sharp as knives.

at    the    very    least,    it’d    seem    that    he    and    daniil    are    on    the    same    page.    ❝    uh,    zaigrayevsky,    buryatia.    about    two    hours    away    from    ulan    -    ude.    ❞    and    then    after    a    moment,    he    realises    that    if    yunji    isn’t    even    from    russia,    how    on    earth    is    she    supposed    to    know    where    that    is    ?    ❝    it’s    far,    far    east    of    here.    very    rural,    in    the    steppe.    not    many    people    live    there.    ❞    

artemy    takes    daniil’s    hand    in    his    own.    god,    he’s    so    cold.    but    that    doesn’t    stop    him    from    wanting    to    hold    him    and    keep    him    safe.    ❝    i’d    have    to    call    my    father,    explain    things    to    him.    i    expect    he’ll    be    a    little    disappointed    that    i’ll    drop    out    of    school,    but    .    .    .    maybe    he’ll    understand.    ❞    he    tries    not    to    sound    as    miserable    as    he    feels.    he    likes    it    here,    for    what    it’s    worth,    and    he    even    though    he’s    clearly    been    struggling    through    university    recently    with    everything    going    on,    he’d    wanted    to    at    least    finish.

❝    would    you    even    like    it    there    ?    it’s    quiet    there.    really    small.    ❞    he    murmurs    to    daniil.    but    where    else    can    they    go    ?    maybe    daniil    has    the    money    to    leave    the    country    and    be    quite    comfortable,    but    artemy    doesn’t.    (    it’s    then    that    a    thought    occurs    to    him    :    he’s    just    weighing    him    down.    )

          “Hmm...” Yunji digs her phone out of her pocket, tapping away at it for a few moments and leaving the two of them to speak while she searches. Because she isn’t native and while she might know the main cities, smaller towns are something else entirely. It helps that the Camarilla tends to stick toward capitals and larger, more densely populated areas, but who’s to say they haven’t branched out at all.

While she’s doing that, Daniil turns his attention back to Artemy and considers for a moment. “Think of it as a vacation,” he suggests carefully. “I wouldn’t mind seeing where you came from and...” He squeezes Artemy’s hands tightly in his, staring down at their linked fingers. “I want you safe. I don’t want you in danger because of me.”

“Ah...” Yunji murmuring to herself draws his attention back up. She stares down at the map on her phone, staring at the tiny spec that is the town. Neither had been exaggerating about how out of the way it was, nor how small it was. She opens up her text messages next, quickly tapping out a text. Whatever response she gets has her frown changing into surprise. Just for a moment, then it vanishes again just as quickly. “...Yes, that would do quite nicely. In fact, I think I know some people who can help you there.”

❝    separating    ?    ❞    daniil    will    likely    feel    how    artemy    tenses    up    at    the    idea.    he    won’t    take    that    advice    at    all,    yunji    is    right.    he    doesn’t    see    any    reason    for    it    ————–    if    daniil    still    wants    him,    then    he’ll    stay    by    his    side    even    if    it’s    the    death    of    him.    they’d    only    just    recently    gotten    settled,    comfortable    around    each    other    despite    the    chaos    of    their    student    lives,    and    then    .    .    .    this.    fate    always    decides    to    ruin    everything.    artemy    knows    deep    within    his    heart,    that    no    matter    what    he    does    to    try    and    pretend    otherwise,    that    things    won’t    ever    be    the    same    again.    all    he    can    hope    is    that    at    the    very    least,    they’ll    still    have    each    other.    ❝    no.    ❞

he’s    holding    daniil    tighter    now,    strong    arms    wrapping    protectively    around    him.    he    does    intend    to    look    after    daniil,    and    in    fact,    it’s    all    he    intends    to    do.    but    he    supposes    yunji    is    right.    neither    of    them    have    any    idea    what’s    going    on    or    what    to    do    next    (    though    artemy    has    been    considering    asking    daniil    to    move,    to    let    him    steal    him    away    in    the    middle    of    the    night    and    go    to    his    hometown    where    they    won’t    have    to    worry    about    anybody    finding    the    body.    )    they    do    need    her    help.    artemy,    specifically,    needs    her    help,    because    daniil    must    be    starving    himself.    he    doesn’t    know    what    happens    when    vampires    do    that    or    if    they    can    die    from    it,    but    he    imagines    it    wouldn’t    be    pretty.    

