Fantasy Vampires(closed)

[Mikotsuhime]

Havenwood is a tiny tourist beach town, the kind where people come and go every night. It used to be quite safe, but lately there's been a string of unusual murders and disappearances that has authorities baffled. Slowly, after the discovery of one insanguinated corpse after the other, rumours began to fly about vampires. Most folk don't believe them, of course, but the rumours have drawn the attention of a few wayward hunters who have decided to check the town out, just in case.

---

Another day, another disappearance. Eric frowned as he looked down at the report in front of him, the smiling face of a young girl staring back at him.

She was only nine or ten years old.

Taking a deep breath, he set the report aside on the table in his booth at the local coffee shop and took a deep swig from his cup, hoping it would slake his thirst a little and sooth his sore throat. His sister was texting him about diapers and formula, and he idly swiped through them before pointedly deciding to ignore them. He wasn't her errand boy, he was a police officer, even if he was off duty. She could get her own formula.

He sighed as he massaged his temples, glancing down at the donut on his table with a hint of wistfulness. The waitress had offered it to him for free, a gift for a man in uniform (even though he wasn't wearing it at the moment), but he could hardly get up the energy to eat it. He'd had a hard time keeping food down the past few days, and along with the sore throat and the headache, his boss had practically ordered him to take a few days off to get over what was hopefully just a nasty cold.

Turning his attention back to the report, he flipped through it for the thirtieth time, hoping that this time there'd be some new detail that would jump out at him, something he had somehow missed before.

Unsurprisingly, there was nothing.

His phone pinged, and he looked down at it with a frown, seeing another message from his sister.

.'Emily wants to know how the vampire case is going,' it said, and Eric's lip curled back in an unpleasant sneer.

/Vampire/ case, of course his sister's eldest would call it that. The nine year old had a big imagination on her, and it was usually endearing but sometimes it could be a bit frustrating. There was no such thing as vampires.

He texted that back, even though it meant betraying that he had indeed read the messages about the diapers and was choosing not to respond to them. Sure, it was a little
petty of him, but Eric felt terrible, he was allowed to be petty. The unpleasant itchiness in his throat, though eased a bit by the coffee, was back again, and he grumbled something under his breath as he held a hand up to order another one.

Technically he wasn't even supposed to be working this case. He wasn't a detective, had just joined the force two years ago. But this was involving /kids/, and he'd heard enough rumours at the station to know that Emily's superstitions weren't just confined to the nine year olds in town. Somebody had to look at this with a fresh set of eyes and a clear head, instead of blaming perfectly normal, human crime on a bunch of boogiemen.

 

[Canth]

This was not her usual gig, but Havenwood held a special place in her heart. As in, she was bored and all was quiet in her neck of the woods at the moment. It had been a month since any real good sightings and she had grown irritable. All that pent up energy and fight had to be channeled somewhere, and until she had happened upon the news article specifying the mysterious disappearances in the town of Havenwood, it had mainly been directed at her fellow drivers and the occasional waiter. She was practically fuming with the need to hunt something. Anything. Hell, she’d even take a ghost right now.

Meredith Volkov had arrived late last night, having only just decided this case would be worth her while. Vampires were not her specialty, but she had plenty of experience with them. Most of that experience came in the form of partnerships and deals over the years as her mother’s right-hand, but things were different now and she was eager to get into the game. Besides, how hard could it be? It was probably just some rogue vampire who had only just learned of his new existence and was off exploring his place in the food chain. That was what happened when a creature was born without the proper guidance. Without someone to show them the ropes. No worries, just a quick rearrangement of some vital organs and all would be back to normal. Meredith could go back to doing what she did best and this town could go back to is boring old self.

Meredith knew exactly where to start: the local precinct. They would have all the latest on what was going on, and then she would take it from there and do them one better. She was a distraught mother who had lost her child, the latest in the long list they had in their files. She would milk them like the pigs they were. Before that however, she needed some coffee to go with her whiskey.

The small bell above the door gave a soft chime as Meredith stepped in, pulling brown-lensed aviators from her face to reveal a pair of bright green eyes. She turned them on the shop, noting the few occupants including the one she pegged instantly for a cop. Goodness, she could smell it a mile away. Loose auburn curls bounced a few inches past her shoulders as she made her way to the counter, ordering a black coffee, extra room. It came soon after. She pulled a slim metal flask from her back pocket and tipped it over the paper cup, before tucking it back away. There, that should do the trick. She took a sip, savoring the coffee’s burn as it went down her throat. Perfect.

