Drink Me In Deep (Vlad)

[mina]

Wilhelmina had been drawn to Tintagel for unexplained reasons. She used to try and decipher these callings that would suddenly overtake her but she had long since abandoned this nasty habit and learned to let the feeling dictate some of her lesser decisions. And Tintagel was definitely a lesser decision.

It seemed fine though. There were people of varying types and emotional states, all of which would likely bore the girl to death but might payoff in some surprising way. It would at least serve to get some of her more immediately needs out of her system. Needs like sex. Needs like blood. Needs like some damn freedom.

She probably looked out of place in the park in all honestly, not that such a thing would ever bother her. Her heels were higher than what would be conceived as comfortable and her clothes were designer. She had left the purse at home though; she wouldn't be buying anything and she tended to forget handbags after feeding. She still wore her engagement (a three carat stone was worth the annoying reminder of who had given it to her) but it had moved to her middle finger.

The brunette sucked in some air deeply, letting the cool night air fill her lungs. She had really learned how to appreciate solitude in the night since her interaction with the Count. Before that time, she favored long walks in the sun with friends or suitors. But now the moon seemed to rule her, seemed to command her to move from place to place and she simply bowed to the will of the night and the cold and the lunar pull.

The night was so lovely that she really didn't mind the fact that there seemed to be no real options to fulfill the other two needs she had. No matter though. The sheer amount of freedom and solitude was enough to soothe her nerves and clear her mind.

[Vlad Dracula]

Dracula had long since learned to trust those deeper feelings he attributed to instinct. His mind was old, and his subconscious had access to memories he couldn't even recall at will - experiences he had, perhaps, sealed away either unintentionally or deliberately. Instinct had kept him alive for centuries, had given him the ability to make decisions when there was no time to stop and think about the outcome of any given choice.

Had he known Mina was learning to follow those instincts of her own, he would have been...perhaps not proud, but pleased, to say the least.

He was halfway through the park when he caught the taste of her on the wind, and as soon as he did, he halted.

Impossible. He knew her scent, knew her taste, and he knew that logically, she ought not be here. What cause could she possibly have for being in this place, this school, the place he had come so many months ago for reasons no one really remembered anymore?

But it was her...he knew it with every bit of that instinct that had kept him alive for so long. It could be no one else, not unless someone else had literally bathed in her blood. It was impossible to forge someone else's life force that way. Nevertheless, he remained silent on his approach, and drew his coat up around his neck. In the dim lighting, no mortal would be able to say with one hundred percent certainty that they recognized him.

He fell in step with her as easily as if he'd been walking with her the entire time, and for a few seconds, he didn't speak. Then the words came to him.

"Tell me, Miss Murray, who taught you to go out walking in the dark of the night?"

[mina]

Her own instincts were not as polished. She could feel something different when the Count entered the park but she was unsure as to what it was. It took his being within a quarter mile or so of her for Wilhelmina to be able to tell that the presence she was feeling was that of the creature who made her who she was.

She breathed deeply. His scent had been filling her dreams for what felt like an eternity but what was more likely months. She closed her eyes and let her entire body focus on that smell. She made sure to compose herself before the being got to close though.

Interacting with the Count was something of a difficult thing to do. She knew that she should be angry at him; he had taken a certain innocence and sweetness from her that she would never get back. She knew that she had told all of the people of her own world that she had sought out to kill the being.

And she also knew that he had given her something in place of what he had taken. She knew that she could learn from him.

And she was still very very connected to him.

"I believe, Count Dracula, it was you."[/color] She kept her attention focused in front of her but an undeniable, albeit small, smile slid of her cold lips.

[Vlad Dracula]

People weren't often very restrained when it came to their opinions concerning Dracula. They either hated him passionately (most people fell into this category), or they were among the select few he kept close to him, kept under the influence of his unnatural ability to charm people out of their common sense. There were very few people who were indifferent towards him - and if they appeared to be, more often than not, they weren't actually indifferent, they were undecided.

He had decided Mina was amongst those. She had plenty of reasons to despise him - as many people did, but there was an undeniable link between them as well. For that reason, he was certain that she'd never be able to hate him completely.

"That was me, wasn't it?" He allowed her a smile, whether she saw it or not. "I must tell you, Mina, of all the individuals I had expected I might see here, you were not near the top of the list."

He leaned in a little closer, his next words quieter but spoken nearer to her.

"That's not to say it isn't a pleasant surprise," he said, layering on a touch of the charm that had drawn her to him in the first place so long ago.

[mina]

Still the Count. Still charming and handsome and overwhelming. Still able to sound sweet while being arrogant, still able to influence her with nothing more than his presence. He hadn't changed at all from their time together. Mina tried to explain to herself that she had changed and that she would no longer bow to the will of a seductive man.

