bullseye-stoddard

[bullseye-stoddard]

She had a point--another vampire like her could surely avoid his clumsy self. He was still not all that keen to dance, but Bullseye probably would not say no if she was interested. "Well, if'n you don' mind, maybe sometime we could, yeah. I been tryin' t' get out more, so maybe a li'l actual dancin' might do me good. I ain't too up on modern dancin' though, so if doin' a more ol' fashioned two-step don' bother you either, we might get on pretty good." Her mentioning one of the town-wide dreams gave Bullseye a bit of pause, as it made him think of his own dream experience with Annie--and his ill-fated interaction with her later. "Ah, you were lucky then," he said, though it did not sound as light-hearted as he had intended, so he added by way of explantion, "Sorry, I…I ain't had all that great o' an experience wit' those dreams." Which was not entirely true. The dream had been lovely. Real life had not. Much as he wished that he and Jessie had come to town together, that was not the case. "No, we didn't." He shook his head. "I actually hadn't seen her for a long, long time 'fore comin' t' town. It was jus' happenstance that she was already here, but I'm real glad t' be reunited wit' her for sure." He was a little surprised that she did not seek people out, but her reasoning in this instance certainly made sense. "I'm glad you did. 'Cause I prob'ly woulda been too shy t' make myself known, an' this way we made it clear we ain't tryin' t' step on anyone else's toes." He glanced down briefly at his own boot-covered toes, then added, "I ain't really used t' runnin' into other vampires, so that's why I ain't really clear on th' etiquette, so thanks for bearin' wit' my clueless self."

@mighty-mitte

Table for Two? | Mitte & Bullseye

[bullseye-stoddard]

The Blue-Eyed Cowboy | Oneshot

Happy Holidays, Biggles! Here's another thing I've been working on: I always think the idea of vampires popping up throughout history is fun to explore. And I think it's fun to read about your character through other characters' eyes, so I thought I'd do some little vignettes around that idea!

Also Bullseye just has beautiful eyes ok sorry that always comes up every time I write with him bc lOOK AT THOSE BABY BLUES.

Obviously this isn't canon or doesn't have to be (unless u want it to be of course!!) and I hope I mostly did Bullseye justice but really I'm just doing this for fun hehe.

TW: mention of strangulation by python (sure!)

@bullseye-stoddard

1875

August 17th

Hot, stuffy day spent mostly indoors sweating buckets and scrubbing petticoats. Tis my life now, I am afraid, ever since coming to this dusty old place. But I am not to complain ever since spurning Mr. Perry's advances back in New York. To die an old maid out West as the ward of my brother is apparently my lot in life, which I suppose I still prefer over dying miserable after Mr. Perry's pythons escape their enclosures and strangle me.

One interesting thing occurred.

This town is full of cowboys, naturally, coarse men who curse and spit, who I've been thoroughly cautioned against associating with. But it isn't against the law to go for a walk in the afternoon, is it? And if I just so happened to drop my handkerchief, and one such cowboy just so happened to pick it up for me, more attentively than a New York gentleman...

And his eyes, dear diary, his eyes!

Blue like the robin's eggs or the cornflower, underneath the wide brim of his hat. I've never seen eyes like them before. I must see him again, dear diary, but I fear he's already gone. These cowboys never stay long.

1922

Stoddard was much more quiet and unassuming in person than Eddie had expected. All this land, all this money (Eddie assumed) and yet, he still seemed almost... shy? He just handed over the money, directed Eddie toward the barn where the feed should be dropped off, and went back to whatever ranchers did.

Eddie wouldn't know. This delivery gig was just a stop along the way to California, where he was gonna try and be in one of those new cowboy pictures. Problem was, Eddie didn't have California money. But he thought he could save up some of it here, and he'd have the added benefit of a story he could spin into something akin to real cowboy experience.

Stoddard seemed kind of like a cowboy, even if he was a quiet one. Eddie thought there was something kind of rough around the edges to his quietness, like maybe he had a history he wasn't keen on talking about. It intrigued Eddie. But every time he almost asked, something stopped Eddie.

Maybe it was those sky-blue eyes that peered out from under that hat he always wore, something kind of arresting in them. Eddie had never seen eyes like that before in his life. And when he made it to California, when he made it into the cowboy pictures, when he made it onto those red carpets, he found himself searching for them in every starlet that the studio tried to set him up with, and every crew member he almost kissed in smoky bars.

