Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Shattered Illusions ❯ Faint ( Chapter 4 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: MellyN 
Miscellaneous: Original Stories Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Supernatural / Romance / Action | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 04.02.2015 | Pages: 9 | Words: 5.8K | Visits: 357 | Status: Work In Progress
Miscellaneous: Original Stories Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Supernatural / Romance / Action | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 04.02.2015 | Pages: 9 | Words: 5.8K | Visits: 357 | Status: Work In Progress
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Shattered Illusions
Chapter 4: Faint
By: Melissa Norvell
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"You have an afternoon shift, right?" Copernicus asked casually as he rested his cheek on his hand, a gesture that had been typical of him since Tsubomi had met him.
"Yes, so I can stay here with you for a while." Although the tomboy was uneasy with the idea, she saw it as a prime opportunity to get to know Copernicus and seemed generally content with his presence. Something about him seemed to calm her, and the girl wasn't sure if it was some kind of hypnotic power that he had, or if she simply mellowed out around him.
The vampire smiled slightly, “it would be nice to have some company." It was lonely at times to live in solitude in a fancy house with no maids or housekeepers. Being a vampire meant complete secrecy and isolation, for no one could find out his secret. To be in the presence of another human was like a breath of fresh air and for some reason, the usually silent man found himself in quite the talkative mood.
Aside from the drunken men at the strip club, Tsubomi was his only other company in the human world.
"Are you coming to the strip club tonight?" The question was casual as she toyed with the handle on her porcelain coffee cup, making half turns as she watched the pitch black substance swirl around.
Copernicus told her yes. He didn't usually get out of his normal routine, but since Tsubomi worked there and she knew of his secret, then there was no doubt that he could trust her.
Blue eyes continued to stare, almost blankly into the coffee cup as the girl still struggled to keep in her right mind. Even though she acted her usual self, the girl was greatly affected by Hizaki's mental draining and hallucinations. She had slept oddly that night and had no dreams. Tsubomi was usually not the type of person to not dream at all. When she woke up, her body felt faintly like a gelatinous mass. She simply played it off as she had not had enough sleep, or that her body was still in a hazy state but throughout the morning, Tsubomi found it incredibly hard to concentrate.
The stripper felt unstable, like her eyes were literally vibrating in their sockets and she could hear a faint humming noise, like that of a ceiling fan or air conditioner.
"Something wrong?" Tsubomi jolted a little and glanced up at the distinguished man, who sat across from her at the pristine white table. Copernicus seemed especially fond of white, royal blue and gold and this pattern of interest was shown through his choice of color scheme and décor.
"I know that you said it before, but it's a little hard to fathom," Tsubomi stated in a near disjointed state as she looked him in the eyes. "Can you really not have kids?" She had remembered catching a slight word of it earlier, when he was explaining to her what classified him as an Inheritor and it had bothered and even disturbed her. Tsubomi wouldn't even begin to know how it would feel to know that you couldn't reproduce.
It seemed kind of sad to her, when she thought about it.
"Are you still worried about that?" Copernicus didn't seem too bothered by it. To be truthful, he wasn't. Over time, he had accepted it as a harsh reality, along with the fact that he would most likely die alone, and never know the love of another. Until now, he had chosen to distance himself from anyone who remotely was interested in him.
Of course, he had his reasons.
"Yes, that's kind of sad," Tsubomi was more worried about it then he was.
"Well, if I don't like any women, then it doesn't matter," Copernicus was slightly amused that the girl seemed more worried about the situation than he did. Aside from that if he was simply gay, than fertility would not be a matter.
"What if you meet one who really cared about you? What if they didn't care that you were sterile?" The stripper asked, in a very passionate voice towards the situation. She had not even realized that it was odd for the façade she was putting up to be so caring towards it. In a way, she was promoting him to be with a woman, instead of the handsome boy she pretended to be.
Still, the vampire smiled warmly at her, "I doubt that will happen. For a gay male, you seem adamant about me being with a woman." As odd as it was, Copernicus felt strangely flattered that Tsubomi would say such a thing to him. It was comical and sweet at the same time.
A moment of panic went through the brunette as her mind scrambled for an answer to that statement that made sense.'Shit! What am I saying? Son of a-'She cut herself off as she said the first thing that she could think of. "I just don't think you should deprive yourself of happiness."
"I'm content."
"You're stubborn."
"And you sound like a prude. Loosen up, I appreciate your concern but it doesn't matter to me. I haveotherpriorities," Copernicus could care less about his own infertility. Not being able to have children was something that he had dealt with his entire life, and there was no need to reopen an age old wound. Besides, as of now, he was more interested in her than that minor factor.
"Right, the Hizaki problem,"thatwent completely over her head. In a way, Copernicus was glad that it did. He simply kept smiling that gentle smile of his and seemed generally pleased by her.
"What?" Tsubomi, however, didn't see what was so amusing. To her, the Hizaki issue was a serious one that needed to be dealt with.
"Nothing…You're just amusing."
"What do you mean?" What the hell did this guy think about anyway? Honestly, it seemed like he was on something, or he had an odd sense of humor.
Before she could even continue what she was going to say, she felt long, elegant fingertips on the side of her face. A blush crept to her cheeks as she felt warm, coffee-scented breath on her lips.
"I appreciate the fact that you're worried about me, but I'll be fine." It came off a little colder this time, but her constant concern towards the subject irritated him a little. It was his kind way of telling her to shut up.
Tsubomi seemed a little offended that he would just blow the subject off. Was he trulythatcold? After all of the things that happened to him, how could the vampire have nothing on his mind that seemed to concern him? How in the hell did he get off being so apathetic?
"Your donor was killed and you stand there and tell me you'll be alright?" The stripper wasn't buying it and she nearly yelled it at him. His hardhearted attitude towards himself was enough to make her want to shake the living daylights out of him. It was as if he hid the pain behind a gentle gaze.
Then, something happened that she didn't think was possible…Copernicus' features turned into those of bitter stone. It was as if he were Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hide. The Inheritor scowled at her and those once soft, peaceful blue eyes were as cold as sapphire.
