[IC] ✹☽ Vampires of Redhaven ☾✹

[Kinjaav]

Deep in the woods on the outskirts of Redhaven, a vampire gazed into a compact mirror. The face that looked back was unfamiliar; Evren saw the dark eyes of a tall, gaunt man with hollow features, ebony hair, sunken eyes and defined cheekbones. He had a short, straight nose and a pouty mouth, and a pallid complexion that looked prone to bruising. He had no facial hair to speak of, but his eyebrows were nicely shaped and he had nicely curled lashes. It was quite an androgynous look, to be sure; looking at this manufactured self in the compact mirror gave Evren a tinge of nostalgia for something lost as he looked again over his features, gently touching his face as he admired himself.
Snapping the mirror shut, Evren began the long walk into town. He was several miles away, but a bleak dawn had only just broken over Massachusetts, and it would be several hours until the greyish-periwinkle fog subsided from these woods, and several hours before quaint Redhaven was truly awake. He was quite happy for the long walk; the immortal abhor urgency.

A sturdy but weathered VW bus sat dormant in an empty lot between a dollar store and a resale shop. It had retro little curtains drawn and a reflective sheet of metal inside the windshield to keep outside eyes from spying within.

[Cio]

Vanessa Poirier

---

"So it is agreed, the transaction is done?" a hesitant male voice whispered in what was too loud to be a serious whisper.
The dawn was barely breaking in the foggy streets of Redhaven, marking a slow end to Vanessa's hours of freedom.
"Yes. I have personally verified the quality and quantity of the blood," Nessa answered the mystery man with a smooth, silky tone. Calm yet professional.
"How do I know I can trust you?" the vampire asked as he recieved the bag of fresh blood. Vanessa's eyes stayed fixated on the bag of swirling velvety liquid, admiring her work discreetly. Normally blood would clot, but thanks to vampire physiology, their bite emitted - for the lack of a better word - a venom tht would prevent the blood from thickening. Vampire trick especially useful for those who occassionally sold the blood in secret.
"You don't," Nessa replied with a tug at her lips, in a matter-of fact tone. "But I don't see you've got much of other options. Besides. I happen to be very strict to only hunt the purest of bloods," she continued with a smug nod at the bag.
Looking at the money recieved one last time as if to check it was all there, Vanessa finished the deal and made her way out of the alley, effecticely getting swallowed up by the lingering fog of the dim streets.

The hard and uneven cobblestone clicked under Nessa's heels as she walked the empty street. She wanted to make it home before any possible hunters caught a sight of her. She rather liked living in Redhaven and would like to keep it that way. If the hunters caught her identity, she'd have to move into hiding. And Vanessa was way too proud to do that.
Ears attuned to the tiniest of sounds as always, it was easy to hear if anyobe was trying to sneak up on Nessa. The sun that was sheepishly beginning to peek out from behind tall, crooked trees was making Nessa aware of her situation going from advantaged to disadvantaged. The increasing light was already making the raven haired woman's eyesight swim ever so slightly. Picking up her pace, Vanessa made sure to be extra aware of any changes in her surrounding sounds.

[yoyohayli]

Brian McConaughan

---

"Another..." the man sitting alone at the bar muttered as he slammed his glass down. The ice rattled against the glass. He was hunched forward in the stool, elbows on the table and head threatening to come crashing down on the water-stained hardwood counter any moment, but his bloodshot eyes managed to stay open enough to listlessly watch the bartender pour him another whiskey. McConaughan’s world was spinning, but he was far past the jovial feeling that comes from a light buzz; that had gone hours ago before he’d thrown up in the bathroom twice. No, he was well into the mental and emotional heaviness that comes from a near blackout.

His tattered brown leather trench coat weighed heavily on his broad shoulders as he reached a hand up to sweep the longer part of his undercut away from his sweaty forehead. He slicked it back and revealed his prominent widow’s peak, a trait inherited from his father. Much like his lifestyle. There was no choice in it, but there was certainly pride present, whether earned or not.

