[IC] Things that go bump (Caits and Crawkid)

[MarshiestMallow]

Connor listened as she talked, nodding. That at least made sense. "Well, its strange, but seems sensible enough. How do you do it though? For me breathing is instinctual, and my lungs just do it, but how do you do it when you are asleep? I can understand when you are awake, but asleep?" that puzzled him.

He rose as he waited for her answer, grabbing a duffel bag, he began to put guns, stakes, and other weapons into a bag, along with his laptop, internet connection, and some food. He gathered what money he had, and some clothes. It was clear that he was readying himself to leave, as he put his bag on the kitchen counter. He got out a cooler container, and began filling it wil ice packs, knowing they'd have to continual stop for more ice, to put the blood packets he had left in. He couldn't leave Bessie here either, so soon he would go to gather what t hings he would need for her too, and hook up the horse trailer to his car. He would take her to a stable nearby, where they could look after her until they returned.

He looked to Elizabeth, waiting for her answer, taking his glasses off, putting them in their case, and then packing them as well. He went ot his filling drawer, and took out his fake ID packs, shoving them in the bag too before sitting down.

[Crawkid]

She sighed a bit and watched him gather his things for a moment, figuring that their stay here was getting cut short for whatever reason.

"You make a valid point..but honesty it can be taught just as humans can be taught to sleep in a particular position or to sleep with their eyes open...or to be able to snap awake and point a gun at something that has disturbed their sleep."

She said that last one, looking at him pointedly. She didn't know if that was something he could do, but to her it certainly would make sense for a hunter to develop such a tendency.

"If one has not kept the instinct to breathe, as some do, but wants to breathe while sleeping...one must be retaught to make it their instinct." she continued, finishing up her explanation. She shrugged after that, it being a simple point to make. "And that's what I went through."

Briefly, she wondered if he would pick up on the point that she had had two masters while most vampires only follow the one that made them..but she honestly hoped her wouldn't mention it. She didn't want to talk about it so early in their partnership, it might make him think that she had reason to hold a form of hatred towards him...and while she did envy his humanity like she did for all of his kind...she, like he, could see past the circumstances and state of being. "So...we are leaving already? Where to?"

[MarshiestMallow]

Connor nodded as she talked, staying silent as they asked where they were going. "Well, there's a hunter a few towns over that may have a clue to the medallion" he said, "I was thinking we could start there, stop before dawn and rent a room" Essentially, he was going to become nocturnal traveling with her, he thought. But he was essentially nocturnal anyway, not sleeping much. He shrugged, and said, "its a lead, and its better than most of the stuff I've found so far" He said.

He fell silent for a minute, and said, "We don't have to go, but it seems like the first step to doing this" He said, giving her a smile, and shrugging again. He waited for her answer, checking the time. He watched her, "Can you drive? I haven't slept at all" he said, "It will only be for a few hours, then I'm good to go, otherwise, we'll be delayed for a bit. Do you need to get anything too?" He asked, "Clothes or such?"

[Crawkid]

She watched him too. She didn't exactly like them coming in contact with another hunter- one that may not be able to see that she wasn't an evil monster and attempt to slay her on the spot. Then again if he/she knew about the medallion, they might be more open minded than other hunters....or she could just play it safe and not go with Connor as he snooped out the information.

When he started talking about getting things and sudden leavings, she had a feeling this one event would turn into a string of events that would keep her away from her apartment. Witha bit of a sigh and a groan, she massaged her temples. "If it's just a quick trip...then yes, clothes...sunscreen...medication...but if it turns out to be how I think it will...I will need some more preparation."

She paused as she went through her usual plans for moving quickly. She'd need to convince someone to move all of her things into a storage unit first...but she shoved that out of her mind. "and... yes, I can drive."

[MarshiestMallow]

Connor was silent for a while, thinking on this. It would most likely end up as a long trip. And that made him feel guilty, for he was use to uprooting himself at a moments notice, but Elizabeth had her own life. Connor was use to hunting, and the lifestyle it brought. Elizabeth wanted. He gave a slight sigh. He rose, to shoulder his duffel bag, going down to the basement, and taking out the blood packet, and going back up the stairs, puttng them in the cooler.

