but it was still, in an odd way, a part of him. He was sharing his existence with Annabelle at the moment. He wanted her to see this, and he wanted to be here when she did, and so here he was.

“May I?” she asked.

He shrugged, genuinely not caring if she touched it or not, but there was something still nice about her asking permission. “Sure.”

Annabelle traced the letters of his name with her fingers. She could feel tears prickle her eyes and wiped them on her sleeve. “I'm surprised it doesn't say more. Why doesn't it say 'rest in peace'?”

“I don't know. I didn't pick it,” Jasper said, “and whoever did obviously didn't have much to say about me. To be fair though, I'm not resting in peace.”

Annabelle sniffled and chuckled. “That's true.” She was quiet for another moment, thinking. “I never knew you back when... we were alive, but... I'd like to think we would have been friends if we did.”

“Maybe,” he said softly. He sounded like he doubted it. He and Annabelle had run in very different social circles at college.

Annabelle frowned, spotting something odd on the surface of the granite. She increased the brightness of her phone light slightly and brought it a little closer to the stone. There was a reddish mark that was only just visible. It wasn’t blood. The shade of red was too bright.

“What is it?” Jasper asked.

“It looks almost like... there was paint or something on it, but it was washed off? You can still see it faintly. Look,” Annabelle pointed and Jasper stepped forward, squinting critically at the bright light. “Could have been... letters?”

Jasper snarled softly in irritation. Had someone actually defaced his grave? It made him more angry than he thought it would.

Annabelle traced the very faint red marks on the stone where the paint had been washed off. It did seem to have been letters; four letters, in fact, and underlined:

F A K E

“'Fake'?” Annabelle read out loud. She looked at Jasper, confused. “Why would anyone spray paint 'fake' on your grave?” Her eyes went wide with dreadful realisation. “Do you think someone knows that you're not, you know... buried here?”

Jasper bared his teeth and swore. “Shit...”

“You told me that you had written a note...” Annabelle said slowly in dawning horror, “to someone who thought you were dead. Was it your girlfriend?”

“Yes,” he hissed.

“Would she do something like this?” Annabelle gestured back to the grave.

His first instinct was so say no, but then he remembered what Chloe could be like when she was obsessed with something. She got very irritable and irrational until whatever problem she was working on was solved. That said, she wouldn't go so far as to deface a grave... would she? “I wouldn’t think so.”

“When was the last time you saw her?”

“Before Thanksgiving. When I gave her... that note.”

“Who else...?” Annabelle wondered out loud. “Who else might know?”

“I don't know,” Jasper growled, angry. His mind raced. Maybe it was Chloe's friends? No... they weren't the types to do this either. His family? No. He hadn’t seen or heard from any of them since he had left for college. There were reasons why Chloe was the only mortal he had cared about for a long time after he became Kindred. He glanced around at the other graves. None of them appeared to have been marked like his had been. This had been a deliberate, targeted action.

Annabelle looked back at Jasper’s grave, sad and confused. “Well, someone seems to know, or thinks they know,” she sighed. “Maybe we can ask around? It might have made the news. Are any of the others painted on too?”

“No. Just mine,” Jasper said. He was worried now about Chloe. He had hoped that she would be even safer now that he wasn't involved in watching the college any more, but it looked like she was still getting herself into trouble chasing some clue about his death or disappearance. “Let's go. I need to make a phone call.”

Their walk back towards the fence was a lot faster than their one towards the grave had been. Once again, Jasper knelt and let Annabelle climb onto his back. He leapt over the fence and let her down safely on the other side. Jasper used the darkness of the trees to cover him while he dug out his phone and called Ramona. Annabelle stood nearby, fretting.

“Hey Jaaaaasper,” Ramona said in a teasing tone when she answered. “What's up? You want a threesome? Because I am not down.”

Jasper growled, really not in the mood for this. “Ramona, I need to ask you something. It's important and it's NOT about that.”

“Fine, but before you do, you owe Meg an apology.”

“I- what?” Jasper blinked, his train of thought derailed.

“Meg. The rat you yeeted across the park.” Jasper heard Ramona laugh to herself. “'Yeet,' I like that word. It's what the kids are saying these days instead of 'throw.' But seriously, you need to say sorry to her. She hurt her leg.”

Jasper clenched his jaw so hard his molars hurt. “Ramona -”

“I will answer any questions you want if you say sorry,” Ramona said. “Here, I'll hold her up to the phone so she can hear you... or do you want me to call Victor and tell him about everything Meg heard and saw in your gross little sex dungeon?”

Jasper closed his eyes, forcing himself to count to ten and willing his Beast to stop raging. Annabelle was watching him, her face lined with concern. She was wringing her hands.

Jasper ran his tongue slowly over his fangs, wishing now he had killed that rat back when he had caught it in his sanctum in the first place. “Fine, Ramona... put Meg on,” he said in a slow, falsely sweet voice.

Annabelle frowned, very confused. “Meg?” she whispered.

Jasper held up a finger to beg her patience. He could hear muffled scraping on the other end of the phone line and a chittering, like rodent teeth near the phone speaker. “I'm sorry,” he said through gritted teeth.

There was more scraping and rat squeaking on the other end, then Ramona's voice came back. “There, was that so hard? Now, what's up, Jasper?”

“Remember that person I asked you to keep an eye on when you took over watching Griffith College for us?”

“Yeah... why?”

“Do you know where she is right now?”

Ramona hesitated. “Uh...”

Jasper didn't like the sound of that. Once again, he had to force his Beast to keep calm.

“Actually, I haven't seen her for a few weeks,” Ramona confessed.

Jasper felt like his stomach had dropped out. If he were not already grey, he would have lost all colour in his skin.

“But the rat pack have!” Ramona said quickly. “The last time the rat pack saw her, she had gone to a police station and then went home again,” Ramona continued. “That was a few nights ago. I can make them look again?”

“Yes, please do,” Jasper snarled.

“Okay, on it. I'll text you when they find something.”

“Thanks,” he hissed. “And one more thing...”

“Yeah?”