The bar was nearly empty at this point save for McConaughan, the bartender, and only a handful of other vagrants. At least, he liked to think of them as vagrants so he wasn’t the only one. Perhaps he entertained the idea to dull the disappointment in himself that alcohol just couldn’t seem to touch. He could barely take down a single mark nowadays with the bloodsuckers out in the open. Before they’d come out of the coffin, he could hunt one and kill it in the same night. Now, it was more complicated. He had to follow them around for a while to learn their schedule, who would miss them, how to kill them inconspicuously, and how to evade the authorities. It was ironic that now vampires were so easily identifiable, they were harder than ever to hunt. The idea of giving rights to these demons, accepting them into society...it made him enraged to the core. So much so that a sudden sharp pain in his hand snapped him back to the present. He looked down to see he’d been gripping the glass so tightly, it had shattered, slicing into the thick skin of his meaty hand. He grunted out in pain as the whiskey soaked into the cuts and mingled with his blood on the counter.

“Shit,” he slurred, using his left hand to brush away those loose shards that hadn’t managed to embed themselves deep within his skin. The barstool screeched across the floorboards as he stood, almost fell backwards, and made his way unsteadily to the restroom and leaving a trail of blood on the floor behind him, much to the shock of the few people still here. As he was working to rid his right hand of any more glass, he wasn’t even thinking about the pain. He wasn’t even thinking about his ashamed drunkenness. No, he could only think of how now he wouldn’t be able to use his favorite handheld crossbow with his dominant hand injured. There wasn’t much more he could have done at the moment to sink his self esteem any lower, save for letting a leech suck his blood, he supposed.

[Kidd]

Elara Decaux

Elara knew she absolutely shouldn't have poured the man another drink. However, not only did Americans tip, they tipped more when they were drunk. So she shrugged as she poured him another whiskey before turning to her register and adding another to his growing tab. A smile remained on her face and her long--wavey today--dark hair bounced as she stepped between customers. Her tank top brandished the the bar's logo, but that's not what the other was looking at as she got on her toes and leaned over the counter to better hear a man's order. She was learning quite fast--she was already fluent in English, but working as a bartender had given her the chance to learn a variety of alcohols and bar slang. Granted, she didn't always get it right.

The young woman bit her lip, eyes wandering the ceiling for an answer to her question: "That's with vodka, yes?" Her accent was thick and low.

The answer was interrupted by the shattering of glass. Elara immediately pulled her away to her full height, eyes looking to the whiskey pooling over the counter and the man grumbling. The man she was serving had been stunned to silence, but she was on the move. "Hey, are you okay?" she asked as she quickly moved to pick up a rag--almost too quickly. It wasn't until she dropped the rag down on the spilled whiskey did she also smell the blood and see its red soaking into the white towel. "Oh non--" She abandoned the rag to try to reach over the counter, to check the man's hand. But he simply stumbled away and into the men's restroom.

"Um," she started, looking around for help--ideally for another man to follow him into the restroom while she cleaned up the bar.

[Eviledd1984]

@yoyohayli

Hayato Nijimura

The door of the bar opened up and two Japanese men walked in, One of the men being a older male with a pompadour and the other man being in his 20's with a shaved head. The two men sat down on the stools near the bar table and looking around, Their seemed to be no bartender to serve them. For now they could talk about business while they wait, "Sore de, Kuze wa anata ni koko ni kite hoshī to omoimashita ka?"(So what did Kuze want you to come here?) The young man asked the older man who was rubbing his chin, "Kare wa watashi ni Sanfuranshisuko kara yattekuru kamotsu o tetsudatte hoshikatta" (He wanted me to help with the shipment that was coming form San Francisco) The older man said now tapping his hand on the bar table.

The two men were silent for a moment before the older man spoke, "Watashitachi wa itsu karera ni aimasu ka?" (When are we meeting them?). The young man was rubbing the back of his neck. "Watashitachi wa gozen 2-ji-goro dokku de mītingu o shite imasu" (We're meeting at the dock around 2 AM) The young man said noticing their was blood on the older man's hand. The older man looked at his hand noticing their was blood looking over to see a small trail of blood leading to the bathroom.

The young man felt a bit nervous thinking they walked into something bad, But the older man was calm motioning for the young man to relax as the two watched the bathroom door.

