#{ valerie thorne — thread }

[angeldcgs]

“that’s one way to look at it!” a more flippant outlook than the one she shared, but val didn’t think he wanted to hear her wax poetic about taking a chance on love no matter the consequences. people of his generation— the generation she was attempting to pass as— were a lot more cynical about the concept of love, generally avoiding displaying genuine emotions at the risk of appearing too vulnerable. there was only so much she could hold back, though, her feelings too intense to merely bottle up and keep held inside. “but marriage isn’t about the wedding… a big fancy party like that really isn’t necessary, it’s just tradition. maybe when you meet someone you feel strongly about, you’ll change your mind!” it did ease her worries to learn that he wasn’t against the concept in general, but merely all the outdated customs that came along with it— customs he wouldn’t have to worry about if he pursued a long term commitment with her. if money was his worry, regarding marriage or just life in general, then he’d just so happened to stumble across the perfect person. wealth meant very little to her as an immortal being, and she had more than she knew what to do with. supporting someone financially was no issue for her, especially someone who could provide her with something money couldn’t buy. she didn’t want to feel as though she was buying his love, but it just made sense for her to provide him with whatever he needed after what she’d taken from him. he was likely feeling guilty for taking up so much of her time and energy, as if he was a burden, when really, she was the only one who should be feeling bad for nearly draining him. of course, if he knew that, he’d likely be fleeing from her house as fast as his weakened legs could carry him, so she’d allow him to believe he was at fault for as long as she could get away with. “alright… i’ll just leave this with you in case you change your mind.” she placed both bags of snacks on the bed beside him, unable to resist reaching out and giving his hair a soft pet. already, she was finding it difficult to offer him the space to recover on his own, reverting back to her tendency to smother. it could very well end up scaring him off and pushing him away altogether, but she hoped that he'd take it as an earnest effort to help him out rather than a red flag. "of course! it's no problem at all, really. i won't accept a single penny from you, so don't even try." what she really wanted from him was more valuable than money, anyway. her offering couldn't compare to what he'd already given her, but she hoped that it would only be the first of many kind gestures to convey her appreciation for his sacrifice. "oh, don't be silly! you're welcome to stay as long as you like— i don't have houseguests very often anymore... it's just nice to have company." val was delighted to see his attempt at sitting up was more successful this time, already seeing a great improvement in him since he'd woken up. his heartbeat was stronger too, the flow of blood more robust, not yet to the point where she could safely feed again, but he was getting there. "i told you, you don't need to thank me. i'm happy to be of service! just call me nurse val, here at your beck and call." her teeth sunk into her lower lip to stifle her toothy grin before she paused. "you probably should try and shower, though.... it's really roomy, though, so you can sit down if standing is too much."

