tampered | Log: Complete

Current Mood: curious
Current Location: Misery Square

Log: Complete

When; January 16, Late evening
Rating; R just in case
Characters; Lacroix [

master_lacroix] and Walter Dornez [

dark_butler]
Summary; Lacroix seeking to find some new fledglings to replace the ones he has lost comes across a mentally unstable Walter and is immediately intrigued. In an effort to win the young vampire over Lacroix invites him out to hunt.
Log;

Lacroix stood in Misery Square; clad in his fine tailored black suit and black patent leather shoes, waiting for the arrival of the vampire Walter Dornez. He only spoke with the young man--young compared to him that is-- for a brief time before realizing how much like Nicholas he seemed to be. Such inner turmoil over his nature yet Walter still embraced his nature, which made him all the more appealing to the ancient vampire.

True his mind needed some work but that was something that Lacroix could fix in due time. He knew the workings of a mind quite well and in truth could mend just as easily as he as he could shatter. But the question he posed to himself was would Walter Dornez be worth his efforts? The night's excursion would be the first step toward learning if this were so. He was a patient man after all and he had all the time in the world these days.

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Walter had spent a lifetime as a man of decisive action - face the challenge, make choices, and follow through on them.

Lately that was more difficult. He found himself in two minds, or more, quite a lot of the time - torn by too many burning hatreds - for Alucard, for Millennium, and for the Red Pyramid and all he held dear, and for himself.

Now he was taking a chance going out to meet a vampire who could so easily go wandering through his mind from a distance. Even Alucard couldn't do that. For once, his desire for self-destruction and his need to acquire more power and perhaps more powerful allies were in agreement. Let him meet this new monster; he had so very little to lose.

He approached the man who called himself Lacroix and caught his eye, lighting a cigarette before nodding slightly. "Mister Lacroix, I presume."

Lacroix looked down toward the younger appearing man and nodded back before replying, "Yes, though calling me Lacroix is acceptable and preferable. May I call you Walter or would you prefer to stay more formal?"

It was strange to think that within that teenage body was an old man by human standards. He had skimmed quite a few things off the man when he talked to him over the network. Now that they stood face to face he found him even more intriguing. Though Nicholas could better protect his mind then apparently Walter could. The ones who turned him knew nothing of the gifts of a vampire and obviously the young man had suffered for it.

Yes, so much potential indeed. He kept his expression neutral even as he gleamed Walter's desire for more power and his self-destructive nature. He is almost perfect... he thought to himself deviously.

"Lacroix, it is, then, and everyone calls me Walter." Except Millennium and calling him Butler was a certain way to arouse animosity.

"Is this your first hunt here?" A vampire's version of small talk? "You may or may not be aware that the dead do not stay that way in this city." Much to his irritation.

The man had the air of one accustomed to his power. He'd seen that enough to recognize it without effort. How old, then? How powerful? Every advantage Walter could gain was needed in this city where, as he said, the dead did not stay dead and he was collecting enemies like some collected porcelain dolls.

"Actually I have informed about that particular aspect of this City and this would be my first time hunting in this place. Is there any particular area you prefer?" Lacroix asked, sensing Walter had many questions he wanted to ask that had nothing to do with hunting.

Lacroix however was not that quick to reveal all his cards especially to one whose mind was a raging storm. First the storm needed to be calmed then he would be able to consider how much to reveal.

Not wanting to fully intrude on the other man's mind just yet Lacroix reached out with his mind toward Walter. And began to brush certain memories back a bit so the younger man could think a bit more clearly. A quick fix for the moment, if the man was truly worthy then he would go in and do a more thorough job.

"Every area has its-" Walter broke off to give Lacroix a look so hostile as to border on murderous while he did what he could to apply the shielding Rayne had taught him. He already knew it was likely an act as futile as trying to dam the nile with a few twigs, but he had to do what he could.

"I don't know what it's like where you're from," he growled, "but I despise having someone uninvited in my mind."

Lacroix smiled and pulled back enough that Walter would no longer feel the evasiveness of what he had been doing though he was still lingering about but only just.

"Yes, you would but I find it is easier to hunt with someone when their mind is not all over the place," Lacroix said, letting up on the mental brushes. "My apologies but truly you are a mess. You caught me though. So in fairness I shall give you the chance to ask me one question that you really desire an answer too. On my word I shall answer it honestly," Lacroix offered, simply.

He knew Walter had many questions for him but the one question was an olive branch for the slight mental invasion. He was feeling generous even knowing the fact that he could will Walter to forget he had done anything.

No Alucard this one with an apology and a peace offering. He couldn't help but wonder if Lacroix had that contrast in mind, but the point was also taken, albeit grudgingly.