But was that true? Wasn't she here? And, more importantly, how did she know that his will was not in sync with her own?

Wilhelmina turned her attention towards the creature next to her, the one that looked so much like a man, and smiled an honest smile. Whatever there was that connected her to the Count, it also made her feel ridiculously relaxed around him for no reason that she could decipher. Had he not drank of her? Had he not made her drink of him? Shouldn't she be furious at any implication of fondness in her direction?

Whatever she should have been was irrelevant. She was quite pleased to see him.

"I am, of course, glad to hear that there is nothing unpleasant about our meeting again."[/color] She let the smile linger for a moment, making eye contact for the first time. It used to be impossible to break that sort of contact when she was mortal. Whatever she was now allowed her to turn her attention back in front of her (even if it was somewhat difficult). "It would seem that why I'm here is not obvious but you, Dear Count? What business could you possibly have here?"[/color]

[Vlad Dracula]

Perhaps the single most dangerous thing about Dracula was not his ability to kill, or his utter disregard for human life, but the ease with which he could make anyone forget about those things. There were vampires who were faster than he was, and there were those who were stronger and more brutal in the way they killed people, but Dracula could talk the weak-minded right out of their lives.

He did not have to explain himself to her. He was her superior in every way, but...he had always held a certain fondness for her, whether he cared to admit it on bad days or not.

"I can't imagine what would give you the idea that there could be anything unpleasant between us," he remarked, and from his end, that was fairly accurate. He certainly didn't harbor any ill will towards her, she had taken nothing from him.

"To answer your question - I live here. I've lived here for quite some time, actually." Again, an opportunity to mention his wife presented itself. He could tell her that his wife was now headmistress - that would give him a perfectly legitimate excuse for living in a place like this, but...no, not yet. "I like the place. Somewhat. And what of you...could it be, perhaps, that instinct has drawn you back to the destiny you want so badly to deny?"

[mina]

The surprise that Mina felt after hearing that this place was now the Count's home was too overwhelming to hide. Her walking stayed persistent, her movements didn't falter, but her tone definitely showed her shock. "You live here? This little place could hold your attention? There must truly be something special about this small town then..."[/color] She was definitely unsure as to what that something special could be but for the Count to declare this place his home it must have been a strong something.

When Dracula spoke of destiny, Mina turned her attention back to the Count. She supposed he was right - maybe she had been rather desperate to avoid her potential fate. But that was a lifetime ago as far as Mina was concerned and she would hardly admit to the being that she was afraid back then. And she was most definitely not going to say or do anything to suggest such a fear would still linger with in.

She smiled playfully, her tone matching. Her steps moved just a hair closer to the man next to her, barely anything that could be noticed...to a normal person anyway. "But my dear Count, how could I have been the one denying? I believe it was you who fled."[/color]

She waved her hand lightly though, somewhere between dismissive and moving on from the previous comment. "I needed to leave that place and felt a draw here. I can very clearly see why now. And, for the record, I couldn't be more happy by the surprise."

[Vlad Dracula]

Though he was loathe to admit it, there was something about this place that Dracula did enjoy. While he was fond of his real home, of his own estate and possessions (the ones he'd left back in Romania), there was a sense of belonging here as well. It might have had something to do with Glinda, or it might simply have been that the evil and socially questionable seemed much more welcome here than they did in other parts of the world. Dracula had killed people here, he had taken lives, and he had yet to see anything besides the most personal forms of justice exacted for it.

He took one step, just slightly in front of her, and stopped, so that she'd either have to stop as well or go around him. Reaching out, he gave her chin an affectionate tilt with the outer edge of his index finger.

"Ah, Mina, I do not flee. Were I inclined to flee, you would never find me, either intentionally or accidentally. I left for you, love, because you needed to come to terms with who and what you are. There was very little chance of that with me lurking about." Whether that was true or not was anyone's guess - whatever the case might have been, he was, as usual, convincing to the utmost extent of his ability.

Intriguing...she was admitting to her pleasure at seeing him. So she wasn't playing the "I despise you and all you are" card any longer, that was good to know.

"To find me, then, was it?" he said, a touch quieter, stepping closer. "Well?" He stretched his arms out at his sides. "Am I all you remembered?"

[mina]

Despite her better efforts to remain in complete control around Dracula, it was just impossible. She knew that he was probably lying about his motivations being focused around her but his charm and the way he spoke made her desperate wish to believe it was accurate. He was so good at creating intimate moments that Mina felt like she was the same person she used to be when she first met the him - naive and easily swayed. She couldn't help but raise her hand and place it on the man's chest.

