Sorry this took so damn long. Jesus! 1- my computer got infected wit viruses. 2- my mom is lame and didn't let me use her laptop until now. 3- i needed to come UP with it! Word says it's 2 and a half pages. YIKES. Maybe it'll tie you over until next time. lolol. ALSO. I'm stealing somethin from Vampire Diaries. Hate the books, but this one thing was GENIUS. ^_^ But i LOVE Damon. I would so make out with him. hahaha. Anywho, read away!
Otis sat at the dining room table looking eerily calm.
Vlad walked in after he got his nerves under control. Otis, being the strong vampire that he was, would notice the tense aura.
Otis had two cups in front of him. Smelled like… tea?
"Vlad. How kind of you to join me," Otis hissed coolly, "Sit."
Vlad sat. Otis was pissed. Ugh. "Otis, I can explain-"
"Can you? I'd love to hear your ridiculous story."
"Ridiculous?"
"Well," Otis began, "I checked in with Henry first. He'd said that you had gone into the park to train with Vikas. Vikas, at the time, was with me. So you lied to your friend. You told me you were coming home. You lied to me. What's going on, Vlad?"
Vlad hesitated. His mind was in over drive trying to find an explanation. Crypt? No. School? No. Ugh. What?
"Vladimir?" Otis prompted.
Choking for words, Vlad squeaked ,"…Cars?"
Otis raised an eyebrow. "Cars. Really. I can think of a better excuse than that."
Vlad swallowed. "Snow."
"That girl that you've been…?" Otis trialed off and gave him that knowing look.
Vlad ran his hand through his hair. "Yeah. I think I have something going with her, and… I donno. I just wanna be with her." That wasn't entirely a lie. Basically same scenario, different person.
Otis rolled his eyes. "Vlad. I don't mind you hanging out with a girl."
Vlad subtly sighed in relief. "So, what's up with the tea?"
Otis looked down. "Ah yes," he slid a cup to Vlad, "It's something called vervain."
Vlad raised an eyebrow. "Vervain?"
"It's an ancient poison," Otis paused and looked up, "for vampires."
Vlad narrowed his eyes. "A poison to kill vampires?" Otis shook his head. "Not kill. Simply weaken. I want you to drink it."
Vlad searched Otis's face looking for something that would indicate he was joking. But there was none. He was completely serious. "Otis," Vlad chuckled, "I say this because I love you. Are you crazy?"
Otis smiled. "I'm serious, Vladimir. It will not hurt you- you're not a full vampire. But you might get a headache."
"How do you know?" Vlad questioned, "I thought I was unique."
"You are," Otis nodded, "I just want you to-"
"Why?"
"Dorian," Otis hissed acidly, "I know he's been around you." -Vlad swallowed. Oh God. He knows- "He's been bugging you. I smell him on you. So," Otis nodded to the vervain, "I want you to drink that. If he bites you, he'll get a taste of his own medicine."
Vlad nervously scratched the back of his neck. "Otis, he's not-"
"Drink it."
His voice left no room for argument. Vlad wet his lips and picked up the cup. He glanced at Otis who stared at him intently. Vlad took a sip. It had a leafy taste that left his mouth dry.
"The whole cup," Otis pressed.
Vlad sighed and took slow gulps until the horrible stuff was out and he sat the cup on the table with a shaking hand. "Happy?"
Otis smiled and nodded. "It'll last for about a week. You'll only have a headache for tonight."
Vlad shut his eyes, already feeling the effects of the vervain. "Awesome," he growled, "Can I go?"
Otis chuckled. "No. Get ready, because here comes the lecture of the century."
Two hours.
Otis rambled.
For two hours.
Vlad didn't think it was possible to take up that much time on one topic. (Not including school.)
Here's what Vlad heard half the time.
"You can't just go off blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, there are better things to do blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah Vikas blah, blah Elisha blah, blah, etc, etc…" And the headache didn't help much.
