Ever since he started having feelings for Ronaldo, Draluc quit drinking the supplemental blood packs that he was used to. It felt cold and wrong, drinking some stranger’s blood in front of someone you were interested in.
And so, he hungered. He wanted. He craved Ronaldo’s blood.
Drinking your friend’s blood from a cup was as sacred an act as sharing a promise. Drinking from someone directly was best reserved for those you intended to court.
Draluc’s family assumes that Ronaldo is his donor (and that they’re dating), but once they learn that it’s not the case, they quickly procure another handsome young man as a suitable donor.
Chapter 1: Mistake
Chapter 2: Panic! At the Party
Chapter 3: The Long-awaited Explanation
Chapter 4: Childhood Friends
Chapter 5: Pre-Gaming
Chapter 6: First Drink
Chapter 7: Scandal
Chapter 8: Breakfast
Chapter 9: Vampire Vacation
Chapter 10: Guild Gossip
Chapter 11: Hunter and Prey, Part 1
Chapter 12: Hunter and Prey, Part 2 (NSFW)
Chapter 13: Epilogue
It was an hour before checkout time, and the two men had maybe gotten a few hours of sleep due to their nighttime activities. Draluc had awoken to his alarm, and realized that they had very little time before they needed to check out and get back home to avoid the morning sun. He shook the other man awake.
Ronaldo opened his eyes at the gentle prodding, but reached out for Draluc, dragging him back into his embrace.
Draluc rolled his eyes. “I feed you too well, you don’t need that much stamina”
“Shut up you hedonist psycho, I wasn’t the one screaming for more after the 4th time.” the hunter said with very little disapproval in his voice and a smirk on his face. He couldn’t stop smiling.
Draluc pushed Ronaldo away, and stretched his back like a cat, before realizing the state they had fallen asleep in. Feeling the certain substance trickle out, he rushed to the bathroom. Ronaldo followed so that the two of them could get cleaned up.
+++
A couple days after the incident, Ronaldo and Draluc had discussed their relationship with Fukuma, and had planned an official press release alongside Ronaldo’s next novel, so that they could put an end to any rumors.
That didn’t stop them from being a shy couple in public, but everyone who knew the two personally breathed a sigh of relief. Ronaldo and Draluc had always been stupidly obivous, and not having to tiptoe around the issue was totally worth it.
About two weeks after Mihai left Japan, he received a fairly large package from Autumn Shoten with a Thank You note from Draluc. He unwrapped it, and sure enough, it was the Limited Edition Vintendo Switch that he had been dying to get his hands on!
He laughed, holding it in his hands carefully. [Babe, you have to come see this!]
Another vampire, who looked about 40 years old in human years, walked into the room holding a half-empty cup of coffee. He had slicked back white hair and glasses with thick, dark librarian frames. He was wearing a golden ring on his left hand.
Underneath his shirt, Mihai was wearing a golden ring on a necklace, too.
Authors Note: AND THAT'S A WRAP!! I apologize for the long wait, and hope that this series was worth it for you guys to read! Thank you so much for all the lovely comments.
I really tried my best on the nsfw scene, though it might have turned out badly, sorry about that.
Ever since he started having feelings for Ronaldo, Draluc quit drinking the supplemental blood packs that he was used to. It felt cold and wrong, drinking some stranger’s blood in front of someone you were interested in.
And so, he hungered. He wanted. He craved Ronaldo’s blood.
Drinking your friend’s blood from a cup was as sacred an act as sharing a promise. Drinking from someone directly was best reserved for those you intended to court.
Draluc’s family assumes that Ronaldo is his donor (and that they’re dating), but once they learn that it’s not the case, they quickly procure another handsome young man as a suitable donor.
Chapter 1: Mistake
Chapter 2: Panic! At the Party
Chapter 3: The Long-awaited Explanation
Chapter 4: Childhood Friends
Chapter 5: Pre-Gaming
Chapter 6: First Drink
Chapter 7: Scandal
Chapter 8: Breakfast
Chapter 9: Vampire Vacation
Ronaldo assumed that Draluc would be out completely for the next couple days while they were out sightseeing (going on dates). But instead, the vampire seemed to come back home during the early mornings, often right before the sun rose.
He didn’t see the vampire much during those days, but he could feel his presence. Every morning, Draluc cooked up Ronaldo’s favorites, and portioned them out into meals so the hunter wouldn’t go hungry.
The first day Draluc did it, Ronaldo assumed that Draluc had packed “lunch” for their trip to Yokohama Sea Paradise, and had simply made enough for Ronaldo to eat too.
But the food was too messy for a picnic, and it was Ronaldo’s favorite flavor of fried chicken hot wings. He scarfed them down quickly for dinner, wishing he could let Draluc know in person how good it tasted.
One day, soon, maybe, he wouldn’t be able to tell him.
The second day, Draluc woke up a little later than usual, shuffling into the bathroom. Ronaldo heard the shower and tub running. But more than forty five minutes had passed, and he still didn’t hear him come out of the bathroom.
Worried, he knocked on the door.
“Oi, Drac! Are you alright in there?” he said. He heard shuffling and the clinking of some items on the bathroom counter, before the door opened.
Steam filtered out of the room, as Draluc opened the door. The man was always well dressed, but even Ronaldo could tell that the suit he was wearing was particularly nice and fancy, with a nice subtle print and an adorable bowtie. His hair had been styled into its usual style, but it looked like not even a typhoon would break the kitty-eared look he always wore.
The hunter could smell a light, musky fragrance wafting off of the vampire.
Ronaldo froze in place, unable to take his eyes off the man. Without the cape that he normally wore, the lines of the suit drew him in, leading him to scan the vampire down and back up. Draluc’s normally small waist was accentuated even further, and Ronaldo wondered if he could fit his hands around him. Unmistakably, his face grew warm at the thought.
The two of them stood on opposite sides of the doorway, neither moving a muscle.
After a few seconds passed, Draluc folded his arms and leaned against the molding. Ronaldo’s face was bright red, and his eyes hadn’t made their way back up to his face.
“I don’t look that weird, do I? We’re going to a very high-class establishment.” said Draluc.
“W-wha…” Ronaldo sputtered. “N-no!” He turned around quickly.
“You were taking so long in the bathroom, I thought you might have passed out or gotten sick again…”
“Hmnnn….?” Draluc hummed. Ronaldo wore his heart on sleeve, so it was easy for Draluc to read him and understand what was going on in his head. But he didn’t dare draw conclusions from what he had just witnessed. He knew he looked great in suits when he wasn’t hiding behind his cloak. That didn’t necessarily mean anything about any deeper emotions.
