Chapter Text
So many presentations, so many slides. And Tango had to repeat the same one for all of them. But considering the circumstances, it was better that than the alternative. He felt the burning from thirst, and tried the apple juice, but it didn’t hit quite right. No drink quenched his thirst the way it used to anymore. With exasperation, Tango got up from his desk and marched to the fridge in his kitchenette. Inside was an additional box, courtesy of the local Cryptic-Human Alliance Guild. He opened the box, taking out one of the bottles and checking it. B positive. Just looking at the contents made him feel ill. Sure, this stuff was donated, but knowing it belonged to someone else, a human made his skin crawl.
The disgust was short lived, as his mind slipped away into the thirst, as he bared his fangs and punctured the lid to drink, ignoring the small stream that escaped his mouth, dripping down his chin. Once he drained the bottle, he managed to wipe away the thin stream of red. If there was a mirror, he’d see his irises flush bright red from the dulling brown that gave him warning of increasing thirst.
Tango took the lid off the bottle, and rinsed the inside of the bottle to drink down the remains, a bit more controlled this time. He washed it up and put it on the recycle rack for eventual pick-up, where the bottles would be sanitized and reused for the specific blood type, to be delivered again, like when they used to deliver milk. He returned to his laptop, continuing building the slides for his upcoming ‘Sleep Safety’ presentation. One meant to prevent the same transformation happening to other humans like it happened to Tango.
How lovely.
Tango was once the same as ‘everyone else.’ Just a regular guy working as one of the engineers for maintenance at the local arcade. Specifically the ‘live experiences’ section that felt more like Disney rides than the run-of-the-mill haunted houses and the like. It kept his mind going. Filled the craving for game-making too. The bonus was seeing the delight in one of the design-lead’s eyes which made the stupid breaks all the more worth it.
“Tango! Tango! Tango! You outdid yourself again!” Scar exclaimed with a light smack on Tango’s mid back. Scar would go for the shoulders, but being in a wheelchair limited that reach. Tango didn’t mind. The praise combined with the light in Scar’s green eyes said plenty more than a shoulder pat ever could.
“I may have made a few tweaks here and there to smooth things out, and for your convenience, you can take your wheelchair through the entire experience,” said Tango.
“Gah, Tango! You’re the best. Let’s give it a run through shall we?” Scar asked, already rolling toward the entrance. Tango followed close. There’d be enough space for the both of them to comfortably walk side by side. Tango adjusted it to be that way. After all, this was the first game Tango designed himself for the arcade.
The experience was simple; a dungeon crawler where guests would retrieve ‘artifacts’ and turn them in for prizes. And the artifacts were varied, and never in the same place twice in a row. There was a time limit, and as it neared the time limit, routes in the maze would close off. If the player got cornered, then it was game over, and the ride supervisor would reopen the way out. Other things were involved to keep it balanced enough for people to enjoy and it not lean too far into gambling.
Scar and Zedaph were Tango’s playtesters, which helped Tango make the final adjustments to ensure no one got squished by routes closing, and testing the fire escape, which would automatically open all the ways out, including to the nearest outdoor exit, and light up the exit signs brighter than usual. It took additional run-throughs to ensure Scar’s wheelchair wouldn’t get stuck on the scenery, and give him adequate time to actually succeed.
Closing time for the arcade soon arrived, with Tango and Zedaph being the last two to lock up the arcade.
“Hey keep an eye out tonight, Tango. I heard some of the supernaturals get a little bold on full moons,” said Zedaph.
“Is that from one of your studies?” Tango asked.
“I heard it from Cleo. And you know the werewolves are gonna be out hunting,” said Zedaph.
“They usually stick to the forests outside town and do pack runs,” said Tango.
“Not all of them. Just last month some in town got in some fights with late night pub-crawlers. A few got turned from that, and they’re the lucky ones,” said Zedaph.
“Alright, I’ll be careful, Zed. You too. How’s that weird distortion doing?” Tango asked.
“It tried to eat one of my shirts until I had breakfast, and I’ve managed to make it a little smaller. Don’t worry, I’ve got snacks for the trip home,” said Zedaph.
“Right, I’ll text you when I make it home,” said Tango.
