Fic: Angelic (Tanz der Vampire, Alfred/OMC)
Another fic for a prompt at comment_fic.
The theme was "moral relativism" and the prompt was (see here: Tanz der Vampire ; Alfred ; He's not particularly evil... as far as vampires go, at least.
Again, the story became a little longer than the comment length which should be the standard for the community, but more fic is the main thing, right?
Title: Angelic
Author: Valancy
Fandom: Tanz der Vampire
Characters: Alfred (post-musical), original male character
Rating: PG-13 or R-ish?
Summary: Alfred is a nice vampire, in his way.
Angelic
by Valancy
It took Alfred a while to realise that it wasn't only Sarah that could play around with others. He could do it, too. It took him still a while longer to actually do it, mostly because he couldn't imagine himself wanting any girl as much as he wanted her. But fortunately, he finally realized that there also were boys.
The city they had settled in had a nice supply of boys, and to his delight, most of them were not anything like Herbert. Many of them were nice, and their idea of style didn't include lots of satin and ruffles, and they could actually talk things that made sense. Alfred often thought that if he ran into Herbert again, he'd have a few things to say this time. For starters, how entirely outdated his clothes looked and how they didn't suit his face at all, and how ridiculous that prancing looked, and that he really didn't have a clue as to how to ask a boy out.
Alfred, on the other hand, had developed to be quite good at that.
He didn't go around randomly hitting on everyone he found, though. No, he had standards. Quite specific ones, too. He wanted someone who was nice, because he liked nice people. He had developed that habit when he was alive, and just because he was a vampire now was no reason to give that habit up, he reasoned. On the other hand, he wanted ones who were sad and unhappy, because the thought of biting someone who was happy with their life made him squeamish. And also - here came the difficult part - he still didn't want anyone who actively sought out vampires and wanted to become one, or who was contemplating suicide already. Because he wanted life. He wanted, he needed those who were full of life to the brim. They were the nicest to hang around with, both before and after. And they tasted the best.
He had found one just like he wanted, now, and was altogether in love - enough to make Sarah jealous, which was part of the fun, but not all of it, not nearly all. The best part was the boy himself. He was nice-looking, an outdoors type, fresh and tempting with fair skin, blue eyes and an exquisite neck. He was a little older than Alfred had been when he died (Sarah wanted to say "transformed" but Alfred didn't see any reason not to admit what had happened). He was nice and sweet, which meant that everyone walked all over him and took him for granted, which in turn meant that he was often very sad, and plagued with guilt that this was somehow his fault, that all those good people certainly wouldn't abuse him if he hadn't deserved it, and that misfortunes that met him must have been some heavenly punishment for his wickedness. Alfred knew from bitter experience what it was like, being that. It made his heart ache. He was going to help the boy.
He enjoyed the first stages, making arrangements to meet the boy as if by chance, making first attempts to talk to him and see what effects a few shy smiles and downcast eyes could have. He loved watching as those blue eyes lit up more and more each time they saw each other, first with curiosity, then with delight, then with unnerved temptation. And that was the moment to strike - figuratively, of course. It was really easy to make the boy believe he had made the first move, because Alfred still looked as young and innocent as he always had. The boy took Alfred to his home, where he unburdened himself by telling Alfred all his worries, and then to his bed, where Alfred helped him to forget them.
Even after he had got this first thing he wanted, he made no rush. It was fun to make this phase last a while, so he avoided mirrors and met the boy several nights in a row, still listening to his worries, knowing from experience how much the boy had to ache for attention and sympathy. He liked to think he was giving them now after death what he had never had in life. It was almost like angels in stories he had read as a child. The idea amused him endlessly.
It wasn't until the boy had become accustomed to his presence on his side that Alfred one night laid his hand on the boy's chest, absent-mindedly stroking his skin to feel the strength and the beating heart underneath, and said:
"You know, there's a way out of it all. There's a way to make sure you'll never be tread on again. And that you won't have to grow old and bitter and angry."
"There is?" The boy sounded apprehensive. Perhaps he had begun to wonder already. Alfred had to move fast.
And so he moved, right on top of the boy, and then he told him.
The boy was reluctant at first, and no wonder. But Alfred had his own particular assets. He could tell from experience.
"Trust me, I was just like you in life. And now I'm finally free to do what I like, and nobody tells me what to do and I can stop feeling bad about every single thing I've done wrong."
He could tell the boy liked the idea. He was still hesitant, however.
"But you have to bite people and drink their blood."
"It tastes good."
"But… I don't want to."
"Oh, I know, but you develop a taste for it. And you know, you don't have to harm anyone."
"No?"
"Well, not really. You just take those people against their will who are evil and deserve it anyway." After a moment's reflection, he added: "Or who are annoying in some way, at least." He still liked being honest. "And the nice ones, you only take when they want it." He bent over the boy's neck, sniffing its exquisite smell, imagining the red, thick blood in his mouth. It made him squirm with excitement. "Like I'm going to take you."
"But… But…"
"And then we can be together, always, without anyone telling either of us what to do. Won't that be wonderful?" He smiled prettily - nowadays he knew when he was smiling prettily. "And I'll guide you and show you everything, and I'll stay true, I won't betray you like everyone else. And if I don't take you now, someone will take you later. Won't you rather become a vampire with me?"
Eventually, it worked. At least well enough that Alfred could do it.
And his blood really was very exquisite, and his death throes quite thrilling.
Besides, Alfred did keep his word. He showed the boy the ways of the vampire world, and he stayed true - after a fashion. In any case for as long as the boy, in his newly found vampire glory, had any need for it.