"I don't always let my emotions show.Youshould know that perfectly well, shouldn't you?" It was a cold warning that was enough to make her back off. It satisfied her to see that he was at least somewhat human, and crossing the line right now would only get her killed. Tsubomi decided that it was wise to leave the situation alone.
Copernicus could have a nasty streak when he wanted, especially if he were incredibly touchy about certain things. All she could do was stare at him with widened eyes.
"Usually, I like your chivalry but right now, it's irritating." The vampire shoved her away callously and gave her one frostier glance to make his point clear that he didn't want to discuss the subject any longer.
'That's the first time I've seen him that angry…I think I'd rather be killed by Hizaki.'She stood there, dumbfounded with that same wide-eyed expression that she had moments before. Then, the girl mentally slapped herself out of it. "Look, I know it must be a tough subject and I know that I don't know anything about it but-"
Before she could even take another step towards him, Tsubomi was flung against the wall. Her back bounced as she felt a dull pain and two, gloved hands were slammed on the hard surface on either side of her head as Copernicus loomed over her like a feral cat, about to close in for the kill. His dark blue eyes seemed wintry and stern. It was that look that could stare a hole through her soul. To Tsubomi, it was as if he knew all of her secrets already and she stood there before him, as a woman nude.
"If I didn't want your help, then I wouldn't have told you what I have. You're trustworthy in my eyes and besides, I got you into this by talking to you at the strip club-" Copernicus' strict words were cut off by the shocked stripper, who stared at him in widened eyes.
"I'm just extremely unlucky, really. Look, I know that we're stuck in this predicament so we have to deal with it. You have enough issues-" It was the beginning of an emotion that Copernicus didn't fancy at all.
"Don't pity me," his words were twice as insensitive as anything he'd previously said.
"I don't. I admire you," they were words that he didn't expect to hear from anyone, considering he didn't even see how he was an admirable person. Copernicus had done far too many things in his life to be considered something so prestigious.
"What?" He was nearly taken aback by the girl's sentence.
"I thought my life was bad until I met you. True, I've never had anyone that I can rely on or a confidant of any kind until you came along. I've led a very hard life and I've done what I had to get by. Things haven't been easy but you've probably had it a lot harder than me your entire life. We come from two different worlds and I'm not sure that I can even fathom being you for a day." When she thought about it, Copernicus had never broken under any pressure for the whole time that she'd known him, even though he seemed to live with so many bad issues in his life. It made her feel bad for complaining about her job and the conditions in which she lived in. Her small house, cheap little car and sultry job seemed minor to being an infertile wanted man.
Her eyes softened and a slight smile graced her face as she stared into his eyes. It was this opportunity that allowed her to see the true depth of his feelings. When she examined them more, his eyes weren't so much cold as they were pained. The fact that his donor was dead greatly disturbed him. Copernicus didn't want to hear any more because he was guilty - not angry. "You've put up with so much stuff and you walk around the strip club like nothing bothers you. Maybe it's because you've just dealt with it, or maybe I'm a loser because I'd feel totally miserable in that situation."
Tsubomi smiled half-heartedly. "I used to believe all of that hype- that vampires were monsters, creatures of the night that drank blood and preyed on unsuspecting humans, draining them dry and turning them into horrible creatures…but I can't think that now…Not since I've met you. I feel like everything I used to know has been thrown out of the window. It's like all of the facts have been blurred and it's hard to know what's real and fake."
Copernicus still wore a serious expression, but his words were calm. "Welcome to my world. The only question is- can you survive it?"
"If I can help you out, then I'll do whatever it takes," that was her solemn promise. It was nice to have a goal to strive for that didn't consist of making it from day to day. The very opportunity was something that excited her.
"I believe that we can help each other out," Copernicus agreed. It would be nice to have someone who shared a common goal, as long as Tsubomi didn't throw herself in harm's way, and then he would be fine with her alliance.
The stripper nodded. "You're a good source of information and I have to admit, I like being around you," Tsubomi instantly questioned her sanity on that matter.'Wait! What just came out of my mouth?'
"My lolita complex is hitting me hard," the vampire smirked slightly.
"What the hell doesthatmean?" For some reason, she instantly regretted her choice of words. Why did she have to say something like that? Before she had the chance to even get an answer from the brunette, he was already casually walking towards the exit.
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Hizaki knelt before his grand image- a true symbol of vampuric royalty in itself. Sitting atop of a rose-covered throne, made of the finest red velvet and gold, sat a vampire dressed in brilliant red. His clothing was exquisite and consisted of a red, tightly fitting, button up vest with a white, baggy undershirt with cuffed sleeves. Draped over his shoulders was a half cape with faux red roses sewn along the edge. The vampire wore a red, pirate inspired hat with a golden trim, and the same roses sewn to the inside of the top. Tan, form-fitting pants and long, knee-high boots adorned his feet as he glanced down at his subordinate with one cold, red eye that matched the tips of the chin length bangs that shrouded the left side of his face.
"You idiot! You misunderstood the orders," the seated one scolded Hizaki for his reckless actions.
"But, you told me to kill Copernicus' donors, right? So that's what I attempted to do. Don't you want to get rid of the humans?" That was the way that Hizaki had heard it. He wasn't one to simply misunderstand his lord's orders.
"I want to kill or enslave the humans, but we'll need to initiate the Time of Ending in order for this to take effect. If the vampires and humans go to war, we can conquer them easily and kill off the rebellious. After that, we'll enslave the subservient and at the same time, they will provide us with a constant supply of blood. Soon those inferior food sources will know their places- at my feet," the blonde pointed a blood painted finger nail at the ground as Hizaki smiled to himself.
It was always interesting to see how his lord's mind worked. "Of course, you can leave that part to me. I'll make sure that you become the ruler of a new, glorious era." To see the one before him as king, with humans crawling at his feet was a sadistic joy of his and he could hardly wait for the moment of revolution.
