Welcome to Gaia! :: View User's Journal | Gaia Journals

Vampires were known for their bipolarity. He didn't seem too ashamed to display that, and in leading her towards her front door, smirked at her comment. "Must've been your scent." He joked, and idly looked up at the sky.

"It's just... my complex is on the other side of town. I doubt you'll want to carry all that with you while walking... I despise cars. And taxis moreso." He chuckled in a sultry tone, and, in leaning on her doorframe, replied, "I'm quite accustomed to messes.", waiting for her to unlock her door, as he assumed it was.

Why would he dispise cars..taxis too. And my scent..what did he mean by that? I never wore perfume..just that oil..she thought before moving to the door, only to stop, slightly stumbling backwards and looks at him.

"Um..could you let go of my hand?" she asked, blushing slightly.

He looked at her, dumbfounded, before dropping his gaze to their linked hands, giving himself a mental kick in the a**. "Ah... My apolgies." And he let go of her hand so that she may open the door.

It was written (and quite believed by Lars) that the fae and those even remotely linked and related to them were afraid of metallic (mainly iron and steel, and silver for the specific vampire race) substances, for it could bring a various amount of illnesses to one who touched it, breathed it, or consumed it. Aside from scars from deep cuts, the marks on his neck also had burns from where barbed wire (undoubtedly a metal) had singed his skin. It was a nasty business, so the vampire kept as far away as possible from those things.

He blinked, looking up quickly, and rubbed his chin with a hand. "What will I call you?

Jadea sweatdropped. No doubt she had forgotten something, like introductions for one. She smiled instead at him before extending her hand to him again.

"My name for one. My name is Jadea. Jadea Bartonson. What's yours," she asked.

"Lars," he stated simply, leaving his last name unknown to her. "Your name is very nice, and I think it suits you well." He took her hand, bringing her knuckles to his lips for a breif moment before letting it go. "It is a pleasure to meet one so kind-hearted." His voice was low, like thunder rumbling within his chest, eyes looking into hers with a tiny smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

Jadea blushed at his mannerisms before smiling, and turns to the door, her back to him as she unlocked the door and went inside.

"I forget..you still have to be invited in, don't you?" she asked, not looking at him.

"Correct." He smirked at her knowledge, however vast it was, and bowed to her back, eyes cast to the ground in front of him as he waited for a definite invitation.

I hope he won't laugh..but here goes, she thought before taking a breath.

"On behalf of my family, I welcome you to my home. Please come in," she said, bowing.

He did loose a small chuckle from within his throat, though it wasn't at her invitation persay, just the amount of time, the many hundreds of years, that he had had to wait for one before entering a home.

"Thank you, Jadea." Before entering, he took her chin in his hand and lifted it, his gaze once hard and cruel, now turned soft at her gesture. "It is not necessary to bow to me."

Jadea stared solemly into his eyes before closing them. "It is necessary..when in greeting someone..and ...well..I guess it's because of manners," she said.

She opened her eyes and looked at him before stepping back, sweeping her arm towards the many stacks of boxes, some opened, some labeled, while some were on the verge of tipping over. "Like I said, not much here," she said, making an awkward face.

I should I tell him about him?.. No, if I did, he'd flip and as usual, tell me what to do, she thought while frowning inwardly.

Nodding his head as he walked inside, the vampire's eyes swept the room, taking in the stacks of boxes and the slight litter of papers that had fallen from one of the tipping boxes. "This shouldn't take long..." he started, looking to her as her face slightly contorted.

"Something the matter?" He queried, noting that being attacked by a vampire and pulled into a contract with him would be justification for something to be wrong. Another mental kick in the a**.

"Eh? Oh..no, nothing's wrong. But I'm glad that this shouldn't take very long," she said, suddenly smiling at him again.

Maybe I should tell him later..about my brother. But I certainly won't tell my brother about him, she thought before moving to pick up the papers.

"So..since we're in a contract and all, and I'm certain it'll be a long time one, why not tell me about yourself," she asked.

