#vampire vlad

[thesoulspulse]

You can honestly never go wrong with some Vampire Vlad action. Now I just need to design a cool outfit for him!

[echoghost1]

AngstFest 2023 Day 02

Title: Just One Bite

Chapter Title: An Illusion of Control

Summary: Vlad had spent so long planning and so long waiting for just the right time to strike. He was not prepared for this much improvising.

Danny didn’t think much of the last-minute family trip up north for his parent’s college reunion. He should have asked to stay home.

Tags: Vampire AU, Vlad POV, Danny POV, No One Knows AU

You can read on AO3 or down below the cut

Ch 1 | Ch 3

Vlad waited until everyone had finally gone to sleep. He waited for hours.

Then he slipped out of his room and silently crept down the hall.

He waited just outside the closed bedroom door as the couple inside slept.

He waited in the dark.

Sometime after two, Jack got up to use the restroom.

Now was his chance.

The door was left open.

Vlad whispered for Maddie. Called to her softly from just beyond the threshold.

He just needed her to wake up enough to try and find the source of the sound but not enough to identify it.

Just enough to make her curious.

He whispers one last time as she starts to stir and then slips back into the dark.

Carefully he leads her out of the room and down the hall.

It took a lot of practice to move about without a sound, but he had plenty of time to practice.

He led her to the bookcase with the secret entrance. He was just far enough ahead that he could slip inside and the door could close before she made it around the corner.

The door softly thumped closed. It wasn’t very loud, but he knew she heard it.

He made himself comfortable in his secluded den as he waited for her to figure out which book was the lever.

It didn't take long for her to enter.

She was so smart.

"Hello, my dear." He greeted from the comfort of his large winged armchair.

"Vlad?" Maddie said momentarily surprised before she regained her composure.

"Were you expecting someone else?" He teased.

"More like something else." She muttered.

He decided to ignore that for now.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"In my house?"

She sighed and rolled her eyes, "why are you awake at this hour? It's almost three in the morning."

"I could ask you the same thing."

She pauses for a moment, realizing she walked right into that. She took a moment, as if considering something, before she spoke again, “Something woke me up and I followed it here.”

“Still chasing the things that go bump in the night?”

“You say that like you don’t believe anymore?”

“On the contrary my dear, I’ve moved passed belief. It’s knowledge now. Truth.”

He stands up from his seat and takes a few paces towards her, “knowledge that I will gladly share with you.”

She narrows her eyes and watches him approach, “What’s the catch.”

Clever as always.

“When the reunion ends, say your goodbyes to everyone and stay here with me.”

“I can’t just leave. I have a family! I’m married!”

“It’s called a divorce. Plus, your children are teenagers, they’ll be fine.”

“Are you even hearing yourself right now?”

“Madaline why are you being so difficult? I’m promising you so much.”

“I’d be giving up even more.”

“You can’t be serious?”

“I could as you the same thing,” she said using his own words against him.

“Maddie please, you aren’t even thinking it over. There’s so much I can share with you.”

“At the price of my family?”

“It’s not like I’m asking you to kill them. Just leave them behind. It’s not like you haven’t done it before.”

“I’ve never-!” she started, but he cut her off.

“Liar!” He yelled.

She stared at him like a deer in the headlights.

He took a breath, “You left me. I was trapped and you both just left me there. Trapped in that house.”

In this house.

“Vlad I’m sorry. We were young and scared. We shouldn’t have left you there.”

“No, you shouldn’t have.”

She was quiet for a moment. Thinking over what was said before she spoke again.

“If you’re still mad about that, why do you want me to stay with you?”

He ignored the fact that he had every right to be mad after all he had been through. This wasn’t about that.

He wasn’t mad at her.

He could never be mad at her.

“Maddie, my dear, I’m willing to forgive you. I’m ready to. I just need you to stay.”

“You didn’t say why.”

‘“Do I need to?”

“Yes,” she said bluntly.

“Maddie,” he really was just going to have to say it, wasn’t he? “Maddie, I love you. I’ve always loved you.”

She shook her head.

Why was she doing that?

“No.” She took a half step back but kept her feet planted firmly. “No, you don’t.

“What are you talking about? Of course, I love you.”

