Leading A Vampire

[CursedVixen]

(The lead has been taken. Other roles may open up - please PM before posting)

IC:

Zoe had finally turned 21. She had been waiting so long for her birthday to finally roll around. Her looks were mature, but she still had a hard time getting into bars and clubs. So when her birthday finally came around, Zoe and her friends decided to go out and celebrate. They chose random bars and clubs without realizing that their choices were not wise. Zoe was attractive and eye-catching. She had long black hair and gray eyes. She was about 5'6 and slender. Her jeans and halter showed her figure off nicely. At almost every bar she had guys willing to buy her any drink she wanted - and they were willing to buy more than just one. But Zoe had enough sense to know that she wasn't going to be taken home by a random guy - even if he was a hunk.

As the night was winding down, Zoe and her friends decided to hit one more club. It was known to be mysterious and strange occurences were known to frequently happen there. Slash was the perfect place for Zoe to dance until she lost her steam and was ready to go home. After about an hour, she'd been separated from her friends. She waited near the bar and looked around. The music was too loud and the crowd was still too large for her to recognize anyone.

That's when he showed up. Afterwards Zoe would try to remember his name, but sometimes she found it hard to even remember what he looked like. He was darkly charming and alluring. One moment she found herself letting him buy her her first drink, and the next they were making out in the alley way behind the club. As his lips moved to her neck she felt his teeth puncture her skin. Zoe couldn't remember if she'd screamed. But her attacker was soon interupted by indistinguishable sounds, and out of fear he ran. Zoe slowly slumped to the floor in a daze. Her heart was close to stopping, and soon she would die unless she was given her first taste of blood and thus transformed into a vampire.

OOC:

I'm looking for a male character to play the role of a vampire. Specifically. He'll save Zoe and thus the storyline will progress from there. I suppose other roles can be added in but I don't expect that to be an issue. Specifics and ideas are based upon the individual. After saving Zoe the story line should drift towards unexpected romance. Please PM me first.

 

[PogueMahone]

Vassily

Vassily was bored. He never really understood why he kept coming to this club, it wasn’t his type of place, and yet almost every night he found himself here, leaning against the bar, watching the crowd dance to music that was too loud, too fast, and much too modern for him. “I’m getting old,” He muttered to himself, straightening the long dark jacket he wore as he watched the humans and the few members of his own species writhe in time with the music. His kind was always easy to spot, at least for one of their own; a sinuous grace always marked their movements, as if they were dancing to a silent rhythm only they could here. Humans on the other hand seemed to blunt and uncoordinated in their movements, as if hurrying through their lives had made all their actions rushed. “I’ve been here way too long,” Vassily scolded himself as he sipped at his drink, “if I’m getting into comparative discussions with myself it is definitely time to call it a night.”

As he turned to pay for his drink, Vassily almost instinctively glanced up at the long mirror over the bar as if to check his reflection. “Haven’t seen that in almost 400 years,” he chuckled, although he knew exactly what he’d see if his image would show up in the polished glass. He was tall, almost unnaturally tall, and slender with short dark hair and light blue, almost white eyes. He wore his usual suit of dark clothes, a light blue silk shirt the only bit of color in his otherwise monochromatic outfit.

The night air was cool and blissfully free of the cigarette smoke and cologne that had filled the club with an almost nauseating miasma for his heightened senses. He stood there in the door, breathing in the somewhat purer air, attuning himself to the quiet night noises when something drew his attention. A soft, pathetic mewing sound, as if an animal was in pain came from the alley beside the club. Curious, Vassily stepped to the mouth of the alley, his unnatural eyes easily distinguishing the two figures in the dark corner. It was a feeding; one of his own kind seeking sustenance from a human, the mewing sounds coming from the young girl’s mouth as her life was drank from her neck. “Fool,” Vassily hissed softly, too soft for a human to hear but loud enough for the other vampire, “you should never feed in public.”

