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"Meet vampires in your area" had been a bust. Probably. Maybe. Likely. Possibly. Unclear.
3 am is a Hell of a time to be on the internet. Finding facts versus finding random strangeness on the internet was its own sort of mythical moment. There were sites, though, where they hosted "real vampires" online to talk to. Information that seemed to fit; Tired during the day, up all night, feeling stronger, having some connection to blood - these were all things that were out there on the internet.
This is why Salim Qadir stared at the blue on black website picking at his lip. Could he do it? Could he hit enter? Would anyone respond? Would this forum actually have answers?
"How to tell if you're a vampire for real" by VampQuest76
I know this will come off strange. I think I might be a vampire. It's not strange because this is a website where people talk about those things, but it's just weird. Let me explain.
I got mugged. It was awful, and I felt like shit afterwards. Slept all day. Was so, so, so tired. Didn't even open an eye once after the assault. When I woke up, I was really, really, really hungry though. Like I'd never been hungry before.
I... hurt someone. I think they made it out alright, but I don't know. I ran. And I felt better than I ever did. More alive than I ever did.
At night? It's like the world's completely new to me. I'm better, stronger than I've ever been. But I get hungry at times. I've fed a few more times. People always seem tired after, which I guess makes sense. I just feel bad, you know?
But I can't stop.
If any of you are really out there, sent me a dm. I have so many questions. I need a teacher maybe. A how-to on maybe how to be better. I don't want to really hurt someone.
Finley mostly looked over these forums for shits and giggles. Maybe for some inspiration for experiments--but mostly just to giggle at how silly people could be when it comes to vampires.
But then zhe sees this thread, and it makes them pause. After re-reading it again, Finley frowns to zhemself and hits the profile to pull up a DM to send to VampQuest76:
From hemogoblin:
Hey. I saw your post. I might be able to help.
How do you feed?
First you need to tell me if you're a cop. If you're a cop you have to tell me legally.
This was not true, but the myth persists will to this day
...Finley doesn't know shit about laws, so you know... maybe zhe believes him.
No, I'm not a cop.
It's been kind of violent most of the time. Like I didn't mean to hurt anyone. I swear I didn't. But I just got so hungry and as soon as I got my hands on them...
One time it went better. I wasn't as hungry then. And they seemed to really like it. Gave me their number after.
I haven't called. What if I hurt them too? What if I hurt my roommate?
How often do you feed? Do you wake up every night so hungry you can't control yourself?
Not every night. I can usually got a few days? Maybe a week? I don't know if I've made it a week yet.
Wow, so this has been going on for a while? How long ago did you get mugged?
A few weeks? It's been hard.
My professors have been pretty cool about it. I was a good student. I think I'm going to get kicked out if this keeps up though.
Can you go out into the sunlight at all? Does it burn you?
I'm having a lot of trouble even being awake during the day.
I was kind of afraid to find out?
Are you a vampire?
Okay. That's probably a good idea. The sun will hurt you if you're a vampire.
Yes.
I know the movies. I know some legends. I've read Anne Rice. I can't fly though, or read minds, or any of that. Things do look better now, and I can hear and see better than I ever could. She got that right. I don't know what else is right though.
There's not a lot of universal powers, different people can do different things.
What can you do?
How long have you been a vampire?
Several months. Not as long as most others. But I've learned some tricks! I'm really good at hiding myself. Making people not see me.
Like in Interview when Armand is just like hanging out in the shadows until he steps forward and people finally notice him sort of thing?
I don't think I can do that.
Yeah, something like that. :)
What can you do best?
See? That sounds really lame, but like if everything's off, I can still see perfectly clearly. I'm stronger too.
That's not lame! Seeing things better is normal though. Being stronger is cool, I can do that too.
Does it get easier?
Or am I going to keep hurting people?
It... sort of gets easier. You just... have to accept that you HAVE to feed. Start feeding every night. Just take a little bit of blood at a time. Small meals more often. That way you're not taking enough to hurt people, and don't get hungry enough to loose control. THEN you will really hurt people, without meaning to.
I just get so angry when I haven't fed.
Is that normal?
Yeah. That's natural. You're not alone.
Are there a lot of us on this website?
I also tried "meet local vampires" which ended up a VampireMeet.net
It was less helpful.
