Diabolik Lovers, and canon plot based panfandom RP.
Raven
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Eri
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Karl Heinz and his wives, and Richter are not available for application by the gen public. They will be written by admins or admin upon request. Any and all outside of the boys will be up for interaction for personal plot advancement upon request.
A gentle breeze danced through the historical district of Kamina. The streets were practically dead quiet, not a soul in sight, though there were some streetlights - styled to look like lanterns - that provided a bit of illumination here and there. Jen adjusted her denim jacket, and the airy, garnet-red scarf she'd worn to hide the nearly-healed puncture wounds on her neck. It had taken all of her power not to run her fingers over it every few minutes when it was fresher, the tingling sensation that emitted into the surrounding skin was unlike almost anything she'd experienced. For obvious reasons, she had to keep it hidden... and now, she was willingly meeting up with the culprit, at her own insistence.
Why? Because a certain remark Ruki had made, had spun around and around in her mind since that day nearly a week ago, and she could no longer stand to leave it alone.
Jen found a place to sit, near what looked like a modest old shrine; some people had still appeared to leave offerings at it. She rested her back against the wall so it was one less direction she'd need to check; she kind of wished she'd had a snack or something with her, but then, she'd originally anticipated that she'd go straight home.
Shit man, even a lollipop would be better than nothing right now...
[attr="class","textieno"]What a wonder for Ruki to actually accept an invitation from someone who wanted speak with him, and the subject wasn’t involving with business. Well then again, it kind of did since it’s about knowing him which is technically his own business (and everyone’s supposed to mind it), but...it’s not something that had to involve with errands and all.[break][break]
Within around twenty to thirty minutes after leaving the manor, the vampire made his way to the historical area of Kamina. It should be around this time that she should be here. He still has the text messages, and Jen did say “around twenty to thirty minutes”. It has been a week already since the last time he actually saw her. After that sort of “deed” they made, though, it was for the better in Ruki’s case. Though he wondered; does she still have that mark on her? She is a dhampir so the vampiric benefit of self-healing should have done its work. But then again, there is her human trait which possibly makes the healing power slower than a usual vampire. Slower than a “turned” vampire, since even though they heal fast, it’s not as fast as a pureblood’s.[break][break]
Deeper in the streets of the old side of Kamina, Ruki caught on a rather familiar scent the moment he kept walking further; She’s here. No doubt about it, he can’t exactly forget that scent after encountering with her multiple times, unwillingly. Albeit, it didn’t help that it stayed on his school uniform for a little while after lunch time. Boy, did it take some strategy to avoid Kou for the rest of the school day, even back at the mansion, where he had to toss it all in the laundry, immediately. As for the bite, it’s really beneficial to have self-healing, because his brother would be on his back all day about it, and Ruki would never hear the end of it. It happened anyway, when Ruki had to have it explained by Yui, and it became very frustrating.[break][break]
The vampire made his way around to an old shrine and just his luck (along with the scent), there she is, easy to recognize. Before approaching her, Ruki took notice of the scarf she’s wearing around her neck. Considering the weather out here, there’s another reason why she’s probably wearing it. Figures.[break][break]
“So, you wanted to talk with me?” He walked up beside her, and had his back leaning against the wall, while he placed his hands in his pockets.
Her eyes flickered upward from her position, when she heard the sound of that low, smoky voice addressing her. A split second after that, Jen detected his scent: to her, it faintly echoed petrichor, with the slightest of sweet notes, and twinges of spice and musk. It was a scent she hadn't exactly minded having on her during the rest of that night... though she, too, had to strip her clothes off and throw them in the wash in order to avoid her mother smelling the male vampire's traces.
She wondered about the status of the bite she'd left on him. Purebloods tended to heal incredibly quickly, but what about turned vampires, like Ruki?
Jen had heard his question, but she first asked (albeit rather rhetorically), "I take it you teleported at least part of the way here?"
She stood up, then sighed a bit, "Let's start walking first, then I'll tell you."
It should have been expected that he would be blunt, to come right out and ask instead of waiting for any small talk; but Jen wasn't about to let him call all of the shots here. She could compromise on some things, but she felt more comfortable being in motion while trying to have this conversation.
Once they were in motion, she responded as straightforwardly as he had asked, "You said that you had chosen rebirth, as a vampire, because you intended to seek revenge. I want to know why that was your motive, of all things."
This time, she opted not to pull the punch; he'd already made his way out here, potentially prepared for tough questions, and he'd made clear that he didn't like to waste time. So, Jen granted his wish in that regard, but now the question was, would he answer it with more than just a gloss?