The dangerous feeling was creeping up her spine. She had been dying for that feeling again since her transformation had occurred. There was something so totally alluring about the feeling one had when they were this close to Vlad and Mina couldn't help but revel in it a little bit. The feeling of his attention, of his body, of his presence seemed to be precisely what she needed

Mina took a step backwards and brought her hand back to her own body when Dracula held his arms out. She took a moment to survey the being, looking him up and down carefully. She circled him slowly. When she was behind the man, she leaned forward, whispering close to his ear. "Better."[/color]. She walked around the rest of the way and offered him a small smile. "I think I...understand you more now. If I may be so presumptuous."[/color]

[Vlad Dracula]

She was almost the same as she had been - but not entirely. There was something else about her that hadn't been there before, a kind of confidence, self-assurance...almost the arrogance so characteristic of Dracula himself. He lifted a hand, fingers curving around the elbow she'd raised to put her hand on his chest.

"Understand me?" he repeated. She had indeed grown arrogant if she believed that. The truth was, even Dracula wasn't sure he understood himself. He had moods that lasted for a matter of moments...fits of temper that lasted for days...For anyone to imagine that they could understand that...He was amused.

"Is that so?" he asked, arching an eyebrow at her sudden closeness. He was no stranger to having another person near to him, but it was an intriguing turn of events that she seemed to be seeking it out. He could recall a time when he'd had to convince her that having him in the same room was a good idea. "I must say you are more intriguing than ever, Ms Murray. There is something entirely different about you...do tell me what it is. Please say you didn't run off and marry that fellow...what was his name, Jacob?"

[mina]

She could hear the amusement in the Count's voice. She was glad of it, honestly - she liked the idea that could elicit such a rare emotion from the being in front of her. She was eager to impress him and she was sure that eagerness was showing.

"Are you playing so innocent? To not know what's changed me?" Mina's eyes flashed with wickedness as the Count demanded to know what had made her more interesting than she had been before. Even she was willing to admit that she was more fun in this personality than she had been before.

She contemplated telling the creature that it was him. That it was his blood in her veins. That it was the transformation that occurred within her body, despite it not being the fullest of metamorphoses. Whatever she was, she was only part of it. She became sick at prolonged sun but could stomach small moments in it's death blaze. The blood she craved only took true hold of her every now and again. But, no matter how small the transformation, she was hardly going to expect the Count to have no knowledge of her change.

She protruded her lower lip into a slight pout when Dracula brought up her potential matrimony. "My dear Count, we were having such a pleasant visit. Why ruin it by bringing up a silly little man that might as well be a world away?" Mina offered him a half-grin. She had never spoken about Jonathan in such a way before, but her attitudes towards him were a major marker of how different she had become.

[Vlad Dracula]

"Innocent?" The word itself almost seemed like a lie from his lips, without any insistence that it applied to him. "No, no...not innocent. Merely uninformed. Perhaps you could enlighten me...you are clearly still in possession of..." He leaned closer, inhaling slightly, drawing her in. "...a human element. But yes, Mina, you have changed, that is quite clear." He could tell that from the moment he'd laid eyes on her. When he had left her before, she had been different than when he had met her, but there was something even more drastically altered about her now, and to Dracula's senses, it certainly wasn't a bad change.

His amusement was sparked again by her almost-sulk in response to his mentioning of her romantic prospects. Well, well, that certainly was a development. Silly little man?

"Do tell me," he said, his lips parting into a predatory smile, "you don't call me a 'silly little man' when I'm not around, do you?" He very much doubted that she did, but it was entertaining to ask, at any rate. "I would be terribly disappointed in you, I must say. Particularly since you are such a promising protege...it would be a shame to waste that."

He put his fingertips to the edge of her jaw, taking a moment to reflect on the temperature discrepancy between them. It was still present, of course...her own blood still seemed to flow through her veins, the flutter of her pulse still throbbed at the base of her neck and at her temple, clearly visible to him through the strands of her hair.

[mina]

Had anyone else been present in the park, Mina might have felt a twinge of shame for instinctively craning her neck to the side a mere millimeter when Vlad leaned closer to her. She didn't care if he noticed - she was almost sure he did. It was the established paradigm in their relationship, after all.

She shrugged a single shoulder as she looked at the being. "Truthfully, the answer alludes me as well. I seem to be...something in between. A bit of both human and you. I imagine you need blood far more often than I do and I can still have moments in the son. But my senses are far weaker and the...special abilities...are sometimes elusive." This was all true to the extent she commented, except for her senses in certain circumstances. Like this one. She felt Vlad. But that had more to do with him than her.

She matched his predatory smile with a wicked one. "I call him a silly little man because that is what he is. Calling you that would be horribly insulting."[/color]

She stared at the being as he looked down at her, feeling his eyes where ever they moved. Her mind and body felt tethered to him, all the stronger now that they were near. It was dizzying. And she knew he was aware of his utter control.

Not that such a thing was new for him.