What Do You Think Were Madaras Coping Mechanisms If He Had Any

What do you think were madaras coping mechanisms if he had any

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Thank you for this ask! Canon characters like to think of Madara as a madman who fell from grace because of his thirst for power, but based on what we know of him, that isn’t quite true.

Coping mechanisms are ways to decrease stress and deal with the uncomfortable emotions that arise from stressors. We all know how important family is to Madara. He was particularly invested in the welfare of his one remaining brother, Izuna. Madara’s coping mechanisms can be separated into those from before and after Izuna’s death.

Adaptive Coping: Before Izuna Died

Madara and Izuna led the Uchiha together and brought their family into their position of being one of the two greatest clans, not an easy feat during the Warring States Era. They seemed to have provided the clan with different aspects of leadership –Madara with godlike military strength and protection and Izuna (who was also very strong) with the political savvy and interpersonal skills to lead a group of people.

Madara was good to his family and there are no accounts of him being a poor leader at this time despite the unending stress from the conflicts they faced. Madara’s way of coping during this period was to throw himself into taking responsibility for his clan and to confide in Izuna.

Taking responsibility- Taking control of a situation is usually considered an adaptive method of coping. After the pain of his other brothers’ deaths, kid Madara believed himself responsible because he wasn’t strong enough to protect them, as seen during his childhood conversations with Hashi by the river. I think the losses of his first brothers greatly spurred him into taking on the responsibility for the wellbeing of his last brother and clan. (You can see how much sleep he lost from his eyebags haha). Madara became as strong as he was not only because he was a talented genius, but because he sincerely wanted to protect those he loves. He got much, much stronger off-screen and attained the MS alongside Izuna and they brought the Uchiha to new heights.

Confiding in Izuna-  I think this one goes without saying. Izuna was Madara’s emotional rock and anchor. It was only right before Izuna was killed that Madara started his decline as a clan leader and eventually lost their support.

Maladaptive Coping: After Izuna’s Death

Madara’s fate after his beloved brother’s death was truly tragedy. His coping mechanisms could basically be summarized as bottling his grief, anger, and suffering inside until he exploded and lashed out, before isolating himself when lashing out didn’t work.

Madara didn’t go mad right after Izuna’s death. He was still doing everything he could to be the responsible leader of his clan and work with Hashirama. To be honest, he was set up for failure from the beginning due to how Konoha’s political structure was designed. That is, it was biased against allowing the Uchiha into positions of political power. He could have lowered his expectations (a coping mechanism that just doesn’t fit Mads) for Konoha, but he’d still slowly wither away inside because he would be failing to keep his promise to Izuna. There were multiple flashbacks that illustrated Madara’s resentment, such as in his facial expressions during his battles with Hashi or his interaction with Muu and kid Ohnoki. Madara was just bottling it all up.

I think Madara truly wanted the best for his clan and could clearly see the situation they were being forced to settle with wasn’t in their best interests in the long-term. But he didn’t possess the social skills that Izuna did and could not convince his clan to stand by him, and even ended up ostracized by them.

It was only from this point onwards that Madara really fell apart. He lost everything: his immediate family, his extended family, his purpose, and he helped found a village that could only be described as being uneasy about him. Madara never verbally asked for help, but he did in his own way, by lashing out with angry outbursts at Hashirama, who promised much more at the founding of Konoha, who was supposed to understand him, but actually didn’t. Hashirama never helped with the discrimination the Uchiha faced.

To cope, Madara isolated himself. Thus began the loneliest decades of his life, where he spiraled further and further down until he was the senile grandpa Obito met, who was even susceptible to a Venus fly trap’s ploys. He still believed in taking control of the situation, but in a much more twisted way than in his younger years. Whereas in his youth he wanted to protect what he cherished, in his twilight years, Madara came to the conclusion it was his responsibility to save the entire world by becoming its Messiah through the Infinite Tsukuyomi Plan. The rest is history.

A Night for Hunting Ch.6- The Living Dead

T/W: Alucard (Ultimate) x F!Reader, horror, gore, eventual romance Words: 1830 On AO3

The frenzied fluttering of wings was audible in the distance. You strained your neck to look, thinking perhaps a few crimson-eyed bats would be visible above the treeline, but it was much too dark for anything to be seen in the glittering navy expanse of sky. 

It had been over two weeks since that doomed night when you confronted Alucard about his behaviour and there hadn’t been any interaction since. You told him then in no uncertain terms to leave you be. It was quite unlike that vampire to do as he was instructed, but you relished the newfound freedom and privacy. 

There was the slightest shuffle from behind. Instinctively, you turned to look, vowing never to let yourself be as helpless again as that time you tried to get home intoxicated. 

At the end of the street stood another person, probably another late-night commuter. Nothing overly unusual. Barely sparing the other person another glance, you kept walking. Your thoughts were introspective.

You felt badly about your harsh parting words to the creature, but shrugged off the guilt. It wasn't like they were entirely undeserved. Alucard did much to torment you. If he was human, you would have gone to the police long ago for a restraining order. The breathing space was a welcomed reprieve from the perpetual badgering over the last year. No, you were not at fault for what happened that night.

You frowned and turned around, your senses switching into high alert. What was with the lady’s gait? She was still there, as expected from hearing her steps behind you. They were loud and unruly, every step was exaggerated with effort like she was about to keel over. 

Haaaaa. Haaaaaaa. With every lurch she exhaled forcefully, the guttural crackling breaths grated against your ears. There was no subtlety to her motions at all. Was she drooling? A glob of spittle broke off from her mouth and dribbled to the ground. A visceral feeling of disgust rolled over you. 

Upon closer inspection, this person was off. She was unkempt and emaciated, her tottering steps as if she was moving to the beat of a metronome. Her skin was a sickly shade of grey. You knew she was staring at you, although you couldn’t make out all her features from this distance. The hairs on your arms stood on end and a shiver shot down your back. Taking a quick glance around, you noted you were, of course, alone with this woman. You didn’t like this. 

How strange it was to see someone like this in this nice neighbourhood. At first you assumed she was a drunkard, but she was more likely a homeless woman who was using drugs. Her circumstances were undoubtedly unfortunate, but not your business, and the way she stared at you was disconcerting. The breeze carried over the reek of fetid gangrene. Swallowing, you felt suddenly nauseous and your mouth ran dry, another tingle crawling over your skin and you spun around to keep a brisk pace.

You jaywalked past the traffic lights and entered the park, speeding even faster through the darkness. You nearly forgot how spooky this park was at night, just rows of rustling greenery on both sides, street lamps whose functionality were inconsistent at best, and the desolate lack of anyone else. Everywhere you looked, it seemed like the creeping shadows turned the ordinary into shapes of horror.  

