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Red River
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Post by Mally on Feb 16, 2016 3:37:39 GMT -5
It was some time past midnight and the moon was yet a few days shy of full, but its rays shone bright enough through the canopy of the forest and onto the river to silhouette a young deer who had come out for a drink, ever careful to eye its surroundings on cold, fidgeting legs. It sipped quietly on an even quieter night, a peace that was only disturbed by the wind rattling the branches overhead. The creature wouldn't stay for long, and yet it had already stayed too long. A predator had been laying in wait because he knew where there was potable water, there would be prey to drink it.
Nathaniel had not learned much of the ecosystem on the island, but the ecosystem would soon learn of him. He simply couldn't help his predatory instincts, not unlike a cat who couldn't help but use its claws on anything it could catch. But there were different rules on an island with as small of a population as Foresta, and Nathaniel knew that he couldn't hunt a human here. Yet that was an integral part of his gift, his curse. He survived off of humans, not unlike the way they survive off of the animals below them on the food chain. It had been a constant struggle for him in his short time at Foresta Academy, so was it really possible to fight your true nature? To resist the urge to consume what should rightfully be yours for the taking? He was certainly making the attempt, at least he tried to convince himself of that, by weening himself off on lesser prey. But for now, there was a new predator in Foresta.
The kill itself was easy. Nathaniel moved with the cooing and swaying of the branches and the animal hadn't known he was there until it was too late. An experienced, respectful hunter would have been careful not to let the animal bleed into the water supply, because that would deter other animals from approaching in the future. But Nathaniel wasn't simply a hunter - Death and time had turned him into something worse. If anything, he was happy to put the fear of a new killer into the ecosystem. He only planned on being here for a year or two anyway, just long enough for things to cool down back home, so the health of the ecosystem was of no concern to him tonight. The blood was rapidly gushing out of the animal's neck into the river and Nathaniel took a taste out of the helpless struggling animal, to which he grimaced.
Animal blood. Disgusting, and he was disgusted with himself for even making the gesture. But his school rations were less than he was used to because he had lived gluttonously back on the mainland and that was another difficult adjustment for him to make. He would have to learn to satiate himself with whatever portions could be sustained over the long-term, because in fact, his over-indulgence was the reason he had been hunted out of New York to begin with. But for now he drank the foul blood of a dying deer, and because the animal was still squirming underneath him he had made a bloody mess over his face, black jeans and the black winter trench coat that hung down to his hips, but that didn't concern him. It would wash out, as it had many times in the past.
A deep, full sigh erupted from his lungs as the ecstasy came to relieve the tension that had built up in him over his first weeks in Foresta. It was his first kill here, and it almost felt like a relapse in a way, but honestly it felt too damn good for him to care about that right now. It was a good night - One he hoped to repeat many more times in the future.
Once he was finished, Nathaniel left the corpse where it lay. There was a good chance someone from the Academy would stumble upon it tomorrow, and if not, the local wildlife would take care of it. He was sure the meat wouldn't go to waste, not that he really cared one way or the other as he licked his fangs clean. Twigs and snow crunched beneath his feet now that he was no longer careful to mask his presence - He had come and done what he intended to tonight, and yet almost as soon as he had started on his path home, something felt amiss.
The vampire was still in full view of the river when he came to a stop, because his delicate senses had detected another presence in the forest. Nathaniel hadn't been careful to cover his tracks - He hadn't felt like that was necessary before he arrived at the flow of water that now had a red stream running through towards the lake, so it would have been trivial for someone else to trace his path this far had they known what they were doing. Was he now the prey? He grinned at the notion, because after the rush of taking a life he would be all too happy to accept that challenge. No more subtlety tonight, he decided. Whether they were looking for him or not, they were going to find him.
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I took a deep breath and listened to the old brag of my heart - I am, I am, I am. |
Thunder Goddess
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Post by Seren on Feb 18, 2016 1:13:38 GMT -5
Night time had set on the island and Gray had found himself deep within the forest - being mindful of the time and measuring his distance from the school so he would not accidentally rampage on school grounds. The old werewolf had trudged solemnly and dutifully through the snow to reach his destination of solitude, finding an area devoid of human life. As he peeled his clothes off, folding them neatly and placing them on the branch of a tree near him - Gray's eyes flashed yellow as the first signs of a full moon started to appear in the night sky, his naked body shivering from the cold air.
