Dacian
Vampire (A)
Creature of the Night
Posts: 330
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Post by Dacian on Jan 13, 2010 11:06:09 GMT 1
[atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=background,http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v36/Tigeress/Random/postscripts/daci.png][bg=000000][atrb=style,background-position: top; background-repeat: no-repeat; padding: 220px 65px 65px 65px;]There were seven wonders in the world, and the fact that Dacian managed not to kick down the Hog’s door after it had been so freshly replaced was one of them. He came in quietly and headed for the kitchen. He made minimal noise searching through the deserted room, opening fridges and other containers on the hunt for something. He finally found it, stashed in a chilled pantry. Blood bags. Dacian would have pulled a face any other time, but desperate times called for desperate measures.
Sparing no thought to the mess he mad, he ripped opened the packe with his teeth, hissed as the movement jarred the blistering raw burn on his jaw, and poured as much as he could into his mouth. The taste was glorious, but his stomach churned uncertainly. He ignored it, and drunk down the rest. He sighed blissfully, and dropped the empty packet on the floor and grabbed a handful more.
The vampire had just encountered a girl. She was pretty, interesting, and Dacian never wanted to see her again. She was armed and dangerous, and had just seared a crucifix into his lower jaw. To top the evening off, before he could eat the girl, Silas Rosier had turned up. To cut a long and embarrassing story short, Dacian was now not in a good mood. It was perhaps his worst mood in a decade.
He stalked back to the bar, which was eerily quiet in the dead of night. His hearing was dulled, but he could assume there were heartbeats upstairs, and if Vivian was not lurking in the bar, she must be already asleep or out roaming. To spite Edward, he sat in the armchair by the fireplace. The coals were still glowing, giving the vampire enough light to see by without hurting his sensitive eyes.
He bit into another packet and took a long drink before he tilted his head and poured some over his jaw. The blood was cool and soothing on the burn and he gave a groan of satisfaction. It ran down his neck and soiled his shirt, but he couldn’t care less about his appearance. He upended the rest, slowly pouring it over the burn until the pain had lessened a little. The blood would help the healing, and the cool temperature would dull the burning sensation. It still hurt, like the fires of hell, but it was an outer ring of hell.
The vampire was far too distracted to notice movement upstairs, and he lounged in the wingback chair with his eyes closed, wondering if it was possible for his head to split open from the horrendous headache he was experiencing.
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Post by Cassie Vimes on Jan 14, 2010 1:42:31 GMT 1
Sleep. God Cassie needed to sleep. She’d stayed up for a while with Vivian, long enough to determine that the girl wasn’t about to have an immediate mental breakdown about everything that had happened. At least she hoped not, all Cassie had really discovered was that she wasn’t very good at dealing with distraught teenagers. Ed was so much better at that kind of thing and she’d eventually retreated to bed, leaving Vivian in the capable hands (well paws) of Rowdy so he could work some of his puppy magic.
The lights were off and Ed was already in bed when she finally clambered in next to him. He was still awake; she knew it, even though he didn’t answer her when she softly whispered his name and he lay motionless when she snuggled into his side. He must be really mad at her then; he’d never withheld cuddles from her before. Cassie had never felt so distant from him and she shifted closer to him to stave off fresh tears at the thought. It was a good five minutes before he put his arm around her and she felt she could finally relax enough to drop off.
The relaxed slumber wasn’t destined to last though and Cassie wasn’t sure what woke her but once she was up she couldn’t ignore the pressing need to pee. With a sigh she slipped from the bed, padding to the bathroom. ”I hope you’re happy” She grumbled under her breath, not sure if she was addressing the complaint to her bladder or unborn child. While she was awake she might as well satisfy her craving as well as she doubted Ed would be in the mood to tolerate her odd requests in the morning. Cassie set off down the steps to the pub, wondering if they had any custard creams in the pantry. She’d never liked the biscuits before, but it seemed pregnancy had done more than just affect her bladder.
Flicking on the light as she went, since the Cain incident she hadn’t been able to bring herself to walk through a dark room, Cassie allowed herself a quick glance around the room to check everything was in place before she headed to the kitchen. The barstools were all up against the bar, the chairs were all upturned on the tables and Dacian was sitting in one of the armchairs by the fire, drenched in blood. Cassie’s hands flew to her mouth, stifling a scream of terror and letting out only a half-chocked sob. Dacian had been back in her life for exactly one night and it already looked like she was about to lose him again.
