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Post by jarahamee on Oct 18, 2023 1:31:37 GMT -6
The letter that appeared on Faolan’s desk was a simple one. It was a black envelope, lettered with neat gold cursive.
To Dr. Faolan Mura:
From Domin Boucier
Dear Doctor Mura,
The Vampire High Council of Europe has been collecting data about vampire-human negative interactions. We believe that a thorough investigation into the true number of adverse events will help us understand underlying issues with vampire society.
I understand that you have had some adverse events, which were unreported to the Vampire High Council, and would like to ask you some questions at your earliest convenience.
I believe that the WDSA and vampire society have a common goal of peace and understanding between our people.
Please contact me to arrange a meeting at the following address. I will provide dinner. Please let me know what you would like. I will choose a wine vintage to pair with it.
Thank you for your time.
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Post by qhostqrowls on Oct 18, 2023 3:22:52 GMT -6
Faolan had read the letter over and over, until the expensive paper was crumpled at the edges and the fancy lettering started to blur together. A part of him baulked at the idea. The other part knew it was selfish to decline.
He stared down at his phone, scanning the text on screen.
Hello Mr. Boucier. Thank you for your letter. Does Friday evening work? Please make whatever is most convenient for you. I look forwards to seeing you again. Kind regards, Faolan.
It didn’t sound nearly as formal as the invitation, and he bit absentmindedly at his nails as he re-read, and then pressed send.
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Post by jarahamee on Oct 18, 2023 15:32:15 GMT -6
The message in return was formatted like a letter;
Hello Dr. Mura,
Please come at 7:00 on Wednesday if that suits you. If it does not, please name the day and I will make accommodations. I can even do day time, I will just be very tired.
The address is my temporary residence. You will find it very safe and secure.
You can park your car anywhere in the front area.
Please knock when you arrive, and I will greet you.
- Domin Boucier
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Post by qhostqrowls on Oct 18, 2023 20:11:01 GMT -6
Faolan was glad he’d dressed formally as he approached the house, the night air cool against his skin. It was a beautiful place, all fancy stonework and luxuriously rustic features. Even the garden was meticulously groomed.
He adjusted the collar of his turtleneck, and raised his hand to knock against the thick wood of the door. Domin had been nothing but a gentleman when they’d met, but he had selected the garment for the faint sense of protection he got from having a covered throat.
Not that it would actually help, but old habits die hard. He was more worried about being accidentally impolite, and had asked Telmore for a brief rundown of vampire etiquette before he’d left work that afternoon.
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Post by jarahamee on Oct 19, 2023 2:07:21 GMT -6
Dr. Mura found nothing elaborate or intrusive as he entered the front garden of Domin’s supposed temporary home. The stone front of the manor house was simple but impressive; made entirely of natural gray stone, with a dark slate roof. The windows were covered with thick red-brown curtains that draped down over their thick plate glass. The wooden front door had a medieval style peephole with iron barring over its front.
The door swung open before Faolan could knock, and before him stood a familiar vampire, standing in his well-lit entry hall.
Domin merely smiled, bowing low as Faolan approached.
“Good evening. Welcome to my house.”
He gestured inside the manor house and pointed to the nearby coatrack for the man’s jacket. The vampire had his shoulder-length hair down around his shoulders and was wearing a charcoal-gray wool suit and black turtleneck sweater underneath.
His reddish eyes sparkled with light that seemed keen even for a vampire.
“Thank you for coming. Please, make yourself comfortable.”
When Faolan was squared away, the vampire led him into the living room.
The interior of the house was spacious, with plaster walls and wooden beams supporting the interior of the structure. A floral-looking chandelier hung from the center of the ceiling. Paintings hung from the walls around them.
A plush set of chairs and an elaborate decorative table were arrayed in a semicircle for conversation. A legal pad and bundles of files, bound with clips lay abandoned there where Domin must have left them.
“Ah, where are my manners… I made dinner. You…like rabbit?”
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Post by qhostqrowls on Oct 20, 2023 0:19:20 GMT -6
Faolan smiled back, stepping delicately over the threshold and into the house.
“Thank you for having me over. It’s nice to see you again.” He said, hanging his coat carefully on the rack.
The interior was very fancy. Faintly European. It looked exactly like what he’d imagined it to be - a bit more cozy, actually. The doctor trailed after the vampire, smiling again when Domin turned back to him.
“Oh, yes, I love it.” He replied, even though he’d never tried rabbit in his life. “Thank you. I hope it wasn’t too much trouble to organise.”