[attr="class","textieno"]“You are correct.” Ruki confirmed. Now that that’s out of the way, it’s her turn to answer his question. Before she could do so, she suggested they take a walk, first. She better not be stalling, if this is the case. The vampire made a gesture to her on walking first, and he followed her, after. It didn’t take long until he ended up walking beside her.[break][break]
Whatever this conversation is about, it had to be important if she wanted to meet up with him, here. Apparently, something has been crossing her mind throughout this whole week. Perhaps, the biting has been getting to her? Has she been wandering off, drinking from other victims? Whatever it is, he was needed for this discussion.[break][break]
When Jen had finally asked her question, it caught Ruki off guard. Yes, it’s good to be straightforward than just making your way around the subject, until the time is right. But then there’s this question. He did confess about getting revenge on the world to her, last week. However, that was only because he was lost in his reverie, thirsty for her blood. Once he hungered for blood, he could care less about other things.[break][break]
The calm look on his face, despite it staying on, his voice didn’t.[break][break]
“Why do you want to know about that? That’s honestly none of your business to know the reasons.” His voice became rather icy. Is this what this meeting’s all about? For sure, he assumed she wanted to know more about him, but this sort of subject is forbidden.[break][break]
“I suggest that you drop this discussion and find something else to talk about, I will not be answering that. However, if this is the only thing you’ve been wanting to talk about, then I hope you’re used to disappointment because I’ll be leaving without any second thoughts.”
Ruki's reaction, truthfully, didn't surprise Jen much. The reason why she'd turned it over, contemplated and debated, before asking that question, was because she knew that he wouldn't be particularly happy to answer it.
Nonetheless, she decided to pursue it; she stopped, and stood before him, unwavering in her stance. Her voice took on a more authoritative edge than usual, and she stared through him, "No, it's not the only thing I wished to ask, but it was the most pressing on my mind. Look, the fact is that you uncovered a secret of mine that I've harbored for over four decades - which I should also give you an idea of how old I actually am, for one."
Jen still didn't know how old Ruki was, but that didn't particularly matter, "Point being, since you know that much about me now, I don't believe that I'm out of line in asking this much about you."
She took a deep breath, and let out a sigh to calm herself down, but still remained firm, "If it's any consolation, I feel that at this juncture, I would be willing to answer almost any question you have about me. You already have, arguably, the most sensitive information about me that you could possess. All I ask is that I not be the only one standing here naked."
"That said," she relaxed a bit more, "if you would feel more comfortable leaving that question for later... be my guest. Just don't forget about it."
[attr="class","textieno"]Unbelievable. She’s really going to put her foot down, against him. Once she had stopped and placed herself in front of him, he had to stop as well. As if there’s a road block.[break][break]
“So you’re near half a century old, do you honestly believe that I care?”[break][break]
Not out of line? It’s way out of line, for her information. This is a question that involves telling extremely personal details about Ruki’s life, details that he’s still raw about. Meaning, she doesn’t have any right to ask about it, even if he had gotten her long time secret out of her.[break][break]
“Are you commanding me to not forget about something that I do not wish to speak about, ever?” The vampire raised a brow at her. Who does she think she is? Thinking that someday, he will finally open up to her, and say it so freely? In her dreams. “If there’s anyone who should forget about this subject for good, it should be you. Because you’ll never hear about it.”[break][break]
It’s like she’s been doing more bargains with him; he gets something out of her, while she gets something back from him, in return. A fair and equal trade. Wait a minute…[break][break]
Equal.[break][break]
How could he have been so blind?[break][break]
“I see what’s going on now.” His voice lowered, almost in a whisper, “You’ve been trying to make me view you differently, haven’t you? Is that what all these bargains are about? That I’ll finally start to see you up to my standards, as an equal?” A scoff came out from Ruki, “I’ll admit, you’ve practically had me fooled. But the more I see how these keep going, the more I begin to realize how much of a pattern it is; Once I know or get something out of you, I have to let you know or get something out from me.”[break][break]
This began to sicken him. He let her lure him in, like it was nothing. Worst part, he let her bite him, having a taste of his blood because of him discovering that she’s dhampir. How revolting.
"Your standards?" To that, Jen actually couldn't help but let out a short, clipped laugh, almost in disbelief, "You think I'm that pressed to live up to what you think of me? That's cute."
She put one hand on her hip - leaving the other free to gesture as she spoke -and more firmly planted her feet, her head raising up higher, "Sorry to burst your bubble, but I'm not out to impress anyone, least of all you. We're already equals, whether you like it or not; maybe one day of your eternal life, you'll come to terms with that fact."