”Dacian,” She hissed, almost stumbling in her hurry to get to his side, her gaze fixed on the blood soaked into his shirt and smeared across the skin of his neck and jaw. Was it all his? Perhaps he’d bitten somebody else? Cassie shuddered at the thought, but the few times she’d let him drink her blood it had never been that... messy. She was staring so intently at him that she didn’t see the empty blood packet, looking for any sign of life. She couldn’t lose him again. Not so soon.
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Dacian
Vampire (A)
Creature of the Night
Posts: 330
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Post by Dacian on Jan 14, 2010 8:16:30 GMT 1
The sudden flare of light alerted the vampire to the fact that he’d dozed off, and feet were clattering on the floor as he groaned and lifted a hand to shield his eyes. The sluggish behaviour was not normal, but at least there was some movement. He squinted up at Cassie, and there was a brief smile and flash of teeth before he realised how royally she had pissed him off. Cassie was not here to make him feel better. She wouldn’t watch him all day while he slept, and she wouldn’t trust him not to bite her come dusk. She was here to gloat, and to make his mood worse.
His first response of relief was replaced very quickly with anger from his injuries, and the hurt of her betrayal. Combined, it served to put him in the mother of all bad moods. His teeth flashed again, but this time it was a grimace, and he fought against the urge to seal his eyes shut as he turned his scowl on her. “What are you looking so worried about?” He snapped, voice a hoarse whisper. Apparently they were playing the don’t-wake-Edward-up game.
Talking pained him, and he winced. The bloodied cheek was not nearly so soothed now he was moving his jaw, and he wondered briefly if the crucifix had burned to the bone. The blistering and welt were all but hidden by the blood he’d poured over it, but the dark shape at the corner of his jaw might have been a suggestion to what he was doing almost passed out in the Hog’s bar. The last time he’d been in this much pain, he’d sought Cassie out. What was it about this girl and burns? He told himself he had not sought her out now, she just happened to be in the same place as the packaged blood.
He did not feel like standing, but he found himself on his feet anyway. Scowling at Cassie from the low-down perspective of a chair was not helping his emasculated feeling, as Cassie had sufficiently ruined his composure a few nights before. He’d been ready to admit how much he missed her, how much he was sorry that he failed her, and then she had gone and revealed the pregnancy.
Dacian’s gaze flickered to her abdomen, and he cringed. She had irreparably tied herself to Edward after abandoning him to die. He was fairly sure he had a right to be angry. And closely behind anger on his three-horse-race for overwhelming emotions/feelings was hunger. Of course, he couldn’t eat Cassie, but oh it was so tempting. He decided to stick with anger for now, hoping the last-place horse, sympathy, would keep his violence in check. He might want to hurt Cassie, but never physically.
He stepped up, almost nose-to-nose with her. He for once had the height advantage, as he was still wearing boots. The utter resentment in his creased brow and curled lip was more than any words would express, but he gave it a good go. “You should be in bed, with him.” He hissed harshly. He clenched his fists by his side, resisting the urge to take her by the shoulders. He couldn’t touch her, he forbid himself. “Why do you always need to taunt me? You got what you want – I’m out of your life – keep out of mine.”
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Post by Cassie Vimes on Jan 21, 2010 13:27:14 GMT 1
Dacian moved and relief flooded through Cassie, she let out a breath she hadn’t even realised she’d been holding and let her lips quirk up into the smallest smile in response to his. The niggling fear that nothing would ever be fixed between them, that she really couldn’t have both Dacian and Ed in her life without causing misery for all three of them was on the point of dismissal. They would figure something out; it was all going to be okay...
And then his expression turned suddenly cruel, glare firmly in place and made all the more unforgiving by the blood smeared across his jaw. Cassie leaned back at his hissed accusation, looking shocked and desperately trying to gather her thoughts. She could still fix this, she just had to let him know she still cared, that she’d never stopped caring. ”I...” Cassie faltered, she couldn’t change the way she felt about Ed or the baby that she felt closer to with every passing day of her pregnancy and that was something she wasn’t sure Dacian could ever accept.
She took a step back as he stood, still struggling with her own conflicting emotions. Cassie wanted to help him, he was clearly injured and she could see a hint of blackened and raised skin under all the blood, but she couldn’t forget the way he’d reacted when he figured out she was pregnant, couldn’t escape the memory of the disgust on his face and it made her angry. She was saved from having to make the decision by what he said next, his tone cruel as he stepped up to her, forcing her to tilt her head back just a little to meet his gaze.
”Out of my life?” She replied, voice a furious whisper. She wanted to prod him accusingly in the chest, but the blood staining the navy blue of his shirt a nasty black put her off and instead she crossed her arms defensively. ”In what sense? I didn’t come to you, you broke in here! You’re the one sneaking about Ed’s pub in the middle of the night.” Bringing up Ed was a bit of a low blow, but Dacian had mentioned him first and Cassie had to keep her anger stoked to protect her from the effect his words were having. Did he really want out of her life for good?