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'Why is everything so confusing?'Tsubomi thought to herself as she gracefully danced along her stage of bright, flashing lights. A thin layer of sweat and glitter glistened on her body as made her away across the stage and even though she seemed as though she was completely concentrated on the dance, her thoughts lay elsewhere.'Maybe I'm just out of my mind.'The stripper let out a bitter smile as she seductively took off her glittery top and swung it around in a sultry fashion. Then Tsubomi glanced down and frowned to herself.'I might as well be a guy with this flat chest.'The girl sighed in exasperation and danced her way over to a pole, swinging around it to scan through the crowd. As she spun around a second time, she noticed that Copernicus was there.
The vampire was standing in the crowd for what seemed like a moment.'There he is. I just hope that he doesn't recognize me.'Blue eyes widened as she made her way around the pole again to find that he had disappeared as quickly as he had shown up, he had disappeared.'Where did he go?'
Something didn't quite seem right to the stripper. She didn't know what it was, but she found herself frantically searching for him as she left her position on the pole and began to dance around the stage, searching through the crowds for any hint of the vampire but he was gone. The more she searched, the more futile the situation became.
Tsubomi soon found the man, headed towards the door. She stood there, topless as she watched the vampire exit the building.'Damn, am Ithatunappealing shirtless? You could give me a little more credit for wearing this crap. Maybe he figured me out and he's angry. Damn…What do I do now? I guess I'll have to tell him when I get off this stage. I knew it wouldn't last forever. Copernicus is smart…I knew he'd catch on soon.'With a bitter smile of defeat, Tsubomi sighed to herself as she heard the displeased crowd shouting angrily around her.
"Hey! What are you staring at? Get on with the show! I can here to see you dance!" One of the drunken men shouted above all of the rest. This only made the level of obscenities and angry noises escalade.
'This is going to be a hectic night.'Tsubomi sighed to herself as she began to dance once more, toning the crowd down to a low rumble before they became silent again.
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Tsubomi straightened her frilly neck tie as she pulled a pitch black jacket over her shoulders and buttoned up both columns of golden buttons. As she strolled casually towards the exit, something collided with her, enough to make her stumble backwards. She felt something clinging to her as the front of her jacket felt damp. It was a woman and she was crying and heavily shaking.
"Excuse me; is there something I can help you with?" Tsubomi asked in a broken up and confused manner. The whole situation was quite random and so far, it had been proven that this day was anything but normal.
"Outside, there's a man," the woman looked up to her with sparkling green eyes that quivered with sorrow as she clenched her jacket tightly with both hands. "He's laying face down."
"What?" The very utterance of those words was enough to send shock into her system. She had just seen Copernicus leave, and the fact that it could have been him frightened her. If it was him, and someone found him, he would surely be found out as a vampire.
"I tried to see if he could snap out of it, but he hasn't moved," the girl wailed. "Sir, please call an ambulance. I think there's something wrong with him."
Disregarding that fact thatanotherperson had called her male, Tsubomi told her that she would see what she could do, and instructed her not to do anything yet. Quickly, she took off, running through the rest of the crowd as she made her way out of the club.
'Copernicus? Surely that can't be! Ididsee him going outside…but still, it could have been for a number of reasons. Ugh…What am I thinking, just letting him walk out like that? I should have distracted him somehow…Threw my pearls at him, kicked my shoe off at him, gave him a lap dance,something!'Tsubomi's mind raced as she made it outside and found, to her horror, that her intuition was correct.
There he was, laying face down on the concrete with a shattered wine glass lying beside of him. She rushed over and fell to her knees, and turned him over and cradling his head in her gloved hands. "It is him! Copernicus! Wake up! Come on, what the hell is wrong with you? I don't want to have to hit you in your pretty face."
After several minutes of trying to snap him into consciousness, the masculine woman raised her hand with an uncertain look on her face. "Okay, don't be mad and pissy because you get slapped."
She was nearly ready to smack the vampire and just as her hand came down to land on his cheek; his blue eyes slowly opened and looked towards her. "Tsubomi, your shift is over?" He asked as her hand jolted to a stop.
"No it isn't. Some girl ran over and told me that someone was lying outside on the ground. Are you alright, what happened?" Tsubomi looked relieved but she was still worried. She hadn't noticed any abnormal behavior before, so the fact that he fainted like that told her that something was definitely wrong.
"It's nothing. I'll be fine," the vampire averted his eyes and smiled a little. Even when something was wrong with him, he still managed to keep that same affectionate smile as they began to walk down the street.
"Liar," Tsubomi frowned. Surely he didn't think she'd believe he wasthatfake.
"The light just got to me-" Copernicus tried to reason, but Tsubomi wasn't buying it. She knew that vampires were light sensitive, but he wasn't a Nightwalker, so he had no excuse.
"It's dim in there. Unless you had your face in a strobe light like a moron, then you'd be fine. You were fine yesterday."
"I'm fine. I assure you that. I can take care of the problem on my own," Copernicus turned his head back towards her and stared into her troubled eyes. He liked the fact that she worried about him, but he wasn't about to ask her for the very thing he needed.
"If you’re not well, than say so. Don't hide things from me." If he wanted her to trust him, then he had to be willing to let his secrets out. He had already told her about being a vampire, but the stripper was sure that he had other things that he wasn't saying as well.
She placed her arm around his shoulder and helped him up. It was a little awkward, considering he was a good foot taller than she was. Even though he looked fragile, he was solid muscle. The familiar smell of expensive cologne and rose petals flooded her senses.
"I do not tell all there is to tell…and this…is the first time I've seen you touch me," the vampire looked more pleased with that then anything. The fact that Tsubomi touched him made him feel as if they were on a friendlier basis with each other.
"You sound happy about that for some reason," she didn't really see the big deal. It wasn't as if he was disgusting. Quite the opposite, actually.
"I'm just glad that you feel comfortable enough to touch me. You've never tried to touch me before now."
"I touched you before. It just wasn't in a way your fantasies would have like to play it out," Tsubomi joked as she cast a half-hearted smile to the American, trying to make him feel better in some way. His voice sounded a little tired, so she could imagine that he were weak somehow. At this point in time, words were the only thing that she knew of that could help him.