He thought on what to do, then sighed, because he realised just how much he had to organise himself. He knew there was another hunter in town, but whether or not they would understand the about the teenage girl who was a werewolf. There was 28 days until the next full moon. He would have to make sure something could be done for her.

He sighed, and said, "Lets just go with being gone for a week for now, and if t has to be longer, we can figure out what to do then" He said as a suggestion, "We can go back into town, I've got to speak with another hunter about this increase of supernatural activity, and tell him that there might be mad vampires around, and we can stop by your place so you can get some clothes, and then we need to stop at a stable so I can get someone to look after Bessie" He said, waiting to see if she had any arguements about that.

[Crawkid]

She sat in her chair, feeling more and more akward as he went about moving around and doing things. Maybe she had expressed too much? She supposed she could have upset him with her not being as up and go as he was. True, she had had more experience moving around than he did just from being older and needing to not be picked up...but she usually wasn't this rooted down before.

She inwardly winced everytime that he sighed, especially since he would wind up not saying anything afterwards.

Maybe she had secretly hoped to find a place to root down, she thought to herself. She supposed it was possible, - as she was once told, every rolling stone had to run out of energy and stop sometime. Maybe she had thought it was her time, without knowing it.

Another sgh, and she looked up almost like she was a child in trouble...but this time he actually did speak. She listened carefully and with no argument, only idly wondering if it would go as planned...after all..it had only been one day since the stir that had happened to cause them to run in the first place.

She nodded when he was done, "would you like to tell him before or after he sees me?"

She stopped right after saying it and bit her lip, which caused a drop of blood to pop up. "or...I can just...disappear and not meet him at all..."
Yes, obviously, she still didn't like hunters...at least not the general populace of them. "oh and...should we get my clothes before or after too?"

[MarshiestMallow]

"Oh, no" Connor said, "I can call him, and that way neither of us has to see him. He's not the nicest of hunters, and the less face time I have with him, the better" He said, shrugging the duffel bag over his shoulder, and giving her a smile, "Do not worry, I will not expose you to other hunters. Most do not understand why I let a werewolf live, despite the fact that she is a teenage girl who has never harmed a soul, so why should they understand a vampire that has a soul?"

He grabbed his keys, leaving her with that as he went out to the car, putting the duffel bag in there, then driving it around to the stables. This was going to be the biggest problem of the night. Getting Bessie into the horse trailer.

He let out a sigh, and began to try and coax Bessie into the trailer. The horse did not want to go, no matter what he did. "Aye, aye, aye, I know, its sucks, but I need you safe" He said to her, but she threw back her head, and snorted. "O, you stubborn mule" He said with a sigh, stroking the mares neck. "You always have been a willful beast, and never did shy away from trouble. More sense then most of your kind. Please, my dear, let me keep you safe" He tried once more to coax the mare into the trailer, but failed again.

He sighed.

[Crawkid]

He left her with his assurances...and she did feel better...the problem was that she didn't have much to do in the house when he wasn't there. She sat there for a bit before the dryer beeped and told her that her clothes were done. For a full minute after that, she stared at the clock. Once the time was up, she walked over and opened the door- hissing slightly as she pulled out her clothes.

Elizabeth, being a cold dead thing, loved heat very much like a cold blooded reptile did...however she had also become sensitive to it so what might be cozy and warm to a human would be too hot for her sense of touch.

With a sigh, she figured she had no choice but to let her clothes cool off before she could be dressed properly again...and she blushed slightly at being in such a state around a man she hardly knew. The sounds of distressed Bessie easily reached her vampire ears and she glanced out the window. She smiled a little to herself, as she watched the hunter of super powered non-humans have trouble with his horse. Her smile didn't last too long though. A whole week traveling side by side and alone with a human...constantly being around his heart beat as she's forced to drink either nasty cold blood from a skin of plastic or barely warm blood from some sort of cup. She wasn't even sure if she could with hold from her natural instincts for that long...or longer...Should she tell him?