A mere minute later, you glanced over your shoulder to check on the situation. Good, you lost her. You shivered. Just now, it felt almost reminiscent of your old days of being stalked by a blood-sucking demon. If only it was just Alucard.

You hastily cleared this park where Alucard last chased you through months ago, which was the quickest shortcut to bring you back to your building despite the eeriness and lack of light. At last, you were back on solid pavement when you heard the panting coming from the alleyway just ahead. You stopped, but there was only one other alternate path at this point, which would be a long detour back. 

Something was strange about this night. A dense, uncanny energy in the air seemed to coalesce around this area. The air was heavier, and your heart thumped rapidly as you fought to keep your breathing discrete. It could just be drunks screwing…You debated whether to walk past the alley or to take the long way around, but you really didn’t want to be outside anymore. You stopped again in a panic when your footsteps made a loud crunch on the rocky ground and cursed yourself. Somehow you knew you should stay quiet.

You must be the dumbest person in the world, but you took a step forward, and then another. With each step, it felt like you came closer to your destiny. That powerful eldritch energy wrapped around you and you peered inside the murkiness of the alley. You stopped breathing. Nothing else existed at that moment.

Crunch.

A massive figure hovered over another much more diminutive one, pinning them to the ground with spiky shadowed extremities ringed in a crimson outline, a long jacket flaring around them both. It was pitch black, but you saw that the person on the bottom had their limbs splayed about at impossible angles and the gleam of broken bones coming through torn flesh. 

It was only for fleeting moments, but they lasted forever. You stopped at that alleyway and kept looking on in morbid fascination, trying to make sense of the sight. The victim was gargling, no, drowning in their own blood, an inky puddle pooling under them. Your lips fell open in horror when the beast lapped at that puddle.

Crunch.  Bone snapped.

Lustrous vermilion irises turned a feral gaze up at you. They were all you registered in the gloom once they became visible. Red eyes. Inhuman. You forgot to keep breathing. Staring back into the nightmarish gaze with terror-stricken eyes, you distantly heard the rhythmic slapping of footsteps to the beat of a metronome.  Your sense of self-preservation kicked in at last.

RUN! 

Your feet hit the ground in rapid succession to flee the scene, setting a pace faster than you’ve ever run before. You bolted with your heart in your throat, only to realize you missed the last turn to your apartment. Stumbling to a halt, you almost tripped over your feet and fell over, catching your stride at the last second to turn back. There was no paranormal being behind you, so you kept sprinting once you found your bearings and adjusted your route home.

BANG! BANG! BANG BANG BANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANG!

Looking up in panic, you wondered briefly what it could be now. There shouldn’t be fireworks tonight. The long weekend was last week! You didn’t want to believe that the commotion was gunshots. --------------------

Heaving from the lack of breath, you slammed the door shut and put on the lock and steel chain with trembling hands that missed the target several times, wishing there was more you could do to secure your home. Your lungs burnt as your legs finally gave out and you shuffled inside on your bottom. 

What was that? 

Still quaking to your very core, you turned on all the lights by the entrance and sat back down, hugging your knees closely as your eyes darted around the kitchen and living room for anything out of place. For any monsters that could be in hiding.

Idiot, idiot. You were such an idiot! What were you doing earlier, just standing there staring like a dumbass?! 

Several long minutes passed before you felt like you could move again, though no part of you was at ease. Crawling to your bedroom, you stayed close to the floor in an attempt to be as small as possible. You didn’t even want to shower or change right now, only wishing for the safety of your bedroom. You slithered into bed and pulled the sheets over your head, the mind already automatically replaying the ordeal of the last half hour. 

You recalled those glistening scarlet eyes fixated on you and the crunch of shattering bone.

Sleep eluded you. You were too spooked to have your back facing anything but down on the mattress. Your eyes jumped around blindly in the dark, yet your paranoia gave the imagination wings and it took off. Things of legend became reality and the products of your fear came alive. The darkness on the edges of your vision took on fanciful shapes, disappearing only at the moment you stared at them directly.

Something creaked in the house and you jolted. Logically, you knew sometimes homes made noises, but your mind was overrun with possibilities. You remembered the gurgling sounds of a person drowning and only now, did you notice your clammy hands. You were hot with anxiety, yet cold sweat soaked through the sheets. Bravely, you inched over slightly to lay on the next dry spot on the mattress.

Even when your eyes adjusted to the darkness, it felt like there were monsters lurking in every darker patch of the room, but you were too apprehensive to get out of bed and banish the shadows with light. You swallowed some sleeping pills and clenched your eyes, trying every method you knew of to lull yourself into sleep: counting numbers, mental relaxation, distracting yourself with happier thoughts.

It was all for naught. You flipped onto your side now that the next patch of bed was damp with sweat, still completely at the mercy of your fear. The clock read 0400. Dawn couldn’t come soon enough.

A cacophony of shrieks sounded outside, followed by the flapping of approaching wings. Adrenaline again pumped through your veins and your heart palpitated from the hormonal rush. Nothing happened. Daring to move once more, you felt silly and slunk over onto the next cooler spot. Your lids were heavy over burning eyes, but rest remained elusive.

Exhausted, your eyes fluttered open in abject frustration and immediately found two glowing spots high on the wall, several paces away from where you lay. You focused on them in confusion since nothing should cast a light like that in your room. The orbs were the colour of a dazzling sunset. They smoldered vibrantly, the shifting colours stunningly beautiful.

The tension eased out of your body and your eyelids drooped. You distantly heard the sound of soft purring filling the room as you found sleep at last. The comforting purrs rumbled through your consciousness, sending vibrations tumbling through your chest that soothed your soul. All your recent worries felt like simple folly. The fear that held you captive like a hungry beast relinquished its hold and suddenly, you were unable to remember why you were so frightened to begin with.

Cradled within the nest of your home, you floated through the skies. You slept soundly until the next afternoon in a sweet, dreamless slumber, lost in a feeling of safety that you have previously never known.

~To be Continued~

Next Chapter- Fear

A Night for Hunting Ch.7- Fear

T/W: 18+, Alucard (Ultimate) x F!Reader, memory loss, horror, violence, gore, angry feral vampire, comfort, eventual romance Words: 5066 On AO3

I'm back! This chapter taught me that I have a long way to go as an amateur hobby writer! Action scenes are hard. Hope you enjoy anyways!

You thought about him on your stroll home after dinner, that vampire that hid in shadows, that delighted you with an adorable colony of furry bats, yet who could also summon a writhing sea of vile centipedes. He terrorized you endlessly and was the cause of many sleepless nights. He was like a tempest that upended everything in his path, leaving destruction in his wake, though his majesty was breathtaking. He made you beyond angry. 

