DISCLAIMER: Posting this earlier than I was planning on, due to a generally craptastic day. As always the characters and universes don't belong to me and I'm not getting paid in anything but readers and reviewers. I can't believe how many people have stuck with this long story, I'm really lucky to have such dedicated readers who leave such well thought out reviews, many of which really help me think about this story in a new way. I hope you all enjoy this next leg of our journey.
Juliet's Poison
Sapporo, Hokkaido Japan; December 1998
Sapporo was easily the largest city here on the northern island of Japan, though it was nowhere near as large as the huge, sprawling metropolises on the main island of Honshu. But here in a dirty paved lot that housed some of the most rundown warehouses in the industrial section of the city, surrounded by huge smokestacks and just a few blocks away countless high rise buildings, one would be hard pressed to imagine that cities bigger than this could exist. Sapporo was hardly the typical Japanese city though, especially in this part of the city with endless blocks of nondescript and Western-style buildings. The streets were only haphazardly cleared of snow that was piled up high on the sides of roads in desperate need of repairs, covering the sidewalks and making pedestrian traffic at best treacherous. The once pure white snow had been shaped into slushy, disgusting piles covered with soot from the smokestacks of industrial plants that choked the air with heavy ash as they manufactured steel, paper, and any number of basic products to help fuel Japan's industries. If it wasn't for the occasional sign with kanji, it would be easy to imagine that this was Detroit.
The shy winter sun had already set, but it was barely four in the afternoon and the large steel plant located across the narrow street from the abandoned warehouse was still in operation. The loud clanging of metal and the raucous laughter of the many men who worked there carried easily on the cold night air. Lime green eyes narrowed as they stared out of the newly fallen darkness at the old brick and cement building, seeming brilliant even without any streetlights or moonlight, their colour unexpectedly clear and healthy compared to the gaunt face they inhabited. Nao Yuuki shook with hunger, cold, and a seething hatred as she pulled her worn and oversized men's coat tighter around her painfully thin body, unsurprised when she felt no warmer from her efforts.
Nao thought she was fourteen but she couldn't really be sure. Time seemed to all run together since she'd been living on the streets. Sometimes it seemed to pass so slowly, especially in the winter when the nights were longer than the days and time between meals seemed to drag on. When the nights were the longest the cold would sink into her bones so deeply that she couldn't fall asleep for fear that she might never wake up, and somehow it always seemed to be winter here. But there were times when she would realize that whole seasons had passed mostly unnoticed, years gone. When she was first trolling the streets for food older women would take pity on the small child with her faked crocodile tears, often inviting her into their homes for the night for a warm dinner, a bath, and a bed to sleep in... Though Nao would always sneak out before sunrise, not wanting for them to call the government's child services so that she could be put up for adoption.
After all, Nao could count the number of people that she had met and liked on one hand, and her mother was the first of those. Nao would die herself before she gave up on her mother, even if she never... Nao let out a disgusted sigh, her breath condensing into a thick cloud and curling around her, momentarily obscuring her view of the factory lights. It had been years since the last time Nao's mother had spoken to her. The woman had been in the city hospital in an unchanging coma since Nao was four. For a few years after that things had been tolerable, a low paid caretaker funded by the government looked after her in her mother's home and Nao went to preschool same as always. But she was seen by the teachers there as a troubled child, always getting into fights and completely uninterested in her lessons. For two years they recommended holding her back from starting primary school, hoping against hope that the unfortunate girl's situation would improve. When she turned six her life finally seemed to be getting back on the right track. She met a new kid at preschool, a kind girl named Natsuki whose willingness to befriend the sullen and reticent Nao had finally revived the young girl's flagging interest in the world around her. Nao's teachers were hopeful that their troubled student might at long last be able to succeed in school.
These days Nao was convinced that whenever things started to look like they were going good, that was when the shit was really going to hit the fan. And that year, even compared with all of the years since, had been one of the worst. That autumn just as the second session of school started, Nao's already tenuous life began to fall apart completely. First one day, completely without notice, Natsuki had stopped coming to school. Nao was left with only hushed words spoken between her teachers about an accident to give her any clue as to her only friend's fate. A month later a government review finally decided that Ms. Yuuki wasn't going to be coming out of her coma anytime soon. With 'great reluctance' they concluded that it would be best for Nao's future if she were put into the foster system to be adopted by a stable family so that the government wouldn't have to keep spending taxpayer money on Nao's care. Unfortunately, or maybe inconsequentially to the huge government bureaucracy, Nao had overheard the government stooge's conversation with her kind and underpaid guardian about her mother's change in status. The way Nao heard it those heartless bastards were giving up on her mom. Nao swore then and there that she would never give up on her mother. That same night she had packed her small backpack with as many clothes and snacks as she could, and snuck out the front door onto the street while her guardian slept.
Her first four years had been easy, although she hadn't realized it at the time. She spent her days hunting the streets for things to steal; food, clothes, and money. She'd thought herself so clever that she always got her mark and never got caught, but she knew now that she hadn't done anything special, people just let small kids get away with stuff. Those first winters she rarely needed to spend a bitter cold night on the hard streets; with her small and skinny frame, long strawberry red hair and big green eyes, she found it easy enough to charm single women with maternal instincts to spare into taking care of her for a few nights. Then her years of easy living began to work against her, she was well nourished enough for her young body to start to develop some womanly curves. At first she had been excited about finally starting to grow up, but she soon realized that it wasn't a blessing. Once she no longer resembled a helpless child those same women who had been so eager to offer her help before, now eyed her with suspicion if she approached them, even if they would still occasionally offer her enough yen for some food just to make her go away.
Those next couple of years had been the hardest. For long weeks during the cold dark winters she wandered the mostly empty streets, constantly hunting for her next meal in a desperate race to give her always hungry body enough fuel to stay warm so that she could survive the seemingly endless nights. At first she had been relieved when all of a sudden men, who until that year had mostly ignored her hungry requests for a few yen to buy some lunch, were suddenly much more eager to offer her help. But she had quickly learned that unlike the kindly women of days past, they weren't offering to help her out of the goodness of their hearts. Sure she did sometimes run across the occasional older man who would simply offer her some money and admonish her to 'get a job', mostly though they didn't care if she found herself gainful employment. They just wanted her to earn her money 'helping them out' a little bit. She hadn't immediately known what that phrase meant... It seemed like a reasonable enough request the first time she'd gotten into a middle aged man's car, but when he'd driven her to a deserted unlit parking lot and unzipped his pants, she finally realized its meaning with nauseating clarity.
Nao was starving that night and hadn't eaten in days, but even at twelve she had too much pride to allow anyone to use her that way. She bided her time, contriving to look shocked at his request. A shy virgin who just needed to be properly convinced of the benefits of pleasuring this kind man for money, even as her eyes desperately darted around his dirty car, searching for something she could do to turn this situation to her advantage. It had taken all of her willpower to keep her lips from forming a wicked grin when she'd seen his wallet resting on the car's dashboard, in easy reach if he was distracted enough. And judging from the way his eyes were rolling back in his head from his own fisting of his hardened manhood, he was already pretty distracted... but she still couldn't be certain that she would have enough time to grab the wallet and make a clean getaway. Her painfully empty stomach had rolled with another round of nausea as she realized what she would have to do, all the while swearing to herself that she would never let it get this far again. From now on she wasn't ever trusting anyone again.
