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***

'Hello.' Vanessa smiled. 'I am currently babysitting, so, if my replies are sporadic, you can blame this little one...'

"Harsh. I assume your friend's child?"

'You assume correct. Emily, her daughter is called Annabel. Her Dad wants in, suddenly. I mean, its not like he left it six years or anything...'

"Toddler-sitting, then."

'Pedantic.'

"Apologies. I ought to switch to email, I can explain my behaviour far easier, that way."

***

To: Vanessa Dawes

From: Vlad T T

Subject: Abstruseness

Time: 09:36 am

My voracity needs tempering, I've been limiting feeding, as I prefer to know someone is healthy, rather than assume. Hunger makes me rather, austere.

***

From: Vanessa Dawes

To: Vlad T T

Time: 08.39 am

In what capacity are you using the word 'austere?' Thesaurus is telling me it can be 'abstaining,' not that it is, in any way acceptable for me to inquire about that particular subject.

Vlad T T? That's cute, if it means what I think it means.

***

From: Vlad T T

To: Vanessa Dawes

And what do you think it means?

***

From: Vanessa Dawes

To: Vlad T T

If I told you?

Actually, how would I kill you? Stake? Sunlight? Particularly sharp knife?

***

From: Vlad T T

To: Vanessa Dawes

You've been reading Dracula again, haven't you?

***

Vanessa grinned.

***

From: Vanessa Dawes

To: Vlad T T

Predictable. Really ought to work on that. I know it isn't about you, per-say.

Vlad The Third? Vlad The (somewhat) Tame-Impaler?

***

From: Vlad T T

To: Vanessa Dawes

I am tame, compared to my previous life.

***

From: Vanessa Dawes

To: Vlad T T

You've killed an awful lot of people. Barbarian warlords, I understand...

Innocent civilians though? They could have been forced to serve that person. I don't believe everyone who follows say, a religion, or is in a cult is inherently bad.

***

To: Vanessa Dawes

From: Vlad T T

You are correct. I told my men to kill those they deemed the 'enemy.' They did so. I carry severe regret, burdensome. That has never left me, never will.

I was lied too for decades, my brother conspired against me, scheming in the background, having me do his dirty work. I should not have listened, I admired him, so much so, it blinded me to his truth. Our Father died before he could stop me. My actions fully warranted my end.

***

Fuck, that's grim...

Vanessa looked at Annabel, little girl playing with toy train, putting wooden figures into its carriages.

***

From: Vanessa Dawes

To: Vlad T T

I can't really say if you come off as a bad person. There's, something, lingering there in your demeanour. I don't have the language capacity to describe it accurately.

***

From: Vlad T T

To: Vanessa Dawes

I am a murderer, plain and simple.

I would not hurt you, or anyone else. I have not harmed anyone since my second life began.

***

From: Vanessa Dawes

To: Vlad T T

Nice to know...

Seriously though. That is your past, your 'past life.' No one can truly say their past is 100% clean, spot free.

I don't, won't judge you. How do you want me to view you? With fresh eyes?

***

From: Vlad T T

To: Vanessa Dawes

With curious, circumspect eyes.

No matter the guise, I hold you in high regard. You know who you are, founded your own path, forged stone, nothing has stopped you.

You are immensely compelling.

***

From: Vanessa Dawes

To: Vlad T T

Thank you. Uh...

Ahem. I'd like to think myself (somewhat) interesting, given I have gone against many grains in my life. Haven't had kids, haven't been married/thus gotten divorced, never wanted to settle. I get antsy. I find men my age want to begin settling. They've 'messed around,' in their twenties, so to speak, and now know what they want.

As do I...

But, I don't want what they want.

I'd rather be alone, if it means I am free to be me.

***

Click!

The front door opened, Emily, quickly followed by a man hurrying inside. Vanessa squirrelled away her phone, battling narrowing eyes, head directed at man. He was sheepish, on-edge, as he damn well should be, woman thought, given he (likely) already knew she helped raise Annabel.

