#01 – Comfort – Vlad never had the luxury of comfort when he was upset. As he sat on a park bench, he watched a mother pick up her child that had fallen over and nurse his wounds. He felt his heart throb and knew that no one would ever comfort him like that. No one cared.
#02 – Kiss – Integra looked in on her children, checking they were safe and sound in their beds before walking back down the hallway. She hesitated and stopped in front of the guest room and walked over to the bed, looking down at the young occupant. Vlad's chest rose and fell gently as he slept and his face looked the most vulnerable when he was sleeping. There was none of the harshness he had had to develop in the hard world he lived in. It was just pure, childish innocence. She smiled softly and pulled the covers back up to cover him, planting a gentle kiss to his forehead before leaving the room.
#03 – Soft – Integra sat in her car, waiting for Vlad to come back out of the hospital. He had wanted to visit his uncle and she had offered to drive him there so he was protected from the thrashing rain that was becoming frequent with the cold weather. She looked up from the dashboard when she saw Vlad coming back out and she opened the door for him, waiting for him to get in. He shut the door behind him and put on the seatbelt before resting his head against the glass of the window, looking out blankly. He looked up as Integra put a hand on his shoulder and he gave her a small smile at the soft look in her eyes.
#04 – Pain – Vlad winced and stumbled, leaning heavily against the wall as his vision spun. He had been punished yet again for being with Anderson's family. His ribs screamed in protest at his movements, his hand that had been dislocated before felt like it might be again and his head throbbed in time with his heart beat. He felt a hand on his shoulder and struggled to focus his sight to see who it was. He caught a glimpse of blue eyes and blond hair before he finally succumbed to the darkness.
#05 – Potatoes – "VLAD! GIVE IT BACK!" "NO!" "GIVE IT!" "NEVER!" THUD "Ow, dammit Anderson. You didn't have to throw me on the floor. It was just a frickin potato." "Child….." "If so, then you're a child abuser." "….." "See, you're only silent cuz you know I'm right."
#06 – Rain – Vlad closed his eyes as he listened to the water lashing against the ground. He felt the water running from his hood and over his face and sighed deeply, loving the feeling of the water on his skin. It strangely comforted him at times like this. He opened his eyes and looked to his left, smiling up at Jake who had joined him outside. The giant looked back and then back to the sky, both standing in silence.
#07 – Chocolate – Vlad watched Jake carefully as the fight continued. The man confused him so much, especially when it came to emotions. His eyes reflected them the most. They seemed to be shattered pools of many different feelings, all mixed up together with no way of telling what was what. His eyes darkened when he was angry, becoming almost black when he was consumed with rage. But when Jake looked at him on a good day, all he could see were the chocolate brown eyes of his friend. He was a good friend. Vlad just wished he could understand him more.
#08 – Happiness – Vlad smirked as Anderson and Seras got into another heated 'sibling' argument as Integra put it. They were both flushed with rage and were getting to the point of yelling at each other. Seras had started it by bringing up how Anderson had 'liked' him when he had heard him play the piano the first time. Vlad laughed quietly at the embarrassed blush that accompanied Alex's angered flush. He actually felt happy for once.
#09 – Telephone – Heinkel didn't know what to think. Anderson seemed to be hanging around with that…..delinquent…more and more lately. They all thought that he was a bad crowd to be hanging around with, a sinking ship that couldn't be helped. Yet Anderson didn't think he was all bad. And the more they saw of him, the more they began to believe that. During the telephone call, she had been shocked to find him at Alex's house and had almost suspected that he had broken in. Yet as she stared at the seventeen year old, and his red eyes glanced at her, making eyes contact, she could see that in his eyes wasn't the look of a delinquent that was content with the darker side of life. It was the look of someone who wanted out. Another option other than the one the people he lived with took. And she could understand that. He was different. He didn't want to be like the others. And every moment he spent with 'normal' people, the closer he got to being a kid that was untainted by the streets, though he would likely never be clean from it.
#10 – Ears – Integra stared at the black ring pierced through the top of Vlad's ear with a mixture of shock and confusion. "Vlad…why?" The teen looked at her, mischief in his red eyes. "I don't usually back down from dares."
#11 – Name – Integra stared down at the dishes she was washing, not really seeing them. She had just come back from dropping Vlad and Jake downtown and she was still thinking about what the red eyes teen had said about his street name. "Who named you Hell Dog?" "Just people. No one specific…" "Why?" "I bite." It made her think about the animal sounds he made again, about what Seras had said about him probably not making the sounds if he hadn't grown up in the environment he had.