The man had finally grown impatient of trying to coax her into willingly touching him, and had grabbed her hair painfully in his large hairy fist, lowering her head closer to his dirty organ. If she could have she would have vomited all over him. The disgusting smell of sweat and urine overpowered her sense of smell and taste, making her eyes water. But she forced down her disgust, keeping her mind focused on the prize and the not quite satisfying revenge she would soon have. The moment he forced his engorged organ passed her lips, she bit down. Hard. The taste of the blood spurting from his rapidly shrinking appendage almost something she wanted more of, his pain making her feel better in ways she couldn't explain. But she still spit the blood out in his face, feeling no pity at his strangled yell or the tears of anger and pain rolling down his wide cheeks. She didn't wait another second for him to recover. Grabbing his wallet off of the dashboard and forcing the rusty passenger side door open she fled out into the dark night, quickly darting into a narrow alleyway and praying to any gods or spirits that might exist that he would be in too much pain to follow her. Despite how far things had gone, Nao knew she had been lucky. That man had been careless; she might not get a break like that again. After spending a small amount of the money in the man's full wallet on some food, she invested the rest of it in insurance to prevent anyone from taking advantage of her ever again. She had wandered to a nearby back alley pawnshop and spent more money than she'd touched all year buying two wickedly sharp knives and some cans of mace. She wasn't going to waste any more of her time assuming that people were going to be kind to her. From now on any man who thought he was going to be preying on an innocent young girl was going to unexpectedly find that despite his advantage in strength, he wasn't the predator.
Over the next year she had begun hunting. She learned how to pick a good mark. Usually drunk and out of shape middle aged office worker types who would piss themselves when after following the pretty young girl who was probably younger than their daughters into a dark alley, she pulled a huge knife on them and demanded they give her all of their money or she'd tell their bosses and families what they'd been doing. That had been a great year for her. Cash had flowed to her like water. She invested some of it in nicer clothes, a heavier coat and boots, and some low cut shirts to show off her small breasts that stood out proudly from her otherwise rail thin frame, the points of her nipples clearly visible under the thin fabric were always more than enough bait with which to lure her victims. She only bought one change of clothes that looked different, a nice cheerful pink t-shirt and a pair of baggy jeans that she carried around inside a heavy trash bag in her now threadbare backpack so that they wouldn't get dirty. She only wore them one day a week, changing into them in the hospital's public bathroom after she'd tried her best to wash up in the sink, before sneaking carefully down the hallway to the long-term care ward to visit her always sleeping mother. Any money that she had leftover from the previous week's hunt would be left in an envelope crafted out of used paper, with a simple note written entirely in hiragana with black marker, urging the person who found it to use it to help make her mother better. She always visited at different days of the week and different times of day so that she wouldn't be caught by the staff.
This year though, she'd finally started to lose her hope that one day her mother would wake up and all of this would be better. She never gave up on her mother, but she was starting to doubt that she would ever be able to live in the world of humans again when she had spent so much time on the outside hunting them down. Slowly she shifted her targets, no longer focusing on easy marks, old out of shape drunks who feared her turning them in. She started hunting burly construction workers and healthy young single men leaving strip clubs, bitter angry guys whose girlfriends just broke up with them and were looking for someone to take it out on; all of them eager to take advantage of such a young and attractive girl, and easily strong enough that she wouldn't be able to resist their advances if she slipped up even once. But taking down a target bigger and stronger than her was thrilling, and these days it was the only thing she looked forward to, the only thing that made her feel truly alive. Even though each hunt took longer and she found herself going more days in between meals such that her small breasts were now the only scraps of fat on her gaunt body, she still couldn't turn back. This hunt had turned into an addiction, and only her next opportunity to show some asshole what it was like to suffer like she did made living to see another day worth the trouble. She still visited her mom every week, leaving her the now much smaller envelope of cash, but her mother's unchanging sleeping expression made it more and more difficult for her to convince herself that any of it even mattered. And what if her mother did wake up? Nao wouldn't want her to see what her daughter had become. She knew that her intense bitterness and hatred of the human race as a whole would probably cause her poor mother an unbearable amount of guilt. No... It would be better if she thought that Nao had been put up for adoption after all, even if the hardened strawberry haired teenager would rather die than live under the roof of some stranger.
A screaming gale of icy wind drew Nao back to the present, her starving body shivering uselessly against the cold as she wondered if she'd finally pushed things too far. When was the last time she'd eaten again? Suddenly there was movement in the empty lot between her warehouse and the factory, but the figure barely lit by the lights from the factory seemed so out of place here that Nao rubbed her eyes, wondering if she was already hungry enough to start hallucinating. It had happened to her a few times during the years before she'd learned how to hunt, and she hated to think that she'd let herself get to such a state again just because she was too proud to hit a weak mark when the pickings on the wrong side of town got too slim. The figure was clearly male, but at the same time he seemed as different from the beefy steel workers who frequented this area as Nao was. He was very tall and dressed in all black clothing, a neatly tailored long leather coat wrapped around a leanly muscled frame with long shoulder length hair as dark as the night draped over broad shoulders, only his pale skin standing out in the dim lighting. His walk was elegant in a way that Nao had never seen from a man before, seeming to glide over the dirty and cracked cement like an otherworldly apparition. Nao felt her breath catch when she realized the figure was approaching her, and she wondered what a person who was obviously wealthy could want with someone like her. Another biting cold wind cut through her threadbare coat, and the hunger pains that shot through her middle were so strong that she could no longer stand on her own, leaning heavily against the cheap metal siding of the warehouse and just breathing deeply of the burning cold air until the pain faded enough that she could focus her senses on something other than her basic survival to the next moment.
If she had been less hardened by her long years on the streets, she would have screamed aloud when she saw the mysterious man now standing only a few feet from her, staring down at her with a look of fascination and amazement on his pale and handsome face. His features were strong, but seemed slightly gaunt and hungry in a way that she could see would make most people not trust him, yet there was almost a kindness and understanding of sorts in his mysterious eyes as he studied her silently. And his eyes... she'd never seen anything like them before. They were blue, but they were so dark that they seemed barely lighter in colour than the midnight sky, and even though he didn't seem to be looking at her like someone who wanted to take advantage of her, Nao could still feel them look right through her into her very soul; a thought that made her feel a wave of grief for herself as she wondered what could possibly be left of it for him to see. Lime green eyes narrowed dangerously as they stared up at the beautiful man; just because her instincts weren't immediately warning her about him, that didn't mean she was giving him a pass. After all, Nao hadn't survived the streets this long by trusting people. "What the hell do you want?" She asked harshly, disgusted by how quiet and girlish her voice sounded, as though her body was far too weak to put any real force behind her words.
"I have been watching you." He replied simply, his way of speaking as elegant and soothing as the rest of him, his Japanese heavily accented in some way that made the syllables flow together more smoothly than she'd ever heard the language spoken. His soft tenor seemed to almost wrap around her in a comforting way, causing her to stiffen and summon what little strength she had to stand up straight and step away from the wall, putting some distance between herself and this strange man. "In all the many years that I have travelled the nights, I have never seen such a magnificent creature of the darkness as the one that stands before me."