"no! it's not. it’s cool- i mean, gotta try everything once, right?” it wasn’t something new at try at a restaurant or a sex position read about in some book, marriage was a big deal and not the sort of thing people tended to do just for the sake of trying it. still, charlie was trying his best to appear open-minded, he was surprised to say the least but it didn’t change what little opinion he had on her. his curiosity had been piqued but he didn’t dare question her about the subject, assuming that it was maybe too tender still to discuss, especially with a stranger. he didn’t actually have that strong an opinion on marriage as whole, mainly because he’d assumed it was the sort of thing that was out of the question. val’s surprise wasn’t an uncommon reaction, though it usually came from people quite the bit older than him. people their age tended to understand his thought process and often agreed. “uh, well… weddings are expensive, y’know? you gotta get a ring and a cake and-and all that, i don’t really see the point in it.” if he found someone to stick around him long term then great, it was a miracle, however it wasn’t something he expected to happen or was trying to chase after. with the goal of painting himself out to be more appealing than he was, charlie chose not to mention his issues with commitment- not that he was unable to do so but rather he had things that had to be prioritized before a relationship, drugs mainly. if she’d seen how much he’d drank the night before, had she also seen him disappear to the bathroom multiple times? the little baggy he’d brought along with him that night had been emptied pretty early on in the night but still he kept going back, just in case he spotted someone else with similar habits who didn’t mind sharing. maybe she was into that sort of thing too, he couldn't imagine it but weirder things could be true. it was a conversation for another time though, if there was one. for all he knew she was just making sure he wasn't going to drop dead and would kick him to the curb once he could walk again. "yeah, i'm- i'm all good, thanks." if he ate anymore, he worried that he might upset his stomach and make a bigger fool of himself by throwing up. then again, maybe she'd go back to petting his hair if he appeared in needing of being coddled. he tried not to look so relieved that she didn't expect him to pay her back for any of the food or drinks she'd purchased for him but a small sigh of relief still escaped his lips. "are you sure? i don't mind." maybe she could tell that he didn't have a lot of money. it'd be a fair assessment to make after taking a glance at him, though he'd pretend to be offended if she dared admit to it out loud. whatever he did have had been spent on drinks and drugs, he'd likely have to pick up a few more shifts at work to try and make up for what he'd be lacking in rent and it'd still be worth it for getting to indulge in his vices. for a moment charlie was torn between looking at the bottle in his hand, the water in val's and her hopeful expression. he couldn't help but jump back and forth between appreciating how caring and considerate val was and being apprehensive of it. he wanted to allow himself time to enjoy being looked after but something wasn't right, it was all too good to be true. "i'm alright. i'll, uh... i'll get out of your hair soon. can't imagine you wanna spend your weekend taking care of me." he forced an awkward laugh and tested his mobility once again, wincing as he tried to sit up straighter. "thank you though. i don't think anyone's treated me this nice during a hangover before."

[wickedslip]

𝕬𝖓𝖉 𝕴 𝖘𝖆𝖜 𝖆 𝖇𝖊𝖆𝖘𝖙 𝖗𝖎𝖘𝖊 𝖚𝖕 𝖔𝖚𝖙 𝖔𝖋 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖘𝖊𝖆, HAVING SEVEN HEADS AND TEN HORNS, AND UPON HER HORNS TEN CROWNS, AND UPON HER HEADS THE NAME OF BLASPHEMY. ⸻ 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒙𝒊𝒊𝒊 : 𝒊

���. grimoire. 𝒊𝒊. portrayal notes. 𝒊𝒊𝒊. tunes. 𝒊𝒗. board. 𝒗. prompts. 𝒗𝒊. interest tracker. 𝒗𝒊𝒊. thread tracker. 𝒗𝒊𝒊𝒊. triggers.

𝖍𝖊𝖗 𝖈𝖔𝖛𝖊𝖓: husband. 🤍 dorian. peter. damon. stiles. kai. jackie. zeev. wednesday. lupin. abra. francis. valerie. ahri. chrissy. katherine.

𝐖𝐈𝐂𝐊𝐄𝐃𝐒𝐋𝐈𝐏.    ━━━ a private portrayal of nausicaä thorn-mikaelson of the omen franchise. selfishly twisting canon ⅋ harbingering a blasphemously wildcrafted original witchbitch muse. cast in an original setting ⅋ narrative, featuring supernatural + horror themes. highly selective ⅋ plot driven. Initiated ⅋ honed circa 𝔞𝔲𝔱𝔲𝔪𝔫 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟹, beguiled by 𝖉𝖔𝖛𝖊. She / her, 21+

[elenajohansenreads]

Books I Read in 2021

#77 - Sophie, by Abigail Barnette

Rating: 3/5 stars

A happy and mostly triumphant ending to a series that I (and many others) feel has stumbled a bit along the way. We can't seem to agree on what those stumbles are, specifically, because so much has happened over the course of several in-universe years and seven other books. And the major problem that causes is that this sometimes didn't feel like a story, it felt like a to-do list of getting closure for the many, many plot threads.

Which, yes, is what endings are for. But in covering everything that's ever happened in the story, that drags up a lot of the things that feel like dead weight. I wasn't a fan of the idea to give Sophie a baby she didn't birth by killing off its parents in a car accident; I felt it undermined Sophie's determination not to be a mother. So now, in every book since, she's had to do a mental dance of "I'm a caregiver, not a mother" even when she's clearly performing parental duties and experiencing something at least adjacent to a maternal sort of love. And this book addresses that, actually in more depth (or at least more consistently) than I recall other books doing, by exploring her dynamic with El-Mudad's children, who were long out of babyhood when they came into Sophie's life. So I won't say that cognitive dissonance isn't recognized and discussed, only that I wish it had never had to happen in the first place.