❝    i    agree    with    you,    though,    danya.    yunji,    you    can’t    talk    past    daniil.    i    won’t    let    you.    you    said    you    were    here    to    talk    to    him,    not    me.    ❞

          “I came to speak to both of you of different things, but simply happen to be connected,” she responds easily. Yunji withdraws her hand from Daniil’s and sits back. “And I said, I know you won’t separate. It would be safer, but I know arguing would be wasting time neither of you have, so I will say this: neither of you can stay in this town. I’ve done my best to cover your tracks, but the powers that govern this city will catch on to you eventually. I can get you safe passage out of Moscow ------ there are surrounding towns that aren’t Camarilla controlled and will be safer, but that doesn’t mean they are not without their own sets of dangers.”

Daniil frowns. “Camarilla?”

Yunji presses her lips together. “The politics are a longer story than I can presently explain. They’re a system of government for our kind and they happen to control this city and a few others. And they happen to have very strict rules for situations like yours.”

He nods. “Alright, alright, uhm...” He considers for a moment, turning her words over in his head. A thought occurs to him, and Daniil looks up at Artemy. “What about your hometown? It’s far out of the way, right? We might be safe there.”

thinks about jack

thinks about jack

thinks about jack

❝    but    we    aren’t    going    to    cause    trouble.    like    i    said,    i’m    not    going    to    tell    anyone.    nobody    needs    to    know    i    know.    ❞    he    rubs    daniil’s    back    reassuringly,    and    in    every    single    movement    it’s    clear    that    he    cares    about    him    more    than    anything.    ❝    i    guess    i    don’t    really    have    the    right    to    turn    you    down,    though.    ❞    it’s    not    his    decision    to    make,    it’s    daniil’s    and    he    even    if    he    wants    to    protect    him,    he’s    just    going    to    make    things    worse    if    he’s    overbearing.    

what    can    artemy    really    do,    anyway    ?    he’s    just    a    man,    completely    out    of    his    depth.    he’s    not    a    vampire    and    even    if    daniil    knew    how    to    turn    him    into    one,    he    knows    he    wouldn’t.    the    whole    thing    makes    him    feel    so    powerless    in    a    way    he’s    never    really    felt    before,    like    he’s    trapped    in    a    glass    box    he    can’t    ever    escape.    

          “I know you wouldn’t. You’re a smart man, and you’re trying to protect him. The people I am referring to won’t care about that though.” Yunji sighs, lifting her gaze up again. “They’ll kill you to save their own skin and call it upholding the masquerade. That is how they think we should live. But the politics is a story for another time. Right now, he barely knows what he is and before you can learn anything else, you need to know how to survive.”

“’He’ is sitting right here and can speak for himself,” Daniil mutters irritably.

Yunji hesitates, then shakes her head. “...I’m aware. Forgive me for speaking so callously. But I stand by it, Daniil. I know you’ve managed to learn a few things, but there’s a lot you need to know if you want to survive.” She hesitates, moving slowly so as not to spook him, and reaches out to take his hand. He jumps slightly, stares at her, then down at their linked fingers, realization spreading across his face.

“...You’re warm?” He asks, very confused. “But you said---”

“That there are many things I can teach you, if you are willing. Though perhaps not now. How long has it been since you had anything to drink?”

Daniil looks away. “...A while.”

artemy    has    been    worried    about    daniil    ever    since    they    buried    the    body    and    every    day    things    just    seem    to    get    worse.    he    doesn’t    know    what    to    do    or    how    he    can    help    when    he    keeps    offering    his    neck    to    bite    and    daniil    keeps    saying    no    !    it    hurts    more    than    he    can    describe    to    see    him    suffering    like    this,    even    if    daniil    won’t    admit    that    he    is.    he    leans    down    to    kiss    his    forehead,    then    scoops    him    up    into    his    arms    and    sits    down    on    the    couch,    holding    him    close.    