Damn him for hiding things like this! She felt so helpless in this situation. She could make a difference somehow if she only knew the right information.
Why was Copernicus so stubborn?
"It's nothing like that…I'm just glad that you're getting over your trust issues." That in itself pleased him more than anything.
"I have trust issues? It seems like you have a few yourself," Tsubomi teased. After all, he was the one hiding his condition at the moment. She seriously hoped that it was nothing bad. It seemed to be just the both of their luck, the way things were going.
"I don't want you involved any more then you have to be. If I told you what was wrong, then you'd be drug into this even more. You would become a prime factor and Hizaki will be after your head, just as he was the others." That aspect alone made the vampire worry about being seen with Tsubomi even now.
Scenes of what he had found that day- the bloodied pages of text books, the lifeless body on the ground, and the deep hole of culpability in his heart, consumed his thoughts. The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to push Tsubomi away even farther. It was a mistake to get her involved in his life.
"Hey, he already is. You can't disregard that. By being around you, I'm already a prime factor. He thinks I'm your donor," Tsubomi reminded him of the bitter truth. It was the truth that he wanted to close himself off from, the truth in which he wanted to detach himself of.
Just then, he felt his vision haze and everything became blurred as an increased feeling of dizziness overcame him and he stumbled forward but was caught by Tsubomi, who wrapped her arms around his chest to keep him up.
"Come back and sit at the bar. I'll buy you a free drink and you can get some rest. Maybe you'll feel better afterwards," she told him gently, but it only made his eyes turn from despondent to bitter.
"No."
"Here we go again with this 'no' stuff," Tsubomi sighed.
"I've been this way for a while. I'll be fine. I just need something nourishing," Copernicus tried to shove it aside as he casually looked away from her, as if his sights had been directed to some workers that poured out of a nearby building.
"I'm sure you can have some of the food-" Tsubomi started to say as she was leveled with a stare of displeasure. "Let me guess…no."
"If you really must know…I need blood. I get weak when I don't drink for a while," Copernicus spat as he closed his eyes. It wasn't really anything he enjoyed admitting, especially to someone who had just said that they admired him.
He felt like a class A fool.
"How long has it been?" Tsubomi was even more concerned.
"Three weeks."
"You're practically starving yourself. Why don't you go to your donor? I'm sure that they'll give you what you need." It was practically begging him to do something for himself. As regal as he was, it was sad to watch him fall apart and suffer. Usually, when someone rich and spoiled like that was down on their luck, the stripper just laughed and though it funny that they got what they deserved, but Copernicus was different.
He made her rethink a lot of her old ways towards people who were well off.
"I won't be able to make it there. I barely made it out of the strip club so that I didn't cause a scene." Fainting in the middle of a crowd was definitely a bad move on his part. He would have rather done it out in the street where no one could have seen him.
"You caused one outside instead," the stripper sighed as she glanced to the vampire, who was having trouble concentrating. If she didn't do something soon, he would surely pass out again.
Going three weeks without blood must have made him feel anemic in a way. What could she do for him? There had to be something, anything that she could do.
'What do I do? He needs blood but he can't get to his donor's house. He can barely keep conscious. I don't want him to die on me…Wait a minute…His last donor was murdered, that means that he obviously wouldn't have enough blood and if he hasn't drank anything for three weeks, then maybe he was only getting close to me because he wanted my blood. I know Hizaki already thinks I'm his donor, and if he is trying to kill anyone affiliated with Copernicus, then that donor must be in some kind of danger. If I can prove a distraction, then Copernicus will keep his original donor alive. I'm sure that he doesn't want them to die. I'll kill two birds with one stone. I'll keep Copernicus alive and act as a decoy to lead Hizaki away from his real donor.'As much as Copernicus didn't want her involved, there would be no way around it this time.
If he didn't get any blood, then he would die and she wasn't about to let him suffer that long death. She held out her arm with a straight look on her face, “here."
"Tsubomi?" He slowly turned his sights to her in a look that was a cross between endearment and confusion.
"Drink my blood. It should last you until you can get back to your donor."
"This puts you in the very spot that I don't want you to be in," Copernicus frowned. He didn't want to drink her blood. More than anything, he didn't want to drink her blood. In a way, he would rather die than even taste it for fear of involving her in his problems. However, he had let himself go without blood for far too long. What was he thinking? The vampire had made such a costly mistake and now, he had no choice but to take what was offered to him.
If he died, then no one would come after him. Then again, the Time of Ending would be initiated and the human race would be over. Also, he could only imagine the guilt that Tsubomi would feel as a result. On the other hand, she could be killed for contracting with him. She was a normal human boy and to be truthful, something so youthful and slender looked very breakable.
This was it. He had to make a decision about what he wanted to do. This was going to be far from easy.
"Listen, they'll be after me anyway when they figure out that I'm working for you. I know that you don't want me in this anymore then I have to be, but I'm already in it. Besides, I have an idea that might work," Tsubomi just hoped that he'd listen to reason and drink her blood. She was nervous about being bitten, but if it helped him, then she could endure anything.
As long as he didn't die, then she would be fine with whatever sacrifice she had to make.
"What are you thinking?" Copernicus seemed a little amused. She barely knew anything about the true situation and here she was, coming up with plans of attacks. Truly she was an amazing person who definitely had some balls.
"I want to protect your donor, so I'll act as a decoy."
"You're crazy. You're just a normal human. How do you expect to take on a goal that big?" It was asking for quite a bit. By doing that, she would have to take on position as a second donor and possible strategist of the group. The thought of such a young strategist made him even more amused.
Copernicus wondered if she could actually complete her mission.
"I'll be protecting you," the girl smiled. "You need something or you'll faint again. Besides, I don't want to see you stumbling around like this."
"If I drink your blood, I might not stop." After all, three weeks was an incredibly long time for a vampire to go without, and under such conditions, once he tasted blood, he might lose himself and drink too much.
"What?"