#12 – Sensual – Vlad was different in many ways. He was terrifying, strange, he thought differently to everyone else. Yet that wasn't just what could be seen. If anyone could bother to look, they would see that he swayed more towards the 'pretty' side than the handsome, manly side and the way he moved, fluid, like a powerful, deadly, wild feline, it was almost sensual in a way. He was beautiful to anyone who bothered to look past the thug exterior. And once you saw, there was no turning back.
#13 – Death – Vlad leant on the side of his Uncle's bed, his eyes rimmed with dark circles. He hadn't slept in days he was worrying so much. His uncle had apparently had a bad night last night and he had refused to leave the bedside since, not moving even an inch. His stomach was protesting for food but he ignored it, staring at his last living family member's slack features. It was fine for Walter, he was practically unaware. He wouldn't' fear death, he wouldn't even know it was coming. But Vlad feared death, not his own, his uncle's. He didn't want to be left completely alone in this world even if Walter wasn't the most loving man in the world. He was all he had and he was absolutely terrified he was going to lose him.
#14 – Sudden – Everything was so sudden, it seemed like it was blurred into one. His life confused him beyond belief. He felt like one minute he had lost his parents, the next he woke up in pain in a dumpster, the next his uncle, the next he was fighting with Anderson, the next running from the cops, the next he was in a parking lot, getting beaten for hanging around with the Andersons, the next Jake was looking down at him in anger. He felt like it was more like a week than the space of more than seven years, and it was just…..strange.
ERWAS
#15 – Touch – Most touch he knew, was a punch, a kick, a slap, a bite, he knew nothing of any soft touch. Spending time with the Andersons gave him time to watch them and think, watch how they hugged each other, watch the tender touches they exchanged, the hand on the shoulder or affectionate ruffle of the hair Integra often gave her children to show she cared. Vlad couldn't remember the last time he had been touched like that, it was so rare that he couldn't remember. But, oh how he wanted to.#16 – Weakness – He wasn't allowed to show weakness. At the age of 10, he had been shy, timid and….weak. That's what he had been viewed of. He was the same as any other kid his age, he had needed an adult to defend him, but he didn't have that. Whenever he showed any sign of weakness, he was angrily scolded or beaten down to try and quell it. He soon learned not to cry, not to show pain, not to be weak. And he lost a part of himself along with that.
#17 – Tears – Vlad slid down the wall of the guest room, grasping his hair tightly in his hands. His shoulders shuddered as he struggled to hold in his outburst, but before he knew it, a sob had broken through and others soon followed. The tears dropped down, wetting his dark jeans as they fell onto the worn and faded denim. He didn't notice Integra stopping in the doorway and staring at him with a troubled look before leaving him alone in the room.
#18 – Safe – He never felt safe, not since his parents died. Even with his uncle around, he never knew when the man was going to snap and lash out at him for something. His life was a series of unfortunate events
#19 – Welcome – His first greeting had been cold, he had been shoved into the kitchen counter, had nearly choked and had been hand cuffed by Integra Anderson.
#20 – Fall – Vlad cursed as he lost grip of the wall he was climbing and fell back down. He hit the side of a dumpster, crying out as his ribs broke at impact. He fell to the ground with a groan, holding his side in pain as tears sprang to his eyes, making them burn. He couldn't breath, the fall had knocked the breath out of him and he couldn't pull in back in. He shuddered as the rain lashed heavily down on his, soaking through his clothing and onto his skin, made colder by the icy air. He drifted in and out of consciousness for the next hour, his only comfort that he was mostly numb, unable to feel the pain of his shattered ribs anymore. He felt a hand on his shoulder and he pulled himself out of his unaware state, his heavy eyelids struggling top open. He saw long blond hair and icy blue eyes in front of him, accompanied by a strict face. "C-Chief?" He slurred slightly, his mind struggling to process. "Quiet Vladimir, don't worry, I'll help you." With those words offering him some comfort, he fell fully into unconsciousness.
#21 – Life – Integra looked down at the teen that had just fallen unconscious at in front of her. Her eyes burned with concern as she checked him over. He was absolutely soaked with the rain that was still falling from the sky, his clothing was filthy beyond belief and his skin was as cold as ice. She put a hand on his side and he eyebrows pulled together as she felt a slight movement. She lifted up the side of the sweatshirt and here eyes widened. There was a large bruise covering his side, the shape of his ribs showing clearly through it. She felt gently across the side and she could definitely feel his ribs moving. They were broken in multiple places. She gently slid her arms under his knees and back, bracing herself for his weight. She was surprised when she found that he didn't weigh much and then remembered how little he ate with a pang of anger at the inhumane conditions he had to live in because he was alone. She walked back to her car, sliding him into the back seat and laying him down as comfortably as possible. She got into the seat and started driving, determined to save the teen's young life, even if it killed her.
