Not a vampire? Are you crazy?

Tears still running down her cheeks, her boyfriend left behind in the crowds, Jenny walked through the still bustling streets of Bangkok. Unbeknownst to her, a dark creature followed her. He smelled her tears and smiled. Easy pickings.

"Excuse me," the smiling monster tapped Jenny's shoulder. She jumped as she turned around. All she saw was a young, smiling Thai man. "You look lost... oh. Excuse me, are you alright?"

"I'm just..." Jenny sniffed and wiped away her tears. "I'm fine. I'm just looking for my hotel." Jenny smiled, hiding her sadness. "I think I'm a little lost."

"What hotel?" the monster smiled.

"Oh, um... the Sukhumvit Hotel?" Jenny smiled at the monster. "Did I pronounce that right?" The monster laughed.

"Yes! Your pronunciation is very good," he smiled and Jenny laughed, her tears fading. "Your hotel is close by. Would you like me to show you?"

"Yes, please. If it's not too much trouble!" Jenny glanced to the side.

"Oh, no trouble! No trouble at all!" the monster laughed and politely gestured in the right direction. Jenny smiled gratefully and they walked a ways.

"You're sure you don't mind?" Jenny asked.

"It's really no trouble," the monster assured her. "Just down this way." He gestured down an alleyway.

"Down there?" Jenny asked. She glanced at the monster nervously.

"The fastest way to your hotel is down this alley and then three blocks to the left," the monster assured her.

"But... is it safe?" Jenny asked.

"It is totally safe," the monster assured her with a smile. He led Jenny half way through the alley before turning to her.

"What?" Jenny asked looking into his glowing white eyes before gasping with realization.

"Totally safe. For me anyway," the monster looked Jenny up and down hungrily. Jenny began to whimper.

"Please don't hurt me," she whispered.

"No pain," the monster smiled as he pulled Jenny's head to one side, fangs extending. "For me anyway." Lips twitching the monster reached for Jenny's inviting neck. He tried to bite in but found himself just short of her neck. He pulled harder and found he couldn't move. A hand was holding his hair and lips appeared at his ear.

"She asked nicely," the second monster growled in an almost friendly voice. Then the second monster hurled the first into the wall behind him.

"Please don't hurt me," Jenny begged again her eyes shut tight.

"Don't worry, he won't hurt you now," came a much friendlier voice. Jenny opened her eyes to find a young white man, American by the clothes, standing in a heroic pose.

"What?" Jenny blinked.

"I won't let him hurt you, don't worry," the second monster smiled at Jenny.

"Where did he go?" Jenny slowly backed away from the strange new man looking for the monster she'd just seen.

"Oh, he's right over..." the second monster turned to point at his fallen foe to find no one there. "Oh, gottsverdammten vampire. Where'd that bugger go?"

"Oh god," Jenny backed into the wall, shaking.

"It'll be ok," the young man said, standing in front of Jenny, looking around attentively. He glanced over his shoulder and smiled. "I'm Jay, by the way." Which was, of course, the moment the monster took to strike. The monster darted out of the darkness, snarling, claws reaching for this upstart.

Jay caught him by the throat without looking. While the monster struggled, Jay's head slowly turned. When the monster caught Jay's eyes they were glowing red and his fangs were extended.

"Bad move, brother," Jay winked at the monster before turning once again and hurling the hideous creature down the alleyway. He started to follow, but stopped when Jenny clutched at his arm.

"What did you call him?" Jenny asked, shaking still.

"Oh, a god damned vampire," Jay replied. "That was German, sorry."

"He's not a vampire," Jenny said quietly. Jay blinked.

"Not a vampire? Are you crazy?" Jay stared at Jenny, mouth agape. "What about the eyes? And the claws? And the scary?"

"There's no such thing as vampires!" Jenny insisted, backing away from Jay slightly.

"Oh, come on! How much more proof could you possibly need?" Jay complained.

"There's no such thing as vampires!" Jenny insisted more confidently.

"He disappeared again!" Jay gestured to where the monster no longer lay.

"That's because he ran off," a new voice came from the darkness. Jenny and Jay both turned to find a serious looking man walking towards them.

"You've got to be joking!" Jay grumbled as K walked up.

"He was trying to mug you, Jay here scared him, and he ran off," K said calmly to Jenny. Almost hypnotically. Jenny nodded absently.

"He was trying to mug me," the frightened girl agreed. "He ran off." K sighed at the girl.

"Your boyfriend is back there," K nodded back out of the alley. Jenny nodded and ran out of the alley.

"God dammit, K," Jay growled. Then he blinked, confused. "You didn't even use magic! How did you do that?"

"People believe what they want to believe," K shrugged. "Talk in a spooky voice and people will believe they're being hypnotized or whatever." K gave Jay a strange look. "Why were you so big on her thinking he was a vampire anyway?" Jay put on his innocent face. K parried with his annoyed face.

"Uh... well... you know... I just wanted her to believe," Jay looked down, embarrassed.

"Yeah, I got that part," K rolled his eyes. "It was the why part I didn't get." Jay sighed.

"I've just been thinking that if people started to believe then..." Jay paused.

"It would be easier for you to admit who you are to girls?" K guessed.

"Yeah," Jay admitted.

"I kinda figured," K gave his friend a sympathetic smile.

"Hey, what'd you do to that guy anyway?" Jay suddenly asked glancing around. K suddenly grinned.

"Remember how I told you about that shadow fire I was working on that gave off no light and transported the person on fire into the shadow realm?" K wiggled his eyebrows.

"Holy shit, that worked?" Jay laughed. "Freakin' awesome!"

"I knew you'd forgive me," K smirked. "I didn't know you'd be so quick about it."

"What are you... Dammit!" Jay groaned. K laughed and the two friends wandered off into the Bangkok night.