At his voice the stranger turned, his lips and fangs colored red as he hissed a warning towards Vassily, an animalistic challenge to protect his prey. “Go away,” Vassily stated simply, sensing this one was young, probably just turned a few decades ago and therefore no match for him in a fight. “Leave her and go,” Vassily hissed again, stepping further into the alley. The young vampire hesitated, as if thinking about his odds of winning a duel with Vassily, before turning and running noiselessly away. “Children,” Vassily spat scornfully as he moved to the young human, bending down to brush her long dark hair away from her face. “The fool took too much,” He told the young woman, knowing that she was dying, the flush of life fading from her cheeks to be replaced by a grey pallor, the pallor of death, with every heartbeat. There really was no need to kill your prey, Vassily knew, none of his kind needed that much blood to survive. He knelt there, looking into the young woman’s face, watching her life ebb from her grey eyes. “It’s not that bad,” He assured the young woman, knowing she only had moments left, her young life leaking out onto the dirty ground as he knelt over her, his thumb tapping against his lower lip in time with her heartbeat. “It’ll all be over soon and then you’ll be at peace.”

 

[CursedVixen]

The night's evenings had become mush in her brain, but she still remembered the pain of his teeth puncturing her skin and the frightening feeling of her blood being drained from her body. As her strength faded she had given in and stopped fighting. He was far stronger than she was, even before he had sunk his teeth into her neck. After a while she had slipped into a dreamlike state, somewhere between pleasant and nightmarish. But Zoe was rudely interuppted as she felt his hands leave her body - thus leaving her without support. She tried to stand, to become conscious once again, but she was helpless without her strength or his support and she slowly crumbled to the ground. Zoe lay on the cold, hard ground in a daze. She felt incredibly weak. She was cold, and thought she could feel herself shivering. She blinked furiously as she tried to escape the freakish dream that had become her vision, but her eyes had permanently adjusted.

Zoe rested in the alley looking to what would've been a beautifully starry night. As she began to accept her death, unknown tears began to fall down her cheeks. Zoe could feel her heartbeat slowing down, and she waited patiently for it to finally stop.

As she waited for what felt like an eternity, she felt something loom over her, something she hadn't felt before. It radiated both life and death at the same time. She heard it speak, but the sound seemed so far away to her. Zoe tried to cry out, but speech had become inaudible. Her cries had been reduced to gurgles and coughs. She felt the pain in her lungs as it became harder to breath. Her body became stiff, and it became even harder to blink. She felt something touch her lower lip - that entity from which glowed with life and death. She wished she could see, but her world was slowly becoming dark. The touch on her lip kept in time with her heartbeats, which were becoming scarcely fewer and Zoe knew she didn't have many left.

 

[PogueMahone]

Vassily

Vassily knelt there; his pale eyes fixed on her face, watching the life, the glow of her youth fade as the puddle of crimson grew around her. “You were lovely,” He murmured to her comfortingly, knowing that she probably wouldn’t be able to hear him, not if she was this far gone. He could feel her young heart begin to falter, the strong pounding rhythm slowing, each beat blending with the one following it, becoming a faint murmur. “You should not have died,” He told her, his fingers caressing her pale cheek, feeling the chill as it seeped through her body. He had watched this same scene many times in the past, always feeling as if he should try and comfort the victim, to ease their passing, as if his small gesture could make up for what he was, for all that he had done. “You needn’t have died,” He assured her, tearing his eyes from her face, from the tears that poured from her grey eyes as they stared sightlessly skyward.

“I shouldn’t,” He hissed to himself, fighting the impulse that gripped him, trying to fight the argument that he knew he’d already lost as he slipped his hand under her neck, gently lifting her head. “Forgive me, my dear. You may well hate me for what I’m about to do,” He told the near comatose woman, “but I couldn’t let you die.” Raising his wrist to his own mouth, Vassily bit into his skin, his long fangs easily puncturing a vein. “God, forgive me for what I do,” He prayed softly in Latin as he spit out his own blood, bringing his bleeding wrist down to her pale lips. The bright red of his blood spilled over her lips, near white as her heart started to fade, staining them redder then any lipstick ever would. “Drink, my dear, drink deeply.” He instructed her, holding his wrist to her mouth, his blood, the blood of a vampire, flooding the dying woman’s mouth.