“Well young man, thank you for the concern.” Still, that didn’t stop giddy feelings from bubbling up, knowing he had this effect on the other man. Even if it was only temporary.
A knock was heard at the main office door, and was answered by John, donned in a bowtie that matched Draluc’s. Mihai greeted the armadillo, and then picked him up, cooing at his cute outfit.
The man was dressed in a rather modestly boring, but appropriate, black suit and tie. Seeing neither Ronaldo nor Draluc in the main office, he walked into their living area.
“Draluc! We’re going to miss our reservation if we don’t leave now.”
“Sure, I just need to grab my wallet.” Draluc responded. After finding it in his coffin, he took one last look at Ronaldo; the man was hiding his face from the vampire’s eyes.
The hunter had walked away with the pretense of making himself some coffee. The tips of his ears were bright red, giving away the blushed expression that he was doing a bad job of trying to play off.
Draluc almost laughed out loud, but barely kept it under control.
Smirking, he said, “I left you some dinner in the fridge, make sure to heat it up in the oven before you eat it!”
Then, the two well dressed men and a well dressed armadillo left the apartment, on their way to a fancy restaurant in the same district as a Noh theater they had tickets to attend.
+++
At the restaurant, once they had settled into their seats, Draluc studied Mihai.
[Oi, do you have some kind of magic powers that I don’t know about? Like, something that turns what you say into reality?]
Mihai attempted to keep a straight face, but started laughing instead.
[I’m definitely human, so no. The only magic power I have is seeing the obvious. I’ll be expecting my new system to be in pristine condition, just so you know.]
[Yeah, yeah. I’ll start checking around at the game stores].
+++
At home, Ronaldo couldn’t keep himself from scrolling through Twitter. Even though he knew what Draluc’s actual plans were, he felt an impulse to check online to see if anyone else had witnessed the man in his finery. Sure enough, there were plenty of comments.
‘Oh my god, Dora-chan is on a date!’
There were a few discreet pictures taken of them entering the restaurant.
‘Do you think they’ll announce the breakup soon?’
‘I just really want this all to be a lie T-T. My otp can’t break up like this!’
I wish this wasn’t reality either , Ronaldo thought to himself. Were they really so close that almost everybody in Shin Yokohama already assumed they were committed? How had he never noticed?
Although Ronaldo asked himself these questions, he knew the answer. He had taken his partner, and all the things he had done for him, for granted. If he had even thought a little deeper about his inclinations, deep down he had wished that their lives would have continued like this, unchanging.
There were plenty of human customs designed to indicate that you wanted someone to stay by your side forever, now weren’t there?
Ronaldo struck that thought from his mind. Too late now, clearly. He kept scrolling.
‘D/ora-chan’s ass looks *chefs kiss* in those pants.’
Ronaldo was inclined to agree, but he threw his phone in frustration anyways.
+++
The third day of their excursions, Draluc was dressed in a kimono, as if going to a festival.
“Where are you guys going today?” Ronaldo asked.
“Mihai wants to see the Sankeien Gardens, and thought it would be fun to dress up in traditional Japanese attire.” He answered, adjusting the cloth belt. “We’re going to a sea-side bathhouse afterwards.”
“I see, sounds fun.” Ronaldo answered, deflated.
Draluc paused for a moment to collect his thoughts. He took a quick intake of breath, but before asking quickly:
“Would you like to come with us? If you don’t have any requests today.”
Ronaldo’s eyes widened. Why was he asking him to come along? Wouldn’t it be awkward to include a third person on their date? He really wanted to just say yes, even if just to ruin the quality time that the handsome bastard was getting with Draluc.
Pushing down the burning desire in his heart to say yes, Ronaldo averted his eyes.
“Unfortunately, I have business at the guild so I can’t.”
Draluc sighed, and nodded. “Of course, it’s too short notice. I hope you’ll look after John while I’m out.”
With words unsaid, Draluc left their apartment once more.
John, busy playing with his DJ set, turned to look at the hunter. When Ronaldo met his gaze, the armadillo shook his head in disapproval.
Notes:
All the places briefly mentioned in this chapter are real tourist sites I found on the official Yokohama tourism website!
Ever since he started having feelings for Ronald, Draluc quit drinking the supplemental blood packs that he was used to. It felt cold and wrong, drinking some stranger’s blood in front of someone you were interested in.
And so, he hungered. He wanted. He craved Ronald’s blood.
Drinking your friend’s blood from a cup was as sacred an act as sharing a promise. Drinking from someone directly was best reserved for those you intended to court.
Draluc’s family assumes that Ronald is his donor (and that they’re dating), but once they learn that it’s not the case, they quickly procure another handsome young man as a suitable donor.
Chapter 1: Mistake
Chapter 2: Panic! At the Party
Chapter 3: The Long-awaited Explanation
Chapter 4: Childhood Friends
A couple days passed, but Draluc never brought up the subject again. Ronald sat at his desk with his laptop open, apparently writing the next section of his manuscript. Sneaking glances at the other man sitting on the couch, he could see him humming along to the battle tune of a game the vampire was currently playing on his Vintendo Switch.
Ronald would have been annoyed, but this was the healthiest he’d seen Draluc in the past week. He no longer looked as gaunt, though the man was always ridiculously skinny. The bloodwine that Draus had given him seemed to have done the trick, the vampire was insufferable as usual.
There was a knock at the door. It was still late afternoon, too early for the vampires to be roaming outside and causing problems. The curtains were drawn in the main office where they were sitting.
“Go get the door.” Ronald said, as he pretended to type another word.
“I’m in the middle of a level! I can’t save.” Draluc spat back.
Ronald tsked at the man, and went to open the door with his best customer service face.
He opened the door to reveal a man at least a few inches taller than Ronald, which was surprising considering that the hunter was already taller than the average. He looked up and saw a face that wouldn’t be misplaced on a cologne or fancy menswear ad.
The man wore an alarmingly nervous but polite smile. Ronald remembered that this was probably a job, and remembered his manners.
“Hello, can I help you?”
“Hi, this is Ronald’s Vampire Hunter Agency, correct?” the mystery man spoke, with a pleasingly deep voice.
Ronald nodded. Damn, this guy is probably some sort of famous foreign actor right? What the hell is he doing here?
“Is Draluc here?”
Ronald’s brain fizzled out, all processes stopped working. “Uh…what?”
