vampire von abgemeldet (an epic Vincent/Yazoo vampire story) ================================================================================ Kapitel 31: ------------ 31 “You look great. Very tasty actually.” Yazoo smirked upon the frowning that graced his partner´s beautiful, slightly dark features. Even after three years of living amongst aristocrates Vincent was still wary of being found out… They had found themselves a nice large town in the north, far away from their former residence and had fallen in love with a huge, castle like stone mansion, complete with little towers and a huge, beautiful garden surrounding the estate. The sea wasn´t too far away and the harbour provided them with enough visitors, so the vanishing of two people per night wasn´t noticed. They had decided to not feast on their acquaintances, for the circle of aristocrates was very manageable and the lack of the one or the other would certainly stirr a commotion, the two of them decidedly did not need. They had settled in very well, even finding a chubby, older maid that did not ask questions and took care of the house during the day, as well as a few servants that were just happy to get paid so well and being left alone most of the time. It proofed to be rather easy to get into the exclusive circle of landlords and the peers, even more so when they (and Yazoo) found out that Vincent Valentine was quite a wealthy and generous person. Soon their parties become famous and the most discussed events amongst their ‘new friends’. Initially they hadn´t planned on locating the socialisations to their own quarters, but it had proven to be far more convenient after some rather distressing encounters with mirrors and crosses in their hosts´ mansions. Nothing dramatic had happened, fortunately, but after that, Vincent and Yazoo had decided to avoid such unpleasant surprises in the future and throw their own regular proms. And proms they were, providing their guests with the most delicious of dinners, the best musicians available and the most heated, philosophical discussions. People gathered around the two vampires like moths to the flame, totally unaware of their devious nature. The one or other marriage offer had been made, but was rejected politely. Vincent pretended to still suffer from the loss of his former, now deceased wife, saying that he had promised her on her death-bed that he would never remarry again, which regularly made the ladies sigh with bittersweet romanticism. Yazoo always said that he felt still too young, earning hearty laughs and slaps on the shoulder from the older male generation that winked at him and mumbled (to be out of earshot of their own wives), that he was right and that he should enjoy his freedom as long as he could. Some wondered about the relationship between the two young men, though, rumoring that they were more than just platonic friends and that their master-pupil relationship might inherit a little more than was proper. But mostly it was just shrugged off as their own business, since no one really wanted to get on their bad side. They had successfully befriended mayor Shinra, a powerful man, and made a lot of other friends that would shield them from any harm. They even had managed to get on the good side of the local bishop, a man that was very prone to wine and good food, and after he´d been sent a big box of the best wine from the region and a gracious donation to his church, he even overlooked the fact that they never once visited his mass. Barret Wallace was a religious man who deeply believed in god, mind you, but he also thought that people should find their own ways to the Lord and wasn´t very strict where is services were concerned, as long as the people abade to the Lords Commandments and behaved properly. Re-adjusting the white, silken neckcloth over his black shirt, Vincent threw another brief glance at his lover who leaned against the doorframe to his bedroom, still smirking. “I´m so glad we can´t use mirrors, otherwise I wouldn´t get you out of your rooms at all… The guests are waiting.” Yazoo teased, earning himself a half hearted scowl. “Excuse me for being not too prone on being exposed an inhuman creature,” the other vampire said absent-mindedly, still fumbling with his attire. He felt so… naked without his cloak, but the younger vampire had said that it just looked too suspicious and as if he had to hide something (which he actually had, but Yazoo had just infuriating nonchalantly shrugged his counter off). “Here, let me help you with that. You´re just like a helpless little child sometimes…” the silver haired teen teased, reaching for the cloth from behind and putting it in place, only to find himself being drawn into an exasperated kiss so that he would just shut up. Smirking, the older vampire let go of his lover as he noticed his half lidded eyes that turned into a displeased look, and casually recited Yazoo´s earlier words. “The guests