But then he unexpectedly took care of you that time when you were drunk and alone. The way he looked at you when he wasn't being an infuriating ass hat…he also physically threatened you the last time you met.

He scared and confused you. 

To your chagrin, your thoughts lingered on him, and the longer they did, the more conflicted you felt. Several weeks later, he still hadn’t visited. Part of you was glad he was finally gone for good. Another part of you had gotten somewhat used to the routine of entertaining this uninvited guest and his extended absence was beyond odd. Yet you would also be unsure about seeing him again after the way you parted last time. 

You were right. All you needed to do was endure him until you earned your freedom. It was about time he got bored and moved onto his next victim.

--------------------

A breathy moan rang out from around the corner and you got ready to dodge the careless person who was right there as you rounded the corner.

Holy shit.

They were a corpse, their skin was sloughing off, hollowed eyes glowed with a ghostly violet light. You cried out in shock and stumbled back at the last moment as the thing's arms reached out for you.

What is this new devilry?

Your head pounded, but now wasn't the time for a migraine. You jerked your shoulder back again to avoid its flailing grasp. Its fingers looked like shrivelled sausages where dried up leathery skin was pulled taut over knobby bone.

Multiple people have disappeared after dark in London over the past months –by the popular tourist attraction Tower Bridge, at an abandoned factory, and even in Soho. The sirens of emergency vehicles have been much more frequent lately. The news reports of recent mysterious occurrences you once dismissed as irrelevant freak incidences slowly gained salience. 

Haaaa. Haaaaaaa.

Your skin crawled at the raspy breathing and you took off at a sprint. The slobbering zombie followed at a fixed pace and the stench of gangrene hit you. The walls blocking off suppressed memories were peeling back layer by layer to unveil the obscure truth within. That disgusting smell of rot…triggered the forgotten experience of being tailed by a homeless woman, who walked with an unnatural jerking stumble according to the tempo of a metronome. Her face was grey and she might as well have been dead. Your heart clenched with remembrance. What were these memories? They were yours? 

You ran blindly in terror-stricken confusion with the wind in your face, taking numerous turns before finally fleeing down a flight of stairs lined with trees while slapping away the offending branches that were in the way. 

You were hastily running through a park, the one where Alucard last chased you through, where the foliage became shapes of shadow that took on a demonic life of their own.

The soft murmur of flowing water whispered into the night. The lifeblood of London glided solemnly through its path, indifferent to the woes of the people who inhabited its banks. Oh no, you inadvertently came to the Thames River. 

You gasped for breath. Historic buildings painted the river’s face in sparkling gold streaks, the image of the capital city at night reflecting radiantly on the calm surface. It was awe-inspiring. And completely at odds with how you were feeling at the moment. If you weren’t this rattled, you would have paused to marvel at the sight where the beauty of nature met the sophistication of man-made architecture.

The fetor of decay invaded your senses once more. Calm down. Tower Bridge wasn’t too distant, but this was in the heart of a tourist area. On a Friday night, it should be bustling. And there was no way you could be that unlucky.

The riverside wasn’t deserted, but it was hardly bustling either. Where were all the people?

Glancing behind to confirm that the thing earlier hadn't caught up yet, you turned to go home, only to walk directly into a solid chest. You yelped, having completely missed this person’s presence. For a moment you panicked. It was impossible for that fumbling zombie to arrive here so quickly! You looked up and breathed a sigh of relief. It was just a normal man.

“A-apologies. I wasn’t looking where I was going. E-excuse me,” you stuttered, your eyes were wide and you looked away.

The man raised a brow and smirked. 

“There is no issue, Miss,” he told you with a sweet voice and gave you a quick once-over. “But if you’d like to express your sincerity, allow me to take you out for a drink tonight.” 

“I…that’s not a good idea. I need to go, I apologize.” You were skittish and checked behind you again. There wasn’t anyone else except another couple by the riverbank watching the lights.

An iron fist gripped your wrist and you went cold at the glacial touch. “I insist, Miss. Please allow me to show you an excellent night.” His leer turned cocky, revealing a razor sharp grin. You stared in disbelief. 

Attempts to pull your hand back were in vain. Unwanted fingers flitted across the palm of your hand and he sighed, “You are very warm. I was hoping you would share some of it with me…” Your skin crawled from his touch and goosebumps formed from the seeping chill. Everything about this was wrong.

…Vampire…the word tickled the back of your mind.

Your head went into overdrive to think of a way to escape your predicament. If you were right, the ‘man’ was much stronger and faster than you. He can see and smell better than you as well. What could you do when you were completely outclassed?

You started shaking. This experience was way too familiar. Not again! You stared at him in anguish, frozen to your spot when you came up with a blank.

“I-I’m sorry sir, I don’t drink!” You whispered weakly, hoping against all odds he would let you go.

His lips curled and he took a step closer well into your space. “...Unless you believe yourself too good for me?”

You inched away despite being unable to break free and thought about screaming for help before stopping yourself. Piece by piece, the puzzle was falling into place –the mind conjured up an image of red-rimmed shadows digging into a body’s crevices, snapping bones and ripping up its limbs in a dark alleyway.

If this man was the same, you doubted any human interventions would be of assistance to you. You were completely, utterly screwed.

“Is this man bothering you?” The two women who were holding hands by the river came closer with a frown, one of them with a hand on her phone looking like she was about to call for help.

No…don’t get involved…You thought helplessly.

“Tch. You two aren’t my type. What’s this?”

–A severed forearm holding a smartphone dangled from his other hand. The phone dropped from the lifeless hand, its screen shattering upon impact with the pavement.

“AHHHHHHH!!!!!” One of the two women howled in agony as blood erupted from the stub where her arm was moments ago. 

“Hahaha. Shh…quiet down bitch, or else you might summon the ghouls.” He let go of you and faster than any of you saw, the next thing he ripped out of the unfortunate woman was her throat. You will never forget the scene. Even years later this night will come to haunt you. 

With her remaining hand, the woman held the gaping hole in her neck where jagged wisps of flesh still held on like chicken skin. She was in shock, as were all of you. Surprisingly, she wasn’t instantly dead. For several seconds, she remained standing while blood shot out in pulsing squirts. All too soon, it was like someone turned on the faucet at full blast. Her forcibly severed carotids exsanguinated, multiple ropes of blood exploded out of her throat for only another couple seconds until she collapsed on the ground with a gut-wrenching gargle as her life essence continued to empty from her vessels in powerful jets. 