The clouds floated away and the hair on Gray's body started to grow at an extremely alarming rate. New hair popping out of the pores of his skin and the nails on his hands and feet becoming elongated and sharpened. Minutes went by and there was a sickening crunch that reverberated through his whole body, 'causing the man to fall onto all fours - his face contorted into utter pain. Despite this though, only grunts escaped Gray's lips - the man turning wolf not yet making an actual sound.
Bones shifted, Gray's once humans arms and legs now having contorted into that of a wolf. As the hair on his body continued to grow, Gray's expressions soon were difficult to read - his once nose and lips having lengthened into that of a snout. Soon all that seemed obvious on the werewolves face was that of anger and frustration. More minutes passed and finally the transformation was complete, the pain of shifting into an animal traded for something else entirely. Loss of human reasoning.
Gray opened his muzzle, letting out howl toward the moon - a sound that echoed through out the entire forest. The animal was in control now for the night and it intended to do what it always did, hunt and kill. Nose to the air, Gray stood on all fours - only raising up for a moment on his hind legs as the wolf caught the scent of blood.
Padding over to the river nearby, Gray lowered his nose to the river then - his eyes watching the blood drifting by. Something was killed and that needed to be inspected, not for him of course - the wolf preferred to make his own kills and was not keen on sloppy seconds. Following the path upstream, soon a new scent assaulted Gray's nose and the wolf let out a low growl in response.
There was an enemy nearby, they had just killed. Lowering himself to the ground, Gray's yellow eyes flashed in the moonlight. He was the hunter in these woods now and there would be no room for competition. Jumping from some bushes, the wolf started out in a quick run toward the vampire standing by the river with intentions of tackling him and wrapping his jaw around his throat.
The hunt was on.
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Post by Mally on Feb 18, 2016 3:16:22 GMT -5
The howl, a growl, and the soft pitter-patter of footsteps to follow. Nathaniel should have known what he was up against from the beginning but he had not been in a rational state of mind when he stood to challenge the unknown foe, but there was no longer any room for confusion once the werewolf made its presence known. It smelled too human to be a normal wolf, but what the hell would a werewolf be doing at Foresta?
Nathaniel immediately knew he was in trouble. He had heard his entire vampiric life that werewolves had been their enemy since the dawn of each species but the vampire had only run into their kind once, a whole pack of them in human form. Nathaniel and his vampire friends had mocked them that night, but now, he would have no choice but to fight one head on. In their unshifted form vampires were stronger, no doubt, but he was always told that werewolves under a full moon were far stronger and faster than any vampire, albeit not as smart or as resourceful. Unfortunately for Nathaniel the terrain suited the wolf, and the vampire had been caught unprepared. This, he realized, was most likely going to lead to his death.
So he couldn't hold back. Nathaniel had never had to shift in combat before, and quite frankly, he didn't have many tricks up his sleeve. As soon as he detected the werewolf Nathaniel's fingernails sharpened to a deadly point to create a durable set of claws. When the animal got in close, and that would be only seconds away, he would need to hit it hard and fast to send a message. His best chance right now was to wound it early to deter it from making another attack.
"Did your owner let you off without a leash?" Nathaniel taunted the werewolf who had yet to spring from the bushes. He was able to track the werewolf with ease by sound and scent but the vampire was still covered in another animal's blood, and he knew his hunter possessed the same ability to track him. There was zero chance of escape without conflict. "Maybe you came looking for an obedience lesson?" he said as he caught the first glimpse of the focused yellow eyes of a hunter. Nathaniel shifted backwards slightly in feared response and the werewolf made its move.
Nathaniel sunk low in his stance to keep his center of gravity solid and mobile against the lower opponent, and he was careful to keep his clawed hands loosely balled in a fist in order to keep that weapon obscured from the wolf's sight until the very last moment. He had made a mistake by giving up the game of subtlety that a vampire thrived in, and Nathaniel now had to course correct his tactics in order to stand any chance of surviving.