The words touched something inside Nao, the part of her that fuelled her desire to hunt down her fellow human beings so ruthlessly night after night, making her want to trust this person who seemed to understand her so well. She growled angrily to herself, what the fuck was her problem tonight that she trusted some strange man who'd spoken only a few words to her? If she let her guard down it would only lead to her getting fucked... she eyed the tall male thoughtfully. Though at least he's pretty enough... She sighed softly. She was so hungry, and she could tell by the way he held himself that this man was a professional fighter; she certainly wouldn't be taking anything from him that he didn't want to give her. Maybe just this once. At least he smells clean and he seems interested in me as something other than just a few warm holes. Still she wasn't about to let him know what she was thinking, though now her rudeness was mostly because she didn't know how to handle kindness."What the hell do you mean, 'creature of the darkness'? I'm just a friggen street kid. We aren't that hard to find."
"Hmm... the humans do seem to allow many of their offspring to fall between the cracks. It has always been that way though... it's difficult to make humans care about things that don't affect them." He gave her a charming smile, taking a confident step towards her though he made no move to touch, correctly assuming she would view such liberties unfavourably. "But you are not one of them. I have seen it in your eyes as I've watched you. Their eyes are dull, they have given up. But you... your eyes burn with the anger you feel, and your hatred for the ones that you hunt down like the lesser beasts they are... it is beautiful and pure, powerful in its intensity. Never have I seen its like in such a small human girl, I have been truly blessed to have discovered such a treasure."
Nao felt her tired heart beating faster at this man's strange compliments, almost without a thought she took a step closer to him, noting with confusion that even this close she could feel no warmth from his strong body at all and he was standing so still, it was as though he wasn't even breathing... Maybe I really am losing it. Suddenly the loneliness that followed her in all that she did seemed stronger, and she knew that part of her body was giving up. If something didn't change soon she would probably be dead before the winter was over, with no one to mourn or even know of her passing. Her dark and self-pitying thoughts again ignited her anger and contempt for the humans around her, who went on living their lives as normal because Nao meant nothing to them. Fuck them all. I wouldn't care if they all died either. She glared up at the tall man defiantly her weak and tired tones still maintaining an edge of hostility and bitterness, "Watching me? What do you want with me old man? I don't have anything."
"Ssh... you do not have to give me anything that you do not wish to beautiful Nao." He said soothingly, causing her tired muscles to tense as though to flee, even though the simple thought of running seemed to take enough energy to make her almost collapse on the hard ground. How could he know her name? She hadn't spoken it aloud since before she ran away to live out here alone on the streets. "I simply think that you and I have a lot to offer one another, and it would please me greatly if you would be willing to dwell in my household for a time."
Nao didn't know what to think. He wants me to live with him... The words didn't seem to make sense. She could still feel her pride chafing at the idea of having to rely on someone else, and she certainly didn't trust his motives to be purely charitable. But he definitely has money... and I'm so hungry. So what if he wants to fuck me every night, at least I wouldn't be so cold all the time. And he's definitely more attractive than any of the losers I rob and leave hunched over in a dark alley bleeding and cursing my existence. Still she stood her ground, studying those dark eyes that seemed to look into her and beckon her closer, not wanting to just give in. "You want me to live with you?"
He smiled again but there was something less kind about it this time, it was more predatory though his words remained soothing, "Only if you want to. I would never force you into anything. I only wish to offer you a chance to explore the darkness of who you are. To allow you to fully become the powerful and beautiful creature you already are on the inside."
He's so into me. Was all she could think, despite his slight change in attitude. After all, Nao herself wasn't really into soft and sentimental feelings. Somehow his show of deviousness conversely made her trust him more. And he wanted to get to know the real her, and she wondered if his touch could give her what she'd been missing all of these years, the feeling that maybe her life mattered to someone. Finally she nodded firmly, careful to keep her voice defiant as she replied. "Okay."
"You have gifted me with the most exquisite pleasure beautiful creature." He grinned as he reached out his large leather gloved hand to her, showing no hesitation as though he knew that the standoffish girl would no longer recoil at his touch. She grasped his strong clean hand in her own that was thin, calloused and covered in dirt from the street, walking beside him with as much confidence and energy as she could muster as they slowly made their way out of the industrial complex, towards a large black vehicle that was obviously far too expensive to be parked on this street. As they approached she could see the shadowy figure of a hired driver in the front seat, but the lighting was too poor for her to make out more than his silhouette and once more she wondered why a man of such means would be taking any interest in someone like her. When they reached the vehicle he stepped ahead of her and let go of her hand so that he could hold open the heavy door to the back seat, something that no one had ever done for Nao, at least not since Natsuki. For a moment Nao simply stood there frozen in place, not sure how she should react to such a gesture; once more studying him with suspiciously narrowed green eyes, though the loud rumbling of her empty stomach dampened the ability of her stare to intimidate even one of her usual victims, much less this confident man. What is wrong with this guy that he's being so nice to me?
As though he heard her worries aloud, the mysterious man again showed her his predatory smile, his clean white teeth shining faintly, "I promise not to do anything that you do not want me to. You are free to leave whenever you like. If at any time you feel uncomfortable, just tell me and I will have someone drive you back to the city immediately."
Nao didn't do much to acknowledge the man's apparently kind words, but she still slowly moved forward and climbed into the spacious backseat of the town car, eyeing the tall dark man suspiciously all the while, her heart hammering in her chest in panic as he glided into the seat next to her and soundlessly shut the door behind himself. Without a word spoken by the man, the driver put the vehicle into gear and began carefully steering the large vehicle out of the industrial neighbourhood and onto one of the main streets, apparently heading out of the city. As much as she hated this place Nao felt her empty stomach turn in fear, because she had never left this city and as bad as her life here had been, it was the only place that she knew. If the man decided not to honour their agreement, how would she have enough energy to make it back to the only place she knew? Nao swallowed harshly, her throat painfully dry as she tried to speak, "Um... what's your name exactly?" She asked, realizing that she knew nothing at all about this person she was entrusting her life to. Even with the little value she placed in her own survival lately she could hardly believe her stupidity. And what about her mother?
The man simply watched her calmly, seeming to remain deliberately unaware of just how frightened Nao was with her new situation, "My name is Dracula." He answered simply.
Nao nodded, willing enough to believe that was his name; after all it was obvious he was a foreigner. After a few more moments of her not saying anything she realized he was staring at her expectantly, as though he thought she should have reacted in some way to his name. Oh crap, is he like some famous guy that I'm supposed to know or something? Fuck. I hope he doesn't just drop me off on the side of the road to starve. Frantically she thought of something to say, "Um... it's a nice name. I don't uh... I've never been able to afford the movies, and I can't read. So it's not your fault that my lame ass hasn't heard of you."