Meredith turned around, leaning back against the counter as she surveyed the shop. She had not planned on starting her day just yet, but maybe she could get something out of this cop. He looked like he was in a brooding sort of mood, just the kind of man who needed to get something off his chest. And who better than a beautiful woman to coax out his innermost darkest secrets?

Meredith dropped her change into the tip jar before she crossed the shop and slipped into the seat across from Officer Grumpy-Pants. She pulled the flask from her pocket once more and held it out to him.

.”You look like you could use some medicine.”

 

[Reynarda]

They had heard about the murders like they usually did: through the supernatural grapevine. Bram was down to kill a vampire, and Vlad just wanted to keep the peace. That’s what he claimed, but they both knew he liked having people in his debt.
Besides, it was not as if Vlad could let Bram go alone. The idiot would get himself killed. And Vlad only moderately tolerated Bram, but he was used to his presence and hated change.
So here they were, in this little seaside town, investigating possible (probable) vampire activity. Investigating meant Vlad was snooping around and getting information while Bram chatted up anyone who would give him the time of day. Most of the unfortunate conversation partners were blonde, leggy, and unhelpful.
At least in Vlad’s opinion. Bram seemed to like them.
Now Bram found himself being manipulated into not going into the nearest bar and doing some information gathering. Mostly this consisted of Vlad fussing at him.
“We are on a case, not a dating app.”
“You don’t even know what ‘apps’ are,” Bram shot back.
“I do,” Vlad protested. “I have one on my mobile phone that tries and fails to beat me in chess.”
“That I put on there,” Bram retorted.
“And I have one with the blasphemous non-paper ‘books’.”
“Ebooks are not ‘blasphemous’,” Bram said, rolling his eyes as he pushed open the door to the Vlad-approved venue.
It was, of course, a quiet little coffeeshop. Bram scowled as he scanned the list of nonalcoholic beverages, but Vlad’s eyes were alight as he pondered which of his second-favorite beverages to get. Bram argued that it was his first favorite as he had a bad habit of not drinking blood like a normal vampire.
Bram didn’t know why Vlad was eyeing the menu like that. He always got the same thing. He said as much to Vlad.
“I do not.”
“Your exact order is ‘coffee blacker than your soul with a shot of expresso’.”
“Espresso.”
“They don’t make coffee that black,” Bram continued as if Vlad had not corrected him.
“I do not always get the same thing,” Vlad muttered, trying to figure out which of the options was most like his usual order.
In the end, he ordered a cappuccino with an extra shot of espresso, and Bram mournfully ordered a nonalcoholic house brew. As they made their way back to a booth, Bram suddenly stopped, and Vlad nearly slammed into him. He had noticed two things—a pretty woman and alcohol. He technically had some jenever somewhere in one of his pockets, but that was for emergencies. Vlad, on the other hand, noticed the report in front of the man. The vampire immediately began to scheme to get his hands on the documents, but Bram beat him to it.
“Hey, we’re new in town. Have you guys heard about the weird murders? Scary right?”
Vlad was used to this, and so just decided to use Bram’s habit of saying whatever came to his mind.
“Politie,” he said just loud enough for Bram to hear.
Bram nodded, immediately pegging the guy as the police officer—which was a shame. The woman was prettier.
“You’re a cop, right?” he asked, regretfully tearing his eyes away from Meredith to look at Eric. “Are you guys good around here? What are you doing to stop this?”

 

[Mikotsuhime]

Eric eyed the flask offered to him warily, eyebrows rising up to his hairline as he inspected the woman who had just sidled into his booth across from him. Definitely not local; he knew most of the locals, between his job and his sister dragging him along to all her PTA meetings and extra curriculers.

"No offense, but the last time I accepted booze from a pretty lady, I woke up in the old Johnson house minus my pants and my wallet," he said with a little lopsided smirk. "So I'm gonna have to pass. On duty and all." It was a bald-faced lie, but the burning in his throat only got worse with the woman's proximity, and he was starting to get impatient waiting on that refill. This was some kind of bug he'd managed to catch; maybe he'd have to start taking his sister's weird matcha protein shakes from now on. She swore they did wonders for the immune system.

The lady approaching him, Eric was kind of used to. He was one of few single people with a steady job who didn't look like a horse's ass in town. It wasn't exactly the highest bar, but he cleared it. The two men who were apparently trying to be casual - and failing - put him on his guard. He closed the report and slid it into his bag, nodding his head.

"Yeah, yeah. Listen, we don't need no city folks coming up here and playing detective. You want to know more about the case, you can read the newspapers just like everyone else," he said, relaxing immediately when the waitress - Katie, nice girl, just graduated high school and was saving up to get out of this hole - brought him his coffee. He immediately took a long drink, ignoring the heat of it burning his tongue. God, he didn't know why he was so thirsty lately. Must have been the flu.