“You wouldn’t be able to look into reports of anyone defacing graves at East Los Angeles Cemetery, would you?”

“Uh, sure,” Ramona said hesitantly. “I'll see if I can dig anything up.”

“Much appreciated.”

“Anything else?” Ramona asked, hoping that there was nothing.

“That's all for now,” Jasper said tightly.

“Okay. I'll text you later.”

“Good bye.” Jasper hung up and resisted the urge to crush the phone in his hand.

“Is everything okay? Who's Meg?” Annabelle asked.

“The rat I... threw,” Jasper was not going to say the slang for it. “The one that was spying on us. Ramona made me apologise to it.”

“Well, to be fair...”Annabelle started.

Jasper glared at her.

“Sorry, sorry,” Annabelle said, backtracking. “What did Ramona say?”

“Apparently,” Jasper sighed, “the rats saw her, my girlfriend, go to a police station recently. Ramona is going to text me when she knows more.”

“So... it could have been her who spray painted your grave.”

“Yeah, it could have been, especially if she were caught doing it.”

Annabelle reached out to hold his hand. He didn't pull away from her. She could feel his tension. No need for a Blood Bond to tell her what he was going through emotionally. She gave him a gentle squeeze, trying to be reassuring.

“Come on,” she said gently. “Let's go home.”

Jasper nodded. No use just standing here next to the cemetery all night. He let Annabelle lead him back to the street and they began their trip back towards his sanctum.

“Thank you... for showing me that. I'm sorry it upset you though,” Annabelle said softly.

“So long as she is fine, I'll be fine,” Jasper said.

Annabelle nodded.

They were quiet all the way back to the L.A. River and Jasper's front door. Ramona texted him just as they were opening it.

“She's alive. Got eyes on her. Will look into the grave thing tomorrow.”

Jasper sighed in relief as he read it.

“Is she okay?” Annabelle asked.

Jasper nodded, his worry starting to drain away. “Well, she's alive at least.”

“I have a bad feeling about this,” Annabelle said. “I don't know if it was her who defaced your grave, but... if she thought that your death was fake because of that note and she was really upset about it, she might-”

“Look, I already know it was a stupid thing to write her that note!” he snapped, slamming the door shut behind them.

Annabelle looked startled at his outburst, then her face softened. “I'm sorry, Jasper,” she said quietly. “I can't judge you for writing that note. I would have done the same, you know that. I know you miss her. You've had it the hardest of all of us. It's not fair.”

He sighed again, calming down. “No... it's not fair at all.”

Annabelle touched his arm in sympathy and they headed into the sanctum itself.

“Do you want to talk about it?” she asked him when they got there.

“Not really, no,” Jasper replied.

“Okay. At least she's okay, right? Ramona will keep an eye on her.”

Jasper grunted softly, agreeing.

Annabelle was thinking, a plan forming in her head. “I want to do something nice for you, because this hasn't been the best night mood-wise.”

He side-eyed her as they came into his haven. “What are you planing?”

“Would you like a massage?” Annabelle offered.

Jasper's brow furrowed. It wasn’t quite what he was expecting her to say. “Sure, I guess?”

“You haven't had one in five years, I'm guessing.”

“That is correct.”

“Okay. Um... hoodie off, and get on the bed face-down.”

He smirked a tiny bit. Usually, he was the one asking Annabelle to take her clothes off. It also wasn’t that long ago when he would have protested getting any kind of nude around her, or around anyone, really. A lot had happened between now and then. Also, this was a direct order from his regnant, and his blood pulled at him to obey through their Bond.

Jasper stripped to the waist and stretched out on his stomach on the bed, his face pressed against a pillow and his arms folded under the pillow.

“I wish we had some body butter,” he heard Annabelle say as she took off her jacket and rolled up her sleeves. “But I guess we'll just go without this time. If you like it though, we can do this again. I used to rub Mark and Elle's backs all the time.”

Jasper closed his eyes with another soft grunt. He was non-committal at this point, but open to the possibility of future massages if this one went well. Annabelle turned on some of their battery-operated candles and put some gentle acoustic music playing on her phone to set the calm, semi-romantic mood she wanted.

Annabelle climbed onto the bed and contemplated Jasper's bare back. The black veins were like inter-lacing spider webs branching out from along his spine, which was fairly pronounced on his slim frame. She flexed her fingers and gently straddled his lean hips to get at the best angle. She decided to start with his upper back and shoulders and work her way down. She got to work, stroking and pressing and kneading his undead muscles. Jasper's skin was dry and a little coarse. Again, Annabelle wished for some kind of moisturiser, but didn't mention it. She was sure it probably wouldn’t work long on Nosferatu skin anyway. She grimaced a little but kept going. “How's that?”

Jasper had to be honest, it felt a lot better than he thought it would. “Good,” he growled softly.

“Good,” Annabelle smiled, pleased that her minor discomfort was worth it. She kept going, working her way down his spine. He snarled very quietly to himself. Annabelle pressed hard and Jasper seemed to like it. He winced, but it was in the pain of a good massage.

“I'm not... so optimistic to believe that you and I will be together forever,” Annabelle said softly as she worked on his lower back, using her thumbs to rub in slow circles. “I've learned that lesson the hard way, and… even though we could live forever, kind of, these are dangerous times. But... while we are together, Jasper, I want to try to give you as many nice memories as I can. I know that you've got lots of years of horrible ones, so... let's try to even that up a little bit.”

“You already have given me lots of good memories.” Jasper shifted and glanced back at her over his shoulder. He was struck by a sudden memory from when he was alive of Chloe rubbing his back just like this after a stressful exam. He told Annabelle what he had told Chloe then. “You're too good for me.”

“Aww. That's sweet but I don’t think it’s true that I’m too good for you.” Annabelle leaned forward and planted three soft little kisses along Jasper’s spine. “And do not start on your 'I've done bad things,' speech, not without at least telling me some of those bad things.”

Jasper shrugged. He wasn't going to tell Annabelle anything he didn't have to. He relaxed back to enjoy the end of the massage.

“Are you hungry?” she asked him after a few more minutes

“A little, but...”

