Hey, hey, guys, gals, and in between pals! I can't believe we're already at number five in this series. I know it's only been a month, but I'm super proud of myself for continuing forward even with some small setbacks.

This is a side story that I'm working on based on a Tumblr post that I've seen several times. This isn't part of the Synth Universe and will be found in the Side Stories section of the website. A link to the post will be at the bottom.

Hope you enjoy the show!

~Chance

CW: Blood

Chapter One

Vladimir looked through the mint condition cards he'd held sacred for so long. He hadn't kept them for over a century because he thought they would have more value later. He held hundreds of ducats in his hands, but money meant nothing in the face of immortality.

At least, it hadn't meant anything before even Vladimir Dracula fell on hard times in the 21st century. A plague ravaging the world was something he was familiar with, but it hadn't been on this kind of scale in a long time. Walking the night looking for easily convinced blood donors had become near impossible with the curfews and stay at home orders. Social distancing was a plague all its own on Vampire kind.

He spread the cards on the table with the utmost care. These cards were the most precious thing he had from a life long gone. His eyes rose to the ancient sepia toned photograph he had tended to with the same care as the cards. A sad smile crossed his lips as his gaze rested on the pair of men embracing in  the image. He began reaching for the photo, but pulled his hand back when there was a knock on his door.

"One moment." Vladimir dug his facemask from his pocket and looked into the mirror near his door to be sure it was sitting properly. It wasn't like he was going to contract the virus, but appearances needed to kept up.

Vladimir swung the door open and was surprised by not having to look down at the other man. Though he was not as tall as the fanfictions claimed, being almost two meters tall had him actually head and shoulders above most people he met. The second thing that struck him was the familiar brown eyes that met his.

"As much as I do not mind staring at your emerald eyes, are you going to invite me in to look at those cards?" The man's voice was like a ghost from the past.

If Vladimir's heart still beat, it would be pounding. It took him a moment to compose himself. "Yes, my apologies. You just remind me of an old...friend."

Vladimir stepped aside to allow the other man into his rather unassuming apartment. The long legged man strode into the main room and Vladimir could see him immediately start scanning his surroundings. Even this man's movements brought Vladimir back to that fateful day in Japan.

The man turned to face Vladimir again. The plain black mask obscured half of his visitor's face, but Vladimir could see the man's smile in his eyes. "Thank you for inviting me to see the cards. I was pleasantly shocked when you agreed to meet so late. Normally, people suspect foul play when I suggest meeting at midnight."

If Vladimir still breathed, he would be short of breath from the shock of seeing a shadow from his past. He had to compose himself again before he could reply. "Of course. I live a fairly nocturnal life, so this worked perfectly for me."

"Ah, another third shifter. Not enough of us around these days. Who will watch the walls while others sleep, Vladimir?" The man's laugh resonated within Vladimir as though he were a tuning fork.

Vladimir laughed as well to cover the sudden burst of nervousness. "Who, indeed. I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage as I've forgotten your name from our exchanges. All I can recall is your username. Home_Sweet_Holmes. I found it quite clever."

The visitor sat on the edge of the couch. "Thank you. You can just call me Holmes. All my friends do."

"Are we friends?"

Holmes chuckled. "I hope to be once we complete our exchange. So, where are the first run cards you told me about?"

Vladimir led Holmes to the table. "These are my most valuable cards from the collection. I have many more I can show you if you are interested."

Holmes squatted down so he was closer to the cards. He looked them over like a jeweler, his brown eyes flicking about at a near inhuman speed. "May I pick them up?" Vladimir nodded, trying to pretend he wasn't studying Holmes like he was studying the cards. Holmes stood to his full height again and picked the cards up, examining them one by one. Vladimir could hear the young man mumbling about details in the cards, some of which Vladimir hadn't even noticed before.

Holmes replaced all but one of the cards in their original position. He turned the card that remained in his hand over with a curious frown. "I hate to devalue your cards, Vladimir, but this one is not valuable as the others you have presented. What makes this one so special?"

Vladimir took the card from Holmes and stared down at the collector's piece. He laugh and shook his head. "My apologies, Holmes. I forget this card is not as valuable to other collectors. This one was actually given to me by the friend you remind me of."