"Thanks, Nessa. I owe you one."

"Another one."

Emily grinned, Vanessa winking.

"It's nothing." She purposefully aimed her tart tone at whatever his name was. "Annabel is a fantastic child. Really. We did well."

Man tilted head, well aware Vanessa could lunge at him, rip out throat, followed by vocal chords as he yelped.

He took deep, long inhale, exhale measured.

***

"Vanessa? This is Simon."

"Look," Simon piped up, as quietly as possible, "I fucked up." Louder, he looked at his daughter. "I was a coward, ran. I didn't want to listen, didn't even want to look at her...Annabel?"

His little girl's innocent hazels were the same shade as his. She looked very much like him.

"Hey there." He knelt. "I'm your Dad, Daddy." Trying not to panic, Simon offered hand to Emily. "I don't expect her to say it. Look, I am really, really sorry. It took losing everything to see what I actually had, what I needed. This was a opportunity to grow up, learn, but my head wouldn't accept such a drastic change. I won't lie, say 'I tried,' I didn't. Thank you for letting me see her, Emily. If that's all that happens, I want you to know I appreciate it, immensely."

Emily shook it, then Vanessa, man turning to Emily. Former saw truth, witnessed grief for his failures pour from his eyes, complexion paling.

Latter saw the same, knowing here wasn't where she should be.

***

She stood, wanting to let the two be with their child, give them the space they needed.

Quietly gathering her belongings, Vanessa pat younger woman's shoulder, walking around her and to the front door.

***

From: Vlad T T

To: Vanessa Dawes

Whoever tries to mould you into something you are not does not deserve to be in your presence.

***

From: Vanessa Dawes

To: Vlad T T

Sorry, I went quiet there. I left, Emily has some figuring out to do. Doesn't need me, glaring at her ex, stabbing him with imaginary needles...

***

From: Vlad T T

To: Vanessa Dawes

I could provide a pole.

I shall leave it to you to where it would come in use.

***

From: Vanessa Dawes

To: Vlad T T

I'm going nowhere near his arsehole, thank-you-very-fucking-much.

No judgement if you want to though. Go for it!

He looks like the type who doesn't wipe properly.

Though, I suspect, with ramming a pole up there, that would help, somewhat.

***

"I wasn't aware that was a type of person. Thank you, for that lovely image."

'Says the man, who shoved them so far up people's backsides, he could use them as pinatas.'

"I don't recall hanging them from trees..."

'Trees?! How many fucking people would you need, in order to need a tree? Branch, Sir! Single piece of wood, which just so happens to be attached to said tree.'

"A thousand?"

He chuckled quietly, darkly.

"Several thousand. There were plenty of trees in the Carpathia's, my dear."

'You pick the strangest times to flirt.'

"Forever an enigma?"

'Forever...strange. Different. I'll think on it. Date night?'

"Bold."

'That's your new favourite word, isn't it?'

Vanessa had typed that before Vlad could type single letter. Pleased hum left him, chest warming.

***

'Day date, then? Wouldn't you fry? I lack cannibalistic tendencies.'

"Skin cancer aside? The sun cannot hurt me, merely give me a headache, if in its gaze for too long."

He weighed his options.

***

He did wish to see Vanessa, had an itch that needed scratching, and required it dealt with.

He could, should deal with it himself. Vanessa wasn't there for his use, Vlad knew this. He wasn't about to throw her about like yo-yo, toss her out into the night.

Base view wondered what she looked like, beneath layers of wool, cotton.

He knew being deceased was (somewhat, Vanessa's favourite word) of a 'buzz-kill,' this was something he was unable to help, rectify.

It was clear woman hated Winter, and, whilst his skin was cold, heart frigid and blood resembled icicles when it clotted?

Man decided to contemplate answer over mocha, with lashings of cream, deciding nought fucks were to be given, Halloween prop frame needing some bulk...