“Much appreciated, I’ll do the same,” said Zedaph. He hopped into his car and drove out of the empty parking lot. Tango started his walk to the late night bus stop. Full moon nights were the best for public transportation, mostly cause it was quiet, and the buses ran long for the sake of the supernaturals.
Getting on, there were a few humans, at least that’s what it looked like. The driver had a full-body suit on, probably in case of a stray werewolf gone rogue. Tango sat in the seats closest to the bus driver, something Tango learned since he was a child. The route was somewhat long, but Tango would rather get home sooner than later by walking.
Tango stepped off the bus, and started walking. He always got off a little early, just in case. The chances of a vampire hunting were low, thanks to the efforts of the Cryptic-Human Alliance Guild, which for some reason they chose CHUG as the acronym. But it wasn’t zero. Still, Tango made it back to his apartment and texted Zed just as he locked the door.
By all accounts, the incident shouldn’t have happened at all. Tango had never invited a vampire over to his apartment, kept the windows locked, and even ate some garlic bread before brushing his teeth and calling it a night.
The following morning, Tango awoke in the hospital. The first person besides his horribly anxious nurses that he spoke to was the head of the CHUG, Xisuma. All he knew was that overnight, he’d been turned into a vampire, and enrolled into the vampire assistance program in case he lost his job. Xisuma couldn’t tell him how it happened, and based on the people keeping an eye on him since, the fact no one knew how it could happen in the first place was a cause of concern.
----
Tango hadn’t lost his job, but he ended up moving to a night shift since his daylight hours were shot by his condition. The only times he’d see coworkers was at the old ‘closing’ time, usually Zedaph. Scar usually left before closing since he had limited in-building hours. He still texted, updating Tango on the success of his new game. He missed it though, and hoped he’d at least get to operate the ride on it’s first opening. But vampires tended to unsettle people, no matter how docile they were.
Which was why Tango thought him giving the Sleep Safety presentations was a terrible idea.
It’d just look like he was giving bad advice to make people more susceptible, but Xisuma insisted that Tango was the one to do it. And he’d get paid extra for it. People trusted Xisuma, so Tango took up the offer. His hours were certainly shortened for the summer. The extra cash wouldn’t hurt.
He could go out with an umbrella, and being clothed head-to-toe. His grocery bill dropped somewhat too. Despite not needing it to live, Tango still ate ‘human food’ rich in iron and whatever else replenished blood. Maybe it was denial, maybe it was just hope to not drink as much blood. Either way, even if people around Tango made it work, he was not interested in his current circumstances.
Tango’s cell rang, and without looking he picked it up.
“Hyello?” Tango spoke.
“Tango! How are you holding up buddy?” Impulse asked.
“Just had my drink of the day. Still hate it,” said Tango.
“Aw, that’s rough,” said Impulse.
“Better than a person, I guess. So, what’s going on?” Tango asked.
“Since you’ve been having a tough time and holing up in your apartment I thought I’d invite-”
“Stop there,” said Tango.
“Dude, you’re still my friend, Tango. I’m not gonna cut you out of social events cause of a diet change. Besides, we’re going to the karaoke bar on 7th,” said Impulse.
“The sketchy one?” Tango questioned.
“Well, they serve a good bloody mary,” said Impulse.
“I don’t know, Impulse. Who’s coming?” Tango asked.
“It’ll be you, me, Skizz, and Zedaph. We’ve missed hanging out with you man,” said Impulse.
Three humans and a vampire, going to the one sketchy bar that’s known for incidents. Tango wondered if the usual one would have issues with him. And he hadn’t tested out how he was on alcohol just yet.
“There’s more than one reason to pick it, Tango,” said Impulse.
“What, a ‘No Vampire’ policy at the usual bar?” Tango asked.
“No, it’s a ‘No Distortion’ policy,” said Impulse.
“Oh, poor Zed. Is he okay?” Tango asked.
“He’s got it to where it’s closed up, but it’s bitey enough that the one we’re going to is a safer bet,” said Impulse.
“Alright, I’ll go. I’ll meet up with you there after my presentation,” said Tango.
“Presentation? On what?” Impulse asked.
