Tweak

InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "HULA GIRLS!"

Vlad Drăgoi {Dracula} (nobleblood) wrote in bellumlogs,
@ 2010-06-11 17:42:00

Entry tags:

dracula, estella

Who: Vlad and Darcy
What: Another case of the elevator bringing people together
Where: The elevator
When: Sometime this afternoon
Warnings: Probably none

For the first time in months, things had been... quiet. After getting Boyd's note, he'd expected for either Rosalie or Daniel - or even both - to contact him demanding details, but he hadn't heard from either of them. He wasn't sure what to make of that, but refrained from contacting them himself. At some point he realized that he was going to have to talk to Daniel, considering the way they'd left things, but the more time the man had to cool off the better.

The nice weather meant that Cain and Abel grew increasingly restless at being kept indoors, but at least they were an excuse for him to get some exercise during the day rather than at night. It was hard to feel connected to Dracula under the blinding sun that he so detested. Today, however, he'd taken the dogs for a walk first before going out once more for business purposes - knowing that they were there with Helena when he wasn't reassured him - which involved incompetent contractors and a young lawyer who thought far too much of himself. By the time he returned to Bellum, to say Vlad was not in the best of moods would have been an understatement.

He chose the stairs, and it took him twelve flights to realize that he'd left his cell phone at his office. "Damn it!" His voice was loud in the empty stairwell, and in frustration he decided to take the elevator rather than turning around and walking all over again. He pressed the Lobby button and waited with a scowl, hoping that the stupid machine would do what it was supposed to for once.

Of course, Vlad could never be that lucky. It stopped at the eighth floor, doors sliding open cheerfully.

(Read comments) - (Post a new comment)

unrequitedcharm
2010-06-13 04:29 am UTC (link)

Darcy nodded, "It was the problem with online classes in school, you never really got to know anyone. And that was half the fun of being in college," she said slipping into casual conversation easily. After all, if this was who she thought it was, she wanted to talk to him for as long as possible. Maybe he'd relent and tell her after all.

She chuckled at the mention of the room, "I did, I was in there with some guy that turned into a wolf, another guy who was a little bossy and a girl who refused to open her mouth and a whole lot of rats. It was really strange showing up in that place, but at the same time I turn into a snooty little brat once a month so nothing should really surprise me, should it? Not even an elevator that thought we should have a conversation today."

When Darcy got going, she really got going.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

nobleblood
2010-06-13 05:24 am UTC (link)

Vlad still remembered his college days, and he had to agree that half the appeal had been the sheer number and variety of people to be met. Although he hadn't been too keen on conversation before, now he saw it was a way to find out how she had been all these years - out of curiosity, of course - without making his interest too obvious. "Online classes are easier and faster, but they are not quite the same as good old-fashioned lectures."

He frowned at the mention of the wolf, unable to hide his dislike of Shane, but the other two didn't sound familiar. "I have lived here for nearly a year, and very little manages to surprise me now." The description of a 'snooty little brat' didn't ring any bells concerning the fables, but he supposed she could have been a princess or something along those lines. "It must be very different from where you last lived." He kept his voice casual, as it all he was doing was making polite conversation. So far all he knew was that she was a talkative sort.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

unrequitedcharm
2010-06-13 05:34 am UTC (link)

She nodded enthusiastically. "I'm about to start taking all of them online for the time being," she said shrugging a little. "I moved off campus after some," she paused. "After some hiccups," she said knowing that was the understatement of the century but she didn't want to talk about that at all. "I was taking a little a break, but I think I'll go back to online classes just to finish my credits and get it over with."

She shifted her weight again, she was quite pleased at how easy she was finding it to talk to him, and even though she had a million burning questions on her tongue she tried to pace herself. She slid down the side of the wall and sat down on the floor crossing her legs, "Sorry, I'm a lazy college student," she said chuckling a little. "And yes, it's much different, I've lived in all kinds of circumstances, but this one definitely takes the cake." She wondered if he'd ask, if he'd care, or if she should just start explaining every aspect of her life whether he cared or not. "What about you? Is this a new experience for you?" she asked curiously, as much as she wanted him to know about her, she wanted to know about him. Any clue would do at this point.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

nobleblood
2010-06-13 05:53 am UTC (link)

He didn't like the sound of 'hiccups', especially since he knew how college boys could be - he'd been one of them once, after all - but he didn't push the issue. It wouldn't be polite to pry, and it might make her suspicious. "I see. What classes are you planning on taking?" He couldn't quite figure out what she might be interested in just by looking at her, but it was harder with some people than it was with others.

Vlad hesitated for a moment before mirroring her movements and sitting on the floor, since it was getting rather tiring to keep standing like that, and who knew how long he'd be here for? He stretched his legs out instead of folding them, ensuring that he gave her more than enough space. "I travelled quite a bit before moving here," he said after a pause. "But I have never been anywhere quite like this." 'All kinds of circumstances' - what was that supposed to mean? She hadn't lived on the street or anywhere like that, had she?