#22 – Jealousy – He had to admit, when he looked at all the achievements Seras and Anderson had made over the years, certificates, medals, trophies, he did feel a little jealous. He had never won anything like that, and he really doubted he even would.
#23 – Hands – Abraham Van Hellsing was thinking about the delinquent his daughter approved of so much….again. He couldn't get the boy out of his head. He couldn't forget the strange words he used. The way he let Integra order him around….the way he played the piano. He had skills far beyond anyone his age and could rival even some of the most skilled pianists. He could sure give them a run for their money. The thing he thought about most was the way the hands, the hands that had probably injured hundreds in a fight, moved across the delicate keys with a grace he couldn't describe even using a dictionary. The pale hands moved across the keys like a dance, making sure not to press down too hard, not to break them, not to damage the instrument he enjoyed playing so much. The hands stayed in his head all day, and when he fell asleep, that was what was in his dreams. The delicate dance they made across the keys.
#24 – Taste – Vlad watched as Seras and Anderson moved around the kitchen and he could see all the different types of food they had. He raised an eyebrow at some of the things. Red berry sauce…ew….. There were so many foods, with so many different tastes. Some good, some bad, and some in between…..now he just wanted to know what the hell a dragonfruit was.
#25 – Duty – Integra Anderson. She was well known throughout the police forces of almost every city as the iron maiden that protected her city with no mercy. She felt no compassion for murderers, and did her best to help mislead teens with a strict scolding. Like Vladimir. The child had been lead down the road of crime from the age of ten and when she first saw him, it clearly showed. It showed in his eyes, in his language when he had cursed at her, the violent way he had bitten her and gave her the scar that she couldn't forget. It was her duty to protect the innocent, and try and reform the criminals. This was what she was doing with the seventeen year old boy. It was her duty to turn him the right way.
#26 – Lies – So many lies had been told over the years. He told them, and had them told to him. The first he could clearly remember was when his mother told him that he and his father were just going out in the car, and that they'd be back soon. That was a lie. He lied about not knowing what had happened that night when he had woken up in a dumpster, that day after his birthday, just eleven years old. His uncle told him that he'd see him after school. That wasn't a complete lie. Vlad could see him, but his uncle couldn't see him, not whilst he was in a coma he couldn't. He had lied to Anderson about being bored and leaving the house. He had lied to The Chief about Jake not hurting him when she asked…he told a lot of lies. But he had been lied to much, much more. Maybe this was just him form of payback. Maybe. But he couldn't be certain until someone was finally honest with him for once in his life.
#27 – Blood – Vlad tried not to panic as he pressed his hands hard against the wound on Jake's midsection. He could feel the blood pumping strong under his fingers, pooling underneath his hand and sneaking through the gaps. He shivered, his childish behaviour coming back as his fear at losing his friend rose. He looked up at Jake's face. Jake looked down, his vision slightly blurred with tears of pain from the stab wound, and he saw the wide red eyes staring up at him. The eyes were filled with fear and panic, his lips trembling as did the rest of the teen's body. "V-Vlad, don't worry. I'll be o-okay." He tried to smile reassuringly but it came out as more of a grimace. He heard the voice of his father and running feet coming towards them and he fell unconscious, his last sight the blood red eyes that were fixed intently on his with a determination hardly suited for a seventeen year old.
#28 – Sickness – Integra sat on the edge of the bed and pressed the cold, wet washcloth to Vlad's face. The teen shifted uncomfortably, shivering despite his fever and the multiple blankets covering him. Her eyes were hard as she wiped the sweat off of his face. He had no one to take care of him. His family were either gone or in a coma, and no one else would take up the job. He had gone through the rest of his life since he was ten, raising himself and fighting through anything life threw at him. He groaned and she snapped out of her light trance, looking back down at him. His thin black eyebrows were pulled together in a pained frown and she placed the cloth back on his forehead, murmuring quietly to him as his young body tried it's best to fight off the fever that was consuming it.