"So, be my other donor, if you want to be a decoy," Tsubomi wondered what made Copernicus change his mind so quickly. Perhaps he had a plan of some kind but now wasn't the time to think of such things. He needed her, and even though she was nervous, the thought of Copernicus being her master didn't seem so bad.
…To Be Continued
Shattered Illusions
Chapter 4: Faint
By: Melissa Norvell
XxXxXx
"You have an afternoon shift, right?" Copernicus asked casually as he rested his cheek on his hand, a gesture that had been typical of him since Tsubomi had met him.
"Yes, so I can stay here with you for a while." Although the tomboy was uneasy with the idea, she saw it as a prime opportunity to get to know Copernicus and seemed generally content with his presence. Something about him seemed to calm her, and the girl wasn't sure if it was some kind of hypnotic power that he had, or if she simply mellowed out around him.
The vampire smiled slightly, “it would be nice to have some company." It was lonely at times to live in solitude in a fancy house with no maids or housekeepers. Being a vampire meant complete secrecy and isolation, for no one could find out his secret. To be in the presence of another human was like a breath of fresh air and for some reason, the usually silent man found himself in quite the talkative mood.
Aside from the drunken men at the strip club, Tsubomi was his only other company in the human world.
"Are you coming to the strip club tonight?" The question was casual as she toyed with the handle on her porcelain coffee cup, making half turns as she watched the pitch black substance swirl around.
Copernicus told her yes. He didn't usually get out of his normal routine, but since Tsubomi worked there and she knew of his secret, then there was no doubt that he could trust her.
Blue eyes continued to stare, almost blankly into the coffee cup as the girl still struggled to keep in her right mind. Even though she acted her usual self, the girl was greatly affected by Hizaki's mental draining and hallucinations. She had slept oddly that night and had no dreams. Tsubomi was usually not the type of person to not dream at all. When she woke up, her body felt faintly like a gelatinous mass. She simply played it off as she had not had enough sleep, or that her body was still in a hazy state but throughout the morning, Tsubomi found it incredibly hard to concentrate.
The stripper felt unstable, like her eyes were literally vibrating in their sockets and she could hear a faint humming noise, like that of a ceiling fan or air conditioner.
"Something wrong?" Tsubomi jolted a little and glanced up at the distinguished man, who sat across from her at the pristine white table. Copernicus seemed especially fond of white, royal blue and gold and this pattern of interest was shown through his choice of color scheme and décor.
"I know that you said it before, but it's a little hard to fathom," Tsubomi stated in a near disjointed state as she looked him in the eyes. "Can you really not have kids?" She had remembered catching a slight word of it earlier, when he was explaining to her what classified him as an Inheritor and it had bothered and even disturbed her. Tsubomi wouldn't even begin to know how it would feel to know that you couldn't reproduce.
It seemed kind of sad to her, when she thought about it.
"Are you still worried about that?" Copernicus didn't seem too bothered by it. To be truthful, he wasn't. Over time, he had accepted it as a harsh reality, along with the fact that he would most likely die alone, and never know the love of another. Until now, he had chosen to distance himself from anyone who remotely was interested in him.
Of course, he had his reasons.
"Yes, that's kind of sad," Tsubomi was more worried about it then he was.
"Well, if I don't like any women, then it doesn't matter," Copernicus was slightly amused that the girl seemed more worried about the situation than he did. Aside from that if he was simply gay, than fertility would not be a matter.
"What if you meet one who really cared about you? What if they didn't care that you were sterile?" The stripper asked, in a very passionate voice towards the situation. She had not even realized that it was odd for the façade she was putting up to be so caring towards it. In a way, she was promoting him to be with a woman, instead of the handsome boy she pretended to be.
Still, the vampire smiled warmly at her, "I doubt that will happen. For a gay male, you seem adamant about me being with a woman." As odd as it was, Copernicus felt strangely flattered that Tsubomi would say such a thing to him. It was comical and sweet at the same time.
A moment of panic went through the brunette as her mind scrambled for an answer to that statement that made sense.'Shit! What am I saying? Son of a-'She cut herself off as she said the first thing that she could think of. "I just don't think you should deprive yourself of happiness."
"I'm content."
"You're stubborn."
"And you sound like a prude. Loosen up, I appreciate your concern but it doesn't matter to me. I haveotherpriorities," Copernicus could care less about his own infertility. Not being able to have children was something that he had dealt with his entire life, and there was no need to reopen an age old wound. Besides, as of now, he was more interested in her than that minor factor.
"Right, the Hizaki problem,"thatwent completely over her head. In a way, Copernicus was glad that it did. He simply kept smiling that gentle smile of his and seemed generally pleased by her.
"What?" Tsubomi, however, didn't see what was so amusing. To her, the Hizaki issue was a serious one that needed to be dealt with.
"Nothing…You're just amusing."
"What do you mean?" What the hell did this guy think about anyway? Honestly, it seemed like he was on something, or he had an odd sense of humor.
Before she could even continue what she was going to say, she felt long, elegant fingertips on the side of her face. A blush crept to her cheeks as she felt warm, coffee-scented breath on her lips.
"I appreciate the fact that you're worried about me, but I'll be fine." It came off a little colder this time, but her constant concern towards the subject irritated him a little. It was his kind way of telling her to shut up.
Tsubomi seemed a little offended that he would just blow the subject off. Was he trulythatcold? After all of the things that happened to him, how could the vampire have nothing on his mind that seemed to concern him? How in the hell did he get off being so apathetic?
"Your donor was killed and you stand there and tell me you'll be alright?" The stripper wasn't buying it and she nearly yelled it at him. His hardhearted attitude towards himself was enough to make her want to shake the living daylights out of him. It was as if he hid the pain behind a gentle gaze.
Then, something happened that she didn't think was possible…Copernicus' features turned into those of bitter stone. It was as if he were Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hide. The Inheritor scowled at her and those once soft, peaceful blue eyes were as cold as sapphire.
"I don't always let my emotions show.Youshould know that perfectly well, shouldn't you?" It was a cold warning that was enough to make her back off. It satisfied her to see that he was at least somewhat human, and crossing the line right now would only get her killed. Tsubomi decided that it was wise to leave the situation alone.
