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[pondbythelake]

sooooo i just like havent had the urge to write absolutely anything but i unfotunately do think this is a decent story so like have the pdf its hardly even a first draft its not done, but its like 50k mostly first drafted words that would be far too sad if nobody ever read so please enjoy what is here :)

( im still working on how to link a pdf that i dont want otherwise on the internet like its for yall not datacenters )

[pondbythelake]

3454 words. chapter 1. it could be bad. not beta read. vampires. except still not yet not really. its chapter 1 sorry it is just a lot of setup but its engaging set up. its like a verryyyyy long cold open

~~1870s ish, 300 and some years later~~

It had been a long day. Jack had been a the pub since sundown, and had been at lessons since sunrise. She always had trouble finding the time to sleep between the two. Only one hour more before she was able to go back to her bed and get some rest. Only one more hour of shenanigans and frustrations before she could eat and sleep. Except the night hours were always the worst, and the patrons seemed to be doing everything in their power to make it as excruciating as possible. 

It was a decent place, as the main pub for the whole town. Which of course was only about 300 or so people but, it made for a nice place to live, for the most part. Even still, most of the townspeople went to the neighboring towns for a pub, larger towns, more selection, or something of the sort. Which, honestly lead to a fairly nice work environment, on the whole. 

Most of the regulars never made much of a fuss, most paying on time. Just a nice place with a roof to get a drink and meal. Then there were the passer-bys, the people just traveling through. Always enough of them to take up a few tables, but would blend in well with the regulars, not making much of a fuss, but not staying long enough to make any real impression. Then there was the troublemakers. Now, some of course were regulars. But they were the worst of the regulars. They get plastered, they get into fights, make deals that go bad inside. Not to mention how they treat the staff. 

And for some reason, in this last hour of Jack’s shift… there was an abundance of these troublemakers. Far more than there usually was, normally only about five to ten. Tonight? It was half the seating area! Every time one would finally leave, it was like they multiplied outside, and three more would walk in. It was only the knowledge of her wages being docked if she lost her patience on them that she kept restrained. The pub needed all the money it could get, things were starting to get more expensive thanks to the crown’s drama. Not to mention, it was one of the safest jobs in the area, even if it paid less. It was significantly better than the new factory jobs popping up, and she could be replaced within the hour.  She didn’t want to lose that over a rough night. 

She set down the glass she was drinking from, after taking in the rest of the state of the pub. “Ready for the next round?” The barkeep asked, as Jack got up to go back to taking and delivering orders, and got a soft nod out of her. It was a small place, and the workers all looked out for one another. Jack put her cigarette out and asked it in the bowl as she walked around the bar, tucking the remainder into her inside pocket. Luckily, this was the last call, as it was only another hour till closing time. 

Table by table, bar seat by bar seat, she went around to the patrons with her usual closing time spiel, “could I get any of you a last food or drink? Last time in going around before we start kicking people out”. the patrons generally responded better to the slight teasing about the time, and they were too drunk to remember that it was what she always said. 

Most of them had finished, and simply took this round as their cue to leave, but one of her regular tables was the first to take her up on it. “Bertie wanted another pint, wherever he went, and just some more bread or whatever theres extra of in the back.” John replied for the table. John was a bit of burly guy, his time was most often spent working in the mines, collecting what then got sent to the factories. He had been quite protective of Jack for most of their friendship, and he would often be their free backup security if the pub needed it, well, free as a pint is. He was basically like Jack’s big brother that she never had.

“You can just go grab some, we just pulled out a fresh batch” Jack motioned to the bar, letting John go get it himself. This was their routine most nights that she worked, but the last time she told him to get it without asking, he complained it would be disrespectful and could run the chance of ruining her job. So she takes the order, and then he fetches it. Like a dance that they had made up themselves, one that the rest of the pub respected, and found a bit entertaining. 

While he went to grab the bread from the kitchen, Jack filled up another pint for Bertie. Once they were settled, she continued on her rounds, clearing tables and taking last orders. She had about twelve left, and she had left the rowdiest bunch of the night for last, knowing they would likely be difficult. Of the remaining tables, she started with the ones she had never seen, hoping they would just go home for the night. “We’re about to close up on the kitchen and pints, any last things I can get for you?” 

Dripping with the annoyance of patrons being withheld a drink, one of them responded, “Do you happen to know why your establishment was being advertised as having off the books products? When none of you seem to know about it? Is your employer?” He finished talking, nodded, and the whole group left. 

Jack shook off the confusion as to what just happened and simply logged it in memory as one less table to circle back to. But the question stuck at the back of her mind - what the hell was he talking about ? 