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Dacian
Vampire (A)
Creature of the Night
Posts: 330
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Post by Dacian on Jan 21, 2010 20:11:07 GMT 1
The man stiffened and faltered, only briefly. She was getting better at fighting back, and she wasn’t supposed to have pointed out that he was the one that came to her. He really had no clear idea why he’d came here, and he refused to believe it was to do with her presence. He stuck to his earlier resolution. This had been the nearest sure source of blood, and that was a story he was maintaining.
He sneered, eyes tightening menacingly, “You think I came here for you?” He scoffed, “I needed blood, I still need blood. Would you rather I accost some poor homeless person? Risk the sun rising while I drain a cow?” He looked satisfied. Yes, that was a good defence.
“And I wasn’t sneaking, I was resting. You’re the one sneaking about. Why is that, hmm? Can’t sleep with your lover hogging the bed?” His eyes cast down to her stomach. “Or is the parasite causing you problems?” He added coldly. “It’s already ruining your life.” He made a valiant attempt to look smug, but his eyes lingered just a little too long on her abdomen. Murky memories of his human life stirred, of his own wife swelling with child. He had been proud then, he would never have talked to her like this.
The vampire steeled himself, gritted his teeth and instantly regretted it. Yes, there was definitely some tendon damage there. Fabulous. His lips parted, and he bore his teeth in a grimace. Though not directly aimed at Cassie, he met her eyes with the flush of pain, maybe hoping to see sympathy there, before quickly reminding himself that was far from what he wanted. As for what he actually wanted, he had no idea.
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Post by Cassie Vimes on Jan 21, 2010 21:51:36 GMT 1
Cassie bit her lip, trying not to flinch away as he scoffed at her. In spite of her anger she’d still been clinging onto the hope that he’d come here for her help. She’d been there for him before, more than once and it felt like she could see the already tenuous relationship between them crumbling even more as Dacian quashed another of her seemingly foolish notions. Even as he verbally lashed out at her she couldn’t help feeling a swell of worry that he needed blood, that he was injured. But she wasn’t going cave, he’d made it quite clear that she wasn’t supposed to care.
”What’s the matter, Dacian?” Cassie shot back venomously, ”Couldn’t find some innocent woman to kidnap and drain? You vampires never seemed to have a problem with that before.” She hugged her arms tighter across her front, resisting the urge to retreat another step away from him and hating the way he seemed to use Ed and the baby against her. It only made her feel worse that she’d been grumbling about exactly that as she woke. She was already a terrible mother and the baby wasn’t even born yet.
”Trespassing more like.” She frowned up at him, knowing she was falling a long way from intimidating in her nightclothes. ”What makes you think you’d be welcome here after the scene you caused? Upending barstools like a child throwing a tantrum!” Cassie could quite easily have just left it there, she didn’t have to explain herself to him, but she wanted to hurt him as much as he was hurting her. ”I wasn’t sneaking, I was trying to be quiet so I didn’t wake Edward. Because I love him.”
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Dacian
Vampire (A)
Creature of the Night
Posts: 330
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Post by Dacian on Jan 22, 2010 6:49:24 GMT 1
The vampire gave a low growl, his frustration finally spilling into anger. How dare she accuse him of draining humans. He had more self control than that. What stung more deeply was her devotion to Edward. He’d been played so easily into her affections, when he was just an experiment? If she loved Edward, what did she want from him? His lip curled at the idea. She had left him after he announced they had to wait before he could take her to bed. Was that it? Was he an easy excuse for sex? Something a little different before she went running back to Edward?
His growl deepened, and he advanced forward, forcing Cassie to back up until he’d trapped her between his body and the bar. He reached past her, creating a cage from his arms by leaning them on the bar. There was a definite lack of intimacy exuding from the vampire. Despite his closeness, he did not touch her, keeping as much space between them as the position would allow.
“So you’re comparing me to the other vampires you know now? Yes, Vivian is infamous for her penchant for draining women.” He hissed, his eyes meeting hers unblinkingly. “Or do you mean Cain? Do I remind you of him? Is that all I am in your eyes? A mindless killer? Do you think I might take you? Hurt you?” He whispered harshly. His gaze followed the curve of her cheek, his head tilting as he came to stare at the jumping pulse in her neck, so wonderfully displayed by the low neckline of the nightgown.