But the list goes on. Some readers apparently dislike El-Mudad (not me, I adore him.) So they're going to be unhappy he's even around, let alone getting a happy ending with Neil and Sophie. Holli and Deja and Penny all have to show up--and man, even though I'd read the first two of Penny's spin-off novels back when they came out, I'd managed to forget she was a character at all, it's been so long. It's been long enough that I'd also forgotten, when Sophie runs into Ian at a party, that she slept with him and his ex-wife back in their collective swinging days. As for me, I didn't really like The Sister that much (relatively speaking to the other novels) so I was forced to sit through Molly half-heartedly being important to the plot again, and the only-sort-of-resolved issue of Sophie in denial about her diabetes. I don't particularly feel like either plot thread enriches the story, and even the tiny subplot with Molly and Amal, cute in isolation, felt like a complication that we didn't really need on top of everything else we already have to speed-run through.

If there can be said to be a "main" plot of this novel on its own, it's certainly the Laurence/Valerie/Olivia family tangle, and that, I do feel was handled well. The issues were foreshadowed, the complications laid out and entangled with subplots in great detail, and the resolution satisfying. Given that Valerie has been a thorn in our main characters' collective side for the entire run of the series, I would have been disappointed if she didn't still have a major role to play at the end, and as far as that goes, I got what I wanted.

I just also had to wade through a lot of flotsam that I wish could have been left behind.

[scholarlypidgeot]

Song prompt: “Trouble” by Valerie Broussard

Heeeey, so it’s super late at night again but I finally got it done! These… are both characters I’m supremely unfamiliar with.  So I did my best but I know they and this need a lot of work. 

All characters belong to me and @lavinia-love-official , you can find the WIP @all-thingsstrange .  Please do not steal our ideas and concepts. Thank you.  

_____

We wear red so they don’t see us bleedHundred dollar bills under our sleeve

They stood diametrically opposed – metaphorically, of course, but also physically. They circled each other at equal distance, each measuring, biding her time, waiting for the other to make a mistake. They looked different, they acted different, they stood for different beliefs.  But one common thread had brought them both here.

Quincey Harker, with her pantsuit, close-cropped hair, and wild eyes, could easily have passed for a young man had she not carried herself differently. And, she was ever the American. Sure, she had been raised by English parents – but they had left that life far behind before she was even born. She would consider “American” a high compliment, fitting her independent spirit.  

Adelaide Norton, with her ankle-length dress, hair pinned up, eyes bright but controlled, could easily have passed for a lady simply by the way she did carry herself. Ever the dame.  She had been raised in America – her mother was American – but she didn’t share Quincey’s spirit.   She presented herself as a lady, and wished to be seen as such, not from vanity, but necessity.  

Both were from families of relative wealth.  Both were uniquely trained in the art of fighting.  And both were here for the same man.

We intend not to sleep till we’re deadDrink our problems right out of our heads

“You know, Ms. Harker, if you wanted them all you would have needed to do was ask.  The professor can be quite accommodating.”

Quin snorted, a brash sound that raked against Adelaide’s ears.  “Are you really still treating them like something to be bartered for? You have to know by now that even the other two are still men.”

“You would still call them men?” Ms. Norton laughed.  “After everything Mr. Bain has done, you would still call him a man?”

“I’ve met men much more monstrous than anything I’ve hunted in the dark,” Ms. Harker answered, hands dipping to her waistline, resting on the hilts of her sheathed knives.  “Women, too. Sometimes the worst monsters are the ones who walk openly under the moon and drink late in speakeasies.”

“Poetic,” the other said, smile still curling her lip, “but naïve, wouldn’t you say? Bain has killed – how many people? Your friend included.”