❝    that’s    .    .    .    nice    of    you.    thanks,    i    guess.    ❞    he    looks    at    yunji    warily,    and    while    he’s    clearly    very    uncomfortable,    he’ll    be    civil.    ❝    why    do    you    care    though    ?    why    even    go    to    the    effort    for    two    nobodies    you’ve    never    even    met    before    ?    ❞    that’s    his    main    question.    he    feels    like    she’d    need    a    damn    good    reason    for    wanting    to    help    them.    there    must    be    something    that    that    they    can    do    for    her,    and    he    doesn’t    like    that    one    bit.    it    makes    him    anxious,    and    he’s    already    been    struggling    to    cope.

it’s    so    hard    to    keep    it    together.    he’s    barely    been    able    to    go    to    classes    and    his    bosses    are    starting    to    get    angry    at    him    for    falling    asleep    at    work    and    he’s    starting    to    get    the    feeling    that    he’s    going    to    be    fired    from    both    jobs    very    quickly    at    this    rate.    he    worries    how    long    his    savings    are    going    to    keep    him    going.    maybe    he’ll    have    to    find    night    shifts.

          Daniil actually squeaks a little in shock when Artemy picks him up, and Yunji thinks that if he were capable of blushing, his face would be bright red. It’s cute, and she can’t quite hide a soft smile looking at the two of them. “I suppose saying it was out of the kindness of my heart would be met with skepticism,” she responds dryly, sitting back. She’s certain to keep some distance between herself and the other two. She doesn’t blame him for being wary of her. If their roles were reversed, she would probably feel the same. In fact, she would be far more concerned if he wasn’t. “I helped because I know the people of this city, and I know what they’re like. There’s an entire political system at work that neither of you are even aware of, a system that would see you--” she looks at Artemy, “--killed simply for knowing that we exist and you--” to Daniil next, “--destroyed for being a liability.”

She lets those words sink in for a few moments. There’s so much neither of them know about what exactly has happened to Daniil. She was fortunate to have a sire that was willing to give her a thorough education, but it’s odd that he was left to his own devices. “What happened to you should not have happened. The system that rules this city explicitly forbids it: you don’t create another one of us without asking someone higher than you first. The fact that this was done to you and you were left alone is... odd, to say the least. There was a very real risk of not only putting you in danger, but also their own neck, so why take the risk?”

artemy    is    about    to    protest    more    when    he    feels    daniil’s    hand    on    his    arm,    and    it’s    clear    to    see    the    hesitation    on    his    face    ————–    stubbornness    is    his    guiding    star    ;    he    still    really    doesn’t    want    to    let    the    woman    in    but    in    all    fairness,    this    is    daniil’s    flat    and    not    his.    he    looks    back    at    daniil    and    sighs,    stepping    back    and    holding    the    door    open.

❝    i    haven’t    told    anyone.    and    i’m    not    going    to.    it’s    not    like    anyone    would    believe    me,    anyway.    ❞    but    that’s    not    exactly    a    risk    the    camarilla    will    be    willing    to    take,    and    if    he    knew    that    he’d    be    much,    much    more    willing    to    cooperate.    it’s    clear    to    see    that    he’s    on    edge,    closing    the    door    behind    the    woman    as    quickly    as    he    can.    ❝    who    are    you,    anyway    ?    ?    you    clearly    know    who    we    are.    ❞

which    is    creepy,    if    you    ask    him.    he’s    only    doing    this    for    daniil’s    sake.    

          Her heart truly does ache for the both of them, the poor dears. Artemy is at least willing to let her inside with Daniil’s coaxing, and so Yunji steps through the threshold and takes a few moments to look around. It’s precisely how she pictured it, based on everything else she’s come to learn of the boy: tidy, little in the way of decor, with the real signs of life largely being around the desk. Her assessment complete, she turns to look at Artemy.