 

[Canth]

Meredith cocked a brow. Was she supposed to be impressed? Maybe. She had never really figured out what passed for impressive amongst boring humans. Not that she was not human. It was a long story. She shrugged it off however, taking a swig from the flask before tucking it away. His loss. She was not one to waste her time or money on cheap whiskey.

.”Hmm, undercover, I see. Plain-clothes? I’m not sure brooding over a case file is the best way to maintain your cover, but...” she shrugged again. Who was she to tell the cop how to do his job? Besides, no amount of cover-up could convince anyone he was not a cop. Not to mention the fact that he was not actually on duty right now.

Meredith looked up from her coffee as two men approached, one large and boisterous, the other smaller and silent. She did not need to be able to read their auras to know they were not as they appeared. And new in town? Please, that was her line. She turned her eyes back on the man across from her, watching him closely. He seemed to be struggling with a particularly bad cold of some sort. The symptoms were basic, nothing alarming, but she made a note of it.

“Yeah, you heard him,” she looked back up at the two, waving them off. “Best get to steppin’, ‘City Folk’.”

 

[Reynarda]

City folk? Vlad was not a “city folk”, and he resented being called that. Born and raised in Amsterdam, Bram was a city folk, but the vampire raised on the fresh air of the Carpathians was not a city folk. He narrowed his eyes in displeasure but was distracted by the police officer guzzling coffee. Worse, the report had been removed from the table—dang it, Abraham. This is why he preferred to do things his way.

“Alright,” Bram said as if he was conceding something. “You got us. We’re private detectives.”

It wasn’t a lie. All Guild members had to have some reason they were snooping around, so all Guild hunters were registered private detectives. Vlad thought this was stupid, claiming that he invented the job—to which Bram always retorted that he wasn’t Sherlock Holmes.

Bram was holding his Guild-made PI ID out, and Vlad quickly pulled out his.

“We were called in by one of the families,” Bram lied, putting his ID back in his pocket. “We just want to figure out what’s going on, okay? If it’s a serial killer, he’s gotta be stopped. And if it’s a serial killer, he—” Bram jerked his thumb at Vlad, who was staring unblinkingly at Eric “—is good at figuring out where they’ll strike next. He gets how they think, you know?”

Vlad tore his gaze from Eric to glare at Bram. Had he just likened him to a serial killer? He was pretty sure Bram had just said he understood how serial killers thought. Great. Bram was an absolute idiot.

“Behavioral analytics,” Vlad said quickly. “I have training there, is what he means.”

 

[Mikotsuhime]

"I was joking," Eric clarified when he didn't get a laugh out of the woman. He awkwardly cleared his throat, his cheeks turning a bit pink as he turned back to his coffee. God, even his teeth were starting to hurt. Like something was pushing on them. He seriously needed to see a doctor about this before he drank his own weight in coffee trying to assuage his symptoms. "Also, I wasn't brooding. I was more, uh. Ruminating."

It was a lame excuse, but considering that his attempt at being smooth had fallen flat, he was finding himself knocked off his game.

The two 'detectives' didn't help, either, and he scrunched up his nose as he glowered at them. Sure, they had the licenses, and they looked legit enough, but cornering him at the coffee shop instead of going to the precinct? It made him suspicious and antsy, as if he wasn't antsy enough already.

"Private detectives, huh. Well, if you want any of the station's files, or any information out of us at all, you gotta talk to the chief first. And don't say you already did, because I know /that's/ a lie. Until then, you're getting nothing out of me that hasn't been on the news or in the papers," he said firmly, scowling at the two of them before his tough guy act dropped and he massaged his temples again, finishing off his new coffee and waving down Katie yet again to get another refill. The lights were really doing a number on his eyes. "As for serial killers, I don't want you two going around scaring nobody. There hasn't been any conclusion about that announced to the media, and the rumours are already bad and weird enough without two strange city slickers going around stirring up trouble and making it worse."

 

[Canth]

Meredith watched the officer with growing concern. He seemed to be doing pretty rough and was even getting worse as the minutes went by. The last thing she needed was to catch some bug. She had a few herbs and remedies with her and was certain she could kick whatever he had in a few hours, but she had thus far avoided this year’s flew season, as well as every year before that, and had no intention of breaking her record. She needed to wrap this up quick before she breathed too much of his air.