She struck a nerve, she saw that.  Her wrists flicked, and her own stilettos slipped from her sleeves into her palms as she tensed in preparation.  

“How do you know he hasn’t already killed Mr. Hunter?”  

Singing oh oh ohTrouble, trouble

 As predicted, Ms. Harker drew her blades first and charged across the short space between them.  She was fast, but Adelaide expected no less, and was prepared to evade the first flurry of knife strokes.  Her opponent’s strokes were as predictable as her reactions.  Ms. Norton was sorely disappointed.

 Singing oh oh ohHere comes trouble, trouble

The blows she couldn’t avoid, she met, but she avoided it as well as she could.  Quin was using German trench knives – distasteful in themselves – but they were more sturdily built than her narrow stilettos, and Quin preferred to use them for cutting rather than stabbing.  It would be difficult to get a jab in until the attack eased slightly.  

Dangerously having the time of our livesThese boys are just poisonous thorns in our sides

 Quin danced away before Adelaide could take advantage of her more exhausted state. She’d used a lot of energy, but her blades were still ready.  Ms. Norton watched, but didn’t press her advantage.  She was curious as to what the other woman was doing.  

She was surprised to hear the American laugh.  “You obviously don’t know Jacob as well as you’d like to think.”

“Oh, Ms. Harker, I think I know him quite well enough.”

The other woman quirked an eyebrow, and Adelaide realized how that must have sounded. She didn’t have the chance to repair her statement, however.

“Jacob is a handful. He’s energetic, he’s easily bored.  He’s a child, Ms. Norton.  A child with some questionable pastimes, but he can’t think beyond the exact moment of pleasure.  He literally cannot.”

“You’re telling me things I already know,” Adelaide began, but was interrupted.

“- You’ve seen him bored.  You’ve seen him angry, and busy.  But I don’t think you’d be able to tell me you’ve seen him happy.  Or sullen.” She broke out in a grin, looking away from Adelaide.  “You haven’t seen the look he gets when he…”

Ms. Norton really and truly did not wish to waste any more conversation on time than was needed, so the moment Quin presented her with such an opening, she took advantage of it.  

 Starting fires wherever we goWatching them gamble everything they own

To her surprise, Ms. Harker was more than ready, catching the narrow stilettos between the blades of her knives and their hilts, sliding up so she was close to Ms. Norton, arms crossed in an X. Adelaide didn’t try to pull away, seeing no malice in her face.  Just irritating humor.

“You haven’t seen the fear in his eyes,” Quin continued, her voice dropping to a whisper, eyes burning with an almost mad fire.  “You’ve never had the power to put it there.  No, you’ve only seen what he wants you to see.”

She was quicker even than before, throwing her arms apart, putting Adelaide off balance before neatly kicking her back with a booted foot.  Ms. Norton did what she could to not fall on the ground, catching her balance in time to meet her opponent’s next forceful flurry of strikes and parries.  

Singing oh oh ohTrouble, trouble

When they parted again, neither was without injury.  Ms. Norton had several nicks on her arms and slices in her dress, while a slow trickle of red slid down from a short cut on Quin’s face.  She wiped it with the back of her ungloved hand, examined it for half a moment – then, like some kind of savage, licked the stain off. Ms. Norton… wasn’t expecting that. But when Quin looked up, Adelaide realized that that was what it was supposed to be. An intimidation tactic.  

Quin Harker was going to be more trouble than she had originally thought.

Trouble coming in the dead of nightTrouble making everything alright

“Alright, you like the troublemaker,” she said, meeting the bright green eyes that did remind her very much of another’s.  “But what about the angel?”

“Are you assuming I can’t like both?”

“I thought he might be purer than what you like.  You seemed to me like you liked dark things, and he’s a saint.”

“And who are you to judge what I like?”

“So you do like him?”

A sharp, bright grin.  There was something unsettling about it.  Something… wrong.  Reminding Ms. Norton of one of the stories she’d found in the Harker family’s background.

“I like all of them, Ms. Norton.  I think that’s more than could be said for you.”