She startled when he actually laughed, his easy melodic chuckle caressing her ears, "Ah, I am sorry Nao. I have always known that I have a bit of a... flaw, in that I have a large ego. I simply like for others to know of my exploits. I am sure that you can understand. You are constantly testing your wits and skill against men older and stronger than you, surely there is part of you who wishes that more people could know of your ruthless cunning. How would you feel if the sound of your name uttered amongst those unworthy humans caused them to shake in fear, to look behind them in their shadows to make certain that they have not been followed?"
Again Nao felt his smoothly spoken words stir something within her, and she felt the spark of life that had been waning in her these last few days slowly flaming up again as she thought of hunting the streets. How would she feel if there were men who recognized her and cowered at her passing by, knowing that they were no match for her? "You're right. I'd love for those bastards to see me coming. I love it when they piss themselves in fear once they realize my knife is inches away from ending them, but if just my name was enough to cause that fear... That must be an amazing feeling." She said happily, finally speaking freely around the strange man.
This time when he smiled at her, some of the edge was gone, and he reached out to tenderly run a gloved finger down the side of her thin neck, "Patience my sweet Nao. We will be at my home soon enough. Why don't you rest for a bit? You will need all of your strength for later, but I promise you when we're done, you will have what it takes to make those pitiful creatures fear you like they should."
Nao felt herself shivering with eagerness at his words, wanting so badly to experience his touch. But despite her intense excitement, his voice was powerfully suggestive, and his soothing tones and the luxurious warmth of the car's heater soon made her fall into a deep and unmoving sleep.
MH-BtVS
Nao wasn't sure how much time had passed when she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder and heard Dracula's smooth voice in her ears urging her to wake up because they had reached their destination. She yawned slightly as she opened her eyes, noting that it was still night out. Not that she was surprised with how long the nights were this time of year. She gazed lazily at the attractive man who was still sitting on the spacious seat next to her smiling at her indulgently. She couldn't remember the last time she felt so rested, it had been years since she had been able to sleep without constantly startling awake, due to the very real fear that someone would try to attack her in some way while she had her guard down. "We're where?" She asked sleepily, seemingly unable to look away from Dracula's deep blue eyes long enough to take in their surroundings.
Dracula grinned again, apparently knowing the effect his gaze had on Nao he deliberately turned away from her and gestured out the window on his side of the vehicle. "My home." He said the words like they were no big deal, but Nao's jaw dropped when she saw the huge stone castle. She hadn't known that there were buildings like that in Japan, but then she'd never seen much more than the ugly industrial buildings or modern steel high rises. "Come, let us go inside so that you can warm up a bit more." He said cheerfully as he swung open the backdoor and climbed gracefully from the car, waiting for Nao to scramble out awkwardly after him.
As she followed him up the steep snow dusted stone stairway and into the grand entrance way of the castle, Nao found herself momentarily forgetting her intense hunger as she took in Dracula's amazing home. Even this small part of it was more beautiful than anything she had ever seen. The floors and walls were covered with green plants, some of which had sweet smelling delicate white flowers blooming, making Nao wonder the last time she'd seen so many plants in once place that weren't weeds. In the centre of the large entry way was a large bubbling stone fountain, the water gurgling cheerfully over the pebbles in its basin cleaner than the water she had tried futilely to wash herself with a few days ago. All around her there were intricately woven tapestries and delicate expertly crafted bits of metalwork covering the floor and hanging from the spacious walls, each surely worth more money than Nao could imagine. She felt out of place but the way everything was warmly lit with wooden torches made the cavernous room feel almost homey, and she couldn't guess what could possibly happen here that would make her want Dracula to take her back to her dirty street corners.
Despite her wonder at her surroundings, she still felt some disquiet rumbling in the depths of her stomach when he grabbed her hand and lead her up a long staircase and she realized he was probably taking her to his bedroom. Wow. I guess he doesn't want to waste any more time getting to the main attraction. She thought nervously, even as she wondered how she would have enough energy to satisfy his needs when she was still so weak from hunger.
Her heart was beating faster than she thought possible when they finally reached the end of a seemingly endless stone hallway and he eased open a heavy wooden door to reveal a large bedroom. It was definitely decorated to masculine tastes, but the huge bed with its soft dark coloured blankets, thick rugs over the hard stone floors, and even the large dark wood furniture made the room feel safe and welcoming. Or it would have felt that way if she wasn't so nervous. "Go ahead and make yourself comfortable." He said softly indicating the large bed with a sweep of his hand, "I have some things to attend to first, but I will be back very shortly." He bowed formally to her, and then turned and casually glided from the room, leaving Nao alone in this strange new environment.
As soon as Dracula had left the room, Nao suddenly became even more aware of how large and expensive everything in his home was, especially when compared to the dirtiness of her old clothes and haphazardly washed body. It was so much warmer in here than outside, and she could feel her sore and tired muscles that always seemed to be shivering these days finally relaxing, but she still huddled close against a bare stone wall next to the door, pulling her coat tight around herself for some protection against the feelings of nervousness and inadequacy that were so foreign to her. What if I'm not any good and he kicks me back out on the street before I even get a meal out of this? She shivered again despite the warmth of the room at that thought, closing her eyes against the still persistent gnawing pain.
Her eyes snapped open again when the heavy door creaked open again, signifying Dracula's return. "I am sorry about that, but I had to impress on my servants that they are not to interrupt us. Some of them have the most unfortunate tendency to show up where they are not wanted." He explained sounding sincerely apologetic for keeping Nao waiting, causing her to shift her weight in her worn boots nervously. "Well go ahead and get comfortable. Don't worry about getting anything a little dirty, I can have it cleaned later." He said encouragingly approaching her so that he could take her coat to hang on the brass hook on the back of the door.
Nao swallowed hard, feeling naked without the thick shapeless wool to hide her bony frame from Dracula's piercing eyes, but she steeled her courage and walked over to sit on the bed, slowly loosening the double knots in her boots so that she could remove them for the first time in days, followed quickly by her threadbare socks that were almost more full of holes than cloth. However when she finally reached for the hem of her shirt to start stripping more thoroughly, Dracula surprised her by placing a firm and unexpectedly cold hand on her shoulder. He had removed his gloves to reveal more of his pale skin, which was softer and smoother as it brushed against her than her own ever was and she sighed happily at his kind touch even as she stared up at him in confusion. "Why did you stop me? Do you want me to keep it on for now or something?" She asked self-consciously, wondering if she had starved herself so much that a sophisticated man like Dracula wouldn't be able to look at her naked body and still maintain his arousal, suddenly uncomfortably aware that these days she was almost boyishly proportioned.
""Ssh, sweet Nao." He soothed her gently rubbing her shoulders that were always tense, clarifying what he wanted from her in a soft voice, "Do not mistake me, you are a lovely girl but for that… well you are a bit too young for my tastes. What I want to share with you isn't my body."
Nao stared up into his blue eyes, still so weary even as she tried to make sense of his words, "I don't understand. What else could you possibly want from someone like me?" She asked gesturing to her body, her voice full of disgust as she continued, "This is all I have to give you."