“Sleep Safety. Against vampires,” said Tango. Impulse was quiet on the other line. “It’s okay to laugh.”
“What is Xisuma thinking?” Impulse asked.
“I think it’s just to help me cope or whatever. I don’t know. Maybe he hopes something will jog my memory and I’ll figure out how I got turned in the first place,” said Tango.
“I still think it’s wild that it happened in the first place. Far as I know you did everything right,” said Impulse.
“I thought so too,” said Tango.
“See you at nine?” Impulse asked.
“Yeah, I’ll be the guy with the umbrella,” said Tango.
“Sun should be gone by then,” said Impulse.
“I’m not taking any chances. I already got burned once,” said Tango.
----
Tango chose to dress business casual, and to have a bottle before leaving for the presentation. The meeting was at City Hall, where Mayor Fwhip was going to attend and introduce him. Tango arrived early to make sure the presentation would work, and to get formal greetings out of the way. Mayor Fwhip was a friendly guy, always open to work with people, and he and Xisuma’s work made life easier between supernaturals and humans with spaces designed to help supernaturals adapt and live without harm. Humans had to be especially worked with on their fear, and this presentation intended to be one of them.
Tango stepped up as Mayor Fwhip introduced him, and he started the presentation. He explained the safety rules, such as invitations are technically permanent unless you move, keeping windows locked, and other repellents. And just general safety stuff. The crowd behaved, until the Q&A.
“Why is a vampire sharing this?” One person shouted without prompt. Tango expected it.
“All the stuff here would keep me out, it’s been worked on with the Cryptic-Human Alliance Guild to ensure that the tests with these methods were successful,” said Tango.
“So say I invited you over before you turned,” Another spoke up. “What then?”
“Well, I don’t think I’d be able to walk in without an invitation after turning,” said Tango.
“What if someone else invites you in?”
“If you’re not the homeowner, it doesn’t work,” said Tango.
“Say if someone was working with a vampire and pulled a person out--”
“Alright, that’s enough,” said Mayor Fwhip. He thanked Tango, and moved things on. Tango picked up his laptop, and hurried to make a swift exit.
“Wait,” the same person who was interrupted stopped him. “What if someone did pull someone out of the house for a vampire?”
“Then the home protection wouldn’t be in place. That’s why we lock our doors, our windows, use security systems--”
“So no one is safe,” said the person. Tango glanced back at him.
“We do what we can. I wish I could give you a hundred-percent,” said Tango. The man sighed. Tango heard the sound of metal against a sheath. Tango backed against the door, which felt like a stove from the sun on the other side. It’d hurt, but it’d take a long time for him to burn to ash. Better than the silver knife. Tango tried the door, falling below the shadow of the outer doors, just as Xisuma appeared behind the man, snatching the knife away while two officers arrested the man.
“Sorry Tango. You alright?” Xisuma asked. He dropped the shades over the windows so Tango could get back up.
“Is that gonna happen every time?” Tango asked.
“I hope not. I’ll have a car take you back to your apartment, and I’ll tell Fwhip they need more security in City Hall,” said Xisuma. “Can’t believe this.”
“Hey Xisuma, I know it’s not gonna be checked, but did someone break into my apartment that night?” Tango asked. Xisuma’s gaze lingered on Tango from inside his helmet, but he shook his head.
“That was the first thing I asked them to check. No sign of forced entry. The most damage was a crack in the window, and that’s too small for anyone to get in,” said Xisuma.
“What if somebody-”
“Tango, the man was looking for a reason. That kind of thing keeps getting brought up at every safety briefing. Usually it’s a human presenter, so we didn’t expect people to behave like that,” said Xisuma. “Not everyone is keen on supernaturals. And even then, that kind of effort is usually done by someone with a grudge.”
“You’ve got a point,” said Tango. He sighed.
“I’ll drive you myself instead. I’ll ask Pix to give my speech. He knows how to answer questions,” said Xisuma. “Wait here while I tell him.”
Tango expected safety with Xisuma, but the idea his would-be attacker brought up buried itself in his brain. What if someone did bring him out to be bitten? Was it his landlord? Who would do that anyway? The program ensured blood delivery was no charge, or cheap.
And why did they let him turn?