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[unironically-a-vampire-hunter]

fire-vampire:

“You can call me Mr. Dragon if you wish.” Blake winked at Ada, taking on an almost whimsical demeanor as he walked past each of the three before finding a vacant spot at the far end of the table.

Meanwhile, Horace put his hands on his sides and looked at the three sternly, though there was a hint of mischief in his pale eyes. “I’m fairly certain she did,” he confirmed Roza’s words. “Everything is all right now, so why don’t you head off to sleep?”

unironically-a-vampire-hunter:

Ada looked to Horace and Roza, clapping her hands together as a thought came into her head, “Only if Mr. Dragon tells us a story!” Adele bounced on her toes, “Oh yes, that’s a wonderful idea!” 

Roza looked to her children, eyes wide, “Really, you two! You only just met him!” She sighed, rubbing her face to keep an amused smile from spreading across it. 

[unironically-a-vampire-hunter]

fire-vampire:

Part of Horace hadn’t expected Vlad to accept his offer, but figuring Vlad knew best what was good for him, he and Blake let themselves be led into the house.

Blake looked back for a moment to see the house’s owner still holding onto his golden walking stick, but not because he wanted it back. He just wanted to know if it was actually any use despite their difference in height, as canes were usually made specifically for their owners.

unironically-a-vampire-hunter:

The trio was greeted by the trio of children waiting at the kitchen table. Ahti was the first to speak up, “Where’s dad?” Adele followed, “Is he alright?” Ada waved at Blake, “Hi Mr. Dragon!” Roza chuckled quietly, “Dad is outside. He’s fine, he just needs some time to himself. Ada, his name is Blake.” She moved closer to them, hands on her hips, “Now didn’t I tell you to go to bed?” 

[unironically-a-vampire-hunter]

fire-vampire:

“That’s perfectly fine,” Horace was quick to respond, but spoke at a calm pace. “Blake gathered these specifically for you, so take as much as you need.”

A part of his insistence on helping Vlad came from his own feelings of guilt after allowing him to become this starved on their trip here. If only he had paid more attention, maybe he would have been in better condition now… and besides, Horace was not the kind of person to leave anyone in need to themself if he could help it.

That was one of the qualities that had caught the eye of Sir Marble so many years ago. If it wasn’t for him, who knew where Horace would be today? …Well, he had a hunch. He certainly wouldn’t be a vampire, leaving only one other option. One other place where he would have ended up…

He shook his head. Now was not the time to think of such matters.

“Suit yourself,” Blake said next to him. “My offer still stands.”

The dragon felt a cold hand on his shoulder, a sign that his vampire friend wanted his attention.

“Would you like us to leave you alone?” Horace offered. Perhaps the best way to help Vlad was still to leave him be for now. “We can wait inside the house if you wish.”

Blake grimaced, an expression that twisted his mustache. “He’s right.”

unironically-a-vampire-hunter:

The vampire nodded to the pair, a small, relieved smile on his face. He looked to Roza and gestured towards the company. “Will you be alright alone?” asked the woman, and her husband nodded. She squeezed his arm, then went to show the company inside.

[unironically-a-vampire-hunter]

fire-vampire:

To Horace, it almost seemed like Vlad was in some kind of trance as he went about cleaning himself and his clothing. He seemed unaware, or apathetic, of his surroundings… and even if this behavior was intentional, he knew better than to take it personally.

After almost dying, who could blame Vladimir for being a little… out of it?

Jumping in to help him was also out of the question. In such a state, it was often best to leave the person be until they were ready to interact with other people again, however long that may take.

He also didn’t want to distract Roza. She must be terribly worried about her husband, even more so than she allowed to show on the outside while she consoled him.

But, as was almost always the case, Blake was the one to break the ice. “If you need your clothes cleaned, just tell me. I’ll take care of it more quickly than you can say, ‘I need my clothes cleaned’.”

unironically-a-vampire-hunter:

The blood did not come off completely, only fading into a pink color. When he attempted to wipe the other clean with the bloodied rag, it merely smeared the red pigment. Roza could hear Vlad’s teeth grind as he shifted their position in frustration. At Blake’s offer of wash his clothes, Vlad inhaled and closed his eyes. They were trying to help. They were trying to be kind. They had already done so much. Things they shouldn’t have had to do. And despite witnessing him behave like a beast, they were still trying to help. 