“Draluc, your vampire partner, is he here?” The other man repeated again, politely.
Ronald’s brain couldn’t find any words to say to the man, but he opened the door wider, letting him in.
The mystery visitor took the cue, and walked in. Draluc heard different footsteps walk in, and saved his game quickly. It was probably another person with a request, so he would at least pretend to help. Setting down the game console, he finally looked up to see a buff man taller than Ronald, probably close to his 30s, walk into the room. He had curly brown hair and hazel eyes that looked oddly familiar.
A second passed, before Draluc exclaimed, “Mihai?! What are you doing here?”
Ronald heard an unfamiliar accent slip out of Draluc, one that he had never heard before. Normally, the man spoke perfectly standard Japanese. But it seemed like he had instantly switched back to his mother tongue after a quick exclamation.
Mihai smiled, speaking more confidently in his native language.
Ronald felt annoyed at being left out of the conversation, but closed the door and went to sit back at his desk. Whatever the case, this visitor was clearly just a friend of Draluc’s and not an actual customer. John waddled in from the other room, clearly curious at the commotion, before he spotted the visitor in question.
John quickly ran up to the visitor, circling around him and “Nu”ing excitedly. Mihai picked him up joyously, cuddling the cute creature.
[John! Sweet precious John! I’ve missed you so much buddy!]
“Nu nu nu!” John responded.
[Mihai, really, what are you actually doing here?] Draluc asked.
[I heard about your condition from Draus, so I came here as quickly as I could! Geez Draluc, why haven’t you been feeding?] Mihai glanced around the room, noting his surroundings, before studying Draluc’s partner sitting at the desk. He smirked.
[Trouble in paradise?] he said, pointing to the hunter. Ronald didn’t know what the two were saying, but he definitely noticed this stupidly handsome bastard pointing at him and smirking.
[Can you not! Do that! Maybe!] Draluc screamed, covering his face. Why did everyone already know about this already?!
Ronald glared at the intruder, annoyed and curious about what was going on. Mihai took pity on the poor man and started speaking in Japanese.
“Sorry, I haven’t introduced myself yet! My name is Mihai, I am a friend of Draluc’s.” The man said in charmingly accented Japanese.
“Oh…Okay? Nice to meet you.” Ronald managed to blurt out, manners having rebooted and started running on autopilot.
“I’m here to be Draluc’s donor!”
“WHAT!” screeched Draluc.
The vampire’s face, against all laws of physics, turned bright red. Ronald didn’t even know that Draluc had enough blood in his body to blush.
In the span of 5 minutes that the mystery intruder was here, Ronald had already seen two things that he’d never seen Draluc do before. And somehow, he felt an unexplainable annoyance at the cause being this new guy’s sudden entrance into their lives.
+++
After Draluc had managed to calm down, he scurried off to the kitchen to make their guest tea. Mihai sat down on the couch, petting a comfortable John in his lap.
Ronald closed the laptop with a thump, leveling an unimpressed glare at the guy. “I heard about the donor thing from Draluc.”
“Yes?” Mihai said.
“How does that all work? Did you get a blood draw before coming here?” Ronald asked.
“Normally, yes, I would just send some blood packets after getting them drawn for donation. They can be refrigerated and saved for quite a while.” Mihai returned a mischievous look. “But since he’s not feeling so well, I decided to come here in the flesh so that he can take it raw!”
Ronald tightened his fist, trying to hold in his surprise at what he just heard.
Mihai saw the other man frown deeply, unaware at just how displeased he looked. He decided to tease the issue further. It’s not like he was lying anyways. He put on an innocent facade before continuing.
“Yes, Draluc needs to drink from someone directly. Draus contacted me since we’re childhood friends, and I just so happened to be in the area.”
Ronald crossed his arms, frowning further. “How could you be childhood friends? He’s more than 200 years old, and you’re human.”
Mihai grinned.
“I met him when I was 17! My family has been donors to his family for generations, and one of my relatives is married to a distant cousin of his. I saw him at the wedding, and we had a fun time dancing and just hit it off”
Ronald’s face blanched.
“At the very least, he’s my childhood friend. I think I started donating to him not long after that actually.”
Mihai observed that Ronald was clutching the side of his jacket sleeve, effectively pouting. He had never met someone whose buttons were so easy to press, he could see why Draluc was so intrigued by this hunter.
Draluc walked in humming, carrying a tray of tea and cookies. He set down the tray elegantly, before handing Mihai a cup.
“Two sugars and a splash of milk, just how you like it, right?” Draluc asked. Mihai beamed and took the cup graciously.
Ever since he started having feelings for Ronald, Draluc quit drinking the supplemental blood packs that he was used to. It felt cold and wrong, drinking some stranger's blood in front of someone you were interested in.
And so, he hungered. He wanted. He craved Ronald's blood.
Drinking your friend’s blood from a cup was as sacred an act as sharing a promise. Drinking from someone directly was best reserved for those you intended to court.
Draluc’s family assumes that Ronald is his donor (and that they’re dating), but once they learn that it’s not the case, they quickly procure another handsome young man as a suitable donor.
Chapter 1: Mistake
Draluc woke up slowly in his coffin, and lazily reached for his phone. He checked the time, and realized that it was evening the next day. Figuring it was safe to open his coffin, he popped open the door and sat up from his bed.
What a mistake that was. A strong, sharp sense of malaise settled in his stomach, and he quickly felt the rising need to vomit. He cupped his hand over his mouth, getting up much more carefully, stepping out of his coffin bed. Stabilizing himself against the couch, he made his way to the bathroom.
It was no surprise that he had ended up this way. Last night, after finishing up a job with Ronald, they both had made their way to the Hunter’s Guild to relax and hang out with friends (Draluc felt confident that he could call the other hunters his friends too by now. He had spent more time hanging out with them than even Ronald had). Ronald had felt particularly tired from a combination of manuscript deadlines and a deluge of lesser vampire hunts that had ended up on his desk. After a brief 30 minutes, he went home before Draluc, muttering about how he needed his sleep. Ronald had taken John with him, so Draluc felt comfortable staying alone to drink.
This was his first mistake.
He was feeling a little more faint than usual. Although he barely received any blood in the last 5 years, the last time the lack of blood had been a huge problem was when he was a child. Superior adult vampires hardly needed to drink blood regularly to survive, it was merely a preference. As a child, drinking blood was an act of need. Young vampires need blood in order to grow up healthy, and he wasn’t ever particularly that healthy or robust to begin with. So as a child, he often received donations from a friendly human donor.