No, that couldn't be; he gave her enough money to ensure that would never happen. "Did you travel as well?" He didn't want to outright ask what she meant by 'circumstances', but he was too curious to simply leave it be.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

unrequitedcharm
2010-06-13 06:31 am UTC (link)

"I was doing a liberal arts major," she said chuckling. "I didn't really know what else to pick honestly, I was kind of out of my element being around people and all," she said shrugging. "I'm going to finish though, and hopefully get some kind of business degree, or maybe political science. I'm not really sure. I just set out to do it and I wand to make sure I finish." She stated firmly.

"I was born in England," she said when he mentioned traveling. "I moved to the North Shore of Long Island when I was three, my guardian kept me there, home schooled me, and then let me out when I was eighteen," of course "let me out" was a nice way of saying kicked me to the curb." She was trying very hard not to sound bitter. She supposed it was better than what could have been her fate if she hadn't been adopted by anyone at all.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

nobleblood
2010-06-13 05:43 pm UTC (link)

Liberal arts was better than nothing, he supposed, and at least she was making an effort to get some kind of education. Besides, he'd known far too many people who enrolled in programs they couldn't handle and ended up hating their jobs in the future or simply dropping out entirely. "Liberal arts is a fine starting point." He tried to hide his approval at a degree in either business or political science, because for all extensive purposes he shouldn't care. Strangers weren't that invested in other strangers. "At least you are not rushing into anything. That's good."

Although he wasn't completely against home schooling, he could tell from her tone of voice that Darcy hadn't enjoyed it very much. Had she been home schooled her entire life? How was she supposed to know anything about the real world without any experience? Despite what a bastard his father had been, at least he'd never coddled him. "Your guardian was rather strict, I assume?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

unrequitedcharm
2010-06-13 06:10 pm UTC (link)

She was pleased when he didn't roll his eyes at her aspirations (any of them), she was far too used to that. She didn't bother to hide her smile at all. "That's how I see it too," she said nodding happily, clearly pleased with his reaction and proud of herself.

She sighed loudly and nodded enthusiastically, "That's putting it lightly, she never really left the house. The only time she really let me leave was when there were," she paused, she didn't want to say 'boys' outright because true or not that just made it sound worse, "Important people for me to meet. She was really concerned about my status, I don't think I did so well though," she said shrugging a bit but forcing a smile regardless, she didn't want to seem ungrateful. She couldn't quite put her finger on why she'd been kicked out at all, she could only assume it was because she hadn't managed to land a rich husband, or because she hadn't quite turned into the debutante her guardian had hoped to raise.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

nobleblood
2010-06-13 10:24 pm UTC (link)

That sounded all too familiar for his liking - being dragged around as a child, meeting people he'd never heard of who looked at him like he was some sort of item to be appraised rather than an actual person. For a brief moment Vlad wished he would have paid more attention to the girl's whereabouts for the last twenty-odd years, but at the time he thought it would be better if he remained as personally uninvolved as possible.

"My father was similar," he said without thinking, immediately regretting making the topic of his parents part of the conversation. "In the sense that he was very concerned with status and meeting the right people in society." He shrugged. "They think they know best, but that is not always the case."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

unrequitedcharm
2010-06-13 11:14 pm UTC (link)

It seemed they had at least one thing in common, and if it turned out this guy actually was who she suspected then maybe things wouldn't have been so different after all. "I don't know how it is with real parents, but I know about my guardian and she thought she knew best, but it wasn't until she asked me to go that I realized there was even another way of doing things. Now I think I'm just trying to figure out the rules I go," she said smiling a bit, "So far so good I think, I mean I get what I should be doing, I know that it usually varies quite a lot from what I want to be doing, and 'should' doesn't always win against 'want.'" She said grinning a little bit just because impulse control was definitely not something she'd worked out in the few short years she'd been on her own.

She didn't need to tell him that she didn't have any family or parents to speak of, she hardly considered the woman who had been her guardian for fifteen years much of a family at all.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

nobleblood
2010-06-14 06:41 am UTC (link)

He glanced at her, wondering what she'd think if she knew that her real mother had hardly been in any position to take care of her in the first place. Being told you were a child born out of wedlock - which was apparently some kind of sin to Catholics - and given up for that reason wouldn't be easy to deal with, which was why Vlad knew he could never tell her. Sometimes ignorance really was bliss. "It sounds to me like she wanted to mold you into something specific, but instead you refused to yield, so she asked you to leave. That is a good thing," he added, just in case she took it the wrong way. "As for these 'rules'... well, there are far to many of them to keep track. Most parents would disagree, but mistakes are how people learn. It's natural to make them."