He tilted his head at her change, shrugged his shoulders, and took on her same smile as she asked her question, reaching over to grab a box. He looked into it, not really looking for anything, and judged its weight.

"Well... there are some things better left undiscussed, as I'm sure you have something like that yourself, but... I am over eight-hundred years old, born in France, and I run a laboratory for the development of serums such as this." From his back pocket, he removed a vial of translucent liquid with an orange tinge. "The successful products of which are sold to those like myself."

He smirked inwardly, and grabbed another box under his other arm. "I also enjoy long walks on the beach, candlelight dinners, and I have a preference for dogs and fine wine." Chuckling lightly at his last statement, as it was made as a joke, though all those things were true, he added, "And what about you, Jadea?"

"You mean to tell me, there are more of your kind?" she blinked while stopping to look at the vial.

So that must be why he has survived a long time..to spare people.., she thought before putting the papers in the box next to her and lifts it herself.

"As for me, beaches are nice, I usually go there once in a while to see the sunrise. I suppose you're right on things..being left unanswered or unsaid, but I do enjoy cooking and of course, I'm sure you can tell, the supernatural," she said while blushing. "Sort of silly, huh.."

"Oh yes. Many, many more. People you know could be vampires and you'd never find out." He answered her warily. "Though there numbers have begun to decrease."

Shifting the pair of boxes so that he held them under one arm, he knelt slightly to pick up another smaller box and held it under the other arm. "Cooking is a good ability to have. And a proclivity to the supernatural? Silly? Of course not. It would only be silly to fear it out of ignorance," he said while scanning the room for more boxes.

Jadea quietly smiled to herself at what he said before picking up another box.

"Thank you. A lot of people thought I was wierd for believing that there are some things that we thought were myths and used for scary stories were real," she said before looking at him.

"But why would the numbers dwindle? Your serum's doing the trick, right," she asked.

"Indeed, those stories are most of the time exaggerations from what people thought they saw, or couldn't explain. No one know the true stories except for those who look for them." Readjusting the boxes again, he leaned down to grab a few idle papers and placed them on top of the boxes.

He looked at her quickly, "Exactly." He paused before speaking again, pursing his lips for a moment. "My serum... it supresses mild bloodlust. Every time a vampire injects him or herself with it, they can go without feeding for a few days, depending on strength and the severity of the need. In this way, I've reduced the number of victims by simply controlling how many times a vampire feeds. One vampire who used to kill three humans a day may go to only one human a week with the use of the serum."

He sighed, hating to refer to the humans as food, even though that's what they were to the creatures of the night.

"Fewer humans are being killed or turned as the already existing vampires sate their hunger with the serum. It will never cure the hunger, however... and there are those that resist."

Jadea swallowed hard. The way he was telling it certainly did cause her heart to go into her throat.

"So..have you tried making the serum a bit stronger? To sort of be the temporary feed to control the blood lust? I mean, like how we can make some foods homemade, but some people get the instant kind. Perhaps not as filling as it would be if it were homemade, but..I'm sure you understand what I mean," she said.

So just me being his food..I won't be enough, she thought. But what if..I could provide a substitute..like cow's blood or something else like it..it's not exactly hurting them..but it should be enough to sustain him other than using myself. Even though it's in the contract he can't harm another being, but..it's mostly humans. The only way the contract to break is if I were to die or he dies. And since he's been using the serum a lot..it's only a matter of time before he adapts to it and soon his blood lusting won't..be easy to contain.

He looked at her, shaking his head, a solemn glint in his eyes. "I wish there were a way to do so... but my partners and I have all agreed that making the serum stronger would not work. The only way to strengthen its effects would be to add more of the blood-additive, but in doing that... we'd risk the vampires becoming either addicted, or immune."

"I understand what you mean... but... those who have consumed other than human blood on a regular basis and without proper nourishment have suffered disasterous effects - severe illness, death, and mutation." He shuddered visibly, dropping his gaze as he considered the last side-effect.

"It does not take much to sustain us, but for those who use other distinct powers often, they require more blood and run the risk of draining their victims. I bid you not worry..." He pleaded, his gaunt features odd with a concerned and slightly frightened visage.