He exhaled and began to speak, “Yes, Horace, my strength has returned partially, though I intend to drink from the rest of these animals,” he gestured to the remaining goats, “to recover the rest of it.” He looked Horace in the eyes as he spoke, and then looked to Blake. “I appreciate the offer, but I am fine.” His gaze as he looked to the two men was firm, but not angry or unfriendly. When he looked to Roza, however, it softened. His voice lowering in volume as well, “And you are right, everything is alright now. But this should not have happened. And for that, I am sorry.” After apologizing, he looked to the ground.  

[unironically-a-vampire-hunter]

fire-vampire:

“No problem.” Horace smiled, standing back with his hands on his sides. Vlad would be allowed to keep the handkerchief for a little while, as he needed it much more than his British friend did.

Blake’s reaction was different. He rubbed his palms together in a ‘job well done’ manner whilst saying, “You’re welcome.”

Figuring he would be better suited to keep Roza calm and grounded than Blake at the moment, Horace followed Vlad to the pump at a small distance, only joining him once Roza had reached him first. He placed a pale hand on top of the pump itself as he looked from one to the other.

“You seem to have gotten some of your strength back,” he observed. “Are you feeling better? Anywhere close to normal?”

unironically-a-vampire-hunter:

First, Vlad attempted to wash the blood out of the handkerchief. He focused on his task, trying to ignore the eyes on him. Stop looking at me. As he took the washcloth and Horace asked his question, he frowned. Stop speaking to me. He declined to answer for the moment, instead choosing to clean his face and hand off. Then he wiped and pocketed his other glove and began to remove his red coat. He exhaled as the cold air hit him, shocked for a moment by the drastic change. He went to hang his coat on one of the fence posts. After doing so, he tried his best to wipe the blood out of the edge of his long shirt-sleeves. His expression was tense, and he seemed to be exceptionally focused on what he was doing. 

“Sweetheart,” Roza began, “you’re alright.” Her tone was sincere and soft. She walked towards him slowly, “These things happen.” She placed a hand on the vampire’s arm. He continued trying to wash the blood out of his clothes, clenching his jaw and staring more intently at the sleeve. 

[unironically-a-vampire-hunter]

fire-vampire:

“Your wife is getting one for you,” Blake replied as he looked over his shoulder. Horace, meanwhile, was happy to lend Vlad his handkerchief, as he had no problem with it being used to clean up blood. That was what it ended up being used for most of the time anyway.

“Here,” the vampire said, holding it out so that one of Vlad’s hands touched it. He had already realized the other couldn’t open his eyes at the moment, but cleaning his eyelids for him didn’t seem like the best idea.

unironically-a-vampire-hunter:

Vlad took the handkerchief with a nod, “Thank you.” He wiped, then opened, his eyes, blinking rapidly. When his eyes adjusted to functioning, his face flushed at seeing his friend and acquaintance. He looked away from them as he stood. Brushing off his coat, he said, “Thank you for the help,” for he assumed that one or both of them had hunted the goats. 

As he walked toward the hand pump, Roza exited the house, damp cloth in hand. Her expression was more relaxed, evidently the still lively children had done something to calm her nerves. Or perhaps just finding them safe reminded her that things were alright. Either way, her calm demeanor did not change when she met Vlad at the hand pump. His gaze remained toward the ground.   

[unironically-a-vampire-hunter]

fire-vampire:

Oddly enough, Horace was relieved to see Vlad sink back to the ground. Perhaps he had been afraid that he might be sent into a blood-thirsty frenzy after consuming enough to move again… but that certainly didn’t seem to be the case. If anything, he didn’t look much better than before, even after consuming multiple gallons of blood from the one goat.

After watching him gather his bearings for a little while, Blake was the first to try and approach the dazed vampire. He stood the best chance if Vlad ended up trying anything, after all, whether he meant to hurt anyone or not.

“Welcome back,” he began, crouching once they were within easy speaking range of one another. “You’re awake, aren’t you?”

As far as the dragon could tell, Vlad didn’t give off a different feeling from before. He was still the same strange, dark, but ultimately harmless vampire with little intention to harm any person present here.

“There’s more blood where that came from.” He pulled another carcass closer to Vlad, needing little effort to move its heavy weight with just one hand. Blood stained his white glove, but he didn’t seem to mind.

unironically-a-vampire-hunter:

Vlad nodded when asked if he was awake, but winced at being offered another goat. In rubbing his eyes with his blood painted gloves, he had made it so that he couldn’t open them without a bothersome sting. It was sickening to drink from an animal directly. He dug his nails into his bare palm for a moment, but then released with a soft sigh, “Could someone please get a washcloth?” Roza was quick to oblige.  