But adult vampires, the situation was different. Although most dhampirs could receive sustenance on human food, and occasionally craved blood, Superior adult vampires treated drinking blood as an act of trust, friendship, and love.
Drinking your friend’s blood from a cup was as sacred an act as sharing a promise. Drinking from someone directly was best reserved for those you intended to court.
Hence, his problem. The last time he drank any human blood was probably last year, before his castle exploded. After he met Ronald, he didn’t want to rely on blood packets from strangers he had never met. And somehow, drinking from them in front of him felt wrong.
So he hadn’t. And now he was feeling faint, and a little woozy, No Big Deal. But the other hunters had wanted to play beer pong. So he joined them.
This was his second mistake.
They substituted beer for milk, for Draluc. And despite his great talent at video games, playing a game in real life required real dexterity from his physical form just didn’t have. Trying to aim the ball on top of feeling dizzy just wasn’t happening, so he was 5 cups down before Satetsu stopped him. Shot, his opponent, also looked slightly worried.
“Draluc-san, are you alright?” Satetsu asked him kindly. Draluc glanced at him confused, but quickly understood. The humans thought he was drunk off of the milk. Well he’d tell them, he was perfectly fine!
“Maybe I’m just exhausted from keeping up with that damn gorilla all day.” Draluc answered back. He sighed, cleaning up the cups on his side of the table. “Sorry master, can you put this on Ronald-kun’s tab?”
The bartender nodded. Draluc deposited the cups on the bar’s counter before heading out. Draluc waved goodbye to Shot, Batter, and Satetsu, who waved back before turning back to the group to start the setup for their next game.
Draluc debated walking back to their office apartment, but he wasn’t feeling well enough for the 20 minute walk. He hailed a cab.
This was his third, and final mistake.
To be fair, he didn’t know that getting into a car would do this to him. He normally never had car sickness, not even as a child (though cars didn’t exactly exist when he was a child). However, the combination of 5 cups of milk and dizziness made for a nauseating car ride. By the time he got home, it took all of his willpower to climb the stairs and make his way into his and Ronald’s shared office/apartment space. He opened the door into the living room to see John curled up in his coffin, sleeping.
Draluc climbed into his coffin, shut the door, and passed out, hoping to feel better tomorrow.
+++
And that’s how he found himself in the bathroom, retching into the toilet. Draluc could hear a tearful “nuuu” outside the bathroom door, along with the front door opening and closing. Ronald had probably returned from whatever errand he had been on. He had already spilled most of the contents from last night, so there was nothing left in his stomach to empty. Draluc was probably going to have to stay away from milk for a while.
He washed out his mouth, and then brushed his teeth. While brushing his teeth, he heard a hard knock at the door.
“Hey! Idiot! Are you alright in there?!” Ronald said loudly.
Draluc finished his task before opening the door.
“I’m fine. I just drank too much at the guild.” the vampire said, hoping it would end the matter there. John jumped into his arms, and he picked him up, petting him comfortingly.
Ronald took a good look at his vampire friend, studying his condition. Draluc looked more sickly than usual, with bags under his eyes and pale cheeks, far more pale than usual. Furthermore, he had a bit of a grimace, betraying how unwell he was feeling.
“Can vampires even get a hangover from drinking too much milk?” Ronald asked. Draluc snorted.
“No. But I got carsick from the cab yesterday.” He said back.
Any other time, Ronald would have laughed straight in his face at such a ridiculous reason to feel sick. But something didn’t add up; it had been a whole day since Draluc took the cab, that couldn’t have been the reason he was feeling so sick right now.
However, rather than press him for the reason, Ronald let it go. Whatever the issue was, Draluc didn’t want to talk about it right now.
“By the way, wasn’t your family’s party today? I picked up my suit from the cleaners. Do you still want to go?” Ronald asked. Draluc froze up; he had forgotten all about it. If he showed up in his current condition, his dad would for sure figure out what was happening and make a big fuss out of it.
But calling out sick was out of the question; he wouldn’t be surprised if his father showed up in person the next day, hounding him about his health and bringing a basket of goodies and get-well gifts. Not that Draluc wouldn’t have appreciated the gifts and attention, but having his Dad figure out that he had been abstaining from blood due to his stupid crush on Ronald was probably the most mortifying thing that he could think of.
“Yeah, I’ll get ready. It’d be more annoying if I missed it.” Draluc responded.
Ronald quirked his eyebrows. He wasn’t sure why Draluc was so determined to go, but he guessed they could just make an appearance. Unlike before, the whole family was aware that he was a hunter, so there wouldn’t be any more stupid games trying to hide his real identity. If Draluc still wasn’t feeling well, his family would probably be the best people to ask about recommending a vampire doctor.
And even if Draluc resisted, he would give him a quick chop and then drag his stupid ass to get professional help.
He was clearly feeling ill, why would that idiot try to hide it so much?
Ever since he started having feelings for Ronaldo, Draluc quit drinking the supplemental blood packs that he was used to. It felt cold and wrong, drinking some stranger’s blood in front of someone you were interested in.
And so, he hungered. He wanted. He craved Ronaldo’s blood.
Drinking your friend’s blood from a cup was as sacred an act as sharing a promise. Drinking from someone directly was best reserved for those you intended to court.
Draluc’s family assumes that Ronaldo is his donor (and that they’re dating), but once they learn that it’s not the case, they quickly procure another handsome young man as a suitable donor.
Chapter 1: Mistake
Chapter 2: Panic! At the Party
Chapter 3: The Long-awaited Explanation
Chapter 4: Childhood Friends
Chapter 5: Pre-Gaming
Chapter 6: First Drink
Chapter 7: Scandal
Chapter 8: Breakfast
Notes:
I'm so so sorry this chapter took so damn long lol. I promise the next chapter is going to be more lighthearted and fun and come way sooner! I estimate there's about 4 chapters left in the story.
After having just a minor, tiny breakdown from seeing the drama on Twitter, Draluc convinced himself to finish his meal and then go back home.
He took the two remaining blood vials with him, and then headed out the hotel door.
It was early in the morning; too late for any of the night life to be open, and too early for the regular daytime buzz to start.
Draluc strolled through the quiet streets, thinking about his next move. Nobody else was walking around, and an eerie fog had settled, giving the city an abandoned look.
I’m sure Ronaldo will just brush this off as the fans being too excitable. It has nothing to do with him anyways.
