starter for @licanthropic - BEAST BRAWL AU!
𝐂alm footsteps traveled through the bustling streets of Miami Florida, carefully dodging the crowds of people who traveled on bikes and skateboards and electric scooters. Night life was flourishing, it was still early, around ten thirty on the dot. All the young folk had practically just set out on their moonlight journey that would consist of partying and hooking up with strangers, looking for lasting love or just temporary fun.
The blonde-haired rogue known as THE VAMPIRE LESTAT was on the prowl tonight, and what was on his menu might shock the general public if they knew. I mean, they'd be shocked that a vampire actually exists, sure, but they'd be shocked that a serial killer was set to strike tonight and they were none the wiser.
At least the vampire would grant his victim no pain.
It was funny to him how none of them knew. It was excruciating that none of them knew about him. Lestat had always been bothered about keeping his dark gift a secret when he always craved visibility since his boyhood. He was careful New Orleans with his dearest vampiric family, never wanting the attention on them, keeping them all safe and alive and well for the rest of their immortal nights.
But his daughter, Claudia, was dead and his companion heart, his truest love, his dearest husband had abandoned him for the auburn eyed, Parisian gremlin. He was alone, so being careful was the last thing on his mind. Lestat wanted the whole world to see him, he wanted to flaunt his dark gift in their faces under the façade of a stage name ( which was true to his nature ), hoping the mortal world would catch on, that someone would discover him and his kin and make his dull, miserable life more exciting to survive in.
He wanted the tiger in the savage garden to dare him, to challenge him.
The serial killer turned the corner of the street as he stalked after his young victim, so the rockstar in disguise followed suit, stuffing his hands in his coat pockets and pulling up his hood from underneath his black leather jacket.
There were visions that painted a perfect picture in Lestat's mind when he bore down upon his dark target:
The killer imagined the young boy limp and lifeless, leaving this world with his pretty brown eyes open, having a surge of thrill from being the last living being he ever saw. That addictive surge ended as quickly as it came and the killer knew he wanted to have such a feeling again as soon as possible, he wanted to kill again— no— he NEEDED to kill again, but he knew he had to do it in another county or else he'd be caught for sure and his precious surge of power and control would cease to exist. He would protect that surge for as long as he could.
Oh, that nearly made the vampire laugh. You know, type of laugh that could extend well beyond the normal length. The type of laugh that sounded manic and deranged and came out at the worst times? Yeah, that one. Such an inappropriate laugh, but hey, that was Lestat.
The closer he got to the mortal boy Lestat drew closer to the killer, who— by the way— had no idea whatsoever of the gentleman death that lurked behind his shoulder.
This was dragging on for far too long and Lestat was half tempted now to just let the killer take the young boy, why should he care? He didn't interrupt mortal affairs, this had nothing to do with him, but he sort of liked playing the hero... sometimes. It temporarily cleansed his soul of his immortal GUILT.
The young victim's heart quickened with its delectable pulse, he was now aware he was being followed but tried his hardest not to let his stalker know it. He slowly made his way to the entrance of the alleyways, calling out for anyone that could hear him over the loud booming music of the street life.
Just as the young boy caught the attention of a passing man and his family, Lestat took the opportunity to lunge at the killer, grabbing him by his wrist, breaking it upon impact and dragging him further into the alleyway. The killer went to scream but the blond rushed his hand up to clasp around the mortal's mouth to shut him up faster than he could ever blink.
" Ahh ah, that won't help you in this case, and besides, I don't think anyone would ever come to your aide if they saw your face. They know who you are, you know? They're looking for you too. But you like that, just like I do, " his hand slides to the killer's chin, easily controlling the frightened man who shivered like a doe in his arms; he turns his face to the left.
" We are one in the same in so many ways, yet entirely different. We both take pleasure in the kill, we enjoy the thrill of the chase and the romance of being the end of a life, but oh... we are so different in how we go about it, " Lestat's claws ghost over the man's pale flesh, admiring the throbbing vein under the twitching skin and without a final word, he lunges forward.