She stared at her boxes, regretting she had said to him before closing them.

"S-sorry..I had thought that would work..I didn't realize it would cause more problems, but the mild type won't last much longer, even for you. It's just like us and medicine. If we're continually exposed to it, we grown immune to it, even the smallest dosage won't do any good against anything we get," she said.

I guess he means well..but..maybe I should just quiet down about it. Everyone's lives are hard, even my own. I don't want him to be afraid, but..neither should I. I should trust him, she thought while looking at him before sighing.

"I probably will be called a fool for this..but after this gets handled, I'll allow you to take some blood from me to sustain you for a time," she said.

"We thought it would work too, until our experiments proved us terribly, terribly wrong." He coughed lightly, clearing his throat, and looked over the boxes as she looked at him in thought. "Is this it?" He queried idly, before hearing her next comment.

"Fools are only the faint at heart. I was prepared for a day or two without feeding, which would allow you to become accustomed to your new surroundings..." he trailed off as a box slipped slightly, though he caught it, smirked quickly, and continued. "But if you would allow it, I assure you it will only hurt for a breif moment." He tried to reassure her with a small smile, his head cocked to the side a bit.

"That's what I mean, I know I should get accustomed to the surroundings in your place, but..I should also get accustomed to being bit. As for the boxes..that should be it. I pack very little," she said, nodding.

Not to mention get used to you being around, she thought.

"Very true," he began, walking towards the front door with the boxes under his arms. "But I doubt you want to deal with pain so late in the night... and after your scare." He looked down and away apologetically, though quickly recovered. "But if you are sure, we will begin tonight."

Gesturing for her to come to him, his smile faltered a bit as he surveyed the almost bare surroundings. "You are sure you have everything? We will depart immediately if you do."

Jadea looked to him before looking around at the bare place for a glimpse and looks back at him. "Yes, I'm sure," she said before smiling.

"As for scaring..don't worry about it. It's already forgotten by now. As for pain, it's already being a pain to manage 56 students, so I don't mind," she added.

He nodded, chuckling shortly before shifting the boxes so that he could place a hand on her shoulder. "Teaching others is a gift. And now I shall take you to my home." Please hold on tightly to those boxes, as I will hold on to you." He let her get ready before closing his eyes to focus on his home.

"Ready when you are."

Jadea slightly clung to the boxes before nodding, blushing slightly at his touch.

Lars nodded shortly at her own, gripping the boxes slightly before sending them on her way. They would experience a squishing feeling, and possibly a shortness of breath or lightheadedness for Jadea. They had been sucked into an alternate dimension of time, one that would send them flying towards Lars's chataeu once he called upon it.

Grasping hold of an image of it in his mind, he beckoned, and the earlier sensations would return to them as they began to descend from the dimension's hold.

They came upon a gated lawn, small, but very well kept. Finely-trimmed hedges sat neatly under white-paned windows, dark-red curtains hanging inside, blocking the view of the interior. The doors were of a french style - two paned doors opening outwards onto a small set of stairs and a tiled porch, a lone teal armchair with curled wooden legs seating on the very left wall of the porch where the apartments were seperated. It was two stories, the roof coming into a sharp point, the overhang detailed in thin, looping wooden trim, identical to the other ten on this side of the street.

Lars's home was number four, the outside was a white scalloped concrete, and quickly after they appeared, he spun his head left and right to make sure no ordinary person had seen them.

Turning his attention back to the women next to her, and giving the boxes a quick once over, he smiled nervously, "I hope you are alright. This is where you will be staying."

Jadea stumbled, bumping into him, wincing slightly before looking at him and suddenly straightens, shaking her head only to check to make sure she still had her boxes in her arms before looking at him.

"S-sorry..I was a little dizzy from that. What was that anyways and...where are we," she asked while looking around.

Lars offered her a small smile as she stumbled, his hand still atop her shoulder as he ushered them to the front door. "Teleportation," he said simply, "and only a very select few of the vampires can do it. How far you can go depends on how much power you have, and power depends on blood. The side effects will wear off in a minute or so."