Oh noo. >_<
I don't... think there are. I've not seen a lot of other people who seem... legit?
I got some other messages here that aren't as legit seeming.
you're in Philly?
Yeah, I am.
You?
Yeah. I go to Temple.
Oh cool! What do you study?
I'm working on my PT. Don't know how useful that will be at night.
Oh... yeah, working becomes... difficult. :( Especially with careers like that. I'm sorry. Maybe you can work with some clients who don't mind meeting after dark.
Sorry. Didn't mean to poor me everywhere. How have you gotten on with it? Have you been able to still do things like normal?
No, its okay! If you need to vent, I don't mind. :)
I... had to make a lot of changes regarding my career. I wanted to become a hematologist. Study blood diseases, come up with cures... But I managed to get a job overnight, doing blood tests for a hospital. It's not glamourous, and not what I imagined for myself, but it's not too bad?
I want to say you could still make a big impact but it's really hard to do without being able to peer review and defend at a medical conference.
Yeah, exactly. So I get it.
That really sucks.
Sorry... I'm not very good at pep talks. :x
It's not all bad. Some people really enjoy being vampires!
I was a cheerleader.
Well, for a while.
Do you enjoy it?
No.
Maybe it'd get better if there were more around?
That's not really an issue. Just some of us have a harder time of it than others.
Why? Because we don't want to hurt people?
There's that, yeah. I don't like hurting people. But I also just... make people uneasy, even when I don't want to. Normal people, anyway. I creep them out.
I guess that makes sense.
I'm sorry.
Maybe it won't be so bad around others? Or are vampires creeped out too?
It's okay! I've accepted it. There's not really anything I can do about it.
No, other vampires are fine around me.
Maybe we can hang out sometime?
After I've fed. It's kind of too late now. Nothing's open.
Sure. I'd like that. And I can introduce you to others.
Others?
Are there a lot of us?
Yeah!
I didn't expect that. Are they all as nice as you?
Not all, but most here in Philly are.
How like the Cullens are they?
Oh no! Not at all, lol.
Well, maybe some...
Good. They were terrible.
How do you learn what you can do?
That kind of depends.
Maybe we should talk the details in person sometime?
When?
Tomorrow?
Can we do a little late somewhere? Where's maybe good?
Should be somewhere private. Are you comfortable with that?
I guess if you were Buffy, you wouldn't ask if I was ok with that. Yeah. I have access to the graduate lab? People go late on campus sometimes for weird stuff normally so I wouldn't get in trouble or anything.
That works for me!
Come around midnight. I'll DM you the room number when I get there.
Sounds good. See you there! :)
The next night, Salim Qadir was on edge. He'd just fed, but it wasn't every day you met a vampire. So he made his way into lab 206 - which wasn't the largest room. Just a few cabinets with medical supplies and some microscopes.
Tonight he's bundled up as if to hide away. The DM told zhem where to go, but the heart thudding so loudly as they approached might as well have been a beacon. A wrong beacon.
Finley hesitates outside the room, frowning. A heartbeat? Maybe... Maybe they were just Blushed? That had to be it, right?
The door to the lab creeeeaks open slowly, and a masked figure steps inside. Not overly tall, but not short, and rather lanky--and pretty much swimming inside a large gray coat. Their skin is pale, eyes sunken with circles under them, hair dark and stringy--they definitely look creepy as fuck, though it's contrasted rather strangely with the cartoon kitty print mask and pink button up shirt with an avacado print under the coat... Maybe they try to throw off the creepiness with weird prints...
Meanwhile, looking on Qadir as he pushed back his hood was... breathtaking. Many could be beautiful, but the sort of ethereal grace that seemed to bless his features, well, Finley might have seen such tricks before in their past or in their broodmates.
"Hey..." he says quietly.
Finley stops and stares, blinking slowly. Thankfully with the mask, Salim can't see zher mouth hanging open.
It takes a few seconds, but Finley replies in a soft, muffled voice, "Hi..."
After a moment of staring, he steps forward and puts out a gloved hand, pulls it back, takes off the glove, and pushes it back at the other. Even those hands ever fucking flawless. "I'm Salim, but you can call me Qadir."