Copernicus could have a nasty streak when he wanted, especially if he were incredibly touchy about certain things. All she could do was stare at him with widened eyes.
"Usually, I like your chivalry but right now, it's irritating." The vampire shoved her away callously and gave her one frostier glance to make his point clear that he didn't want to discuss the subject any longer.
'That's the first time I've seen him that angry…I think I'd rather be killed by Hizaki.'She stood there, dumbfounded with that same wide-eyed expression that she had moments before. Then, the girl mentally slapped herself out of it. "Look, I know it must be a tough subject and I know that I don't know anything about it but-"
Before she could even take another step towards him, Tsubomi was flung against the wall. Her back bounced as she felt a dull pain and two, gloved hands were slammed on the hard surface on either side of her head as Copernicus loomed over her like a feral cat, about to close in for the kill. His dark blue eyes seemed wintry and stern. It was that look that could stare a hole through her soul. To Tsubomi, it was as if he knew all of her secrets already and she stood there before him, as a woman nude.
"If I didn't want your help, then I wouldn't have told you what I have. You're trustworthy in my eyes and besides, I got you into this by talking to you at the strip club-" Copernicus' strict words were cut off by the shocked stripper, who stared at him in widened eyes.
"I'm just extremely unlucky, really. Look, I know that we're stuck in this predicament so we have to deal with it. You have enough issues-" It was the beginning of an emotion that Copernicus didn't fancy at all.
"Don't pity me," his words were twice as insensitive as anything he'd previously said.
"I don't. I admire you," they were words that he didn't expect to hear from anyone, considering he didn't even see how he was an admirable person. Copernicus had done far too many things in his life to be considered something so prestigious.
"What?" He was nearly taken aback by the girl's sentence.
"I thought my life was bad until I met you. True, I've never had anyone that I can rely on or a confidant of any kind until you came along. I've led a very hard life and I've done what I had to get by. Things haven't been easy but you've probably had it a lot harder than me your entire life. We come from two different worlds and I'm not sure that I can even fathom being you for a day." When she thought about it, Copernicus had never broken under any pressure for the whole time that she'd known him, even though he seemed to live with so many bad issues in his life. It made her feel bad for complaining about her job and the conditions in which she lived in. Her small house, cheap little car and sultry job seemed minor to being an infertile wanted man.
Her eyes softened and a slight smile graced her face as she stared into his eyes. It was this opportunity that allowed her to see the true depth of his feelings. When she examined them more, his eyes weren't so much cold as they were pained. The fact that his donor was dead greatly disturbed him. Copernicus didn't want to hear any more because he was guilty - not angry. "You've put up with so much stuff and you walk around the strip club like nothing bothers you. Maybe it's because you've just dealt with it, or maybe I'm a loser because I'd feel totally miserable in that situation."
Tsubomi smiled half-heartedly. "I used to believe all of that hype- that vampires were monsters, creatures of the night that drank blood and preyed on unsuspecting humans, draining them dry and turning them into horrible creatures…but I can't think that now…Not since I've met you. I feel like everything I used to know has been thrown out of the window. It's like all of the facts have been blurred and it's hard to know what's real and fake."
Copernicus still wore a serious expression, but his words were calm. "Welcome to my world. The only question is- can you survive it?"
"If I can help you out, then I'll do whatever it takes," that was her solemn promise. It was nice to have a goal to strive for that didn't consist of making it from day to day. The very opportunity was something that excited her.
"I believe that we can help each other out," Copernicus agreed. It would be nice to have someone who shared a common goal, as long as Tsubomi didn't throw herself in harm's way, and then he would be fine with her alliance.
The stripper nodded. "You're a good source of information and I have to admit, I like being around you," Tsubomi instantly questioned her sanity on that matter.'Wait! What just came out of my mouth?'
"My lolita complex is hitting me hard," the vampire smirked slightly.
"What the hell doesthatmean?" For some reason, she instantly regretted her choice of words. Why did she have to say something like that? Before she had the chance to even get an answer from the brunette, he was already casually walking towards the exit.
XxXxXx
Hizaki knelt before his grand image- a true symbol of vampuric royalty in itself. Sitting atop of a rose-covered throne, made of the finest red velvet and gold, sat a vampire dressed in brilliant red. His clothing was exquisite and consisted of a red, tightly fitting, button up vest with a white, baggy undershirt with cuffed sleeves. Draped over his shoulders was a half cape with faux red roses sewn along the edge. The vampire wore a red, pirate inspired hat with a golden trim, and the same roses sewn to the inside of the top. Tan, form-fitting pants and long, knee-high boots adorned his feet as he glanced down at his subordinate with one cold, red eye that matched the tips of the chin length bangs that shrouded the left side of his face.
"You idiot! You misunderstood the orders," the seated one scolded Hizaki for his reckless actions.
"But, you told me to kill Copernicus' donors, right? So that's what I attempted to do. Don't you want to get rid of the humans?" That was the way that Hizaki had heard it. He wasn't one to simply misunderstand his lord's orders.
"I want to kill or enslave the humans, but we'll need to initiate the Time of Ending in order for this to take effect. If the vampires and humans go to war, we can conquer them easily and kill off the rebellious. After that, we'll enslave the subservient and at the same time, they will provide us with a constant supply of blood. Soon those inferior food sources will know their places- at my feet," the blonde pointed a blood painted finger nail at the ground as Hizaki smiled to himself.
It was always interesting to see how his lord's mind worked. "Of course, you can leave that part to me. I'll make sure that you become the ruler of a new, glorious era." To see the one before him as king, with humans crawling at his feet was a sadistic joy of his and he could hardly wait for the moment of revolution.
XxXxXx
'Why is everything so confusing?'Tsubomi thought to herself as she gracefully danced along her stage of bright, flashing lights. A thin layer of sweat and glitter glistened on her body as made her away across the stage and even though she seemed as though she was completely concentrated on the dance, her thoughts lay elsewhere.'Maybe I'm just out of my mind.'The stripper let out a bitter smile as she seductively took off her glittery top and swung it around in a sultry fashion. Then Tsubomi glanced down and frowned to herself.'I might as well be a guy with this flat chest.'The girl sighed in exasperation and danced her way over to a pole, swinging around it to scan through the crowd. As she spun around a second time, she noticed that Copernicus was there.