"Since you insist on prying, I will say that I am not unaware of my problems." He held up a hand, one warning finger pointing skyward. "But I don't know you, and I don't know what your idea of helping clean up my mental mess really is."

One question? There were so damned many. Where was he from? What sort of vampire was he? How old was he?

One question he didn't have, he could read from Lacroix's behavior that he was not accustomed to serving others.

"After you are settled here, will you be gathering power or living quietly?"

Lacroix withheld a frown at hearing Walter's choice of question. Such a waste to use his one question to ask something like that. What did it really matter in end? But true to his word Lacroix answered honestly.

"I have no interest in gathering power or living quietly for that matter. You'll find that I rather like to shake things up every now and again," Lacroix said with a shrug.

Aw well he truly was like Nicholas then. His old fledgling would have probably squandered his question away on something meaningless as well. A feeling of nostaglia filled him momentarily before quickly passing.

One thing was certain it would take a massive mental attack on Walter in order to allievate the heart of his problems...guilt. These foolish young vampires always holding onto guilt like they were mortal. Most never even realized that guilt within a vampire would manifest itself in ways that would break a human immediately and would eventually wear a vampire down. That was no way to live if you were going to be immortal.

Shake things up?

Shake things up?

Walter flicked his cigarette to the ground and laughed, feeling it well up and spill out of his mouth in genuine mirth. Perhaps he shouldn't be as amused as he was or laugh quite so much, but it felt good.

Because this place needed such shaking up.

"Do you get bored easily?"

Considering the discussion he had earlier with Schrödinger. Yes, he did get bored not necessarily easily but boredom did come with the domain of immortality.

Lacroix was completely unaffected by the other man's laughter. His expression neutral; neither amused or offended. He knew quite a bit about the players of this world just from speaking with the young Nazi officer. Pure and simple Lacroix was always the catalyst type and he didn't see that changing just because his world had changed.

"I believe I already answered your one question. Shall we hunt?" Lacroix asked, simply.

Now that reminded him of early days with Alucard. Not the best of associations to make in his head given the instant flare of hostility that accompanied it.

It was slightly easier to push back than he would have expected just earlier in the day. Lacroix's doing, or the thought of a hot meal, or just the beginning of healing the damage from all the hobnailed boots stomping through his brain?

He bent his head in a thoughtful nod. "I'll allow you the choice of where to hunt. This city is rife with opportunities."

"Well in that case I think I'll need a better view of the City. I find that traveling among the rooftops often times presents golden opportunities," Lacroix replied with a grin. "Unless you don't care for the rooftops," he added.

Lacroix noticed the slight change in Walter's mind and mentally smiled. The storm raged but there were breaks and that was a start. Perhaps he would answer more questions later once he saw the young man hunt.

"Ah yes, I'm terrified of heights," Walter said wryly. He was curious about Lacroix's methods as much as the other vampire was likely curious about his.

They weren't going to get to rooftops standing in the middle of the square, though. Walter set off across the square to find a deep pocket of shadow against a building to walk into and cover his jump up to the second story roof.

In this city, the jump probably wouldn't raise many eyebrows, but it was habit of decades to be discrete. Ironic in light of his anything but discrete activities with Rayne against the Red God's cult.

He turned to see what Lacroix would do. He was still curious. His experience had taught him that there were many kinds of vampires. Which kind was this one?

Lacroix followed after Walter watching him carefully. He too liked to hide in the shadows for cover but he could fly if he wanted and land on any rooftop he desired. But for tonight he also jumped onto the second story roof with fluid ease.

He blinked and his eyes turned yellowish green as he stretched out with his senses. Surveying the area, he could hear the many heartbeats and conversations going on when he zeroed in on a couple.

"Young lovers, how very appetizing," he said aloud, pointing to the young man and woman he had just spotted. "And they are even proclaiming love for each other. Shall we take them?" he asked, his eyes returning to blue with a devious smile upon his face.

Walter followed the pointing finger to the couple in question. He hunted, he killed, he didn't let it keep him awake to stare at his coffin lid when the sun rode high in the sky.

But Lacroix's choice of this couple struck him as manipulative.

"I'd prefer something less cloyingly sweet," he said and leapt from his perch to another, higher rooftop. "There." This time it was he who pointed. Another couple, but one less lovestruck, arguing quietly as they walked to a destination they wouldn't reach for another day. "Unless you are determined to have the other two."

Lacroix could have laughed. Seeing manipulation where there is none...how quaint. "As you wish, it makes no nevermind to me," he said with a shrug.

Really it did not matter which couple they killed. He wanted to see that Walter was willing to kill. The fact that he picked an arguing couple made him feel nostagic again. Nicholas had tried for a time to pick victims that had flaws and did not seem so innocent.

"Shall we go after them then?"

A lifetime spent hunting monsters had made him distrustful of their motivations.