Finley stares at the hand a moment before reaching out to take it, giving it a brief, timid shake. Zher hand is very cold to the touch.
"Finley," zhe murmurs oh-so-shyly. "Um. Please use... they/them or zhe/zhem pronouns." Zher voice carries a notable lisp to it as well. "It's... nice to meet you."
"It's, uh, good to meet you," he says with a smile that could maybe melt the heart of any Republican - sex scandal or no. Qadir shifts looking at his chest before shaking his head. "Sorry. Forgot my pin. He/him or they/them."
"I like your shirt."
The Nossie is having a very, very hard time looking up to meet his eyes right now, just sort of awkwardly staring at his chest. "Th-thanks," they mutter, arms crossing over zher chest loosely. "S-so... um... You know how to make yourself look... alive, already. That's... good. Useful."
"I... I guess? Should I... not look like this?" he asks as he looks over the Nosferatu. "You look... It's like Count Orlok went to Hot Topic. It's really vibing."
Finley blinks, then bursts into muffled giggles, head dipping further, bangs falling over zher eyes. "Um... Yeah... I guess so. But--um, no! You look... fine... just... Your heart is beating? That's not..." zhe pauses, then finally glances up with a blink-blink. "...normal..."
"... Oh. Is it... bad?" He presses his hand to his chest. Then something occurs to them, and they start taking off layers. "There's some basic medical stuff here. I could... try to fix it?"
Now Finley is starting to look... alarmed, eyes going wide. "W-wait... you... aren't dead...?"
"I don't... think so? I thought that was a myth," says Qadir. "Or like... a not everything one. I think I lived through the mugging. Or maybe not? It's... hard."
If Finley wasn't already so pale, they would be going even whiter as zhe stares in horror at him. "O-oh... Umm... ...This is awkward," zhe mutters, eyes wide. "All vampires I've ever met have... died..."
"How many vampires have you met?" asks Salim before he goes to get out a stethoscope and blood pressure cuff along with some other assorted things.
"...A bunch." Finley shifts zher weight between zher feet nervously. "Can I... um... Would it be okay if I tasted your blood? Just a drop or two is fine."
"Is that... Is this an Underworld blood purity test thing?"
Finley blinks, then giggles again. "Um--not... really... ...Okay, maybe. But... I'd be able to taste if you're a real vampire or not?"
Qadir pauses. "... Ok." He slowly goes to get what looks to be a rapid HIV testing kit, and uses the single use needle pop thing to well up a drop or two of blood from a fingertip, which he offers up to the other.
Finley accepts it, hesitating just a split second before they lower the mask to show the... rows and rows of lamprey-like teeth. The needle is carefully licked clean... then zhe frowns, looking confused.
For Qadir's part, they didn't flinch away at the strangeness of the teeth. There was open fascination there as they fixated on zhem. "My teeth didn't turn like that either."
"You don't have fangs?" Zhe blink-blinks. "How do you feed on people?"
"Ummm... I... put my lips on them." He shifts a bit uncomfortably. "Vampire just made sense. Like... could I be a succubus? Or like... But they don't feel horrible during the day and basically not stay awake, right?"
"So... you don't... bite them? Drink their blood?" Zher head tiiiilts.
"Not... intentionally?" Weight pushed between the balls of his feet.
"What does that mean? You accidentally bite them..?"
"I don't mean to make people bleed."
"...Okay, well... um... vampires drink... blood, so..." Zher brows crease, looking him over slowly. "I don't know what you are, but... you're not a vampire. At least... not... a normal one..."
Qadir squirms under the inspection. "But... So not a normal one? What does that even mean?"
"I have no idea," zhe mumbles apologetically, still staring. "I... um... I could... try to find out? Do you mind if I... study you...?" Open fascination seems to be weighing in over zher shyness now.
"Not like... in a government lab, right?" asks Salim hesitantly.
"Oh! No!" Zhe looks horrified, hands lifting to wave quickly. "J-just... here, if that makes you most comfortable? I'd like to... take a proper blood sample to study and then we can test your abilities and how you... feed... and see if I can... find any information about things like that?"
Qadir lets out a breath before gesturing around the tiny lab. "It's not much, but we can use anything here. Umm... What did it... taste like?"
