Of Philosophers and Fools
Summary: AU She just wanted to prove that humans and vampires could coexist. He just wanted an easy meal. Despite their conflicting philosophies can something be born from the meeting of an arrogant pureblood and a naive human girl? Only the stars can tell.
Rido/OC
Genre: Tragedy, Romance
A/N: Alright guys, this is my first story that has involved an OC, ever! It's a bit nerve-wracking but I hope you'll love her as much as I do ^^ alright, all you need to know is that in this universe Haruka and Juuri have traveled elsewhere without Rido. Rido's been pretty much wandering with little purpose, killing people here and there, not really looking for his siblings. The setting of the story will be similar to what was shown in Ancestor!Kaname's arc/past so imagine a lot of small villages and sand :P oh, and Rido may appear a tiny bit OOC cause he hasn't gone completely crazy yet, so he's still somewhat same in this story. Emphasis on somewhat XD
Disclaimer: All I own is my OC. VK is property of Matsuri Hino.
Chapter 1- Counting Stars
"It is not in the stars to hold our destiny, but in ourselves."
-William Shakespeare
The days had blended so neatly together that the pureblood could not recall how many sunsets had passed. Even now, under the heavy silence of the night, his mind could not piece together the nights before.
He could feel dried blood against his chin and under his nails as well as the buzz of strength that followed a night of feeding, but the memories were quickly fading. It was as if centuries had passed in his aimless wandering instead of mere days.
The pureblood continued forward, clenching his fists at his sides as he walked. His mind drifted to the past he could remember, gritting his teeth in pent up anger. Juuri, Haruka... what would you two think of me now?
His beloved siblings had abandoned him to live together on their own, leaving the man bitter and alone. At first he cursed them, searching for the pair in a mad haste for revenge. His anger had dulled considerably over the years that followed, however, and now merely stewed whenever his thoughts drifted to his siblings. If he were to be completely honest with himself, he wished only to see them again.
Perhaps that is why he acted out, leaving a trail of bodies wherever he went in a twisted way to get their attention. Surely after enough deaths they would come searching for him, right?
Somehow, the question left a sour taste in his mouth.
Rido suddenly tasted sand against his tongue and swallowed bitterly, heterochromia eyes turned to the ground. To his right he saw a side-winder slithering across the dune, orange scales nearly blending in with the sand. It left 'w' shaped marks in its wake, trying to burrow into the cooling sand before the sun rose.
Whether it was due to boredom or anger, the brunette picked up the snake, watching with mild interest as the reptile futilely squirmed in his grip. The snake hissed wildly, fangs trying to find purchase in his skin. Rido chuckled, intent on setting the little vermin on fire.
"Sorry, friend, but I do the biting. It's never the other way around."
Just as he was about to set the poor creature on fire, a small pebble collided with the back of his head. He unceremoniously dropped the snake, turning to glare at the fool stupid enough to attack him. The side-winder slithered away, but not before taking its revenge on its captor by biting into his ankle while he was distracted.
The vampire let out an ungraceful howl of surprise, trying to stamp on the creature that had stealthily burrowed into the sand.
"P-please stop that, sir! You're scaring the snake!" A timid voice spoke just as another pebble lodged itself in his messy dark hair.
"And who are you to ask me such a request? Don't you know what I am, little girl?" He sneered, taking a few steps towards the petite woman.
Even without the light of the moon he could easily make out her appearance. The woman had short, messy black hair that barely reached her shoulders. It curled against her cheeks, framing her heart shaped face and topaz eyes. There was a faint trace of a scar on the bridge of her nose. Her eyebrows were furrowed as if she were in great contemplation, a single olive hand pressed against her chin.
"I am Itzel Crown. And I only think it's fair that you tell me your name as well, because without it this wouldn't be a proper greeting. Although, I guess throwing rocks at you wouldn't really be considered proper either..."
The pureblood quirked an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in his handsome features. "Fair enough, I guess. I am Rido Kuran, pureblood vampire. It's a pleasure to eat you— I mean meet you. Wait, actually I meant what I said first."
The raven-haired girl cocked her head to the side. "That's pretty rude, isn't it? I appreciate your honesty, though. I hate liars the most."
"Really? From the number of rocks you threw at me I thought you just really hated vampires. Not that I'd expect any different from a human."
She crossed her arms, sighing. "I actually think vampires and humans can coexist. That's why I approached you in the first place."