[Kinjaav]

@Cio

Beck wandered through the downtown streets, making her way back to her VW. She was wearing combat clothes and a simple tactical rig, her pistol empty and holstered on her left calf. Normally she didn’t like being this kitted out in public; it tended to scare people a little bit to see a paramilitary hobo walking down the road, but it was barely dawn and last night hadn’t given her much of a choice.
She had arranged to rendezvous with a certain vampire who claimed to have some information about the Progenitors, but what was supposed to be a simple chat turned into a wild chase around town hunting down two crazed new vampires who took her target hostage. It ended up being a huge bust; she managed to stake and kill the two meddlesome vamps, but her target was so spooked by the whole thing that he fled into the woods without saying a word. Beck sighed and put her fingers to her temple. What a waste of time.
As she rounded a corner off of the main street, she saw a person she’d never seen before. Just across the next road was a young woman with jet black hair, who seemed maybe a bit distressed. Beck took a few quick strides toward her; maybe this night didn’t have to be a waste. “Excuse me! Miss!” Beck called to the mystery woman, waving an arm to get her attention as she continued speed-walking toward her. ”Do you have a moment? I just want to ask you something.”

[yoyohayli]

@Eviledd1984@Kidd

Brian McConaughan

---

McConaughan grunted while he held the end of a yellowing bandage between his teeth and worked on wrapping the other end as tightly as he could against his wounds. Every time he rounded his hand to add another layer of cloth, it squeezed his palm tighter, causing pain, but ultimately halting the bleeding. By the time he was done, his right hand looked like it was wearing a beige oven mitt that was rapidly turning red. With his only good hand left, McConaughan turned on the faucet and splashed some cool water on his face to get rid of the sweat that had built up. He looked up at his own sordid expression in the dirty bathroom mirror and tried hard to focus on his own eyes. For some reason, he couldn’t even find them. All he could see were the eyes of his father.

He stumbled forward out of the bathroom, swinging the wooden door open and stopped in his tracks when it slammed shut behind him. There were two men that looked of Asian descent staring at him across the way.

“Oi, what’re you all lookin’ at?” His normal Northern Irish lilt was tainted by the drunken numbness of his mouth. “Never seen a fuckin’ drunk before, eh?” he mumbled, taking his original seat again. The counter was clean from the mess he’d made. McConaughan looked up at the bartender, a beautiful young woman with dark hair, and said, “Thank you, miss. You didn’t have to clean up my mess for me. Get those two guys over there some whiskey on me.” He motioned to the man with the pompadour and his younger companion.

[Cio]

Vanessa Poirier

@Kinjaav

---

There was something in the air, but Vanessa couldn't quite put her finger on it. She could feel every noise so acutely around her, the clicking of her heels against the cobblestone, the lone, off-note sing of a bird somewhere far away... Nessa heard it all, and took a sense of peace from it. Morning like this didn't come by often, utter silence like this, only broken by an occasional sound or two.
Then, the air around Nessa shifted dramatically, making a shiver run through her entire body. It wasn't from cold, though. It was because there was someone else there. Someone... getting closer... And then, she could hear it. Footsteps. Unfamiliar ones, at that. With Nessa's superb hearing, she recognised the footsteps as a threat. There was a sense of urgency to them, and they were coming closer. Should she make a run for it, or should she play it cool?
“Excuse me! Miss!” A feminine voice pierced through her foggy air, ringing in Nessa's ears as she grunted quietly. So much for not getting noticed. Making a decision in less than a beat, Nessa decided it would be the safest if she just complied and played along. The clicking of her heels came to a halt, a fleeting echo on the pavement.
”Do you have a moment? I just want to ask you something.”
Now the figure was closer, power-walking straight towards Nessa. She couldn't help but feel slightly unnerved at the sight of a military uniform, already beginning to plot possible escape routes with her face as calm as ever. Keep your cool, that was the key.
"How may I help you?" Nessa asked with her velvety voice, her brow just barely furrowed in irritation at being stopped, chin rising upwards ever so slightly in elegant yet tasteful manner.
Vanessa was wearing her more formal attire as well, clean clothes that were suitable for better occasions but still practical enough to be worn casually. And practical enough to allow her to move freely, too. Much more important, in hindsight. A pendant with a copper locket - clearly just for the aesthetic - rested on Nessa's person.
Vanessa eyed the woman with her honey eyes as if trying to determine what she was about to be asked.
"Looking for something?" she inquired after taking in the combat outfitted woman's stance, expression, and general aura.

[Kidd]

Elara Decaux

Elara returned from the back to find two men watching the bathroom door. She supposed it looked bad, with blood all over the place, and she swiftly cleaned up when they didn't ask for a drink. Though the man emerged just fine as she finished cleaning up the blood, and she set out a yellow sign warning against the slick floor as she pushed the mop and bucket aside. She was moving to check on the grizzled man's injured hand when he spoke to her again."It's my job, sir. And if you're sure you're okay..." her voice trailed off as she stepped back behind the counter, her grey eyes lingering upon his bandaged hand. Why would he be carrying that around? Did he break glasses often?

