[IC] ✹☽ Vampires of Redhaven ☾✹

[Cio]

Vanessa Poirier

@Kinjaav

---

Blood, sweet, iron-filled blood.
As the taste hit Nessa's tongue, she almost sighed, primal instinct gradually wearing off. Then the reality of the situation sunk in, and the first thing Nessa felt as her head began clearing up was mortification. And then, closely after, disgust.
I can't believe I just... did that, Nessa thought as she paused her motions, slowly retreating from the man's unconscious body. She was acutely aware of the other presence in the room - or van, should she say.
Licking her lips discreetly, Nessa slowly retreated from above the man, a lush head of hair covering the blood trickling down her chin.
"Ew..." Nessa muttered under her breath, feeling dirty. She was graceful and full of elegance, not a bloody animal. She could still taste the sweaty skin of the man, a taste she wanted to spit out of her mouth desperately. This was downright humiliating.

Sensing movement from the corner of her eye, Vanessa peeked from behind her dark curtain of hair, eyes gleaming with focus. The woman was there, apparently recovering faster from the sound stun. She held a bunch of fast food napkins in her hand, a bunch of which Nessa quickly grabbed away from the woman, wiping her face clean with discreet motions. After feeling confident that she had gotten all the blood out of her face, Vanessa pulled her hair out of her face and slowly turned to face the woman.
"Never did get your name," Nessa stated, her voice slightly hoarse from the events that had unfolded. No use in pretending anymore. She had not only almost attacked the woman, but also drunk blood in front of her. With a burning silver bullet in her calf. Vanessa braced herself whatever came next.

[Eviledd1984]

@yoyohayli @Kidd

Hayato Nijimura

The young man was looking him over and was worried the guy was going to bleed to death, However he should know that the Yazuka does not care of some guy wants to bleed to death and Hayato knew that. "Kare ga shukketsu shitai baai wa kare o kika sete kudasai" (If he wants to bleed out then let him.) The older man said to the younger man with a strained look on his face. The young looked back at him with concern.

"Shikashi… ani" (But...big brother) The young man said but the older man waved his hand ignoring his next thought, "Tōhō-kun no wakare. Dakara nan'ninka no shimin ga ryūshutsu shitai no wa, soreha watashitachi no kenende wa arimasen" (Come and have a drink, Your apart of the Higashikata. So what some civil wants to bleed out, It's not our concern.) The older man then motioned for the young man to join him once again in their booth.

The young man reluctantly sliding a few feet away form him, Looking at his watch and then towards the bleeding man. He wondered if the other man was a vampire or a werewolf. The only thing he would know was how fast his wounds would heal. And even if he was of supernatural origin he would have to be careful not to let his young cohort not become infected like he was in his youth.

The two men know in silence having their drinks, The younger man asking the bartender for a beer. "Do you have any Japanese beer? If not a American beer will do" He said calmly.

[Kinjaav]

@Cio

Beck smiled at her softly. "Beck, call me Beck." she replied. Her eyes were a little distant yet, probably a lingering symptom of the stun along with the ringing in her ears. Unpleasant, but she'd felt worse. "I'll still get that bullet out of your leg if you want. I'm not just some slayer hobo, I'm ex-military, I know what I'm doing. Guess I could have said something earlier."
She reached over the front seats and pulled back a metal canteen, handing it to Vanessa. "I know some of you like to wash it down. I get that, people are gross." she joked lightly as she took more gauze from the medkit. "Never got your name, either."