Vlad was almost surprised to realize that he was actually having a conversation with someone else without wanting to bash his head against the wall. Not that he was incapable of it, but his circle of friends in the building wasn't that big. At the very least he knew that Darcy hadn't grown up into some kind of spoiled diva.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

unrequitedcharm
2010-06-14 08:18 pm UTC (link)

Darcy had plenty of ideas on what had happened to her real parents, depending on how she was feeling about herself their history varied. Her guardian had always been quick to remind her that she was easy to toss away. But Darcy spent very little time feeling sorry for herself, because she was aware that it could have been much worse. She never wanted for anything, save for some kind of emotional attachment, but she didn't go hungry and she always had nice things, and she wasn't beaten senseless. She knew it could have been worse. She nodded, "I like the way you think, Vlad," she said sweetly. "I think that things will work out eventually. I just got a late start, I'll catch up!"

She suddenly wanted to spend as much time talking to Vlad as she could, she almost hoped the elevator never started to move (even if she was getting hungry). She wondered if he'd still talk to her once they weren't stuck in this thing, she would be making a point to make sure she didn't fall off of his radar.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

nobleblood
2010-06-15 05:03 am UTC (link)

He almost laughed, but caught himself just in time. The only people who had ever told him they liked the way he thought were speaking in a strictly business capacity, and even then they were sometimes nothing more than attempts at false flattery. "Well, they do say it's better late than never." It was the most cliche thing he'd ever said, and he had to fight the urge to wince as soon as the words came out.

Vlad was mulling over the fact that she seemed to like him far more than most did upon first impression when a harsh grinding sound jolted him from his thoughts. He was almost afraid to hope that it was a good sound, and he hesitated before pressing the Lobby button. There was a moment of silence before the elevator gave a lurch and the grinding sounds started again, slowly propelling it downward. He grinned at Darcy in the relief of the moment, getting to his feet before instinctively offering a hand to help her up. "Apparently the elevator believes we have become well acquainted enough to be let out."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

unrequitedcharm
2010-06-15 06:02 am UTC (link)

Darcy chuckled a little in spite of the cliche and nodded in agreement. After all, cliches were only cliches because they were true, "So they tell me!" she said and her eyes looked around once the elevator started to make noise.

She wasn't sure about the elevator's sudden change of heart, but she was pretty sure she could have sat in there all day talking to him. She took his hand and smiled appreciatively as he helped her up. "Thank you," she said wondering if she'd just touched the hand of her father, a complete stranger, a complete coincidence, or a complete lunatic. Her history with reading people wasn't great but she liked Vlad, and she wondered if he'd be adverse to having coffee or speaking with her again in a more formal "lets talk, you and me," situation.

She almost opened her mouth to ask, but she didn't want to see like the crazy one. "Now that I think about it, I do feel significantly acquainted with you, Vlad. I'm confident you aren't one of the two registered sex offenders in the area and even more confident that you aren't going to rob me blind," she said giving him a playful smile.

"I'm in 801 by the way, its full of IKEA furniture and coffee so if you're ever stuck around the 8th floor you're welcome to stop by," she said hoping that sounded as un-crazy and polite as possible.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

nobleblood
2010-06-15 06:41 am UTC (link)

He couldn't help but laugh, especially since sex offenders didn't seem quite as ominous when compared with a building full of fables, not to mention some people who were less than stable even when they weren't someone else. "It's very good to know that I made a good impression, Darcy."

Vlad had no idea why she was telling him her room number, but it would be rude to say no; besides, she did seem nice enough and couldn't have possibly had any reason to think he was anything more than another resident. "I will keep that in mind if I ever find myself around the 8th floor." The elevator doors finally slid open, and he waited for her to step out before following. "It was very nice meeting you, despite the circumstances."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

unrequitedcharm
2010-06-15 06:29 pm UTC (link)

Darcy nodded in the affirmative, he had made a good impression and she hoped they'd get to hang out and see each other again.

She stepped out and smiled at him, "It was nice to meet you too!" she said happily, and she knew she'd have a lot of pondering to do about this situation. She didn't even know where to start.

She was headed out when she stopped and turned around and chewed on her lip for a moment, "Vlad?" she asked after him, she just had one more question and she'd stop making an ass out of herself, "Did I? Make a good impression, I mean." She asked curiously.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

nobleblood
2010-06-15 11:58 pm UTC (link)

Well, she was certainly a cheerful young woman. It made him slightly uncomfortable, but then again excessive happiness always did, mainly because he wasn't used to feeling it himself. He was already halfway out the door and headed towards the parking garage when she spoke, and he paused in the doorway to look back at her.

For a moment Vlad studied her, wondering whether she simply wanted to make sure she was making the right impression or if it was something more. The latter he dismissed as mere imagination, so he gave her the most reassuring smile he could muster and nodded. "You did. I doubt you will have any trouble with good impressions after this, first or otherwise." With that said he turned and left the building, thinking that it was a pity her guardian hadn't done much to help her self-confidence - still, there was time to improve it. She was still young, after all.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

(Read comments) -