"I do not wish to take from you, I want to experience who you are. I want to share with you... my blood." He said simply, his predatory smile returning as he brought his own wrist to his full pale lips, easily puncturing a large vein with one of his elongated canines. "Drink of me sweet girl, taste the darkness in me. Your own recognizes it I know. I have seen you hunting men, a mere human girl you are and yet you are already such a delightfully vicious creature of the night. You will make a lovely daughter for me." His voice became deeper as he spoke these words to her, and his eyes seemed to pierce further into her soul as he sat down on the bed next to Nao, holding out his steadily bleeding wrist to her. Large drops of the thick, nearly black, purplish liquid splashed onto the dark fabric of the bedspread.
Nao stared up at him with wide lime green eyes, now really confused about this guy, but suddenly more fearful of doing something he didn't want her to do... and even if it was a strange request she couldn't see the harm in doing what he wanted. And it's hardly as though this would even rate in the top ten of disgusting things I've put in my mouth to survive over the years. Hesitantly she moved her hands to grasp his lean arm, raising his wrist to her mouth and taking an experimental lick of the dark liquid, surprised that it seemed almost colder than the warm room. But the taste was strong and rich and her empty stomach needed something in it even if this was all she would be getting. Shyly shutting her eyes against his intense stare as he watched her small pink tongue lapping the blood flowing from his wrist, Nao continued to hesitantly take small tastes of his blood. Each cool droplet that she swallowed strangely making her feel warm and comforted inside. Her stomach rumbled eagerly for more, and she carefully bit down on his pale wrist to encourage the blood to flow faster before she closed her lips over his soft skin and began drinking down the dark liquid more quickly.
Dracula smiled proudly as his new Childe suckled strongly at the source of his power, a power that would soon be hers as well, her blunt human teeth nicking gently at his skin in a way that was almost endearing to the vampire. My sweet little girl, you're going to make me so proud. He waited patiently for long moments as he watched her, knowing that she was weak and that he would have to be very careful or he might end up killing her before she drank enough. While Dracula didn't hesitate to kill most humans, he knew that this was a creature who deserved a chance to rule the night. After a few minutes of drinking Dracula's powerful blood, Nao was gripping onto his wrist more firmly and making soft pleasured noises as she drank, the feeling of her stomach finally being nourished after so many long days was nothing short of euphoric. Seeing the frail girl's renewed strength, Dracula leaned in slowly and carefully sunk his long fangs into the large vein on her thin neck, making sure not to puncture it too much and cause his weak girl to bleed out before she had taken in enough of him. He held her close, rubbing her back soothingly as she cried out in pain, pausing in his drinking long enough to quietly urge her to keep drinking his blood from his wrist.
Nao didn't really see how drinking his blood could replace the blood that his cold lips were slowly suckling from her neck, but still she kept swallowing down his offering. The cool thick liquid splashing easily down her throat at first seemed to sate the worst of the hunger that had been gnawing away at her stomach for days, and his strong arm wrapped around her and holding her close to his cold body made her feel suddenly warm in a way that she never had. Long slow minutes passed and they continued to drink from each other, Nao revelling in the tender touches Dracula was giving her, the feeling that she was important to this strange man in a way that she had never been to anyone.
After they had been sharing each other for what seemed like hours, Nao began to feel a burning inside despite Dracula's cold fingers and lips on her skin and the cold blood that she was still drinking from his wrist that now filled her belly. At first she couldn't understand what the feeling was, but then she realized that he had been drinking blood from her for so long. Even she knew that she couldn't possibly have much of it left to give him, but he still kept drinking from her neck occasionally biting down harder to encourage her blood to keep flowing. The pain from his teeth was now dull and distant in a way it hadn't been before. With startling clarity she realized she was dying. Still, even if she was dying, this was the best night she'd had in years. At least she wasn't slowly starving or freezing to death alone in a dirty alley somewhere. This man who was killing her had been more kind to her than anyone since Natsuki all those years ago. A part of her wished that she weren't dying a virgin, that this beautiful man had been willing to at least fuck her once before he used her like this; but another part of her, perhaps the darkness in her that he said he could feel, the darkness that made her love hurting her victims more than she loved the money they could provide… That part of her thought that his blood inside her, and his sharp teeth making love to the now only slowly flowing vein in her neck must be better than sex. As her heart fluttered desperately to pump her dwindling supply of blood, time began to flow differently in a seemingly endless slow crawl where she felt herself simply hovering on the precipice of oblivion.
As she stared into eternity, she was surprised to see face of her childhood friend Natsuki in her mind's eye. She hasn't seen the girl in years, but as she grew weaker she remembered how when they were just kids, Natsuki would always save her from the bullying of cruel children who for whatever reason thought it was funny that Nao's mother never came to pick her up from preschool. Sometimes when she didn't even realize the dark haired girl was within sight of her, the younger girl would come charging in between Nao and her tormenters just in time to save her. For a moment she had the foolish thought that maybe Natsuki would once more crash through the door to stop this before it was too late. She laughed internally at her weakening mind's last whimsy, since as she knew Natsuki died all those years ago. She remembered clearly crying for weeks, not even talking to anyone for almost a year after overhearing her preschool teacher talking about the accident, how the body of Natsuki's mother was found washed up on a beach near one of Japan's many notoriously dangerous cliff-side highways. They never found Natsuki's body, but no one could imagine how a small girl could have survived an accident like that. And even if by some miracle Natsuki were alive, what could even a brave girl like her do against this man drinking from her, who Nao was now quite certain was not human. Suddenly she found that her eyelids were heavier than lead, and even as she struggled to keep them open her vision darkened and blurred, her brain no longer having the oxygen required to process the faint light in the room streaming into her eyes.
He felt the small girl in his arms becoming weaker, leaning against his chest more heavily as she lost the strength to hold her own body's weight. His dead heart contracted strangely as he felt her thin body struggling desperately for air, having forgotten just how fragile his new Childe would be before she changed. Dracula carefully withdrew his fangs from her spent vein, raising a cold hand to tenderly brush aside a lock of sweaty strawberry red hair as he laid her out comfortably on the large soft bed. For a moment he simply looked at her, marvelling at how small she seemed, and how beautiful. Her big lime green eyes stared blankly up at him, her chest rising and falling much more weakly now. Unable to resist a sudden surge of affection for this creature who had given him such an amazing gift, he leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Ssh my sweet child, my Juliet, rest now. Daddy will see you again in the morning." He murmured softly to her, laying down next to her and holding her close to his cold body as lime green eyes fluttered shut for the last time.
MH-BtVS
Am I… alive? Was the first thought that floated into Nao's slowly waking mind. It nagged her with confusing persistence as she opened painfully dry eyes, blinking as they burned from the light provided by a small sliver of bright sunlight painting a narrow broken pattern on the stone floor of the large bedroom. For the last couple of years Nao had been something of a creature of the night, but this morning the cheerful rays of sunlight streaming through the break in the heavy curtains over the window invoked a primal fear in her that she had never felt before. Her second thought before she had time to wonder much about the first or her unusual fear, was that even including those times living on the street when she had gone days without food, she had never been this hungry. Or was she thirsty? It was hard to tell, but the constant intense pain in her throat and stomach would probably be completely unbearable if she hadn't been so used to being hungry. Nao gazed around the room, somewhat surprised to find it empty, and for some reason the memories of how she had gotten here in the first place were missing. For long terrifying moments she feared that somehow she had slipped up and been taken advantage of by one of her victims, but after concentrating to see if she could feel any pain other than her hunger she realized that there was nothing, not even the vague aches and pains that always seemed to follow her even on the best of days.