[unironically-a-vampire-hunter]

fire-vampire:

Having been given Roza’s approval, Blake dipped his head enveloped himself in smoke once again to assume his human form. He figured he’d be more useful in this part of the process with smaller hands and opposable thumbs.

Meanwhile, Horace watched as Vlad seemed to have just enough conscious – or was it instinct? – left in him to know to go in for the kill… or, in this case, just a bite. The carcasses were fresh enough for there to be little difference, anyway, as the blood was still warm and everything. Not unlike the blood from Roza’s chickens, except in a larger amount that would hopefully bring him back to his senses.

Neither he nor Blake, once he rejoined the others, dared to touch the Romanian vampire. There was no telling how much control he had over his actions right now, after all, and they didn’t want to get bitten on accident.

“Well, he’s not dead,” Blake commented. “That’s one thing we know.”

unironically-a-vampire-hunter:

“He’s not himself, either...” muttered Roza, unable to tear her gaze from her husband. Though she was thankful that he was alive, this was disturbing. After the goat had been bled dry, Vlad seemed to pass out again. However, after a few moments, he came to.

The world felt fuzzy, but not in the way it had when he fell asleep. Vlad felt like his skin was buzzing, and his ears rang. On top of that, his nostrils were being assaulted with a thick smell of iron. He sat up, sneezed, and rubbed his eyes. What had happened? What day was it? He tried to open his eyes, but they stung. Sitting up, having some distance between him and the source of iron, he could smell better. And what he did smell was a lot of animal blood. 

Had he killed the chickens? That would set them back months. Hurriedly, he removed a glove so that he could feel what was around him. His hand rested on long hair. A goat. He sighed with relief.   

[unironically-a-vampire-hunter]

fire-vampire:

Horace knew right away what Roza was doing, and found it a good decision. Even the small amount of blood a chicken contained might keep Vlad alive long enough for Blake to come back.

A strong gust of wind heralded the dragon’s return, and a moment later, he came gliding down over the treetops. In his front claws and maw, he carried several goats that had been killed with minimal injury – humanely, one might say, and without wasting a single drop of blood.

Blake dropped the carcasses, and his glowing green eyes looked from Vlad, to Horace and to Roza in turn.

“Is this enough?”

unironically-a-vampire-hunter:

Roza grabbed a knife from the table, releasing the chicken. As she approached, she nodded, “I hope so. Thank you.” She dragged one of the carcasses closer to her husband, and with an expert hand sliced its neck so that blood poured out. If it wasn’t completely dead before, it was at that moment.

Roza attempted to catch some of it in a glass, but there was no need. As soon as the blood flowed, the vampire’s body was moving. In the blink of an eye, he was on the goat’s neck- even finding the artery that had been sliced open and focusing his feeding on it. Roza jumped back in surprise. After recovering from her shock, she went to place her hand on Vlad’s forehead again. However she noticed that his eyes were not open. She was hesitant to even touch the vampire at this point in time, and decided to take a few steps back instead. 

Though she stood still, free hand folded over knife hand in front of her skirt, her expression was tense with fear.   

[unironically-a-vampire-hunter]

fire-vampire:

While Horace knew CPR, he doubted it would be any good in this case. After all, it wasn’t that Vlad’s heart was failing; he was, for lack of a better word, starving. Only a quick and nutritious meal would help him now.

He helped Roza on her feet, after which he put Vlad in a more comfortable position.

“He’s hunting for blood,” the vampire replied, before clarifying, “Not from humans. I reckon he’ll be back in a few minutes…”

Nervousness became clearly audible in his own voice as he added, “Which might be more than we have. Would you like me to fly up and see if he’s coming back soon?”

unironically-a-vampire-hunter:

Roza nodded, “Yes, please.” Not wanting to stand around helpless, Roza entered the chicken pen again to ready one for the slaughter. She didn’t kill it, but she did take one and lock it in the cage on the table. Chickens, though valued, were replaceable. A person was not.

[unironically-a-vampire-hunter]

fire-vampire:

“That it is.” Horace solemnly nodded. Some of what had happened had left both him and Vlad deeply confused, and he still hadn’t gotten any real answers. Blake seemed just as in the dark about this ‘new’ kind of vampire as he was, possibly even more so since the dragon didn’t know about Vlad’s origins.

But Horace wasn’t going to tell him about that. He would leave that to his fr–

“Vladimir?”

This wasn’t good. This was not good.

