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Happy as I am to be back in my home country, I find, at times, I am anticipating the return to Orange County. How a fondness for it has grown, I am not certain I could say.

I learned something from my latest dream. Vampires flavor the blood they drink. Eichorst brought in one of the cops that delivered me to him, forced the man to guzzle a bottle of schnapps, and then drained him in front of me. He made some silly little comment about loving to enjoy a human cocktail now and then and snapped the man's neck so he wouldn't turn, but left the body in the room with me. I don't know what I was thinking, but I asked him what he was going to do to me.

He said everything.

This doesn't bode well for me. I predict lots of drinking this evening. If these dreams keep up my liver is going to be shot to hell.

I got lost in work again.

Oops? Sorry?

Between working for my father and helping out at the gym teaching young ladies that if they want to, they can have a career in punching people in the face, I've been so busy I forget to check this thing.

I know I am probably jinxing everything but it seems like the blood rain and strange occurrences have ceased. For how long who knows but at least everybody can calm down a little again.

I thought I should take advantage of the ten minutes of relatively pleasant weather outside, lacking any oddities we've all come to love-hate, to make a post and say that I'm looking for an executive assistant of sorts and thought I would try the network first. It's helpful to work closely with someone who A. does dream and B. understands many 'unique' situations, as well as my own.

It would be in a business environment since I am a lawyer and heading up the company's legal department, but no legal background required. However, if things go well and you're interested in paralegal training that can be arranged.

In other dream-related news, I'm not sure what to do with the black-swathed coach that appeared in our yard (thank everything it wasn't raining blood today) besides offer carriage rides for couples going for gothic romance. Suggestions welcomed.

Blood rain. Rain made of blood. Not exactly the best thing for a vampire. At least I'm not a newbie. Still not good though.

While I have had the pleasure of dreaming many incarnations of myself, I have come to decide that this interpretation is by far the most unsettling. In any case, I find myself shuddering when my mind wanders to it. Between that and this new strangeness, it is hard to find much sense of ease without a degree of weariness.

Hey, guys. This network is something else, right? Everyone talks about dreams here, yeah? So... what kind of dreams are people having? Because, I have to tell you, I've been having some very odd ones myself..

... really odd.

I thought maybe I'd watched too many horror movies, but then a friend directed me to this site and now... now I have no idea what to think. The dreams seem so real, like real life, and after reading here...

...what the heck is going on?

Why am I dreaming of being a horror movie character?

I see many people frightened by their dreams, but has anyone found a sense of calm in them? A sense of purpose?

Please be careful when travelling, the fog seems to be affecting the electrical power supply too.

Those working for Stark Industries please only travel if safe to do so. The landlines within the building are not working so please email communication wherever possible.

You've all inflicted me with this dream nonsense, and I hate you all. That being said: how do I tell someone I've dreamt of him? I barely know him, but he is here in the waking world.

This is bloody ridiculous.

If I am to remember the saying right, if I am never to dream again, it would be too soon. After a month of nothing but pleasant darkness, I am exasperated.

And then I come into my office tonight to find this garish clock has appeared.

[attached image]

It is nice, now that we have had daylight saving time. The earlier sunset is very welcome to me.

I very nearly feel as if I should be offended.

I should have moved to San Francisco.

This place is like the biggest freaking asshole ever. How is it that 1. I'm officially nocturnal, 2. I can't go out in the daytime without shriveling up and dying (seriously, already tried that one with a fancy ring), and 3. My tribal tattoos just randomly appeared and yet none of my tribe's magic has touched me at all? Like, I can't do shit. Come on, Orange County.

It's reaaaaaally lonely when you have 3959294 hours to kill during the night but luckily I still have my night job. I'm just not dancing anymore, I'm managing the club. Before you ask, no, it's not really all that great to look at tits and asses constantly and I was making more dancing than I am running the place.

( Vlad )

These dreams give little reprieve, no? I feel I have barely ended one set when a new begins. These new ones seem much like my first, apart from some changes in persons. At the very least, I have some idea of what to expect at the end of them.

Well, that was a nice barely-a-week break from the dreams. One set ends, another starts. In this one it honestly feels like some bizarre partner swap considering I'm engaged to the woman who, in my first set, was my wife's best friend but in this one she happens to be the sister of her first-set fiance. And my wife is engaged to the man who in that set was her best friend's fiance. Did this make sense? It really doesn't to me.

Then of course there's Dracula, but I'm actually a vampire hunter posing as a librarian in his castle. This will end well.

If I didn't have such a bad feeling about it that I managed to move up my bar exam date by shelling out a couple pints of blood and my life savings, I'd go off to study bonobos in the Congo in their native setting for a break. I was reading an article saying that bonobos, our closet living relatives, are able to produce vocalizations in a wide range of emotional states and situations much like human babies. Human language has deep roots in primate language, but we knew that already.