 

[CursedVixen]

Zoe

Zoë knew she was dying. It was only a matter of time before she would feel warmth and comfort again. She knew release was only moments away. It had become closer the moment she had stopped fighting. She could no longer feel her limbs or organs and felt the call and slumber of sleep.

Zoe discovered that death could be excruciatingly painful. She’d always hoped for a quick and painless passing, but to be drained of what is your life source vies for an agonizing death. She had prayed for the end that she was unsure would ever come. Lucid memories flashed through her mind and she could hear the voices of her friends and family. The images were becoming clearer still when Zoe felt a stinging pain on her lips and in her mouth and throat.

The pain felt like a shock of electricity. It was a jolt that touched every portion of her being. It ripped her away from her memories, and brought her back to her body. The puncture wound on her neck seemed to blister, and her skin felt like it was on fire. Every bone, every muscle, every organ, everything in her body felt as though they were being pulled and stretched apart.

But the pain suddenly stopped. Zoe had a new awareness of her limbs, as though she had new found flexibility. She blinked many times as her vision cleared. Her eyes seemed more acute, and the images she saw were sharper, more defined.

Zoe felt something holding her neck and she looked up. She found a dark haired man with the most beautiful eyes standing over her, with a bit of blood on his lips. Zoe couldn’t decide if she wanted to be frightened or simply amazed, but she was transfixed by him all the same. She felt something warm on her lips and chin, and as she pulled her eyes away from him - she touched the substance and brought her hand to her eyes and saw what she knew by a distinct smell to be blood. Alarmed she looked back up to him in confusion. She tried to stand, but was still to weak. As she stumbled she fell into his arms and was again transfixed.

 

[PogueMahone]

Vassily

Vassily hissed as her mouth began sucking at his bleeding wrist, her hands coming up almost reflexively to hold his arm in place as she drank; her hungry mouth fixed to his arm as she unconsciously drank his blood, his life, into her. “Forgive me, Father,” Vassily murmured softly, a tear running down his cheek as he watched the young woman return from the threshold of death, her tongue lapping at his open vein, eager for more blood. “I am sorry, my child,” Vassily told her, instinctively speaking in his native tongue, a tongue that would be completely foreign to the young woman who lay at his feet, as her eyes focused once more, staring up at him in wonderment.

“Easy,” He laughed as she tried to stand, her body responding with unusual grace and speed to her thoughts. “It will take some time to get used to… the changes.” He assured her, easily catching her as she stumbled back into his arms. “Rest now. There will be plenty of time,” all of eternity, Vassily added silently as he lifted her easily, carrying her like a newborn babe, “plenty of time for you to discover your new abilities. But for now, rest, my dear,” He insisted as he carried her from the alley, cradling her protectively as he surveyed the nearly deserted street. It was still late night, the street sparsely populated with drunks and vagrants, those few barely coherent and not even close to being reliable witnesses. “This may be disorienting,” Vassily warned the young woman as she stared up at him with a mixture of fear and amazement before breaking into a run, dashing down the street faster then the human eye could follow. While few of his kind truly possessed the power of flight, almost all were endowed with speed, a speed that gave them the appearance of magically disappearing and reappearing before a human’s very eyes. While it was late, Vassily knew that he had to get the young woman to a place of safety before daybreak, a haven to shelter her as the change truly took over her body.

 

[CursedVixen]

Zoe

Zoe was bewildered. She swore that just moments before she was near death - if not dead - and now she felt more alive then she ever had in all her years. She didn't understand the blood on her lips or the taste in her mouth; it was a taste she thought should be disgusting and grotesque, but she found it delicious and satisfying.