“But... you're not really in the mood?” Annabelle guessed. She thought that was a shame. She had been looking forward to the potential of more sexy times, but clearly Jasper was not up for it tonight.

“Not really, no,” he confirmed.

“That's okay. We don't have to go all out with the Blush of Life and... the sex and all that every time. How about just a sip?”

Jasper's Beast snarled and whispered in his chest. It had been denied several times already this night. He relented. It was too hard sometimes to say no to both Annabelle and his Beast at the same time. “Just a sip,” he sighed.

“Okay,” Annabelle got up off of him and flexed her fingers again. “You want your hoodie?”

“Yes, please.”

Annabelle scooped it off the floor and passed it to Jasper. He sat up and pulled it on, but left the hood down and his head exposed.

“How does your back feel?” she asked.

Jasper gave her a little smile. “Good, thank you.” He flexed and twisted, making his spine, shoulders and neck crackle and pop. Annabelle winced.

“Doesn't that hurt when you do that?”

Jasper shook his head. “Nope.”

She eyed his bare head. “Um... do you like scalp massages?”

“I used to love them, but-”

“You haven't had one in five years,” Annabelle concluded. She adjusted the pillows and sat on the bed with her back against the wall. “Put your head in my lap.”

It was another direct order that he didn't deny. He lay back on the bed, face-up this time, with his head resting on Annabelle's thighs. He bent his knees up and crossed his hands over his stomach, getting comfortable. This was another thing Chloe used to do for him, back when he was alive and had short hair to fuzz. He remembered how it used to help him relax fall asleep when he was stressed.

Annabelle ran her fingernails gently over his hairless scalp. They made a faint scraping sound over his dead skin. She ignored it and massaged gently with her right hand, her other hand coming to rest over his chest. He watched their flickering shadows on the wall in the artificial candlelight. She watched his face, looking for signs of him relaxing and finding them. He was certainly no longer tense, but there was a lingering sadness and anxiety that was seeping through. She could see it in his cold, white-blue eyes. She knew that if they were in front of the rest of the coterie, he might have hidden that emotion, but in front of her in the privacy of his haven - their haven – he let it show.

Jasper's chest was perfectly still and lacking any signs of life, save for the very occasional deliberate sigh as he relaxed a little more. Eventually his eyes drifted closed. Apparently, he thought, some things just don’t change.

Annabelle thought for a moment that she may have put him to sleep, but when she swapped hands so that her left hand was rubbing his scalp instead, he shifted and stirred.

“Sleepy?” she asked.

“Not really,” he lied, his eyes still closed.

“There's still hours until dawn. Want to watch something? Or read?”

“We'll find something,” he mumbled.

“Sure. But first... your sip.”

Jasper cracked an eye open and looked up at her. She gave him a sly smile and showed him her free wrist. It had the bracelet he had made and given her around it.

“Yes?” Annabelle asked.

“Yes,” Jasper confirmed. He brought his hands up to hold her hand and arm in front of his face, making sure to keep her bracelet out of the way. She let him guide her wrist to his mouth. Annabelle prepared herself for the pain to come. Jasper opened his mouth and made a small, careful bite. Annabelle winced at the pain and and willed her Vitae forward. She didn't normally get to watch him feed, but she did this time. Scarlet blood dripped down and he caught it neatly with his tongue. He let her bleed freely for a few moments, then closed his lips around the wound and suckled gently. His Adam’s apple moved as he swallowed. That felt good and Annabelle sighed, stroking the top of his head with her other hand. Her stomach fluttered.

Jasper only fed for a few seconds before Annabelle felt him lick her wrist tenderly to close the wound. Her Beast grumbled its usual complaints about the loss of Vitae and she shushed it. She was helping Jasper and she felt good doing it. Annabelle bent her head down and placed an upside-down kiss gently on his forehead. Jasper let her wrist go free and looked up at her with a little smile.

“Thank you,” he whispered. “You taste good, as always.”

Annabelle stroked his cheek. “Thank you. It's an odd compliment, but a sweet one.”

“It's true though,” Jasper sighed, content.

“What do you want to do now? You want to watch something?”

“Sure, but I don't want to get up.”

She smiled. “Too comfy?”

“Yes,” he said with a light snarl.

Annabelle reached for her phone and turned off the music that was playing. They watched stupid, silly videos on YouTube – news bloopers, Vine compilations and the like. Annabelle continued to stroke and massage Jasper's scalp as they passed the time. He definitely seemed to enjoy it, and Annabelle made a mental note that he liked this kind of thing. Jasper had been both touch starved and touch abhorrent for too long.

After a while, Annabelle noticed that Jasper’s eyes were closed again and he had stopped responding. He had fallen asleep. Annabelle bit her lip, slightly overwhelmed at how adorable she found this. She checked the time. It was nearly dawn and she was tired herself. She wished she didn't have to move, but she did. Very carefully, doing her best not to disturb him too much, Annabelle slipped out from under him and placed several pillows in where her legs had been under Jasper's head and neck. His knees were still bent up and she straightened his legs out into a more comfortable-looking position. Jasper was limp, cold and unbreathing. He growled faintly in his sleep, then stilled and become corpse-like again. Annabelle tried not to think about it too much. The fact that technically both she and Jasper were dead was something that still made her uncomfortable. Annabelle plugged her phone in to charge and found his phone to charge as well. She went around and turned off the battery candles before settling back into bed in the dark room.

Annabelle watched Jasper sleep for a few minutes in the dim light of her phone screen. She thought about their visit to his grave. She found it incredibly sad that he even had a grave in the first place, let alone one that was so stark and unadorned. Just a first and last name and two years written on his gravestone. That was all. It reeked to her of being a rush job. They hadn't even bothered to put his full birth or death dates on it. She wondered if his girlfriend had ever left flowers on his grave, and also if she were really the one who had defaced it earlier. Annabelle hoped she was alright, wherever she was and whatever she was doing. Jasper had enough troubles without worrying about her as well.

The phone eventually went dark and the light disappeared. Annabelle sighed and snuggled up next to Jasper's very still body. A few minutes later, she was asleep too.