The two were not leaving. Meredith eyed the the identification cards they provided, eyes scanning it for authenticity. She leaned in, about to ask to get a better look, when they tucked them away and Meredith was left to watch the exchange between the officer and these ‘Private Investigators’.

Meredith was growing impatient. This officer was obviously going to be of no use to her. He was grouchy and sick and these two had put her off her game. It was frustrating. All she wanted to do was come into town, find a vampire, kill it, and be on her way. Was that so hard to ask? Sure, the chase was always fun and all, but she was not here for the mystery or the challenge. She was here for the simplicity. Something to keep her mind preoccupied and nothing more. This thing could keep killing people for all she cared.

“I was actually on my way to the precinct this morning,” Meredith chimed in, trying to win back the conversation. She did not like being pushed out of her own case. “My niece is among those taken.” She decided to alter her original story, not in the mood to play a blubbering, crying mother at this moment. Stoic aunt playing strong for her younger sister and her child seemed more appropriate. “We were here visiting family. She went missing a few days ago. They haven’t found her body. My sister’s been calling every day, but the police haven’t been able to provide any information on her case. I decided to go down in person to get some answers.”

Meredith’s face was grave, her haughty air disappearing beneath a cover of somber resilience. Her shoulders slumped slightly as her eyes softened. She stared down at her coffee in front of her on the table, holding it protectively in both hands. She did not cry—that would be too much. She wanted them to know that she was troubled, but optimistic. The perfect blend of worry and determination. She refused to accept the probable fate of her dear niece, though deep down she knew this was a hopeless endeavor.

“I just saw you sitting here and thought…well, I just thought maybe you could save me some time, but…” Meredith turned her eyes back on Eric and drew in a breath. It shook at the end, though she kept control of it. “You’re obviously not feeling well, and I understand you have protocols for these sorts of things. I did not mean to waste your time.” She made to get up, slowly scooting from her seat.

 

[Reynarda]

Bram was pretty sure Vlad hadn’t blinked since they had stopped by the table, and it was starting to unnerve him. He didn’t stare at people like that unless he was teasing out their auras, and what on earth would be strange in the aura of a regular beat cop? The guy was definitely human, right? Maybe he looked a little sick—that was all.

Just as Bram was thinking maybe he should ask Vlad what the hell he was staring for, the crazy vampire turned around and scanned the room. Bram resisted the urge to turn, too. Was he checking on the number of witnesses? Hell, what was he planning?

Bram seized on what Eric said and echoed, “Weird? Why, what’s weird about it?”

Bram pretended not to notice Vlad now turning and checking the woman’s aura. He also resisted the urge to go for one of the knives tucked under his coat. Vlad was acting so strange—the other two were sure to know something was up. Maybe Vlad staring at the woman would seem less weird if Bram also looked at her. Fortunately, she was speaking, so he had a reason to.

“Oh, wow,” Bram said, honest sympathy in his eyes. “I’m so sorry. Good luck finding her.”

As she made to leave, Vlad took a step back and tugged on Bram’s sleeve as if suggesting he do the same.

As the woman was getting out of the booth, Vlad turned back to the officer, once again staring the man down with his black eyes. “Are you alright, officer? You seem ill.”

 

[Mikotsuhime]

Eric was definitely unnerved by the smaller man trying to burn a hole in his head with his eyes. It made him feel small and defensive, somehow, and he shifted a bit in his seat. He was about to ask if the guy had a problem, if he was trying to start a fight or something, but his partner interrupted and Eric rolled his eyes. He wasn't very subtle about his fishing.

"It's superstitious kids trying to scare each other, that's all. Vampires and werewolves and ghosts and shit," he said gruffly. "Gives 'em an excuse to break and enter so they can play truth or dare or whatever. There's no actual trut h in any of it."

He gave the two 'detectives' a wary eye, as though trying to figure out where they stood on that venue. His partner, Isaac, was the superstitious type, and Eric was tired enough dealing with his jokes and theories about what went bump in the night.

He was planning to dismiss Meredith outright, because a part of him knew that she was fishing for information, just like these guys. Heck, maybe they were even working together. But she hit home with the niece angle, and he worried his bottom lip between his teeth (they felt a bit sharper than usual, though he had no idea /why/) before he nodded and dug into his bag for the list of confirmed victims so far.

"I can't help much, and you gotta promise not to tell the chief anything about this. But what's her name? I can see if there's been any movement... Just don't go expecting a favor like this every time or nothing. I'm only helping because I got a soft spot for pretty girls and four nieces of my own," he warned, because he did not want to get a reputation as the guy who broke protocol every time somebody came calling. He was going to give the two guys the evil eye and send them on their way, because this was private information, but then the little guy inquired about his health, and he couldn't help but blink dumbly in surprise.