Yeah, a pair of eyes like that could ruin you for the color blue, Eddie recalled in his old age.

2022

lauren: how was ur flight back?

colleen: lolo... colleen: there was a COWBOY next to me

lauren: WHAT lauren: coll not all americans are cowboys lol

colleen: no no listen lo colleen: big cowboy hat, bandana, the whole thing colleen: BEAUTIFUL blue eyes colleen: he was right out of that show west world

lauren: i think you're watching too much tv love

colleen: he didn't even go on his phone the whole time even tho the flight had wifi

lauren: that's a little weird

colleen: he called me DARLIN at one point

lauren: ur just making this up now

colleen: fine don't believe me colleen: someday i'll see him again colleen: and then we'll get married colleen: and then i'll show you

2024

Priscilla Stewart's diary was, overall, nothing remarkable. Tim liked Priscilla because she complained a lot, which he could relate to, but she didn't provide much new information, and he hadn't planned on including her diary in his thesis beyond a citation in the bibliography. Then his colleague reading through his sources, found the entry from August 1875.

"Tim, this is, like, a love story in the making!" Henry insisted. "It's just like my favorite Westerns. What ever happened to him, anyway? Priscilla doesn't say."

"I guess he left town," Tim said with a shrug. "I really think Priscilla was exaggerating. She's kind of dramatic, if you haven't noticed. I looked it up, and there was no history of strangulation deaths by python-"

"Not the point," Henry interjected. "C'mon, you should really show this to Dr. Jennings. She'll get a kick out of it."

"She definitely won't," Tim countered. "She thinks this whole project is too pedestrian to begin with. A passing mention of a cowboy with nice eyes—"

"—could be a whole book!"

"A fiction book," Tim said, snatching the photocopy of the diary entry out of Henry's hands. "It's pretty much out of the scope of my thesis, anyway. Don't bother Dr. Jennings with it. I'm serious."

Henry sighed. He didn't. But when a manuscript on the story of a blue-eyed cowboy landed in the inbox of an editorial assistant hundreds of miles away...

Well, Priscilla Stewart made her way back to New York after all, it seemed.

[bullseye-stoddard]

Happy Holidays Gigi!

From your Secret Santa, a portrait of Chief!

@chiefhugo-slade

[bullseye-stoddard]

Happy Holidays Gigi!

From your Secret Santa, a portrait of Georgette!

@perfectisgeorgette

[bullseye-stoddard]

Though he knew she was not scolding him in any way, Bullseye found himself hanging his head a bit just the same. He should not rely so much on Jessie--on her help, on her guidance. He was well into being a grown ass man now, and he had been living on the wrong side of the law with the gang for longer than he had been with his own family. But even so, he was hardly a hardened criminal, and he only went along with the gang's crimes because they had taken him in. Maybe that made him soft, maybe that made him stupid, but they were all he had, and he could not bear the thought of losing them. The lifestyle did not matter to him; they did. If they all suddenly decided to go legit, he would follow them. And if they all chose to become vampires, he would follow them. "I know, an' I gotta say, much as th' idea o' blood drinkin' kinda puts me off, there's a lotta stuff 'bout becomin' a vampire that sounds pretty neat. I mean, I wouldn't mind not endin' up like this ag'in," he said, gesturing to the cuts and scrapes all over himself, "An' jus' th' idea o' livin' forever is pretty amazin'. But as temptin' as all that is, it wouldn't mean nothin' t' me wit'out th' gang…wit'out you. Bein' able t' stay wit' you is th' sellin' point for me. Th' rest is jus' window dressin'."

@belladonna-wright

Who Wants to Live Forever || Jesseye

[bullseye-stoddard]

So she was Mary's roommate. That probably should have been pretty obvious, but Bullseye always was a little slow at catching things. At least that cleared up how the bandanna had gotten into her laundry. Though now he was even more embarrassed to know she was a very close acquaintance of Mary, and could surely guess what he and she had been doing to cause his bandanna to end up in Mary's clothes. "Yeah, that's who I mean. An' no, I don'…well, I've only, um, seen her once, an' she said it was ok t' call her either Mary or Boo. But she, uh, didn't really have a chance t' mention you, 'cause we were, er, kinda busy." Great, so he had now essentially admitted not only to sleeping with Mary but that it had been a one night stand to boot. He was sure making a great impression, was he not?