Her legs felt like jello beneath her; as though they would never be able to hold her weight. They wobbled horribly as she tried to stand. As she fell into his arms she gripped onto him tightly. Changes? She was even more confused. She didn't understand how or why she was still on this earth. She wanted to speak to him, to ask him questions, but there was no time.

As he picked her up Zoe seemed to melt. She still felt weak and helpless, and what little strength she had remaining was devoted to holding onto the neck and shoulders of the man who now carried her effortlessly down the alley towards the street. His warning of disorientation was not enough and Zoe fought to stay conscious as he seemed to fly past buildings and under lights. His insistence to rest meant nothing to her. How could she sleep at such a time? There were so many questions she wanted to ask him, but she couldn't seem to find the words.

The nights events had become too much for Zoe. She was beyond confused, she had so many questions, and she felt like a tired rag doll. She was lulled to sleep by the man's quick, steady footprints that carried her further and further away from everything she had once known.

 

[PogueMahone]

Vassily

Vassily ran. His long legs covering miles of ground as he fell into a steady rhythm, the slender young woman cradled in his arms, her arms around his neck clinging to him weakly. You’ll be changed, my dear, he thought as he glanced down at her, at her pale smooth skin that seemed luminescent in the moonlight. I only hope you may forgive me for what I have done to you.

As they neared the suburbs of the city, Vassily slowed down, turning his steps towards one of his properties. One of the benefits of long life was the accumulation of property and wealth if you invested properly. While not wealthy, Vassily knew he had resources few other had. Four hundred years gave a man plenty of time to set aside a nest egg, Vassily thought with a smile as they neared a small house in a quiet picturesque neighborhood. There was no one about at this early hour, every house dark, as he carried the young woman up to the door, swinging it open and carrying her across the threshold. Thoughts of his wife flooding back over him as he thought of the last time he’d carried a woman into a house. She’s long dead, He scolded himself, the image of her long blonde hair and piercing eyes still as vivid in his mind as when he first met her. “Long dead,” He muttered softly, glancing down at the sleeping young woman in his arms.

Setting the girl down gently on the bed, Vassily made sure all the shades and curtains were drawn, ensuring that not a spot of sunlight would be able to enter, before picking up the young woman’s purse. “Zoe,” He read aloud as he searched through her belongings, finding her driver’s license. “Twenty one,” He chuckled as he read, “well, happy birthday, Zoe.” He said, tossing her purse onto the bed beside her, standing over her, looking down at the lovely young woman who had become his responsibility. “Happy birthday, indeed,” He repeated as he could see the change taking her, altering her from what she was, making her more and less then human.

 

[CursedVixen]

Zoe slept peacefully. She slept dreamlessly and without visions or haunts. In his arms she felt weightless - as though she were floating on air. She rested with fulfillment and ease. She could still feel a particular tingling feeling from the jolt of electricity her body had received earlier. It lingered in her limbs and in her mind.

She was bleakly aware of how much time had passed as se rested her head against his shoulder. She didn't care about the time or where he was taking her. None of that mattered to her anymore. It was a feeling of bliss that Zoe had never experienced before in her life, and she never wanted to let it go. She slipped in and out of consciousness, but every time she opened her eyes she saw his face and his beautiful blue eyes. She smiled to herself as she felt him hold her close. As he lay her on the comfortable bed she subconsciously clung to him. She slid from his arms with ease and laid her head on the soft pillow. Her slumber was deep and motionless.

Hours later Zoe finally awakened. She looked around the room and realized that she was still a bit hazy. She slowly sat up and rubbed her eyes. She found her belongings scattered on the bed. She looked at her cellphone and groaned: 12 Messages and 67 Missed Calls. Zoe dropped her phone back onto the bed and continued to look around. It was completely dark and she saw no traces of light - even though the clock said 1:24 PM. Zoe tentatively stood and tiptoed over to the doorway and she bit her lip as she peered into the hall. She tried to gather enough courage to venture forward, but as curious as she was she was still afraid. The darkness prohibited her vision as her eyes tried to adjust. For a moment she thought she might have heard or seen something, but as groggy as she was Zoe couldn't tell.

