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 Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2015 3:10 pm
Jianlei Tsukino Jiànleí rolled his shoulders. "Hey, I thought the same thing when I fell into a group of travelers not far outside of a bar probably fifteen miles inland from the far northern edge of Cabo San Lucas... a tiny town known as El Rey... which I later found was short for Krutaĵo el Rey Muerte," he said with a grimace before he cocked his head at her comment of healing her. "Better heal you and push out the paralysis venom than leave you to die... which I refuse to do," he said quietly.
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Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2015 3:22 pm
"But...how?" Clara asked before she saw him grimace. As she shifted in his arms she felt something wet and looked to his side, seeing the blood. "You're hurt," she said as she sat up a little straighter. She had momentarily forgotten about the fact that he had healed her. All she had was concern for him. After all he had saved her.
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Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2015 3:34 pm
Jianlei Tsukino Jiànleí blinked, a bit caught off guard by her concern, although he knew he'd heal with time. "It's nothing," he said as he half turned, letting her feet touch the sidewalk. "I'm.... very different, to put it simply," he said quietly.
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Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2015 3:47 pm
"It doesn't look like nothing," Clara said as Jianlei set her down on her feet. She moved to get a closer look, but stopped when he spoke again. "What do you mean by different exactly?"
"Jianlei...do you really think standing here talking in the open is the best of options?" A man came from the shadows, his dark hair slicked back. He walked tall and straight, his eyes roaming between the two. "And to keep her out in the open..." he shook his head. "She is more valuable then you can even imagine."
Clara took a slight step back from the man. "Who...who are you?"
The man smiled, bowing to her. "Vlad is my name, but most know me by another...Dracula."
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Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2015 8:38 am
Kaosujin Ryu Jianlei Tsukino Jiànleí cocked an eyebrow as his Maker showed himself. "Considering that most humans are asleep at this time... if they're fortunate, or like those unfortunate souls in the arena... dead... it is useful at the moment. Did you know that I was different?" he said carefully, his tone neutral as he'd suspected for several years that his maker knew precisely how different he was. "And we do need to move, preferably to less... obvious locales," he said quietly, acknowledging that it was wariness that kept him in the open, just in case some vampires were stupid enough to attempt attacking him. He heard a sound and twisted, catching a barbed arrow with a silver arrowhead which he snapped off instinctively, the blinking blue light dying almost immediately. "Hmmm, seems we are not the only ones hunting those who kill needlessly and obviously; I sense at least three others in the city that I can pick up... one is like me, but different," he thought, knowing Vlad could pick up on his thoughts. He could sense the life essences of roughly two thirds of the city from where he was; had he been at a higher vantage point, perhaps three quarters of the large city.
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Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2015 3:47 pm
"Jianlei, Jianlei...why do you think I saved you?" Dracula shook his head. "I knew you were special." His gaze swept over to Clara who was looking at the two of them in shock. "I am sorry my dear. This must be a lot to take in. Let us go somewhere more private so things can be explained to you." He held out his hand to her, a gentle smile on his face.
Clara took a deep breath, looking between the two men. "Okay this is insane....vampires are real...you..you're..." she shook her head. "Why do you say I am special?"
"That we cannot go into at the moment," Dracula said as his eyes scanned the area. "We must get to a secure location and then I shall explain everything."
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Posted: Thu Aug 20, 2015 8:34 am
Jianlei Tsukino Jiànleí exhaled softly as he uncrossed his arms, well aware of the vehicle pulling to a stop behind him as the door opened, rotating upward; he knew the carbon-fiber polymer was bullet proof, as he'd tested it with every type of bullet available short of mortar and military issued weapons. "That tells me so much, and I'm sure you already know that 'elder' vampires have been integrating themselves among humanity for the last century," he said with a sigh, well aware that his car could easily hold three people, although it left no carbon footprint whatsoever. "I'm certain you have a few dozen 'secure' locations," he said quietly, knowing Vlad would realize he was talking to him. "Who fired that arrow, however? It's intriguing, although I do not recognize the style of arrow," he thought.
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Posted: Thu Aug 20, 2015 3:57 pm
Clara had no choice but to back up and slip into the car after Jianlei. The man who called himself Dracula had moved towards her, giving her no margin for error. Dracula...vampires...She rubbed her hands up and down her arms as she took a deep breath. The door to the car had shut behind Dracula as he sat across from the two of them, and they took off down the street. It almost felt as if they weren't moving at all. "Please...a little explanation if you will."
"By now you will have realized that vampires are indeed real." Dracula stated as he looked at the girl. "We rarely show ourselves, opting to keep our true natures hidden because it would greatly frighten the populace. Not to mention bring out the hunters." He looked at Jianlei intently. He turned back to Clara. "Vampire hunters also keep their true identities hidden. Especially those of your bloodline."
"Excuse me? Vampire hunters?" Clara laughed as she shook her head. "I am afraid you are mistaken. My mother was a stay at home mom and my father was a successful architect."
"A cover my dear." Vlad said as he eyed her. "Your father comes from a very old and very noble house of hunters. Unlike his brother he came to see us as ones who deserved an equal opportunity to live. So he broke with his family and left with his then pregnant wife. They changed their names and moved far across the sea so nobody would find them. Not even I could find them. Your father and I had come to a truce, and I sought to protect him and his because I know how the family can be." Vlad stopped for a moment so she could take it all in. "By the time I found them it was too late. They had been killed. Run off the cliff by another hunter. Not your father's family...but another." He ran his hand lightly through his hair. "I got to him before he could get to you."