#la by night #l.a. by night #vampire the masquerade #fanfic #fanfiction #jasper/annabelle #times jasper fed from annabelle

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canadiankazz · 5 years

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The Second Time - An L.A. by Night fanfic

Annabelle and Jasper told themselves last time would be the only time. They were wrong. She can't stop thinking about it and wants to go again.

SPOILERS for the end of Campaign 1, but not yet for the one-shots. This is going to go off canon pretty quickly, so consider this an AU. It's worth reading Part 1 (The First Time) before you read this. I obviously don’t lay claim to any of the characters involved. This fanfiction is part two in a multi-part Jasper/Annabelle fic. It is intended for a mature audience. Written before the premiere of Season 2.

Very, very special thanks again to @cravatfiend for their never ending encouragement, ideas and enthusiastic reactions to reading the first drafts. When I asked about the thunderstorm, their reaction was "DO IT!" I hope everyone loves this as much as they do.

Also posted to my Ao3.

First posted Jan. 19, 2019.

The Entire ‘Feeds From’ Master List Can be Found Here

The Second Time

They had promised themselves, after that first time, that it wouldn’t happen again. That it wouldn’t become an ongoing thing. It was just a one-off, to help Jasper out for a night, to give him a little more time to find another feeding option.

But she had been dreaming about him, about his fangs in her wrist and the pain and pleasure it had brought her body. She found herself staring at him more often during coterie meetings, watching Jasper as he bantered with Victor. She had never noticed before now just how often his fangs could be seen, his habit of running his tongue over them while he considered what to say. Every time he did it, she could feel a nervous little coil in her belly. It was like when she first realised she had a mad crush on Elleanore. It was excitement. It was arousal. And its source was one hundred percent unexpected.

Sometimes, he would glance at her, and they would share a private smile. Sometimes, she would catch him staring at her too. She was glad that vampires couldn’t blush without conscious effort.

Shortly before dawn a few weeks later, she was sitting on her bed with her phone in her hands. She was nervous. She felt like a teenager again. She had texts to Jasper open on her screen. This was not the coterie group chat, oh no. No way. This was private, or so she hoped. Just to him. Her thumbs hovered over the screen as the thought about what to send to him. She knew she had to send something. This had been eating at her mind for a while now.

She settled on a greeting to start with. “Hey, Jasper. You still up?” she texted. She bit her lip while she waited for a reply. Even if he read it right away, with his shitty old phone it would still take him a while to get back to her.

A few minutes later, his reply came. “Yes. U?”

She exhaled in relief and some excitement. “Yeah.” She hesitated, then continued. “This is just between you and me. No group chat. I want to talk.” She hit send.

“Ok. What about?”

“Have you...” she hesitated again. She closed her eyes and banged her head lightly on the wall. This was so stupid! She couldn't believe she was doing this. “... found anyone else to eat with yet?” She hoped he would get her meaning.

“No.”

She sighed. She had figured as much. Every time Victor asked about it, which wasn't very often, Jasper had shrugged and gave a non-committal “I'm fine, it's under control,” kind of answer.

“You hungry?”

“Always.”

She groaned to herself. “I mean more than usual.”

His next reply took a little longer. Why? She wished she could know what was going through his mind. “Yes.”

“Want to...” she paused and tried to think of how to phrase this, “get a bite with me?” She resisted the urge to add some kind of emoji. Jasper definitely wasn't the type.

There was another long pause before he replied. It was long enough that she had to wake up her screen a few times. It was long enough to make her curse herself. This was a mistake! She shouldn't have-

“Sure. If you'd like.”

She stared at the screen, its light illuminating her hopeful face. She bit her lip again. “Yeah? Same as before?”

Another long pause. She wondered if he was sitting on his bed too, texting her with the lights off.

��Ok.”

Annabelle laughed softly to herself. He wasn't a big texting conversationalist. Again, she resisted to urge to add emojis. She knew her audience. “Same time, same place?”

“Come around 3.”

She nodded to herself as her thumbs moved on the screen. “Ok, see you then. Sleep well.”

“U 2.”

She smirked and put her phone down to sleep.

The next night, around 3:00 am, she found herself waiting outside the front door to Jasper's sanctum. She was twitchy with excitement. If she could sweat, she would have. More than once, she scolded herself for acting this way. This shouldn't be that big of a deal, really. It was just a little bite. A few seconds of...

bliss

No! Of...

euphoria

She sighed again. What the hell was she doing? This was Jasper she was thinking about! Jasper! The Nosferatu! Her friend! There was no way she should feel this way!

But she did, that was the problem. She did. It was that bite that had done it. Although he was the one who had done all the work, she felt like she was the one who had sinned. How did the line from Rocky Horror go? “I've tasted blood and I want more...”

“More, more, more!”

A bright flash in the sky knocked her out of her thoughts, closely followed by sudden loud sound of thunder rumbling angrily nearby. She looked up. The sky was pitch black, rolling thunderclouds. The forecast had called for light rain, but it looked like something much bigger was brewing. Any minute now, it was going to bucket down. She had better get inside. She clenched her fists, staring at the door. It was now or never. She knocked, just loudly enough that she hoped he heard it. It echoed metallically down the passage beyond.

She thought it would take him a minute to answer the door, but it only took a second. He must have been waiting just on the other side. She jumped a little, startled when the hatch opened so soon after her knock. Jasper's pale face, haloed in his black hoodie, peeked out. He smiled when he saw her. “Hey.”

“Hey,” she replied, with a nervous little wave.

“Come on inside. It's going to rain,” he said stepping back into the darkness. As she followed, she felt the first few drops land on her head.

Once again, they made sure the door was secure before heading down into the heart of Jasper's home. The sounds of rain outside were very much muffled by the time they got down through his small maze. Jasper was quiet. Annabelle was too, but her nerves were still coiled like a spring. Jasper must have noticed this, because just outside of the room with the cage in it, he paused and put a hand on her shoulder.

“Relax,” he told her.

She giggled. “I am relaxed!” she lied badly.