Jen then crossed her arms, her voice dropping to a similar whisper, though a hint of a smirk lingered, "Yeah, sounds about right to me. I deal with you fairly; that doesn't make you special - I give you the same deal as I would with anyone else."
At this stage of a relationship, at least; but somehow I doubt you'll get past that...
Her voice grew as cold as his, perhaps colder, and she put one foot forward, in his direction, "Now tell me, why is it that you take so much issue with me treating you like an equal? Go on - I'm listening."
[attr="class","textieno"]Ruki rolled his eyes, very much to his annoyance. “That’s not what it sounds like if you had to keep a decades-old secret. I’m sure somewhere deep down that egotistical shell, there’s a fear of what others will think when they know that you just so happened on being that of a mutt.” He may as well remark on her being a half-breed.[break][break]
“At least I have an eternal life. Can you say the same for yourself?” He’s sure that due the human part of her, being a dhampir doesn’t mean having the full-on immortal gift. Sure, they’ll live longer than an actual mortal, but not eternally like a vampire. “I have all the time in the world, and then there’s you. So why bother seeing you equally, when you actually have a life span?”[break][break]
She really doesn’t know who she’s speaking to, at the moment. The urge to correct Jen was getting to Ruki, but the amount of restraint he has with him, remains.[break][break]
“I’m starting to believe this whole “treating me fairly” is your technique to attempt on manipulating me; to lure me in so you can take the advantage of trying to over power me, and making me end up seeing you as someone I can view differently, unlike others. Special or not, I wouldn’t doubt you had done the same to others, so that they don’t see what’s truly behind the mask.” Let’s not also forget the fact that Ruki has issues with when it comes to females. No thanks to a certain someone.[break][break]
“And no, it’s not about you being a promiscuous woman, it’s about your identity. I wonder how humans you once knew before moving away would react to knowing that you have a predatory side of you. Or vampires knowing that you’re not fully immortal. Would they accept you then, and still see you equally?”
If there was ever a case of the pot calling the kettle black, this certainly was a shining example. He's the one bent on trying to be better than her, yet she is supposedly the egotist?
Jen retorted, "Wrong again. In the eyes of 1970's America, I was already considered a 'mutt' of sorts. Half black, half white... what's one more layer of hybridization on top of that? Believe me - I got used to being a mixed breed long before you tried to use it against me."
On the count of an immortal life, he was correct; dhampirs did have incredibly long life spans compared to humans, but they did not get the gift of immortality, not by default, anyway. She paused, and responded as coolly as she could manage (or at least feign), "I do have a life span, but there are ways around that. But ask yourself this: what's eternal life, if you spend it being alone and bitter? Frankly, I'd say I'm doing better than you in that regard, if you want to play that game."
...wait, what? Is this seriously what this is all about? He thinks I'm trying to manipulate him??
Always having had a tendency to 'wear her heart on her sleeve', Jen couldn't stop the look of sheer bewilderment that appeared on her face as he explained his 'reasoning'. It was, by far, the most bizarre thing she'd heard from Ruki in the times they'd interacted. More still, she couldn't help but unleash a certain three word phrase to perfectly sum up her feelings on the matter:
"...what the fuck...?"
She literally had to blink at him, the frown still furrowing her brow, then she took a deep, exasperated breath, "Wow, where do I even start with this?" Jen shook her head, and began to chuckle at the sheer audacity, "If I wanted to overpower you, don't you think I would have done it by now? The only 'mask' I put up is for the sake of my job, sweetheart," she noticed that this nickname tended to come out more when she was irritated, "you're dealing with the real deal here. I don't have time for pretenses and bullshit like that - you said it yourself, I still have a life span. Why waste it being someone I'm not?"
...okay, she'd never actually thought of that, not in those words anyway. The dhampir sighed again, her expression clearly cross, yet defiant, "You want the truth? I've always preferred to be the one giving chase, in relationships or otherwise. It's not exactly a trait unique to those of us who consume blood, now is it?"
Her weight shifted to the other leg, and her voice softened a hair, "As for my immortality, or lack thereof... it was never something I thought about. Just making it in the human world undetected had enough challenges, and living with both a human and a vampire parent meant I... I was never treated as different by either of them. Both of them loved me all the same, and since I didn't really come into contact with other vampires, I had no reason to think about inferiority or superiority. Not in that context, at least."