As the pair arrived at the french doors to his home, he reach into his back pocket and pulled out a silver, old-fashioned key, and fit it into the lock, twisting it until it clicked. "This is my home." He pulled out the key and replaced it into his back pocket. Pulling open one of the doors, he stepped in with the boxes he was holding, and moved to the side of a dim foyer, enough room for her to step inside as well.

"Quickly, quickly. It's begun to get cold, and very, very late. And I'm sure you'd like to get situated so that we may... begin." He looked to her, then to the interior, which was lavishly decorated with old-fashioned french furniture, sculptures, and other such fineries. It definately looked bigger inside than it was on the outside.

Jadea nodded while stepping inside and looked around in awe, her eyes wide in curiousity and fascination.

"W..wow..so this is where you live?" she asked while walking around, stopping in the middle of the room. How in the heck could he have paid for all of this?! her mind squealed before looking to him.

"I agree that it is starting to be late, but it's alright. There are a lot of things I will need to do as soon as possible, but in the meantime, they will have to be put aside, your needs come first and foremost. If you would before we begin, could you show me to my room?" she asked.

He smiled at her admiration for his home, stepping inside and to the right, where a spiral, black ironcast staircase lead to the second floor. He shifted the boxes slightly, thinking to himself for a moment before answering her most likely rhetorical question.

"Why yes, this is where I live. It has been my home for quite a while..." He paused, noting her wonder. He shifted his hat by shaking his head, then leaned on the banister. "And those serums aren't free..." he added at length, hoping that would sate her curiousity about his wealth.

Walking upstairs almost without effort, save for the boxes, he slowly arrived at the overhang, where he looked down at Jadea. Smiling slightly, he took to the left wing, and stopped at a darkwood door. "This will be your room."

He opened it slightly, so that he may enter and set down the boxes. Putting them in a corner, he gazed around the room slowly. There was a queen-sized bed, canopy-style, a large darkwood armoire, a desk and bookshelf of the same wood, and a walkin closet on the left side of the room. A balcony opened to the backlot on the right side, giving ample light to the dim room when it was day. The entire room decor was a deep forest green with dark brown accents. Stepping aside and to the left of the door way, he leaned against the wall, and bowed his head slightl. "I hope it is to your liking."

Jadea looked around and smiled at him. "Indeed, I like how this room is. You really have quite a choosing on interior decorating and design," she said while setting down the boxes and stretches before rubbing her arms.

He smiled, nodding, and started idly opening the boxes and setting their contents out on the bed. "Why thank you. If there's anything you need, please let me know. You are my most honored guest." Leaning down to grab another box, his hair pooled over his shoulders, and when he returned, his eyes held an almost tired gaze that mimicked the dark, sleeping outside.

Jadea stopped for a moment to watch him, a slight worry crossing her face before starting to unpack the first box and starts putting some of her clothes away. Even though his smile could fool nearly anyone or so she assumed, she could tell something bothered him.

Why did he stop when that look in his eyes before swore to kill.. Of course, I was scared, scared to die, but some of the most brutality lied within the very dark heart of another who can kill just as easily. Although he can say he isn't human..somehow..i think he still has some little humanity left. But..even for someone who is like him, he can outrank them all. He's not a beast, just someone who can't stand being alone. But why?..

She shook her head at that, frowning inwardly before continuing to unpack her things. Picking up a hair tie from a separate box, she pulled her hair back into a loose ponytail.

He wondered all those things himself - if indeed he had any humanity still within his undead body, why then did he hesitate? What happened at that moment that was so different from any other? Why, why, why?

He smirked as she tied her hair back, watching her for a moment longer.He organized some of the things on the bed into clothing, papers, and other miscellaneous things, taking a seat on the edge of the bed to do so.

"I hope I do not frighten you..," he said at length, gaze lifting to her through a sheet of wavy brown hair that hid his face.

"Huh? Frighten me?" Jadea said while looking at him. She distractedly had picked up an item and looked at him.