..no....

She'd already caused him to sigh too much. Another sigh and she let the curtain drop back into place, and went to change into her clothes that were now a bit cooler- and cozy to a vampire's senses. Taking a moment to happily hug herself into the warm clothing, her next step was to peek back out at Connor. Seeing that he was still having trouble with the horse, she scoured the kitchen looking for things to bribe her with- either an apple, carrot, or those sugar cubes she knew he had laying around. Certainly the apple or carrot would be better though.

Regardless of what she could or could not find, she quietly made her way to the two, keeping up a happy vibe. She held up her item(s in case of sugar cubes)of bribery, and walked over and gave Bessie half of it before walking over to the trailer and offering her the other half by means of an arm she stuck through the 'window' of the trailer.

"Come on Bessie, It's just a treat. You like treats right?"

[MarshiestMallow]

Connor looked up as Elizabeth came bearing a carrot as a bribe to Bessie. He watched, grumbling as Bessie let herself be led into the trailer, "oh, sure, you'll let the vampire lead you" he said with a laugh, "cheeky horse" he said, following Bessie in, and petting her neck, before stepping out and shutting the trailer door. "Its just for a bit, my dear Bessie" he said reassuringly.

He locked it up, and gave her a smile, "thanks" he said, "cheeky horse" he went to grab a bag of feed, her saddle and blanket, putting that into the car as well, before turning to Elizabeth, "are you ready?" He asked with a smile, "everything's packed, so we just need to stop by your place and while you are getting clothes, I will call the hunter, but first we will take Bessie to the stable okay?"

[Crawkid]

She smiled as the horse took the bribe, and she pet her briefly as she was eating it. When Connor thanked her, she grinned and felt slightly proud for being able to do that which he could not. And for someone who hasn't been able to be around animals for 3 centuries, it felt like a great accomplishment.

With the announcement that he was alol ready to go, she opened the car door and slipped into the driver's side. "Well then, let us be off."

She adjusted the seat and buckled up. Once he got into the car she would glance at the side rear view mirrors to make sure she could see what she needed to. "Where are the stables?"

[MarshiestMallow]

Connor climbed into the passenger seat, putting his seat belt on, and settling in. When she asked about the stables, he said "About ten minutes down the rode, on the right hand turn, you can't miss it after you turn right" as he got out his phone, and called the hunter.

Therein was the worst five minutes of his life as he explained he was off unto a job and didn't know when he would be back, telling him that the vampires in the city might be a 0.bit peeved, and that he was investigating the increase in the supernatural's activities. He sat there and listened to the hunter rattle on and one, finally saying, "Well, it isn't my problem, frankly, I've been looking after this city more then you, Merl. Its time you pull your weight a bit" And he stabbed the hang up button on his phone hard, throwing the damn thing in the pack of the car.

"Bad tempted old coot" He muttered, grumbling and cursing to himself. Other hunters were a pain in the butt, he thought bitterly. Most of them anyway.

[Crawkid]

Elizabeth smiled faitnly when the conversation first started up, but soon she was focused on the road ahead of her. She was silent the whole time, after all, it was bad manners to talk during a phone call. She spent that time, remembering her own encounters with hunters of the supernatural. would it have been better to have hunters like Connor back in her own time? But then...aren't hunters as aggressive as they are because of the things that bad vampires had done? weren't most vampires bad? How many of those like there could there be? Certainly not many...right?

With the crash of the phone hitting the back of the car, she didn't flinch but was snapped out of her thoughts. "so there was another hunter in town...." she said quietly, still focused on the stretch of road. she was quiet a moment again, are you taking two jobs or was that a cover that sounded conveniantly like the truth?"