@aquata-the-champ

Something To Remember Me By | Seahorse

[bullseye-stoddard]

Despite losing himself to the delicious taste of her blood, Bullseye felt awful that he had not been able to stop himself from drinking from her. What must she think of him now? But at the same time, she had not yelled in pain or struggled or otherwise shown her displeasure. Instead, he felt her run her fingers through his hair. That gave him somewhat of a clue of what she thought, which was only reaffirmed by her giving another moan. While he was a little surprised, he would much rather have her not be put off by his drinking, though he still felt bad for having lost control just the same. Even if she was not opposed to it, he had no wish to risk draining her too much, and so he soon released her neck, turning to look up at her with a terribly guilty expression. "'Guess you know jus' what I am now," he murmured, licking the last vestiges of her blood from his lips, "'M sorry, I wish I could stop myself, but…'m sorry. I didn't hurt you too much, did I?" Her reaction seemed to indicate he had not, but Bullseye wanted to hear it from her for certain, though he was still going to feel guilty no matter what.

@boointhenight

We Belong to the Night || Booseye

[bullseye-stoddard]

Bullseye's eyes widened at the thought that there were even more rowdy Magicks to train, but then he himself was what most people would consider a rowdy Magick, so perhaps he was better off reserving judgement. "Wow, you're a real battle-hardened veteran, then," he said, giving an impressed whistle, "No wonder they got you runnin' this. Does Lightnin' help you out? He gave th' impression that he's a big shot, an' I guess he is somewhere, but when he showed up at the stables askin' t' borrow some hay bales, I couldn't quite imagine he was runnin' th' show here." That sounded a lot like the way Paul had described the race to him. At first, Bullseye figured it was like a typical race where the quickest person would win, so he assumed Magicks with enhanced speed would be shoe-ins to win. Even vampires would have a distinct advantage there. But Paul had made it clear that there was much more to the competition than just speed, and she seemed to be confirming that. "That really is pretty neat. I can't quite get my mind 'round a lotta that Magick stuff, so it really amazes me t' know that people like you can help coalesce alla that into a competition." Hell, he could not even really get his mind around his own Magick "stuff," so other types of Magick definitely stumped him. Giving a tip of his hat, he said, "My hat's off t' you for bein' able t', like I said, wrangle 'em all."

@cruzzramirez

Supply Run || Bullz

[bullseye-stoddard]

This was why he needed Jessie's opinion. Because she always looked at things in such a way that she could make even something as fantastic as becoming a vampire make sense. Yet even so, Bullseye still had a bit of a hard time equating drinking human blood with eating animals as he had always done. Even without killing, the thought was a lot to, ahem, digest. "Yeah, you got a point. I knew you would. You're always so good at lookin' at things th' righ' way." Which was why he knew he would be completely lost without her. "But it's prob'ly gonna take me a while t' feel th' same way 'bout drinkin' blood that I feel 'bout eatin' a good steak now." Still, he would do it without hesitation in order to stay with the gang, to stay with her. Bullseye was silent for a moment. Then he finally said, "You know I'd do anythin' for you, Jessie, an' I'd do anythin' t' stay wit' you an' th' rest o' th' gang. This whole thing is more'n I'd ever have imagined, but far as I'm concerned, no price is too high t' keep us all together. All you gotta do is say th' word, an' I'll be all in."

@belladonna-wright

Who Wants to Live Forever || Jesseye

[bullseye-stoddard]

Happy Holidays, Biggles!

@bullseye-stoddard

It's me! Your Secret Santa!

There will be more to come, but I wanted to get this posted. I thought it would be fun, since Bullseye's signature thing is bandanas, to design a bandana around Bullseye. I don't know if he'd actually wear it, but I put a bunch of imagery to represent him: a big heart in the middle because he has a big and loving heart (and also because hearts/blood), horses, wildflowers for his origins in the western US, drops of blood, more hearts, and cowboy hats.

I love Bullseye and he is always such a joy to interact with. I really enjoyed our Regency AU storyline and seeing him get up to different shenanigans in real life! He is such a lovable character and you write him so well.