He arched an eyebrow at her in disbelief. He put his other hand on her other shoulder, squaring off with her. They hasn't touched each other once between now and the last time she had been here. She realised she had been slightly starved for it.

“Relax,” he said again. His eyes stared into hers. His gaze was still intense, but there was an odd softness in it she didn't see him use often on other people. “We don't have to do this if you don't want to. We can just... hang out. Talk. Maybe listen to some music.”

“No, I... I do want to do this, Jasper. I want to help you.”

She could see his tongue moving in his closed mouth, running over his fangs, perhaps in anticipation. “Okay. But we don't have to leap in right away. Come on.”

He lead her through into his lounge again. She only glanced at the cage in the corner of the room briefly, but long enough to note that it had a new lock on it.

Annabelle sat in the same chair she had last time, and Jasper sat in his. More thunder rumbled overhead, and they both looked up to the stone ceiling. It must have been loud outside for them to hear it all the way down where they were. Jasper's lamp flickered ominously. Annabelle chuckled uneasily. “Hell of a storm, huh?”

“Yeah,” Jasper agreed. He didn't seem massively bothered by it. “I didn't think it was going to rain this hard, but it's good. The state needs it.”

Annabelle nodded. They had both heard about the horrible fires recently. It was scary how close they had gotten to the city, and of how many lives and homes had been lost. “I hope the lightning doesn't start any more fires.”

“Yeah, I hope not either, but we'll be safe down here.”

“Does this place leak?”

“No,” he smirked proudly. “Even if the river floods, I've made sure that the water can't reach down here. It's more inconvenient than anything, because if it does flood, it means there's only one other way out.”

“What way's that?”

Jasper looked deliberately at the big, metal door that lead to the labyrinth. Annabelle's eyes went wide.

“Oh no!” she exclaimed. “No, I'm not going back in there!”

Jasper put a hand on her knee. The gesture was familiar and comforting, and brought back memories for both of them of the last time they were in this room. “You don't have to go back through there. I won't make you do that.”

She sighed, forcing herself to let go of some of the tension in her muscles. “Okay. Thanks.”

Jasper smiled. He pulled back to lower his hood again. Annabelle gazed at his black veins. “Do they go all the way down?” she asked, surprising both herself and him with the question.

He licked his fangs. Her stomach fluttered.

“Yeah,” he answered.

“Can I...” Annabelle stopped herself.

He arched another eyebrow at her. “Can you what?”

“Can I see? Please?” she asked softly.

Jasper thought about it for a moment, then shook his head. “I'd rather not. Not tonight.”

“Okay.” Annabelle looked away, fidgeting with her hands in her lap.

“You're still nervous,” Jasper observed. “Why are you freaking out?”

She sighed, not looking at him. “I guess... I don't know.” She continued to fidget. She could feel Jasper's eyes on her. Thunder rumbled again, far above. “Last time... I liked it, like, really, really liked it. A lot more than I thought it would, and... I can't stop thinking about it. I know that we said this wouldn't be a thing we would keep doing, but, I...” she trailed off. She was trying not to cry.

She felt Jasper's hand on her knee again. She could see his long, white fingers contrasting hard against her dark denim. He had peeling black nail polish on. “I think I know how you feel, at least a little,” he explained softly. “When a Kindred tastes another Kindred's blood, they get a feeling for their emotions. Vitae is kind of... magical in that way. I also had an inkling of where you were these past few weeks.”

She looked up into his unearthly pale face. “You did?”

He nodded. “Yeah. It's a side-effect. If we do this again, that will get stronger.”

“Was it like that for... the others you've fed on?”

He nodded again. “Yeah.”

“Will... my feelings get stronger?”

“I don't know. The bite, or the Kiss as the fancier vampires call it...”

Annabelle couldn’t help but smile, just a little.

“It's supposed to feel good,” Jasper continued. “As I mentioned last time, it's to help make sure the, um, victim doesn't get away, doesn't want to get away. So... yeah. It will probably feel good for you again, if we do this again. But... the more often we do this, Annabelle, the more often we will want to keep doing this. It could become a difficult cycle to break.”

Annabelle listened intently. She appreciated him laying all this out for her, and letting her make her own decisions about it. She had always been one to follow her heart, even when that sometimes led her into foolish or dangerous situations. Ignoring temporarily how amazing Jasper's bite had made her feel, she was still uncomfortable with him not having a reliable source to feed from. She hated seeing any of her friends suffer, and this never-ending hunger they all went through was torture. Besides, otherwise, Jasper would be out there stalking for some, well, maybe not innocent, but some non-consenting victim. She didn't want that.

She could feel herself calming down. Her anxiety drained away somewhat. She put her hand onto his, mirroring again how she had touched him last time. When the thunder called in the distance, she ignored it. She looked into his eyes and her gaze was steady, as was her voice. “I want to do it again.”

He smiled. He looked hopeful. He was looking forward to this too, she realised. Well, of course he was. Consent is an amazing and sexy thing. “Okay.”

The lights flickered again, violently. Annabelle glanced at the lamp, worried. “What do we do if you lose power? Do you have candles?”

Jasper sighed in exasperation and gave her a flat look that just screamed “you've got to be kidding me!” She realised her mistake and face palmed.

“Ugh, no! Fire bad!”

“Yes, fire very bad, Annabelle,” he scolded. “I'd be a poor excuse for a vampire if I were afraid of the dark.” His voice softened a touch. “Why? Are you?”

“Maybe... a little?” she admitted.

“Don't be. The scariest thing in here is me,” he assured her honestly.

She smiled again.

The lights suddenly died. Every single one. They were in complete blackness.

Annabelle flinched despite herself. She felt Jasper give her knee a squeeze. It made very little difference if she had her eyes open or closed, it was so dark. She was practically blind.

“It's alright,” Jasper said in the darkness.

“Yeah...” Annabelle forced herself to relax again. Jasper was right. He was the scariest thing there, and nothing would dare hurt them in his home.

“Do you still want to go through with it?”