"Huh? I'm fine, just gotta cold or something," he said dismissively, though he was starting to wonder about that. His sinuses felt fine, it was just the light sensitivity headaches and the sore throat (and sore teeth) that were bothering him. "Listen, you got something you wanna say? You've been staring at me like I've got two heads ever since you guys came over."

 

[Canth]

Meredith paused, before turning back to Eric. She returned to her seat, pushing her hair back with a practiced hand.

“Really? Could you? I mean, of course not, I swear, I just need something, anything I could tell my sister. I understand you can’t give me everything, but...some closure would go a long way...” her voice shifted from excited and hopeful to somber as she spoke, but she shook her head and remembered he needed the name before she could learn anything.

“I’m sorry, her name’s Lexi—I mean, Alexis, that’s just her nick name. Alexis Volkov. The police have been unable to provide any information, but I just thought knowing the truth could help with closure. Or, maybe if she’s not on your list, then maybe she’s still...” she was unable to finish the sentence.

She glanced back up at the others, part urging them to leave with a quick look, and part caring more about learning of her niece’s fate to waste her time on them. The one had seemed sincere in his apology, and she wondered just what their angle was. The smaller one gave her pause, and she knew something was off with him, the way he was looking at Eric, the way he had looked at her. Anyone else might consider him verging on creepy, but she had scanned enough auras in her day to know what it looked like. She had written these two off at first, but now she was not so sure. And given how intently the smaller one was staring down the police officer across from her, she thought maybe she was missing something. Something she might not have missed were she not so human.

 

[Reynarda]

Bram laughed—a real laugh, though Vlad doubted it was because he found the “superstitions” to be ridiculous. It was more likely that Bram thought that kids had figured it out before the adults had amusing.



“Those kids,” Bram agreed, nodding as if he were not standing next to ta vampire. “where do they come up with this stuff? Were their bite marks or something? Yeesh, that’s funny.”


Vlad flicked his eyes briefly to Meredith when she spoke, studying her body language for a lie. He certainly did not believe her story about her niece—even if Bram did. Perhaps that was because he could see her aura, though. It was confusing him, to say the least, but he did not doubt that she could handle herself in what he feared would come. He tucked the name away, wondering about the family name and if it might be her own.


He snapped his attention back to Eric when he answered his question. “No, I was just concerned for your health, officer. How long have you been exhibiting these symptoms?”


“Germaphobe,” Bram said quickly, elbowing Vlad in the ribs. “He’s a germaphobe.”


Bram had no idea why Vlad was acting like the creepy vampire he was—yeesh, he usually kept this under wraps when he was not around his own kind. It was clearly making the cop uncomfortable. And then he went and asked how long the man had been sick? What the hell?

 

[Mikotsuhime]

Eric nodded to Meredith, pulling out his list and, keeping it angled away from both her and the two men, tried to read through as discreetly as possible. After a moment he tucked it back away in his back, offering her a little smile.

"Well, good news is she's not on the list of identified bodies," he said, though it sounded a bit hollow even to his own ears. He really hoped he could have helped this lady more, but any further info would be down at the station, and if his boss caught him sneaking around there after hours he'd be in for a major talking to. "If you give me your number or something, I can keep you updated if we find anything, if you want."

He paused as he turned his attention back to Vlad, scrunching up his nose as his eyebrows rose in confusion.

"What, are you a doctor now, mister detective?" He asked, more than a bit suspicious about the sudden interest in his illness and symptoms. "Been a few days."

Ever since the 'no pants no wallet' incident, thinking back on it. Maybe he had caught it from the woman who got him drunk.

 

[Canth]

Meredith frowned when the man started laughing; it was certainly inappropriate given the circumstances. This sudden talk of vampires and such however gave Meredith the idea she was at least not wasting her time.

She turned her attention back to Eric. She allowed her eyes to well slightly, but kept any tears from falling. The perfect balance.

“Really? But, that’s good, right?” Maybe not good, but hopeful. “Oh, yes, here...” she rummaged through her slim black clutch and pulled out a business card and a pen. She wrote her personal cell number across the back. Sure, she could easily have the personal cell already on the card given the business was a mere front, but she found people responded better to her handwriting her number. She also had a theory.

Meredith may not be an expert at vampires, and could hardly be blamed for being a little slow on the uptake, but she was not dumb. She had sussed enough from Bram and Vlad to know she was not the only intrigued party in town. And given the level of intrigue, she guessed these two were here for the same reason she was. And the smaller one looked as if he was disecting the officer with his eyes, the sort of look one gave a man when he was contemplating either bedding him, or killing him. Perhaps a more intense version of such a ‘look’, but the implications were not lost on the former witch.