She threw her legs over the side of the bed, noting with surprise how warm the stone floor was against her bare feet. Granted it had been a long time sense she had been barefoot indoors like this, but she thought she vaguely remembered that floors like this tended to be like ice in the morning. Walking over to the dresser, she looked in the mirror to try and assess just how bad she looked this morning after a night she couldn't remember… only to let out a silent gasp when the mirror continued to reflect the image of the bedroom itself; as though Nao wasn't even in it. Oh gods, am I a ghost? Suddenly the vivid memory of her death in Dracula's cold arms flooded into her consciousness and Nao fell to her knees, wincing in pain as they connected with the hard floor with force. She blinked in surprise… if she were dead, would hitting her knees on something hurt? For that matter, if she were dead could she still feel hungry? Fuck, I hope not or this day sucks even more than I thought possible and I have lower standards than anyone. Fuck this. If I somehow ended up in hell for some reason, someone is getting shived.
Her revelation robbed her of the will to stand back up again, so she simply moved her body that was a sudden mystery to her so that she could lean against the polished wood of the dresser, staring into the angry white sunlight. No matter how long she stared into it, her eyes simply refused to adjust, and the fear never faded. She didn't feel her heart beating faster against her chest like it normally would if she was afraid, but even Nao knew that when you were dead your heart didn't beat anymore, so that wasn't really surprising. As she became more accustomed to her continued awareness of her surroundings despite the unavoidable vivid memory of her own death and the familiar but intense pain of her hunger, Nao felt a curiosity rising in her. What exactly am I? Obviously I'm something or I wouldn't be in pain and afraid.
With that thought, she felt the unbreakable will that urged her to keep hunting no matter how hopeless and pointless her life seemed return to her in force. The fear of the sunlight was still there, but she realized it was like the fear she felt during the coldest nights, the primal knowledge that if she didn't keep moving she would die from its intensity, and as soon as she'd made the connection her fear faded away to bearable levels. As long as I don't get any closer to it, it can't hurt me. Feeling more secure that she wouldn't suddenly fizzle out of existence, Nao shifted her eyes to look at her hands that were draped over her denim-clad legs, blinking in surprise as she realized she hardly recognized them. They were still pale and smeared with dirt like they always were, but where before the bones in her wrists and hands had always jutted out sharply, they were now covered in a smooth layer of flesh. In wonder she ran the pads of her fingers over her skin, marveling at how soft it was, no longer the dry and cracked, almost leathery surface she had grown used to. She raised her hands to her face, gasping reflexively when she felt how her cheeks had become filled out and that her hair felt smooth and silky instead of dry and stringy. She tried to imagine what she might look like with her face no longer almost skeletally gaunt, but it had been years since she'd been at a healthy weight and she could no longer remember what she used to look like anyway, having no pictures of her younger self to aid her memory.
Suddenly she realized she could hear footfalls echoing loudly as they moved down the long stone hallway towards the bedroom, and Nao found herself hoping that it was Dracula returning, feeling no fear that at the notion that it could be anyone else. Her feelings for him seemed so complicated this morning. Despite the way he had consumed the very last of her lifeblood last night, she could only feel a warm affection when she thought of him that was so unlike her. Only her mother or Natsuki had ever made her feel anything similar. The thought of her mother made her realize something else, her feelings for Dracula were no longer quite as sexually charged this morning, and though there she still twinges down below as she thought of his hard body and deep blue eyes, the way he had held her tenderly last night and referred to her as his little girl reminded her of all the times she'd idly wished that she had a dad too instead of just her mother.
She found herself rising to her feet and wandering back over to the bed, and smiling broadly when moments later Dracula opened the large wooden door. Her curiosity about her new life further aroused when she noticed the calm, seemingly completely unfrightened young teenager following in behind him. She was obviously around Nao's own age, maybe old enough to be in her first year of senior high school and just like Nao, she had the hard disillusioned look of a girl who had seen too much too young. But unlike Nao who only pretended to be a slut to lure men into a dark alley so that she could rob them, she had a feeling that this girl really was a slut. "This is Aki. I met her when she was on her way home from the arcade last night. She was very interested to… get to know me better so we spent a little time together, but then I thought that you might like her, so I brought her home for you." Nao gave the attractive man a sinister grin as what she had woken up as finally came to her with the most pleasurable clarity. A vampire. Well, this day certainly got upgraded to my best ever. Oh fuck me. I can smell her blood from here. I've never wanted something this badly.
"You already have a girlfriend?" The girl asked Dracula, glaring at Nao jealously, missing the way that the strawberry redhead was eyeing her like a starving lion staring at a juicy rare steak.
Dracula simply laughed softly at her question shaking his head as he replied in his smooth polite tones, "Now now, there is no need for jealousy my dear Aki, this is my daughter, Juliet."
"Your daughter?" The girl gasped, turning her wide eyes back to Nao and studying her with renewed interest. "Wow old man, you're kinkier than I thought."
Dracula smirked, allowing the girl to keep her misunderstanding of their situation for a bit longer, "Indeed. She likes to play with older men occasionally too, but sometimes she finds the taste of a young girl to be much more… refreshing."
If her hunger wasn't burning so hotly in her throat, Nao probably would have laughed at how witty her Sire was; that strange new word for what Dracula was to her floating into her mind with a sense of rightness. But at the moment, all she could think of was how she longed to sink her fangs into the soft flesh of the girl's neck, where even from this distance she could see the gentle throbbing of her pulse, its steady motion seeming to beckon her closer. She gave the young human her best sex kitten eyes before speaking softly in a pleading voice, "Don't you want to play with me just for a little bit? I'll let you play with my Daddy when we're done."
She didn't bother to hide her victorious grin when the girl eagerly approached her on the bed, wondering with amusement just how big of a slut this girl was when she didn't even wait for Dracula to leave the room before she climbed onto Nao's lap. "Mmm, thank you." Nao giggled girlishly as she nuzzled against the girl's soft warm neck, inhaling deeply the scent of the blood coursing just under the skin. "You smell so good. Do you mind if I have a taste?" She grinned wickedly as the girl moaned and nodded, baring her neck further for the newly risen vampire. Nao nearly felt herself orgasming on the spot when she finally sunk her fangs into a gently flowing vein and the first mouthful of blood splashed hot and thick on her tongue, her face shifting reflexively into its more demonic visage at the amazing feeling of warm blood flowing easily down her throat and easing the burning. She tightened her lover's grip around the girl as she cried out, either in pleasure or pain. Nao didn't much care which one her meal was feeling, both excited her, enhancing her enjoyment of her first meal in her new life.