are waiting.” Inwardly he shook his head, not being able to help himself but thinking that Yazoo´s attitude had rubbed off on him quite a bit lately. Only occasionally, though. He still insisted on his rules for hunting, even though he knew that they unnerved his lover. But he still obeyed them nonetheless. After snorting his trademark “Hn,” Yazoo straightened his own disheveled cloths and they made their way down the corridor. When they appeared on the top of the wide staircase a murmuring went through the crowd and soon after applause followed as they came down towards their guests, greeting and smiling at them. That was, Yazoo mainly did the whole smiling and waving act. It had astonished the older vampire to discover that Yazoo had quite a talent to deceive and allure people, proving to be an exceptionally gifted actor and manipulator. Well, maybe it wasn´t that surprising, but it relieved the older greatly because it left him to act in the background. He was the calm and collected counterpart to Yazoo´s youthful charm. While Vincent joined a group of mostly elderly men, amongst them mayor Shinra and his right hand Tseng -with whome he had, admittedly, rather interesting, philosophical discussions- his silver haired partner was instantly surrounded by a group of young aristocrats, both male and female. “Master Yazoo,” one of them cheered, already having rosy cheeks from the generously served wine. “It´s good to see you in high spirits again. Really, it´s a relieve to see that not everyone is brooding over the recently rather disconcerting political matters.” He demonstratively shot a meaningful look towards Vincent and his group, who had already been entangled in a serious, heated debate. “Hn, don´t be fooled Denzel, it´s merely blissful ignorance,” the vampire returned nonchalantly, earning a hearty laughter from the crowd and making the young man´s eyes glow with mirt. “But I see you have brought a new guest to our house,” he said with a raised eyebrow and a charming smile, after he had noticed the woman shyly clinging to Denzel´s arm. “Would you mind introducing this lovely lady to me?” “Of course!” Denzel beamed proudly, lying his hand on her arm and declaring “Marlene, this is Master Yazoo, Yazoo, this is my bride Lady Marlene von und zu Stauffenberg.” “It´s a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” Yazoo purred, galantly bowing before her and kissing the offered hand briefly, his long hair tickling her white skin. “It´s my pleasure as well, young Master Yazoo,” she blushed a little, obviously a little distressed with the attention she had suddenly gained. “I have to say, you truly have an excellent taste. At least, where women are concerned,” the vampire said, winking at Lady Marlene and earning himself another round of laughter, including Denzels. The young man good naturedly slapped the silver haired teen on the shoulder, saying, “And that says the man whose demands are so ridiculously high that not even one Lady has managed to catch his heart yet. Feel flattered Marlene.” They errupted into a new fit of laughter, when Yazoo answered in a mocked huff “Well, there´s nothing left for me if you so greedily take them all for yourself…” To Marlene he said, smiling as she looked a little shocked “Do not worry, our Denzel here has long since ceased to be the infamous womanizer he used to be, though there are still some rather wild rumors running around,” he winked at her again to indicate that everything was just good natured teasing and she looked quite relieved. The mood changed a little, though, as Yazoo noticed something from under the fabric of her corsett: a faint, but nonetheless vey visible light. His eyes narrowed, as he asked, suddenly serious “Excuse me Miss, but may I ask if you, by any chance, wear a cross?” She nodded hesitantly, startled by his sudden graveness. “Hn, I see.” “I´m sorry, she doesn´t know and I forgot to ask her to leave it at home,” Denzel stepped in, frowning at his bride, who felt even more confused. But Yazoo donned a lenient smile to his fair features again, explaining to her “Do not worry, it is no big deal. But you see, while we have our parties, we want to have fun, and the cross is just an unnecessary reminder of our failure to obey almost all seven deadly sins and therefore we just leave them out.” Giggles went through the rows of young people and Marlene smiled too, still a little uncertain and clinging to the hidden cross. “You can just leave it in the box at the entrance, Denzel will show you the way,” the vampire offered with a graceful gesture of his hand and Denzel nodded, instantly leading her away from the group after another apologetic look at Yazoo. “And do not get distracted on the way back,” the silver haired host called after them, earning himself a blush from the ladies and hearty laughter from the gentlemen. Inwardly the vampire shook his head in cold wonder. Humans were such easily deceived