[Cio]

Vanessa Poirier

@Kinjaav

---

Nessa took the canteen from the woman - Beck - after a brief pause and an untrusting look. She opened the thing, smelling the liquid inside. Water. Pure, it seemed. And while Nessa didn't trust the ex-military now-slayer, she did trust her own sense of smell which was pretty on point. Besides, she didn't want to start spitting on the van floor. Not that she cared if the van got dirty, but she didn't want to look ridiculous. Taking a careful first sip, Vanessa took her time making sure the water was clean before downing the gulp.
"Maybe that's for the best," the ravenette replied rather shortly at the question of her name. Then she seemed to think it over once more. "Olivia. But you may call me Nessa," Nessa said then. She wasn't at all fond of her full name, so using her middle name felt easier. And safer, too. Beck had earned the right for her name, anyway.
Vanessa wondered whether the woman was at all aware of the kind of vampire she was. Most slayers weren't. There was almost no data of Nessa's kind as they were few and far between. Maybe Beck wasn't questioning why Nessa had spared her, which really was more than okay with Vanessa. The less information she shared, the better.

[Kinjaav]

@Cio

"Olivia Nessa. Sure." Beck said, picking the forceps up. It was convenient that vampires were immortal, it meant that her tools didn't really need to be perfectly sterile. She kept everything in her medkit clean, of course, to use filthy equipment was just rude, but helping someone who couldn't die from infection made field medicine relatively stress free. "Go ahead and sit however is comfortable for you, that bullet isn't coming out on it's own. I've done this before, it's really no big deal." she snapped the forceps together to make a small clicking noise, smiling at Nessa. In her head she was trying to be light and humorous, but there probably wasn't a great way to sell letting a weird stranger digging around in your leg.
In the back of her mind Beck wondered why Nessa hadn't attacked her. She tried to, and she could have, but she stopped to get the Guard. She was somewhat familiar with vampire varieties, and had gathered information on some, but this was very new. She'd press the issue later, but for now she was simply grateful.

[Cio]

Vanessa Poirier

@Kinjaav

---

Nessa eyed the tool in Beck's hand warily. She didn't want to let the woman touch her at all, but deep down Nessa knew she couldn't get tge burning bullet out on her own. That's why the devil was made of silver - it made it near impossible for vampires to interact.
Fine beads of cold sweat settled on Nessa's skin as the longer the bullet stayed in, the weaker it made her even with the blood she'd just feasted with. Letting out a sigh that came out more like a grunt, Nessa repositioned herself better to achieve a more comfortable position. There was no comfortable way to do this, she could only grit her teeth to prevent pained hisses while the woman digged around.
From beside them, a pained grunt could be heard. Oh, shit, Nessa thought. She hadn't accidentally converted the man, had she?
Through her pain, Nessa simply felt around for the gun before she found it, took the safety off and aimed it at the man who was starting to regain consciousness. With a single silver bullet aimed right between the man's eyes, he was dead.
Nessa lowered the gun back down and resumed her attention to her leg. She disliked getting her hands dirty in all cases.

[Kinjaav]

@Cio

Beck quickly realized that Nessa was either very lucky, or the slayer was a real idiot. The bullet hadn't hit bone, not that a vampire had to worry much about fractures, but had embedded itself in what appeared to be the fibulas longus; a muscle on the side of the leg underneath the knee. She could see the end of the bullet easily, its primer glinting silver against the gore around the entry wound. Beck reached in with the forceps and yanked it out as quickly and painlessly as she could, pulling back what looked like a tiny rifle round. It was long and thin, not like the stocky 9mm bullets most civilians could get their hands on.
She opened her mouth to say something but suddenly Nessa had discharged the gun again, planting another weird round in the forehead of the apparently turned slayer. What a weird night. She snorted as he hit the ground, "Nice shot."
Beck cooly wrapped the wound and retrieved the gun, emptying the chamber onto the ground. Two skinny silver bullets bounced off the gravel. "Magnum rounds, .22 I think. Light even for self defense, basically a pea shooter even for civilian arms. This kid had no idea what he was getting into." she flicked the safety back on out of habit and tossed it onto the seat of the van. She didn't want it, but leaving it out in the open was out of the question. She leaned against the side of her van, looking out into the street. "Serves him right, the little moron. Slaying isn't some game, it's a big fucking deal, and you put your life on the line to protect innocent people. Even if that means innocent vampires." She cast a brief sympathetic look at Nessa. "That's the reason I stopped you. Even after I could tell you were a vampire it was obvious you didn't want to hurt me. You just wanted to be left alone, but along came this idiot. No one deserves to be killed like they kill, bleeding out like a deer or staked to the ground. So I just keep prying out and hoarding information and trying to save who I can."
Beck reached in and turned on a little electric lantern, illuminating the VW bus. Beyond the folded-down passenger seats were boxes of old-fashioned audio cassettes and binders of paper, meticulously recorded and transcribed accounts from all manner of creatures. It was an endless task, and Beck took it very seriously. She sighed and sat beside Nessa. "I'm sorry for getting you mixed up in this, if I'd know another slayer was around I would never have stopped you."

