Evening breezes gently battered against sands at the ocean's edge, whipping up dust and small shells that lined the water. The tide was coming in, barely leaving enough room to set up a cozy little getaway for anyone that minded a little water dampening their toes. There were still a few that found respite in the sunset's cooling aura, especially underneath the overlooking cliff the meant the sand's end. Unfortunately for the few that did, they fond themselves victim to the ignorance that leads to many cold deaths at the hand of this scenic venue's most frequent visitor.

"In and out with a bounty of stories to tell me, sitting here so delightfully satisfied by the final ticks that mark a dinner bell," a man's voice called out towards the empty sea, coarse like brittle ash, as if flames had seen to rob him of his speech. He sat in the encroaching waves with his legs half-sunken into the wet sand. Across from him, a man's body floated in the water with a stream of crimson following him out towards the sea. "The waves lap at my leftovers like eager little mice! Mice! For a creature so small and pitiful, ticklish more than anything what with their thrashing and lashing, I have no remorse in seeing their life splayed out across the sand! Look, lovely little lamb, look at it!" With one hand slowly creeping over his shoulder, he began to lean back into the sand and water, looking behind him towards a woman that crawled slowly in-land. She whimpered for help, pulling herself forward with only one arm. The other had been torn off, leaving a thick trail of blood behind as she stumbled through the sand. The insidious man frowned as he was ignored.

"You're not looking."

Like an inhuman acrobat, this creature, pale at the crescent moon, tore his feet from the wet sand and flipped himself upright. A blade sheathed carefully along his back shook and clanked until it was still. The woman didn't stop for a moment, not even when the man turned towards her with a coy little smile etched across his face. "There are nothing but trees, trees for miles that stretch and stretch into a cold oblivion, would you like to become food for a far less refined creature of the wilds? Nothing but trees ahead of you, my dear! Trees and bears. Would it not be preferable, a perfect end for any and all to see it, to turn towards your reckoning with a gleeful little smile? Rejoice! Rejoice now for my appetite leaves little to be desired! Look here!" The man stuck out his slightly elongated tongue past two sets of canines, and massaged its length with a light cackle. The woman continued forward. "The palette of a noble Connoisseur! I only partake in the finest, the highest quality, consider yourself flattered to be at my feet!"

A shriek rang out, and a sudden push was felt.

A small stumble, and a girl.

Hair as gold as the sun. Graceful movements and an extremely worried frown adorned what seemed to be a child.

"Are you okay miss?!"

The child, ignoring danger, had knelt beside the wounded woman.

"Don't panic!" she half whispered, mostly to calm herself.

In a swift motion, the child had grabbed something from the folds of her clothing. It appeared to be a small vial with a golden liquid inside.

The child glanced back at the strange man with worry still in her face; opened the vial, and poured all the contents on the woman's head.

Near instantly, the woman's horrible wounds had healed completely, not even leaving a scar where they once were.

The child helped the woman stand up.

The pale-faced murdered stood quietly in place, almost removed from reality itself by what had just occurred before him.

"...Eh?"

He tilted his head to one side, keeping his expression consistent, smile and all, as he looked down at the newcomer with a great deal of confusion and curiosity. His nose twitched slightly at her unfamiliar scent. It was like blood. That much wasn't surprising. All living things had blood, after all! But this was somehow different. An aroma that plucked anxiously at the roof of his mouth. Like a surprised snake, he whipped his head slightly to focus on the little girl before him.

The woman looked down at her arm, grown anew, with no words for her savior. The shock of what had just happened left her stunned, unable to speak, move, or react to the generosity she's just received.

"...Ehhh?"

The child looked at the woman, smiled and said; "That's when you say thank you."

Still smiling, she looked at the pale man.

"Is that not right sir?"

Without a word, the woman darted off, away from the girl that had saved her, and the creature who'd ripped her arm clean off.

"Thank you?" he hissed, "I was going to eat that, surely a bouquet of docile sweetness and innocence would mix will with her chosen spouse, what am I to do now? Oh but what? But what? A splendid evening of fine dining, ruined! Inconsequential voles to be viciously vindicated by a very voracious Vale. How come? How so? How would you? How could you?" The man babbled on and stepped forwards slowly. A sharp inhale followed his incoherent spiel, and his smiled widened.

"You smell simply magical."

The child simply stood her ground; Listening to the man's rant.
Sensing danger, she had already placed a barrier between herself and him.

When he finished, she glanced at his face, quickly noticing the sharp fangs that were in his smile.

"Are... you a vampire...?"

Vale smiled.

"A vampire? I would agree under the pretense that my lust for blood defined me wholly, what a paltry definition, I am so much more that that! I am but a humble man with humble wishes who's found himself parched on this humble coastline. Do allow me to introduce myself, I will not refrain from exercising the utmost formality despite your less-than-agreeable transgressions!" He took another step forward. "Damien Valefore, refer to me as Vale as not to dredge up an old man's wretched intent, leave him buried beneath a mountain of bones and blood, please to make your acquaintance!" He took another step, stopping just short of the barrier that the newcomer had place, still unawares to the wall in front of him.