"Hello?" She called softly.

 

[PogueMahone]

Vassily

Vassily stood over the bed watching the young woman, Zoë, as she slept. Small, almost imperceptible changes were occurring, altering her as she slumbered peacefully. “Zoë,” He murmured her name, trying to get used to it, knowing that they were now bound together by a bond stronger then either had known. “Zoë,” He repeated, his hand gently smoothing her long dark hair away from her face, causing the stir slightly in her sleep. “Sleep well, my dear,” He whispered to her softly, bending over to kiss her pale forehead before silently slipping out of the room.

Stepping into the kitchen, Vassily opened the small refrigerator, drawing out the plastic bag hanging there. “A little charity goes a long way,” Vassily thought with a smile as cut the corner off the bag, pouring the dark red blood into a goblet. A sizable contribution to a local hospital ensured that there was always a fresh supply in each of his houses, houses the hospitals thought of as clinics. Sipping at the chilled blood, Vassily found himself staring down the hallway, towards the bedroom. The bedroom where she slept. “Damn it, what’s wrong with me?” He snarled after a few minutes of silent thought, his mind refusing to turn away from her, from Zoë. He had always known there was a bond between his kind, a sort of sense when another was near but this, this was stronger then anything he’d ever experienced. “Is this what we all feel when we turn a human?” Vassily wondered, as he finished his glass, the small amount of blood being enough to sustain him for days. If this strong pull was normal, Vassily was silently grateful that he had never turned a human before tonight.

Stepping into his own bedroom, Vassily quickly stripped. His pale body slender and muscular, gleaming in the pale light as he threw himself onto the bed. Sleep was a long time coming, every fiber of his being seemed to scream out to him, trying to draw him back to her. His dreams were filled with images of his long dead wife, Antanasia, with her long blond hair and ready smile teasing him, bidding him to follow her, to chase her through the rose garden of their house. The silver peals of her laughter brought tears to his eyes as Vassily ran after her, desperate to catch her, to hold her once more. Finally, after what seemed an eternity Vassily managed to catch her in the center of the garden, the large fountain bubbling happily in his memory as he took her into his arms, drawing her to him for a kiss. As he hugged her to his chest, his arms wrapped tight around her shoulders Antanasia changed, her blonde hair darkening to black, her bright green eyes fading grey. “Zoë,” Vassily managed to gasp out as he awoke, sitting up in the middle of his sweat soaked bed. “Damn it, what is wrong with me?” He wondered once more as he climbed out of bed, knowing sleep was banished for good. Sliding a dark robe on, he stepped out into the hall, pausing as he heard the door of Zoë’s room open, her body a dark silhouette against the deeper darkness of the room behind her.

"Hello?" She called softly.

“Hello, Zoë,” Vassily greeted her after a few seconds pause, moving silently closer to her in the dark. “Did you sleep well?” He asked, stopping a few feet from her, her scent filling his nose as she continued to peer into the darkness.

 

[CursedVixen]

The moment Zoe heard his voice she knew who it was. It was him. The same man who had saved her from the alley. She heard his voice and wished that she could see him. She could hear him moving closer to her and she had to restrain herself from reaching her hand out to determine where he was.

Zoe had always been careful around guys. She didn't sleep around, she didn't have sex with random guys, and she was always very careful. She'd never had a serious relationship with a man. She was always too afraid of getting hurt. But she felt a pull that felt like a magnet towards this man. She knew naught who he was, but she didn't care. At that very moment she could have thrown herself into his arms without blinking. Her breath was almost short as she tried to reply.