[MarshiestMallow]

Connor nodded, "yes, there is another hunter in town. Merl is a bad tempered man, but he is a good hunter when he puts his mind to it" he said, "trouble is, he's become a lazy buggar" he said, chuckling, "it was a cover story" he said, as they reached the stables. "Hunters lie, my dear Elizabeth. Its how we get things done"

He unbuckled his seatbelt, and got out the car, going to ask about a stall for Bessie, paying the fee, the going to the horse trailer, and opening the door, now trying to coax Bessie out the trailer, he grabbed the reins, amd slowly brought her out, stroking her neck.

"I know you'd rather be with me, but I don't want you in troubke mi amore" he said softly, "Elizabeth? Can you take her reins I'll get the feed and saddle and such" he asked, as he ooened the back door

[Crawkid]

Elizabeth had had no intention of getting out of the car, but since he asked she didn't really feel like she had much of a right or reason to deny him her help. opening the door and sliding out, she made her way over to the two, grabbing the reins of the horse. As she waited for Connor to pick up the things he needed to transport, she kept the horse calm by petting her. Anmd the horse kept her calm by helping her focus on something other than the human who was now walking away with their back unguarded.

She would need to eat soon. True she had just woken up, but it had been many hours and her habit of breathing while being out did use up more blood than her other non-breathing kin. She shook her head slightly, now gently scratching Bessie's cheek as if the horses had an itch there. She had no idea if she did, but it was less of an absent mided movement than just petting her was.

"Which stall should I take her too?"

[MarshiestMallow]

Connor forgot what Elizabeth was just for a second, and stopped dead. Yes, he had a horse that wasn't afraid of vampires, but the horses in there would be afraid of her. He let out a chuckle at himself, "I forgot. The horses will go ballistic with you. I should take her" he said, calling over a stable hand, "We don't need a bunch of horses panicking" he handed saddle, blanket and feed over, before taking the reins.

Bessie didn't want to go, but Connor coaxed and bribed her into the stable, taking her to an empty stall. He stroked her neck, patted her briefly, and promised her he'd be back. He signed the papers, and walked out the stables, closing his eyes and sighing. He walked back to the car, detaching the horse trailer to leave it here.

"I feel like a monster leaving her here" He said softly when he went back to the car, on the passenger side, looking back to the stables. "What else am I suppose to do? She can't come with, she'd be stuck in the trailer all the time" He sighed again, "I hope she forgives me" He got into the car, buckling in.

[Crawkid]

Elizabeth had also forgotten about the horses, but it was for a different reason. Snapping out of her thoughts of hunger, she gave him the reins and walked back over to the car, watching everything from the driver's seat. "you're not a monster for taking care of your horse. ": she said quietly, getting ready to take off. Though, her movements were a little more hurried than before.

"She'll forgive you."

and she shifted it into gear and drove off the farm, more intent on leaving than perhaps Connor would feel like she had reason to be. She also felt a little bad for hurrying away after just dropping Bessie off but she had something more important to do than feel bad. Th entire short time that she was driving off, she was tensed and forcing herself to remain focused. She could hear his heartbeat, and it was starting to get to her. No doubt her odd behavior would cause it to get faster and louder too.

Once they were safely out of sight of the stables but not quite back at the farm yet, she pulled over and all but ripped the seatbelt off to get to the cooler where she knew he kept the supply of blood. She quickly grabbed the packet and bit into it. She gagged at first, because it was cold and a horrible shock to her system, but she ignored it and it did not take long for the majority of the thick liquid to disappear. Even after that, she continued sucking it, staring at the little veins that formed in the plastic due to the vacuum her sucking was creating. She didn't seem likely to stop until she got as much out of it as possible.

She should never forgo a quick breakfast as long as she was with him. A lazy bowl of warm blood would be better than a rushed packet of cold blood, she noted, because she doubted he would let her take off and feed on some drunk guy....and she had to remember that because she had forgotten...no more fresh blood. Her inner self winced. She didn't care for having to hunt people down...but it still tasted better and satisfied her more than any alternative she had come across. She wondered if this is what a person addicted to drugs felt like if they tried to take lowers doses, or less pure substances..