fools… The conversation went on about the marriage of Denzel and Marlene and informations about her background were exchanged, when the vampire noticed a shock of flaxen hair. “Excuse me, but would you consider to spare me a minute?” The vampire turned around fully to come face to face with a young man, completely dressed in white, and who had a polite expression summoned to his face, though his eyes were somewhat sharp and piercing. “Of course. What do you need me for, Rufus?” He tossed the man the same charming smile he graced everyone with, but the mayor´s son did not reflect it. “If you don´t mind I´d rather have this discussed in private.” Yazoo tilted his head in question but placed his untouched wine glass on a golden table standing nearby and excused himself from the group. Rufus wordlessly led the other through the candle lit hall, passing some red velvet chairs that were occupied by several groups of guests, and avoiding the dancing pairs in the middle of the floor. They made their way through one of the many open doors into the torch lit garden, where more guests were standing and sitting in groups, talking and enjoying the wine and food. They occassionally stood up to greet their host, but Yazoo only spared them a brief smile and followed the other young man, wondering what was so damn important that he had to wander through half of the, really big, garden, until Rufus was finally satisfied. They stopped by a pond that was reflecting the full moon´s light, where it wasn´t covered with autumn leaves. A huge weeping willow was hovering over the water, its long, thin branches rustling in the gentle breeze and softly stiring the water. “So? What´s so important?” the vampire asked, leaning against the trunk of the tree, his arms folded over his chest and hiding his impatience perfectly, giving an interested little smile. Rufus was facing the pond, thoughtfully observing the water´s surface, as he declared in a smooth tone, “I have seen through you.” Yazoo inwardly groaned. Not again. Not so long ago he had had an encounter of a very similar nature with a young man who had started out exactly the same way, only to accuse him of being a sodomite, for he had noticed his lack of interest in women. He then had taken a huge breath and declared his undying love to Yazoo, pleading with him to leave together and settle down somewhere else where no one knew them. The vampire had patiently but decidedly convinced the desperate man that he was greatly mistaken and it had ended with Denzel getting himself a bride and obviously forgetting about his brief encounter with the love for the same gender. “Is that so,” the vampire said politely, adding. “And what exactly is it that you think to have found out about me?” Hopefully they could get over with this somehow pleasantly. Despite his rather young age, Rufus was already a powerful acquaintance and would surely inherit his father´s position. It would be unfortunate to loose his favour. “Well. I have been watching you for quite a while now,” the other continued, observing the vampire from out of the corner of his eye. “And you deem me to have quite unusual habits.” Yazoo quirked an eyebrow, casually asking “Hn. Have I?” “Yes,” came the fathomless reply, as Rufus finally turned around, his face absolutely unreadable. Yazoo could have, of course, read his mind, but somehow the other´s behaviour started to somewhat amused him. Rufus was always so holier-than-thou and his arrogance was infamous. It would be quite funny to see him stomp down from his self built podest and declare the true nature of his sexual orientation. At least this was better than the company of the stupid crowd awaiting his return… “Then, will you enlighten me please, because I´m not aware of being exotic or behaving strange.” Yazoo offered a sweet smile, that made the other crack a tiny grin himself. “Well, first off, I would say that your lack of foot intake is quite worrysome.” The smile remained on the vampire´s lips, albeit it seemed a little stiff now. “Hn, I prefer to take my meals in quiet, with Vincent. If that is all that concerns you…” “Not quite,” Rufus interrupted, unblinking. “There is also the fact that you are never seen in bright daylight.” “I´m more of a night person,” the silver haired teen said calmly, but his eyes flared a little dangerously. Now this was not as funny as he had thought. “I understand, I am not much of a day worker myself.” Rufus had come wandering towards him, observing the pond with a thoughtful look. “But there is another thing I do not understand and this concerns your wariness -or should I even say fear- for the cross and every holy item. And I seriously doubt that the reason you always so nonchallantly offer is the only one.” “And?” Yazoo lifted an eyebrow. So what. Rufus had noticed a few things, nothing to get all worked up over. “And,” Rufus said, coming to a halt and facing the vampire with a strange smile. “that