Draluc imagined the hunter’s reaction, and chuckled. Now that he wasn’t starving and had a moment to relax, he realized there was nothing to be worried about at all.
Ronaldo had probably just huffed at how Draluc was getting all the attention for simply existing in town, and rolled his eyes about how wrong people were about the relationship between the two.
Everything would be just fine, he just had to brush it off in a similar fashion until they both forgot about this.
Smiling at the thought, he arrived in front of their main office door.
He took a deep breath, and then opened the door slowly. Nobody was in the office area, so he walked into the living room.
He found Ronaldo curled up on the couch, cuddling John. Draluc couldn’t help feeling fondness well up inside him, and went to get a blanket for the two. They had clearly stayed up most of the night playing games and eating junk food, leaving a mess of pizza crumbs everywhere.
He would chastise them for that later.
He retrieved a blanket from the closet, and approached the couch. Draluc gently laid the blanket over the two, and tucked John in. Once he got closer, he noticed the tear tracks on Ronaldo’s face.
Draluc brushed Ronaldo’s bangs out of the way to get a better look. The hunter had a prevalent scowl even in his sleep, and didn’t seem to be getting much rest.
Don’t tell me that little “scandal” upset him that much?
The vampire sighed. Normally he wouldn’t have minded rubbing his popularity in the hunter’s face, but nothing about this situation was normal. Now was not the time to add gasoline to the fire and try to address the issue.
He glanced at the window. John had remembered to draw the curtains when he went to bed, but he could tell the sun was just barely rising.
Draluc decided to get a headstart on making breakfast, something a little more lavish than he would make. He walked into the kitchen, and started quietly prepping ingredients.
Ronaldo, scowling in his sleep, heard the familiar sounds of the kitchen and relaxed, drifting off further into his dreams…
+++
Ronaldo woke up with a start, and checked his phone immediately. It was late in the morning, almost noon, and he still hadn’t received any messages from Draluc. He noticed that John had gotten up before him, and rose from the couch, peering over the back.
The coffin was securely closed, as it usually was during the day. Draluc had come back.
Ronaldo sighed, relieved that the vampire had come home. He had been half-worried that maybe the Draluc would have realized his long lost love for his childhood friend, and had already made the decision to move out, packing his bags during the night.
He wouldn’t have the chance to talk to the idiot until it was evening, but Ronaldo knew that he was getting absolutely nothing done today anyways.
He got up from the couch fully, and spotted food on the dining table. Normally Draluc made something quick and nutritious for both him and John, insisting that they keep a normal meal schedule.
But today was different, as everything had been in the past 2 days. On the table was an elegant full course meal, complete with scrambled eggs, a flatbread pastry dish with veggies in it, sliced bread, and an assortment of spreads. He had even set out some cut fruit in a cup.
As far as Ronaldo knew, Draluc only went to this level of effort when there was something he really wanted, or when he was in a really good mood.
His heart sank. There was no explanation other than the obvious one. He didn’t want to hear it, but Draluc would probably announce his intention to leave soon enough. He sat down at the table and grabbed the cutlery. Ronaldo carefully cut into the pastry and took a bite.
A wonderful assortment of flavors burst into his mouth, mixed in ways he wasn’t familiar with. It was probably a dish from Draluc’s home country. Whatever it was, he could feel the blissful nostalgia in each bite.
If Ronaldo had any tears left to cry, the waterworks might have started up again. But the well was empty and dry. But his heart rose just a bit, resolved.
If he really, truly loved Draluc, then he had to let him go. He couldn’t stand in the way of his happiness.
+++
Draluc awoke in the evening, slightly exhausted from staying up late making breakfast. He grabbed his phone from underneath his pillow to check for messages.
Mihai: [Hey! While I’m here, let’s go do some sightseeing! Which places should we visit?]
Underneath Mihai’s message, a deluge of links to the official Yokohama tourism site were posted. The man was definitely scheming, but the vampire didn’t know what his friend’s plan was, especially after all of that buzz yesterday. Being seen together in public again would be sure to cause further misunderstandings and mayhem online for the Ronasen fans and Ronaldo.
But perhaps it didn’t factor at all into his plans, Mihai probably just wanted to really go tour the area after coming such a long way out.
Draluc smiled, and texted him back. He would play this cool, and it seemed like a fun distraction. Surely Ronaldo wouldn’t begrudge him a couple days off from work (he wasn’t even a hunter anyways) when his childhood friend was in town.
After finishing the texts, he lifted the lid off the coffin and climbed out of the coffin.
John was sitting on the couch, reading a book. After hearing his master wake, he excitedly climbed the couch, and “nuu”-ed good evening.
“John, how was it last night?”
“Nu-nu-nu” John replied, shaking his head with his arms crossed.
“That bad!? He was super upset about MIhai?” Draluc frowned. He glanced briefly at the table.
It was pristine as usual, the dishes washed and put away. The hunter had definitely eaten his morning meal.
“At least he ate breakfast. That’s somewhat of a good sign?” How was he supposed to tell him about his plans for the next couple days if the hunter was in such a bad mood? He was definitely going to be dusted at least a few times by Ronaldo’s hands today.
Draluc went to the bath to get washed and dressed in his regular attire, and then paced around the apartment. The hunter wasn’t anywhere to be found, so he was probably out on assignment.
After getting bored of simply waiting, Draluc took out his QSQ and sat on one of the couches in the office area. John followed and was cuddled up to him on the couch, reading his book.
Sure enough, not even 15 minutes had passed when Ronaldo had returned.
“I’m home!” Ronaldo said out of sheer habit, not really expecting a response.
“W-Welcome back” Draluc responded, struggling to keep a normal, casual expression on his face. Seeing Ronaldo in the flesh thoroughly brought back the embarrassment from the twitter posts last night, so he decided to smile through the awkwardness.
Ronaldo took one look at Draluc, and could see that the vampire looked considerably healthier and happier since the last time he had seen him. He nodded at his companion before making his way to his desk to get started on some official reports to the Guild.
He was definitely being ignored. Ronaldo didn’t even talk about his day, or complain about whatever small time extermination he was sent to do. Normally the man was full of grievances that he needed to air towards Draluc, but he didn’t say a single thing. He didn’t even mention the breakfast that Draluc had worked so hard at making in the morning.
Even if the hunter had a gorilla brain, he usually managed a “Thanks” or some comment about how good the food was (it was always amazing, and Draluc was sure he had outdone himself this morning).
He pouted, but like John had said, Ronaldo was not in a good mood today at all.