It seems now I cannot be in sunlight. Which is unfair, I think, as my first dreams gave me the impression I would be fine with it. I will count the days until winter and nights are longer.

And I have found a familiar face in my dreams, though I had not expected Mina to be the first to appear.

What the hell? Can't a girl get her beauty sleep? Fuck you, fire crackers.

Hello, crazy forum. Gotta say, it's nice to read about other people flipping the fuck out over a killer spider instead of just being on the outside and seeing its ugly, hairy self plastered on the front of supermarket tabloids. Since I'm here now, tell me what the weirdest shit you've encountered or seen is. So I know what I'm getting into.

My name's Midna. I work at a club in Anaheim, I think some of you have come by before, haven't you? Don't be shy.

By the way, Zelda, Road Kill from the Bandidos says 'yo' to you and the tall drink of water who is missing a sock.

Staying up at all hours has allowed me plenty of time to keep up with news back home. How upsetting our Prime Minister should be at the center of a corruption scandal. He is a resilient man, Mister Ponta, but I think we are due for a political change. At least he should be happy that a mob of ungrateful villagers has yet to try and burn him alive.

I am also finding that the cons of vampirism far outweigh the pros.

[Private to Lucy]

Miss Pevensie, I've another peculiar request.

Things Other People Have Received from their Dreams, as Studied on this Network (Based on Posts):

• Exotic pets (dragons, bats, odd hybrids, dogs that act as medical professionals)
• Weapons (swords, pistols, etc)
• Clothing and jewelry
• Decorative items?
• Ships, planes, trains, automobiles
• I'm probably missing things, feel free to fill in

Things I Have Personally Received:

• A shovel
And a crucifix, and a head full of white hair, but--

Really.

I am glad it is the weekend, so I have nothing to prioritize. I am sure I will come to appreciate this newest phase of dream strangeness, but for now I would rather not have them. I think I will seclude myself away until this weekend passes.

Aw, all the demons and vampires are gone?

It is absolutely horrible of me that I quite enjoyed whatever the hell was happening. It was kind of nice to finally live up to my Dream potential and I feel like I should be sitting down to tattoo some more Molnija or Zvezda marks on the back of my neck. Since there aren't any Strigoi I hope here then I'm going to take what I get.

I think I've seen a few posts about vampires, here. Or by vampires.

Would any be willing to tell me about themselves? Either here or in person.

It is nice to wake up and find, for once, my dreams have given me something that is not dirt and that will not inflict harm. Though I admit I have little use for fifteenth century fashion or a sword, but they are finely made so perhaps I will find a place to display the sword.

I do think there are several on this network who have received such a gift, yes?

It would seem with these dreams I grow nocturnal. Or perhaps it is merely my mind believing I should be, and so I am. Regardless, I find myself awake much more at night than I had previously.

I have dozed a little and in that time I've learned my dreams are far from over. They seem to have reset, and it does not seem to match with my former dreams. I dream now of being Vlad Țepeș, as he has come to be known, but I am not the man I know from history. This set of dreams seems to paint him more agreeable than I think the original namesake to be. Certainly the impaling of bodies upon stakes is not out of blood lust in this case. Yet I fear I cannot escape the inevitable. There is something lurking in the mountains near Castle Dracula, and I will not be surprised if this somehow plays into what I am to become.

I have also received new gifts. One is a ring with the seal of the family Dracul. The other is an a cross placed upon a rosary, and I find this particularly cruel. The sight of it was unwelcome, and the experience of moving it out of sight and mind was even more unpleasant.

With very little to do in the way of work until this condition passes, I have been spending too much of my time on things like Buzzfeed. It is a good waste of time, though sometimes I do see stories that upset me.

I do suppose this is the world we live in. But I cannot help but feel almost sad, for I myself am a practicing Catholic (though I do wonder how my new found vampirism will affect that) and an ambassador. I do not know the man, but he is a peer, and it would cause me a certain amount of discomfort to be in such a position as him. I will keep him in my prayers.


[ooc: possible trigger warning? Link goes to report of ambassador being denied for his sexuality.]

So, for anyone who doesn't know, I am now a vampire. Have been for about two weeks now. No, I do not talk with a Transylvanian accent all of a sudden and no, I do not turn into a bat or mist or anything like that. Yes, I can go out in the sun because of a certain wizard who generously made me daylight jewelry a few months ago. And no, I'm not going around nomming on people at random. I've been working on my self control, which given who made me in the dreams, is pretty good, if I do say so myself.

So yeah. There it is. Been expecting this for awhile and now it's finally happened.