Walter shrugged and nodded. "A man has to eat...." Or a vampire.

He saw no point in starving himself - he had enough trouble holding on to his sanity without letting his hunger gnaw at his mind as well. And truth be told, hot and fresh would always trump cold blood in a bag.

Without further hesitation he left his vantage in a leap that took him back down to the street to grab the man by the back of his shirt and throw him against the wall to stun him. That detail out of the way, he pulled the woman into the shadows from behind and sank his teeth into the meat of her shoulder, half of his attention for Lacroix and the man.

Such violence...how delightful. Lacroix moved swiftly down onto the street where the stunned man was beginning to stir within seconds Lacroix had picked the helpless human up and lifted him into the air.

The man struggled gasping for air but once he locked eyes with Lacroix he seemed to fall under a spell and instantly stop struggling. Lacroix lowered the mortal to the ground and the man clearly dazed submitted himself to Lacroix's lust for blood. Lacroix slightly laughed before biting into the man's neck. Oh he liked when they fought but he loved it when they gave themselves willingly. The prize was so much sweeter.

Nice trick. Walter had had to use the simple expedient of cutting off the woman's air with a hard hand clamped over her windpipe. She was going to die anyway, suffocation was the least of her worries.

This wasn't the first time he'd hunted with company, but Lacroix's methods were interesting, and well... he had a bit of a history with male vampires, so he'd be lying if he said that the sight wasn't interesting for more reasons than just observing the man's methods.

As the woman's pulse slowed and then stuttered, he allowed wire to slip out of the rings on the hand at her throat. He didn't want to be troubled by a ghoul at this point, which explained why, when he lowered her body to lean against a rubbish bin, her head was placed in her lap instead of left to loll on her neck.

The heartbeat of the mortal pounded in his ears as he drink the essence of the man's very being. He could sense Walter's attention on him and intrigued to note the...attraction. Pulling back from his victim Lacroix, let the guy's limp body slip down the wall.

"He won't turn without an exchange of blood between us and that won't be happening," he explained, since he figured the other vampire might be wondering. "I gather from where you are from a bite is enough to trigger some sort of transformation?" he asked, nodding to the headless corpse that had been Walter's victim.

He hadn't read all of Walter's thoughts after all.

"I cannot create a vampire, but my bite will create a creature under my control, a ghoul," Walter explained. "It would have no will of its own and I've no wish to be bothered with it." It also begged the question of what would happen to the ghoul when the City returned the victim to life. Or would it?

"I am not a 'natural' creature, laughable as it is to apply that term to a vampire." But he was warm, something he still missed. He supposed there would come a time when he wouldn't be bothered by it any longer, but he'd only been a vampire for a couple of months. At least that he could remember.

"Interesting," Lacroix said, walking back into the shadows ready to take to the rooftops once again. He had seen some memories of a laboratory in Walter's mind. So he supposed that the vampire had been manmade. Ah, well no one was absolutely perfect even he had his flaws.

"In my world a victim of a vampire either dies or we turn them those are the only options. There are no such things as ghouls though I admit it sounds like a useful tool in a pinch," Lacroix said before jumping back onto the rooftop. It wouldn't do to linger with two dead bodies in the alley.

Walter joined Lacroix on the roof before leaping to another rooftop and then another, where he waited for the vampire to join him. He counted on a vampire's greatly enhanced senses to ensure that his words carried, despite his speaking only in a normal tone.

"They can wreak devastating damage and spread the contagion with their own attacks," he continued. "They are no doubt useful, but I prefer to do my own killing." He always had. It was why he might make weapons, but he used his own, more personal weapon himself.

Lacroix easily kept up with the another vampire though he wondered why he bothered with the leaping when he could just as easily fly.

"Well most vampires prefer to do their own killing," Lacroix replied amused. "It's part of our nature. I don't need an army of mindless followers to be dangerous...at least not anymore." he added, baiting the hook for Walter to ask more of his questions.

Lacroix was still feeling generous in truth and he found the company of the younger vampire to be refreshing.

"I preferred to do my own killing when I was human," Walter said, leaning against a brick chimney and lighting another cigarette.

"You say 'not anymore.' What changed?"

"I became a vampire. That's what changed. I went from being a general in an army to being a creature of the night. So even as a human I too did my share of killing," Lacroix answered, flatly.

He turned to look at the view of the City and once again allowed his senses to stretch out. Hearing the many conversations of the citizens. "This is truly an interesting place I find myself in," he said, his voice a bit whimsical.

"Given I was expecting Hell, I agree." With an effort, Walter pulled his attention away from Lacroix and out to the City. "The City is many things, interesting among them."

Mad angels, would-be gods, torture, death that does not last, curses, mad Nazies... and Alucard. No subtle mucking about on Lacroix's part could change the white-hot hate that he felt every time he thought of the vampire.

