Little Mermaid inspired me about non-human learning what it's like to be a human. Vampires may look human but they don't have the same strengths like them. They can't walk in daylight, lack of reflection, can't cross running water, weak to holy objects, garlic, and never ages.

Characters belong to (c) Zagtoon.

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The year was 1926 in Transylvania and it will be days until the Agrestes move to France to start a new undead life. The father tried everything to raise his son for centuries to be like him but he was too much like his mother. He tried to teach him to treat his assistant as a slave but instead, his son treats him like a friend. He tried to teach him to scare humans but Adrien could never bring himself to traumatize them. He tried everything but nothing could make his undead heart colder like his.

Right now, Adrien was asleep in his coffin with the lid open, waiting for the sun to set so he could be joyful and sweet with the actual black cat he took in as his own.

"Okay, wake up, dude. I know you're awake" His friend but assistant Nino Lahiffe said.

"Come on, man. I was dreaming about being a human" Adrien groans and levitates him up.

"Again? You know it's impossible when you're a blood-sucking undead non-human" Nino said.

"Yeah, I know, Nino. I just can't live like this anymore. Vampires have been around for 15 centuries. I cannot live another century to go again" Adrien sighs unhappy.

"I'm human and you know the entire strengths and weakness my kind has. For example, humans don't drink blood" Nino hands him a bottle of blood, "They don't have pointy teeth, they can't see in the dark, and pretty much may be alive until they die old at 90 or 100"

"Mmhmm" Adrien drinks blood from the vial, "And I know they don't have supernatural powers"

"Last time you tried to walk in sunlight and you almost roasted up. Your dad would have grounded you for a century" Nino said.

"Give me a break. I can never be like him. Whenever he's around, I'm forced to treat you like a slave than a friend. I cannot do this anymore, Nino. My mother wouldn't want me to be like Dracula who was killed by Van Helsing" Adrien gets up from his coffin and walks up to the window, "Besides, I just want to be out there like a friendly vampire rather than being scary all the time"

"I understand what you mean, Dude" Nino said.

"Meow, meow" A black cat meowed.

"Hello Plagg" Adrien saw him.

"What's wrong with being immortal? You have eternal life without having to die. Being mortal is a very tough life, my dude. You have no idea what my kind goes through. You heal in seconds, mortals heal way too long" Nino said, making his master friend stand straight so he could put the cape on.

"Well once I reach adulthood I stop aging. But if I don't get blood I rapidly age" Adrien said.

"Oh, come on. That's just a myth to probably scare the hell out of you. We have a few days left until you and your dad move to Paris. Which reminds me, when was the last time you hypnotized a victim?" Nino made him stand near the mirror, not caring if Adrien had no reflection.

"A year ago, I believe," Adrien said.

"You really are like your mother," Nino said and adjusted the cape straight.

"She was very innocent until a man killed her. My father blames all humankind for that. It was just one cruel man, not every human kind" Adrien said.

"He scares me a lot and yet he still has that 'human' woman as his assistant" Nino using air quotes.

"Even that 'Gorilla' as my personal guard," Adrien said.

"Funny. And he's a human too. Your father really had to pick him to protect you. What do you think of your lack of reflection but your clothes shown in the mirror? Spooky?" Nino asked.

"Spooky or not, I wish I knew what it's like to have a reflection," Adrien said.

"If only" Nino said.

"And watch this" Adrien smirked as he drank blood, lifting his grey shirt up to show his lack of reflection of how the blood is inside his visible shape stomach in the mirror.

"Whoa, gross!" Nino pretends to be disgusted.

"Yeah, that's an example of why I hate having a lack of reflection" Adrien snickered.

"Yeah, yeah" Nino pushes him in the bathroom, "Brush your teeth and fangs, dude. You know I like them clean. I'll let your father know you're coming"

"Thanks" Adrien brushed them.

Much later, Adrien meets his father. Their relationship between father and son became very weak because his father has never been himself ever since his wife died and he has put too much pressure on him a lot.

"Greetings father" Adrien bowed.

"I expected more from you to treat your assistant as a slave," Gabriel said.

Adrien sighed in annoyance and forced himself to hypnotize his friend, "Bow to me, Nino" He commanded. Nino in a trance bowed as he was told.