“You may have had a crush on me in college, and for whatever reason you fixated on it, but you don’t love me. You like the ideal dream version of me that lives in your head. That girl isn’t real and she certainly isn’t me.” then she took a step towards Vlad, “Now I’m going to turn around and open this door. If you try anything, I’ll show you how I earned my black belt in Jiu-jitsu.”

Vlad didn’t move.

He didn’t say a word as she opened the door and walked out.

This wasn’t how this was supposed to go.

She wasn’t supposed to say no.

Why did she say no?

“Mom?”

Vlad perked up at the voice. Maddie’s son was down the hall.

“Oh sweetie, what are you doing up at this hour?” she said with a voice so sweet that you would never guess she had just threatened a man two seconds ago.

Vlad had let the door close, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have a way to watch.

He flipped open the false book on the table by the door and pulled out the remote control. A button press later and one of the shelves that lined the outer wall opened to reveal a screen that showed the hall.

“Couldn’t sleep. The house kept making weird noises, then I thought I heard yelling. Are you okay?”

“Oh, I’m fine dear. I was having a hard time sleeping too.” She brushed the hair away from his forehead and kissed it, “why don’t we go back now? We really shouldn’t be wandering around another person’s house this late.”

“Actually I’m a little thirsty.”

“Alright, I’m sure it’ll be alright if you get yourself something to drink in the kitchen, but then right to bed okay?”

“Okay,” Danny said with a sleepy smile.

The pair hugged and then parted ways.

Vlad just stared.

Maddie’s rejection was bad enough, but to see the way she doted on that boy of hers was even worse.

She needed to pay.

He needed her to hurt like he hurt.

To do that he needed to take away something she loved. Take away the thing she loved the most.

It wasn’t her husband.

Nor the daughter.

Vlad smiled to himself as a new plan started to come together.

[urbanshaman30]

On this day - 14th December 1476

.

Death of Vlad Țepeș - Vlad the Impaler

.

Vlad the Impaler was born - and died - in Romania.

However, where and how his death happened, and where Vlad’s body was laid to rest, is cloaked in mystery.

One such place accepted as Vlad's final resting place, is Snagov Monastery.

Snagov Monastery, sits on a small island in the middle of Snagov Lake, about 30 kilometers north of Bucharest.

Access is from the tiny village of Silestru.

The mystery surrounding Snagov Monastery begins with its origins.

Some experts claim it was founded by the grandfather of Vlad Țepeș.

Some say Țepeș ordered its construction himself.

Other historians suggest that it dates from around 1408, meaning that neither Vlad nor his grandfather was the likely founder.

Vlad’s death continues the mystery.

Scholars generally agree that he was killed on 14th December 1476, but whether he died in battle against the Turks, or was assassinated by political enemies from his own country, has not been established conclusively.

Being an ill-tempered, bloodthirsty leader, Vlad had a LOT of enemies!!

Scholars generally believe that Vlad was decapitated, and that his head was taken to the Ottoman rulers in Constantinople.

But what about his body?

Its suggested that Vlad may have died not far from Lake Snagov, and that logically, this was the favoured location for interment of his body.

Vlad’s followers did not want to see their leader’s body defiled, or used for propaganda purposes.

So they buried him in this remote, inaccessible setting, with an additional precaution.

They buried his body deep beneath the church floor.

Above his tomb they created a false grave and filled it with animal bones.

When researchers dug under the church in 1933 and only found animal bones, the reaction by academics was -

“This can’t be the right grave.”

Reaction by the superstitious was,

“The vampire has flown away.”

The reaction from loyalists was,

“He is still safe down there.” ~

[avlillustrations]

Finished Vampire Vlad

[thesoulspulse]

Just finished the outline stage of the Vampire Vlad drawing! I think it turned out pretty good too, especially with the additional bats and crimson moon.

Bonus Bat doodles:

[echoghost1]

AngstFest 2023 Day 01

Title: Just One Bite

Chapter Title: Wicked Thoughts

Summary: Vlad had spent so long planning and so long waiting for just the right time to strike. He was not prepared for this much improvising.

Danny didn't think much of the last-minute family trip up north for his parent's college reunion. He should have asked to stay home.