[Cio]

Vanessa Poirier

@Kinjaav

---

Beck complimented Nessa's shot with a snort. The ravenette remained silent, face neutral and trying to conceal off the pain she was feeling. Shortly after the bullet was out, not before a sharp intake of breath from Nessa's part, though. The bullet was coated in blood, but the silver shone through, making Nessa wince in distain. She didn't comment on Beck's next words, not really all that interested in what the man had been after.
The moment the bullet had left Vanessa's body, she no longer felt such a burn. There was still pain lingering in her system, but her eyes were no longer blurring like crazy and she could breathe more evenly.
"Serves him right, the little moron. Slaying isn't some game, it's a big fucking deal, and you put your life on the line to protect innocent people. Even if that means innocent vampires," Beck continued with what looked an awful lot like a sympathetic look. This earned her Nessa's attention, her eyes now fixated on the woman. She had to bite her tongue to refrain from making a snide comment. And surely enough, Beck wasn't done talking:
"That's the reason I stopped you. Even though I could tell you were a vampire it was obvious you didn't want to hurt me. You just wanted to be left alone, but along came this idiot. No one deserves to be killed like they kill, bleeding out like a deer or staked to the ground. So I just keep prying out and hoarding information and trying to save who I can."

What Vanessa felt for this woman right now was pure annoyment. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, too, she didn't know why what Beck was saying rubbed her in the wrong way. It just did. Nessa couldn't stay silent any longer.
"You know nothing about me," Nessa deadpanned in an irritated tone, "and I'm certainly not the innocent vampire you're making me out to be," she added, watching the woman sit next to her. "Save your apologies for someone who cares," she murmured, gaze cold and closed off. However, she didn't make a move to get up or leave.
Nessa's intention wasn't to start a ruse. She was simply stating what was on her mind. She didn't know what the woman expected of her - to thank her, or to assure her it was okay. It wasn't. Beck was right in saying Nessa hadn't intended any harm to her, but someone analysing Nessa to her just didn't sit right with the ravenette. And while Nessa was thankful of the help, she didn't intend to communicate that. She hadn't asked for help, and she didn't like owing favours to anyone. The whole speech of 'put your life in line to protect innocent people' especially agitated Vanessa. No one had been there when she had been turned. No one had asked her what she wanted then. So why should she try to go out of her way to feel sympathy for those who protected others when she hadn't recieved help in the moment of her greatest need?

[Kinjaav]

@Cio

"I intend to." Beck replied stalely when her apology was rejected. The day was shaping up to be quite gloomy, the dim bluish clouds prohibiting any rays of dawn from streaking the sky. It was still early and this lot had walls on all but its north side, so it was relatively safe from the sun for quite a few more hours. Safe from cops and slayers following the trail of blood leading to the body before them, that was another story. Beck stood up. "Do you need to go somewhere? Mornings coming and I'm not waiting around for more Guard."
Beck tilted her head toward the van as she spoke. She knew the last thing Nessa wanted was to spend even another second with her but it didn't seem right to strand her out here without a word.