Hi, I'm supposed to be Kevin Flynn and apparently I'm a vampire today. Complete with eastern European accent.

at least I don't sparkle

These things are difficult to understand. I am having a friend help but it is hard to use this network if English is not your native language. Hello. New to area and network.

It's good to be back. London was nice and it was lovely to see my Father, but here's home now. What have I missed?

I feel as though my dreams were trying to operate under the saying "save the best for last." Today what I feel I have been dreading most has happened. My teeth have always been, I admit, naturally pointed, but now they are quite sharp and very noticeable. And of course we must mention that one of the interns at the office was wearing a cross around her neck and it was the oddest sort of pain to be near it. I do think I'll be taking the rest of the week off as sick days.

If nothing else, my dreams have come to close. The most horrible of things of course happened near the end, and yet, to dream of dying - of really dying - seemed equal parts horrible and blissful. After four centuries it must have been good to finally welcome the end.

So my boss has moved offices and the new boss is bringing his own PA with him which means I'm looking for a new job.

Anybody need an assistant?

I am going slowly growing accustomed to what is occurring because of these dreams. I would say, even, I am growing to sympathize with my dream self. That is perhaps not an appealing notion to most, but it is an interesting history to dream. I dream of being a man who is heralded as a folk hero in my home country, and yet I am not that man at the same time.

And I have now received a gift it would seem. I walked into my home upon returning from work and found a pungent order met my nose. In my kitchen was a create, which was filled with a dark soil. I know from my dreams that I must take this soil with me where I go, so I may rest better, because it is Transylvanian soil and that is my home. Upon relocating from my castle to England, my dream counterpart shipped many boxes of this to be buried in his new home. I am not a superstitious man by nature. This place has made me think of things differently. I think I will find a way to carry a bit of this earth with me, lest I be caught somewhere and unable to rest. Perhaps a vial I may keep in my wallet, or in my pocket.

I am, if nothing else in my dreams, a man who accomplishes what he sets out to do. Though one may perhaps use the term "man" lightly. It is a funny thing, to be dead for so long. Even now in the waking world I find that the idea of death does not bother me as it used to. In my dreams, the lives of others are hardly worth thinking about, I feel he delights in it, truly. Even just last night I dreamed of bringing misfortune upon the house of a charming young woman.

I have learned of a new trait I've picked up, in light of this. Garlic repulses me. A secretary at work brought a very pungent dish for lunch and I perhaps was too harsh on her found I had to excuse myself and leave early.

Scheduled a new fight for a few months down the road. But I signed up for a tough mudder race in March. fight in May. I figure the training for those two events will keep me busy for the next few months. I'm good with that. I signed up for the tough mudder thanks to my trainer, he's doing it too, so we're both going to beat ourselves up.

Goodness, look at me. branching out again! But my trainer says it'll be good for my fight career too, it'll help build up tolerance and stamina.

In the meantime, I think I need a social life again.

I have grown accustomed now to the unexpected snowfall, and am, to a degree, beginning to grow accustomed to these dreams as well. It will take more adjustment to get used to my lack of reflection. I think perhaps I have mastered shaving without one? If only because by now it is all out of memory, though I've cut myself several times trying. I am also glad that I keep my hair short.

So while I won the last fight, I took some time to myself to rest up. It was a long match, and I ended up looking like a raccoon for awhile. But it's nice to see snow, even if I'd rather there not be any. I wanted to be lazy and lay out by the pool but oh well. Guess that just means more training time! And running in snow...

Alucard
What shall we do for christmas this year?

Vladimir
I suppose I should ask, instead of just try to guess, what you would like for Christmas this year? I'm preparing my lists, and since you are here and it is that much easier to get you your gifts, I do hope you'll indulge a girl.

I had a very peculiar dream last night. That is normal here, is it not? It feels very strange to have experienced it myself.

I had the privilege of experiencing my first American Halloween today, or, I should say, yesterday. I do admit that I admire the lengths to which people go. It is a very committed day, though not entirely so different from what I am used to. There are many superstitions surrounding Romania and much of that lends itself to such festivities. Many times there are recreations of witch trials, as well.

Still, I was not prepared to walk into the office in the morning to find the interns all dressed according to Romanian myths and legends. Nor had I expected to ingest so much chocolate. I fear that at this rate I will never sleep.

It appears as though this is a popular forum with the locals, and I'm very interested to see what life here is like.

My name, since I feel that should be offered, is Vladimir. Vlad, if you would prefer. I work at the Romanian consulate out of Los Angeles. I tried to live there a few months. I think I find Orange County more charming. I do believe I may have some acquaintances here.

The number of times young children ask if I am a vampire increases exponentially during the month of October.

The perils of being a well dressed Eastern European, I suppose.