leads me to the conclusion that you and probably your acquaintance too, are what the common parlance describes as Upir,- a bloodsucking undead.” The vampire blankly stared at the blond young man. Then he errupted into rich laughter that rolled throught the night, startling a few sleeping birds. “A-An U-Upir?” Yazoo breathed, holding his stomach, though he didn´t feel amused at all. Ridicule Rufus and get that idea out of his head as fast as possible. “That´s a good one, I had no idea you had such a great sense of humor! I have to tell that to the others, this is just priceless!” Unfazed, Rufus smiled with him, even laughing a little, though his eyes held no mirt. “Funny, isn´t it? Though I would not recomment that you to tell anyone else about it, they might take it seriously. And that you certainly would not want now, would you?” The silver haired man stared at him in disbelieve. “You really believe that, don´t you? You really think I´m that… Upir thing or whatever?!” “I am utterly convinced that you are,” the other replied calmly without even batting an eyelash. Yazoo shook his head in annoyance, saying very frostily “This is ridiculous. Maybe you should be more careful with the amount of wine you consume in the future.” He was about to turn around and leave the place, when Rufus spoke up again, sounding a little unsure suddenly “Yazoo, wait please.” The vampire turned around slowly, his face still looking somewhat indignant. “I… I apologize. Please, I just found some of your habits rather strange and then I just recently heard about some folk tales that fit to your behaviour. Please accept my apology.” Yazoo eyed the man condescendingly and, reading his current thoughts, he found that Rufus was really embarrassed. Hence he gave the young man another cold look, but eventually reached out to shake the offered hand, saying “Very well then. But I will not tolerate another verbal assault agai-” Hissing he withdrew his hand from the sudden pain that pierced his palm, looking up at the blond with narrowed eyes. “What-” “Just a simple silver spoon I took with me,” Rufus said absent-mindedly, staring at the other´s burned palm and watching with amazement as the wound healed almost instantly. “The folk tale also said that you can´t stand silver and are able to read peoples minds.” Slowly inclining his head and all traces of his earlier charming self gone, the demon finally showed his true face before the mayor´s son, as his eyes became icy, pupils contracting into thin slits and he made slow, predatory steps towards Rufus, voice devoid of any emotion “ I believe you think that you are very cunning and clever now.” Rufus instinctively made a step back, but caught his composure soon enough and settled with eyeing the other calmly. “But actually you seem quite dense to me. You should have kept your little observations to yourself.” Two razor sharp canines slid over the vampire´s bottom lip, as he came nearer. The next moment, Rufus found himself pressed against the tree trunk and his head was brutally forced back. Before Yazoo could attempt to alter his memory, though, Rufus breathed “Hold it! Do you really thing I would be stupid enough to face you if I had not to say something else?” “Hn. What could a mere human say that would be of interest to me…” “Well, you could at least listen to what I have to say. Afterwards you can still kill me, can´t you?” With narrowed eyes, the vampire loosened his grip a little, without letting go of Rufus entirely and then finally said clinically. “You have two minutes. Speak.” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hm, dieser Teil der Geschichte ist etwas an Anne Rice angelehnt. Ich wollte mal ausprobieren ob es mit den beiden funktioniert, wenn sie sich in die Öffentlichkeit begeben... Xyleel: Da haste gut geraten :D Naja, war wahrscheinlich auch nicht besonders subtil und schwierig;) Haha, ich fand Yazoo´s Lächeln auch nur unbeschreiblich, und das beste war, das es so einen fiesen, gefährlichen Unterton hatte. Bin mal gespannt, inwieweit sie seinen Charakter verändert haben... Hoffentlich nicht zu krass, ich mag ihn eigentlich so wie er ist^^ Heh, bei mir wars übrigens (offensichtlich)genauso: ich bin hysterisch auf meinem Bett rumgehoppt *hüstel* Reno sah so hübsch verschlagen aus, aber auf eine charmante Art und Weise. Ich kann ein bissl japanisch und hab einiges Verstanden von dem was gesagt wurde und das klang sehr vielversprechend! Kanns kaum erwarten *seufz* Es gibt übrigens schon ein paar scans, die sind relativ gut:) Füg mal die Links an (hoffe das ist erlaubt!) http://cetraconnection.de/2008/12/chinesische-scans-von-advent-children-complete/ http://cetraconnection.de/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/advent-children-complete-scans-03.jpg http://cetraconnection.de/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/advent-children-complete-scans-04.jpg Hosted by Animexx e.V. (http://www.animexx.de)