[Cio]

Vanessa Poirier

@Kinjaav

---

Nessa observed Beck every time the she turned away. Golden eyes examining the other person in an annoyed, but curious manner. It was hard to read what Beck's deal was. She was a slayer, that much was obvious, but she seemed more like a lone wolf than a pack animal.
Soon Beck asked, if Vanessa had somewhere to be. Sighing with a nonchalant shrug, the ravenette replied: "I was going somewhere, but then this happened, so..." she motioned her leg. Most vampires had a strong healing factor. Nessa did not. She couldn't walk even if she tried to, not without support. Not that she wanted Beck to figure that out. She was pretty much out of options, however. Maybe she could stall for a bit.
"Might want to get rid of that thing," Nessa commented, nodding at the now corpse of a man with carefully controlled distain. "I apologise for the mess. Doing things the old fashioned way isn't my style. Usually, that is." Although Vanessa apologised, it was clear she wasn't apologising to Beck, but rather her own erratic behaviour from earlier. Nessa hid behind a shell of elegance, after all.

[Kinjaav]

@Cio

Beck shrugged. “I know the cops in this town, I’ll tell them I found him like this on my way back to the van. I didn’t touch him, his own gun killed him, and somehow I doubt you’re in the system. If they come to double check my story it won’t be until after the coroner is done with him.”
She looked disapprovingly at the dead slayer. The shot had caved his forehead in a bit, and with all the blood it looked like he’d been beheaded. Pretty gruesome, and she felt a twitch of guilt, but he was the one who decided to stalk town with a gun and shoot whoever he thought he could get away with.
Beck went back to the van, putting the medkit back under the seats and closing the large door. She opened the passenger door and looked back to Nessa. ”Seriously, I’ll take you wherever you want to go. It’s the least I can do.”

[Cio]

Vanessa Poirier

@Kinjaav

---

So, the woman knew the cops. Vanessa nodded to herself mostly, making a soft 'hm' sound with the back of her throat. That could prove to be profitable for Nessa. Choosing her alliance was of utmost importance. A new plan began forming in Nessa's mind.
As Beck went to the van and opened the passanger door with an inviting motion, telling Nessa she would take her wherever, Nessa hesitated. The woman had already proven to be pretty trustworthy. That didn't mean Nessa trusted her, but she from what she'd observed Beck seemed like a woman of her words.
After musing for a while, Nessa nodded and got up gingerly to avoid putting too much weight on her left foot. She tried to walk to the van as normally as she could, both to maintain her dignity and to hopefully make Beck think her leg was already healing. It wasn't. Or it was, but it was doing so rather slowly. Vanessa would feel this gunshot for at least a week even if she wouldn't limp with it more than a few hours, a day at most. Still, Nessa hoped Beck wouldn't question it. She'd already roused suspicion by revealing one of her abilities.
"Very well," Nessa said as she mounted the van with a smile that was more out of politeness than genuine emotion, "It'd be rude to turn such an offer down."
It was kind of cosy inside the van, actually. Now Nessa could truly appreciate it. It wasn't overly clean and high-end, and it was what Nessa liked about it the most. Despite her more... posh appearance Nessa found herself being pulled towards this sort of decor. It was something she'd never had growing up, all she'd ever had was a lot of objects you weren't allowed to touch and rooms you weren't allowed to play in.
"Do you know where the Redhaven Bar and Grille is? You can drive me there - it's a mile south," Nessa said. She didn't really feel like going to a bar, but she wasn't about to reveal her home address to this woman, no matter how trustworthy she might've been. And as it turned out, Nessa lived practically next to the bar in question. So it was the perfect disguise.