The thick pool spread beneath her rapidly. It sprayed everywhere. It painted your face and filled your mouth with copper as you looked on in horror. It dumped into her open windpipe and she drowned at the same time as she hemorrhaged. The gargling was the same…as that time. You remembered now. Not long ago, you witnessed someone else drowning in their own blood beneath a monster of lore.

This monster revelled in the pandemonium and smacked his lips. “AB+ is my favourite blood type, did you know that? Much more flavour.” You weren’t sure if he was asking you.

Already drenched from head-to-toe, her girlfriend wailed with a hand pressed to her mouth. “AHHHHHH!!!!” 

“Gah, shut up, will you? She’ll be back soon enough and you can join her.” The vampire bore a sadistic smile framed by wicked teeth. He thoroughly relished killing some helpless woman.

No…

He spun around to face the second woman who remained bolted in place staring at her now-dead lover twitching on the ground. He strutted towards her.

You had to leave. Closing your eyes in guilt briefly, you knew you had to go now. There was nothing you could do to save the other woman, if you could even help yourself. When your eyes opened a mere moment later, she was already dead. Her mangled body hit the ground with a thud. Too fast. You couldn’t keep up with the pace of everything that was happening. One foot inched backward, then your other foot followed the first.

“You still aren’t interested in sharing a drink with me, love? They weren’t my type, but you are. I’ll be nice to you, I promise.” His voice travelled and reached your ears. What a twisted joke.

With a breathless wheeze, you rushed from the nightmare in front of you. All you ever did was run, but you knew there was no way you were getting away this time. Tears of desperation fell down your cheeks. 

Golden lights streaked by in the periphery of your vision in a blur. There was no comfort in the beauty of the Thames. London was your home, but for all its old-world elegance, it was as callous and uncaring of its inhabitants as the river this city depended upon. This city will offer you no aid. No, two people just died trying to help, but what can anyone do in this situation?

From beneath your consciousness it bubbled up –a flash of the floating sensation on a night you fell asleep to a familiar purr while warm golden orange orbs kept vigil as you faded away. Your eyes widened in recognition. It was too late now to do anything with the truth.

I'm scared…Alucard…

"Smells like a terrified bitch." He already caught up and took a deep whiff of the air. Red eyes regarded you with a sinister gleam while you sobbed. You stared at the monster with frantic, despairing eyes, wondering how exactly you will be meeting your end. “That’s an excellent expression!” The vampire snickered as he cracked a knuckle.

You twisted around him and kept going back the way you came from. He chuckled, wearing a demented expression baring two rows of spiked teeth. This was too much like old times. You never escaped Alucard until he decided to allow you to leave. There is no reason this will be any different, but you will try until your body gives out.

Two figures stumbled towards you up ahead. You wanted to warn them to run too, that they were in mortal danger, but the breath wasn’t available.

They were wearing the same clothing as the two women earlier. They were the two women earlier. One was missing an arm and her throat, the other’s head was split open, dripping brain matter on the ground. Her chest cavity gaped through dismantled ribs.

What in the world was going on?! 

You heaved with over-exertion and managed to skid to a stop well before you ran into them. Zombies. You were literally looking at the walking dead. Somehow, the vampire did this?! 

You were so stupid. Why did you come back this way? Even if the two ladies stayed down, there was still the one chasing you from before. Three zombies blocked the way up ahead while you were trapped down by the river with no way back up its bank without access to the stairs.

You whipped around at the guffawing murderer. There were now dozens of undead behind him. They hobbled around in an identical manner as the ones you met previously, with arms out, their corpses at various stages of decomposition. You were surrounded by a whole den of zombies. 

As if you were just going to give yourself over to your fate. 

You panted as your eyes darted about. The creatures closed the last gap in the circle around you. Tears turned your vision into a blurry mirage. There was nowhere left to go, but even if you were brutalized and died screaming, even if you didn't know how to fight, you were going to resist them, no matter how useless it was.

“Did you know that power is both a blessing and a curse? I can do stuff like this now,” he decapitated one of his undead companions and you flinched. “Yet the ladies never seem to favour me until they are my pets.”

He studied the blood trickling down his fingers, pressing his thumb and middle digit together before pulling them apart. He bursted out in laughter. “I’ll be very good to you when you become my pet, even if you’re an unappreciative whore.”

--------------------

The surroundings exploded and you squealed in fright. It was suddenly bedlam. The menacing figure draped in crimson stood with his back to you. A massive firearm pointed out to his side and he snarled, the tails of his coat rippling as if they were immaterial tassels. You knew him immediately. 

Alucard!

The clash evolved into a symphony of horror. It was almost like you were in a shooter game with him, except he never missed. One after the other, zombie heads became popping balloons, spilling more gore in a splatter of blood and brains. Each shot exploded and left a hollow in the stone wall behind the felled zombie. After the heads were gone, he shot the corpses more for good measure. Arms, legs, bodies, nothing was spared. But he never missed the mark.

You were deaf from the gunshots. As your ears rang, all you saw was the butchery of Alucard unleashed for the first time. He spun and his guns went pointing in every direction. He was a tempest, the eye in a storm of flying iron and carnage. It seemed like even those monsters couldn’t react in time. Bodies fell at his feet in pieces. The squelching sounded like when you blended your minced meats with spice and seasoning by hand. He cackled again with glee, a glint of madness in the glimpse you caught of his visage.

He resembled the time you were reunited after you moved to this part of London. His demeanor screamed of bloodlust. This was a massacre.

You flinched and covered your head when a shot found its mark closer to you and pieces of a crumbling wall scattered nearby. Forked shadow tendrils formed a barrier encircling you that pulsed with dense, arcane power. Nothing got past it. Not zombies, bullets, nor fragmented stone.

“A sorry excuse for a vampire. What will you do now that your ghouls are dead and your weapons empty?” That was Alucard? His voice was guttural and nearly unrecognizable.

“W-what are you? You m-monster!” The other vampire sounded miserable.

“That is correct,” You heard the smile in Alucard’s voice. “I’m a monster. Where are your familiars? Turn into bats or mist! Fight me like a real vampire!" He boomed.

…"Tch. Pathetic. You do not even know what you are."

Too bad Alucard’s shadow didn’t shield you from sound. Your ears weren’t working properly. The buzz was getting louder and it was difficult to hear anything else despite straining. That might as well have been a watermelon crunching. Your eyes fell shut.

-------------------- Alucard saw red. The scent of blood suddenly blossomed in the air earlier. It was miles away, but it was so pungent and strong, the odour travelled far. He rushed to investigate the occurrence, only to discover the unmistakable stench of ghouls and a lone vampire that was ubiquitous in this area once he was close enough. And then he caught the overwhelming scent of your fear. He hoped he’d make it.