#29 – Melody – Anderson closed his eyes, listening to Vlad play the piano. He had been attracted to the music as soon as he had heard it. It had flowed to where he was standing and his curiosity had spiked as the soft notes flowed peacefully through his mind. Now, as he sat in his home and listened to the keys give under the quick, thin, pale fingers, he could just sit back and enjoy the sweet melody that was being provided.
#30 – Stars – The stars were always an object of fascination to Vlad, even as a child. He used to lay on the grass of his back yard at night, his mother beside him, and she would teach him all the constellations that shone in the sky like thousands of tiny fireflies. His heart ached as he thought of his mother, he missed her dearly, what he wouldn't give to have one last hug, to have one more piano session, to lay down under the stars again. But that was never a possibility, she was gone, and she was never coming back.
#31 – Home – Anderson got out of his car and slammed into the house, walking past his shocked mother and heading straight to his room. He was absolutely fuming. He had only gone to Vlad's home to see if he was okay, and then he had seen the conditions the teen lived in. It looked like…..hell. Things were cluttered everywhere, there was only a small electric heater to provide warmth, the 'bed' was more suited to a toddler than an almost fully grown seventeen year old boy and the room had felt like ice when he had entered it. He had been completely set to drag Vlad home to humane conditions whether he liked it or not when that Jake guy had intervened and stopped him from doing so. He hated the fact that he was here, living in comfortable conditions, whilst the younger teen was living in a shit hole. He frowned angrily and threw himself on his bed, his anger simmering like fire.
#32 – Confusion – "Vlad….what are you drawing?" "Something." "Yes, but what is it?" "Guess." "I don't know. Tell me." Vladimir looked up and grinned cheekily at Anderson's confused face, and then back at the drawing of a pig wearing glasses on his page. A highly detailed pig wearing glasses mind you. "Awwww, it looks just like you fat ass."
#33 – Fear – Vlad looked at the other group of delinquents that was ready to fight them with wide eyes. He could feel the fear of the ten year old him rising slowly and panic starting to form. He beat it down quickly and his eyes hardened, flaming with the fire that burned in every fight. He couldn't afford to be afraid. Not now. Not ever.
#34 - Lightning/Thunder – Vladimir shivered in the cold, curling up tighter under his comforter. He jumped as there was a flash of light and then a loud bang of thunder. He shuddered convulsively, a mixture of cold and fear. He bit his lip, considering his options. His mother always used to let him sleep in the bed with her and his father when the storms scared him, but now his parents were….He couldn't chase away his fears with them anymore. He slowly got up and timidly went to his uncle's room, wincing as the door creaked. His uncle was awake anyway, not able to sleep because of the storm keeping him awake. He looked over at Vlad and frowned slightly. "What is it boy?" "C-Can I sleep with you? I promise I'll stay on the other side….." His uncle stayed silent and he deflated, moving to go back into the lounge, back to his restless sleep. "As long as you keep that promise, you can." He heard from behind him, he gave his uncle a small smile and got into the bed burrowing down under the covers and trying to go to sleep.
#35 – Book – Walter C Dracula couldn't believe his young nephew. He couldn't even begin to understand exactly how he was how he was, or even what he was. But he was different. He could climb up walls like it was nothing, jump from heights more than normal humans like it was easy as jumping off a doorstep. And he could see in the dark like it was the day. He looked over at his nephew, hunched under a table with a thick book in his pale hands and shook his head. He was one strange kid.
#36 – Mad – Seras shivered as she remembered the incident at the dinner table after her mother had brought Vlad home. He had scared the life out of her. She had felt fine, a little nervous of her mother's behaviour towards Vlad, asking questions like that about his friend, a friend he obviously liked, but then he had growled like some kind of animal and her heart had almost leapt out of her chest and run out the door to Paris. His behaviour was completely and utterly inhuman in every way. He was like an animal when he was mad. As she often thought, would he act like that if he had grown up in a more civil environment?
#37 – Technology – "Damn fat ass, you have LOADS of expensive stuff." "It's not loads." "Really? You're funny. I've never seen so much tech in one room before in my life." "Shut up runt." "Why don't you, rich fat ass."
#38 – Gift – Seras found that there was one more thing she liked most in the world. She liked her friends, her college, her grades…..and the look of shock and then complete utter gratitude when she gave Vlad a birthday gift. It was far more valuable than anything else in the universe.
#39 – Smile – His smile spoke of hollowness, a feeling of loneliness and misery that had been repressed for years. Unlike normal people, Vladimir A Dracula's smile held no happiness and joy that theirs did, it was very rare that it contained a true positive emotion.