“Yeah,” Annabelle said. Then, thinking about it further, a feeling of daring welled up inside her. This darkness could maybe be useful in a rather... kinky way. “Actually, yes,” she said, her voice more confidant. “I think I'm ready. Just... give me a second...”

She wriggled out of her jacket and tried to leave it on the back of the chair again, but she heard it slip off and fall to the floor. “Oops. Damn,” she mumbled.

“Don't worry about it,” Jasper said. He sounded amused. “We'll find it later.”

Annabelle heard him move. He kept his hand on her, reassuring. She appreciated it. She trailed her hand gently up his arm to his chest and shoulder and discovered that he was kneeling in front of her again. She gulped. That feeling of anticipation returned in her gut. Butterflies, she realised. He was giving her butterflies in her stomach. It really did remind her of her first few weeks in a new relationship with Mark and Elleanor. What would they think if they could see her now?

Jasper's hands found Annabelle's. She could feel his cold fingers on her palm and wrist, the same one as before. Something about not being able to see him made this all the more exciting. It made her remaining senses tingle. She kept her other hand on her knee.

“Ready?” Jasper asked. She couldn’t feel any breath on her skin, even though his face was so close to her hand. He was holding her gently again, so she could pull away if she wanted to. He sounded thirsty.

She nodded, then realised he probably couldn’t see that. “Yes,” she said firmly.

There was no light to catch the flash of his fangs this time, but she still felt them sink into her wrist. There was the pain, then the pleasure rippled up and into her core. She let out a soft, slow gasp at the sensation. Her toes curled in her shoes. Her Beast squirmed and wriggled. She felt herself bearing her own fangs a little, in the darkness.

He was licking and sucking on her slowly, tenderly, drawing her Vitae out and into himself. His bite was as tender as last time, and like last time, she could tell even in the zero light that he was holding back. In a sudden burst of enthusiasm, she reached over and found his head in the darkness with her free hand. His skin was cold and inhuman and in another circumstance, in another life, she would have been repulsed to her core. Right now, however, her fingers found the back of his head and pressed him gently, but firmly closer to her. She was offering him more, encouraging him to bite harder.

He did. His Beast didn't need to be asked twice. She felt more pressure from his jaws, more teeth against her skin. His fangs pushed deeper. More Vitae came out as more pleasure surged back in.

She moaned, ever so softly.

She could hear him growl. She felt the vibrations of it up her arm. It made her shiver. The sensations intensified another degree. She bit back another little moan.

Far above them, the thunder rolled across the night sky as the storm lashed the city.

Annabelle lost track of how long Jasper's mouth stayed on her wrist, or rather low long she urged him to keep it there. She could feel, through her pleasurable brain fog, her Beast writhing, as if in a panic. Her head swam. After what felt like a year, Jasper pulled back with a little jerk, forcing himself away. He give her wrist a final long lick, not letting any precious Vitae escape. Then he took both her hands in his and shifted his weight a little closer, with his long legs curled up under himself. He sat at her feet and listened to her pant and come down from the high of his vampiric kiss. His Beast snarled away in his chest and throat, demanding he finish the job properly. He gritted his teeth against it. He had taken more from her than last time, maybe a little too much more. He tried not to beat himself up about it. Annabelle knew full well what she was getting herself into, he had made sure of that.

Jasper counted slowly to twenty, then softly asked “Annabelle?”

“Mmm?” she sighed.

He felt a smile creep onto his face. “You okay?”

“Mm-hmm...” she sighed again, happily.

“I took more that time. Sorry.”

“'s okay... Jasper...” she squeezed his hands weakly. “I wanted you to...”

“Yeah, I uh, noticed.” He plainly remembered her desperate touch on the back of his head, driving him to take more of her. “How do you feel?”

“Mmm... tired. Dizzy...” she moaned again softly. “Goooood...”

He smiled and let his forehead rest against their hands on Annabelle's lap. He had to admit to himself he liked how pleased Annabelle sounded. It was as if she got as much out of the feeding as he did.

He could hear the distant sound of the storm, especially the heavy rushing of water. It was as he predicted. The L.A. River was flooding. Normally, it was little more than a weak drainage ditch, but when it rained, the concrete and glass of the city couldn’t absorb the water and it all got pushed into the river. The artificial concrete river bed offered the water no resistance as it sped along into the Pacific. It did mean, however, that getting out through his front door would be very difficult, especially if Annabelle didn't want to get soaked.

“The river has risen,” he said.

“Mmm?”

“I said, the river has risen. You won't be able to get out of here tonight, unless you want to swim.”

That seemed to bring her back to her senses somewhat. He felt her shift in her seat, but not pull away from him. “Oh. Shit. Um... I guess I'll have to stay here then?” She sounded a tiny bit nervous, like he might say no.

At that moment, he felt like he wouldn’t be able to deny her anything, least of which, a safe place to sleep. “Of course, you're welcome to stay,” he said. His head was still resting against her lap. He felt oddly comfortable there.

“Thanks,” Annabelle murmured.

Jasper looked up suddenly, at where he thought her face to be, with a sudden concern. “How hungry are you?”

“Um... a bit,” she admitted, feeling her Beast continue to squirm in her chest, “but I'll be okay until tomorrow.”

“Are you sure?” Jasper pressed.

She thought about it for another moment, then give his hands another, slightly stronger squeeze. “Yeah, I'm sure.”

Jasper relaxed. “Good.”

He spent another minute or so sitting on the floor at Annabelle's feet, holding her hands in the darkness, his head resting comfortably in her lap. It took her longer to recover from this one, which made sense given the larger amount of blood he has taken from her. It had spooked her Beast somewhat, but Annabelle pressed back down hard on that fear and snuffed it out. Jasper had stopped. He had pulled back without drinking her completely. She had gotten to a state, almost, where she wondered if she could have stopped him if she had wanted to. Part of her doubted that she could have. It scared her and thrilled her. It also strengthened her trust for Jasper. She thought that his control over his Beast was powerful, indeed. Much better, certainly, than, say... Victor had over his. She felt strangely proud of Jasper. Very strange indeed.