She looked around to see if John’s table had witnessed that, but it didn’t seem so. Neither had the other barmaids, or anyone else in the place it seemed. At least no one had reacted as if they’d seen anything. She went back to deal with the rest of the tables, and took a mental note to ask about it after close. 

Actually pushing the thought out of her mind now, she quickened her pace, wanting to be done even more than she was moments ago. She sped through most of the remaining tables, and it wasn’t until she had only a few  left that anything else odd occurred. 

As she rounded to those last few, the pub had emptied out nearly enough to be able to hear the conversation from a few feet away. “I think it was bait. Nobody else got it, they have no idea, and we can’t even smell it. It’s not here.” This was enough to bring back her earlier interaction, but at this point she just wanted the day to be over with, so she approached the table to take their order. She asked, same as she always does, and he gave what was likely the winner for worst response she had ever gotten, and replied “Are you offering yourself as a fresh tap?” 

He said it seriously, not an ounce of joke to his voice. But she didn’t know what to make of it, so she stood there for a moment slightly confused.

That was all the table needed, as the man once again, speaking to the other three at the table, “it’s clearly not here, I seem to need to have a casual little chat with our informant.” 

Jack didn’t know what to make of any of this, and had no idea who their informant would be. 

“Well if theres nothing else I can get for you enjoy your night!” She began to walk to her last table, when another at the table said, at the perfect volume for only her to hear, “Don’t worry. We will.” 

The weirdness of the day was beginning to break Jack down, it was practically enough weird-ness for a whole month! The patrons being rowdy was far more manageable, all she really had to do was sick John on anyone who gets too out of control, and he loved to do it. But the weird just rubbed at her wrong. Something about just felt, off. 

After pausing for a moment to process, Jack realized that the last table had left during the last conversation. With her tables finished, she rushed back to the bar to talk about what had happened and start closing up.

Only a few of the others had reached the back around when she did, others still finishing up their rounds, but it was enough to ask, “Have any of you heard of anything around here with a new drink or anything like that? I’ve had the oddest of interactions with people today.” 

““I think the house down the street has a new wine for headaches, but I’m pretty sure it’s just got the medicine houses used leeches…” reported the newest hire. No one else seemed to know of anything, a few shaking their heads and the rest looking to see if anyone else knew. The ones missing were asked when they came back, but nobody seemed to know.

Their speculation was halted when Cecilia, one of the most original staff there, quickly chimed in “It’s best to just ignore that kind of thing. They almost definitely won’t be back, so leave it. 

 That certainly shut the conversation down. When she said something, you do it. Chain of command and all, but mostly due to respect. She had been around long enough that she knew the ins and out of the place, and when things went very wrong, she was the one to fix it. No stepping on Cecilia’s toes. 

And with the conversation now over, Jack finished her cleaning, collected her things, grabbed the two bread loaves allotted for her to take home, and left out the back entrance. 

Turning to walk down the alley, she reached behind a few dislodged but overall unsuspecting bricks along the building, and pulled out a dark green cloak. Quickly but routinely wrapping it into her arms so that no one could see, and continued on down the dark and musty alleyway. 

She did this every night. After all, if her mother found out she was working in a pub, she’d be furious. As far as Jack’s mother was aware, she was studying her lessons with the other students. Her mother worked hard to ensure she could have access to them, it was a very expensive thing, especially since they had to pay the increased fee. Jack was a girl after all, and that also meant she was hardly allowed to even have an opinion in her classes. This only added to her dislike of them. She took them seriously, but also refused to place her entire focus onto them, much to the dismay of her tutors, and the would be horror of her mother. 

Jack accidentally tripped on a dislodged cobblestone, getting so lost in her own thoughts she forgot for a moment where she was. Shaking off the thoughts, she continued nearing the edge of town. 

She crossed to the last alley before the river, seamlessly opened up the cloak, draped it over herself, cloaked herself under the hood. This was the riskiest part, but after doing it for two months she had her routine nearly perfected.

The air blew in such a way the cloak suctioned to her skin, which meant tonight would be an easy crossing anyways. She just had to get over the stone bridge, which wasn’t hard, as the guard always accepted the peace offering of silence for one of her bread loaves. 

She doubted the guard would tell anyone, but she wanted to be proactive about it. After that, a simply four alleyways and she would be home. 

As per usual, when she arrived at the top of the bridge, the guard was waiting, although for once he didn’t seem half asleep and bored. He looked, well, concerned. She resisted the urge to connect this to the events at work, and walked up to him.