#40 – Innocence – Integra looked over at the youngest at the table, the young delinquent that had wormed his way into the family and been accepted completely. She had different views on the boy. On one hand, she saw the delinquent that was dangerous, hung around with a bad crowd and could put her whole family in danger. Yet on the other, she saw the seventeen year old that had been shown no love since the death of his parents, the child whose innocence had been crushed and replaced by a mask that he dare not take off out of fear. She frowned slightly before continuing to eat, her father's gaze resting on her, knowing exactly what she was thinking. She was wishing that the child wasn't so unfortunate, and that his innocence would be allowed to be shown.
#41 – Cold – Vlad curled up tighter, bundling his comforter up around him. He hadn't had the money to pay the rent and his electricity had been turned off again. So that meant no heater. He shivered violently, his whole skin crawling with cold and his head throbbing with the start of a temperature induced headache. He curled up even tighter, and tried his best to sleep in the icy conditions of his so called 'home'.
#42 – Clouds – "It's raining AGAIN?" "Looks like it dumb ass." "Why are you always like this?" "The weather…." "….Yesterday was sunny." "….I felt like it…." "….sigh…."
#43 – Sky – The sky looked absolutely black and depressing. Anderson groaned and looked up at it with an annoyed look. It couldn't be sunny, no, he would like that too much for the weather to make that possible. Vlad smirked and grabbed Anderson's bag, walking out the door. "HEY! GIVE THAT BACK!" "Well come on then! We're gunna be late fat ass!"
#44 – Fall – It was strange, seeing his uncle in suck a vulnerable state, unable to take care of himself or his nephew, unable to even look around the room. He was always such a powerful figure, driving fear into people mercilessly until they bent to him. It was just…unnerving to see Walter C Dracula fall like this all because of a medical condition that came completely unexpected into their lives and shattered it completely. He just hoped his uncle would soon be back to help him pick up the shards.
#45 – Hell – The red orbs that were Vlad's eyes were terrifying at times, yet at others, soft and inviting. There was a vast difference between the different looks. When he was in a good, friendly mood, they looked like slowly cooling embers, a warm and relaxing thing to see. But when he was in a fight, or angry, they burned like the fires of hell itself.
#46 – Sun – Anderson smirked as Vlad narrowed his eyes as the sunlight and moved into the shade. The blond grabbed the dark haired teen back intro the sun and listened to the hostile hiss that escaped his with a chuckle. He was so much like a damned vampire.
#47 – Moon – Seras looked over at Vlad, sat on the window seat in front of the large pane of glass, staring out into the night. She took this time to examine him. His red eyes glowed in the dim light of the room and she could clearly see that he was thin, far too thin for a teenager his age. Even for teens younger than him. It was unhealthy. She looked at his pitch black hair that contrasted startlingly with his pale skin. It seemed to look even paler in the bright moonlight and she could see the bruise on his face standing out drastically. She winced in sympathy and went back to her study books, not wanting to be caught staring.
#48 – Worry – Anderson stared after Vlad as he walked away yet again when the older teen was just trying to get him to hand his work in. He just didn't get that if he didn't hand it in, he wouldn't get grades, or even have a chance at getting into college. If he was to be honest, he worried about the younger boy. He acted tough, but he could see that there was something else in his eyes other than hostility. There was a fear that had to be the little that was left of the ten year old that had first come to live here. He worried that once school ender, Vlad would have nothing to occupy himself, and he would slip down the road most delinquents did, slip into a life of crime and deceit with no point of return. He shook himself and mentally scolded himself, Vlad wasn't like that, he was a good kid. But still….he worried.
#49 – Hair – Alex looked down at the other teen sat on the floor, leaning against the couch as they watched TV. The red eyes watched in boredom as another advertisement rolled across the screen and Anderson grinned at the look. Before he knew what he was doing, he had reached a hand down and ruffled the dark head of hair playfully. A pale hand flashed up to bat his away and the red eyes stared up at him in annoyance. Anderson snickered at the look and it turned into a full blown laugh when the younger teen crossed his arms over his chest and huffed in annoyance. "Fluffy runt." "Fat ass." "….." "I win."
#50 – Supernova – Abraham didn't know what to make of the delinquent. At times, he seemed nothing like the common definition of a gangster, using words not suited to his kind, having a softer personality when with friends, playing the piano, he did many things strange to the kind of people he was around the most. Yet he could see the spirit in the seventeen year old's eyes. The fire that continued to burn, the supernova that continued to explode even when he was beaten down into the ground. The delinquent was nothing like he had ever seen before, that he was sure of.