"You're barking up the wrong tree, little pup!" he screamed at the werewolf as they made contact. It was a brutal clash of fangs and flesh as Nathaniel shifted his weight to the right then spun left to prevent the werewolf from landing on top of him when the momentum brought them down, but he was not fast enough to avoid the tackle outright. Nathaniel took a heavy paw that pounded against his chest while the wolf made the breed's predictable move of focusing on his throat so Nathaniel already had his left arm in the way to protect his vitals, as well as the red scarf that hung around his neck. But while the vampire's forearm may have protected his throat, there was only a winter coat to protect his forearm from the wolf's bite and he could feel the animal's fangs clamp down to the bone. Nathaniel cursed the wolf with a bloodcurdling scream that could be heard from beyond the forest and by now, any night animals that had still been lurking about had completely abandoned this section of the forest.
But the vampire's defense had not been without an offense. The clawed right hand that Nathaniel had obscured prior to engagement had made its presence known during their first contact, and it had committed wildly towards the side of the wolf's neck down to where the shoulder met its left front leg. He swept his clawed fingers down with the intent to rake through its fur and flesh while the werewolf's momentum carried them both to the ground, but Nathaniel had already set up their fall so that they would each land on their sides. The vampire was practically shoving his wounded left arm into the werewolf's mouth at this point to keep its primary weapon committed to a non-vital, and he could only hope it was as stupid as vampires had made their kind out to be to continue tearing away at it for a few moments longer.
As soon as the combatants met the ground the vampire would try to continue the slight spinning momentum he had employed during the fall to shift his weight over the werewolf and attempt to pin it down, but if the beast was spry or experienced enough to disengage immediately it would have enough time to create distance for another attack.
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I took a deep breath and listened to the old brag of my heart - I am, I am, I am. |
Thunder Goddess
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Post by Seren on Feb 19, 2016 19:35:42 GMT -5
The wolf paid no attention to Nathaniel's taunts, his words falling on deaf ears. Instead the animal war more concerned with the hunt and as Nathaniel made his first attack, the vampire's nails connected quite harshly with Gray's neck - causing the wolf to yelp momentarily as they fell to the ground. Upon doing so, Gray kept his muzzle tight around the vampire's arm that had been placed in front of him to block the attack to his neck. His sharp teeth sunk into skin as the wolf had every intention to connect with bone. Saliva dripped from his mouth as this happened, but the wolf had no intention to give his prey the upper hand since being on his side offered him no advantage.
Gray released his arm and scrambled to back up, the animal looking just for a brief second somewhat disoriented as his body started to work to heal the damage that the vampire had already done to his skin. If Gray were fighting in his human form, he would have naturally persisted in keeping his opponent in any sort of locked position. The wolf in him had other ideas though and preferred to toy with anything it was hunting.
A second passed as the wolf stared down his prey once more, it's breath coming out in long smoke clouds thanks to the cold air. Growling once more, Gray jumped with his hind legs - one clawed paw swinging outward to connect with Nathaniel's chest and stop at his waist if the vampire did not dodge.
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Post by Mally on Feb 20, 2016 0:00:51 GMT -5
Nathaniel's gambit had failed. The vampire's blood was pouring down his limp arm to the ground and he could only be thankful that he had stomached the foul blood of an animal just prior to the attack, because he needed every ounce of strength he could muster. His left arm was inoperable beyond the elbow, but he took it as a small mercy that the endorphins trivialized his pain. A human would now need to be concerned about turning into a werewolf after sustaining a wound like this, but as a vampire, at least he knew he was immune to the contagion. Nathaniel scrambled onto his knees but the werewolf had already gotten away from him, so the vampire had a moment to clamber up onto his feet and reassess the situation.
Their positions had been reset and fear began to visibly mount in Nathaniel's body language. He was sure that he inflicted damage on the werewolf, but clearly he had not inflicted a substantial enough wound to cripple it. The vampire had lost that trade of blows by a wide margin because the werewolf was stronger than him and he knew it would be able to inflict more and more damage each time they met like that, so he would have to try something different. But what could he do?