Well, longer, really, because that just was the way things always seemed to go with him. In life and in undeath.
The theme was "moral relativism" and the prompt was (see here: Tanz der Vampire ; Alfred ; He's not particularly evil... as far as vampires go, at least.
Again, the story became a little longer than the comment length which should be the standard for the community, but more fic is the main thing, right?
Title: Angelic
Author: Valancy
Fandom: Tanz der Vampire
Characters: Alfred (post-musical), original male character
Rating: PG-13 or R-ish?
Summary: Alfred is a nice vampire, in his way.
Angelic
by Valancy
It took Alfred a while to realise that it wasn't only Sarah that could play around with others. He could do it, too. It took him still a while longer to actually do it, mostly because he couldn't imagine himself wanting any girl as much as he wanted her. But fortunately, he finally realized that there also were boys.
The city they had settled in had a nice supply of boys, and to his delight, most of them were not anything like Herbert. Many of them were nice, and their idea of style didn't include lots of satin and ruffles, and they could actually talk things that made sense. Alfred often thought that if he ran into Herbert again, he'd have a few things to say this time. For starters, how entirely outdated his clothes looked and how they didn't suit his face at all, and how ridiculous that prancing looked, and that he really didn't have a clue as to how to ask a boy out.
Alfred, on the other hand, had developed to be quite good at that.
He didn't go around randomly hitting on everyone he found, though. No, he had standards. Quite specific ones, too. He wanted someone who was nice, because he liked nice people. He had developed that habit when he was alive, and just because he was a vampire now was no reason to give that habit up, he reasoned. On the other hand, he wanted ones who were sad and unhappy, because the thought of biting someone who was happy with their life made him squeamish. And also - here came the difficult part - he still didn't want anyone who actively sought out vampires and wanted to become one, or who was contemplating suicide already. Because he wanted life. He wanted, he needed those who were full of life to the brim. They were the nicest to hang around with, both before and after. And they tasted the best.
He had found one just like he wanted, now, and was altogether in love - enough to make Sarah jealous, which was part of the fun, but not all of it, not nearly all. The best part was the boy himself. He was nice-looking, an outdoors type, fresh and tempting with fair skin, blue eyes and an exquisite neck. He was a little older than Alfred had been when he died (Sarah wanted to say "transformed" but Alfred didn't see any reason not to admit what had happened). He was nice and sweet, which meant that everyone walked all over him and took him for granted, which in turn meant that he was often very sad, and plagued with guilt that this was somehow his fault, that all those good people certainly wouldn't abuse him if he hadn't deserved it, and that misfortunes that met him must have been some heavenly punishment for his wickedness. Alfred knew from bitter experience what it was like, being that. It made his heart ache. He was going to help the boy.
He enjoyed the first stages, making arrangements to meet the boy as if by chance, making first attempts to talk to him and see what effects a few shy smiles and downcast eyes could have. He loved watching as those blue eyes lit up more and more each time they saw each other, first with curiosity, then with delight, then with unnerved temptation. And that was the moment to strike - figuratively, of course. It was really easy to make the boy believe he had made the first move, because Alfred still looked as young and innocent as he always had. The boy took Alfred to his home, where he unburdened himself by telling Alfred all his worries, and then to his bed, where Alfred helped him to forget them.
Even after he had got this first thing he wanted, he made no rush. It was fun to make this phase last a while, so he avoided mirrors and met the boy several nights in a row, still listening to his worries, knowing from experience how much the boy had to ache for attention and sympathy. He liked to think he was giving them now after death what he had never had in life. It was almost like angels in stories he had read as a child. The idea amused him endlessly.
It wasn't until the boy had become accustomed to his presence on his side that Alfred one night laid his hand on the boy's chest, absent-mindedly stroking his skin to feel the strength and the beating heart underneath, and said:
"You know, there's a way out of it all. There's a way to make sure you'll never be tread on again. And that you won't have to grow old and bitter and angry."
"There is?" The boy sounded apprehensive. Perhaps he had begun to wonder already. Alfred had to move fast.
And so he moved, right on top of the boy, and then he told him.
The boy was reluctant at first, and no wonder. But Alfred had his own particular assets. He could tell from experience.
"Trust me, I was just like you in life. And now I'm finally free to do what I like, and nobody tells me what to do and I can stop feeling bad about every single thing I've done wrong."
He could tell the boy liked the idea. He was still hesitant, however.
"But you have to bite people and drink their blood."
"It tastes good."
"But… I don't want to."
"Oh, I know, but you develop a taste for it. And you know, you don't have to harm anyone."
"No?"
"Well, not really. You just take those people against their will who are evil and deserve it anyway." After a moment's reflection, he added: "Or who are annoying in some way, at least." He still liked being honest. "And the nice ones, you only take when they want it." He bent over the boy's neck, sniffing its exquisite smell, imagining the red, thick blood in his mouth. It made him squirm with excitement. "Like I'm going to take you."
"But… But…"
"And then we can be together, always, without anyone telling either of us what to do. Won't that be wonderful?" He smiled prettily - nowadays he knew when he was smiling prettily. "And I'll guide you and show you everything, and I'll stay true, I won't betray you like everyone else. And if I don't take you now, someone will take you later. Won't you rather become a vampire with me?"
Eventually, it worked. At least well enough that Alfred could do it.
And his blood really was very exquisite, and his death throes quite thrilling.
Besides, Alfred did keep his word. He showed the boy the ways of the vampire world, and he stayed true - after a fashion. In any case for as long as the boy, in his newly found vampire glory, had any need for it.
Well, longer, really, because that just was the way things always seemed to go with him. In life and in undeath.