Instead of sliding the card across the table like she normally would, Meredith held it out to Eric. Beneath the table, her legs crossed and her free hand slid her pant leg up just enough to grip the leather hilt hidden underneath.

“Please, if you learn anything that could help put my sister’s fears at ease, I would appreciate a call. Any time, no matter what.” She bit at her lower lip in her worrisome concern, eyes flickering from the card to Eric, auburn hair falling into place, perfectly framing her lightly-freckled face.

 

[Reynarda]

Vlad had done his best to get a look at the list, but the officer was being obtuse.
“Yeah, it’s good,” Bram said, trying to be upbeat. “Like that physics cat.”
“Schrödinger’s Cat,” Vlad supplied without blinking.
“Yeah, that one. Until you know for sure, it’s good.”
Vlad took his eyes off his consideration of Eric long enough to attempt to get a look at the phone number—because that was what he did. He collected any and all information in the hopes that it would turn out useful. But he was quickly distracted by Eric’s answer to his question. As a matter of fact, he was a doctor, but it was not the medical sort.
Vlad considered his answer, before nodding. “Any idea who you could have… contracted your illness from?”
“What the hell?” Bram said, finally unable to play along. This was just too much—just too ridiculous. “You don’t just ask people who got them sick.”
Vlad, apparently, did. He turned his attention back on Eric. There was no easy way to break the news of what he suspected.
“This could be very important, officer.”

 

[Mikotsuhime]

Eric was not sure that comparing a missing child to schrodinger's cat was a good or respectful idea, and he gave Bram a very unimpressed look.

"No news is good news, as they say," he said, because this was a serious situation and he was going to be serious about it. Turning back to Meredith, he took the business card and gave her his most reassuring smile. "And don't worry, I'll let you know as soon as I learn anything."

That was that, it seemed, as it was all that he could really do for the woman, but the little guy kept questioning him, and Eric was starting to get more than a little annooyed. At least his partner seemed to realize how bizarre and out of place this was.

"Yeah, I wrote down her name and number and have it saved in my phone under 'gave me mono'. Why is this any of your business? Why are you so interested in whose germs I have, anyways?" He was truly baffled by it, really. It wasn't like they even knew each other or anything. Katie the waitress brought him by his latest coffee refill, and he downed nearly half the mug in one go.

 

[Canth]

Meredith was not sure how she was supposed to take Bram’s comparison, but for the sake of her cover, she turned hopeful eyes on him for a second, offering a quick nod of partial gratitude. At least he was confirming her positive take on the information, as opposed to convincing her she was crazy for such false hope. While it was not technically false hope in the sense that no news was sometimes good news, it was not always—sometimes no news just meant the bad news was running a bit slow. Meredith returned her attention to Eric.

“Thank you so much, this means everything, really.” It was not what she had hoped for, but then running into him here had not been apart of her plan anyway. This was a mere added bonus—now he had her number, and if anything did indeed turn up, maybe he would call. And if she happened to run into him later on, he would be a primed point of contact. He was tight-lipped as it was and she doubted she would get much out of him, even if these two had not shown up. Of course, she still felt confident she might have been able to break him down, given time. She would never know now.

“Really, you’re being quite rude,” she jumped to the officer’s defense, looking up at Vlad, hand still poised by one half of a set of twin blades. You could never be too careful, and this fellow was certainly drawing her suspicion. First in a creepy weird-dude way, but now in a very abnormal way that either said psychotic, or...well, psychotic summed it up pretty well. Most hunters of the supernatural were. His black eyes had also not been lost on her, and she decided he was not just any hunter. Though again, she was far more familiar with witches than any other supernatural creatures. She knew the important things, like how to kill them, but otherwise wasted no time on anything she deemed not worth her while. Unless she was bored. Like now.

 

[Reynarda]

Bram nodded, agreeing with Eric. “Definitely good news”

But he was an optimist to a fault. It tended to get him into a lot of trouble.

Vlad was not unaware of how he was coming across, but this was very, very important. He doubted he could afford to go his usual route of asking benign questions and inferring answers from what was not said. But now Bram was fussing at him, too, and the answers he was likely to get were few and probably unhelpful.

But he had said “she”, which meant he probably had a good idea of who she was. And the fact that he had been sarcastic about putting her in his phone and the mention of mono and how that was typically passed on gave Vlad plenty to go off of.

He glanced at Meredith, wondering if whatever she was reaching for was for him or the officer. He hoped for the former, as this really was not the officer’s fault.