Nothing, the thought entered his mind only briefly, but the idea had done its damage. He was going to lose, and he was going to die. He knew he couldn't think about things like this in the middle of combat but he couldn't escape the feeling of overwhelming dread, and that showed on his face. The despair compounded because there was no need to question whether or not the werewolf could sense his fear, and he knew showing weakness was going to encourage the werewolf to fight harder. The vampire had come to Foresta for a second chance, yet at Foresta he was going to die the same way he had hunted so many other humans. Nathaniel knew he deserved it.
All of these thoughts flourished through his agile mind in an instant, because as soon as Nathaniel came to his feet the werewolf was on top of him again. The beast lunged at the vampire but the only thing it was met with were the tears that trailed behind Nathaniel's dodge, but the move had not been planned. He had instinctively tumbled to the side because thankfully the werewolf attacked in the same predictable straight line as it had the first time, but Nathaniel had lost awareness of his surroundings amidst the conflict so he found himself splashing into the bloody river.
He was scared, and the pain in his arm and chest were catching up to him as his hope had all but faded. There was no way he could outrun the werewolf, and there was no way he could dodge the faster opponent's attacks all the way back to the academy. He was too proud to scream for help even in this situation, because he doubted any would come nor did he want to give his hunter the satisfaction. On top of that it was freezing on this winter night, and after tumbling into the ice cold river being wet made everything more miserable. The water would crystallize into ice on his hair and clothes in short order, and that weight and loss of mobility would slow him down even further. But, perhaps, therein lied a shot in the dark. If he could lure the furred assailant into a trap...
Nathaniel scrambled to rise above the water threshold with his one good arm. He had sunk in below his head and was thoroughly doused, but as he swam up to collect himself he found a higher plane of ground hidden beneath the water somewhere off towards the far edge of the river bank. It was a high enough rise that he could stand on it and only be submerged waist deep, and the current tonight wasn't strong enough to wash him away so it would have to do. He desperately wanted to get out of the cold water that bit at his bones, but after seeing the beast jump the way it had, Nathaniel was concerned that it might have the strength to leap across the entire river.
"Come on," Nathaniel was screaming through tears in a tone that could pierce the night, hunched over as he challenged the werewolf in. As he stood in the narrow river he unbuttoned his coat because it was drenched as were the rest of his clothes, and he would discard the item into the wolf's face should it decide to close the distance with him again. The clothing might only blind the werewolf for a moment, but it could occupy its attention and Nathaniel was struggling for every second he could muster. "You liked the way I taste? Come take another bite!" In what could have also been taken for an act of defiance, Nathaniel rose his battered, wet and bloody left arm high into the air to bait his enemy in.
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I took a deep breath and listened to the old brag of my heart - I am, I am, I am. |
Thunder Goddess
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Post by Seren on Feb 21, 2016 23:34:03 GMT -5
The wolf started to move, but as the vampire fell into the river - the animal sudden came to a sudden halt. He leaned forward momentarily as if to sniff the water and seeming to already know the temperature of the river without even having to dip a limb into it. Frustrated that it had been outsmarted, Gray started to snarl then - his eyes still sharp on Nathaniel. If he wasn't able to get his prey himself, he would watch his existence fade from this life time.
Minutes passed and as the wolf's attention was focused on Nathaniel a figure appeared from the shadows. Seeming to be about average in height, the only notable thing about this figure was that the were hooded in green and seemed to have what appeared to be a walking stick for the blind in hand. Dramatic jumps were not something that Serenity had planned and as Nathaniel attempted to bait the wolf into the river, the older woman tapped her stick against the ground - catching Gray's attention with ease. "I wouldn't bait him like that, kid." Serenity raised her voice to the vampire in question that was barely holding on in the freezing river.
As soon as she knew that Gray's attention was focused on her, Serenity moved to the side with ease as the werewolf came running at her. "Poor old man." Serenity murmured to herself then, tapping her stick once more and starting off in a run away from the river. The werewolf seemed to hesitate for a moment, looking to the prey stuck in the river as opposed to the one running away.
Soon the decision was made and Gray chased after Serenity, the two of them disappearing into the woods.
[ooc; Serenity is going to circle back around so I figured it would be good to stop here to see if Nathaniel stays stuck in the river or climbs out.]