She prepared two simple drinks--whiskey on ice--before moving around the bar to set it at the men's table. Though as she closed the distance, her nose wrinkled and her gaze flickered to the older man. She paused, watching him for a moment too long. Then she suddenly cleared her throat and set the whiskeys before them. "From the only other guy in the bar," she joked, though there was tension in her voice.

@yoyohayli@Eviledd1984

[Kinjaav]

@Cio

Beck cracked a slight smile. “Trouble, what else?” She joked lightly before clearing her throat and taking a cautious look around; it seemed the streets were still empty. “Not a great time to look for it, I guess; all the humans are still sleeping and the vampires just turned in.”
She looked back at the raven-haired woman; she was pretty sure she was a vampire, and didn’t want to scare her away. But, why be out at such an hour unless you were in the mood for some trouble? “These streets see a lot of action at night; a lot of new blood with no direction. It’s not safe for anyone; more humans are on high alert and more vampires gotta be afraid of leeches or crazy covens.”
She continued, “I just write it all down and try to keep the peace for everyone. So, I’m just curious; what are you up to this early?”
Since the Veil was pierced and the supernatural became mundane, Beck noticed the rapid uptick in new bloods. Really new bloods. Many of them were still warm, so to speak, perhaps just weeks or months old but already completely incensed and frenzied on the hunt for blood. She suspected that this was a covens attempt at rapid growth, but after tonight she wasn’t so sure. Could it just be powerless humans trying to grasp immortality? She couldn’t be sure, not without some help from the inside… and something told her this elegant creature knew some things she didn’t.

[Cio]

Vanessa Poirier

@Kinjaav

---

Trouble. The woman seemed to be joking, but Vanessa still felt as if someone had just thrown a bucket of icewater down her neck. She kept maintaining a stoic face of only minimal glimpses of emotions; irritation in the subtle twitch her eyebrow made, anticipation in the way her posture seemed to be just a bit straighter and eyes just slightly more alert. The woman's military combat did not help Nessa feel at ease, either. The attire signaled instant mistrust in the woman - not that she trusted anyone, really. It was a general rule of thumb for Nessa to not trust and thus not be disappointed.
Nessa could just sense the way the woman's blood was coursing through her veins, her heart beating inside her chest like a forbidden fruit dying to get out. She wasn't interested, however: only certain blood types were suitable for Nessa's digestion.
The woman went on: “These streets see a lot of action at night; a lot of new blood with no direction. It’s not safe for anyone; more humans are on high alert and more vampires gotta be afraid of leeches or crazy covens.” That confirmed Vanessa's earlier suspicions. This woman was baiting her, she was sure of it. Why Nessa even bothered to give her the time of the day, she didn't know. Perhaps trying to leave would just prove fatal even with Nessa's high dexterity and speed, as she did not know what the woman was capable of.
That said, Nessa couldn't help but feel slightly offended at being compared to the new bloods who had no direction, albeit it was only implied. Nessa felt she was above the lot. Her life - or lack thereof - was a proof of her success.
"Indeed," Nessa replied with a thoughtful nod, barely even trying to sound intimidated by the woman's words. Maybe a little hint of suspicion could be heard seeping through the calm, collected tone.
“I just write it all down and try to keep the peace for everyone. So, I’m just curious; what are you up to this early?” the woman then asked, nonchalant and casual. It actually earned the woman a faint smile from Nessa, something which was not fabricated unlike most of her polite smiles. The ravenette's eyes crinkled for a split second before her smile turned back into a fake one. Very good one, but less genuine. Nessa never once broke her eye contact with the stranger.
"Well, yes," Vanessa began, "you see, I like the quiet. And as it happens, my commutes are rather long and I do not own a car. I have to get up early to make it on time," Nessa explained with a straight face even though she knew the woman was obviously smarter than to believe that bullshit excuse. And that showed on her face as she spoke, a quality of playfulness, an open challenge to her carefully chosen words. Perhaps she was feeling a bit playful that morning, or there was something in the woman. Nessa wasn't the type to play with fire, lest she get her fingers burnt. However, sometimes you had to get your fingers burnt to feel something, anything.