He still felt a little rude not bringing a gift for his host, but what did one give a centuries old vampire? He knew some drank wine, but he was fairly sure anything he could have afforded would be bottom-shelf for someone like Domin.
He also wasn’t sure the occasion was right for that kind of thing. Faolan waited to be told where to sit, his body language calm but a little hesitant.
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Post by jarahamee on Oct 20, 2023 1:46:04 GMT -6
The vampire merely smiled, apparently amused, and pointed all possible routes to his guest.
“Oh, please, seat yourself where you are comfortable. If you wish to sit at the small table, I am more than happy to serve you there. If you wish to be served at the dining room table, we can always talk there instead. You are doing me a favor by providing your story.”
Domin kept careful distance from Dr. Mura. Whether it was because he was naturally someone who kept his distance, or whether it was because the vampire was aware of Faolan’s discomfort was unclear. Either way, he seemed more than happy to allow Faolan to direct him.
He ran his gloved fingers through his thick black hair, pushing it out of his face.
“Never too much trouble. How have you been? No…uh…trouble at work, or any somesuch hm?”
The vampire tilted his head to one side, as if listening for an answer.
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Post by qhostqrowls on Oct 20, 2023 5:54:02 GMT -6
“Here is fine, thank you.” Faolan said politely, taking a seat at the smaller table. It seemed the more conversational and relaxed of the choices. He folded his hands in his lap, trying to seem less awkward.
“It’s been busy, but that’s normal. Nothing too intense.” He looked up at the vampire, seeming to relax more as the seconds ticked by.
“How about you, and the…investigations?” He said carefully. The gore from the Rosenthal crime-scene was still fresh in his mind.
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Post by jarahamee on Oct 21, 2023 19:30:22 GMT -6
Domin allowed him to take any seat, gently pushing his papers aside to clear room at the table. His red eyes glimmered as he searched Faolan’s features, noting his nervousness. He did not want to be here, and it was understandable, especially with what the vampire knew, why.
“Well. We have answers. We know who the victims are, and we know who some of our perpetrators are. Alas, that does not get us any closer to having our hands on them. Beyond that, they are quite dangerous, these vampires. They have been feeding on humans without a permit.”
He exhaled, which was probably more an expression of his frustration than anything. He squeezed his eyes closed.
“I have no doubt the WDSA is already doing their own investigation…”
The vampire seemed less than enthusiastic about the thought of it but said nothing else. Instead, he walked his fingers over the surface of the table, watching them, cat-like.
“I am happy to give you details, if you would like. They are hunting specific target types. I feel that you are not in any danger at this time.”
Domin flicked his hair back over his shoulders.
“But I am not here for me. I am here to talk about you. Your experience. We must be sure that things were properly dealt with.”
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Post by qhostqrowls on Oct 22, 2023 21:45:52 GMT -6
“Yes, if you’re happy to share.” He said, watching the subtleties of his expressions. Domin cared about this, and whatever his reasons were for caring didn’t really matter. He at least seemed to want the bloodshed to stop as much as anyone at the WDSA did.
“Ah, yes. Of course.” Faolan clasped his hands in his lap, letting out a breath. “I…never filed a report or anything like that. I mean, it was eight years ago.”
He realised belatedly that was nothing to an immortal, and smiled a little shyly at the vampire. It felt like a lifetime ago, and like it had just happened all at once.
“Ask away.”
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Post by jarahamee on Oct 23, 2023 0:06:53 GMT -6
“All of the rebels, not just the main three, were all vampire vassals. We believe that most of them were turned against their will, and subjected to extreme cruelty. For some of them, this is an act of justice. I understand, I understand, but they are also hunting and hunting prey openly. Sending a message! We do not send messages to humans. We, the ancient ones, we know how they will answer.”
The vampire grimaced, then the grimace became a somber smile as he turned his attentions back to Faolan. He shrugged gently and shook his head.
“Ah, you know. When you are an old vampire. You see… That there is no merit to seeing men as your enemy. After all, what are we but cursed men? Drawing this…unwanted attention, shedding blood… it will only lead to more violence.”
He shuffled the papers, and then placed them in a pile in front of him, contemplating them.
“I suppose, I will be asking you about the who, the what, and the why. I know it has been a long time, perhaps too long for a proper investigation, but your story can help find other victims, if they exist, and allow us to pursue justice…legally.”
The vampire cleared his throat theatrically, a glint in his eye.
“Tell me. How did you meet your first vampire?”