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Post by Mally on Feb 22, 2016 0:29:15 GMT -5
The scent of blood consumed the night air as the vampire's heavily wounded arm was held high overhead, and Nathaniel shook it at the werewolf in aggravation. "Come here, you stupid mutt! Come rinse off those fleas!"
And yet, the snarling werewolf simply stalked him. There was such a build up of emotion and adrenaline in Nathaniel's body that when the werewolf proved smart enough to avoid the trap that was set, the vampire broke down. Nathaniel's heart had sunk deep in his chest while he sobbed quietly to himself, because he was trapped alone in the winter water with no winning move to make. Nor was time on his side - Daybreak would undo the beast that overpowered the werewolf's human form, but so too would the rising sun undo Nathaniel.
Minutes passed, and Nathaniel only grew to regret the choices he had made. He wished he had just taken his death quickly, because the only life that lay before him now was a couple frozen hours followed by an intense heat. The coat he held in his hand was torn and drenched, and it wasn't worth putting back on tonight because it would only make him wet again. He simply let it go to flow down the blood trailed river off towards the lake, casting ripples between the parallel streams of blood from Nathaniel and the animal he had slain not ten minutes prior.
"Your dinner's getting cold, aren't you hungry?" he asked the werewolf, practically pleading for death at this point. Nathaniel didn't care anymore, but he didn't have the stomach to kill himself, either. So he stood miserably and sobbed until he heard a tapping on land. Someone else had arrived?
"I wouldn't bait him like that, kid."
Nathaniel's jaw dropped incredulously. Was he being saved? Had someone heard his screams in the night? The unknown woman came from out of nowhere for a reason he could not yet discern, and right now it didn't matter. She had the werewolf's attention and it ran off with her, so that changed the playing field for the vampire. Nathaniel got the impression that this would be the last he saw of her as she faded away into the distance with the powerful predator close behind her, but she had bought him a chance and he wasn't going to waste it.
Nathaniel clambered out of the water with his one good arm to support his frozen legs. He could barely take his first few steps through the sudden change in temperature, but he would manage. Inconsistent splotches of blood dripped out of Nathaniel's arm to leave a messy trail to mark the slow progress he had made. He would warm up now that he was moving, and he would need to feed soon, but so long as the werewolf didn't come back... For the first time since he had locked his gaze with those hungry yellow eyes, Nathaniel thought he was going to live. And for that, he cried again.
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I took a deep breath and listened to the old brag of my heart - I am, I am, I am. |
Thunder Goddess
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Post by Seren on Feb 23, 2016 20:37:43 GMT -5
About twenty minutes later, the hooded figure circled back around to find the student in the river that she had left behind. Naturally the higher up's would have her head if they knew she left behind a student in the freezing river, but she highly suspected they'd have Gray's head first for putting the student in danger from the get-go. Despite that though, Serenity's concerns were now to make sure there wasn't a student dead in the forest.
As she walked up to Nathaniel, a sharp noise happened as she tapped her walking stick against the ground - equal to the sound of a a sword being sheathed or any sort of sharp weapon being put away. She had an easy enough time following him since the smell of blood was quite obvious and the snow all around them did a good job of blocking out most things that didn't want to be heard.
She could tell that he was trying to move as well, letting out a light sigh of disapproval as this discovery was made. "You're not going to die, are you?" Serenity asked Nathaniel then, squatting by him and holding her hand out in case he need any help standing up. "I can smell the blood on you, where'd he get you?" Despite being quite aware of people's positions as she moved around, Serenity could not know where a wound was unless it was told to her or she could feel it. As she had lowered herself to Nathaniel's level for the time being, Serenity was clad in a thick wool green coat that stopped right below her knees. The hood she had originally been wearing had been pulled back to reveal a slightly aged face with pale unseeing eyes. Underneath her coat, Serenity wore form fitting clothes - meant for warmth and mobility. One hand was wrapped around her walking stick as the other remained extended to Nathaniel, an expectant expression having stretched across her face.
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Post by Mally on Feb 23, 2016 23:12:34 GMT -5
A lot had happened in such a short time, so the twenty minutes that he spent meandering away from the river had given Nathaniel enough of a break to quit sobbing all over the thin layer of snow. The vampire had bitten off far more than he could chew tonight, and it wasn't until the hooded woman returned from her skirmish with the werewolf that he finally felt safe again. He had already presumed she would die to the creature so he was honestly impressed when it turned out she was strong enough to handle it herself. Whoever she was, she had saved his life.
