Well.

So maybe it's time that I actually wrote a story here. It was what I initially intended it for, just snippets here and there of things that would never grow into novels and had too much... I don't know. They just wouldn't grow. I'm very good at making up descriptions and unique characters, but my plots are always dreary. That's what I have my boyfriend for. He makes the plots, I provide everything else. Hence why I write short stories and he's going for novels. If he doesn't let me proof-read the things before he even tries to talk to an editor I think I'll kill him.



*pauses*



Not really.



It's actually sort of humbling to see someone that's taken a talent, or simply a desire and turned it into a novel. People like Brandon Sanderson I admire, because they're still sort of in that 'famous on the internet' phase. But anyway, when Andrew Clarke posted on my blog, and was the first NON-Ashley person to do so (not that I mind. :P Ashley's good enough for me!) I figured I might as well DO something. Since Ashley's really the only one who reads this, since I haven't even given the address to Mike, I'm always somewhat apprehensive about what I write. As far as fiction, anyway. I don't want to effect anyone's image of me, because what I write has nothing what-so-ever to do with my personality or what I dwell on most of the time.



When I say 'vampire', what do you think?



Blood, sexual connotations, Dracula, Van Helsing, evil, fear, nightmares, darkness. That hand that covers your mouth as you hear a gentle exhale right next to your ear, just before the pain comes.



I'm getting WAY ahead of myself here. The point is, vampires = evil, right? Well... Not the way I write. I was doing this stuff way before Stephanie Meyers started writing vampire romance stuff that, thankfully, involves no sex. Anne, arg, what the heck is her last NAME? Coulter is not it. :P So yeah, the vampire lady, she kinda set the bar as far as vampire novels are concerned. Evil, blood lusting, freakish vampires that have just enough intrigue to keep you imagining them all day, and dreaming about them as well.



Puh-lease.



When I think vampire, a huge mix of things comes to mind.



Good. Evil. Elegant. Disgruntled. Caring. Hateful. Eccentric. Stingy. Sharp. Sweet. Mean. Kind.



In essence, just like humans, but on a more powerful level. Some are good, some are bad.



Keeping that in mind, here's a story.

***

Marvael ADORED being a vampire. He got to enjoy the nightlife, he got to have his own castle, and most of all there were all the stereotypes associated with it...

The apparently 20 year old man took a certain pride in getting his vampiric image EXACTLY right. More eyeliner than you could shake a stick at, all black clothing, a black leather trenchcoat, mussed black hair that had actually taken hours to get just so, and red eyes. Yes, the eyes he was particularly pleased with. When he was born they'd been just a normal brown color, but in his mid-fourties they'd finally started to go from brown, to mahogany, to burgandy, to their current vivid crimson.

The only real problem with his image was that he got carded every single time that he went into a liquor store, but that was only somewhat annoying in the long run. And Marvael was definately going to stick around for awhile. In this little town he ruled the roost, and everyone knew it. But, on the other hand, no one knew HIM. It was for the best. The 60 year old vampire had a variety of minions that he sent about to do business for him, and he had his fingers in so many enterprises. Hotels were his latest interest, with mega departmentstores being a fading fancy. All these investments, however, were for one single purpose.

Marvael liked to experiment. He quite suited the image of a mad scientist, and in fact, insanity did run in his family. When he was young and before the full effects of this trait had kicked in, he began frantically throwing different herbs together in an attempt to find a cure. A full cure remained unattainable, but he had managed to mix together a drink that would hold off the insanity for a week per dose. The stuff tasted positively vile, but it was better than losing everything that he'd ever worked for.

His latest acheivment was that of a modern replica of a medieval castle. Equipped with wall tapestries of gory hunting scenes, paintings of nameless monarchs, and furniture that wasn't very comfortable, the vampire had completed his ultimate dream.

Time to move on to the next one.

After careful scrutiny of his geneology, he 'obtained' a person that was more or less his cousin. She was born human, and he born vampire. This nearly impossible fracture in species had been caused by their common ancestor, a vampire himself, marrying two women. One was a vampire and one was human, and both gave him children. The pure vampires married vampires, the half vampires married humans, and eventually the vampirism was bred out of one half of the family.

Suffice to say, his cousin had not been thrilled when her 'cousin' showed up, nor was she happy with the fact that she was currently unable to leave the castle.

What Marvael now wanted to know was: If the line had genuinly split, was there any ounce of vampire in his cousin at all? If so, was it possible to activate in some way?

Perhaps he was just lonely, but his cousin's presence in the gloomy castle was proving to be quite entertaining....

---

Currently Marvael was lounging in one of the few rooms of the castle that was used most of the time. There were two fireplaces heating the large room, and he was perched at the edge of a couch between them. The vampire 'perched' quite well, looking like a bird ready to swoom down upon the book that was spread on the small table in front of him. When he heard footsteps down the hall, he grimaced down at the pages, before turning his attention to the doorway.

A painfully ordinary looking girl, with brown hair and brown eyes, stalked into the room. She looked even less thrilled than usual, which was a startling feat for a human. Marvael never had managed to figure out how so much emotion was contained in such fragile bodies... Maybe he'd have to figure it out one day.

"Your cat keeps following me around, it won't leave me alone," the girl said flatly, standing just inside the doorway with her arms folded across her chest, and her feet set slightly apart.

"Well maybe it likes you, ever thought of that?" the vampire asked blankly. Why his cousin was so upset about a cat, he didn't know. Maybe the insanity ran in her side of the family as well...

"Oh come on Marvael, I know a Lahmian when I see one! What're you doing with one in your HOUSE?"

"Castle," he corrected automatically. "And how do you know she's Lahmian? You have no proof!"

"Her pupils are round," the girl retorted.

The vampire paused for a moment, grasping at straws to try and figure out some way around that.

"Well, um, that is a point. What've you got AGAINST Lahmians?" he asked.

"Look, you're not as bad 'cause you're pretty pathetic for a vampire. You can't turn into a bat or wolf or anything. But Lahmians go from human looking to a cat and it's creepy! I keep expecting her to, I dunno, do something weird."

"I resent that... But wait, if transforming is creepy, then does that dock my creepiness points a little? Since I can't?" Marvael asked hopefully. He didn't really dislike his cousin, he just wanted to do his research on her and be done with it.

"Not in the slightest."

"Oh well, too much to ask for at the moment I suppose. Eh, if she gives you a hard time, come whining to me about it and I'll probably do something," Marvael said with a sigh.

"Urk, like you could beat a Lahmian. They're more than common vampires you know! Nngh, I'm going back to my room and locking the door," the cousin muttered, and without waiting for an answer she turned on her heel and darted off.

Marvael blinked. "Well then. That's all settled now I suppose..."

******

Okay, that was pretty pathetic as far as everything goes, but I've used those two characters a lot, didn't want to go deep into detail, and was bored stiff. I'll put up something better eventually...