He approached Ronaldo’s desk quietly.
“Ronaldo-kun.”
The hunter braced himself. He gathered his courage before looking Draluc in the eye, using sheer willpower not to fall apart at the seams.
“Yeah?”
“John and I are going to be busy for the next couple nights. Mihai asked me to take him sightseeing around Yokohama.”
It wasn’t the worst case scenario he was imagining, but still, Ronaldo’s voice wavered. “Al~right, have fun!.....”
Draluc kept staring at him to see his reaction, but Ronaldo broke eye-contact. “There isn’t any urgent work that needs you, don’t worry about it.”
Sighing, Draluc walked back to the couch and picked up his QSQ before making his way into the living area.
“That’s good then! I’ll make sure to get you some souvenirs.”
Ever since he started having feelings for Ronald, Draluc quit drinking the supplemental blood packs that he was used to. It felt cold and wrong, drinking some stranger’s blood in front of someone you were interested in.
And so, he hungered. He wanted. He craved Ronald’s blood.
Drinking your friend’s blood from a cup was as sacred an act as sharing a promise. Drinking from someone directly was best reserved for those you intended to court.
Draluc’s family assumes that Ronald is his donor (and that they’re dating), but once they learn that it’s not the case, they quickly procure another handsome young man as a suitable donor.
Chapter 1: Mistake
Chapter 2: Panic! At the Party
Chapter 3: The Long-awaited Explanation
After regenerating, Draluc spent the rest of the party dodging questions from the other family members, and especially dodging having to explain himself to Ronald. Every time the hunter came up to him, Draluc invented a reason to run away.
Rather than spend the whole party chasing after him, Ronald decided he’d catch him on the way home. They had to take a taxi home anyways, so obviously they’d be sharing one. (Draluc would never waste money annoying Ronald when he could easily put that towards his next game)
The party was starting to wind down, and many of the guests had already made preparations to leave. Ronald made eye contact with the annoying vampire, an angry expression on his face. He nodded towards the door, signalling that it was time to go.
Draluc sighed, squeezing John comfortingly. John let out a soft “nuu” and patted his chest. Before the vampire made his way over to the hunter, his dad approached him one more time, with a small wine bag in his hands.
“Take this, it’s bloodwine. This should hold you over until your next donor shows up.” Draus said.
Draluc grimaced, but took the bottle gratefully. Bloodwine would definitely lessen his symptoms, but it was no substitute for the real, fresh thing.
“Father, you really didn’t have to do that so quick-”
“Don’t be a fool Draluc. The whole family can tell you’re love-sick and haven’t been feeding. Until you get this sorted out with Ronald-kun, we’ve asked one of your old donors to come donate again.” Draus let out a knowing smile. “I was the same way with your mother, so you can’t fool me!”
Draluc pouted, not wanting to hear this nonsense. How his family figured out so quickly when he hadn’t told anybody was beyond him! He gave his father a quick hug before running after Ronald.
+++
Ronald and Draluc had stayed completely silent the entire time they were waiting for their taxi. The two of them climbed into the vehicle with none of the arguing normally characteristic of them. Draluc dreaded the upcoming interrogation that was surely about to start.
Ronald noticed that his partner was acting cagey about something, and decided to start with a more friendly tone.
“So, what was that all about? Back there with your father? He said something about donating, but I know he wasn’t talking about money.”
“Well...it requires an explanation of vampire society, so it’s quite a long explanation…” Draluc said.
Ronald crossed his arms, looking at the other man intently.
“Alright, fine! I’ll explain it to you so your puny gorilla brain-”
Ronald punched Draluc on the arm, causing the man to sand again.
“OWW! Was that really necessary!?”
“JUST START TALKING!” Ronald shouted. The taxi driver flinched, but kept facing forward. Today was not going to be the day he interrupted a scary man in a suit.
“Fine! Fine! Just calm down! Anyways, my father was talking about blood donations.
As you might know, lesser vampires need blood to survive. However, that’s not true of superior vampires. At least, not the adult ones. When superior vampires reach adulthood, they pretty much only drink blood for leisure, like humans with wine. But young, pure-bred superior vampires still need blood, I mean they’re still growing children!”
Draluc paused, sighing a bit before continuing.
“And since I’m so frail, I’ve needed to drink blood regularly ever since I was young to keep up with all the regenerating I do. We can’t just go around hunting humans since we’re civilized, so superior vampire families usually pay a human family to donate exclusively.”
Ronald frowned at the idea. “So you guys treat humans like cattle?”
“Perish the thought.” Draluc countered. “They’re trusted allies who help raise our young. One of my childhood friends was a donor. My donor actually.”
Ronald sat there, deep in thought.
After a moment, he spoke carefully.
“So… why did your family think I was donating blood to you?”
Draluc grinned. “Why Ronald, aren’t we just best friends?”
Ronald tamped down the urge to punch him again. He faced away from his friend, glancing out the window. They were almost home.
Something about this whole situation just didn’t make sense. If Draluc’s family already had donors, why would they expect his hunter friend to donate?
And if Draluc had needed blood so badly, why hadn’t he asked him? If he had other “donors”, then why hasn’t he been drinking in the first place?
Ronald glanced back at Draluc. He wanted to ask, but Draluc looked tired. Really tired. These questions were probably best saved for another time.
Ever since he started having feelings for Ronald, Draluc quit drinking the supplemental blood packs that he was used to. It felt cold and wrong, drinking some stranger's blood in front of someone you were interested in.
And so, he hungered. He wanted. He craved Ronald's blood.
Drinking your friend’s blood from a cup was as sacred an act as sharing a promise. Drinking from someone directly was best reserved for those you intended to court.
Draluc’s family assumes that Ronald is his donor (and that they’re dating), but once they learn that it’s not the case, they quickly procure another handsome young man as a suitable donor.
Chapter 1: Mistake
Chapter 2: Panic! At the Party
While Draluc took a shower and got ready in the bathroom, Ronald started getting dressed in their living room area.
“John, has he been that sick since he woke up?”
John nodded sadly with a quiet “Nuu…”
Ronald frowned, getting dressed the rest of the way. He was wearing a red dress shirt and tie, with black slacks. Draluc’s family tended to have formal parties, so Ronald was debating putting on the suit jacket right now. However, Ronald decided against wearing it right now, pacing back and forth in their living area instead.