[attr="class","textieno"]“Is that so?” Another eye roll from Ruki, “If you’re so used to the mixed breed, why don’t you go out there and without being secretive, show that you’re a dhampir? Can you do that for yourself, and see if you can get used to it? Oh wait, I remember you can’t, because it’s legitimately dangerous. You seem very used to being mixed.”[break][break]
How they managed to get into this, all because she wanted to know something about him that’s too personal. To compare her oh-so dangerous secret to his traumatizing past, Jen’s hidden secret of being no more than a halfling is absolutely nothing in comparison on what’s happened to Ruki. So to say her most “sensitive” information is fair enough, to get some of the “same” out of him, is beyond what she says fair.[break][break]
“But ask yourself this: what's eternal life, if you spend it being alone and bitter?”[break][break]
Alone. Alone?! Oh, where can Ruki begin about being alone? Little does this half-breed know. No, he can’t say anything about it. It’s none of her business, his past is only known to him and his brothers, and them only. She’s nowhere near in that picture. She’ll never be in that picture. If there’s a god out there, let him forbid that she becomes any part of Ruki’s life because he’d rather drop dead.[break][break]
“To be frank, that’s fine. That way, there’s no one I have to deal with. I don’t have people that seem distrusting around me, and I can go on with my life. At least then, I’ll have my peace.” Who cares about the people that aren’t his brothers? Ruki sure as hell doesn’t. She doesn’t know. She doesn’t know at all, so the urge of telling Jen to “shut up” is really hitting high.[break][break]
She’s not backing down. Ruki’s patience began to thin. The thought about leaving seems like a really pleasant idea because honestly, it’s like talking to a nosey person who puts herself on the defense when things don’t turn out her way.[break][break]
“Oh, now we’re on the same page; you’ve read my mind about wasting time. Of course, why waste it on being somebody you aren’t, but end up wasting it as being half the person. On both sides instead of just being fully the person?”[break][break]
Ruki grew irritated as she rambles, on and on. Sounding her out began to cross his mind, “I didn’t ask you for the truth. Who would seriously care about your preferences?” Obviously, he doesn’t.[break][break]
And now we begin about talking about parental love. Jen went to the wrong person to talk to about that.[break][break]
"Don't you get it?" There was no way he was this dense, "It's not just about me, it's about keeping my mom and dad safe, too! The only reason I let you in on it was because you figured it out, because you are not as different from me as either of us thought!"
He kept getting hung up on the 'mixed' thing. Isn't he a turned vampire? What's with this sudden fixation on purity?
"Of course, why waste it on being somebody you aren’t, but end up wasting it as being half the person. On both sides instead of just being fully the person?"
"You really want to play this, huh?" Jen narrowed her eyes, her tone getting even icier, "You know, far be it from me to play purity politics, but some purebloods would argue that you're only half a vampire yourself. But," she stood up straight again, "I would be a hypocrite if I were to agree with them."
“What a joke.”
This time, the dhampir definitely felt her body bristle; she turned her body sideways as she set her foot further forward, and her fingers instinctively began to flex. Jen didn't have any intent to start a physical fight if she didn't need to, but she got ready just in case it came to blows. Whatever the case, she was determined to make it known that he wasn't going to undermine her. Not today, not ever. Her tone was deadly serious, and quiet enough that only they would be able to hear, "Excuse me? You wanna run that by me again? 'Cause I sure as Hell don't see anyone laughing around here."
If there was one thing that Jen considered a point of contention, a line that shouldn't be crossed, it's insulting her family. She could take people slinging mud directly at her; but her strong sense of loyalty meant that she would launch into a more assertive defense if such remarks were directed toward those she was close to.
[attr="class","textieno"]Not as different? Is she serious?[break][break]
“Explain to me, give me a handful of examples on how we are not as different. Enlighten me, this should be interesting to hear.” They may have some similar personality traits but they are not anywhere near extremely similar. Until Ruki hears some extreme amount of similarities of her past and present, never will he view Jen as seemingly not as different as him.[break][break]
“It’s not like you’d be viewed any better, being literally half the vampire you are. Purebloods would kill you, willingly if they were given the chance.” At this point, “silencing” her should be a temptation. But considering how arrogant the eldest Mukami can be, he doesn’t plan to have a halfling’s blood dirty his hands. “Turned vampires may get the cold shoulder, but we are not fully looked down upon, unlike dhampirs.”[break][break]
He watched her change her stance, her voice icy. That remark definitely offended her, but what did that matter to him. He’s not going to apologize for it. If this is going to be the way for her to leave him alone, good. That way she no longer talks to him, she’s out of his sight and doesn’t have to see her ever again. For sure he’s not going after her, once this is over.[break][break]
“Did I hit a nerve?” Ruki crossed his arms, a small yet, noticeable smirk formed, “All I said is that the whole idea of parental love is rather a joke.” In his point of view, yes.[break][break]
He never understood it, or at least he once thought he did. But honestly, all he had for family are his brothers. Each of them have a different personality, but they still care for each other. That however, is not parental love, though and he knows that.