"Happy?" Adrien glared softly at his father.

"Yes. Make him pack our bags. We'll be moving to Paris soon" Gabriel said.

"Yes, of course," Adrien reluctantly did so.

Once Nino had helped Adrien pack up their things, he was snapped out of the trance.

"Forgive me, Nino. I did not have a choice. I cannot keep obeying my father. He's not the same anymore" Adrien said.

"Someday you need to be a free man," Nino said.

"I'm trying but he's all I got in the family, Nino. Mom would have wanted me to make a friend which I did but my father forced me to make you my slave. I cannot keep pretending anymore" Adrien helped him with the luggage.

"I agree with you," Nino said.

"You know hypnosis doesn't work on vampires," Adrien said.

"I know that," Nino said.

"It just doesn't feel right to hypnotize humans against their will" Adrien sighs.

"Dude, I'm used to it. You're just keeping your dad happy, right?" Nino said.

"I just don't wanna suffer from his wrath," Adrien said.

"You just did, my dude. You're leaning into obedience far too much as I remember" Nino said, piling the luggage.

"One thing I can say is he stopped being my dad after mom died," Adrien said.

"In metaphorically speaking, it sounded like you lost your dad centuries ago," Nino said, trying to move the heavy coffin.

"Let me help" Adrien helps him out.

"Thanks, my dude. Only 5 men can carry a heavy coffin" Nino said.

"You're welcome" Adrien said.

"Tomorrow when the ship sails, you have to look like you're literally, physically, and totally dead," Nino said, not wanting anyone to think he's a walking corpse in a coffin.

"Got it. Dressed in formals" Adrien said.

"Come on. It's the 20th century. Why can't your father let you dress something else than that ancient vampire way?" Nino asked.

"Because vampire traditions never change. It's forbidden to him" Adrien replied.

"Have it your way" Nino replied.

"I just hope there's a sign but I could never hear a God giving me a sign," Adrien said.

"Maybe one day," Nino said.

"Transylvania is all I had left for the memories of my mother. Paris won't be any different" Adrien sighs.

"It's the city of love, my dude master," Nino said.

"Ah yes. Maybe something will change there" Adrien thought of it.

"Maybe you could find a sexy human woman to swoon on" Nino teased him.

"Perhaps the one for me," Adrien said.

"If the one can love you without you having to hypnotize her to sleep," Nino said.

"I want to know what real love feels like," Adrien said.

Nino pushed the coffin with him, "Not easy to build a relationship with love, my dude"

"I can never use hypnosis on humans to drink blood. It doesn't feel right" Adrien gets in his coffin.

"Dude, beauty isn't always the taste, curiosity takes your heart" Nino shoves a blood bottle in his hand, this time with a wooden straw.

"Thanks" Adrien slurps blood from the straw.

"I hope someday you try normal food rather than just blood and jello," Nino said.

"Humans discovered and invented gelatin in 1897. I don't know how it calms my cravings but it works. Pretend I hypnotized you to get me jello when we reach to Paris" Adrien closed the lid on himself.

"You got it" Nino smiled.

Once everything was packed and loaded, they were transferred to a ship to Paris.

Adrien sighs in his coffin, hoping his eternal life can somehow help him find something in Paris to change him. He doesn't want to be like his father. Not anymore.

-

In Paris, it was a beautiful city and they held the best bakery too. Owned by Tom Dupain and Sabine Dupain Cheng along with their daughter Marinette. She has been interested in fashion design ever since her ancestors discovered silk clothes during the Shang Dynasty in 1600-1046 BC era. Her favorite themes to add to them were ladybugs, foxes, cats, and turtles. Bats were impossible to like for her because they represented both death and rebirth.

"This will do" She picks up a finished sketch.

So she chose the right fabric to start working, "Heh, what do you think, Tikki?" She asked her white cat with blue eyes.

"Meow" Tikki nodded.

"Yeah. Someday I'm gonna have to design men's clothes too. Speaking of, I hope someday I have a true soulmate. Kind and caring" Marinette said.

Tikki jumps down nuzzling her legs, "I love you too, Tikki. Maybe then you'll find a soulmate too" Marinette giggled.

Tikki purred once her owner pets her.