“Busier night that usual?” She asked disarmingly while pulling out the usual loaf and outstretching it to him. 

Taking the loaf, he shook his head.“Not so much busy, we keep getting word that there may be extra bandits or something of the sort  in town. It’s all been vague hearsay. Been hearing things from the hospitals, mostly.” He didn’t seem alarmed at the matter, and sounded mostly annoyed that the issue was even happening in the first place. “Word on the street is they’ll be doubling up the guard soon anyways, so decide if you’ll want us splitting the loaf or if you wanna bring two” he joked, while gently trying to shoo her off, the joke a thin disguise of the speculative concern underneath. 

This diffused some of the worry on Jacks face, but it was clear the Guard was serious that there may be more guard up soon. “I’ll bring two loaves, there’s always at least ten at the end of the night. Thanks for the heads up though.” 

She walked down the other side of the bridge, and slipped into the damp alley. Her mind began to wander towards the ideas of what danger could be around, given all the odd experiences of the day. 

She had always felt safer in the alleys than out in the street. The street was full of just about anyone, some desperate, some wealthy enough to get away with anything. Overall a much more dangerous bargain than the alley. They were after all, particularly invested in keeping the areas calm and safe. It was their home after all.

Word was hard to come by, and housing even more so. The factories had helped in employing more people, but it destroyed many homes in the process of being built, and just as many got fired as they got hired, leaving many to find makeshift shelter in the alleyways. So long as there was people in the alleys, it was safe. It was the empty ones she had grown to be wary of. They were oft empty on purpose, for one reason or another. 

She turned into the next alley, that connected back around the other side of the river, and was stopped in her thoughts. She had only gotten a few steps in, but quickly noticed the silence. Her pace slowed, not enough to seem caught of guard, but enough to give her time to surveil her surroundings and still turn around, she noticed the alley was empty. Great. 

The air around her turned cold, and she felt as the wind went from a warm small breeze to freezing, nearly a full gust. Whether it was due to the size of the alley or other means, she did not know. The silence was deafening. An empty alley didn’t mean much but danger, and the wind certainly added to its creep factor. . 

Jack didn’t know what possessed her to have the confidence, or stupidity, to walk through the alley anyways, but she did. The other route was through the main road, or she would have to swim. She couldn’t take the main road, as she was meant to be coming from the other direction and one of her mother, or her coworkers, may see her. But she wasn’t thinking about that. She just, kept walking. 

As she reached just past what seemed like halfway through the alley, she noticed on the edge of the wall was a dripping into a small dark and shiny pool of liquid. Given that there was no one around, Jack assumed the threat had happened earlier, and she was just the first to go back through. With no one in the alley, it’s not like it was going to be cleaned up any time soon.

Then she heard a loud clang behind her, and her heart nearly stopped. Forcing herself to remain composed, as it was her best, or, only, chance of survival, she calmly but quickly turned to see where the noise came from, after giving the area in front of her the quickest scan she to ensure it came from behind and wasn’t an ambush. As she turned, she saw two figures towards the entrance of the alley, that she had just come from, fighting. 

A standard drunken fight. They had come from the alley intersection. Entirely separate to anything happening in the one she currently inhabited and uninterested in her. 

Feeling her heart slowly go back to normal, realizing there was not an imminent threat, she turned back to head the rest of the way out of the alley. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The rest of the walk home was uneventful, and Jack was incredibly grateful for it. Arriving at home looking like she had seen a ghost would certainly cause her mother to ask questions that she wouldn’t be able to answer, and it gave her time to fully regain her composure. 

Her street was one of the only remaining areas in the town that hadn’t been fully impacted by the new construction of factories across it. Since the town was closer to the city, they were getting more factories than the neighboring towns. When people left the factories all they did was sleep, to prepare for their next shift, it was practically all they had time for. 

After all, those that came to work tired often left with missing limbs, hair, clothes, sometimes they didn’t even leave. Like her little brother. Being so tired that you couldn’t work is the best way to ensure that you would be replaced before your next shift, especially with how many children were always lining up for jobs. There was always a small child ready to replace you, and they could do it better. They were smaller. Easier with the intricate mechanics. But they also got hurt more. The paper stopped reporting how many little ones died in the factories within a week of them opening. Just took too much ink, too expensive. 

Since the factory had been built, more carriages had been going through the town, which would break the cobblestone roads faster than they could be fixed. Jack’s street was only saved due to the street being too small.The carriages didn’t fit. It only took three getting stuck for the word to be put out to not travel by the road, even though it connected directly. It was sheer luck. And it was the only reason the houses were still there. It was far cheaper to only have to build, not rebuild a road in the process. 