"I'll live," he said uncertainly and sat himself up to face her.
Where did the werewolf get him? Nathaniel felt like his wounds were pretty obvious to behold, but she had earned him biting back any snarky comments tonight. He owed her too much right now, and if he was being honest with himself, he knew he could still use her help to get back home. The vampire took a moment to study his savior and her pale eyes stood out as the first obvious mark, and he was suddenly very thankful that he hadn't snapped a crude blind joke at her.
Secondly, he noticed she was also too old to be a student and if she was staff then there was a fair chance she knew who, and what, he was. It was unusual for him to admit weakness to a human, but she had caught him in such a vulnerable position that there were no secrets to be held tonight. Despite her apparent lack of sight, he felt as though she would be able to see straight through any bravado he put on so the young vampire swallowed his pride.
"It got my left arm, I can't feel anything below the elbow. Not since I heard its teeth grind against bone. My chest too, I think it bruised my ribs... It's a little hard to breathe right now but I'm not worried about healing. Why was there a werewolf loose on the island? Shouldn't you guys have safety measures in place?"
The woman had offered her hand, and although he felt like he could manage on his own if he gave it his all, there was no point in being obstinate about a small favor like that. Nathaniel's weaponized nails had been retracted for some time, so he took her hand graciously and when he did he was overwhelmed by the relative warmth in her body. The frozen vampire let her help him and once he rose he practically clung to her, suddenly embracing her to steal her warmth.
Cold breath escaped his lips towards her neck, eerily too cold to visualize as steam in the air. He wasn't just cold on the outside, but internally as well. It was going to take some time to find his balance again so he leaned on the woman until then, because as much as he hated the idea of being helped by a human, a near death experience had its way of breaking down certain barriers if only temporarily. So, Nathaniel conceded to himself, tonight he would take all the help she would offer.
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I took a deep breath and listened to the old brag of my heart - I am, I am, I am. |
Thunder Goddess
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Post by Seren on Feb 25, 2016 3:24:32 GMT -5
At Nathaniel's uncertain response, Serenity replied with a curt nod "That's good then." There really wasn't anything else she could say in response. As Nathaniel spoke about his injures though, Serenity briefly looked confused. In her experience if students ever experienced that amount of injury, if they were human they would typically pass out or be very close to losing their life. Nathaniel did mention healing though, so the teacher automatically guessed that his powers were somehow related to that.
"We did once, that werewolf is a staff member - he broke the chains we had for him during his last shift. You probably went deeper into the forest then he expected, which reminds me - what are you doing out here this late at night and this far into the forest anyway?" Not that she actually cared what he was doing, but she knew that once again if she didn't figure out why the student was doing what they were doing she would get chewed out for it.
As the student took her hand and she pulled him up onto his feet, Serenity was momentarily surprised at his sudden embrace of her. It was a little uncomfortable at first, since she wasn't necessarily the warmest and nurturing of females. After thinking about it though, Serenity did have to remind herself that he just defended himself against a very large and terrifying ancient animal. At that, Serenity let out a sigh of acceptance.
"Your voice doesn't sound familiar, so I don't think I've had you in my class before. My name is Serenity Hikaru. You may call me by my first or last name, makes no difference to me." It was quite obvious that she didn't ask for his name, since she automatically assumed he would be giving it after she gave up her own. As Serenity felt his breath on the nape of her neck though, a small shiver of familiarity had raced up and down her spine. Having previously started walking while supporting Nathaniel, the teacher stopped in her tracks. "Before we go any further, you wouldn't happen to be a vampire would you?" The question seemed random being spoken out-loud, but in her mind all of the clues had quickly been put together.
Out late at night, being hunted by the werewolf a mention of healing and a decent tolerance to pain compared to your average teenager. Lastly the temperature of his breathing seemed to lack a natural warmth that humans carried even in the coldest weather.