"No..you don't frighten me at all. Why would you ask me that?" she asked while staring at him.

Maybe a little, from what she picked up, she had a right to be. The guy nearly killed her, he's not a normal human being, but a vampire. Of course, things of the occult and supernatural interested her, but to see a real live one...a living, breathing vampire..

That was very frightening.

He rose from the bed, leaving the items he had arranged unattended for the time being. Taking short, slow steps towards the woman, he smiled, almost darkly, though its intent was definately of the questionable sort as his cruelly elongated fangs glistened, poking out from beneath his lips.

"Were it not my right, a creature of the night, to know if I have frightened you?" His ears perked at the point invisibly, and he pulled lightly at the collar of his shirt. "Am I what you humans seek in their fairy tales?"

He bowed his head so elegantly, so inmistakably , that he thought that for a moment he had travelled back in time to be received by a Lady of the Court of Nights - his orginal clan.

"Am I a Nightmare?" His whisper was cold, icy cold.

Jadea swallowed before resting both hands alongside his face.

"It may be...but then again, isn't that something you should sense from one different than you?" she found herself saying. Though it did make a point, hopefully he would understand that much without playing his head game too harshly. "As for being a nightmare...some who would be leaving the world, dying as you may call it, would find you as a salvation. Ending their lives painfully at first, but in the end..it's like being lulled to sleep. To some that are just now seeing you like I am.. if they hadn't accepted you like I have, then it would be considered a nightmare."

Though warm it was sounding and hopefully it had worked.

"You're never a nightmare, so never think like that again," she said, scoldingly, but not in a mean way as she would to her students, since he was an adult.

He stared at the woman blankly, blinking a few times as she spoke, being totally, almost deathly quiet so that he may hear her words, as well as her mind.

"Yes, it is true that I can feel it... but it is seldom I know the why." He spoke very low, almost in a mumble, and decided to remark none on how one felt to die by the hand- or fangs, as it were - of a vampire.

He shrunk back from her slightly as she added the last sentence in slight vehemence, though he held straight, his head held high and neck arched so that he stood at his full, towering height, with a tender smile hung loosely from his lips. "Perhaps... but when one is persuaded to think as such for nearly eight hundred years of his lifetime, little can undo such thoughts..."

Turning from her so that she was just out of his line of vision, Lars placed a hand over his heart, fingering the buttons of his shirt there idly. "But I thank you... your words mean much to me."

Jadea sighed, shaking her head and lightly smiled herself.

"Sometimes it takes a lot of work to undo that, but keep your chin up. No one is to judge you but your own self. To me personally, you can never be that when there's still hope left. If you can't find that within yourself, then I'll bring it out for you," she said before getting back to work on putting her things away.

It was the least she can do for him, she knew that, but there was a lot he was holding back. She pitied him and didn't want to push it any further, she felt it was best that he came to her when he feels it's right to. She trusted him this far, now it's his turn.

He lowered his head further, a brief sigh issuing from his lips as he listened to her wise words. "Hope..." he uttered after her, almost dryly and in disbelief that there could be any left at all in this monster of a man. But if she saw something there... maybe it wouldn't hurt to believe.

Settling back down on the bed and picking up things to hand to her as she put them away, he held a contemplative look as he went over her words, and tried to find something of value or nobility to be the motivation for 'keeping his chin up'. Finding this at best, futile, he looked up at her, then past her towards the balcony. Lifting from the sheets, he took a few silent steps over to it, staring ahead blankly at the dark sky.

"There is more storage beneath the bed," he added, as there were indeed three more drawers and a small cabinet built into the frame, "and in the closet as well."

"Huh? Oh, I'll probably use them to store some personals from work," she said, smiling a little. "As for the closet..I think I've used only half of the space."

It kind of did surprise her on him helping her put away the clothes. It made the work certainly more faster as she had closed the doors to the closet and went to stand next to him, her hands on the balcony rail as she leaned against it, smiling while looking out.

"Sure is nice out," she said before looking at him. "Weren't you ever lonely while you've lived here?"