He roused himself to ask a question and divert himself away from those thoughts. "Which army?"

Lacroix smirked at the question. And considered whether or not to answer it or divert it. The younger man was obviously attracted to him in more ways than one and Lacroix was beginning to feel indulgent of the questions in Walter's mind.

"To quell your curiosity, I am nearly two thousand years old. So it would be the Roman Army. I was a bit of a warlord by today's standards," Lacroix answered.

Turning his gaze toward Walter and making eye contact with him. "Now do you understand why I do not care for quiet or power?"

Walter's eyebrow twitched upward at that. Nearly two thousand.... He could learn so much from this one. But at what cost?

"I don't know that I can understand, but I grasp it in theory," he said, not turning his eyes away. "Your longevity is impressive."

Two thousand years. Two. Thousand. Walter had sold his life for less than he might learn from this vampire.

Lacroix visibly smirked at Walter's reaction obviously not the answer the young vampire had been expecting.

"Why thank you for saying so. As you know moving into this type of life one has to make a decision to either embrace it or let it crush you. I chose to embrace it," he said, turning back toward the City view.

"If you like I could teach you what it means to be a true vampire though you are obviously a different kind of vampire. Many of the methods and princples remain the same. I do not ask for any kind of answer tonight. Just consider it," Lacroix said, letting his voice drop subtly to the level where he was capable of compelling others.

And he could be very compelling when he wanted to be.

Of course compulsion is made that much easier when the person being compelled is already struggling with the urge to say yes. Walter wanted what Lacroix could offer. He wanted to be strong enough not to have to endure another judgement, strong enough to keep Millennium at bay, and better still, strong enough to make fighting Alucard less of a fool's proposition.

"What would you want in return?" he forced himself to ask past the agreement that hung on the tip of his tongue, rather than saying yes, please teach me everything you can.

Lacroix stood thoughtful for a moment feeling pleased that the young vampire was desperate for knowledge just like a sponge. Lacroix turned to face Walter once more.

"What I seek from you is companionship and a pupil who is willing to learn all that I may teach," Lacroix answered simply.

Yes, he could feel the man hungered for all that he may learn from an ancient vampire. That was very refreshing to Lacroix. Of course there was still the matter of fixing the other man's mind but Lacroix knew that could be done in due time.

It felt almost unfair - to be offered what he wanted so readily, because that made it also feel like a trap of some sort. Nothing was ever just that simple.

"I don't give blind obedience," he warned. "Not even for this." Never again.

Nicholas never did either and that made Lacroix slightly laugh. They were so much alike in some ways.

"I wouldn't bother with you if did," Lacroix said snickering. And he was telling the truth at that. He could force anyone into obeying him but he wasn't looking for a servant. He was more looking for companions whom he could teach and then let loose on an unsuspecting public. Yes, he is almost perfect.

Walter searched Lacroix's face for something behind the amusement. Although he knew it was another futile activity - if the vampire had not learned to show only what he chose after almost two thousand years, he wasn't worth learning from.

"You know you cannot trust me." But this creature, more than most, would also know if Walter's mind turned to betrayal.

He wanted so badly to say yes. It was still beating at his mind to be let out, to be uttered. He wavered for a moment, back and forth on matters of his worthiness, this vampire's trustworthiness, his concerns for people he still cared about whether he'd admit it or not, fear, anger, and on and on until the only way to beat back the tidal swell was to say it.

"Yes."

And there it was he had made his choice. Lacroix stepped forward to close the gap between them. So that he was leaning next to Walter's ear.

"In that case, we are going to have to do something about calming the storm first. I won't do anything tonight but upon our next meeting. Steps must be taken to ensure you have control again," Lacroix said in a low silky voice. "I can not very well teach you anything if your mind breaks."

And with that Lacroix pulled away ready to leave. "I shall give you time to rest." He would need it for what Lacroix had planned. Helping a vampire to overcome guilt was not an easy task but taking the steps to mend a mind in the process would make it harder.

Right or wrong, the choice was made. He'd a feeling there would be some who would not be happy about it, either, but the argument could be made that they should be happy that he was taking steps to heal.

The only obvious betrayal of reaction when Lacroix leaned close was the slow rise of his chest as he drew a deep breath. Sense memory can be so very vivid, and this memory would be inextricably bound to Lacroix's personal scent.

"If you would," he said as the vampire drew away, "I would prefer that few know of this association. Knowledge being power, I do not wish to give that to many."

Lacroix inclined his head. "As you wish. It shall remain a private matter between us," Lacroix said simply, before jumping down off the rooftop and blending into the crowd of humans passing by.

This one could conceivably surpass my Nicholas and my Janette, Lacroix thought with a smile. Now that would be something to look forward too.

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Log: Complete

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