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Post by Mally on Feb 25, 2016 4:57:23 GMT -5
So she knew who the werewolf was after all, and it was an employee of the school. A staff member attacked a student? There was some leverage to be had there in Nathaniel's future, but perhaps not at this woman's expense. Still, Nathaniel was legitimately a victim of an attack by someone on the school's staff and he could save that card to be played at a later date. "I thought it was a nice night for a walk, but then I heard an animal struggling out by the river. I went to try to help it, and, well... It turns out Foresta's friendly staff was already on the case and he gave me a warm welcome for my concern. I definitely prefer you over him in case that was in question, unless you plan on boiling me in a pot of stew or something. I don't really have much faith in the faculty right now to be perfectly honest."
Now his hands were clean, and he held all the cards. The werewolf killed the animal, Nathaniel would play the role of the oblivious newbie, and even if there was any doubt to his story the only one who could refute it was a mindless beast. The night could have gone far worse for him, but at this moment it seemed like he might have a claim on a few decent perks in his future. Things were finally shaping up in the vampire's favor.
The woman introduced herself and there was no harm in returning his name, but Nathaniel blushed because he had been embracing the stranger. The thought hadn't occurred to him at all to ask her name before closing that distance, not that he usually asked permission to do anything to a human. And she was still a human, he constantly reminded himself, even if she had shown him kindness. Still, he couldn't deny that being near her felt good so he wasn't about to let go - She was warm, and he was cold. "Thank you for helping me, Ms. Hikaru. The school knows me as Nathaniel Morosec, but honestly I'm still new here. New enough that I guess I didn't realize the forest could be this dangerous."
And shortly thereafter she stopped them to ask the blunt question about his power. As expected, she could see right through him - Blind people often proved troublesome that way. The vampire looked toward her pale eyes and he hesitated uncomfortably, but it was clear they weren't moving again until he answered. "I don't like to go advertising that fact. People tend to look at me like I want to eat them when they find out... Not that they're wrong, of course, but I can't really help that." Nathaniel frowned and furrowed his brow, an expression that was likely lost on the visually impaired.
The wounds on his arm had largely frozen, but he was still dripping blood intermittently beside them. "Speaking of, uh... Since you've figured it out, there's no harm in bringing up that I won't heal if I don't feed... And I don't know if I can walk the rest of the way home." Nathaniel had taken a firm grip on the shoulder of her coat to hold himself up as they stood still, his face only inches from hers as he wondered what her response might be to the question he had asked without asking.
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I took a deep breath and listened to the old brag of my heart - I am, I am, I am. |
Thunder Goddess
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Post by Seren on Feb 25, 2016 5:23:22 GMT -5
Serenity listened quietly to Nathaniel's story, unsure as to whether or not she could actually believe him. Serenity was a naturally skeptical person, but as it stood he had shown no reason as to why she shouldn't believe him anyway. The woman showed no pleasure at his preference toward her over the werewolf, there was no glory in saving this person - she was simply doing her job. As he introduced himself though, Serenity silently recorded his name on a list in her mind - she would need to remember his voice so that she could recognize him if they ever crossed paths or he enrolled in her class.
"It's dangerous to anyone that doesn't know what they're doing," Serenity said to Nathaniel then, her response could easily be taken the wrong way - but she was speaking the truth. Many students from Foresta had come back from these forest, scarred, torn and mangled in the worst ways possible. It seemed almost ironic that the school's namesake was because of what it was surrounded by.
At Nathaniel's confession (to say the least), Serenity raised her head. If the woman had her sight to anyone watching her it would seem as if she were staring off into the distance. Silence passed between them for a few minutes before Serenity decided to respond. "Let's get one thing straight right now, you're not biting me." A memory lingered in the back of Serenity's mind as she spoke, but the woman remained blunt so as to get her point across. "Can you stand on your own?" As she asked this, Serenity started to move away from Nathaniel - wondering if she was making a mistake with what she was planning to do next.
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Post by Mally on Feb 25, 2016 6:00:46 GMT -5
Serenity's reply was harsh, but Nathaniel knew it was true. A vampire should be able to defend itself from a werewolf attack. He had heard plenty of stories about vampires fighting werewolves and he realized he had let down his race tonight - Not that he was treading any new ground there. Perhaps, given enough time at Foresta, he would be able to learn how to use his strengths as a vampire to become a formidable opponent.