“Of course, forgive me. I understand if you do not kiss and tell.”

Bram eyed Vlad. “Do you even know what that means?”

“Of course, I do not want my companion getting mono,” Vlad said, much to Bram’s indignation.

“What are you trying to say?” said companion demanded, still not believing that Vlad was not only being upfront about what he was after, but also asking weird questions.

“Was she just passing through?” Vlad figured he would at least give it a shot before this man drank enough to fill an ocean.

He was still at a loss of what to do about this problem, but if he could find the woman, that would be a start.

 

[Mikotsuhime]

Eric offered Meredith a reassuring smile, though it was a little pinched around the edges, from both how terrible he was feeling and the unplanned interrogation. He pulled his wallet from his bag and made a show of slipping the card inside, so that it was clear he was keeping it and not just offering empty words before sliding it back and turning his full annoyance back on Vlad.

"She's right, you are being rude," he said bluntly, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back in his booth. "What the hell is up with the interrogation? You say you guys're detectives, but I'm pretty sure me having a cold doesn't have anything to do with the missing kids out there right now."

He was starting to get really irritated, but more than that he was really curious about whatever this guy knew that was making him interested in something so completely innocuous.

 

[Canth]

Meredith was about to make a comment about mono and her not having it, but decided it would probably be out of place. Not quite something a concerned and distracted aunt might say while discussing her missing niece. She reminded herself to laugh about it later.

Having passed on her card and already running late for her appointment with the Police Chief, she considered walking out. She had no interest in why this man was sick, and though she had her suspicions about Vlad, she had a hunt to get on with. Still, this kid police officer seemed to have a decent idea of what was going on in the city, even if he was not heading the investigation, and Meredith knew there was more he could offer her. Information the Police Chief would be unable to give up. This seemed the opportune moment to earn his trust.

She waited, looking as if she were hesitant to leave, glancing between the officer and Vlad with mild confusion wrapped in instinctual defensiveness. This man had intruded on her conversation long enough. She would allow Eric one last chance to defuse the situation before she jumped in, as any new good friend might.

 

[Reynarda]

Well, Vlad thought, it had been worth a shot. It had gotten him no further, but at least he had the information he had.

“I am aware,” Vlad assured Eric when the officer echoed Merideth. “And I apologize. It is not my nature. But please believe me when I say I have my reasons.”

“No one thinks you don’t have your reasons,” Bram snorted. “It’s those reasons I’m worried about. Do I finally have to sign you up for the loony bin?”

Vlad didn’t dignify that with a response.

“He’s not usually like this,” Bram said, attempting to diffuse the situation. “But this is sort of what he does. He asked questions that seem to have absolutely no connection to anything, and then he figures out what’s going on. Like this one time, he asked this guy if he had ever been to Africa. When they guy said he had, Vlad said he was the murderer. We were in New Orleans, okay, I don’t see what that had to do with anything.”

Vlad sighed. Bram knew very well how that question had pertained to the case. Vlad had explained. That was just the one example that he seemed to remember.

“Anyway, we won’t trouble you any more, officer. We should also see if we can talk to the police chief.”

Vlad scowled at Bram. They never talked to the chief of police. He just wanted to talk to the woman.

“We’ll walk with you,” Bram offered Merideth.

 

[Mikotsuhime]

Bram's complete confusion about Vlad's questions sure didn't put Eric at ease at all. He narrowed his eyes at the two of them, then waved the waitress down and handed her a twenty. He figured that should at least cover his many, many coffee refills.

"Yeah, sure, a regular Sherlock Holmes, I'm sure," he said with a roll of his eyes, because he knew that there were smart people out there who could deduce all kinds of things from one glance, but he also knew that those deductions had a high rate of being wrong, or pure speculation, and he wasn't buying it that Vlad was some kind of genius detective who would happen to figure out the culprit by knowing who Eric slept with. "If you really wanna know, yeah, she was passing through. Can't remember her name. That enough for you, great detective? I'm not in the mood to share any of the finer details, if you feel me."

Well, now his mood had been soured by their presence. He hadn't been feeling particularly good in the first place, of course, but now it was just worse. He knew one thing, though, and that was that he did not trust these guys had the tact or the know-how to deal with a woman who was worried sick about a loved one. He also just didn't really trust them period.

"Yeah, sure. Eddie doesn't usually stay at the precinct this late, but I can show you where it is, if you're going," he said, his tone a clear indication of 'I'm not leaving you alone with the lady because I'm not sure you're not serial killers or something'.