The vampire was standing in the crowd for what seemed like a moment.'There he is. I just hope that he doesn't recognize me.'Blue eyes widened as she made her way around the pole again to find that he had disappeared as quickly as he had shown up, he had disappeared.'Where did he go?'
Something didn't quite seem right to the stripper. She didn't know what it was, but she found herself frantically searching for him as she left her position on the pole and began to dance around the stage, searching through the crowds for any hint of the vampire but he was gone. The more she searched, the more futile the situation became.
Tsubomi soon found the man, headed towards the door. She stood there, topless as she watched the vampire exit the building.'Damn, am Ithatunappealing shirtless? You could give me a little more credit for wearing this crap. Maybe he figured me out and he's angry. Damn…What do I do now? I guess I'll have to tell him when I get off this stage. I knew it wouldn't last forever. Copernicus is smart…I knew he'd catch on soon.'With a bitter smile of defeat, Tsubomi sighed to herself as she heard the displeased crowd shouting angrily around her.
"Hey! What are you staring at? Get on with the show! I can here to see you dance!" One of the drunken men shouted above all of the rest. This only made the level of obscenities and angry noises escalade.
'This is going to be a hectic night.'Tsubomi sighed to herself as she began to dance once more, toning the crowd down to a low rumble before they became silent again.
XxXxXx
Tsubomi straightened her frilly neck tie as she pulled a pitch black jacket over her shoulders and buttoned up both columns of golden buttons. As she strolled casually towards the exit, something collided with her, enough to make her stumble backwards. She felt something clinging to her as the front of her jacket felt damp. It was a woman and she was crying and heavily shaking.
"Excuse me; is there something I can help you with?" Tsubomi asked in a broken up and confused manner. The whole situation was quite random and so far, it had been proven that this day was anything but normal.
"Outside, there's a man," the woman looked up to her with sparkling green eyes that quivered with sorrow as she clenched her jacket tightly with both hands. "He's laying face down."
"What?" The very utterance of those words was enough to send shock into her system. She had just seen Copernicus leave, and the fact that it could have been him frightened her. If it was him, and someone found him, he would surely be found out as a vampire.
"I tried to see if he could snap out of it, but he hasn't moved," the girl wailed. "Sir, please call an ambulance. I think there's something wrong with him."
Disregarding that fact thatanotherperson had called her male, Tsubomi told her that she would see what she could do, and instructed her not to do anything yet. Quickly, she took off, running through the rest of the crowd as she made her way out of the club.
'Copernicus? Surely that can't be! Ididsee him going outside…but still, it could have been for a number of reasons. Ugh…What am I thinking, just letting him walk out like that? I should have distracted him somehow…Threw my pearls at him, kicked my shoe off at him, gave him a lap dance,something!'Tsubomi's mind raced as she made it outside and found, to her horror, that her intuition was correct.
There he was, laying face down on the concrete with a shattered wine glass lying beside of him. She rushed over and fell to her knees, and turned him over and cradling his head in her gloved hands. "It is him! Copernicus! Wake up! Come on, what the hell is wrong with you? I don't want to have to hit you in your pretty face."
After several minutes of trying to snap him into consciousness, the masculine woman raised her hand with an uncertain look on her face. "Okay, don't be mad and pissy because you get slapped."
She was nearly ready to smack the vampire and just as her hand came down to land on his cheek; his blue eyes slowly opened and looked towards her. "Tsubomi, your shift is over?" He asked as her hand jolted to a stop.
"No it isn't. Some girl ran over and told me that someone was lying outside on the ground. Are you alright, what happened?" Tsubomi looked relieved but she was still worried. She hadn't noticed any abnormal behavior before, so the fact that he fainted like that told her that something was definitely wrong.
"It's nothing. I'll be fine," the vampire averted his eyes and smiled a little. Even when something was wrong with him, he still managed to keep that same affectionate smile as they began to walk down the street.
"Liar," Tsubomi frowned. Surely he didn't think she'd believe he wasthatfake.
"The light just got to me-" Copernicus tried to reason, but Tsubomi wasn't buying it. She knew that vampires were light sensitive, but he wasn't a Nightwalker, so he had no excuse.
"It's dim in there. Unless you had your face in a strobe light like a moron, then you'd be fine. You were fine yesterday."
"I'm fine. I assure you that. I can take care of the problem on my own," Copernicus turned his head back towards her and stared into her troubled eyes. He liked the fact that she worried about him, but he wasn't about to ask her for the very thing he needed.
"If you’re not well, than say so. Don't hide things from me." If he wanted her to trust him, then he had to be willing to let his secrets out. He had already told her about being a vampire, but the stripper was sure that he had other things that he wasn't saying as well.
She placed her arm around his shoulder and helped him up. It was a little awkward, considering he was a good foot taller than she was. Even though he looked fragile, he was solid muscle. The familiar smell of expensive cologne and rose petals flooded her senses.
"I do not tell all there is to tell…and this…is the first time I've seen you touch me," the vampire looked more pleased with that then anything. The fact that Tsubomi touched him made him feel as if they were on a friendlier basis with each other.
"You sound happy about that for some reason," she didn't really see the big deal. It wasn't as if he was disgusting. Quite the opposite, actually.
"I'm just glad that you feel comfortable enough to touch me. You've never tried to touch me before now."
"I touched you before. It just wasn't in a way your fantasies would have like to play it out," Tsubomi joked as she cast a half-hearted smile to the American, trying to make him feel better in some way. His voice sounded a little tired, so she could imagine that he were weak somehow. At this point in time, words were the only thing that she knew of that could help him.
Damn him for hiding things like this! She felt so helpless in this situation. She could make a difference somehow if she only knew the right information.
Why was Copernicus so stubborn?