Time passed. The storm raged on for several more hours, turning the L.A. River into a dangerous, uncrossable wall of water, barricading them inside Jasper's sanctum.

After a while, Annabelle pulled herself gently away from Jasper. She heard and felt him shift and move, quite reluctantly, she thought, away from her and back up into his chair. She checked her phone, wincing at the bright light from the screen. Dawn was still a few hours off, but close enough that if she were to be heading home, now would be the time. She glanced up at Jasper before the light from her phone died and saw his ghost-like paleness in the dark. It was very creepy, but she smiled.

“You look very spooky,” she told him.

He grinned, showing fangs that were once again spotlessly clean. Her insides squirmed. The dim phone light, wanting to conserve battery power, turned itself off.

They spent the next few hours talking, mostly about music and various bands they both liked. She liked how current Jasper's taste in music was, over all, but was surprised to find out that he loved classical as well. He had been trying to learn a Rachmaninoff piece on the piano, a long time ago, but had been able to get it right to his satisfaction.

Annabelle was mildly startled when she received a buzz on her phone from Nelli, making sure she wasn't out in the storm. She showed the text to Jasper, who found it amusing.

“She's a lot more maternal than she'd like to admit,” Jasper chuckled.

“Yep, she sure is,” Annabelle smirked, and texted back that she was “fine, thanks mom. ;)”

She made sure to check her playlist as well, before her phone's power completely died, and added a song of comfort, love and reassurance onto it. Her heart felt full, though her Beast grumbled away unhappily. It could wait until tomorrow to be dealt with though.

Then it was time for bed.

The electricity was still off. In the mortal world above them, Los Angeles would wake to the chaos of people being late for work and school due to the foul weather and power outages, but Jasper and Annabelle didn't care about any of that.

Jasper gently led Annabelle by her hand through the darkness to his small, barren bedroom. She was very glad for this, because she was completely certain she would become hopelessly lost in his rabbit's warren of a home in the dark otherwise. All his bedroom had in it was a bed. It was a fairly good sized one to suit Jasper's tall frame, but it wasn't really big enough for two unless they were being very intimate. Jasper had never, ever expected that he'd be in a circumstance where he would have to share his bed. He had a mild desire to now though. He wasn't surprised about that, given how much of Annabelle's blood he had recently consumed.

“You can have the bed,” he told her. He held onto her elbow with one hand and put his other hand gently on her lower back to guide her to it. She reached out blindly and found the bedspread. It was very inexpensive, but suitable for Jasper's needs. Nelli would have gotten a rash if she ever touched it due to the lack of fine thread-count.

“What about you?” Annabelle asked. “You won't sleep on the floor...”

“Actually, yeah. I will.”

“Oh, Jasper, please... are you sure?”

“I'll be fine, Annabelle,” he said soothingly in her ear. “I'll steal an extra pillow and I'll be right here, next to the bed.”

“Still doesn’t sound comfortable,” Annabelle said, doubtful. She awkwardly pulled her shoes off in the darkness and let them drop with two solid thunks to the floor.

“I've had far worse. Please. You're my guest. I insist.”

She knew their time to argue was limited, so she gave up. “Okay. Thanks.” She lay back on the bed and got comfortable. She had the funny feeling of an unfamiliar mattress, but she knew that soon that would be unimportant. She could hear Jasper lay down on the floor next to the bed on her right side. She knew that he didn't have to make any sound at all if he didn't want to. It was for her benefit, to reassure her that he was still present in the pitch black room.

Annabelle rolled over to face him and reached a hand over the side. She found the fabric of his hoodie and his rib cage beneath it. His cold hand found hers and he found himself intertwining his fingers with hers.

“Sleep well,” she wished him.

“You too,” he replied.

There was no sound of slow, sleeping breath in the dark room as the vampires slept. A silence of the grave fell as soon as they both lost consciousness. They slept while still holding hands, Annabelle reaching over the bed to Jasper below. Annabelle's last thoughts were that next time, and she was almost sure now that there would be a next time because she wasn't going to fool herself again, they might share a bed afterwards. Jasper's last thoughts were that next time, they were definitely going to share a bed afterwards.

#l.a. by night #la by night #fanfic #fanfiction #vampire the masquerade #jasper #annabelle #jasper/annabelle #times jasper fed from annabelle

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someplace-that-is-else · 5 years

Text

A Beautiful Mind Doesn’t Get You Dates: When a Writer Sees Himself in His Writing

Editor’s Note: This blog contains some spoilers from the Darkened series (Darkened Soul, Darkchilde, Book 3, and other books)

My eyes were widened in shock.

The setting? Facebook. I was in a chat with a former co-worker. Usually one of us was drunk when the other one messaged. And as another friend had told me once…alcohol was like a truth serum.

So, I don’t know what surprised me more. The fact he just revealed that he read my books…something he had never mentioned in all the time I knew him. Or the fact that he said I had a beautiful mind.

On one hand it was a moment that made me go ‘awwww.’ On the other hand, it brought up a really good point. If I had a beautiful mind, then that meant that I was a nice guy. That meant that I probably had a good sense of humor. That I could hold a conversation.

It was also the equivalent of ‘wow! You are really nice. How are you single?’

A Writer Deals

Sometimes writing could be thankless. Whether you were a successful writer, a part-timer, or a person just starting out, there would always be a long period of time when you were by yourself. Alone. Writing.

Sometimes it could be a cool thing. Like for example, right now there was a scene in Book 3 that had been elusive to me. Why? It had to do with my main character.

At the end of Darkchilde, it was revealed that Daniel, the main Nosferatu from Darkened Soul, had been resurrected by a witch’s spell. He had been the practice run for the person who the witches had wanted to resurrect: Daniel’s nemesis Ursula. While Daniel’s sister Ebony and others were focused on stopping her return and failing, Daniel had been stolen away by ancient enemies the Forryn.

And had fallen for Eli, one of the leaders of the Forryn.