You also make such amazing gifs/art/ummm ANIMATIONS HELLO (???) that it was hard to think of something you DIDN'T already have, but I will keep showing my love for your amazing guy and your amazing writing throughout the month! I hope your holidays are filled with fun and time to relax, and I'm so happy to have gotten another year to write with you <3

[bullseye-stoddard]

December 6th: William "Bullseye" Stoddard + Christmas

@bullseye-stoddard

[bullseye-stoddard]

Unlike "dancing," actual dancing was something Bullseye had never been very good at. He could have all the coordination in the world when it came to riding a horse or swinging a lasso or shooting, but when it came to dancing, he was far too clumsy. "Dancin's fun t' do, but I ain't all that good at it. Always seems like I got th' proverbial two left feet." Besides, he always felt like dancing drew too much attention to him, and that only made it worse. She was not wrong in that such liaisons were not so out in the open in polite society in the past, but then Bullseye had never been part of real polite society. "That's kinda a toss-up," he said with a slight shrug, "Yeah it was pretty frowned upon by th' people who were th' movers an' shakers. But for those o' us who weren't part o' th' hoity toity set, th' rules weren't quite as strict. Though I'll confess that most o' th' hook-ups back then were usually ones where there was, um, a cash transaction takin' place." Ladies of the night had always been some of his most easy feeding sources back then, and they had seen so much in their time that he did not even always have to compel them afterward either. The sudden mention of Jessie took him a little by surprise, but with them both being in town together, their connection would probably only become more known, especially to other vampires. He smiled at the thought that Jessie had sought her out, not surprised by that at all. "Yeah, I sure do. She's my oldest an' dearest friend. An' she may well have. Unlike me, she's great at keepin' on top o' things. You'd pro'bly hafta draw me a map t' find other vampires, but I bet she's well aware o' 'em."

@mighty-mitte

Table for Two? | Mitte & Bullseye

[bullseye-stoddard]

Bullseye had been so close, and having her break was more than enough to push him right to the brink. But feeling her tight sheath squeeze his cock finally sent him over the edge at last, cursing and groaning as he came. As he felt her collapse on top of him, however, suddenly he found he could not savor the afterglow of their pleasure as much as he wanted, for he was now presented with the delicious temptation of her neck, only inches from his mouth. Damn. He had been trying to fight his hunger all evening, but now that he had sated one lust, the other was roaring back, and he feared it was much too strong for him to resist. Thus it was only a brief moment before he found himself leaning in towards her neck, giving a mumbled, "Oh darlin', 'm so sorry," before sinking his fangs into her skin. As good as their lovemaking had been, the sweetness of her blood was just as good, and Bullseye gave another groan as he drank, hating that he had not been able to stop himself but unable to do anything now but savor her taste.

@boointhenight

We Belong to the Night || Booseye

[bullseye-stoddard]

It had been in her laundry? Now Bullseye was really confused…until he slowly began to realize that he had not seen that bandanna around in a while. The last time he remembered wearing it for sure was the night he had…oh damn. The night he had brought Mary back to his apartment. But that still begged the question as to how it had gotten into this lady's laundry. "No, I…I ain't allergic t' none o' that." Being as vampires did not in fact have allergies the way humans did. He did very much appreciate her having brought the bandanna back, but now he had to try and not sound too awkward in trying to figure out how it had gone from his floor to her laundry. Mary had to be the reason, but Bullseye was decidedly embarrassed at the prospect of discussing his liaison with her. Clearing his throat, he shifted a bit nervously and asked, "This might not seem like it's got anythin' t' do wit' this, but…d'you happen t' know Mary by any chance?"

@aquata-the-champ

Something To Remember Me By | Seahorse

[bullseye-stoddard]

[bullseye-stoddard]

Sunday, November 3 — Short and Sweet One-Shot

A series of scenes from Bullseye's long line of birthdays

tw: brief implied animal cruelty, off-screen killing, drunkenness, a horse giving birth

July 29, 1840

Even as he stood holding his newborn son in his arms, Stephen Stoddard was still amazed. Amazed that he had been given a second chance and amazed that he had been able to prosper with that second chance. He had learned that trying to take the easy way out was not the right way, and as soon as he had learned his wife was pregnant, he had sworn off any further attempts at a life of crime to set the right example, to show his child that he was a good father. Now, right there with William in his arms, he swore that his son would never have to resort to the same desperate measures that he had done, because he would build a good life for his family, and they would live long and happily together. At the sound of rustling nearby, Stephen turned and saw his horse wandering over to the fence, peering curiously at both him and the baby. Smiling, he came a little closer, showing William to the horse. "What d'you think, boy? Think we've got a chance t' make a better life for him?" The horse gave a snort and shook his head approvingly, which Stephen took as a resounding yes.