"I slept fine, thank you." She hesitated. Dare she ask questions? She had so many, but she didn't know if she should inquire. She didn't know if she wanted her questions answered truthfully.

Zoe felt like a little girl. She was never this timid or shy, but yet she felt like she was 12 years old again around her first crush. She felt herself blush, but she didn't know why. Finally, Zoe managed to muster up enough courage.

"Who are you?" She asked, swallowing hard.

 

[PogueMahone]

Vassily

Vassily could see her, smell her, almost taste her as she stood there in the doorway, trying to peer into the darkness, trying to see him. “I am Vassily Zychev,” Vassily told her formally, executing a stiff bow that was lost on her in the darkness. “It is an…honor to make your acquaintance,” He told her, forcing his speech and manners to be formal, fighting his urge to simply reach out for the young woman, to hold her, to take her as his own.

“Are you hungry or do you require anything?’ He inquired, moving slightly closer to her, her scent, the scent of flowers in spring filling his nostrils as he loomed over her in the dark hallway. He could hear his own heartbeat, pounding in his ears as he tried to fight the pull he felt towards this young woman. “Is there anything I can do for you?” He asked, hating the hint of eagerness he heard in his own words.

 

[CursedVixen]

His formal tone was incredibly sweet. Zoe found herself smiling as she listened to him stumble over his words. It surprised her that he was such a gentleman; to which she was unaccustomed to.

She could hear him stepping towards her, and almost immediately she inhaled his scent. It was alluring, almost intoxicating. Zoe found that it reminded her of something, but she couldn't quite place her finger on it. She closed her eyes as the smell charmed her senses.

"No, I'm fine." She mumbled. "I do not know if I should ask what happened last night," she said timidly. The night before was simply a blur to her. "And I'm going to be late for work if I don't hurry." She clung to the frame of the door as she waited for him to draw ever closer.

 

[PogueMahone]

Vassily

Vassily paused, his hands which were reaching out towards her freezing in place as she mentioned the previous night. He was reluctant, dreading the fact that he would have to reveal what had happened, what he had done to her, how he had forever changed her life. “I… I do not think you should go to work,” Vassily told her after a few moments of silence. “There… there are some things which you should know, Zoe.” He finally admitted, resigning himself to the fact that she would hate him; despise him for what he had turned her into to.

“But first, we should be more comfortable,” He said, bidding some time, “please, let’s retire to the kitchen where we can talk more comfortably.” He insisted, his hand reaching out to take hers, his fingers closing around her slender wrist. As he touched her, the pull, the need to be with her seemed to increase hundredfold, his eyes dimming at the rush of emotion that tore through him. “Please… please come with me,” He managed to say, fighting his instincts as he clung almost desperately to her hand.

 

[CursedVixen]

Zoe could feel his hidden dread. She could sense his nervousness, his shame, his reluctance. She'd had a hunch that told her she probably wouldn't make it into work that day. And probably not the next, either.

She was glad that he wanted to talk; maybe she would be able to get some answers out of him. She wanted to know what had happened, where she was, how she had got there.

As she felt his hand take her wrist a sense of comfort and security washed over her. His hand was cold to the touch but she slid hers into his anyways. She let him lead her and she willingly followed him as he guided her through the darkness of the house. She stepped lightly and shyly, afraid that she would walk into something.

"Why is it so dark?" She asked him.

 

[PogueMahone]

Vassily

Vassily led her through the dark house, his fingers clinging to her hand as if he would never let go. It wasn’t truly dark to him; his eyes could make out the shapes of furniture and obstacles in the near complete blackness, a talent she would soon develop. Not too soon, Vassily hoped, rather enjoying her small dependency on him to guide her through the house safely. “It is dark because sunlight can hurt us,” He told her simply, guiding her to one of the high stools that lined the kitchen counter. “Please have a seat. I’ll get you something to drink.” He suggested as he moved to the refrigerator, pouring two small goblets of blood and placing one in front of her.