Dracula watched with amazement and pride as his fledgling sated herself for the first time. He had known the moment he saw her that she would be an amazing vampire, perhaps one day even a legend to rival his own, the very mention of her name able to strike fear and envy in the hearts of humans. Here even in her first act of her new life she proved him correct; where most fledgling vampires were stupid creatures driven only by their instincts, his little one was fully aware of her own actions. Already she had shown some restraint, rather than simply leaping at the food the moment she saw it, she had known exactly what she was and lured her prey to her willingly just as she had in life, in a way so similar to Dracula's own hunting preferences. There was a time for simple aggression certainly, but it lacked elegance and would normally provoke retaliation from humans, who with their modern weapons could be dangerous in numbers, but taking a victim willingly? It promoted fear more effectively, and the humans had a much harder time proving what had happened. Dracula felt a twinge of sadness as he realized his time with his young fledgling couldn't last forever; it was amazing seeing her mortal personality so purely displayed in her new immortal body, finally able to reach its full potential. It made him so proud to think that over the long years it would only be further refined into the most beautiful work of darkness, and he had been privileged to be the one to help her. He shook his head, wondering at how attached he always got to the very few that he turned, unlike some vampires who he knew Sired hundreds of fledglings over the course of less than a century. He would simply enjoy the time that he had with her, knowing already that even among the precious few he had brought with him into eternity that this small girl was his favourite.
MH-BtVS
Sapporo, Japan; midsummer, 2000
Nao was sitting on a soft rug on the floor next to Dracula's large comfortable leather chair in his spacious library, watching her Sire as he read to her from one of the many old classics in his vast collection. Heavy curtains were drawn over the small castle windows for protection against the bright summer sunlight, but sitting here being doted on by her normally ruthless Sire and listening to his smooth beautiful voice as he read, Nao was in no hurry for the sun to go down. She had absorbed so much more human literature thanks to her Sire's fondness for reading to her these past couple of years, more than she ever heard while she was still alive. Learning to read the books herself was still a bit beyond Nao's ability to motivate herself, but she found that her memory was more than capable of retaining all of the important details of each story, and as she heard more she even began to wonder if there was a deeper meaning to some of them beyond just the events that happened to each character. When she asked Dracula he would just smile indulgently at her and tell her that if she thought that there was a deeper meaning, then surely there was. It surprised her how willing he was to listen to her ideas about his old books. He was surely more educated than anyone she had ever met, but he seemed to think that Nao's opinion really mattered. She couldn't remember the last time she had been able to just spend time with someone who cared about her, and Nao found that she loved this part of her new life almost as much as she enjoyed her new ability to hunt.
Even though Dracula now saw that Nao never went hungry, and her new body never got cold, the young vampire still went into the city most nights to hunt her old prey, this time completely unarmed since her prey was no longer any match for her. She never drank from those men, somehow their blood seemed dirty and unappetizing, but she never tired of making them suffer just a little of what she had suffered during life. The fear in their eyes as they realized that she was more than she appeared was more satisfying than ever, even if hunting them was no longer any kind of challenge. Sometimes she would hunt for her own food as well, surprised that she found girls around her age or a little older to be the most appetizing. She didn't know if they really tasted better or if her Sire's preferences were influencing her own, after all the only times she hunted for herself were when she saw a victim that she just couldn't resist the allure of. Most nights she would come home to find that Dracula had brought her a willing human toy to play with and drink from. There was actually a young teenage girl locked up down in the dungeon today for her amusement, but Dracula had been acting strange the last few days and Nao was reluctant to leave his side.
"Hey Dad, why do you call me Juliet?" She asked suddenly, wanting him to look up at her instead of his book, her cold body feeling warm when his deep blue eyes rested on her affectionately.
"Because my sweet girl, your beauty and charm are such that any who love you would gladly take their own lives to be yours forever." He said in a warm, affectionate tone, reaching out to gently run his cold fingers through her soft strawberry red hair, as always enjoying its fine silky texture, wondering at how very beautiful his little girl was.
Nao's lips turned up in a sinister smile, "I see. I like it."
Dracula gave her his own charming smile, "I knew that you would, you are of my blood after all. I am so proud of you."
If Nao's heart were still beating she would have blushed, even still she gave the impression of shyness as she dropped her lime green gaze to study her new black and white Converse sneakers that she had taken from a meal last week, "Thanks Dad."
Seeing his sweet daughter's reaction to his words, Dracula felt a surge of guilt for the things that he hadn't been telling her lately because he wanted to put off the inevitable for himself as well as her. These short years seeing her grow from a weak and bitter human girl and into a joyful and vicious predator had been some of his most rewarding in centuries. Even someone as used to the constant march of time as Dracula found that he was reluctant to acknowledge the inherent quality of change present in all things and all situations; something that immortals must be even more willing to accept, since it would inevitably come to pass. He knew fledglings well enough to know when it was time for them to head out on their own for a while and start to find their own way in the world, and his little girl was already starting to chafe under his constant close care, even if the novelty of his affection for her meant that she hadn't yet realized it herself. But Dracula always preferred for things to flow smoothly, so he would rather the two of them part now for a time than to keep his sweet Juliet with him for so long that she became resentful of the way he protected her when she quite rightly felt that she deserved a chance to prove her own worth. So no matter how much he wished that one of his many abilities included the power to slow down time so that they could enjoy these days together, that were as innocent and enjoyable as any in his long unlife, Dracula instead chose to face the inevitable with dignity. After all, his little girl would surely find him again someday when she was a great and powerful vampire, and then they could once more enjoy each other's company as equals.
He drew in an unnecessary breath and let out a low sigh, wisps of heavy smoke swirling dramatically around his dark frame, "Nao sweetie, I have to talk to you about something." He said finally, feeling his dead heart twist at the old familiar look of suspicion and distrust in her lime green eyes, the knowledge that even after all of this time she still did not trust his love for her surprisingly painful for the old vampire, even if he knew that at least in this one instance she would likely think herself completely justified once he explained himself. "At the end of the summer I will be moving on. One of my many servants abroad has finally been able to locate something that I have been searching for years to find but have been unsuccessful." He said vaguely, reluctant to give her the details of what his search had turned up because he knew she would be terribly jealous if he told her he was leaving because of an intriguing young girl. Nao had grown very accustomed to being the only person of import in Dracula's life, there were many others who lived in his large castle, but they were only servants and Nao was his only daughter. He was often amused over the years at how she would even become jealous of his mortal toys taking too much of his attention away from her, often brutally disposing of them when he was out during the night so that when the sun rose again he would once more have only Nao with whom to while away the daytime hours.
"Hmm. When are we leaving?" She asked expectantly, though he could tell from her suspicious tone that she already suspected his answer.
"I'm afraid this is a journey I will need to make alone." He said apologetically before continuing, trying to reassure her, "But I trust that you are now quite capable of surviving the nights on your own, you always seem to be able to pick targets whose disappearances won't cause too much suspicion among the human population, and yet you still leave enough of a trace to cause them to fear the night like they should."
"I always knew you would want to leave me eventually." Nao replied bitterly, his words of praise for her hardly enough to overcome the almost crushing loss she felt knowing that she would soon be parted from the only person to ever give her a chance to be someone.
"Juliet, nothing could be further from the truth! Were I a god instead of a mere vampire I would surely use my power so that we could stay just as we are for all eternity."
Nao huffed angrily as she stared down her powerful Sire fearlessly, though for the moment she made no move to distance herself from her place close to him, "If you really felt that way you wouldn't leave me. You're just tired of me and you're going to make a new vampire to take my place."