It’s in your bloodIt’s in your bones

They began to circle again, more slowly this time.  They were more wary, but more open.  There would be more opportunities yet for spilling blood and breaking bones. Nothing hinged on this encounter – they were simply analyzing each other.  

“The purer one, as you call him.” Quin broke the silence. “I don’t think he can feel lust, but he gets the saddest, sweetest look whenever Ms. Francis speaks with him. And to see him in prayer…”

“Yes, I’ve seen him pray.  It’s nothing of much interest to me.”

“Then you’ve never focused on the way he prays. The focus he puts into it.” Her step faltered, as her eyes broke with Adelaide’s again.

You cannot sleep forYou cannot sleep for

“I see what you’re doing, you know.” Adelaide interrupted Quin before she could start fawning over something else – oh, she didn’t know.  How their eyes kept her up at night, perhaps.  She was also aware she was matched for blades, that a fight with knives would continue to be inconclusive. But Ms. Harker had proven sensitive to stinging words; Ms. Norton intended to use them to her advantage.

“You want them back.  You’re trying to convince me, in not so many words, how much you love them, how much you want tme.”

The wickedly sharp grin cut across Quin’s face again.  “How many times do I have to repeat myself, Ms. Norton? They’re not bartering chips, this isn’t a deal you’re going to be losing sleep over.”

WhoahhWhoahhTr-tr-trouble, trouble

“So, what, you’re going to continue fighting for them?  Allow me to be so bold as to tell you something I’ve seen, Ms. Harker. They don’t give one damn about you.”

Quin stopped circling.  “Is that so?”

Adelaide stood across from her, prepared for when the temper went off.  When she lit the fuse.  “It is.  In all our time I never once heard them say your name.  I heard them mention Ms. Frankenstein many times – but you? Not one.”

WhoahhWhoahhHere comes trouble, trouble

The temper didn’t react the way she expected.  In fact, it didn’t react at all.  Instead Quincey Harker stopped, looked at her for half a moment, and then began to laugh uproariously.  Had it been the professor facing her – Moriarty would have known what to do, perhaps never hesitated to take advantage of her moment of weakness.

But now, Ms. Norton’s temper flared. “What’s so funny?”

She waited for Quin to catch her breath, to catch the misbehavior, to explain herself. When she didn’t, Adelaide readied her blades and began to close the distance between them again, demanding, “Why are you laughing?”

“Adelaide, sweetheart,” Quin panted, and Ms. Norton bristled at the casual use of her Christian name, “Adelaide, have you ever met James Hunter in your life?”

Her delicate brow darkened.  “I –”

“No, darling, you haven’t.” Quin cut her off without waiting for an answer.  “Not really.  If you had you’d know that he’s a cunning little bastard. A cunning little bastard who’s very good at hiding things.”

The way she said that last part made Adelaide start using her mind again, helped her past the fog of emotion that she’d somehow built up over the course of the fight.

There are dogs on the looseThere are snakes in the desert

Why had Quin stopped fighting her, even for a second? It wasn’t in her nature.  Why keep up the conversation regarding James and John and Jacob? Why… why use words, phrases, patterns that would distract her?

Because… because…

That was all this was.  A distraction.  Distraction from the Professor, distraction from her duties, and distraction from –

 I’m that knife in your boot, girl I gotchaI’m your number two man in a fightWe are revolutionaries tonight

– from the fact Quincey Harker wasn’t alone.

Jacob had once made analogy between his one fear, and being a rat trapped by a cat. The cat wasn’t eager, it was just willing to do its duty to the house.  To itself.  He’d described that one fear as leaving chills down his spine, followed by an uneasiness. A wariness.  

Quin’s laughter had distracted her from otherwise clear footsteps behind her. She didn’t even have time between her realization and the blow to look and see what was causing this feeling.

The last thing she thought before the world went dark was that she was in trouble.