He didn’t have to fake the hungry look as he eased in closer. “Where am I welcome, Cassie? Do you think I have anywhere else to go?” His tone was not as sharp, almost absent as he lost sight of her face in favour of hovering around her neck. “Don’t you think I have a right to be angry? The woman I almost died for betrayed me. You hardly welcomed me back with open arms. Instead you give me this piece of news.” His right hand left the bar, palm splaying as it looked like he might settle it over her abdomen but stopped an inch short. “Why should I be so surprised? You were ready to jump into bed with me. Edward was just the next dick in line.”
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Post by Cassie Vimes on Jan 26, 2010 0:49:12 GMT 1
Even though Cassie knew what she was saying was designed to get under Dacian’s skin she still bit her lip as soon as the words were out of her mouth, guilt crowding in, dousing her anger and leaving her doubting if she was handling the situation in the right way at all. Perhaps Dacian had the right to be angry, after everything he’d done for her... Yes, she loved Edward, but throwing that fact in Dacian’s face wasn’t going to help. She’d already lost him once, if they kept arguing like this he was going to leave and never come back, putting her back where she’d started.
She never got the chance to apologise, to try and explain, as his anger spilled over into a growl that sent her scurrying backwards while he advanced. Her bare feet were uncoordinated on the wooden floorboards and she let out the slightest, breathy gasp as she felt the lip of the bar press into the small of her back, cold, ungiving and bringing her retreat to an abrupt halt. Trapped; his arms on either side of her against the bar, his body crowding close, invading personal space, but never touching.
Cassie felt the first flutterings of panic beginning to rise in her chest and she shut her eyes, taking a deep breath. She wasn’t going to be the victim and she couldn’t allow herself to believe Dacian would ever hurt her. He’d promised. Not that she’d ever be able to hide her fear from him, not when every beat of her heart gave her away. Cassie had to force herself to open her eyes and look at him, to face the hatred that twisted his expression as he hissed venomous questions at her.
”No!” She denied quickly, even though Cain’s name had made her flinch. ”I didn’t...” She couldn’t bring herself to meet his gaze as she answered his questions, her composure on the brink of collapse because when he looked at her like that she could almost believe he would. ”I don’t think of you that way.” Her voice wavered as his head dipped, eyes fixing on her neck in a way that was eating away at the little confidence she had left.
Even terrified as she was she couldn’t help feeling that stubborn anger resurfacing as his accusations. The way he said betrayal like she’d abandoned him. Like he hadn’t driven her away before Cain ever laid a finger on her and left her to live with the guilt of believing that the last words they’d ever exchange would be angry. Cassie hadn’t planned to get pregnant. Christ she was too young and her relationship with Edward was still recovering from the damage she knew she’d caused it. But, quite suddenly, explaining all that became a distant second to the new wave of paralysing fear that gripped her.
The baby.
What if Dacian bit her? Even if he only took a little blood could that hurt the baby? Cassie’s face went pale and she had to reach behind her to grip the bar as he knees felt weak. He wouldn’t... The look of hunger on his face did nothing to ease her fears and she couldn’t help remembering the other times he’d been injured, how close he’d come to drinking her blood and how hard it had been to stop. ”Dacian,” She felt tears spill over her lower lids as she blinked, her voice filled with frightened desperation. ”Please.”
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Dacian
Vampire (A)
Creature of the Night
Posts: 330
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Post by Dacian on Jan 27, 2010 22:42:58 GMT 1
This close, he could feel her fear. Her heart was loud enough to penetrate the fog that had invaded his senses. and he breathed a deep sigh of satisfaction. Oh, how he’d missed that familiar beat. Her scent, her skin, her voice. His anger faded, too hard to maintain with his body aching so greatly from the newest burn. Paused over her neck, he could feel like nothing was different. Pain had been almost constant since meeting Cassie. Somehow he always managed to find trouble when they were close.
But then the fear began to taint it. He’d frightened her, and her scent turned bitter, her heartbeat made him cringe. What was he doing? How could he hurt her like this? He froze, staring at her throat and seeing only the distress he was causing. No wonder she had lost her trust in him. Her pulse jumped under her skin, and he repulsed himself. Terrifying pregnant women? Scaring Cassie? When had he become so callous?
From the start she had always, ridiculously so, trusted him. He’d hated it, he wanted her to feel that fear. To stop being so irrationally trustful. It had gotten her in no end of trouble. But he'd done it, he'd finally broken her of the habit, and he realised that he missed it. He'd broken something precious. Come back, don’t go. I want you back.