"Darling girl you know that isn't true." He said soothingly, even though strictly speaking he was hoping that he would be turning another on his trip to America. But even if he did, that was a long standing research project of his, not an act of love like it had been for his sweet daughter. No one could take her place. "Of all the girls we have taken since I met you, have I Sired any of them as I did you?"
She again gave the impression of shyness at his words, and he wondered if he had ever Sired another with such intense nuances of emotion. Certainly all vampires were capable of every emotion that mortals felt, but in his experience young vampires in particular seemed to swing more readily to the very extreme emotions; hate, lust or even love, the more subtle ones too much trouble for them to linger on in their haste to foolishly enjoy all of eternity as quickly as possible. And that is why I am almost ashamed to refer to myself as a vampire these days, so many foolish creatures Sired without the wit to think beyond the basics of their bloodlust; living in the filth of the humans like vermin instead of ruling over them as creatures of our power ought. Nao looked up at him bashfully through the fringe of her hair that had fallen in her eyes, his willingness to state how special she was to him still a surprise even after all this time, "No. No one else... only me."
"That is because your darkness called to me sweeter than all the others. You are special my Juliet, a true treasure. If you can believe in yourself as I do, I know you will do great and terrible things." He showed her his predatory smile, the smile that made her feel like he was truly her father, "And I certainly expect to hear about all of the fear you caused those humans and the way you've shown those stupid fools who think they are our kin what it truly means to be a vampire. I know you will have so many wonderful things to share with me when we see each other again."
"But Dad, I don't want to be alone again." She whined quietly, huddling closer against his chair as though seeking warmth his undead body could not provide. "You're all I have."
Dracula wondered how he could have let his own inherent selfishness blind him to how alone his sweet girl was, perhaps it was only natural that someone of his ego would want all of the attention focused on him, but really he had thought he was old enough to know better. He smiled slightly, realizing it was as much because of how intense and new her feelings were to him that had made him reluctant to admit to her that she had ways of bringing another into her life. Oh well, it's not like either of us is getting any older. Telling her now instead of sooner certainly won't cause her any problems. After all, better for her to get used to what it is like to be one of us before she rushed into something that she would only end up regretting. "You could always make a companion for yourself." He said simply, knowing for certain that she had an unusually sharp memory of her own turning and wouldn't need any clarification.
Nao smiled, her expression unusually dreamy as she remembered their first intimate night together, the fear that she experienced that night long since faded, leaving only the pleasurable memories of closeness and something ancient and powerful passing between them as they embraced each other tightly, willingly giving their own blood to nourish the other. ""How would I ever find someone who would be good enough? You bring me countless snacks, but I couldn't imagine sharing our blood with them. And living with one of them for even a week would be unbearable, let alone an eternity."
"You will know when you find one with a darkness inside that calls to yours. You need not rush things either, take some time and see the rest of your home country. Perhaps in the large southern cities you might find the companion you seek." He explained simply, knowing that any details would be useless, as the specifics of what she was searching for couldn't be explained unless one had experienced it themselves. He held her close when she crawled into his arms, clinging desperately to her Sire, that to her could never be replaced, though the feeling was bittersweet. No matter how happy she would be to see him again in the future, she would never again depend on him as much as she did now, and he very much doubted that such a charming and beautiful vampire would need to walk the night alone for long. Surely at there was least one worthy soul among the sea of humanity to the south who would give everything up to be with her. "Don't cry my sweet Juliet, you shall survive. Indeed you will do more than survive; you will be strong and make a name for yourself. Do you not have my blood running through your veins?"
Nao nodded, rubbing her cheek against the cold leather of his coat that for whatever reason he had decided to wear even indoors today. "You're my Sire." She replied softly, wondering how she was able to cry now over the thought of him leaving her when she hadn't cried once since she lost Natsuki. "I'm going to miss you Dad."
"And I you, but even for immortals nothing can last forever. All must change or we do not grow to reach our full potential." He said his voice heavy with nostalgia. "I know you'll make me proud Juliet."
Nao sat with him for a few more moments, until the thought of their impending separation made her too restless to stay and enjoy the time that they did have before he would leave. Standing up and staring at him awkwardly, she felt bashful again at his knowing look. "Um… I'm hungry. I thought I'd go visit our guest." Nao explained, even though she wasn't really hungry. Still, perhaps her human toy could help her pass the time until sunset. Even if Dracula was going to be leaving her soon, her human never would… Nao smirked at the thought. I'm sure she wishes she could leave… though she always seems so happy to see me. Nao thought curiously, wondering if perhaps Dracula was serious in some way in calling her Juliet, if maybe humans really did instinctually want to be closer to her despite the danger to their own health. Despite her general hatred for humans, and her love of causing them fear and pain, she felt a stirring at the thought, after all the humans most drawn to her were the ones she hated least.
Entering the dungeon and catching her toy's eyes she still smiled when the girl eagerly rose to her feet, heedless of the healed over bite wounds on her neck as she ran over to hug Nao: the girl wasn't even chained. She was a sweet girl Nao thought as she returned the hug, licking gently at the dried blood on her pale neck. But even though the girl was soft and affectionate, and smelled and tasted nice, Nao didn't feel drawn to her like she did to her Sire. Perhaps it was as he said, the girl didn't have that darkness inside her, she was simply a weak human who wasn't mentally strong enough to resist Nao's thrall. Nao bit down angrily into her vein, annoyed when the girl didn't even cry out but just let Nao bite her, happily gripping weakly at Nao's body as the vampire hurt her. She hated how it didn't mean a thing. If this girl had her free will back, she would leave Nao too. Her Sire seemed to think that Nao would be fine when he left, but she couldn't imagine that there was anyone who could care for her like he did.
A week later Nao casually climbed in through the third story window of her mother's hospital room one last time. She thought it was strange that even though she was no longer human, she still felt the same urge to visit her mother week after week, but since she couldn't stay in Sapporo with Dracula leaving her, this would be her last visit for a while. She wondered idly if her mother would notice. "My new dad says that even my blood won't turn you back into the woman you used to be, and that's the only thing that I could offer you." She whispered sadly as she watched her forever sleeping mother. She leaned down to tenderly kiss her mother's forehead, brushing long thinning hair out of her face, ignoring the feeding tube protruding from her nostrils. "I love you mom. Even if I want to kill all the rest of the humans crawling around this Earth, if you ever need me I'll be here for you. But for now I need to see what I can make of myself alright? So you keep sleeping. I promise I'll be back to see you." For long hours she sat mostly motionless on her mother's bed, her only movement her hand as she caressed the sleeping woman's hair, waiting in the vain but stubborn hope that she would stir from her long sleep. She sighed when she could see the sky beginning to show grey, warning the vampire of the sun's impending return, but her mother remained the same as always. She choked down a thickness in her throat that felt suspiciously like a sob as she kissed her mother one more time, leaving one last envelope on her bedspread before leaping soundlessly from her window. As she made her way back to Dracula's castle to while away the daylight one last time, she wondered again if she would meet someone in the southern cities or if she really was cursed to wander her eternal nights alone.