[Kinjaav]

@Cio

The bus was quite a spectacle, especially with its faded paint and boxy shape, but it was cheap to maintain and perfectly suited for Beck's purposes. On the inside it was worn but clean, clearly lived in but organized. The fabric seats were nearly threadbare in places but free of stains or holes. Two dog tags and a silvery pendant depicting a nun were hanging off the rearview window with, and they jingled quietly against each other when Beck shut the drivers side door.
She withdrew her car keys from a pocket on her rig and started the car. "Yeah, I know where that is. Hold on for a second." Beck made a point to throw the van into a speedy reverse, making deep and noticeable tracks in the gravel to turn out of the lot as hard and fast as the weathered vehicle could. She reduced her rate of speed, decelerating to a safe speed by the time they came to the end of the block. "If I've just seen a murder and I'm chasing a vampire, I'd get out onto the road as fast as I could to pursue them. Unfortunately I wouldn't call the cops until after I've lost track of the suspect. Sorry if I startled you, though."

[Cio]

Vanessa Poirier

@Kinjaav

---

Vanessa had to admit, Beck was a quick thinker. Something she greatly appreciated in a person. Hearing Beck's explanation for the less than comfortable start on their journey earned her a little appreciative look from Nessa. It was the most impressed Nessa was of Beck's doings so far.
The van drove a safe speed on the cobblestone pavement, filling the charged silence between the women. Nessa was out of words, and the silence betweem them was filled with unanswered questions and secrets. Although theor destination was just a mile away, Nessa could tell this was going to be a long ride it things continued this way.
Trying to keep her calm, Nessa stared determinedly out of the window, trying to appear busy or in her thoughts. She couldn't help but glance at Beck ever so often though, breaking the illusion. What was she thinking, Nessa wondered?

[Kinjaav]

@Cio

Beck stewed in her thoughts for a few moments, replaying the events of the last hour (maybe less, who could say?) over in her head, going over her memories with a fine-toothed analytical comb. As she considered it all something stuck out, bothering her because she couldn't explain it. She glanced briefly at Nessa, not really wanting to provoke her any more but hungering for an answer.
"Ignore me if you want, but I just thought of something." Beck started, stretching and relaxing her hand against the wheel as a simple gesture of sincerity. "When that slayer kid came after us, you jumped on me before you stopped and attacked him. Why... what stopped you from killing me? It looked like you'd gone, I dunno, I'd call it feral; but you changed your mind. I've been at this for years and fought a lot of... a lot of everything, and I've never seen anything quit like that."

[Cio]

Vanessa Poirier

@Kinjaav

---

Nessa eyed Beck through the reflection on the window as she spoke. She'd seen this question coming, sure, but it didn't mean she was any less bothered about how to answer it.
Nessa was a private person, mostly. She relied on herself, and generally didn't trust anyone with anything. She had learned long ago that getting involved with people would only get her hurt. Besides, waiting for someone else to show up and do the hard stuff was pathetic. Still, Nessa did feel a lingering respect for this woman. As annoying as Beck might've been in Nessa's opinion, she was also smart, talented, and not a rookie by any means. Nessa could tell a fellow lone wolf when she spotted one. But indeed, what had stopped Nessa from attacking Beck in her hazy state?
A foul smirk tugged at Nessa's lips as she answered: "The power of true love, what else?" Nessa hoped to pull a laugh out of the woman with her snarky reply. Okay, sassiness aside. Nessa knew this woman was not stupid. Taking a breath to indicate she was about to continue, Nessa turned her gaze back to the road.
"I guess I had a moment of weakness, you had saved my life, after all. And between the two of you," Nessa hummed, "he was much more annoying."
Although a believable reasoning for most, Nessa could sense that even with her smooth tongue Beck wasn't taking any of her bullshit. The woman seemed like a scientist more than a hunter, a healthy dose of curiosity seeming to power her actions. After a small pause Nessa gave in.
"I realised your blood wasn't fit for my taste." Vague, but perhaps telling if Beck was sharp enough.