[Eviledd1984]

@yoyohayli @Kidd

Hayato Nijimura

The two men were watching what was going, The young man was transfixed by the trail of blood and the noises coming out of the bathroom. When the man came out still looking worse then perhaps when he came in, The young man stood up still watching him stumble towards his booth. "Do you need help?" He asked in perfect English moving towards him, "Do you need medical assistants or something? He spoke once again standing only a few feet away form him. The older man was watching all of this firstly looking over at the bartender, "Arigatō" (Thanks). He said before looking over towards the younger man.

"Sore wa kare ga suneta ka uta reta yō ni miemasu ka?" (Does it look like he was shanked or shot?) He asked the younger man, Taking a sip form the whiskey glass. The young man turned to face the older man to speak to him, "Tsukamatte iru" (Hold on) The young man said moving a bit closer towards him. "Do you mind if i check out the wound?" He asked the Irish man. The older man was watching all of this happening, This mind wondering and observing the bloodied man. He wondered if the bloodied man was attacked by some sort of supernatural entity the most common answer would be a werewolf but he was not sure of that.

[Kinjaav]

@Cio

In her experience, vampires appreciated honesty. She supposed most people did, though, whether they were human or not. The beauty before her, she decided, was more complex than the other vamps she’d known.
”That’s a long walk at a pretty scary time at night. Small town for it; heading for the highway?” Beck paused and chuckled lowly. ”I’m sorry, it’s rude to interrogate a stranger. Sorry for my boldness.”
She peered down the road behind them, clearly giving her an opening to run or even attack if she so desired. Beck wasn’t particularly afraid of her, even if she should have been. She turned back , ”In this economy I guess we have to take what we can get, you know? Even if it means lousy hours.”
Beck smiled, and smiled genuinely. ”I’m more of a wanderer, you’ve probably seen the blue van. It’s a bit forward but if you ever want a ride to work just knock on the window; I’m never far, ‘specially this time of night.”
It seemed to Beck that she didn’t want to be asked directly about vampires. That was fair, she thought, especially with the Holy Guard running around ruining the fun for everyone. Sure she was a slayer, but she wasn’t callous; plenty of vamps made better allies and contacts than tallies in a notebook. She was more than willing to meet the ravenette halfway. And, whether it was recklessness or overconfidence, she was more than confident she could fight her off if need be.

[Cio]

Vanessa Poirier

@Kinjaav

---

The woman just kept talking, much to Vanessa's irritation. The ravenette suspected that the woman was a vampire hunter - one who seemed clearly suspicious of Vanessa, and for a good reason - but she couldn't quite put her finger on the kind of aura the woman sent. Vanessa had learned vampire hunters were very sneaky. They could appear kind and seemingly unthreatening at first, but deadly in a twist of events. Every move, every decision, it would all count right now. Nessa's mind raced fast while she maintained a calm front, her mind coming up with strategies and escape plans on the fly. Escaping the situation wouldn't be so hard, she thought.
As the woman talked, she peered behind her in a way that baffled Vanessa. She couldn't even begin to understand what this woman's motive was. The combat geared individual in front of her seemed clearly like a vampire hunter, yet she was turning her back on Vanessa, who was a clear suspect. Was she stupid, or had Vanessa simply misunderstood the whole situation?

Seeing the opening, Vanessa held still. She was ready to bolt, but then thought the better of it. She still felt like she was being baited, there had to be more to it. The woman in front of her couldn't possibly be as stupid as to just turn her gaze away - there had to be a catch to it.
Before Vanessa could do anything, the woman had already turned back to face her, smiling what seemed a genuine smile.
”I’m more of a wanderer, you’ve probably seen the blue van. It’s a bit forward but if you ever want a ride to work just knock on the window; I’m never far, ‘specially this time of night," the woman offered. Vanessa couldn't help but chuckle at the woman. Maybe she had misread the situation after all.
"Thank you. I'll be sure to keep that in mind, Miss...?" Vanessa replied politely, stretching the end of her sentence to hopefully bait a name out of the woman.
What caught the vampire truly off guard was what happened next.