He briefly considered biting his own wrist and donating some of his own saved-up blood, but since that contained some of human origins, he couldn’t risk it.

“Where’s a creature of life-force when you need him,” he muttered as he held out his hands to Roza.

unironically-a-vampire-hunter:

Roza accepted Horace’s offer only after touching Vlad’s forehead again. When she stood, she shivered. The vampire’s chest did not move, nor did Roza’s. When her vision began to cloud, she took in a few breaths. Everything felt slower, as if she was moving through sap. She could feel only a faint heartbeat in her chest. She waved her hand to free herself from the connection.

“He’s dying,” She said with disbelief, taking a few steps back, “I thought- Vlad said-” She was utterly confused. As far as she knew, vampires were immortal. How could he be dying if he was immortal?

“We have to do something,” she turned to Horace, green eyes filled with piercing worry, “where’s your friend?”    

[unironically-a-vampire-hunter]

fire-vampire:

Horace briefly looked behind him at Blake, who was in the middle of something, then looked back at Roza. His expression was tense, but not scared or shocked. Just… nervous, and unsure how to explain this.

Well, he ought to start at the beginning, right?

“We fought a vampire together,” he began. “He had turned himself into a bear.”

Meanwhile, like a phoenix emerging from its ashes, Blake’s true form shimmered dark green in the light of the stars as he took off. One beat of his wings was enough to dissipate the smoke that had obscured his form, and another brought him past the treeline and out of sight. He had gone hunting for whatever he could find that didn’t belong to some farmer.

unironically-a-vampire-hunter:

After Horace recounted the events of their adventure, Roza sighed, “That’s... a lot.” The glass was empty now, so she set it down beside her. She rubbed her temples, closing her eyes. “I don’t know Vlad’s limits. I don’t know how long he’ll hold out for. But he’s going to need a lot more than a few glasses.” Indeed, the color only seemed to drain from his face, even with the blood provided. 

The sound of someone continuously speaking was very comforting. Very relaxing. And Vladimir was very sleepy. And in a moment he lost consciousness. In a moment, he fell asleep.

In a moment, he stopped breathing.  

[unironically-a-vampire-hunter]

fire-vampire:

“It would… change him?” Blake repeated, clearly not understanding what she was referring to. All the vampires he knew, including Horace, had suffered no ill effects of a human-blood diet or lack thereof. As far as he, and the Dragon Council in general, was aware, all blood worked equally well.

But he wasn’t about to find out if this strange new kind of vampire was an exception, especially given how serious Roza sounded.

“I understand. Give me a few minutes, then, will you?”

He took several steps back so that the area around him was completely clear of obstacles, took a deep breath… and enveloped himself with smoke, a large cloud soon billowing all around him.

Vlad hadn’t said anything, but his reaction told Horace enough. He could still hear him, however weak he was at the moment. Smiling, he gently clapped his hands together. “You can. All right… try to focus on my voice.” Keeping Vlad conscious would be useful to keep an eye on his condition, even if it drained his energy faster.

unironically-a-vampire-hunter:

“Thank you.” was Roza’s reply to the dragon. She turned back to her husband to see that he had only drank half of the blood in the glass. She furrowed her eyebrows, that was unusual. She picked the glass back up again and attempted to help Vlad drink it.

“This is unusual,” she commented, “did he feed at all during your trip back? And did anything extreme happen?” 

Vlad couldn’t understand what was being said, but the group of voices sounded concerned. Why are they worried? He’s just going to sleep for a little while. Something was in his mouth. It tasted good. 

[unironically-a-vampire-hunter]

fire-vampire:

Blake didn’t move, simply holding out the cane so Vlad could take it at his own pace, but his head did turn to look at Roza. They were close enough to each other for her to be able to notice his strange, not quite human eyes.

“It’s human blood, but voluntarily given. We have some channels for that, where humans choose to donate while fully knowing what happens to it.” And a few where they weren’t informed as well, but those were the blood banks where no one really knew where their blood ended up anyway. Blake didn’t support them personally, but they were the best he could arrange with his limited resources.

While the dragon talked to the healer, the British vampire paid attention to his Romanian counterpart.

“Can you hear me?” he called out, quietly but clearly.

unironically-a-vampire-hunter:

She did notice the dragon’s strange eyes, which she did find intriguing, but she didn’t react to them. She was focused on the task at hand. When Blake revealed that it was human blood, Roza’s eyes widened with shock, “No, I’m sorry, but he cannot have that,” She stressed that fact well, “it would change him.”