[yoyohayli]

@Eviledd1984

Brian McConaughan

---

McConaughan could tell the older man was the shot caller between these two, but the younger one was reluctant to obey whatever he was saying. Though he couldn't understand the older man, he could hear a tinge of resentment in his voice that made him give out a disgruntled sigh. Reaching into his trenchcoat pocket, McConaughan produced a small glass vial of dark liquid capped off by a tiny cork. Using his good thumb, he popped the cork off the top of the vial and stared at the liquid for a moment before downing it quickly. He shuddered as a wave of sobering euphoria coursed through him and he could feel the wound on his hand closing up. Of course, this wasn't visible since it was still covered in the bloodied bandages, but the pain was gone in a few moments and he shoved the empty vial back into his pocket.

"So," he said, looking back over to the younger man. "Are you two foreigners or something? You don't seem like you're from around here." He gave a little smirk and raised a hand in feigned defense. "Not trying to be offensive, I can just smell a fellow immigrant."

[Kinjaav]

@Cio

Beck let out a snort at the first answer and quietly tolerated the second, keeping her eyes on the road but internally dismissing the thought that Nessa had taken a conscious action to spare her. It was a non-zero possibility, maybe, but Beck had fought off enough incensed vampires to know that state of mind wasn’t conducive to reasoned thinking.
The third answer rang truer to her; at the very least it wasn’t an obvious lie. She furrowed her brow slightly, considering this. ”Sounds limiting.” she said simply.
Beck had so many questions, and ached to properly interview her and get a clearer picture of what that entailed. ”Do you mean you can sense diseases, or maybe antigens? I thought it wouldn’t matter if you don’t have any vulnerability to illness.” she noted, taking a moment's pause and shaking her head. There would be another time. ”That’s really fascinating. We should talk about it sometime so I can get some notes, because I’ve never come across anything like that — anyone like you, not in all those tapes or binders back there.” she pointed with her thumb to the mass of research in the back of the bus.

[Cio]

Vanessa Poirier

@Kinjaav

---

After the third answer - one which was dangerously close to the truth for Nessa's taste - Beck seemed to have even more questions than before. Vanessa took a long breath and felt her sharp teeth with her tongue to keep herself distracted.
"Sounds limiting," Beck noted.
"It is," Vanessa replied just as straight-forwardly, mind absent. Beck then went on to guestion what she'd meant, her inquiry both coming close to the truth and missing some of it. In that moment Nessa decided she wasn't truly opposed to sharing some, even though it felt against everything she believed in. Maybe it was one of those moments of weakness, too.
"I don't wish to be some nameless research subject," Nessa replied with a furrowed brow. A brief silence followed, during which no one spoke. "But... I suppose... No, you weren't far off. Detecting diseases and antigens is a part of what I do," Nessa shared thoughtfully, her tone subtly more open. "It's not that different from allergies or being vegan, really. Think of it like a dietary restriction. Some humans are coeliacs. I'm like them but with blood," Nessa explained. Maybe Beck's genuine curiosity was having a small impact on Nessa after all. The woman beside her had turned out to be every bit as complicated as Nessa herself was.
"Besides, no one wants to drink diseased blood. Just because it doesn't kill us doesn't mean it doesn't have any effect."

[Eviledd1984]

@yoyohayli

Hayato Nijimura

The younger man looked over at the bleeding Irishman, "We're not form America no, I'm sure you can tell where we're from judging by the language we spoke" He said calmly as the older man was staring at the Irishman wondering what was inside that vial he drunk. "Naze watashitachi ga koko ni iru no ka, mō iimasen. Tada, watashitachi ga bijinesumanda to shinji sasete kudasai" (Don't say anymore about why we are here, Just let him believe we're businessmen) The older man then said to the younger one. "Soshite, kare ga tazunerunaraba, chōdo watashitachi ga genjitsu no ējento ka nanikadearu to itte?" (And if he ask, Just say we're reality agents or something?) The young man responded rubbing his wrist.

The older man was once in a while glaring over at the bleeding man, His thoughts racing thinking that perhaps he was a ghoul. A human that drinks the blood of a vampire and gains some vampire abilities. The older man was looking at his watch seeing it was not time yet for them to leave for the meeting, They could have one more drink and speak with some drunkard before leaving.