Ever since Draus had shown up unexpectedly at their office apartment, Ronald had his contact number just in case the man’s “darling boy” ended up in real trouble. The hunter had the elder vampire’s contact open, ready to call or text him. On one hand, Draluc hadn’t made a big deal about his “hangover”, but the man often had a habit of downplaying stuff when he thought it would only create (annoying) problems. But Draluc truly looked and sounded sick. If even Ronald could notice, surely his family would notice too right? And if they didn’t think it was a big deal, maybe it was some vampire illness that he has no business knowing about.
Ronald’s mind kept going in circles. Before he could make the decision to contact Draus, Draluc exited the bathroom at that moment, fully dressed and ready to go.
“Let’s go Gorilla! We can’t be late!” Draluc shouted through the door. Ronald, broken out of his disaster spiral, huffed at his stupid idiot friend. He picked up his jacket and John, and exited the living room.
“I’ve BEEN ready, dumbass. You’re the one who’s making us late”
+++
The trio arrived at the party thirty minutes late. By the time they arrived, the party appeared to be in full swing, buzzing with vampire activity. Ronald felt a tiny impulse to reach for his gun given the sheer amount of vampires, but fortunately he had left it at home. It clearly would have been rude for the hunter to show up with his hunting tools. Plus, as Draluc had said before, his family were amiable vampires who got along with humans.
That did nothing to ease his PTSD from the last family party Ronald had the pleasure of attending though. Luckily, it seemed like the main pain-in-the-ass, Draluc’s grandfather, was too busy to attend this party.
Sighing, Ronald readied himself for a night of mild pleasantries and correcting others that he was never a pole dancer.
Ronald walked over to the appetizers while Draluc was approached by his cousins.
“Draluc it’s been so long!” one of his older male cousins, Luca, said as he hugged him gently. Draluc returned the hug warmly. He saw Ronald walk away from the corner of his eye, but guessed it was to give the vampire some time to catch up with his family without the awkwardness of talking about family drama in front of an outsider.
“So how’s your boyfriend doing? I’m surprised he came with you after that disaster the first time!” Luca laughed. “He looked good in that bunny suit though.” He waved at Ronald.
Ronald saw Draluc’s cousin wave at him while snacking on the hors d'oeuvres, and waved back with an awkward smile.
Draluc would have probably done a spit take if he had picked up a drink, but instead he just froze, unable to speak. After a couple seconds passed, he cupped his hand and let out a hushed “He’s not my boyfriend!”
Luca looked at him with disbelief. “It’s okay, you don’t have to hide it from me. You haven’t ordered your blood supplements in a while right? I can see it on your face. You must be in-between blood meals right?”
Draluc face-palmed. There’s no way this party wasn’t going to be a disaster. He had to leave right now if he was going to escape without his loving, overbearing father causing a scene about his health.
“We’re not dating, I just forgot to drink recently.”
Luca scoffed, giving his younger cousin a shit-eating grin. “You haven’t told him yet? You guys have been living together for a year! Isn’t your coffin in the same room as him?”
Draluc couldn’t take it anymore, and covered his face with both hands, red blossoming on his grey face. He was glad Ronald had walked away, too absorbed in the great appetizers provided by the chefs hired for the party. Did his whole damn family already know about his stupid crush on that ridiculous hunter!?
Draus saw commotion near the entrance to the party hall, and made his way towards it. No doubt, his darling son was late, and was being surrounded by their family for greetings.
+++
Draus approached his son, wading through the crowd. He was currently conversing with Luca. “Draluc, I’m glad you could make it!” Draus went to embrace his son in a tight-but-gentle bear hug.
“Father!”
Instantly, he felt that something was off. Draluc felt much cooler than he normally was, and he could see the slight pallor on his cheeks and lips.
Draus grabbed his son by the shoulders, giving him a hard look.
“Son, have you been eating recently?”
Draluc was waiting for this. He had come up with the excuse in the shower, and to be fair, it wasn’t even that untrue.
“Geez, you’re overreacting! I went drinking yesterday and drank too much. I had a hangover when I woke up this evening.”
Draus narrowed his eyes, searching for the boy’s friend. “Where’s Pole-kun?”
Before Draluc could deflect, Draus spotted Ronald not too far away, sitting at a chair near the wall, next to Gorgona. She appeared to be describing something vivid to him, moving her hands wildly.
Draus marched over to Ronald, Draluc in tow.
“Father, wait! It’s not what you think!” Draluc pleaded, following behind.
They reached Ronald in no time, the hunter noticing Draus’ tense approach. Ronald figured the old man had probably come to bitch about Draluc’s condition, but honestly that stupid idiot deserved to get chewed out for not taking care of himself. He had questions anyway.
“Ronald-kun, glad to see you joined us here! Care to explain why you haven’t donated to Draluc recently?”
Ronald stared blankly at Draus, getting up from his chair. “Donate? What are you talking about?”
Draus blanched, turning around to face his son. “Pole-kun wasn’t your donor? When was the last time you had a meal? You asked me to stop sending supplements from your donor, so I thought….”
“I....” Draluc didn’t know what to say. There was nothing he could say in this situation that wouldn’t immediately reveal his no-doubt-unwanted feelings, and he would rather die than reveal them this way. Instead, he disintegrated into a pile of sand.
“Draaaaluc! My poor baby! Don’t worry, Papa will take care of it!”
Ronald stood there, flabbergasted at their exchange. He knew Draluc died easily, but he didn’t understand what their conversation was even about. However, it seemed like Draus had noticed that his son wasn’t feeling well.
The hunter sighed. Whatever it was, at least it was being taken care of by someone who knew what the hell was going on.
Notes:
I just made up a name for Draluc's cousin, hope that's alright lol.
Ever since he started having feelings for Ronald, Draluc quit drinking the supplemental blood packs that he was used to. It felt cold and wrong, drinking some stranger’s blood in front of someone you were interested in.
And so, he hungered. He wanted. He craved Ronald’s blood.
Drinking your friend’s blood from a cup was as sacred an act as sharing a promise. Drinking from someone directly was best reserved for those you intended to court.
Draluc’s family assumes that Ronald is his donor (and that they’re dating), but once they learn that it’s not the case, they quickly procure another handsome young man as a suitable donor.
Chapter 1: Mistake
Chapter 2: Panic! At the Party
Chapter 3: The Long-awaited Explanation
Chapter 4: Childhood Friends
Chapter 5: Pre-Gaming
Chapter 6: First Drink
Notes:
Sorry for the long wait! From now on, I'm switching from Ronald to Ronaldo. I've had to autocorrect everything to Ronald, and it's making writing difficult when I keep thinking about Ronald McDonald lol.