After some ‘will they, won’t they,’ Daniel managed to escape from the Forryn’s base. In the second section of the novel, Daniel encountered someone who remembered him: the Nosferatu Michael. They grew closer because Michael allowed Daniel to know truths that Eli never told him. But in the chaos at a human summit, Daniel was snatched up again. Eli finally found Daniel in the third section.

This scene could not end well for them. It had to touch on their attraction for each other. At the same time, the scene had to emphasize their differences. Daniel was a Nosferatu, male, and an amnesiac who wanted answers. Eli was a Forryn, only could mate with women, and had not given Daniel a lot of answers. Of course, now he wanted to, but it was too late. There was of course the Michael element, leading to the typical jealousy. And then there was the prophecy that Daniel had a role to play in…how would that affect them?

And this all had to come out like a normal argument.

For scenes that I felt that I was going to need to dive deep into to give it a rhythm, I usually needed to find a lot of time to just sit and write. Anyone who knew me or had been reading my blogs knew the odds of that.

However…I had. Slowly, but surely…time became available. And as it became available, I started to work on it. And boy was Daniel and Eli not making it easy. LOL!!! So, I took a break from it for a few days. As I was working on it one day, I asked myself…’Torre, what was the big difference between them?’ If you found it, the scene would truly click. So I thought about it as I went about my day. And I thought about it.

Then…it clicked.

By this point of the novel, Eli came alone to find Daniel. Forryn travelled in packs. So, Eli was giving up all that he knew to be with Daniel. Meanwhile, Daniel had finally gotten the answers he had been wanting from Michael. So how could he trust Eli now when he had never given him what he had wanted? How could I relate that?

Then…it clicked for me why I had such a problem with this scene. At the same time, I realized why I now had a triangle in my book when originally I had not planned a triangle for Book 3. I had been here before.

With the former coworker who said I had a beautiful mind.

Damn.

Mirror Lives

This had happened before.

I was writing Darkchilde. It was the second section. The Nosferatu Ebony and Nicholas had just arrived in the airport in futuristic London. Part of the plot had been that Ebony continued to be under attack by witches. Before she could figure it out however, a power vacuum had occurred in London so that was why they were there. But even at the airport, Ebony was attacked.

And then….enter Victor.

He literally swung and rescued Ebony from her latest attack. I was writing it, but I was in shock. Who was this long raven-haired Latino Nosferatu that I had no idea would appear, fully formed with thick accent and swagger to boot?

Nicholas was none too pleased.

So was part of me.

I suspected that maybe he was some character that was in my subconscious who was loosely based on someone I knew. Someone who I had unresolved thoughts with. And in order to make the drama between Ebony and Nicholas more realistic, I added a spoiler. After all, the biggest issue between Ebony and Nicholas in the novel was the truth issues they had due to their past when they were humans. Now add someone from Ebony’s past…a Nosferatu to boot…who knew her VERY well? Uh oh.

Later on, Ebony and Nicholas met in person the ancient Nosferatu Antonio. Truly insane, Antonio was acting regent until the community could decide on a new Nosferatu leader: vain recurring character Titania, upstart Alexander…or Victor. On top of being insane, Antonio also had the ability of foresight, seeing future paths and sensing things. So, he tried to read all the characters to see if there was a traitor in their midst.

‘In time. Those boundaries are there for a reason. They will fall for the same. Simply…in time.’

It was something so simple. It was during Antonio’s scanning of Ebony and Nicholas. It was the wording. It triggered something in me. First of all, Victor was not who I was thinking he was in my subconscious. Worse he was someone else I knew. Who I thought Victor was loosely about…was actually Nicholas.

Two relationships that were going on. Two relationships that had gotten mirrored in my characters. I had not even realized that I had a bit of a triangle in my personal life at the time.

I jumped right out of writing the scene.

Well…damn.

He’s Drawn to the Dark Things…

Was this ability to spin things currently going on in my life a sign that I could spin a good tale? Or a bad omen?

In my own life, Mr. Beautiful Mind had me on block on social media, a case of both of us being uncomfortable with our feelings as well as too little, too late. That was a similar theme that plagued the other two guys who inspired Victor and Nicholas in Darkchilde. I fell out dramatically with one while the other one was again the combo of uncomfortable feelings and bad timing. Moreso because by the time he wanted to have a talk about our feelings, I was dating someone else. So…he simply left.

Funny that when real life was not going my way or some situation cropped up, that it would creep into my writing. It was like it got to play out with many possibilities. A game.

Or perhaps it was as simple as the fact that I was drawn to the dark things. As a kid, I loved fantasy. And I started writing by writing a fantasy kid book. Then in junior high, I met someone. The feelings they awakened in me were feelings that I was not at all ready for. And my life darkened. My writing reflected it by becoming darker. Think Alanis Morrissette’s first cd.

And where my writing chose to go! Consider…

What was versus what is was definitely present in Darkened Soul. The flashback in the second section in 2048 Paris was a Daniel who was darker with little remorse in direct contract to the Daniel who was the narrator in present futuristic London who had regrets as well as brooded a lot.

Jonathan in Darkened Soul: Jonathan’s Tale started as a passive person who grew into his power. He also became a mask, hiding the hurt of being without the woman he loved…who happened to be the villain of the story.

Ebony in Darkchilde had so many faces, the question became would she allow anyone close to her enough to show her real face? Could she let down her guard?

I guess I could not pick on my own life if my characters’ lives were just as bad. Right? On one hand, their problems were relatable for vampires at least. In Daniel’s case, well…? After death and return, Daniel was back in Book 3 with no memory of his life before except for visions. Yet…when given the opportunity of having a second chance, would he commit the same mistakes of his past?

My own characters appeared to also be drawn to dark things. However, I saw that for all of these situations, there was always a silver lining. Jonathan had best friend Fredrick. Daniel had Jared in the past…and was in a triangle now. Ebony picked her man Nicholas.

Meanwhile all I got was a guy who said I said I had a beautiful mind. I also had enough tales of dating woes that I could fill a book. And have. LOL!!!

So while I like people who can appreciate that my mind is full of clever ideas, it does not all get me dates. Tales to tell yes. Dates no.

Speaking of which, back to work. That book was not going to finish itself…

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