Vlad tuned him out by thinking about what Dorian was probably doing.
Eating, sleeping, working, or plotting.
Vlad put his money on plotting.
But the guy was pretty unpredictable.
After the mother of all lectures, Vlad found out the Nelly was working late and Vlad had the house to himself. He knew that he had just seen him, but Vlad was desperately hoping Dorian would stop by.
Was he being clingy?
He thought so.
Jeeze.
Vlad finished up homework and lay sprawled on his bed hoping to hear that tap, tap.
Everything was… gold. The halls, the rooms, the furniture, everything. Vlad walked into a room filled with vampires. He thought he saw Otis and Vikas… He sat on a glowing gold couch and looked around. Everyone was just talking. Then Joss stepped out in the crowd, stake in hand. "For you, Cecile," he hissed and raised the stake. Abruptly, a huge copper-colored cat leaped from the right of his eye and attacked Joss.
Joss fought back viciously, but the cat was stronger. Vlad watched motionless as the wild animal bit his throat, blood pouring out like a river. All the other vampires rushed over and started to either fill wine glasses with Joss's crimson, or lap it straight from his neck.
The cat seemed to… shift. Shift to a man. He stood broadly, no shirt, and took a crystal glass from one of the other vampires.
The tan jeans he wore complemented his chocolate eyes. He walked over and gave Vlad a seductive smile. He held the glass out to him.
"For you," he purred, copper hair falling onto his eyes.
Vlad took it and drank. Joss's blood was… sweet and syrupy and delicious. The man sat on Vlad's lap, leaned down and started to kiss his neck.
Vlad sighed and gave in, returning the kisses as quickly as they began.
Vlad heard a familiar voice, but he ignored it. He just kept going, pulling the man closer…
"Vladimir!"
Vlad's eyes flashed open quickly. The comfort of the gold room left him leaving only the cold brisk air of his room. "Huh?" he breathed.
"You're going to be late," Nelly warned, "Get dressed."
Vlad sat up and looked around. He was laying in the same position as last night. He must've fallen asleep. Huh.
He got dress and quickly met Henry who was waiting patiently downstairs. "Dude, what the hell?" Henry snapped. "Sorry," Vlad sighed, "I was tired."
Henry sighed. "You know what Friday is?"
"Friday…"
"And don't you dare say cars."
Vlad chuckled as the two sped-walked out the door and into Henry's car. "Halloween."
"Hallelujah," Henry gasped, "He remembered!"
Vlad rolled his eyes as Henry pulled out onto the street. "Screw you."
Henry laughed. "So, who's Dorian?"
Vlad almost choked. "Who?"
"Dorian. You we're saying that name in your sleep. It is a name, right?"
Vlad felt himself get all warm. "No one. Just some dude on Elysian council. Bad dream."
"Nice," Henry replied.
"Three days. Really?" Vlad grumbled to the morning sun.
No word from Dorian since Monday. Nothing.
It was now Thursday, and he was getting kind of worried. Was it something he did? Oh, God. Was it because he didn't… No. Dorian wasn't like that.
Unpredictable… Vlad thought nervously. He got ready for the day normally, and the school day went through normally. At the end of school, October found him outside the school.
"Hey, punk," she chuckled with a shove, "Where the fuck have you been?"
Vlad returned the shove with a grin. "Doin stuff. Why?"
"Well, it's almost the most important holiday of the year, and you haven't been to the Crypt in a lifetime."
"It's been a couple days-"
"Snow misses you," she muttered, "I miss you. Sprat wants to give you another pin."
Vlad chuckled. "I had no idea I was so wanted."
October punch his shoulder. "Yeah. So either come by tonight, or I drag you."
Vlad rubbed his shoulder. "Will I get abused farther?"
October winked. "Most likely." And she was gone. Vlad sighed. Ah, what the heck? Dorian probably won't come tonight either.
And with that, Vlad walked home to prep and then off to the Crypt.