 

[Canth]

This was growing frustrating. Still, she had not gathered much information yet and supposed she would have to work with what she had. She needed to at least ditch ‘Sherlock’ if she meant to get anywhere.

“Oh that is very kind of you,” she smiled up at Bram, eyes flickering over to his companion for only a moment. “I’m sure I can manage on my own, but if you’re headed there as well...” she glanced over at Eric when he spoke up. Good.

“Are you sure? You really don’t have to, honestly. Though, I appreciate the offer. I tend to get turned around sometimes...” she was going to make herself sick. God, she almost hoped they weren’t buying the act. But, it would all be worth it if it meant she could spend a little quality time with her knives. Which was once again covered, legs un-crossed as she once again made to slip from the booth.

“You said his name is Eddie? Are you two close? I don’t usually hear officers refering to their Chief by first name.”

 

[Reynarda]

“Not Sherlock Holmes,” Vlad protested.

First off, that was a book. Second, he could see auras—which he doubted Sherlock Holmes could do.

“I call him that when he’s being a smartass—which is often,” Bram said, helpfully.

Vlad did not have time to explain the science of intuitive induction. He had been worried he would have to find some excuse to stay behind with the unfortunate officer. But, he figured it was best that the officer was joining them. There was no etiquette that dictated what he knew he must do—if he was right. Which, of course he was. He could see auras—which is why that man having visited Africa in an age before computers solved the case. Yeesh, if more people could see auras and had a knack for intuition, more people would be detectives and fewer people would mockingly call him Sherlock Holmes.

“I do not need to know the finer details,” Vlad said quickly. Oh heavens, no he did not. He had to hear about it from Bram enough as it was.

Bram nodded cheerfully, either ignorant of—doubtful—or willfully ignoring—more likely—the tone of Eric’s voice. “Alrighty, then, copper. Lead the way.”

Vlad eyed Meredith skeptically. “You tend tend to lose your way? I thought you just said you could manage.”

Bram elbowed him in the ribs—probably more for the sarcastic tone than for the observation. Bram was no stranger to playing dumb to get what he wanted. Vlad doubted he was swallowing her act hook, line, and sinker. It just seemed to suit his purposes.

Still, Vlad would have preferred to lose her. He didn’t like what he saw in ether of the auras he had observed, and he was worried this woman might do something rash—or vice versa.

 

[Mikotsuhime]

Eric pursed his lips, but he got out of the booth anyways and decided to focus on Meredith, because she was both prettier and he trusted her more than the other two.

."Yeah, well, it's a small town," he said with a little half smile. "I don't call him that at work, of course, but his daughter's best friends with my niece, so they're practically family, yanno?" He figured that the woman, as an aunt herself, would understand.

He held the door open for her as they exited the coffee shop, giving Vlad an irritated look for his rude comment before he pointed down the street to a large building about a block away.

"Pretty hard to get turned around around here," he joked as he led the way, pausing only to look at his watch. It was already almost eleven; he highly doubted that he'd be getting those diapers. He also doubted that anyone would be in this late, but if the woman had an appointment then he suspected that Eddie might have stayed behind the see her. He was a nice guy, and tended to put his personal life on a back burner for the public when he needed to.

Upon getting to the station, Eric was surprised to see that they actually weren't alone; another man was working on paperwork at a desk not far from the entrance, and he looked up as they entered. He was shorter than Eric, though he made up for it by being built like a brick wall. Despite his intimidating build, though, he smiled brightly as the small group entered/

"Eric! Thought you were banished until your cold got better. I always say you should eat healthier," he said, and Eric scrunched up his nose in distaste, both for the comment and the man himself. He didn't necessarily dislike Isaac; they were partners, and worked together rather frequently, but he also did not have the energy to match his tonight.

"Is the chief here, Isaac?" Eric asked, and the other man nodded his head, pointing with his thumb towards a room in the back.

"Yeah, he's in his office. Said he had a meeting so he stayed late..." He trailed off as he finally took notice of the others in the room, offering a smile that was far too bright for how late it was. "Hey, haven't seen you folks around here before. New in town? You picked a pretty crappy time to come enjoy the beach."

Eric took a deep breath and gestured for Meredith to follow him to the back, though he paused half-way across the room before turning back to Isaac, an idea coming to him.

"Yeah, Isaac, these guys here are PIs from the city. Wanted to talk to someone about the case. How about you go over the details with 'em while the lady and I go talk to the chief," he suggested, and Isaac practically lit up at the idea. While it was a tourist town, it wasn't all that usual that they got things like private detectives or folks with fancy titles come by the station. Besides that, he was a bit bored, and could use someone to chat with.