Singing oh oh ohTrouble, trouble

[angeldcgs]

"i know, it's kinda weird..." back when she was alive, it was perfectly normal to get married as soon as possible. in fact, if she'd remained unmarried at her age, she would've been seen as a spinster, with people assuming that something was wrong with her, but nowadays, people didn't feel the need to get married at all. val couldn't help but wonder just what sort of life she would've been able to live had she been born in the late twentieth century, likely able to avoid such a stifling marriage if she hadn't been conditioned to believe that was the only available option for her. having the privilege of being able to live through decade after decade while remaining the ripe age of twenty eight, she couldn't help but be jealous of the generations that preceded her, witnessing the freedoms they gained, while also growing frustrated by the regression that seemed to occur within the last decade or so. "really? never? not even if you find 'the one'?" it shouldn't matter to her, anyway, seeing as they'd never be able to actually be married, but knowing how he felt about longterm commitment still mattered to her. perhaps she was getting too ahead of herself, though— they'd yet to even sleep together, she still knew hardly anything about him, and, most importantly, he didn't know she was a vampire. all of that would come in due time. for now, she was laying the foundation, buttering him up so the eventual reveal would go more smoothly, learning what she could about him before she let herself get fully invested. but who was she kidding? she was already invested, and had been from the moment she'd smelled his blood, willing to overlook his many flaws if it mean she could continue feeding off him. they could have something good, maybe not a traditional relationship, but something still beneficial for the both of them. he clearly needed someone to take care of him, and val just so happened to be conditioned to do just that, tapping into her former skills as a housewife in order to provide him with the attention he deserved. she didn't feel the same resentment as she did caring for her ex-husband all those years ago, almost seeing charlie as a child who wasn't capable of looking after himself, and therefor needed her to survive. "you sure?" she'd taken such care to buy a variety of options, trying to provide him with whatever he might have needed to get his strength back. since it had been so long since she'd relied on food to provide her sustenance, she wasn't exactly sure what would work best, and so she bought a little bit of everything. at least he continued to drink more of the pedialyte on his own, easing her worries just slightly. "oh, no! don't worry about it. they were having a sale, so... it's really not a big deal, it wasn't that much." the grand total had come out to a little under two hundred dollars, with a second bag of food still waiting for him on the floor beside the bed, but that was chump change when compared to how much money she had. it was the least she could do, anyway, and she wouldn't accept a single cent from him as payback. "do you want some water? i got water, too." she reached down and grabbed a big bottle of fiji water, influenced to buy it by the pretty packaging. "you can take a shower, if you want— if you feel up to it. just let me know what you need!"

"uh, yeah, i guess so." he didn't know many divorced people, or many people who were married either. the sorts of people he was in regular contact with didn't tend to be made for long term relationships, charlie included. marriage as a concept seemed so foreign to him, from his point of view people their age only got married in dire situations, during complete lapses of judgement and would be quick to rectify the situation. he couldn't picture val being that sort of person, the little he knew about her made her seem so put together, organised and careful in a way that didn't exactly mesh with the concept of her marriage he'd invented in his head. "yeah! yeah, uh, i don't really see myself ever getting married." why was he talking about that? she didn't need to know about his commitment issues. he was trying to make himself look good, better than some guy who gets too drunk and passes out in an alley. it would be a downright miracle if he managed to get her to see him as more than that, he couldn't help but assume that some of her kindness was being put on because she pitied him and he didn't want that. he didn't want to be seen as someone who was unable to take care of himself, it was true but it was also something he'd come to accept about himself. as much as he might've wanted it, no one could live his life for him and girls didn't want a guy who they had to baby, that was what he thought anyway. whatever gut feeling she had about him, he didn't want to disappoint her by proving it false. he'd long since given up on the idea of being special to anyone, the thought of someone holding him in high regard like that did nothing except make him ill, yet val spoke with such earnestness that he felt a strange pull to act in opposition to what he'd come used to. he wanted to make her like him, that much was obvious and to some degree she already did. how far that stretched, charlie was unsure, the only thing he could do was try not to ruin whatever image she'd concocted with the dirty truth of who he was. there was little he could think of to say in return so he chose to smile and nod, deciding that it was best to agree with whatever fate-like conclusion val had come to in order to explain why she'd been drawn to helping him. he didn't believe in that kind of stuff but who was to say it wasn't true? what did he know? his brain was so fried from the countless overdoses and blackouts he'd had in his life that he couldn't really trust anything he thought or believed in. it was so much easier to go along with what other people said, trusting their judgement took responsibility away from him and at the end of the day, that was all he really wanted. once he'd sat upright and had the bag of food dumped on his lap, charlie curiously rummaged around for a second or two, determining what she had bought before pulling his hand back. "i'm okay for now, thanks." in truth, he felt a bit ill, sitting up had made his head spin and he was quickly becoming aware of a killer headache settling in the back of his skull, he said nothing about either issue though and tentatively reached out for one of the bottles instead. he'd ask to bring the bag with him when he went home, any chance not to waste his money on groceries was one he'd take eagerly. "i can, um, pay you back for all this." a gentlemanly offer that he hoped, prayed that she'd refuse. he was already imagining the price of the taxi home he was going to be forced into paying once he was ready to leave and the thought of having to call up his dealer and tell him he couldn't pick up that night like he'd been planning to was a devastating turn.