--------------------

He was on one knee in front of you with his head bowed when you braved peeking out again. Something was squashed under his hand, which took a moment to work out what it was. It was what was left of that vampire’s detached head, flattened into paste on the ground with splinters of skull coming through around a mush of brain. The rest of the body convulsed off to the side before he shot it without needing to look. Right in the heart.

You winced at the bang as bile came up and filled your mouth. You retched up the remains of a half-digested meal of ramen and broth. The festering flesh and your puke, as well as the thick metallic flavour, breached your nose. It stank like putrefying meat soaked in foul blood that should be crawling with maggots. You threw up again. 

The dead vampire’s blood seeped through the cracks in the pavement and trickled towards you, causing you to crawl back against a tree and gaze around. Everywhere you looked, body parts were strewn about. Who even knew which leg belonged to which body. There were no longer identifiable heads, only viscous pools of liquefied matter that oozed from the source body stumps. Some of that stuff dribbled from the leaves of an ash tree.

A wretched whine you didn’t recognize as your own crept from your throat and you hurled yet again. Your hand landed in the puddle of vomit as you bent over for your stomach to turn itself inside out.

You lifted a tearful gaze. Through midnight bangs, a pair of blood-red eyes watched you with an unworldly blaze. You whimpered.

--------------------

Aggression and the thirst for more violence thrummed through his undead veins, but there was unfortunately no one left to take it out on. The feeling of possessiveness left him berserk. How dare anyone else touch you. How dare anyone frighten you. How dare anyone threaten you.

Your distress saturated the air. He scented the other vampire on you and growled low.

He was this close to letting you get hurt. This close to losing you. The vampire king reached for you.

“!!!” You gasped in terror and pressed against the stone wall at the craze and blood thirst in his eyes, the breathy intake morphing into a fearful squeak at the sight of organic matter dripping from the hand that approached.

The tang of your fear tainted the air even more heavily, so thick it could probably be cut with a knife. Alucard recoiled as if you struck him. 

"You are afraid of me?" He whispered, drawing back from the discovery. 

He came back to himself and realized how he must appear to you. Like a bloody murderous monster dripping in the viscera of his foe. It took all his control, but he calmed himself. Irises swirled from raging crimson into a familiar orangey-gold.

Alucard was confused, he gleaned no pleasure from your terror. He strangely found he didn't want it anymore as he took in the sight of you cowering from him with your limbs drawn up tightly against your body. Even your small sandaled toes curled away from him. 

He said your name softly. No response. “Little one?”

Your lips pressed together and you clenched your eyes, shrinking further from him.

Alucard had been away from London for several weeks on a mission for his master Integra, which culminated in an assignment out-of-country. He almost didn’t make it back in time to rescue you from the ghouls and vampire.

"I will not harm you little one. That has not changed."

You stayed huddled against the wall in the fetal position, your gaze distant as you stared blankly at the soaked ground. Alucard couldn’t pick out any coherent thoughts from your head right now, only the unadulterated fear that was absolute and all-encompassing.

You couldn’t move or object as he bent down to pick you from the ground, taking care to cradle you in a comfortable position. He took off for your home.

-------------------- Alucard arrived on your balcony. Both of you were soiled and covered in filth, yet the balcony was no place to remain. He quickly considered his options before opening the latch with a thought and floated to the bathroom. He sat in the wide shower stall with you nestled into his chest.

…He was to report on the incident tonight as soon as possible, however…he watched your stiff posture and lack of expression. Alucard flipped open his phone and placed a call to Hellsing before putting it away after giving a concise report.

“Nest of ghouls and a vampire by Tower Bridge. Targets eliminated.” He hung up before the unfortunate sap who would relay his message to Integra could say a word.

He took another look at you and sighed. He detected no spilled blood of your own on your clothes, which was encouraging. He however didn’t know how to mend your other scars, besides wiping your memory clean again. It probably wasn’t something he should do repeatedly, especially with how traumatic this experience was. But if it will spare you this hell…

Your gaze tentatively crept up to his. Your pupils were fully dilated, your eyes so wide the whites were showing around the irises. The stench of fear permeated the air all over again and you made a tiny, shrill whine. You started quivering, then all at once, you collapsed into his arms, choking on your cries with your fingers tangled in his suit.

You were completely beside yourself in shock. Air came to you in lurching breaths you couldn’t control. Alucard remained still while you came apart, unsure of how to comfort you without utilizing his supernatural abilities.

“Ahhhhh…” You moaned softly, piteously. And still you sobbed, sending wave upon wave of your confusion and panic to wash over the vampire king’s senses. His hand drifted up with hesitation. It hung in the air behind you.

Again you looked up at him frantically, desperately beseeching him for something. Your fists tightened in his lapels. The tears dripped non-stop, leaving clear tracks over your blood-stained face.

“Ahhhh…” Your voice was so small. You were small sitting there helplessly in his lap. Your face landed in his chest, smearing putrid filth over yourself, but you were uncaring of your state of cleanliness. Your hands shook as they gripped their anchor with need. You were safe now, you somehow knew this, but everything that happened was too much to bear. You couldn’t just get over what transpired tonight. You needed…

A cool, bare hand landed lightly around the back of your head, bringing you back to the reality that you were alive. Another arm draped over your shoulders gingerly.

Your loose limbs spasmed against a solid frame that surrounded you. It remained steady no matter how much you quaked. Its sturdiness became the only thing that was definitive, the only thing you were certain you could depend on to hold you up and not harm you. 

You held on tightly to your lifeline.

-------------------- It felt wrong to touch you with his soiled hands even though both of you were stained from top to bottom. He figured it wouldn't make a difference, but he removed his bloodied gloves before making contact with you.

Then he sat with you for hours until your tears stopped. Eventually the sharp draws of air evened out as well and you were able to form words once more.

"Oh God, what did I see tonight?" 

"It's no use praying to God, my Dear, He will not offer salvation. But I will do what I can for you," Alucard muttered, feeling subdued now that your cries finally died down.

“What were those things?” You whispered.

“...The things that chased you were ghouls, the undead spawn of the lone vampire who set his sights on you.” He was hesitant to tell you much more. You were a creature of the day, a daughter of sunlight, and wholly unsuited for the violent way of life at Hellsing.

After tonight, you felt you shouldn’t even be surprised anymore at finding out that not only vampires, but other damned creatures of fable also existed. The obvious question of whether Alucard can create ghouls as well didn’t cross your mind.

“Are they common? Ghouls and vampires?”

How much should he tell you? His lips flattened. After your admirable show of strength tonight, where despite the hopelessness of your hellish situation, you remained steadfast and never gave yourself up…he supposed you deserved some answers.