In a dark blur the vampire was upon her, pushing the girl into the sand with a hand pressed against her throat. "Don't make me laugh. Humans are livestock, nothing more. Your arrogance is getting on my fucking nerves. Do you think I won't kill you just because you have a pretty face?" He growled, tightening his grip around her neck. He could feel her pulse beat wildly against him and smirked at the thought of her blood running down his throat.
"Have you tried? I mean genuinely tried to get along with a human? I think you'd learn more from a human than a cow, anyway." She replied calmly, the only hint of fear coming from her yellow eyes.
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"I have a proposition for you, Rido. I'll travel with you as long as you 'try' not to kill me. Think of it as an experiment to test both of our beliefs." She pushed lightly against his chest, surprised to find that he had loosened his grip from her neck. He reluctantly pulled away, allowing the petite woman to sit up.
They both sat in the sand, the pureblood looking away in silence.
"So...?" Itzel started, still unsure if the man would snap in an instant and kill her. He abruptly stood up, dusting sand off of his coat. She watched his retreating figure as he walked to the top of a sand dune.
"Well? Are you coming or not?" He snapped, a perpetual frown on his face.
"A-alright!" She gave a wide grin, chatting animatedly as the vampire walked on.
The curly haired man lead the pair further into the desert, mulling about his spontaneous decision in his head. He didn't understand why he was sparing this simple human girl. He could have eaten her and been done with, but, somehow, here she was, very much alive and well. I did it out of boredom, that's all. Eventually she'll outgrow her usefulness and I will kill her. Humans and vampires will never be able to coexist. It's a fool's dream.
"So, Rido, why do you think vampires appeared?" Itzel questioned suddenly, tugging lightly on the sleeve of his coat.
He sighed, keeping his eyes forward. "You sure know how to ask questions that will get you killed, I'll give you that. I never thought of it, really. I just thought vampires had to appear. Like it was written in the stars or something." Rido replied honestly.
The raven-haired girl giggled lightly. He gave her a questioning look to which she laughed some more. "S-sorry! You just sounded so much like a philosopher there! It's surprising. I guess I always thought vampires existed. I mean, not in the traditional, blood-sucking sense. But, there have always been people who are greedy and selfish, stealing from the weak and the poor with little afterthought. Now we have beings that embody these traits. Not to say vampires are naturally evil— more like cursed in a sense. They are given immortality at a price."
The pureblood snorted. "Don't tell me you feel sympathy for my kind? It will only get you killed."
She gave a soft smile. "Probably. But, I tend to trust people until they do something that makes me think otherwise."
"That's pretty foolish, kid. In the end, the only person you can trust is yourself. One day your own family might even betray you." He said bitterly, not taking his eyes away from the rolling dunes.
She turned back, looking at the pair of tracks they had made in the sand. The wind was already blurring away the foot prints, as if they had never walked there at all. As if they had never existed.
"...I have a name, you know." She finally responded, a hint of annoyance in her tone.
"Well, I think kid suits you just fine."
"If I said I liked the nickname you would have started to call me Itzel, wouldn't you?"
He smirked. "You catch on quick... kid."
Itzel sighed, pulling away an annoying strand of hair from over her eye. She subconsciously scratched at the scar on her nose, head tipped to the sky.
"Say, Rido… what do you think about stars?"
"Boring. After a couple centuries they become nothing but a nuisance. I would prefer if there was no light at all during the night, it would make my meals easier."
She pouted lightly, staring up into the man's devious eyes. "Then only vampires could enjoy the night! I love it! When I know that the stars are still up there, despite everything that's happened to the world, I feel a little bit safer. Like they're watching over all of the earth to assure us that we're not alone. It's like for a moment everything lasts forever, because that star doesn't fade immediately. It may twinkle and disappear behind the clouds, but it will come back the next night and the night after that. And, somehow, it gives me hope. Hope that just as the clouds and the stars can share the same sky, humans and vampires can share the earth too."
"You really are like a philosopher, kid. Dreaming up all of that droll, it's only gonna disappoint you in the end. What is keeping the stars from lighting up the sky entirely, or for the clouds to smother out the glow of the stars? What is keeping the two races from killing one another?"
The topaz-eyed girl paused in her steps, bowing her head. "That's why I believe in hope. I know it's foolish to think that way—everyone in the village thought I was a fool too, but I don't want any more wars. Why is peace so difficult to attain? Don't we all just want to live?"
Rido turned around to face her, eyes narrowed. "Aren't you forgetting something? For vampires to live humans have to die. For the predator to live the prey must die."
"…No. I don't believe that. Somehow, someday, I think someone will find a way to save both of the races. I may not live long enough to see it, but I believe it will happen with all my heart." She finished, voice wavering.