There was a gunshot piercing through the air, a boom that was even louder to Nessa's sensitive ears. Her instinct was to jump and run, but she didn't have the time, as another gunshot sounded. This time accompanied with a stinging pain to Vanessa's left calf, a burning sensation of tearing muscle. Doubling over, Nessa let out a pained grunt, trying to stumble away from the woman in front of her as fast as she could. The gunshot had come from behind her - somewhere from the foggy street - but Vanessa felt stupid, like a moron, even. Of course it had been a trap. This woman was probably working with a partner, and her job had simply been to distract Vanessa long enough to be an easy target.
Vanessa tried to move, her super fast movements hindered by the pain in her calf. She was forced to meet the ground again because of the pain. Not good. A third gunshot sounded, but this time it came from much closer, totally immobilizing Nessa as she was forced to cover her ears by the ringing sound, completely messing up her concept of surroundings. Adrenaline coursed through the ravenette's veins, all her escape plans crumbling down around her, letting room for panic.
Through the ringing in her ears, Vanessa could hear a muffled laughter. A masculine voice.
"Sorr ... did I take your targe ... ?" Vanessa couldn't make out all of the words, but she knew the voice was not addressing her, but the woman she had been talking to.

[Kinjaav]

Beck took a shocked step back as Nessa fell before her. Her steely nerve returned to her quickly as she laid eyes upon the other slayer. She took several long strides to close the gap between them, drawing her gun. She held it by the barrel and wordlessly showed it was unloaded, offering a dark chuckle as she returned the chamber.
“You with the HG?” She asked. He hesitated but nodded; Beck interrupted before he could speak again.
“Thought so, a fucking Guard.” She pistol whipped him across the temple as hard and fast as she could, knocking him out. The slayer fell back, hitting the ground and seeming to smack his head badly off the pavement. She returned her gun to the holster on her calf, hands shaking as her composure slipped from her.
“You’re fucking unreal! All of you! I’ve fought all my fucking life and you assholes think you can just blow someone away like that for no reason?!” Beck raged at the still body, kicking him in the ribs but earning no response. “A gun isn’t a fucking toy and you’re not a fucking hero! She could have been anyone! You piece of shit! She didn’t do anything to you!”
Beck caught her breath for a moment as she came back to her senses. That was bad. She could have made things a lot worse losing her cool like that. She grimaced and kicked the helpless slayer one last time before returning to Vanessa’s side.
“Hey, stay alert. I’m gonna get you out of here.” She said, stooping down beside her. Her mind was racing; the hospital was practically on the other side of town, and there weren’t any open medical centers anywhere nearby. Not that a hospital was a perfect place for a vampire to be, even if medical professionals were often sympathizers it was unwise to count on uncertainty. Her van was just over a block away, though, and she had a mid kit there and if need be, it would get them to a hospital much faster than her legs could. Vampires took hits better than humans, sure, but a few bullets would knock the wind out of anyone. Beck thought again, she still wasn’t 100% sure this woman was a vampire.
In the darkness Beck couldn’t tell where the wounds all were. She took one in the calf, Beck had seen that, but the slayer discharged the gun three times. It was hard to say for sure if the other two had hit their mark or if they were stick in the sidewalk a few feet away. There was still too much unknown to take effective action here. She groaned and wiped at her forehead; it had only been a few brief moments but beads of cold sweat were already forming on her forehead. “Alright, we’re getting away from this place and going somewhere nicer. I’m gonna pick you up, real gentle, and I’m not gonna hurt you. I’m not gonna hurt you. Just keep alert, everything is gonna be fine.”
Beck lifted her bridal-style, one arm under her knees and the other behind her shoulders. She stood up carefully and started toward her homestead van as fast as she could without jostling her too much.

[Cio]

Vanessa Poirier

@Kinjaav

---

Vanessa fought to keep her consciousness. There, on the cold, wet cobblestone, her remaining life force slowly oozing out of her calf. Nessa's healing factor was not as quick as most vampires', but she shouldn't be feeling as much of a burn in her leg anymore. Her blood should be slowly clotting to prevent any blood loss. Unless...
Silver. Of course the bullet was coated in fucking silver.
Vanessa grunted as another burning wave coarsed through her body, forcing her to ball her fists until her knuckles were white. Fuck, fuck, shit... Nessa rarely panicked, but when she did... she lost all of her cool. And right now... right now she was pretty sure she was finally going to die for good. A comforting, yet terrifying thought.