His fangs act like small knives that drive themselves easily into the yielding flesh which bursts open upon impact, filling the immortal's mouth with an explosive rush of sanguine energy. His cobalt gaze flutters shut as he takes in the killers blood in greedy gulps. The memories of his victim's life plays out on a clear canvas:
He grew up in a rich household, only child who was ignored by his parents who were never home. He struggled to make friends in school, constantly engaged in fights, became a high school drop out and- oh, who cares, he's seen this a million times, lets skip to the good bits.
The rockstar drained the man dry and heard the giving of his heart which he made sure to let go with a great gasp before it gave its last. The body fell limp on the ground in the middle of the alleyway, his long neck on full display, stained with left over ichor and stamped with a fresh bite. A chuckle escaped him at the sight, he wish he'd be around to hear the mortals' shock and confusion when they discovered his body in the morning.
Lestat looked up from the mess and watched in the shadows as the young boy collapsed into the arms of the stranger, pleading for him to help him escape from a strange man in the alleyway. But the man refused to leave his family and venture into the alley alone, instead he took the boy under his wing and escorted him into the nearest establishment, a bar at the end of the street.
" Ya saved a boy but ya couldn't save meh? See, this' why you were 'uncle Les' instead of 'daddy Les', cause you ain't nothin' close to a daddy to meh, ya never were. "
There was that haunting voice again that always appeared over his shoulder. If he turned around he'd see her, the evil of his evil, his dark child, his fledgling, his Claudia. He couldn't turn around, he'd lose himself if he did.
" See, you can't even bring ya'self ta look at meh, you ain't never fuckin' cared about me, quit actin' like you do now! "
Run, he had to run, the ghost would get the better of him if he did not run out of that alleyway right now. He quickly wiped his mouth clean with the sleeve of his leather jacket and sprinted into the crowd, turning his head down and out of their view, hoping to anything that he would not be recognized whilst he slipped into that very same bar at the end of the street.
The young boy he saved was shivering in his stool at the bar while the man who helped him conversed with the bartender, asking her if there was any way they could use her phone to call this young man's mother.
Lestat pursed his lips and cleared his throat as he sauntered through the pub with a swagger in his feline stride. He flicked his hoodie back and shook his head, tossing his frazzled waves about to settle against his broad shoulders.
Upon reaching the bar the damnedest creature straddled the stool and placed both his elbows upon the fine countertop, flicking his widened blue eyes around the foreign place. He had never been to this bar before, and the strange and strong presence he felt as he passed through the threshold intrigued him beyond belief.
Curiosity killed the cat ... thank god he wasn't a cat.
This strange presence wasn't that of a vampire, it was something different, something he had never encountered before. It was big, intimidating and terrifying, the impact it had on his mind caused his leg to bounce with pure excitement. Shit, he wanted to laugh about it but instead coughed that urge into his palms that wrapped around his mouth.
Who was it coming from? Were they some kind of hybrid vampire, like the ones he and Gabrielle encountered on the Devil's Road to Cairo?
Oh he wanted to stick around and find out, but he also wanted to stick around and watch the young boy he saved interact with the family that helped him to safety. This night was exciting and it would only continue to mold into something that Lestat would never forget.
His pale lilac sight flicked from the shivering boy to the TV screen overhead that advertised a commercial with one of his songs playing over it. It was an ad for men's underwear and why on earth they wanted his song to play over this cheesy fucking thing was beyond him. But it got him fans, it got him attention, and it sponsored him, so who the fuck really cared at the end of the night?
When the commercial ended, Lestat rolled his eyes back over to the commotion at the other end of the counter, allowing himself to act as human as possible, sticking his nose in other people's business and listening in on the conversations whilst patiently waiting to be helped by the brunette bartender with her hands clearly full.