Vlad had mostly heard a woman and a man very near to him. When he heard a new sound, he tilted his head toward it. He attempted to open his eyes, but his eyelids were very heavy. 

[unironically-a-vampire-hunter]

fire-vampire:

Horace blinked in surprise. “Is… is that what the word means to you?” Personally, he had stopped believing in the devil or anything on that level many years ago, and had learnt a different meaning behind the title of sorceress.Needless to say, it was a far more innocent meaning than the one Roza was thinking of.

“No, it’s quite all right. I’m sorry I offended you.”

He looked to her husband and couldn’t help but notice the lack of life he showed, even when he moved. While he had looked much more alive than Horace did on a good day, he was little more than a corpse now. The lack of blood was really getting to him… and if his kind of vampires had anything in common with Horace’s, that did not bode well.

Meanwhile, Blake crouched in front of Vlad and held out his golden cane. Right now, he figured, the vampire needed it far more than he did.

“Why?” the dragon then inquired. “It’s no trouble, but I’ve got two perfectly good bags of blood for situations just like this one.”

unironically-a-vampire-hunter:

Roza closed her eyes and nodded at Horace’s apology, “It’s also alright. You weren’t trying to be rude.” At Blake’s offer of his cane and of the blood, Roza smiled. It was amusing and charming that another person insisted on politeness. As Vlad reached for the cane, Roza asked, “What kind of blood is it?”

The Romanian took the cane slowly. This was a nice gesture. There was something he should say... But his mind was a dark fog. No thought would come, only impressions of thoughts. Oh well. He attempted to listen to the conversation, but it was like listening through a thick wall. The words were muffled and distorted. He closed his eyes again. His body felt heavy and cold. Normally he would shiver, but he didn’t. Wasn’t there something he was doing? Something important? He couldn’t remember. He did feel very tired, though. 

[unironically-a-vampire-hunter]

fire-vampire:

“A sorceress, then,” Horace guessed. He wouldn’t call himself knowledgeable on these matters, as he had only ever dealt with one psychic – and Helena’s abilities were vastly different from Roza’s. Still, he was more than interested.

As Vlad returned to consciousness, however woozy, Blake looked over his shoulder.

“I brought a small supply of blood in case you were hurt,” he then told Horace, although he intended for Roza and possibly Vlad to hear him as well. “It’s good quality and not far from here. If you wish, I can go and fetch it.”

unironically-a-vampire-hunter:

Roza looked utterly appalled and offended at being called a sorceress, “No,” her tone reflected her emotions, though she tried to keep quiet as not to disturb Vlad, “I have no dealings with the devil. I was born with this ability. I’m much more like a superhero than a witch.” As she spoke she relaxed, and at the end she sighed. They probably didn’t mean to offend, “I’m sorry for snapping at you.” She broke her gaze as she apologized and grabbed the next glass. 

Vlad attempted to sit up, bracing himself on the fence post. He didn’t speak or emote when Roza handed the glass to him. Overall he seemed quite...well, dead. This being apparent, Roza looked to the side, conflicted. They needed their chickens. But Vlad needed blood. She didn’t want to ask Horace for his supply, so instead she asked, “If it’s not too much trouble, would either of you mind trying to find a few more animals for me?”

[unironically-a-vampire-hunter]

fire-vampire:

Just as Blake was about to respond, Roza knelt next to her unconscious husband and began a rather strange display. It was almost as if… she had taken over her husband’s mental state, or some kind of supernatural empathy allowed her to feel how he felt.

Both newcomers had seen this kind of thing before, but that didn’t make it any less tempting to watch in wonder. Neither of them said a word for fear of interrupting the so-called ritual.

That was, until Vlad seemingly woke up and coughed out all the smoke he had inhaled. The smoke Blake had created, that was… and he rubbed his hands together at the sight of just how much came out of the vampire’s lungs.

Only when Roza seemed to have finished taking the smoke out of her husband’s system did Horace speak up.

“You’re a psychic?” he asked, amazement audible in every word. “I never would have thought.”

unironically-a-vampire-hunter:

Roza swayed and blinked, and Vlad laid still once again. As she propped a knee under her husband’s head, she looked toward the guests, “I’m not a psychic,” she hummed a laugh at the tone of Horace’s voice, “I’m just good at healing.” She took a glass and put it to the other’s lips, smiling tenderly. As the blood flowed down his throat, Vlad’s eyes fluttered open. He rested a hand on Roza’s that held the glass, but he was clearly just barely conscious. His eyes were unfocused, and his hand began to fall from his wife’s.