“I will afford you the courtesy of honesty. I’m not in the habit of giving out my true name very often, but your circumstances are lamentable.” Her gaze moves to Daniil when she says that, frowning at him. He looks pale and drawn, definitely hungry. Already a mental list has begun to form in her head, but that is one that will have to wait for a moment. “My name is Yunji. I deal in information and secrets. I make it my business to know things and use them to my advantage, and I likely won’t be the last of our kind you meet who does that. May I sit?”

Daniil looks at her, then up at Artemy. His hand clutches onto the other man’s arm tightly as she speaks. After a moment, he nods but doesn’t move away from the other man. Yunji sinks down on the couch, smoothing her skirt out over her legs.

artemy    freezes,    and    all    of    a    sudden    he    like    he    should    slam    the    door    on    this    woman’s    face.    ❝    if    you’re    trying    to    scare    me,    it    isn’t    working.    ❞    only    it    is.    he’s    never    been    more    terrified    in    his    life,    and    takes    everything    he    has    not    to    look    back    to    make    sure    daniil    is    okay.    ❝    you’re    nothing    but    a    petty    stalker.    like    i    said,    he’s    not    here.    and    i’m    not    stupid    enough    to    let    you    in.    ❞

at    the    very    least,    he    has    a    height    advantage    over    her.    he    doubts    he’ll    win    against    her    in    a    fight    if    she’s    a    vampire    but    maybe,    just    maybe,    he    can    distract    her    for    long    enough    for    daniil    to    work    something    out.    ❝    we    don’t    want    your    help,    so    don’t    you    dare    threaten    me.    ❞

does    she    honestly    expect    him    to    just    believe    her    that    she    doesn’t    mean    any    harm    ?    he    wonders    how    much    she    knows    about    him.    (    too    much.    )    when    she    leaves,    and    he’ll    make    sure    she    leaves,    he’s    going    to    delete    everything    he’s    ever    posted    on    the    internet.    ❝    in    the    kindest    possible    way,    fuck    off.    and    stay    away    from    daniil.    ❞

          Of course he’s going to be obstinate. Yunji presses her mouth into a thin line. His protectiveness in regards to his boyfriend is a trait she would find endearing under any other circumstances, but in the moment it’s annoying. “You know nothing of the situation you find yourself in, and he knows even less. There are other powers in this city that would see you killed to maintain the facade of humanity and see him meet the final death before he can reveal too much.” She does not move, nor so much as blink in the face of his anger. Yunji stands a solid foot shorter, but the way she holds herself gives the distinct impression that she cares little for the dramatic difference in height.

“You’re trying to protect him, and I don’t blame you for that. If anything I admire that you’re willing to do so. But if I were here to hurt you, I wouldn’t be standing here at your door and I think you know that.” She tries to soften her expression, making an attempt to placate him. “I came here to try and help both of you, I promise that.”

          This town is quiet ------ it suits her just fine. Too many oddities exist for something like her to draw attention. The strange buildings, the stranger religion, the kids in dog masks, the mistresses working their magics... She stands in the square looking up at the theater and considers it. What a silly place. It’s stuffed to the brim with so many miracles and yet it remains so obscure.

artemy    has    never    seen    this    woman    before    in    his    life    and    the    way    she    seems    surprised    to    see    him    at    the    door    alarms    him.    he    doesn’t    like    how    she    asks    about    daniil.    daniil,    first    name    only    ————-    he’s    sure    he’d    recognise    her    if    she’s    going    to    imply    intimacy    just    like    that.    but    the    accent    .    .    .    ah,    she’s    not    from    here,    is    she    ?