“Now, my dear, I’m sure you have questions,” He said, sipping at his own goblet as he sat beside her in the darkened room. “How may I be of service?”

 

[CursedVixen]

The sun has never affected me before, she thought. Worry was beginning to swell in her stomach and throat. Zoe gingerly sat on the stool and folded her hands neatly on the counter. She watched him by the dim light of the refridgetator as he poured a thick red substance into an antique looking cup. For a mere moment Zoe thought that it might've been blood, but he almost instantly pushed such a silly thought out of her mind.

"Why can't I leave?" She asked him as she slowly began to grow alarmed. She dared not touch or even look to closely at the substance he had placed in front of her. "I've missed class, my friends are worried sick, and if I don't go to work my boss is going to fire me," Zoe said, a little exasperated.

His charm was beginning to wear off and realization was slowly setting in. Her hands began to shake but it wasn't a cold shiver. She bit her lip and stared downward. She felt like crying.

 

[PogueMahone]

Vassily

Vassily heard the alarm in her voice, knowing that she was beginning to realize the truth, beginning to understand what he had done to her. “You can’t leave now, Zoë, because the sun is out. Sunlight is very dangerous to our kind; it is why this house is so dark.”

He could see her hands trembling on the table, every instinct telling him to reach out and comfort her, to hold her and reassure her. She would just push me away, He thought to himself. “You should forget about your classes, your friends, your job, Zoë.” He told her simply. “Your life has changed; you can never go back to it. I am sorry,” He apologized, his hand reaching out to cover hers as she stared at the counter. “You were dying in that alley. The other one had taken too much of your blood, you only had moments left. I… I should have let you go, but something about you, something made me want to save you. I did the only thing I could; I made you one of us. It was the only way to save your life.” Vassily told her, hoping she understood his reasons for his actions.

 

[CursedVixen]

Zoe remained quiet. She heard his words, she understood them, but she didn't want to believe that they were true. She didn't want to think about loosing her friends and her job, and she wanted to go back to school. She wanted to be upset, but she couldn't. Something told her that getting upset wouldn't make any difference. What'd done was done, and there was nothing she could do about it.

Small tears of pain and sorrow fell from her eyes as she watched him place his hands over hers. She wanted to remove his hands, but she couldn't. It was as though she were frozen.

Things weren't making sense to her anymore. Her kind? She had been dying the night before? Why couldn't she remember anything? Why would he not want to let her go?

Zoe stayed frozen and still. Unable to comprehend anything that this man was saying. She couldn't believe his words to be true, but she didn't know how to fight them. She drew away one hand and wiped away her tears.

 

[PogueMahone]

Vassily

Vassily waited. He knew what he was telling her was hard, hard to hear and harder to believe. “I am sorry, Zoe,” He told her softly as she pulled one hand from under his to wipe at her eyes, her tears glistening in the soft light of the kitchen. “Maybe I should start from the beginning,” He said with a soft chuckle.

“I am Vassily Dmitri Zychev, I was born in the city you now call St. Petersburg in the year of our lord 1612. I lived there, I grew up there, and I died there. For nearly 400 hundred years, I have survived. Last night, you were attacked. One of my kind, what you would refer to as a vampire, attacked you. You have the marks on your neck that prove the truth of my words. He took too much, none of us needs that much blood to survive. He killed you. I came upon the scene and found you, you were dying. It was only a matter of seconds.” He told her, lifting the goblet to his lips and sipping at the blood.

“Perhaps I should have let you die,” He continued. “But there was something about you, about how you clung so desperately to life. I couldn’t just let you go. I turned you, changed you to one of our kind. That is why you must forget your past life, your friends, your boss, and even your family. You are now a vampire, Zoe.” Vassily stated simply, watching her face in the dim light, trying to read her expression, gauge her reaction to his words. “Do you understand what I’m telling you?”