"It's nothing like that…I'm just glad that you're getting over your trust issues." That in itself pleased him more than anything.
"I have trust issues? It seems like you have a few yourself," Tsubomi teased. After all, he was the one hiding his condition at the moment. She seriously hoped that it was nothing bad. It seemed to be just the both of their luck, the way things were going.
"I don't want you involved any more then you have to be. If I told you what was wrong, then you'd be drug into this even more. You would become a prime factor and Hizaki will be after your head, just as he was the others." That aspect alone made the vampire worry about being seen with Tsubomi even now.
Scenes of what he had found that day- the bloodied pages of text books, the lifeless body on the ground, and the deep hole of culpability in his heart, consumed his thoughts. The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to push Tsubomi away even farther. It was a mistake to get her involved in his life.
"Hey, he already is. You can't disregard that. By being around you, I'm already a prime factor. He thinks I'm your donor," Tsubomi reminded him of the bitter truth. It was the truth that he wanted to close himself off from, the truth in which he wanted to detach himself of.
Just then, he felt his vision haze and everything became blurred as an increased feeling of dizziness overcame him and he stumbled forward but was caught by Tsubomi, who wrapped her arms around his chest to keep him up.
"Come back and sit at the bar. I'll buy you a free drink and you can get some rest. Maybe you'll feel better afterwards," she told him gently, but it only made his eyes turn from despondent to bitter.
"No."
"Here we go again with this 'no' stuff," Tsubomi sighed.
"I've been this way for a while. I'll be fine. I just need something nourishing," Copernicus tried to shove it aside as he casually looked away from her, as if his sights had been directed to some workers that poured out of a nearby building.
"I'm sure you can have some of the food-" Tsubomi started to say as she was leveled with a stare of displeasure. "Let me guess…no."
"If you really must know…I need blood. I get weak when I don't drink for a while," Copernicus spat as he closed his eyes. It wasn't really anything he enjoyed admitting, especially to someone who had just said that they admired him.
He felt like a class A fool.
"How long has it been?" Tsubomi was even more concerned.
"Three weeks."
"You're practically starving yourself. Why don't you go to your donor? I'm sure that they'll give you what you need." It was practically begging him to do something for himself. As regal as he was, it was sad to watch him fall apart and suffer. Usually, when someone rich and spoiled like that was down on their luck, the stripper just laughed and though it funny that they got what they deserved, but Copernicus was different.
He made her rethink a lot of her old ways towards people who were well off.
"I won't be able to make it there. I barely made it out of the strip club so that I didn't cause a scene." Fainting in the middle of a crowd was definitely a bad move on his part. He would have rather done it out in the street where no one could have seen him.
"You caused one outside instead," the stripper sighed as she glanced to the vampire, who was having trouble concentrating. If she didn't do something soon, he would surely pass out again.
Going three weeks without blood must have made him feel anemic in a way. What could she do for him? There had to be something, anything that she could do.
'What do I do? He needs blood but he can't get to his donor's house. He can barely keep conscious. I don't want him to die on me…Wait a minute…His last donor was murdered, that means that he obviously wouldn't have enough blood and if he hasn't drank anything for three weeks, then maybe he was only getting close to me because he wanted my blood. I know Hizaki already thinks I'm his donor, and if he is trying to kill anyone affiliated with Copernicus, then that donor must be in some kind of danger. If I can prove a distraction, then Copernicus will keep his original donor alive. I'm sure that he doesn't want them to die. I'll kill two birds with one stone. I'll keep Copernicus alive and act as a decoy to lead Hizaki away from his real donor.'As much as Copernicus didn't want her involved, there would be no way around it this time.
If he didn't get any blood, then he would die and she wasn't about to let him suffer that long death. She held out her arm with a straight look on her face, “here."
"Tsubomi?" He slowly turned his sights to her in a look that was a cross between endearment and confusion.
"Drink my blood. It should last you until you can get back to your donor."
"This puts you in the very spot that I don't want you to be in," Copernicus frowned. He didn't want to drink her blood. More than anything, he didn't want to drink her blood. In a way, he would rather die than even taste it for fear of involving her in his problems. However, he had let himself go without blood for far too long. What was he thinking? The vampire had made such a costly mistake and now, he had no choice but to take what was offered to him.
If he died, then no one would come after him. Then again, the Time of Ending would be initiated and the human race would be over. Also, he could only imagine the guilt that Tsubomi would feel as a result. On the other hand, she could be killed for contracting with him. She was a normal human boy and to be truthful, something so youthful and slender looked very breakable.
This was it. He had to make a decision about what he wanted to do. This was going to be far from easy.
"Listen, they'll be after me anyway when they figure out that I'm working for you. I know that you don't want me in this anymore then I have to be, but I'm already in it. Besides, I have an idea that might work," Tsubomi just hoped that he'd listen to reason and drink her blood. She was nervous about being bitten, but if it helped him, then she could endure anything.
As long as he didn't die, then she would be fine with whatever sacrifice she had to make.
"What are you thinking?" Copernicus seemed a little amused. She barely knew anything about the true situation and here she was, coming up with plans of attacks. Truly she was an amazing person who definitely had some balls.
"I want to protect your donor, so I'll act as a decoy."
"You're crazy. You're just a normal human. How do you expect to take on a goal that big?" It was asking for quite a bit. By doing that, she would have to take on position as a second donor and possible strategist of the group. The thought of such a young strategist made him even more amused.
Copernicus wondered if she could actually complete her mission.
"I'll be protecting you," the girl smiled. "You need something or you'll faint again. Besides, I don't want to see you stumbling around like this."
"If I drink your blood, I might not stop." After all, three weeks was an incredibly long time for a vampire to go without, and under such conditions, once he tasted blood, he might lose himself and drink too much.
"What?"
"So, be my other donor, if you want to be a decoy," Tsubomi wondered what made Copernicus change his mind so quickly. Perhaps he had a plan of some kind but now wasn't the time to think of such things. He needed her, and even though she was nervous, the thought of Copernicus being her master didn't seem so bad.
…To Be Continued