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Post by qhostqrowls on Oct 24, 2023 23:02:13 GMT -6
Faolan looked up at Domin, silent and somber as he spoke. There was a sadness in his eyes, and he twisted his hands in his lap. He thought of Ru, so deeply damaged by his unwilling transformation, his life ruined on the whim of an elder. He couldn't understand their pain, but he could sympathize with it. It was a miserable fate he'd only narrowly avoided himself.
"I feel very sorry for them." He said, meaning it. "But yes. Violence isn't the answer. I believe we can coexist peacefully."
That was what the WDSA was working towards, and he could only hope for a future where that became a reality.
He nodded as Domin spoke, his expression faintly apprehensive. Helping other humans - and vampires - that was why he was here. If this helped even one victim, it would be a worthwhile visit.
"Warren Alvarez was the first vampire I met. He was working security at the hospital where I was completing my residency."
Faolan paused, letting out another breath that was almost a sigh.
"He was very charming, and I was flattered by the attention, so we got into a relationship fairly fast - within about two months of knowing each-other. He was a daywalker, and I was always at the hospital, so...I didn't notice anything was off. And I didn't know about the supernatural until he told me what he was about six months later."
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Post by jarahamee on Oct 25, 2023 1:42:00 GMT -6
Domin made a soft click with his tongue. It did not seem so much a reprimand as an expression of his distaste for the entire situation. He sighed theatrically and pressed a gloved hand to his cheek, pacing back and forth like a caged panther.
“Yes. Yes. I have more than just a superficial understanding of their pain. Most vampire masters, or indeed, any man with power over you can never be expected to be kind. At least not, if he has no one to answer to.”
The vampire smiled with surprising gentleness as Faolan highlighted his mission. There was truth to the boy’s words. This was something he believed in with all his heart.
He considered patting Dr. Mura’s shoulder, but decided better of it, instead continuing to pace around the other side of the table.
“Warren Alvarez. Right. Yes. The daywalkers. They make things more difficult…”
While most vampires were compelled to sleep during the day, or were even damaged by sunlight, a spare few could be awake during daylight hours, or might even prefer it. While Domin could spend time awake during the day, and might spend time in the sun without harm, he could hardly say it was either comfortable, or his preference.
“Ah. Yes. Deception is common. And he waited until you had investment to tell you.”
The vampire’s thin tone seemed to indicate some kind of judgement he was making on Warren’s quality, but what sort was impossible to say.
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Post by qhostqrowls on Oct 30, 2023 21:14:01 GMT -6
"Mhm." Faolan watched the vampire pace, momentarily distracted by predatory elegance of each silent footstep. Some aspect of Domin made him think of a caged animal. Something wild kept on a leash. It was fairly obvious he wasn't fond of modern laws and the complex legalities that came with them, and he supposed it would be hard to adjust when not so many years ago, law was the will and whim of whatever man or supernatural was the strongest.
He supposed he should be all the more grateful the vampire was even bothering to investigate something like this.
"He was from the Otrava bloodline, so not natural daywalkers. At least not until they're elders." Faolan twisted his hands in his lap, the motion absentminded and as repetitive as the vampires pacing. "He had a, uhm, a charm of some sorts from his maker - Valentina Moroz."
His voice trailed off a little, and he looked up at Domin as if waiting for another prompt.
"She was the matriarch of his coven - Malvira. You probably know all of this already, but...well, yes. I don't want to ramble."
Faolan half-smiled, though the expression didn't reach his eyes. He'd done his research, after receiving the letter, at least as much as he could on a coven he'd tried his best to forget. The Malvira coven were also, very unhelpfully, absent from the WDSA database.
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Post by jarahamee on Oct 31, 2023 2:39:51 GMT -6
Domin nodded, taking careful notes as he paced about. He had probably at least momentarily forgotten dinner, his red eyes gleaming as they traveled from Dr. Mura to the ceiling and back. The greyish skin that had likely once been tanned almost glowed in the florescent lighting.
“Of course, yes. Ah, unregistered. That also makes legal recourse more difficult. What a pity. Even more pity that I hear that Valentina is no longer among either the undead or the living.”
From the vampire’s tone, it was difficult to tell how sympathetic he was, but he at least seemed to process it as a loss. The vampire had not researched the clan, and did not know what had happened off the top of his head, so to speak, but he could most certainly find out.
“Yes. Well. Then, what happened?”
Domin stopped pacing to sit down in the chair across from Faolan, then, seeming to notice that they were far away, moved closer, onto the couch. The shadows cast by his manor house’s lights shaded the area beneath his cheeks and eye sockets, lending his angular features a dramatic look.
He folded one leg over the other, settling himself.
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