“You will not encounter them every night, but they are more common than you assume. Lately they have been more numerous than in past times, but they have been exterminated from your old neighbourhood.”

The night is dark and full of terror.

Understanding unravelled over the course of this night like the queen of the night’s bud in bloom. Your prior encounters with this vampire were not as random as they had seemed. Everything suddenly made sense.

“You said you were employed…what do you do?” The silence stretched out, but you had to hear it for yourself.

Molten pools of lava flashed. “I hunt vampires and ghouls.”

Everything now made sense, but the revelation that dawned tonight still shocked you, especially after what had passed. You studied his face curiously, your voice now hoarse… “All this time…you were protecting me from the shadows?”

“...” The liquid pools continued to twirl lazily as this vampire studied you quietly.

"Alucard, I-" 

You were quaking again. You threw your arms around him and buried your face in his chest in relief. In spite of everything he did to you, by some miraculous stroke of luck tonight, you were alive, all thanks to Alucard. “Thank you,” you told him with heartfelt sincerity.

His eyes narrowed. The Nosferatu was not an altruistic being. Your gratitude was undeserved. You were right –he was selfish. You told him clearly that you wished for no further involvement with him, yet he didn't want to stay away. 

He had dedicated abundant time to patrolling your former neighbourhood. Ghouls and lesser vampires were non-existent these days in your old area as a result of his efforts. After your move to the other side of London, Alucard had to make nightly hunting trips to pave the way for your safety. 

He visited you on multiple occasions. One recent night, he had to dispose of a ghoul and vampire that stalked you. As he stood on your balcony to check on you after the fact, you tried fruitlessly to sleep, your fear so biting, he could taste it outside from the balcony. 

Somehow it was wrong to him. He enjoyed your fear for the better part of the year, but for you to fear for your life when nasty ghouls and lesser vampires hunted you, it wasn’t the same as when he did it. 

He growled, the unpleasant sense of having his territory encroached on pervaded. No one else was permitted to make you feel that way. He worried about what would have happened to you if he hadn’t arrived when he did tonight. It was why he dedicated so much time to following you home these last months.

Alucard shifted to move you from his lap, but you tightened your grip on his back. "No! Don't go!” Your words surprised you. “...Please don’t leave me alone tonight." 

The vampire was tense. His first instinct was to remove himself, to self-extricate from this baffling experience. Instead, he tentatively wrapped an arm around your side while you eased back into his chest. He was confused from the mixture of your emotions roiling through his sinuses. You felt good in his arms, and he was somewhat pleased with you seeking comfort from him, but you remained frightened. After the battle, he was disoriented to find he still no longer relished your fear. 

He put another hand behind your head to massage your scalp gently. This felt right. For the first time ever in memory, you trusted him. How strange it was to be needed by another person for something that didn’t involve putting a bullet in someone's head. Such an alien experience.

Time passed late into the night. 

Eventually, you sat up in his lap with your body away from his as you stared at each other. The showerhead let loose a drop of water from its nozzle.

Drip.

Alucard backed you against the wall and bent down to claim your lips, to make sure for himself you were unharmed and safe with him. You must have been entranced too. Or possessed, whatever. But your initial instinct wasn’t to flee from this vampire.

Your vision landed on the specks of gore marring his attractive face. Sharp fangs peeked out from behind smooth lips. An image of that twisted monster who promised to do horrid things to you reappeared. He too had dagger-like canines like Alucard’s.

Before your lips met, your eyes widened and your breath hitched, and finally, you shied away from him. He let you go, brushing off the tinge of disappointment. 

Much had happened tonight.

He may be a trigger-happy killer, but he can be a patient beast too. 

~To be Continued~

Next Chapter: The Currency of the Soul

Notes: Yes this whole time in Alucard’s mind, his creepy stalking was just his way of protecting us from the other night critters he hunted during your rendezvous. He was just having some 'fun' with us while doing so.

He may still believe that what he's feeling is a mixture of obsession and possessiveness, but it's been more than that for awhile.

Now that some "misunderstandings" between us are cleared up and he's in better standing with us, the relationship with our favourite No Life King will escalate! I'm quite excited about the next few chapters!

The queen of the night is a cactus that blooms nocturnally for only one night. The flower is huge and very fragrant. It’s most commonly white and hence also called the “moonflower.” Because of its short flowering time, it is seen as a gentle reminder to cherish the important things in life because they may not last until tomorrow. In some cultures, getting to see this rare flower bloom is very lucky and considered a sacred experience. The queen of the night attracts pollinators such as bats and produces dragon fruit.

Ahhh, I need to get back into my Hellsing brain so I can start writing again next week! Please send asks. Can be about Sabine, Hans, Barrett or anything to do with my hellsingverse please 🙏

It's my birthday

It's my birthday week. A new decade for me! Definitely feels different than when I hit 20. Been celebrating basically the whole week, but if anyone can send me fanart of Madara and/or Alucard (bonus if they're scantily clad), or direct me to short scenes of Alucard or furry/monster slice of life, smut, or fluff, that would make this dirty woman's next week 🙏🏻

A Night for Hunting Ch.10 should be out in the next few days! Got carried away with the celebrations this week! 🥳

A Night for Hunting Ch.4- Who Raised You?

Been busy this last week, but here it is! Hope you enjoy our latest adventures with our detested yandere stalker.

T/W: Alucard (Ultimate) x F!Reader, yandere, touch-starved vampire, awkwardness, I gave up trying to make the conversation better Words: 3072 On AO3

"You are working yourself too hard. I can feel your hunger and exhaustion." 

You saw the naughty shadows dance, the reflection barely matching how your body was moving. It was undulating and stretching under the faint light of the streetlamps, which was certainly not what your shadow should have been doing. The vampire emerged from the ground, oozing upwards to recreate his body and walk beside you. The gravel crunched as he matched your stride easily. 

"You don’t think it's because I have to entertain the likes of you every few nights? Unlike you, I have stuff to do, a livelihood to look after. A job to work, an apartment to care for, meals to cook —responsibilities, you know." You yawned.

The two of you made for an awkward pair strolling the somber night boulevards, his imposing stature was as flamboyant as your appearance was unassuming —his crimson duster in stark contrast to your quiet black uniform. You walked together in silence, though you kept your distance and attention on him. His hands were at his side, his stance relaxed. Your sideways gaze flickered up briefly to ensure there weren’t extra extremities planning on stealing touches from you.

It was too peaceful. The same upside down patio chairs and industrial-sized garbage bins parked backwards to allow for pickup as on the other side of town. This area was much the same, yet so different, from your old neighbourhood. It was just another quiet suburb, but generally more desolate even during regular hours. There was ample greenery though, which you appreciated. 