 

[CursedVixen]

"No. I don't understand." Zoe whispered. A vampire? How was that possible? It didn't make any sense. It was impossible to fathom that she had become such a creature. She had neither cared about nor believed in vampires before - and now he was telling her that they were both vampires, that she'd been bitten and transformed just last night.

There were a few moments of silence as Zoe tried to wrap her mind around what she had once considered the impossible. A couple of friends had sworn they'd met and seen vampires and other weird characters at Slash before that night; but Zoe had just figured that they were just overzealous people dressing up. Now she knew that her friends hadn't been lying. But why her? Why was she attacked, and not someone else? And why, if only a little was needed, did he take such a dangerous amount? Why had Vassily saved her, what had he seen, and why did he even care?

"Why?" she managed to say just barely above a whisper, but she knew he'd heard her. She watched him set his goblet down carefully. She repeated her question, this time a little louder and with an angry undertone. She drew her hand away from his and stood up. Again she repeated her question, but this time it was mixed with emotional furry. She had begun to cry without realizing it, but her tears were not the tears she would normally cry. Her eyes searched for him in the dark, and in finding him she shoved him violently and yelled to him Why?

 

[PogueMahone]

Vassily

Why?

Why indeed? Vassily thought as Zoë absorbed the full impact of his words, her anger rising suddenly as she began to realize the changes he had wrought on her life. “Why?”

“I don’t know,” Vassily told her truthfully as she shoved him away from her, pushing him off the stool on which he sat. His supernatural balance righted him before he even had a chance to stumble, the goblet in his hand not spilling a drop as he stood before her. “You are angry, scared, and resentful for all the wrongs you feel have been done to you, Zoë. Perhaps I should have let you die, perhaps I could have stopped the other from taking so much blood, perhaps you shouldn’t have gone to Slash last night. Why isn’t a question that will help you? You need to accept what has happened, what you have become or that question, why, will dominate your life from now on. And believe me, my dear; your life is going to be much longer now. You will have eternity to ask yourself why, why me, if you choose to,” Vassily assured her, his own anger rising as he spoke, until he was nearly shouting at her.

 

[CursedVixen]

Zoe wiped her tears across her arms. She wanted something, anything, from him. But she knew he had nothing to give her - nothing that would satisfy her. As his voice grew louder, she suddenly felt very lonesome and isolated.

"What if I don't want eternity?" She asked him. Zoe had never been afraid of dying. She had accepted the fact that a person lives and eventually dies. But now she would never die naturally. She would never venture into the sun, she would have no children, and she would never be able to return to the life she had once lived.

"I don't know what to do or where to go from here," she said helplessly, feeling apologetic for confronting him so violently. His own emotional response had startled her, almost humbled her.

 

[PogueMahone]

Vassily

“You don’t want eternity? You think death is preferable to what you are now?” Vassily snarled, his arm pointing angrily at the heavily curtained window. “If you fear what may come, what may happen, than open the window. Let the sun’s gaze kiss your face for one last time and end it all!”

“You don’t have to go anywhere, Zoë,” Vassily assured her after a few seconds, his anger slowly dissipating as he took his seat once more, his fingers releasing the goblet which he had been clenching unconsciously. “You may stay here until you become… accustomed to your new life.” He told her, flexing his fingers slowly. “I will help you in any way you require.” He promised softly, ashamed at losing his temper as he had. “It is the least I can do for you, my dear.”

 

[CursedVixen]

When Vassily lost his temper Zoe froze in fear. She was frightened, and she didn't dare move. She looked to the curtain, knowing that behind it lay would could be her death. She watched him as he collected himself and took his seat. Zoe didn't understand nor did she comprehend his calm demeanor. Why would she want eternity? Why would she want until the end of time to live?

Zoe hung her head lowly and her black hair fell into her face. She felt like a scolded child who had been yelled at for misbehaving. She didn't know what to say or what to do. What would her new life mean for her?

She had stopped crying, but she stood as stone. She didn't want to move. She didn't want to speak. She was still unsure if she wanted to live.