The pureblood walked forward only to see that the girl was rooted to the spot. Hissing slightly, he pulled at her arm, barking out angrily, "Then come on! Standing there isn't going to change anything. You wanted to show me that humans and vampires can coexist, right? Well, you're doing a pretty shitty job right now. If anything, I've never felt more of a desire to kill someone before."
Itzel allowed herself to be dragged a few feet until she noticed the dried blood under the vampire's sharp nails. "Hey, I forgot to mention this before, but you have blood under your nails and chin." She wrinkled her nose in disgust as the vampire chuckled.
"Of course, where are my manners?" He jeered, wiping the blood off of his lips with the back of his hand.
"Better?" He sneered, amused by her obviously repulsed response.
"Just peachy." Itzel said, looking a little bit nauseous. What have I gotten myself into now?
After a few more hours of wandering, the pair finally made it to the outskirts of a small town. The sun was just peaking above the horizon as the two stepped into a shabby looking inn. An elderly woman smiled at the pair warmly, resting her arms on the wooden desk as the two approached.
"Welcome! It's great to see such young lovers nowadays, what with the threat of vampires looming! Now, what can I do for you two?"
"Actually, we're not—"
"We would like a room, please." Rido interrupted, purposefully giving a fanged grin.
Unfortunately for him, the elderly woman did not notice his blatant threat and merely procured a key from the key rack.
"Your room is the last one on the right. Have a nice rest of your morning!"
Itzel bowed, a light blush dusting her cheeks. Lovers, of all the absurdity...
She quickly followed after the man who had already made his way into the room. Through the doorway she could already see the brunette taking off his coat, heterochromia eyes turning to the girl.
"It is morning and I am quite tired. I do not have the luxury of toting around a coffin wherever I go, but this bed will suffice. If you wake me it will be a long and painful death." He finished, sitting down on the edge of the small bed to take off his shoes.
Itzel nodded, closing the door behind her. The vampire immediately burrowed underneath the covers, using his powers to swipe the curtains closed. Minutes passed in silence until the girl was sure he was asleep, light snores escaping his lips.
The topaz-eyed woman stood around awkwardly, still resting her back against the wall. What a jerk. He could have at least requested two beds...
She sighed, walking towards the green armchair. She eventually became comfortable, laying her head against the back before falling asleep. Despite the change in sleep cycles, the girl somehow managed to adjust.
The pureblood woke with a hunger. Eyes completely adjusted to the dark, he got up from the bed, stalking towards the nearest blood source. Her scent tickled his nose teasingly as he placed his hands on the armchair, both eyes now a dark crimson.
She smelled almost sickeningly sweet, like that of a field of sunflowers. He moved a few loose locks away from her neck, letting his cold fingertips brush against her warm skin. He could hear the blood coursing through her veins with every heartbeat, calling to him. Just as his fangs touched the side of her neck he stilled, fingers ripping into the fabric of the chair. He had never had to control his feedings before and even now it felt very foreign and unfamiliar to stop just before his fangs pierced the skin.
Reluctantly, Rido pulled away, a frown beginning to form. It was no fun to kill someone in their sleep. He needed a reaction, to see the life drain away from his victim's eyes. Yes, he would wait until she blindly trusted him for his betrayal. Who knew, it might even make her blood taste sweeter...
With this thought in mind, he picked up the girl, carefully depositing her onto the bed. Placing the covers over her, he stared one final time at the slender column of her neck. For this betrayal to work, I need to show some semblance of kindness. Cruelty will only make her blood taste bitter.
Then, the monster was gone, the door clicking behind him softly as he disappeared into the corridor.
Itzel opened her eyes, a sly grin on her face. Congratulations, Rido Kuran, it seems you've passed the first test. At least now I don't have to worry about sleeping with a stake or something.
A/N: Alright, prologue done! I hope you guys liked it; hopefully it wasn't too boring :3 Sorry that this chap was a bit dialogue heavy, I just needed to flesh out Itzel's personality ^^' The reason why Itzel believes in pacifism and why she was out in the desert will eventually be explained, so stay tuned! Ah, Itzel's such a dreamer. I wonder how long Rido can deal with her optimistic attitude before he snaps XD And I think Rido totally has a sense of humor (albeit very twisted and morbid—but a sense of humor, nevertheless) As usual, reviews are greatly appreciated. Thanks!
P.S if you can guess what 'Itzel' means (and no cheating guys!) you'll get a virtual cookie. And a hug ^^ there have been hints throughout the chapter so keep that in mind…
-Isis