"Your friend had good taste and a good eye for detail. I am guessing you are unaware of its true value?"

Vlad furrowed his brow and shook his head before placing the card in Holmes' outstretched hand. "No. He didn't tell me anything was special about the card."

Holmes held the card up and  pointed to a mark in the corner. "This marking was only on a small batch of cards as a misprint. There are only fifty of these in the entire world. Beyond that, this is part of that batch which was personalized by the original artist from Nintendo. This is one of ten cards with completely unique borders and backing." Holmes turned the card over and picked up a second card to show Vladimir the differences. "What you have is a unicorn, Vladimir. I could not ask you to part with something this valuable on a monetary and personal level. Your friend probably wanted you to keep this one."

Vladimir took the card back, his fingers brushing Holmes' as they went by. If Vladimir's blood still ran through his veins, his face would be flushed. He pulled the card close to his chest and couldn't help but to glance at the picture of him and Sherlock.

Holmes took immediate notice and squatted down so was level with the picture. "This photograph is ancient. I am impressed by its condition." He tilted his head as he examined the picture. "Is this your great grandfather? The resemblance is striking."

Vladimir nodded with another nervous laugh. "Um, not quite. That's my great granduncle who I was named after."

Holmes picked up the frame with the lightest touch, holding it in both hands as he gave it a closer look. "Was this your uncle's...friend?"

Vladimir shook his head. "You don't have to play heteronormative with me. My uncle was a bisexual man in the late 1800s."

Holmes looked shocked by Vladimir's frank response. "It was very brave of them to get this picture taken. It looks a bit different than most of the pictures I've seen from this era."

Holmes handed the photograph to Vladimir who lightly touched the glass that separated him from the past. "My uncle's partner was brilliant and devised a way to take a picture without the use of silver. A silver allergy runs in my family and even being around the stuff they used back then could cause great discomfort."

Holmes tilted his head and squinted his eyes. "I see. What a curious allergy." The young man turned his attention to the cards again. "I'd like to take some time to consider my offer. Would it be alright if we met at my coffee shop in a few days? If you don't mind bringing some of those other cards, I'll gladly take a few off your hands."

Vladimir put the picture on the table and collected his cards. "I didn't know you owned a coffee shop."

Holmes pulled out a business card from an inner pocket of his jacket and handed it to Vladimir. "Locke and Watts Café. A 24/7 internet café that I and a friend opened a year ago. We are not well known yet, but we are attracting the local college scene. Or, we were before this virus struck."

"Have you thought of doing curbside pickup or deliveries?"

Holmes sighed. "Yes, but neither of us have a car and my bicycle is not suitable for carrying anything except me. I think it belonged to my grandfather and potentially his father before him. It is  something of a 'welcome to adulthood' gift. A busted up bicycle that the recipient is expected to fix with no outside help. I think my father actually made that part up to fuck with me."

"Your father sounds like a prick."

Holmes burst into laughter, doubling over for a moment before gathering himself again. "My apologies, Vladimir. It is just that those are the exact words my grandfather said to me when I told him what my father had said. He told me my father had always been a prick and always would be."

Vladimir laughed as well. "It sounds like your grandfather had good taste and an eye for detail." Vladimir tucked the business card in his shirt pocket. "Give me a call when you want to meet again, Holmes." Vladimir extended his hand but pulled back when he remembered the social distancing rule.

Holmes held up his elbow. "Elbow bump?" Vladimir raised his elbow with a clueless look. Holmes bumped his elbow against Vladimir's elbow. "This is what my friends and I replaced handshakes with. Way less worry about transmission."

Vladimir followed his guest to the door, holding it open for the young man. Holmes gave Vladimir a parting wave before disappearing in the dimly lit hall. Vladimir moved over to his window and watched as Holmes unlocked a familiar bicycle before riding off into the night.

Vladimir laid on his bed and stared at the ceiling long after the sun had risen. All he could think of was the specter of his lost lover that had visited the night before. He turned to look at his cellphone. "Please call soon..."

Queer Bookworm reblog