Her house was the last on a row of eight houses, except hers was technically the last two - about a decade ago her mother and the neighbor combined their homes. By connecting, they were able to put a shop downstairs. Nothing fancy, but it provided most of the basic goods for the street, and the girls help out with the tailoring and mending service they run out of the back corner. The combination was essential to their keeping the houses. When Jacks father died, her mother wouldn’t have been able to keep the house, and this ensured stable housing and extra money for both families. 

It ended up working out quite well, luckily Jack and the neighbors daughter had always gotten along. They shared the small room, with the adults sleeping in the other two rooms. Where the fourth bedroom would’ve been was turned into the hallway during the combination, and was too small to have added a room. 

It was about the right size for a hypothetical indoor bathroom though, and Demetrius (the neighbor), was determined to eventually have one, except for the fact that even the royals were only just getting them installed. They would never afford it. Still, he dreamed, so they weren’t allowed to use the small corner for much else but storage. 

Before making her way upstairs, Jack checked in the shop to pick up any mending work that may have been dropped off, which today was only a few pairs of socks with toe holes and a dress that had ripped at the hem. Easy enough to get done before bed to put back by the morning, so she collected them, grabbed a quick snack, logged it, and went up to her room. She quickly settled into bed and hardly noticed the empty bed across the room to her as she fell into a well needed sleep. 

[pondbythelake]

prologue. will have lesbian vampires later. not beta read. entirely written by me; technically all original work but can easily be an au for a many fandom <3 its like tv14/mature somewhere in between btw graphic but not like rated r explicit

1536. Somewhere in North West England, half a days walk from the coast. 

A castle once belonging to a long dead noble of forgotten titles and names, lost in the crossover of  monarchy and power, now belonging to a pair of siblings. 

It wasn’t a fully operational castle by any means, but there was enough of them to keep it mostly running. Some worked in the gardens, some the kitchens, some the armory, some preferred cleaning duty. Between the siblings and their pupils, they managed to take care of themselves.

Now, they didn’t actually need the food. It was more-so done as a rehabilitation activity. You see, it was essentially a hospital. The siblings would take daily trips down to the local morgues, and see if any of the dead would rise. Those that would, would find a home here. It taught them how to feel resourcefully, without giving into the emotions of the circumstance. It was a way to save those with untimely and tragic ends. And it lightened up the load of the morgue, and with plague or war upon war or plague they took that whenever they could. 

This, over time, turned into a whole school. They had started it up a few times, having to move. They got caught a few times. But they had always managed to rebuild it. After all, prior to finding this place, they had been living out of much smaller places. Only time for one or two pupils at a time. Here, they were able to save far more people than that. And they were able to pick up those that the less, considerate, of their kind left behind, and take care of them as well. 

Most of the others thought the siblings were slightly insane for what they were doing, always being met with frustrations or limitations about being solitary and avoiding packs - but they never believed it. After all, they hadn’t even had a bad egg yet. Of all their pupils, 26 of which had already left to go help elsewhere or just, go live, none had rejected it. All were, of their own words, better for it. 

At least it had been that way. It seems one of the pupils was determined to prove the opposite of the siblings. That no matter what they did - the vampire is a violent, cruel, and isolated creature. One meant to destroy humanity. No matter what they did. He refused the possibility of anything else.

And aside from the month being difficult due to the new prospect of how to handle a bad egg, it had been a normal day. The hunters brought back a new pupil, as well as enough animals for a few days of blood. The blood was prepped and stored, the kitchens had just gotten hold of a new fruit and made a pie. 

Until the sun set. And a haze fell in the air. Allowing the faintest of lights in the distance to appear. Lights that were not usually visible - they were miles from any others. Someone was specifically looking for them. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The rain pattered upon the window, a woman sitting at a desk, only lit by the glow of a candle as she scribbled away in a journal. Through the window something flickers in the distance. gone by the time she looks up. A knock at the door startles her, bit only enough to elicit a small jump. And them she returned to her writing. 

“I think it’s just about time” the voice behind her said, it was dark and grumbly filled with urgent sense of calm. 

She ignored him, not pausing in her writing. Getting as much written down as possible. 

“Lenore please. The time to leave is closing.” He continued, the calm disappearing with each additional moment. 

She paused her writing for a moment, looking straight out the window. Multiple flickers now in the distance. Hardly above her breath, but just enough for him to hear, she softly began.“There is nothing we can do.” She paused, but unfinished, as she slowly stood up to turn and face him. “One of our own has brought this upon us. I heard him before he left this morning. There is no where we could go. Either we let them go, untrained and unprepared, to be unleashed upon humanity like an invasive plague, or we stay. And get them all killed anyways. There were no options form the moment he decided to go to the crown.” With that, she picked up her books, and there had been many, and tried to walk past and out the door. 