You glanced around the street to the darkened corners and crevices, carefully inspecting the usual favoured hiding spots for potential unnatural shadows harboring eyes. There weren’t any, although that smirk of his was ever-present. Annoyance flared in the pit of your belly. 

It suddenly hit you. ”Is your name ‘Dracula’ spelled backwards? Haha such a funny coincidence, unless it’s not. Who names themselves ‘Alucard’? It's so sad, what a wannabe,” you snickered to yourself. 

"Indeed. Isn't it quite amusing?" ‘Alucard’ tilted his head to gaze at the half-moon, his face mostly obscured beneath the sunglasses and hat. The sky was overcast, the modest light of the celestial body unable to penetrate the haze with the city’s light pollution also contributing to the concealment of the stars. This night held its own intrigue, but wasn’t quite as exquisite as the last, Alucard decided.

You arrived at your building and unconsciously held the lobby doors open for him. He didn't say anything to acknowledge your action, lest you become aware and try to ‘rescind the offer.’ You gently shut the door to your condo and toed off your shoes. 

After settling your belongings, you ran fresh water in the kettle to boil. You thought the conversation about your overwork was over when he spoke up again. "Come to the Shangri-la at 1900 each night. We will have supper unless I have other…arrangements.”

You scoffed at him. “What are you talking about? You'll do that every single night? That's quite a commitment I'm sure you won't be able to keep."

Piercing golden orange irises locked onto your scowling face, before the slit-like pupils contracted and he sighed, "Go there whenever you do not wish to cook, with or without me."

You gave him the flattest look you could muster. “Do you really think I can afford eating at the Shangri-la everyday?”

The vampire returned your expression before it turned back into a grin. What was he smirking at this time?

Your irritation spiked as realization dawned. “I don't want such an arrangement with you, or a sugar daddy. It’s way too good to be true and I don’t trust you. What makes you assume I even want to be with you? No thanks.”

“No other motives, Sweet. Only ensuring you eat well.”

Once upon a time not long ago, this vampire chased you through abandoned streets like a serial killer of women, but now he was acting the gentleman? You didn’t know what to make of him except for how he made you uncomfortable and you wanted him gone, especially with the recent news about the disappearances of several people in the city. Your heavy mistrust of this freaky creature resurfaced with force. Making sure you ate well? Was he trying to fatten you up before he ate you?

The vampire's deep chortle filled the room, which you hated to find was a pleasant sound. "I don't eat humans, little one, though I'm certain you would be delicious." His eyes wrinkled with mirth and you felt yourself on the defensive again.

“As if you should be treating some woman to the Shangri-la every night. You realize it’s a luxury restaurant in a 5-star hotel? An unemployed thing like you can’t afford it either.” You couldn’t believe you had to explain how preposterous his proposal was to him. After filling the teapot with piping hot water, you turned back to your guest intending to tell him he was being stupid, when you froze.

He cocked a brow at you, an insane expression spreading over his face. Goodness, he looked like a psychopath. You were right to be wary of him. “I am employed, little human,” he cackled.

"Harassing me every few nights isn’t considered employment, vampire. And stop calling me 'little human.' It's demeaning." You could feel the pulsing behind your left eyelid, a headache beginning to emerge within your temples from the endless back and forth.

"My visits to you are a separate matter. I enjoy catching you —it truly gives me great satisfaction.” The beast turned to shadow, into a seeping dark mass that trickled to your feet and clutched your ankles, then began crawling up your body before you could escape. Frightening memories of the last time he held you down as a shadow replayed themselves, but you were unable to budge at all to try kicking him off. Anxiety gripped you by the throat, yet he was weightless this time, and materialized just his head directly in front of you, shiny teeth flashing and towering stature proudly hovering over your head. He had you cornered and you glared back defiantly. 

“Are you not little and human?" He purred through a ghastly smirk at your shocked face, then abruptly became solid again, silently phasing through the counter and dining room furniture to sit at the couch. 

You gasped for some much-needed air as he left, feeling your heart's rapid gallop in your ribcage. 

Jerk. Was he reading your mind right now? You weren't sure. But you repeated yourself to be certain he heard.

"Jerk," you muttered under your breath as you scampered to the bedroom to change. Raspy chuckling sounded from the living room.

In the privacy of your bedroom, you stomped around, feeling only indignance and frustration from the incessant harassment. He was only messing around to make a fool out of you for his own entertainment, you reminded yourself. Ripping the black shirt off your head, you whipped it at the bed. What a twisted monster. Repeating the same manner of motions with your pants and underwear, you found your sour mood unimproved at all from throwing around your belongings. You cursed when you rammed a shin into the corner of the bed frame. That leg was going to bruise. 

Hissing in pain, your gaze landed on the framed photos in the corner of the room, immortalized moments of cherished simpler times. You went to the photos sitting on the drawer and leaned over it with your hands braced against the top. There was a layer of dust gathering on the surface of the drawers. Two of your fingers smeared the dust off in a line. It’s been awhile since you had the luxury of time to take care of affairs within your home. You sighed. Tears pricked the corners of your eyes and you forced yourself to take deep breaths. 

You may not be able to escape him, but one day, if the vampire didn’t maim or kill you first, he will get bored of you and eventually leave you alone. It was only a matter of time. Until then, you will have to bear the burden of his presence.

Forcing numb calmness over your mind, you took one final breath and stood with a straight spine, to present yourself with more poise than you felt. You dabbed away the wet residue at your eyes and smacked your cheeks lightly, then eased open the door to reenter the battle. --------------------

“So you can play with the lights, possess telepathy and control minds, have a lot of eyes, and you can turn immaterial and shapeshift. You have all these fancy abilities, perfect for scaring young women. Are you proud of yourself? Any other superpowers I should be aware of?”

Your unwanted guest’s duster was draped over the couch, revealing a dapper suit beneath, all brought together by the pretty red cravat at his neck. His expression was serene, not frightening as it was earlier. The fleeting thought of how easy he was on the eyes crossed the mind yet again, before your eyes narrowed at his comfort level and the way he made himself at home when he was in fact unwelcome. 

"My other superpower is that I'm rich." 

Wha-? Your exhausted brain faltered. "Y-you didn't. You are not Batman." 

He looked at you curiously, then EXPLODED into hundreds of furry bats. The absurdity of your situation didn't escape you, but even you had to laugh as you gawked. He made a movie reference, but you set yourself up for that. 

Staring at the horde for several seconds, you felt your scorching anger dampen, then evaporate. It just wasn’t the same when he wasn’t in the shape of a man, directing his mocking eyes and smirks your way.