he    doesn’t    trust    people    anymore.    the    two    of    them    have    blood    on    their    hands    and    any    strangers    on    their    doorstep    is    almost    certainly    a    bad    omen.    ❝    i’m    sorry,    i    think    you    might    have    the    wrong    place.    i’m    the    only    person    who    lives    here.    ❞    that’s    a    lie.    daniil    woke    up    not    too    long    ago    and    is    now    lying    on    the    couch    with    a    pen    and    a    notebook    in    his    hands.    artemy    has    never    really    been    good    at    lying,    and    he    doesn’t    realise    that    the    woman    knows    exactly    who    he    is,    but    he    tries    his    best    anyway.    ❝    i    wish    i    could    be    more    help.    ❞

his    skin    is    crawling.    this    is    it,    isn’t    it    ?    this    is    finally    it,    the    woman    is    going    to    reveal    some    kind    of    badge    and    tell    him    that    she’s    here    to    arrest    daniil    for    murder,    and    him    for    accessory.    maybe    if    they’re    lucky    they    can    get    daniil    off    with    manslaughter    or    insanity,    but    he    himself    .    .    .    it    doesn’t    matter.    it    doesn’t    matter.    

there’s    no    way    in    hell    that    he’s    going    to    let    her    in.    he    just    hopes    that    she’ll    leave,    and    that    daniil    won’t    get    up    to    see    who’s    at    the    door.

          She isn’t surprised by the rebuff, but that doesn’t make it any less irritating. Yunji sucks in a breath (for show, of course ------ she hasn’t needed to breathe for some time now) and presses on. “Fine, then perhaps I shall speak to you. Artemy, right? You’re the boyfriend. He posts a lot about you, it’s very sweet.” It’s not the way she wanted to go about this, but it is a way in. Smoothing things over will have to come later, assuming he doesn’t react too poorly. Not that she is afraid of him. She could take him in a fight.

“I know what he is and I know what he did. I am not with the police, nor am I am here to cause any harm. I’m actually here to help.” Artemy is too broad to peer around him past the door, but she thinks she can hear someone else moving around. Daniil hasn’t spoken to ask who is there, so she can only assume he’s heard her too. Paranoid kid. Probably for the better: it will keep him alive for at least a little while longer. She reaches up, brushing a strand of hair behind her ears and in the same instant allows her eyes to flash bright red. Just for a moment, just long enough to be seen, and then they fade back to their usual dark brown.

          Without a sire, fledglings are doomed to a short existence. Someone somewhere is bound to find them and destroy them ------ other kindred who fear they are an inherent threat to the masquerade, hunters who find weak prey to pick off, and sometimes due to their own stupidity. She cannot help but feel terrible for this one, though she refrains from interfering too much if she can help it. She follows them instead, through her birds and occasionally on foot. She finds the body he and his companion buried out in the woods, then doubles back to see what she can locate.

Her resources in Russia are woefully lacking. The Camarilla has too much power in Moscow and that makes it difficult for someone like Yunji to move about freely. She’d had to make arrangements through Fiorenza for safe passage through the town for her duration of her stay and even then she doesn’t know how long that will last. So whatever she intends to do, she will have to work quickly. Moscow was meant to be a stop on the way, not an extended vacation.

One day her bleeding heart will be the death of her. For now... how should she approach this? She could break in and see what she can learn about the boy, but there isn’t much she could gather from his lodgings that she couldn’t find elsewhere. Kids these days and their digital footprints... ask the right person to pull the right information and it’s that difficult to have the right information all right there in front of you. Daniil Dankovsky is a medical student, he is from a well-connected family that would have made him an ideal Ventrue, and he doesn’t seem to have a lot of hobbies due to his work and class schedule. He has a Facebook page he rarely updates, a Twitter account that is primarily pictures of him and his boyfriend, and subscriptions to Netflix, several academic resources for research, and World of Warcraft.

So no breaking in. She knows enough about who he is that doing so won’t reveal much else. Anything else she needs to learn, she’ll have to learn by speaking directly to him. And so Yunji does something else instead. She goes to his apartment and knocks on the door like a normal person. Except the man who answers isn’t young Dankovsky: it’s another man, one she recognizes from photographs but hadn’t dug nearly as deep into.