I'll go back and change it in earlier chapters (for AO3, I might be too lazy to change it on all the tumblr chapters)
Draluc and Mihai made their way into the cold Shin Yokohama air, walking brusquely. Mihai had picked a hotel not too far from where Draluc lived, so that it would make their feeding sessions easier.
As lively as their conversation had been in the apartment, the walk had been comfortably silent, the two of them simply enjoying the view of the city and its lively residents. They arrived at the hotel, and walked through its grand entrance. The receptionist at the front smiled and bowed politely. When she raised her head to actually identify the guests, she couldn’t hide her shock.
As an avid fan of the Ronaldo War Chronicles, she recognized this particular vampire easily!
“He’s with me” Mihai said, taking out a keycard to show that he had already checked in at the hotel.
The receptionist nodded, composing herself, and motioned towards the elevators. “Please enjoy your stay, sirs.”
Draluc and Mihai walked into the elevator. Meanwhile, she sneakily took out her phone, and started rapidly typing on Twitter.
When they got into the elevator, Mihai pressed the button for the top floor.
[A luxury suite?] Draluc questioned.
Mihai shrugged. [Your dad insisted! And I’m not the one paying so why not, y’know?]
When they arrived at their floor, they walked down a gleaming hallway, and stopped at a set of ornate double doors. The taller man swiped his keycard for the room, and opened the double doors to reveal a lavish living room, with hallways leading off into other additional rooms.
[I guess your family assumed I would be staying here for quite a while.] Mihai said with a wink.
Draluc rolled his eyes. The vampire walked into the room and plopped himself on the comfiest looking double-seat sofa.
[Let me get equipment, I’ll be right back!] the human said, before scurrying off to the master bedroom somewhere down the hallway. Mihai returned with a red phlebotomy box, a sharps container, and a pack of latex gloves, and alcohol wipes.
Draluc observed as the other man laid the phlebotomy equipment out on the coffee table, and then smiled. “I thought you were going to let me feed from you directly?” He chided in Japanese.
Mihai returned a devious smile. “I’d be happy to let you do so, but I think I’m not the one you want to be sinking your fangs into?”
Draluc had the slightest dusting of blood in his cheeks, before frowning. “I don’t think that’s happening anytime soon.”
Mihai sighed, taking off the suit jacket and dress shirt that he had on, leaving only a white, clean tank top. He put on a clean pair of latex gloves, then tore open a small square alcohol wipe, using it on the inside of his left arm, right above his elbow at a nice thick vein. He then reached for a butterfly needle, relaxing his arm before inserting the needle methodically. He held the needle in place with his right hand, nodding to Draluc. Fresh, red blood bubbled into the long thin tube.
Draluc, experienced in the procedure, grabbed the small plastic vials in the box, and attached them to the valve on the other end of the long tube attached to the needle. When one vial finished, he disconnected it and replaced it with another. The first 2 vials filled up quickly, blood spurting into the rounded end of the tube.
The third vial filled up at a moderate pace, rushing in smoothly like a waterfall.
The blood filled the fourth vial much slower. Mihai opened up his left fist in order to let the blood in his arm drain a little faster. Blood trickled in gently.
“How many should we do?” Draluc asked.
“I think 5 vials should be good for today.”
Draluc nodded, connecting the last vial.
Once the last vial was full, Draluc disconnected it and placed it next to the other full tubes. Mihai removed the needle from his arm and deposited it into a conspicuous red container meant for sharps. He then quickly grabbed gauze and held it firmly against his wound.
Draluc sat there, still, staring down at one of the tubes in his hand. If it was anyone else in that room, they might have thought that the vampire was being pensive, deep in thought. But Mihai knew better. Even though he wasn’t as old as Draluc, he had known him for a good portion of his own life, and had gotten used to deciphering his microexpressions when he was hiding anything that was troubling him.
Draluc had a wistful sadness in his eyes, unable to hide his longing.
Mihai couldn’t bear seeing his friend in such a sorry state. “Is there a reason why you haven’t told him?”
Draluc sighed once more, screwing open the cap to the tube, and taking a small sip. The warmth of the blood filled him with tenderness. He felt like he was going to dust at this rate if he drank it as fast as his hunger compelled him to, so he held back. He took the tiniest sips possible.
“Do you know how Ronaldo and I met?”
Mihai nodded.
“Then you know how that boorish, stupid fool would never entertain the possibility. He’s too painfully straight, and the reason we’re both currently living together was a mere whim of mine.” Draluc said. “It’s not like he particularly asked me to stay.”
“On top of all those reasons, I don’t want to ruin what we currently have.” the vampire said, with a wistful smile. “Grandfather reminded me once, to take care of my human friends. That includes you too, of course. But you can imagine how unbearably awkward it would be, if I told him that I had feelings for him and he didn’t return them!”
“I would never recover from the embarrassment! I’d definitely want to leave the city, if not the country! Goodbye Japan, Welcome Home Draluc!”
The brown haired man struggled to keep his expression straight, a laugh breaking through his serious face. [You didn’t consider what would happen if he did like you back?]
[Of course I did! And I found that highly unlikely! That breast-obsessed gorilla? Interested in me? I would like to know what exactly it is that everyone is smoking, that they’re so convinced he likes me!] Draluc exclaimed.
Mihai couldn’t keep it in any longer, his laugh growing into a deep, belly shaking guffaw.
Draluc pouted, sipping his blood vial in between glares at his friend.
After a good few minutes of continuous laughter, Mihai finally gathered himself, stomach muscles aching from the workout they just got.
[I am one hundred percent certain that he likes you, and I’ve only known him for a couple hours.] the human said, taping down the gauze to his arm. [In fact, I can prove it. I’ll bet you my limited edition signed copy of Dragon Quest 11.]
Draluc’s eyes widened. Mihai loved that game, it was his favorite. He had played that game at least 3 different times, each playthrough at least 100 hours long. [You’re joking.]
[I’m not.] Mihai smirked. [Your poor boyfriend will have his neck ravaged by the time I’m done]
[What’s in it for you?] the vampire asked. Draluc didn’t really want his friend’s prized possession, but he now understood how serious he was being.
[I want the special edition DQ Vintendo Switch, when I inevitably win. They’re hard to find, but I’m sure you could acquire one with your publishing connections.]
Draluc facepalmed, but held his right hand out. Mihai reciprocated the handshake.
Notes:
My DQ agenda is showing, and that's okay. Go play DQ11S!
