A Meeting

"So, let me get this straight," he said to the two girls who were plotting their game plan for some competition in order to best one, Bianca Barclay.

Enid nearly jumped out of her shorts, however Wednesday just casually turned her head to look at him as he appeared from the shadows.

"After our date," "You went on a date!!" Enid rudely interrupted, nearly screaming, forgetting her previously tearful expression.

They both deadpanned at her. Then, turned to stare at each other.

"After our date, you took it upon yourself to sneak into Xavier Thorpe's room, where you overheard him and Bianca speaking about you, and your first thought is to join a competition to put her in her place?" He asked her, as he made his way to flop down on her bed. "Why not just throw her out a window?"

She walked over to him and swung his incredibly toned legs covered by black slacks over the side of the bed onto the floor, before his illogically clean dress shoes could land on her bed after his flop. Now, with only his upper body laid back on the bed, she countered, "she needs to be humiliated and taste defeat. To do that, I need to beat her at this competition." She stated with determination.

Enid turned to where Drac was laying as she skipped over, "but she's mostly doing it because we're friends." She chirped happily, still forgetting the tears on her face over the lose of one of her sabotaged teammates, who would be replaced by Wednesday. He gave her a thumbs up.

"Tell me how she keeps winning." Wednesday demanded, as she turned to face the window, her mind zeroing in on a task and blocking out everything else, as per usual.

"It's a real brain cramp," Enid responded. Them getting back to their planning, as they ignored Drac's presence. "The past two years, no other boat has made it across and back without sinking in the lake."

""Sounds like sabotage."" Drac and Wednesday said at the same time.

Enid turned her body sideways so she could see them both. "There are no rules in the Poe Cup and she is a siren, which makes her master of the water."

"Ha." Drac could not stop the short laugh that came out of his perfectly sculpted mouth.

They both turned to look at him, as he laid with his back sprawled on the bed and his hands behind his head.

"If the sirens of old heard such a statement, they would drown this room with no hesitation for the insult." He raised himself up, using pure abdominal muscle, which he caught Wednesday glance at through his black button down that exposed most of his mid-chest. "The sirens of old could call waves and the creatures of the sea, alike. And manipulate the water particles in the air all around us. They were master of the water. As for this girl," He stood and walked towards Wednesday to stand in front of her as he leaned down, his face close to her own. "You two just need to beat her at her own game."

Then, he winked, turned his head to the left, they followed his vision, however at the last moment, Wednesday snapped her eyes back to him. He smiled wide and faded into the mist.

"You learn fast, my little death." Were the words he left behind as he shadow walked out of her room and removed his presence from her surroundings, letting her know he was truly gone, but not before he heard another shout sound from the room. "You had a date!"

The day of the competition was sunnier than usual.

He proceeded to rectify the situation by producing cloud cover to obscure the light. Better to set the stage for her competition.

He spread his wings from his back for the first time since he regained his freedom. His body was not ready to disperse into bats, but that much was possible. Or it could be that the action reminded him too much of his father. He was not completely sure.

He took to the sky, shooting up quickly, perception obscured around his form.

He watched them get into boats, Wednesday in her leather cat outfit. He would need a picture.

They set off through the lake. He noted Bianca signal one of her sirens on shore, before he dove into the lake. Despite comparisons unable to be made between the past and present, the sirens were still fast in the water. He knew the boy could do a lot of damage in the lake, however he made no move to interfere. It was not his competition.

It turned out he was right to mind his business. Wednesday made preparations for such an event by firing a net into the sea, ensnaring the siren in its tangled mess. He would have chosen a harpoon instead, but to each their own. He floated high above, as he watched the race proceed.

They made it to the other side of the lake to race on foot to acquire the flags.

Wednesday set off, running for her team. She was quick.

As she reached for the flag, he felt a pull from the crypt where the flag stood from the spirit plane. He was familiar. It was the same spirit that he sensed warning him through his link to her when he perceived her mind as Vlad.

He swooped down, and caught her, just as she was pulled into a vision.

{Cover my body from sight, except from Wednesday.} He called out. He knew Katherine was close.

He allowed himself to be pulled in as well.

In a gray space, he stood behind Wednesday. Her body tensed. He placed his hands on her shoulders, as her ancestors spirit appeared before them.

The spirit looked at him and then at Wednesday.

"You're the key," the spirit spoke, and he could feel the spirit pushing Wednesday back out into her body.

He stopped it for a moment and turned Wednesday to face him. His eyes met hers that appeared to be in shock.