Tags: Vampire AU, Vlad POV, Danny POV, No One Knows AU

You can read on AO3 or down below the cut

Ch 2 | Ch 3

When he saw the obnoxious RV pull up his long private driveway, Vlad didn't bother hiding his grin. He’d been waiting so long for this and was beyond thrilled that they had actually come.

After all this time, all he needed was a simple invitation.

His face fell when the children stepped out of the vehicle.

He didn’t invite children. Children were not part of the plan.

He sighed, of course, Jack would mess up his plans.

At least the children were teenagers so they wouldn’t need constant supervision. 

They wouldn’t need their mother with them at all times.

And then she stepped out of the car. As beautiful as ever.

In fact, she was more beautiful now than she was twenty years ago. She aged like wine.

“Welcome,” he said as he stepped out of the doorway and onto the covered front porch. “Hope the drive wasn’t too bad.”

“Vladdie!” Jack greeted with a surprising amount of enthusiasm for a man who had presumably driven for several hours straight.

“Are we the first ones here?” Maddie asked as she looked around the empty driveway.

“Well, you are a day early.” He said pausing only long enough for their confusion to sink in before he added, “Which was intentional. I figured with how close we used to be, and how long it’s been, we could use the extra time to get reacquainted.”

He kept his eyes on Maddie the entire time. She couldn’t hold his gaze.

That was fine. They had 24 hours.

The only problem was the children.

He did not account for children in his plans.

“Anyone need to use the bathroom?” He asked, keeping up the good host role.

Both Jack and the daughter raised their hands immediately.

Two down, one to go.

“Right this way,” he said, gesturing to the doorway behind him.

The family followed him in. He gave them a moment to gawk at the entryway.

He had spent quite a lot of time restoring this old Victorian, and it was nice to have his hard work recognized.

“Jack, you can go to the first door on the left.”

Vlad waited for Jack’s stomping footsteps to die out before continuing, “And just up the stairs and three doors on the right, is for you, miss,” He hesitated slightly because he had no idea what these kids' names were.

“Jasmine,” she offered before running up the stairs herself.

“That’s a pretty name.”

“Thanks, it was Jack’s idea.”

“Oh?” Vlad wasn’t expecting that.

“Yeah,” Maddie said wistfully, “he wanted a pretty name for his little princess. So we looked up flowers.”

“I’m surprised he didn’t pick Rose.” He didn’t know that Jack knew there were other flowers.

“It was a contender, but we figured with the possibility of her getting my red hair, we decided against it.”

“What else didn’t get picked?” the son asked.

Maddie thought for a moment, idly tapping her chin as she thought. Just like she used to. “Let's see, I believe it was Lily, Violet, and Daisy.”

“Wasn’t our hamster named Daisy?”

“It was! Ironically Jazz came up with that on her own.”

“Why don’t we go to the living room while we wait for the others?” Vlad suggested, moving forward with his plan.

The group went further into the house, the living room was just past the stairway.

There was a mix of modern amenities and old-world charm. To him, it helped keep the room timeless. Mixing old with new so it didn’t look like it was stuck in any one era.

“Have a seat anywhere you like.” Vlad offered.

The boy sat on the couch. Or perhaps dropped was a better word for it.

Maddie, on the other hand, declined. “I’m going to keep standing if you don’t mind. If I sit for one more second my spine is going to explode.”

“It’s no problem,” Vlad said, knowing full well that Maddie wouldn’t want to sit still. She never really liked it. She was always moving. Never was a fan of having to sit through long lectures back in college.

He was right to assume that wouldn’t change.

“If you’d like to stretch your legs a bit, I can give you a quick tour?” Vlad offered as if that wasn’t part of his plan all along.

“Yeah, sure. That’d be nice.” Maddie said with a smile.

Oh, he missed that smile.

“Wonderful.”

“Can I come?” the boy asked.

What?

“Of course, Sweetie,” Maddie said before he could react.

No!

Vlad turned towards the doorway to start the tour and hide his annoyance.

What was he going to have to do to get rid of this kid?

Despite the setback, Vlad carried on.

He had them follow him back to the front door and told them the history of the house. He pointed out areas that he had restored, to pieces of furniture that were antiques and which ones were reproductions. 