Clara gaped at him, her breathing coming out in soft gasps. "No...it isn't possible..."
"It is very possible," Vlad said softly. He did not move to touch her. "Now we must protect you from both hunters and vampires alike. Because not all vampires keep to the shadows as you have very well learned this night. The hunters will seek to recruit you and train you in their ways; which is what your father and mother did not want. And the vampires will come for you just to get your blood. They won't kill you. They will keep you alive to feed from you for years. For you see a hunters blood is....intoxicating. We have yet to figure out why this is so. But once someone gets a taste of your blood...they will crave it forever."
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Posted: Fri Aug 21, 2015 10:09 am
Jianlei Tsukino Jiànleí gave little sign he was listening, focusing rather on the road, although the car didn't really need steering. "I have a suspicion that some of the more... bloodthirsty vampires may be up to something that none of us desire, as I've heard rumors of something called a 'Final Plan', though what that may detail, I do not know yet," he said quietly. "I know of at least two, perhaps three, vampire hunter groups in the city. I do not know if any of them are affiliated by those who killed your parents, but it is unlikely. And don't look at me as if I knew that bunch of vampires would show up at the concert, Vlad," he said dryly; he had no idea that they would have shown up at all, but that was the problem, in his experience, with humans in most cases. They could not tel the more bloodthirsty of their kind from the 'normal' ones, like himself and Vlad who could control the Thirst. He personally had been tracking several of their... more vicious and less subtle 'relatives', though he had a strong suspicion they were up to something very dangerous.
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Posted: Fri Aug 21, 2015 5:07 pm
Vlad shrugged his shoulders. "I find it amusing that you just happened to come upon the girl that I have been watching over since the accident. It is quite...amusing." He looked to Clara. "You look as if you may be ill..."
Clara shook her head. "Well it isn't exactly everyday that you find out that vampires are real and that you come from a family of vampire hunters." She had pulled her feet up into the seat, wrapping her arms around her legs. She was still trying to convince herself that she was dreaming. That she would wake up and go to work in the morning and everything would be back to normal.
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Posted: Fri Aug 21, 2015 8:08 pm
Jianlei Tsukino Jiànleí chuckled. "Your reaction is the same as mine was upon seeing the ‘King of the Undead’ here... by the way, why do you think they latched onto your past and assumed you were 'the first' when they were around even in your time? That just seems foolish to me," he said quietly. "‘Just happened upon’ my a**. I happened to be finishing my most recent... job, to put it bluntly. I prefer to be the one that people see, yet never really see, ya ken?" he said dryly, unintentionally using the Irish slang for 'you see?' at the end.
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Posted: Fri Aug 21, 2015 8:22 pm
Vlad shrugged. "Perhaps it was because I was a prince and I did what I did to save my people," he said as he looked to Jianlei. "You know history as well as I do. They need a scapegoat just to make things interesting."
Clara glanced over at Jianlei as he used the Irish slang for you see. Her lips twitched slightly. She supposed they would know different languages considering. "Where....what are we doing now?"
Vlad turned his gaze back to the girl. "To a safe house. You and Jianlei will stay there for a few days while myself and several others try to find out what is going on." Vlad had many prodigies, but Jianlei was by far the one he cared for the most. The one he gave the important missions. "You will look out for her. Keep her safe."
"Really....that isn't necessary," Clara said softly. "If the hunters are looking for me....wouldn't that put the both of you in more danger? Might as well just leave me be. Let me go on my way."
Vlad shook his head. "Your father did not want you to be like them. That is why he left. And I owe him a debt. He may be dead, but you are still very much alive."
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Posted: Fri Aug 21, 2015 8:43 pm
Jianlei Tsukino Jiànleí chuckled. "Thanks for the obvious, there. I had planned on keeping an eye on her beautiful a** regardless... and any vampire, Deacon Frost or anyone like him... will die before they get to her," he said quietly. He was a bit surprised to see Vlad blink as if mildly surprised. "So you were looking into their holdings as well, eh? I've found that they seem to have reach in everything from catering to electronic surveillance, security and a couple of the local law firms," he said wryly, not mentioning that they also had a good bit of the local and state police under their thumbs as he was certain that would scare Clara.
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Posted: Fri Aug 21, 2015 9:05 pm
Clara looked quickly at Jianlei and then looked away as a blush crept across her cheeks. He had called her beautiful. Perhaps it was just a slip. She let go of her legs, sitting normally in her seat. "I have been taking a look into their dealings," Vlad gave a slight nod of his head. The vehicle stopped, the door opening. He motioned for the two of them to get out. "Make yourselves at home. I shall be back once I have more information." He took Clara's hand in his and kissed it gently. "A pleasure to finally meet you my dear. Do try to behave yourself for Jianlei. I have kept an eye on you long enough to know you don't like to be cooped up for long." A grin spread across his face as the door shut and the car took off out of the driveway. Clara watched the car leave before turning to look at the house. "Some safe house he has here," she said softly as she glanced over at Jianlei.
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Posted: Fri Aug 21, 2015 9:36 pm
Jianlei Tsukino Jiànleí cocked his head. "And it's so often assumed that Vlad supposedly died penniless... guy has had good investment luck all over the world... Hell... I found something that would blow your mind... one of Vlad's old aliases.... was Henry Ford," he said quietly. He was amused by the shocked look she fired him at that; he'd actually stumbled upon that by accident. "Let's get you inside and comfortable. If you want, I'll run you a hot bath, bubbles and all, though I don't see much need for the bubbles," he said wryly.
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