“Explain to me, give me a handful of examples on how we are not as different. Enlighten me, this should be interesting to hear.”
"How about the fact that both of us have had a foot in both worlds, human and vampire?" She raised one eyebrow, "Or maybe the fact that both of us have left our countries of origin? Both of us are multi-lingual, both have strong familial bonds... I could likely list more with time."
Jen, in contrast, did believe that there were likely more similarities to be found between them (in fact, she rather believed that most people are more similar to each other than different); however, being as tight-lipped as Ruki was, she had no way of discerning more of them in any great detail. He hadn't really told her much of anything about himself.
"It’s not like you’d be viewed any better, being literally half the vampire you are. Purebloods would kill you, willingly if they were given the chance."
"From what I understand, dhampirs are more common than either of us would be inclined to believe," she was still unimpressed with his attempts to drag her down, and her facial expression showed it, "it's simply that the parentage is often reversed. Perhaps you could go talk to all those pureblood vampire men who can't keep their hands off of human women, yes?"
Although he clarified his remark, Jen found herself about to object, then as she stared back into his mocking grin, she met him with a look that was somewhere between bewildered and concerned. She stepped back for a second, suddenly wondering if she should feel anger or sympathy for Ruki. Her voice grew softer, albeit still shaking a bit from him - admittedly - striking a nerve, "I don't know what happened to you, but I can tell you that the love I feel from my parents is anything but a joke."
[attr="class","textieno"]“Correction, I have had a foot in both worlds, you still have a foot in both. There’s a difference. You did not transition from one world to another, like I did.” Oh, here we go. She’s making the list of basic similarities. So, they have that much alike, but is it for the exact reason?[break][break]
“No, we may have left from where we came, but we have very much different reasons why we left, and I doubt the way your bond has formed from your family is anywhere near the same as how I have formed my own. The only similarity from what you have listed out that I can see, is the language because that was given.” [break][break]
Did she really believe because of that, she knows better than him? That she can end that argument all because of the basic knowledge she so learned from him these past few weeks? That she can very much prove how much they can mirror each other from that nonsense? No way is Ruki going to accept that as enough to believe they’re very much alike. “Other than that, your evidence is not good enough. So quit thinking that just because of the simple facts you know about me, in comparison to yours, shows that we are very much alike in many ways possible.”[break][break]
“And where are they now? Are they out there, easily making a life of their own without fearing and caring about anybody knowing who they are? Or are they just like you, hiding their identity because they know they can be at risk of death? Along with their full-blooded parents?”[break][break]
He’s not going to let his temper loose. But knowing himself, and even the rest of the Mukami brothers; They hate talking about their past. “Whatever has happened to me is none of your concerns.” He also took notice of her voice softening. How disgusting.[break][break]
Once again, Ruki never understood about the idea of parental love. How can a parent love their child if they’re going to live with being at risk all the time?[break][break]
“Oh really? So you can say that your parents loving you is real when they have acknowledge that something so dangerous can be a risk to their child and themselves. Is it really love to have their child put in a risk of danger?”
"Are they out there, easily making a life of their own without fearing and caring about anybody knowing who they are?"
"I don't exactly see you flaunting your vampirism," Jen raised an eyebrow, "so that seems pretty irrelevant. But I'll humor you - no, most of them are not open about their identities, and neither are most purebloods, or turned vampires," she had to resist the urge to roll her eyes, "trust me, I know my shit here, even if I haven't lived it firsthand."
Being curious as she was, especially at a young age, she'd sometimes peeked through her father's research notes, and recalled the things he'd talk about at dinner. If she had questions, he was generally willing to answer, and her mother would fill in gaps.
"Oh really? So you can say that your parents loving you is real when they have acknowledge that something so dangerous can be a risk to their child and themselves. Is it really love to have their child put in a risk of danger?"
Jen took genuine pause at this; though she didn't agree with him in any sense, it wasn't a perspective she'd considered. Her tone evened to a degree even she didn't expect, "...I wasn't really planned, for one. But they decided to keep me, and through my life, they've provided for me, protected me, and cared for me as best they could. Our situation might not have been ideal, but it made me who I am today, and I wouldn't change that for the world."