He pointed out the bookcase in the hall and mentioned the collections it held. He did not mention that there was a book that when pulled would open the bookcase like a door and reveal an extra room.

He would show Maddie that later, when they were finally alone.

At some point, the daughter, Jasmine, joined them. He had greeted her but he wasn’t really paying attention then. He was in full realtor mode as he talked about his house.

Other than the children, this was going just as he had expected. 

“This must have taken forever,” the boy, who he had learned was called Danny, said as he looked about the final room of the tour—the living room, back where they had started.

“It did take time, but it was a labor of love.”

“It shows,” he said simply. 

“Thank you.” 

Vlad hadn’t been expecting Jack’s son to be so thoughtful. Then again, he was Maddie’s son too.

Jack finally found his way into the living room, “Oh there you guys are!”

Vlad wasn’t sure he did a very good job at hiding his grimace. Luckily the family was too busy greeting him to notice.

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

It wasn’t until dinner that Jack said something that reminded Vlad of all the ugly details of his plan.

He took a very long drink of his wine instead of replying.

How exactly did Jack expect him to respond anyway? Thanks for leaving me for dead and then the only proof he got that his friends weren’t dead as well, was a wedding invitation.

Yeah, sorry I couldn’t make the wedding, I actively dying. But don’t worry about it. I’m better now.

How could that man be so stupid?

How did he even win Maddie’s heart?

She was smarter than that!

But maybe she wasn’t? She did have two children with him. They were clearly their children. 

Even if he was trying to pretend that they were adopted.

Vlad did what he could to remain civil for the rest of the night. There were many things he didn’t say.

A lot of murder and violence that he did not commit.

Not yet.

[echoghost1]

AngstFest 2023 Day 03

Title: Just One Bite

Chapter Title: Masking Your Denial With Reassurance

Summary: Vlad had spent so long planning and so long waiting for just the right time to strike. He was not prepared for this much improvising.

Danny didn’t think much of the last-minute family trip up north for his parent’s college reunion. He should have asked to stay home.

Tags: Vampire AU, Vlad POV, Danny POV, No One Knows AU

You can read on AO3 or down below the cut

Ch. 1 | Ch. 2

Danny stood in the kitchen and stared at the sink.

This was not his house.

He had no idea where the glasses were.

He looked around the room briefly, but he had no idea which cupboard was the right one.

He also wasn’t sure if he really wanted to waste a bunch of time opening random cupboards until he found what he was looking for.

Next to the sink were three wine glasses. They were resting upside-down on a drying mat.

That meant they were clean, right?

He shrugged and picked up the closest glass by the stem.

He filled it and took a drink.

The next thing he knew, he was being grabbed from behind.

His back pressed against the stranger behind him, his front pinned against the counter.

He dropped the glass in the sink as he was smothered by the stranger's hand.

The stranger then grabbed Danny’s hair and jerked his head to the side and then stabbed him in the neck.

He wanted to fight back but he was pinned down so well he could barely squirm.

Whatever he was being stabbed with hurt like hell.

And it was warm.

And wet?

He was being squeezed so tight it felt like all of his insides were being sucked through a straw.

His heart was pounding so loud that he wondered if it would wake everyone up.

Did his mom hear the glass break?

She'd come and rescue him, right?

Why was it so hard to breathe?

Was it getting darker or were his eyes closing?

It was hard to tell through the tears.

Then it stopped.

The feeling of being squeezed inside out.

The stabbing.

Blood dripped down his neck but didn't get far when something warm and wet wiped it away.

Danny was just going to pretend that it was a wet wipe and not a tongue.

Because if that was a tongue then that would mean he wasn't stabbed.

He tried his best not to think how the feeling of being drained would make more sense.

He didn't want that to be true.

If that was true then his worst nightmare just came true.

And just when Jazz had finally convinced him that it wouldn't ever happen.

That it couldn't.

But it did.

The stranger loosened his grip and Danny felt his legs start to give.

He was so weak.

Danny tried to look at his attacker, but it was too hard to see in the dark.

The stranger kept hold of Danny in one arm and reached into the sink with the other.

Danny's head was spinning and couldn't really see what the stranger was doing.

Could barely focus.