The wounded ravenette heard angry shouting. The voices were still a bit muffled by the temporal ringing that the gunshots had caused, but Nessa could make out some words. The woman... she sounded angry and disappointed. Nessa didn't understand why. Trying to utilise her remaining sharp vision in the dim environment, Nessa attempted to look back. All she saw was the woman from earlier, cussing and kicking a motionless heap on the ground. What the heck..?
Nessa could feel her own heart beating rapidly in her ears, her shallow breaths and the cold sweat that was beginning to clam her face. The silver bullet in her calf was burning like a flat iron inside her, radiating indescribeable pain through the woman's being.
“Hey, stay alert. I’m gonna get you out of here.”
Suddenly there was someone back at her side, but it didn't matter who it was, because Nessa immediately lashed out in self-defense. Like a wounded animal she hissed and tried to elbow the woman who had kneeled beside her, an attempt that was easily blockable but surprisingly forceful.
After Nessa's attempts at attack failed, she turned to her sharp tongue.
"I don't want your help, I..." Vanessa seethed at the woman before another wave of burning coursed through her form. "Fuck... off," she growled, the harsh word sounding uncharacteristic and harsh on her lips. Her credibility was hindered by the grimace on her face and the breathy quality of her voice. Nessa didn't do help. She didn't need it, she didn't want it, she... she just found altruistic people generally really darn annoying. And in her wounded and vulnerable state, she felt even more desperate to just get away. She certainly tried to fight off the woman as she felt her touch - and then, she was already being lifted up.
“Alright, we’re getting away from this place and going somewhere nicer. I’m gonna pick you up, real gentle, and I’m not gonna hurt you. I’m not gonna hurt you. Just keep alert, everything is gonna be fine.”
"Stop... saying.. that! It's really fucking... annoying! I..." Vanessa snapped with all the strength she had, too weak to actually fight off the woman who was clearly strong and capable of dodging her wimpy attempts at harm. "Nobody asked you to... act all fucking... heroic," Vanessa sneered, clearly using every means possible to get at the woman now carrying her. Gone was her polite tactfulness. When she was wounded and panicking and just generally incapable of taking care of herself, Vanessa felt so little and so useless that she had to let all of it out. And for the record, the woman helping her really did annoy the living daylights out of Nessa. She couldn't stand feeling like she owed something to someone. That, and... and she was starting to feel really thirsty.
Thirsty.
The struggling against the woman's grip, it wasn't getting Nessa anywhere. If anything, it was only making her lose stamina. After half a dozen of half-assed attempts at either wiggling out of the other's carrying or attacking her, Vanessa just fell quiet in her arms, exhausted and resigned to her fate.
Drowsy.
Just need... blood...
Vanessa hadn't eaten in a while. It had been her plan to get home and eat there, but now that wasn't on the table. And then she'd gotten hurt, which only made her lose blood and get even hungrier.

[Kinjaav]

@Cio

"You wanna stay on the sidewalk and wait for his buddies to show up?" Beck demanded as she struggled. "We both need to get the fuck out of here. Even if he was a liar he might have some liar slayer friends waiting around for him."
As she walked past the unconscious slayer Beck kicked his gun into to shadows of an adjacent alleyway. She mentally kicked herself for not taking it beforehand, but now her hands were a little full. For just a brief moment Beck smiled to herself, though; no mortal would have this much fight after getting shot.
They got to the end of the block and rounded a corner, arriving at the lot where the van was parked. Beck leaned in to unlock the passenger door and kicked it open with the toe of her boot, setting Vanessa on the rear-facing seat to retrieve the med kit under the next row of seats.
"If he was really HG, those were silver bullets. Go ahead and tell me to fuck off again but you can't fix that alone." Beck said simply, ripping a long strip of heavy athletic tape. She wrapped it tightly below her knee to prevent further blood loss. At least she seemed to have calmed down some, even if that was just blood loss. "You'll thank me later. Or you won't and you'll go do whatever you want. I don't care, you're hurt and I'm helping you. Got it?"
She raised her head to look Vanessa in the eyes but felt cool metal against her occipital and she froze. Behind her stood the slayer, somehow conscious after getting the beating of his life, pressing his gun to the back of Beck's head. A long tear had formed on his forehead from where the gun hit, leaking a red river of blood down his nose and off his chin. He held his side with his nondominant hand, breath labored and ragged. He locked eyes with Vanessa but said nothing, perhaps unable to do anything but stare daggers at his target.

[yoyohayli]

@Kidd@Eviledd1984

Brian McConaughan

---

McConaughan gave a nod of thanks toward the bar tender. "Don't worry about me, miss. I'd be more concerned for your glassware."