[MarshiestMallow]

Connor was shocked by her reckless driving, pulling out hurriedly, and driving off, before pulling over when they were out of sight of the stables, watching as she virtually pulled herself out of her seat belt, and grabbed the blood packet. He winced, because he knew it was cold, and knew it would be horrible.

He turned away, pondering what they would have to do about keeping her in stock with blood. He would rather she not hunt, but who was he to say she couldn't? He pondered what he could do for her, but beyond giving her some of his blood daily, there wasn't anything he could do. He looked back when she had finished.

"I'm sorry this is hard on you" he said softly, genuinely as he took deep breaths, and kept his heart beat slow, his breathing calm. Natural instinct wanted him to either fight or flight as she drank the blood, but he kept them in check. "If there's anything I can do, I'll do it" He said, taking out a map from the glove box, and opening it, to show her the way to the town, that they should reach before dawn.

[Crawkid]

Her body relaxed as the blood dampened her instinctive hunger, and his heart beat slowed down. Finally able to let go of the packet, a low whistling noise came from the holes as the vacuum was released and it sucked in air in an act of equilibrium. She stayed that way, even while he was apologizing for the troubles that she was going through. He even offered to help- and as he put it, in anyway that he can.

It hit her then...he thought it would be difficult to live on blood packets..but if they were always traveling...how was he to get blood packets? She groned lightly at this thought. On the bright side though, maybe she could convince him to let her feed naturally. She thought more on this until he pulled out the map. climbing back into the driver's seat, she leaned over and looked it all over.

"Well...You can scout every new town we come to and tell me where the bars are. And keep your blood away from me."

She paused, thinking that perhaps that sounded a bit too blunt. She tried again, but softly and obviously caring that he didn't get the wrong impression, "I mean...not because you're a hunter...but because it will be almost impossible to not give real consideration to biting you if I know what your blood tastes like...I can guarantee you that it will taste better than a drunkard." she paused, "and if you let me hunt while we're together, I'll require less packets...and I'll do it discreetly. I'm sure hunters will notice when there's a new vampire around...but they won't be able to trace me to you."

She smiled lightly at that, obviously having a plan.

[MarshiestMallow]

Connor supposed that that was a compromise. "No killing though" He said softly, leaning back to rest against the seat, closing his eyes, he was asleep in moments, effectively ending further conversation for the time being.

He woke five hours later, and took over driving, settling in comfortably as he drove. Another few hours later, just as the sky began to lighten, they reached the town and he quickly found an inn, getting them a room with two beds, and parking outside it. He went in to make sure that the room wouldn't let in any light for Elizabeth, shutting the curtains up tight, checking the bathroom, pulling down the blind there and throwing a spare blanket up over the blind before bringing their bags in.

He claimed the bed by the window, throwing himself on it and stretching out "Well, it isn't five star, but its still a pretty nice place" He said, "I hope it suits you and that no sun comes in. I'll be heading out mid-morning, get some supplies, and I'll do that scouting for you" He said, sitting up

[Crawkid]

Even if she could have brought herself to tell him that her plan to remain discreet hinged on her killing a couple shady guys..he went to sleep on her...so she put it out of her mind for the rest of the drive.

During his shift at driving, she had remained mostly silent, staring out the window and only really talking if he asked about something.

After they arrived, she was thankful that she didn't need to apply sunscreen. She of course wasn't going to take the window side bed anyways, so the arrangement suited her just fine. She nodded as she picked up her bag and pulled out several bottles of pills, and seemingly endless tubes of sunscreen. There were also a couple simple outfits, which she kept in that bag. She figured there was no used to getting fully unpacked. They might need to uproot quickly again soon...especially if any alternate plan she thought of didn't work out right. "That sounds like a good plan for you.....and at some point I'll need to disappear for my plan...I'll probably end up using the last two packets for it...but it should work." she trailed off the last part...so she wouldn't be able to go with her original plan..but maybe a non-lethal variant.

She wondered if she could play her old name correctly...or if the hunters would think it was a copy cat vampire...in any case, it would probably still serve the same purpose...