He moved, slowly as if in a trance. His right arm reached around her, easing between her lower back and the bar. He cushioned her back with his forearm, while his other hand lifted to push away hair from her neck. “I won’t.” He promised, pressing his lips to the curve of her neck. He kept a distance between their fronts, the touch of his hand and lips delicate rather than wanton. He was overwhelmed with the simple need to protect her, to comfort her.
Oh God, he was so tired. He hurt so much.
Dacian lifted his head, eyes passing over her face. His expression was carefully blank, but at the sight of tears there was a flicker of remorse. He brushed away her tears with the pad of his left thumb, tasting their salt with his tongue. For a moment, he looked anguished, as if he truly felt guilt for what he'd said, for everything he'd done. He shook his head, and looked away over her shoulder to the now empty plaque over the bar. Edward had displayed his sword there, a trophy for his victory. His prize: Cassie.
The vampire felt the swirling anger begin again, and he took back his hands and stepped back. He’d been so furious with her for betraying him, how did she do this to him? Why was he so powerless to her tears? From the beginning, she’d had a hold on him. From the beginning he’d wanted her, needed more. Their tryst had been a turbulent one, and even now, he was harbouring thoughts of what it would be to have her back. “I hate you for doing this to me.” He said wearily, eyes meeting her definitively. He couldn’t have her back. He shouldn’t want her back. I don’t want you back.
He stepped back again. Once, twice. He paused, then ripped his gaze away and stooped for the last blood pack. The plastic was cold and malleable, and the few bubbles of air in the packet moved about as he tilted it. “I came here for this.” He didn’t sound convinced. “How is it when I’m suffering intolerable pain, I find you?” His smile had not an iota of humour. Eyes fixed on the blood bag, he eased himself down into the high-back chair and let out a long sigh.
Feeling weak and tired, he pierced the corner of the packet with his sharp canine and tilting his head back, let the blood dribble from the perforation into his open mouth. He didn’t have the energy to care how feral he must look to the mortal witch. She’d seen every other side to him, so what was there to lose by drinking blood in front of her one more time? He was already covered in it. At least this time he was not in such a frenzy. He was a vampire. She tended to forget that, treat him like a human. At least until now. She chose now to realise what he was. Well, if this was to be her last memory of him, what better one than him suffering and smothered in blood?
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Post by Cassie Vimes on Feb 28, 2010 21:45:37 GMT 1
Cassie felt helpless. Trapped, both physically cornered against the bar, but also sucked in once more by the turbulent emotional hold Dacian seemed to have over her. Ever since their first meeting she’d been drawn in by an inexplicable attraction to the vampire that seemed to defy all logic and keep a hold of her in spite of everything that happened. Dacian didn’t speak, didn’t move and Cassie felt like she was on a precipice, teetering on the edge with no way of knowing if she was going to go tumbling off the edge or get pulled to safety.
Ever so slowly his arm snaked around her waist and she flinched at the touch, her teeth biting into her lower lip to stifle a whimper. Cassie still didn’t know the outcome; now that the seeds of doubt were sown she couldn’t restore the blind faith that he wouldn’t hurt her. Dacian’s hand was steady as he brushed her hair away from her neck and her vision blurred with more unshed tears, turning his face into a blur stained red by the blood smeared so carelessly across his features. How could she trust him when he was covered in blood?
”I won’t.” His promise did more to reassure her than his exaggeratedly careful movements ever could. Cassie let out a shuddering breath that she hadn’t even realised she’d been holding as his lips brushed fleetingly across her neck, no doubt leaving a dark red smear across her skin. That breath turned into a half-sob when Dacian’s thumb wiped away the tears on her cheeks, the relief she was feeling obliterating what little composure she had left. She wanted to fall into his arms, to move with him as he stepped away from her, but the comfort she’d find there would be fleeting and she could already see the anger that had frightened her before building in his eyes.
Cassie still felt trapped, this time pinned by his unwavering gaze as he backed away from her, the weary accusation weighing heavily on her as she toyed with the idea of retreating back upstairs to Edward where it was safe and warm. Would he let her go? Dacian finally turned away from her and Cassie released her deathlike grip on the bar to wipe the fresh tears from her eyes. A grip, she discovered, that was the only thing holding her up and she slid to sit with a breathless gasp.
”It’s not my fault!” She claimed, sounding about as convincing as Dacian had been about his claim that he was only returning to the pub for packaged blood. Cassie had felt guilty for a lot of things since she’d believed Dacian had died, but she couldn’t let herself think she was responsible for the way he’d frightened her. ”I never meant to hurt you, you seem to manage that one all by yourself.” Cassie lifted a hand to her neck where he had kissed it, wiping at the blood he had left there and glancing down at red on her fingertips as though that proved her point.
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