“You knew all of this HOURS ago and told none of us? You didn’t think that might be important information? Give us lead time? Time to make any choices?” He was restraining a yell, so as not to worry the students, but it was nearly impossible, and he was beginning to think worrying them might be the best course of action. 

She locked eyes with him, books cradled into her arms. “You do whatever you want to do from here. But I have to go do this. He has sent in motion a plan we cannot stop. But if you let me go do this - one day there will be people to stop it. But I am sorry. Time could not be wasted on us. Our fates have been sealed.” And then managed to scoot out the door and past him, and the moment she had, burst into a run. She went out the back of the building, fewer lights flickering in the distance. 

Back inside, watching his sister leave them all to die. Only minutes till the crown-backed-mob attacked. Over 30 pupils. And only one of him. 

How do you tell them. How do you prepare 30 mostly brand new vampires that one of their own just sent the crown after them and there was nothing meaningful they could do. Rooms of brand new immortals. All just to die again anyways. 

Glancing back outside again, the flickers ever closer, nearing the point of being able to make out the bodies. And horses. It was looking bad. The building was at least stone, so they couldn’t burn it - again. 

But there had to be at least 200 out there. If not more. 

Still. He had to do something. So he began, going room to room. Telling them to go into the basement. To get into the armory. They had, even if still marginally slim, a chance if they got down there. 

But by the time he had reached some of the last rooms, and they were only just making their way down, did the villagers start filing in. 

First it was just the door, the pound of them trying to break it open. But before they managed to, the first window shattered. Then a second. Then a third. Then he lost count as the chaos began. 

The three that had reached the armory ran back up, in an effort to help the others. From the upstairs he could see it all. a few dragged away and into the carriages, likely pre chosen. Most began dropping like flies. A few of them were such new recruits. One hadn’t even had a first blood meal. 

Then the door flung open. all of that and the front door hadn’t even been open. 

And there he was. last seen at that door as a friend, a pupil. Now bringing the reign of terror to his previous friends. A pride on his face, as he looked at the carnage he had directly caused. 

Then he started counting. looking one by one at all the dead on the ground. A whisper to another, checking how many had been taken. 

The last few around the edges of the house had fallen as he counted, and before he turned to leave satisfied with himself, looked up at Clement with such satisfied distain that it could freeze a sun. and then walked out, without saying a word, the rest of the village following. 

And once again - for the third time, the program failed. The first two due to failing to stay separate of town. Now, because one of their own. volunteering them. Announcing them. All for what? Because he found his want to pillage more important than anything else. Including all of his new family. 

Clement stared down at the mess before him. He couldn’t save any of them. They were already turned. Already dead. Now they’re just, more dead. All that work to save them the first time. 

The sun rose. Then the sun set again. At some point clement sat along the rail. Just staring at the catastrophic failure. Eventually, after a few more sun sets, he began to stand. Practically starving at this point, he basically tumbled his was down the stairs, and out into the forest surrounding the house. After managing to grab a fox, it only satiated a bit of the hunger. But it was enough to start. 

He walked all the way over the a pavilion down the stream, and began to dig a hole for each. They each technically already had coffins. And it would be a long time till he ever started the program back up. If he ever did. He dragged each coffin out of their rooms, down the stairs, and out to the pavilion. It took three days. 

Then he took each of them, and laid them in their coffins. Each already personalized by them. So it was easy to tell who went where. Which at least allowed for one part of the process to be easy. 

The littlest, she was only 6. River drowning. Had managed to bring her back. She was always making everyone things out of flowers, so they had decorated hers in flowers. She had been one of the first out. Her surrogate older sister was next, she fell first. the knife still gripped in her hand was covered in blood. So she at least did manage to put up somewhat of a fight. She had come from the stables. The horses had nearly killed her, she just got stuck. Wrong place at the wrong time. Twice now. But un-savable this time. 

Then more. Then more. Then more. Each of the 30 they currently had. He could have sent for some of the graduates, but how. And would that not put them in farther danger? 

Once all the pupils had been burying and covered, he went back into the house, and boarded up the windows. Fixed the door. And locked it. 

He sat down at the dining table, fit for 40. And stared. At least 100 years would pass before he would move again from that spot. And even then it took another 100 for him to leave the building, but even then, the edge of the grounds was as far as he dared to go.