"Ignore my body, finish your race. I will meet you at the finish line." Then, he allowed her to be pulled out.

He looked to the spirit. He could sense its wariness at his presence.

He smiled. "You have been sending me warnings about danger. Now that I am here, you are afraid?"

The spirit, with the remarkable resemblance to his little death, stared back at him.

"She is my family. Protect her, please."

He stared at the spirit.

"Will you ask nothing for yourself? I can feel the lifeforce that remains tied to your soul. I know you feel my control over death. It only grows with time...will you ask for nothing?"

He stared at the spirit. Waiting.

"My time has already passed. I will ask for nothing more."

He continued to stare. The resemblance truly unnerving, however he could see the differences. Especially in their hearts. He could sense the pain, bitterness, and anger tied to the spirit. The only positive imprint that remained was love for her family. Namely, Wednesday. He could sympathize.

"Then, I will protect her well.. As long as you guide her well. She cannot control her visions and she is too powerful to be out of control. Do not let her fall because of your past deeds, or I will make certain you never rejoin your family on the other side."

He gave the spirit his promise. Slightly annoyed, at the game the spirit was playing. He knew the spirit did not have the strength to hold Wednesday for long in the spirit plane to give exact instructions, however he also knew that it could do more. It was waiting. Waiting for something that he was certain was connected to its past. Its actions told him that much. She let her anger allow her to leave behind something in the world that her descendant had to clean up. Sloppy. At least he weakened his adversaries before he left the world alone, but how could a mortal be compared to a capital P, Prince. It could not, so he lowered his expectations.

He allowed his body to fall backwards, as if he were falling into a pool. The shadows splashed around him, and swallowed him whole.

He opened his eyes to see Katherine kneeled before his throne where he sat in his dorm room.

"How long was I gone?" He questioned.

"It has been three hours since the competition ended, Sire." His loyal one answered.

"I see." He stated, thoughts ran through his mind speedily. 'The time does not add up. I see. Instead of allowing the spirit to send me directly to my body, I did it myself, which made the navigation take a longer time than necessary. It appears traveling through the vail is more difficult than I thought, if simply returning to my body took so much time.'

He reached an answer to his speculation in the span of two seconds.

"What happened when Wednesday returned from her vision?"

She answered, still knelt, "she stiffened when she first woke, due to her being in your hold, as you two leaned against the crypt, however she relaxed immediately. It looked like she was about to close her eyes and lean into you, however her competition was there and taking their flag. So, she hesitated for a moment before getting up, grabbing her flag and running. Only stopping once to look back at you."

"Good, good." He knew she would finish the competition. He just liked the fact that she was growing more comfortable being in his arms, and despite her hyper-focus, she still broke it to look back at him. He was feeling good. 'Ah, to be beautiful. She just couldn't take her eyes off of me.' He thought to himself. Lamenting the fact that only he could know the feeling of being the most attractive being in the world.

Then, he remembered that he was not alone.

He focused his attention back on his loyal one to see her, looking at him. He knew, she knew, what was going through his mind. His well-deserved vanity was infamous throughout the universe. Only he was worthy of the title of most handsome, so why should he not...he almost got distracted again.

He narrowed his eyes at Katherine. Her face betrayed nothing. He considered if he should punish her or not for her insolence of observing him gloriously observing himself. He decided against it. Everyone deserves some pleasure in life. He felt that he was incredibly generous. The most generou...enough well-deserved narcissism.

He moved on, brushing past her earlier debacle of not respecting his privacy, "I informed you to do something with your time. Why are you still sticking close to me?" He asked, before immediately deciding to walk back the question. He already knew. He saw her face take on a look of devotion. "Never mind, do what you will. You know my boundaries very well. Feel free to call your lover, if you so desire. I'm certain there are others that you have trained that can handle my menial tasks."

He saw her face nearly contort into anger. Only his eyes on her stopped her expression from showing what she felt. He knew, without a doubt, what brought her ire.

"There are no menial tasks given by your Majesty, Vlad Dracul, Prince of Darkness, Vampire Progenitor, and Lord of the Shadows." She spoke out, reverently. Eyes full of solemnity. No one could question his prominence, in her presence. Not even himself. He had not forgotten how annoying that was. And it had not changed. She had very little chill, but that's just who she was.

With a *sigh* he stood from the throne and touched her shoulder. He felt her shiver from the acknowledgement. "Do what you will, indeed."

He walked past her.

"I have kept my little death waiting long enough."