July 29, 1850

"He's mine?" William gasped, staring at the beautiful Appaloosa horse. "He's yours," his father confirmed, "It's 'bout time you really learned how t' take care o' a horse, an' I can't think o' no better way than for you t' have one o' your very own." The boy continued to stare at the horse for a moment, then he turned and embraced his father in a tight hug. "Thank you, pa! I'll take th' best care o' him, I promise!" Stephen smiled and ruffled William's golden curls. "I know you will, ain't got no doubt o' that. Happy birthday, my li'l Bullseye."

July 29, 1860

"Damn, what's got into that horse?" one of the Round-Up gang asked. "Guess he don' like th' shootin'," offered another. "Well, if we can't git him t' quiet down, we're jus' gonna hafta leave 'em." From behind him, Bullseye said quietly, "Think I can get him t' calm down." The others exchanged a look. "'Course. Heaven forbid you leave a horse behind, Bullseye." Shrugging, they got on their own mounts and headed off. Bullseye meanwhile approached the jittery horse. "Shh, 's alrigh'. Everythin's fine." The horse eyed him and tossed its head but refrained from rearing this time. Smiling, Bullseye reached out and gently patted the horse's snout. "That's it. Good boy. Now you c'mon wit' me an' I'll get you a big ol' barrel o' oats, an' maybe even some apples too. 'S my birthday today, you know, so there's no reason you can't celebrate wit' me."

July 29, 1870

"C'mon girl, keep up!" Bullseye called over his shoulder, sending up a cloud of dust as he raced across the open expanse of the plain, a horse hot on his heels. While there were plenty of aspects to being a vampire that he did not relish, he could not help but enjoy the extra strength and speed which had come along with his turning. The fact that he could now outrun a horse was amazing, and he often used that skill to train the horses that the gang acquired, helping them learn to run as swiftly as they possibly could. This horse was definitely taking to the training, for she was right behind Bullseye as they both galloped over the landscape, and soon the horse came up neck-and-neck with him. Grinning, Bullseye slowed himself down, the horse promptly following suit, and once they had both stopped, he gave the horse an encouraging pat on the neck. "Nice work! You're gonna be outrunnin' stagecoaches in no time, an' maybe even trains if you keep up that pace! Dang, I can't think o' a better birthday present than seein' you doin' so good. You're definitely makin' my day!"

July 29, 1880

"Git up you ornery beast!" The harsh shout drifted across the desert as the sun began to sink below the horizon, followed by the crack of a whip and a sad whimper. Another harsh chastisement followed, but instead of a second whip crack, there was a sudden scream, then the sound of a body hitting the ground, then silence. The exhausted horse who had been the victim of the shouting and the whipping, lifted his head warily and stared up at a different man who was slowly approaching. "'S ok boy, don' worry," Bullseye said, crouching down to gently stroke the supine horse's flank, "Ain't no one gonna hurt you no more. It might be my birthday, but I'd much rather give a gift t' you."

July 29, 1890

"So, what d'you think, boy?" Bullseye asked the horse as they stood on a small hillock gazing out across the land he was fairly certain that he would purchase. "You think it'll be a good place for us t' settle down an' bring in some more friends for you?" The horse neighed and bobbed his head in what seemed to be a nod of approval. Bullseye smiled and patted him before looking out at the land again. It was lovely, and the proximity to the mountains meant there would be spectacular views at all times of the year. Most importantly, no one else had laid claim to any land for miles in every direction, which meant he would hopefully have a measure of the solitude that he craved. Nodding himself, Bullseye urged the horse to turn around. "Yep, we're gonna head back an' sign that deed. Can't think o' a better gift t' get for my birthday."

July 29, 1900

"Hang in there, girl! Th' li'l one's comin'!" Bullseye said, hoping to reassure the poor mare who was currently in labor. It had been quite a time so far, and even now with him helping to tug the foal out, it was still difficult going. For him too, since he knew if he used too much of his vampire strength, he could hurt either the foal, the mare or both. Thus he was trying to soothe the mare as best he could while giving just a little oomph to help her push out the foal. Finally, after a little more tugging, the baby slipped free. "There we go! That's it!" Grinning, Bullseye scooped up the newly-emerged foal and brought it around to see its mother. "Welcome t' th' world, li'l one." Glancing at a nearby clock, he added, "An' hey, would you look at that? 'S after midnight, so you get t' share a birthday wit' me. Lucky you!"