"I'm going to give you a choice." The stranger said. "Drink and live, or refuse and die."

He didn't want to die.

"There there," the stranger said softly. "No need to cry."

He looked at the wine glass that was offered to him.

It couldn’t have been the same one he dropped. He heard it break. Shatter.

“I don’t wanna die.”

“Then don’t.”

Danny reached for the glass.

Shakey and not strong enough.

It was so full.

It was heavier than he was expecting.

The drink was thick, like honey.

Smelt like pennies.

It tasted like betrayal. 

He didn’t know that had a taste.

The stranger made sure he drank the whole thing.

If this was supposed to help him live why did he feel so sick?

The stranger took the glass and set it aside.

“You should sleep.”

And he did.

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

Danny woke with a start.

He looked around momentarily confused until he remembered he was staying somewhere else.

He was in a guest room.

He was supposed to be here.

Then he remembered what else happened last night.

He reached for his neck.

There was nothing there.

Was it just a dream?

A nightmare?

It had to have been just a bad dream.

That couldn’t have been real.

It was just a bad dream.

Just a really vivid bad dream.

Maybe he didn’t get enough sleep.

He remembered waking up in the middle of the night.

He woke up and got a drink and-

No.

He must have woken up and thought about getting up to get a drink and then fell back asleep instead.

He just dreamed of going into the kitchen at night.

That was probably it.

That had to be it.

He needed to be sure.

How could he prove it?

It’s not like there was anyone he could ask.

Except for his mom!

If he spoke to her in the hall last night that meant…

If he didn’t speak to her in the hall last night that meant it was just a dream.

He got out of bed and rushed out of his room.

Only to find Jazz fully dressed and staring at him like he’d grown a second head.

“Did you just wake up?”

Knowing he was in his pajamas, he didn’t feel the need to actually answer that.

Jazz just rolled her eyes, “you really are taking advantage of the fact that teens need more sleep than average.”

Then she started to walk away.

“Wait!”

“What?” she asked looking confused.

He might have come off a bit desperate.

“Where’s mom?” he asked, hoping it didn’t come off quite so needy this time.

“Probably getting ready for the reunion,” she said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Like you should be,” she added pointedly.

“Oh, right.” He took a step back toward his room. “I’ll do that then.”

He closed the door once he was inside.

He was still feeling uneasy from his dream.

From what he hoped was a dream.

“Please be just be a bad dream.”

He didn’t know what he’d do if it was real.

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

He tried to ask his mom if she had seen him last night but he never really got the chance.

First, she was constantly around Dad, then once the other guests arrived she kept talking to them.

Eventually, he just gave up.

He would just have to find another way to prove he was dreaming.

He wandered into the kitchen to eat some appetizers or something but nothing looked good.

That and he wasn’t sure what half of it was. Stupid rich people food.

He shrugged and wandered off again hoping there would be something to do.

Unfortunately, he and his sister were the only kids there so there wasn’t anyone his age to talk to.

He had no idea where she had ended up. Probably the library.

He walked down the hall and stopped in his tracks. The bookcase.

He could have sworn it had moved last night.

Which meant he was dreaming right?

Then again, spooky old houses are supposed to have secret passageways and stuff. Or at least that’s what the movies taught him.

He could test this.

If he could open the bookcase…

If it was just a bookcase then it was all a dream.

If it worked like he thought it would, he just needed to pull the right book. It would be the only book that wouldn’t come off the shelf.

But which book would it be?

Most of them were historical books, some were on home repair and renovation, and a few were on landscaping.

There was also one about bats.

That was weird.

He hesitated but slowly reached for the book.

His fingers graced the spine.

“There you are.”

Danny turned and found his mom.

“What are you doing down here all by yourself? Did you have anything to eat?”

“I, uh, no?” 

Crap he should have said yes.

“Come now, Sweetie. There’s plenty of good things in the kitchen. Plus I can introduce you to a real reporter!”

Danny sighed and followed his mom back toward the reunion.

He was probably overreacting anyway.

It was just a bad dream.

It had to be.

[thesoulspulse]

This isn't a redraw from scratch but I had fun adding the details to give you guys an idea of the sort of thing I envisioned in my head when I drew the original.