Then the younger Japanese man spoke to him. “Do you need medical assistance or something?”

McConaughan was surprised at being approached, but let out a raspy laugh and shook his head. “No, laddie,” he said. “I’ve had my fair share of injuries. This one isn’t going to do me in.” He gave his most convincing smirk as he squeezed his right hand into a fist, internally wincing at the feeling of broken flesh scraping behind the bandage.

He eyed the two men as they spoke Japanese to one another. McConaughan hadn’t bothered to learn any languages aside from his native language of English and whatever Gaelic he was taught in primary school, so he was wary of what they might be saying. He was looking for any signs that one or both of them might be a blood sucker, but couldn't find anything that stood out particularly, especially with his bleary eyesight. But the conversation between the two men ended quickly and the younger man turned back to face him again.

“Do you mind if I check out the wound?” he asked.

McConaughan looked down at his bandaged hand and furrowed his brow. The bandage was completely soaked with blood now. His voice held a tinge of annoyance. “Do I look like I need to be coddled?” He paused for a moment, pursing his lips. His mouth felt so dry. Then he let out a small sigh that stunk of alcohol. “But...if it’ll make you stop gawking, then have at it.”

[Cio]

Vanessa Poirier

@Kinjaav

---

By the time they got to what seemed like a van, Nessa had slowly calmed down into a drowsy, prone state. She still reacted to her surroundings, but the pain was getting too real to fight back. With the blood she'd lost, her thirst only multiplied, pure vampiristic instinct keeping her awake and alert even when her vision started blurrying.
The woman was talking something, probably replying to Nessa's feisty remarks with common sense. Nessa was placed on a seat, and while she tried to keep her posture, her aching muscles fought back, making her slump with heavy lidded eyes as she tried to keep track of the woman's movements. There was no dignity in this, Vanessa thought, mortified.

The woman was talking and her eyes met Vanessa's heavy lidded ones, but then she froze. Nessa could see with her blurring vision another figure there, pressing a gun against the woman's head. All Nessa could see, smell and taste in the air was the sweet aroma of blood. If she wasn't so delirious of blood loss, she would've kept her cool and let the following events just take place. However, Nessa had successfully entered full on vampire state by the point this happened.
Honey gold eyes snapping wide open, pupils wide and almost transfixed on the two people in front of her, Vanessa's mouth opened out of pure instinct, releasing a screeching soundwave at the man and the woman. The deafening sound forced the man to drop his gun and fall prone to the floor; he had gotten the better of the highly directional sound blow, forcing him unconscious from the maddening sound. The woman, too wasn't immune to the sound as she was in the way of it, but it had just missed enough to make her keep conscious.
Next Vanessa lunged forward despite the pain in her calf, almost shaking from the adrenaline and thirst for blood. She tackled the woman in front of her blindly as she had been the nearest target, glazed eyes with wide blown pupils staring emptily as she leaned closer, baring her teeth for a taste. However, only the tip of her nose got to touch the warm skin as she realised in her hazy state that the blood type of this woman wasn't compatible with hers. Abandoning the woman, Nessa took the man as her victim as she straddled his unconscious form and found his neck artery, biting into it with feral force. Nessa was usually very tactful and careful of the victims she chose purely because her taste in blood was very high quality and she didn't like doing things the old-fashioned bite-on-skin way, but in her desperate, animalistic and wounded state all common sense had abandoned her, forcing survival instincts to kick in.

[Kinjaav]

@Cio

The screech stunned Beck and she fell against the van's door, trying to cover her ears with her hands even though the damage was already done. She only heard ringing in her ears, dazing her further, making her feel as if she was floating in a near-unconscious state. All at once she was pulled back into reality by cold breath against her neck and Vanessa's hands immobilizing her. She had abandoned her just as quickly, though Beck still instinctually kicked at the air to get the attacker off of her. Regaining her senses somewhat Beck got to her feet, holding onto the van door for some support, and saw that her new vampire friend had found just what she needed. Beck smiled; it seemed like justice had been served.
Slowly regaining her senses, Beck returned to the medkit and took out hydrogen peroxide and a curved pair of forceps; that bullet still had to come out, and on a full stomach the vampire would be feistier than ever. Waiting for Vanessa to finish feeding, she grabbed a large handful of fast food napkins from the glove compartment. Not the classiest way to get blood off your face, and certainly not what this lovely creature had in mind, but it was better than nothing.