"Mostly like normal people's blood, but... it was kind of different. Really... um... potent?"
"... Like day old fish?"
"No--not... like that, um... it's hard to explain." Zhe looks down again, now sheepishly. "It tasted good."
"Oh." He shuffles a bit. "That's... good, right? Or are you going to be thinking about eating me?"
Finley rubs their arm nervously. "U-um... I'll try not to...?" Yes, that definitely will make him feel better...
"I'm not... really very hungry right now though, so it should be fine."
"I, um, ate before I came too." A pause. "How do you eat like that? are you carnivorous now?"
"I drink blood," zhe says with a grimace. "Um. We can eat normal food, but we don't... get any nourishment from it. And we have to throw it back up before the sun rises. So... it's not usually worth it..."
"Are your taste buds the same?" asks Salim. "Or did they get changed? I feel like... mine have heightened?"
"For blood, yes--I can taste subtle variations in people's blood. But if anything, otherwise it's pretty... muted. Things don't taste as good as they did... before... but I think that's mostly because of our hunger." Zher head tilts. "So you can eat regular food too?"
Qadir nods. "I still need to eat."
Finley steps a bit closer, not touching him, but leaning in a bit to peeer curiously. "So... if you're not drinking their blood... how do you feed from people?"
"I touch them," says Qadir. "Usually... kiss? Or, um, bite..."
"And... you're certain that you're feeding on them?" zhe asks curiously. "...Could you try it on me?"
"... Are you sure? I could... try?"
"I want to know," Finley insists with a quick nod, then holds out zher hand to him.
Salim lifts zher hand to his lips before placing a soft kiss there with just the lightest bit of suction.
It's strange. It's not The Kiss, but this kiss leaves on feeling tired, drained, and... did he get even prettier? It was easier to see all the flawless appeal of this otherworldly creature. If not a vampire, surely this creature was born of night itself for how pure one could feel the hunger sink in around the heart.
Once Qadir's lips leave the skin, that euphoria spreads throughout the body like a venom following the tracks of veins.
Finley was already looking pretty flustered by the hand kiss, but then overwhelming feeling of being drained leaves zhem weak in the knees, nearly literally swooning. Zher hand catches zhemself on his shoulder though, letting out a sharp gasp as their eyes go wide--then zhe staggers back, pulling zher hand back.
Qadir's whole expression had shifted to worried. Like he expected something much, much worse to come through this moment. When zhe rights themselves, he took a step back, hands on the counter space. "How... do you feel?"
"I feel... um... really good? Kinda... tired and dizzy... But good." Zhe blinks down at zher hand, flexing it a moment. "I feel... numb? Does that usually happen..?"
"I... don't know?" admits Qadir before his arms cross and he starts picking at his lower lip. "They usually... pass out. Or worse. But when they don't, it's, um... sometimes pretty... vocal?"
"Vocal?" Finley blinks curiously at him a second, then starts digging into zher pockets to pull out bag with a sterilized needle in it, the sort you'd draw blood with. They shrug off their coat, rip the bag open, and start taking a blood sample from themself at the crook of their arm...
"It, um, sounds like they... enjoy it," notes Qadir as they look anywhere other than the Kindred taking their own blood sample.
"...Oh. Um." Zhe hesitates, just focusing on drawing the vial of blood out, at first. Once it's done, Finley slips the closed vial into zher pocket and wraps the needle up in the bag, looking back at him. "That's normal for us, too. That's... fascinating..."
"It's like... kind of Dracula? But I could see... succubus too. But aren't you born a demon? You can't just become a succubus, right?" asks the one still inspecting a very exciting piece of floor.
"There's... a lot of similarities between us, it seems." Zhe moves to toss the needle into a biohazard bin nearby, then turns back to him. "I'm going to study my blood to see if you did anything weird to me--I still feel weirdly numb and tired... but it wasn't so bad." A beat pause. "Have you been around fire recently?"
"No? I don't really smoke anymore, and I've been skipping lab so no open flame heat tests though I prefer electrical sources."
"Okay. Um. Fire is... really bad, for vampires. The same way sunlight is. I'd be curious if it burned you the same, or if you were instinctually afraid of it like us..." Zher head tilts, looking thoughtful.
"We could... test it?" he suggests...
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