July 29, 1910

As he stood at the edge of the pasture, Bullseye could not help ruminating on what he had seen the previous day, and since he had no one else but the horses to discuss it with, he started to state his thoughts aloud. "Bet you were wonderin' why we didn't take a ride yesterday, huh? Well, I thought I'd give myself an early present an' go check out one o' those movin' picture things, an' it was…interestin'. Righ' from th' start, th' title got me: Bronco Billy's Redemption. Felt like they were talkin' 'bout me, but I can't really see no redemption for me, not th' way th' guy in th' story ended up anyway. But it was kinda neat t' see how they can make it look like all th' stuff is real. Which is impressive, but I gotta say it's jus' really stumpin me that people wanna watch made-up stories 'bout alla th' things I lived. Wasn't all that fun at th' time, so I can't imagine it'd be that interestin' t' people now. But I guess since most o' th' 'Wild West' has passed into legend what wit' everythin' gettin' settled, it's got a kinda aura t' it now." He sighed. "Can't imagine I'll ever pass into legend. 'Cept maybe for bein' th' person least cut out t' ever be made into a vampire. 'Bout my only claim t' fame, really."

July 29, 1920

At the loud rumbling noise, the horse shuddered to a stop, nearly making Bullseye lose his balance. "Wha? What's gotten into--" he started to say, until he too heard the noise. "Huh? What in th' hell is makin' that awful racket?" Turning, he glanced towards the road off in the distance, and saw a large, strange-looking contraption rumbling along it, stirring up a cloud of dust as it continued to make that god-awful ruckus. "Oh…think that's one o' those--what d'you call 'em--autobeels?" He gave a snort of disgust at the same time as the horse did. "You said it, girl. I don' like that one bit. No dumb ol' machine can best a horse. Not no how." He gave the horse a pat on the neck. "C'mon, let's head back. Don' like th' way things're lookin' out here. Least I got an excuse t' be a cranky ol' codger now, what wit' turnin' eighty an' all."

July 29, 1930

As the drunken man stumbled out of the clandestine speakeasy, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a horse tied up nearby. That made him wonder if he was seeing things due to his inebriation, since no one rode horses around town anymore now with all the automobiles. Blinking, he turned and saw that a man was suddenly beside him, so he asked in a slurred voice, "Hey buddy, d'you see that horse too?" Nodding, Bullseye said, "Oh sure. He's wit' me." The drunkard blinked again. "With…you?" Bullseye gave another nod, then put his arm around the man. "Here, lemme give you a hand. Don' seem like you can make it on your own righ' now." Then he led the man back down into the darkened alley, where he left him sitting on the ground propped against the wall of the building…after having taken a clandestine drink of his own. Emerging back out by the horse, Bullseye wiped his mouth on his bandanna and said, "Didn't think I'd ever live t' see drinkin' bein' criminalized, but I guess you jus' shouldn't ever take nothin' for granted." He untied the horse, then said, "C'mon girl, let's head home. Not that I really got anythin' t' celebrate though, since I've long since lost my place in this world."

[bullseye-stoddard]

When Bullseye had been a youngster, his ma had told him stories about fantastic creatures and magic, but he had been sure she had made all of that up just to try to keep him on the straight and narrow. But now…now he knew that none of that had been made up. It was all real, and now he had the choice of becoming a creature just like the ones in his ma's stories. The prospect was tempting, but infinitely more frightening, and the only reason he was even tempted in the first place was because he wanted to stay with the gang, especially Jessie. He just was not sure if he was brave enough to deal with everything else that came with that choice. Which was why he wanted--he needed--to know Jessie's feelings.

"I don' doubt that for one minute. Don' think we'd last a day without you," he said, not even a hint of teasing in his voice. When she stopped wiping his wounds, Bullseye turned to her, feeling decidedly dumb for needing her opinion so much, but there was nothing for it. He would not make the choice to become a vampire if she was not going to be there beside him.

"I don' even wanna think 'bout losin' any o' us either. I been wit' th' gang for longer than I was wit' my own family, an' I jus'…jus' don' think I can handle losin' another family." Reaching out, he took her hand. "I don' like th' idea o' havin' t'…" He made a face." …drink blood an' whatever else we'd hafta do as vampires, but…I'm willin' t' take that step t' stay wit' alla you. But if you don' wanna do it, Jessie, then I'll be righ' behind you in refusin'."

@belladonna-wright

Who Wants to Live Forever || Jesseye