For now, he was not only incapable of defending himself, but on top of that she had shot down his unspoken request down. Of course people will look at him like he wants to eat them if he follows on like that, and he suddenly felt stupid for implying the question. Guilty too, but that lasted only for a moment because why should a vampire feel guilty about feeding from a human? That's what his people do. The intense skirmish with the werewolf and his burgeoning attachment to his savior had both begun to warp his thought process.
Nathaniel was still wrapped up in his thoughts when she asked him if he could stand, to which he stammered out indecisively but she had already walked off by the time he realized that yes, he was able to stand on his own. The vampire wavered on his feet with an outstretched arm as he glared back at the woman. Was she going to leave him?
Of course she was - Damn humans were all the same. As soon as they knew what he was they turned on him every time, and he felt so foolish for thinking someone at Foresta might be any different. She had expressed no real interest in him - She had shown him no more kindness than she was obligated to, just like the crewmen on the boat he sailed in on or the campus police he had run into when he first arrived. The vampire was visibly angry with himself for letting his guard down to a human, and he steeled himself to not make the mistake again.
"What are you doing?" he asked with an obvious growl to his voice.
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I took a deep breath and listened to the old brag of my heart - I am, I am, I am. |
Thunder Goddess
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Post by Seren on Feb 25, 2016 14:27:14 GMT -5
Once it was apparent that Nathaniel was was able to stand on his own, Serenity's thumb ran over a small button on her cane. In response a knife end that appeared to be a finger length in size popped out at an awkward angle. It was one her less used weapons - which was apparently from its shine and gleam in the night. Her more majorly used sections of the cane remained hidden yet and as Serenity brought the knife to the upper part of her arm, the woman stopped yet again and quirked her eyebrow toward Nathaniel. "What does it look like I'm doing?" There was an apparent use of attitude now in her tone that most students around Foresta were used to hearing nowadays.
In one swift movement down the width of her upper arm, Serenity made a cut that would allow Nathaniel to drink some of her blood. It was a risk to say the least, but at least it'd be less for that weird doctor to deal with. Naturally she avoided cutting her wrist in specific so she wouldn't get strange questions, along with the fact that it was a area that was a lot more sensitive and vulnerable compared too being closer to the crook of her elbow.
She didn't quite know yet if this vampire would abuse her offering and try to leave her freezing and half conscious in the woods, she was after all only human in the end - and a significant loss of blood would cripple anyone. Holding her arm out, Serenity nodded toward it. "Only take what you need." As she spoke, little drops of of her blood fell onto the snow below them.
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Post by Mally on Feb 25, 2016 23:46:23 GMT -5
The discord between her mannerisms and her apparent kindness had thrown him for a loop. A human was really going to offer him blood, without asking for anything in return? Rather than be grateful, Nathaniel wondered what the catch might be because the brief scare of being left alone again had established some emotional distance toward the human.
She cut herself for the vampire, and his eyes fixed on the sparkling drops of red that escaped the break in her flesh. The scent alone was enough to set him off, akin to laying a full meal before a starving man. Nathaniel closed the distance with Serenity's wound and held on tight with his one good arm, guiding it to a comfortable place for him to feed.
She had already told him not to bite her and to that he obeyed. He didn't like to bite anyway, or rather he did but the scars a vampire's fangs left were a telltale sign of an attack and that could prove incriminating, even in a situation like this where his donor was willing to make the sacrifice. It was a primitive form of feeding, albeit romantic, and he bore the scars to prove a night of romance.
However, she had also told him to take only what he needed, and that he wasn't so sure he could comply with. Her Gifted blood was a delicacy he had not enjoyed prior in his life, and he wanted all that he could take. Nathaniel had been a glutton of a vampire in his time back home, and his victims were regularly bled dry. Even if he didn't feed from the whole thing, his sire had a penchant for using their blood as art and with her to set the example he was all too happy to play along with her games. The memories of his yet to be broken habits flushed through his blood-lustful mind, to which he folded. Habits were a hard thing to break, especially when the memories of them felt so good. Besides, it was always better to ask forgiveness than permission.
Nathaniel wasn't going to stop feeding until he was forced to.
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