You held out your hand to offer a landing spot for the bats. Alucard eagerly took up the offer. It was the first time you ever reached out to touch him, even if he was merely a collection of small winged critters at the moment. A larger bat landed on your palm and clung to your fingers. You stared at the colony fluttering around your home, some now docked on various light fixtures, kicking up dust and making the lighting in the room blink erratically from the wings periodically blocking the light. You turned your attention back to the animal in your hand.

It was black and furry, regarding you with translucent scarlet eyes and chirping in greeting. The animal lover in you ignited and your heart melted. You cooed at the bat, almost in disbelief that this was real, and alternated between stroking its back and belly. The animal keened, awkwardly climbing your hand to roll over and present its stomach while fluttering its wings and rubbing its back into your hand. Oversized saucer ears swiveled from side-to-side to catch the sounds of you babbling to him. The collection of his bat eyes around the room were focused on you as they soaked up your affection.

Alucard wanted more. Several more bats flew over to land on your arms and fingers, all vying for your attention. You giggled at the swarm surrounding you, with too many wings, feet and little cheeks and fingers to pet, you didn’t know where to go first. It was a surprise discovery that the wings weren’t leathery, but covered in a thin, silky soft skin. You forgot yourself and ran your fingers through another’s luscious velvet fur and pressed your nose to its face.

Squeaks echoed around the room and the flapping swarm merged to reform into a humanoid figure. The vampire approached with a peculiar expression, his face near yours, forcing you back into reality and to inch away from the proximity. The vampire's eyes were bright vermilion as he took another step forward to maintain the closeness between you. 

"Do that again." 

"Do what again?" Suddenly, you were jumpy now that it was Alucard again.

"That sound, the laugh." 

You gave him an incredulous  chuckle, ”You’re kidding, right?” 

"Not like that. Like before, just now when you were holding me." It sounded like the chime of bells to him.

Holding him? Who speaks like that to someone they barely know?! "You can't just force someone to give you a heartfelt laugh! Sheesh, have you never been socialized before? You are you right now, not a cute bat!" 

The vampire huffed and insisted with a low rumble emanating from his chest, "It was music. Do it again."

"I-I just told you! My goodness, who raised you?"

At that question, he gave you a funny look, almost like he was sad and pained, but it was gone just as quickly and he straightened out and collected himself. "I am far-removed from my days as a human." He observed your arms held out flat to your chest in defence and withdrew.

This thing was human? But of course he was. He must have been a human turned into a vampire, if the legends were true. Thinking back on the timeless beauty you found in his eyes when you first met, combined with the strange mannerisms, you figured this must have been long ago.

You didn’t want to know more about him or his past.

You had leftovers for dinner. Just a simple meal of baked chicken drumsticks and roasted eggplants with buckwheat, all made in bulk several days ago with lots and lots of garlic. Despite the seasoning, you didn't offer him anything, but only because you didn’t want to waste your precious food on him or allow him to feel welcome.

During the entire meal he stared at you eating. It was unnerving. He watched too carefully, his eyes capturing every detail. When your tongue poked out to lick at escaped sauces, you caught his pupils darting over to trace your actions. When you looked at him for a moment too long, his eyes would catch yours and almost drown you with their strange light. He seemed absolutely fascinated by everything you did. You shivered under the intense scrutiny and averted your gaze back down at your food. --------------------

You hoped he would leave after dinner, but the mannerless vampire was still here. You couldn’t sleep with him around. Knowing that requesting for him to leave would be meaningless, you chose to watch a chick-flick in the hopes it would be off-putting. It wasn’t one you enjoyed either.

Seating yourselves with him on the opposite (his favourite) couch, you kept the distance between you. Your lids already felt heavy. 97 minutes wasn’t long for a movie, but in your state, you wondered how you would last the stretch too. 

“You are exhausted,” he noted, crossing his legs to examine you properly. The darkness hid nothing from him. He could see you perfectly.

The air conditioner turned back on with a hum as the movie began. Sirens screamed past your building outside, but you didn’t acknowledge any of this. Your head hung low, chin almost touching your chest as the softness of the couch embraced you. You were drooping, nodding off, the darkness of night a welcome reprieve for once. You came back to awareness with a start.

You made a sound and mumbled, “I am watching.”

"You are watching a movie with your eyes closed?" His voice was quiet, not taunting.

"It's a neat ability I have." You shifted your weight to the other side and stared at the screen blankly.

"It's hard to stay awake after all that happened during the day,” you trailed off. So peaceful.

"You do not need to justify your human needs." 

At the low melodic timbre, you turned bleary eyes towards the source to make out only two irises, iridescent pools of liquid gold in the poor lighting. 

"Time to sleep, little one." 

It was such an odd feeling, like you were floating through haze-shrouded skies. You tried to shake off the sensation, but were too weak. Your lids got heavy and you passed out on a full belly, slumped against a large pillow with your head at a funny angle. In your dreamlike state, it seemed there was to be a strange truce with this nightwalker tonight. 

Alucard stared at your limp form, at the smooth expanse of throat that was bared to him. His eyes honed in on the tiny flickering pulse on the side. It was in the air. Your monthly was due soon, and you were fertile at this moment. His fangs descended. Your neck will be sore later if you slept like that the entire night. He licked his lips and silently slipped up to you. He faded into the soft fabric of the couch and reappeared seated next to you with his shoulder propping up your unconscious body as he emerged from the couch. 

There was almost no external light in the room, only what was granted by the TV screen. The hour was late, or early, depending on what kind of being you were. The blaring of sirens screamed past outside once more before all was silent, save for the occasional noises of nocturnal animals breaking the tranquility.

Alucard allowed the movie to continue playing to completion with you slumped on his shoulder. Two women on screen shrieked at each other for petty perceived offences, but Alucard paid the movie no mind. He watched you sleep, listened to the slow thump of your heartbeat, felt the puffs of your even breaths. He knew you'd be warm, but the prolonged contact with your body heat was more akin to a furnace thawing out his dead body. He caught your scent again, the enticing female pheromones much more preferred now that they were directly on him. For once you weren’t scared or anxious. He was comfortable. Your relaxed expression calmed him and his eyes closed.

Now that you no longer ran from him when he came to you at night, the first vampire honestly missed the thrill of the chase. When the pungent scent of your terror diffused through the air as you realized he was present, it shot straight to his loins. When you screamed and fled, his body was mandated to follow. He missed the exhilaration and adrenaline rush from catching you, addictive drugs which made him almost feel alive again, but this…he shifted to prevent your head from falling off his shoulder…this was good too.

~To be Continued~