[angeldcgs]

"are you surprised?" most people were, seeing as the typical image of a divorcee was that of a bitter middle aged woman. such a fun-loving, seemingly youthful woman like val didn't fit the bill, but, then again, she wasn't exactly divorced, either. formerly married was more accurate, and no one needed to know any more details than that. his reaction wasn't uncommon, and it didn't bother her— if anything, she found it cute just how taken aback he was, as if he couldn't fathom her being in a relationship that ended so poorly, or not being in a relationship at all. "it's alright, i don't mind talking about it... i got married really young," she explained, unable to hold back the faint smile as she recalled the memory of her former life. as tumultuous as their marriage had been, and as tragically as it ended, she couldn't help but maintain a fondness for her husband, in some strange way. time had dulled the pain, and while it wasn't an experience she ever wanted to repeat, their happy beginnings still lived on just as bright in her memory as all the turbulent times that followed. "which i wouldn't recommend, by the way! being single is way more fun." more fun than being married to her former husband, but there were things she missed about being in a committed relationship, too. mainly the simple comfort of companionship; having someone around at all times, someone to share in both her sorrow and her joy, someone to cuddle up to, and to satisfy her more perverse desires. as sexually gratifying as one night stands could be, she was missing that emotional component, and though she had no way of knowing whether charlie was interested in such a thing, she couldn't help but get carried away in the fantasy of what they could have. she'd crafted a whole idea of him based on what little information she could gain from their brief interaction, likely exaggerating his positive traits in order to justify her craving for his blood, and once she latched onto something, it was almost impossible to drive her away. "of course you are! i told you already, i just feel drawn to you somehow. can't put my finger on why, but my gut feelings are almost never wrong... if i feel a certain way, there has to be a reason— i just don't know it yet." if she had to guess, she would assume that not many people placed such value in charlie. perhaps for good reason, maybe he wasn't deserving of her praise, but whatever flaws he may have been afflicted with, val was certain they could work through them. she happened to see something in him that others weren't capable of seeing, and it was valuable enough for her to want to fight for his affection. still watching him closely just in case he needed her assistance, she was delighted to see that he was at least able to use his hands again, pushing himself up with a bit of difficulty. her hands hovered just inches away from him, waiting to see if he needed any help, but wanting to give him enough space to do it on his own if he could. "look at you! you're practically good as new!" the shift into a sitting position was strained, but he'd managed it all by himself, her whole face lighting up in response as she felt a wave of relief wash over her. "do you want something else to eat? i bought a whole bunch of snacks..." retrieving the bag she'd set beside the bed, he placed it on his lap, a whole bounty of junk for him to pick from. "take whatever you want! it's all for you."

"divorced?" it wasn't his place to dig into her private life, especially when they still barely knew each other but charlie couldn't help his amazement at such a revelation. marriage was meant for older people, those who had their shit together and could afford to make such a bad decision. val had to be around his age, maybe a few years older, the idea of her getting married and divorced so young was baffling to him and it also put a spotlight on his failed attempts at having a long lasting relationship and how he'd never even gotten close to having real commitment. at least she didn't have a boyfriend he'd have to compete with, he still didn't know exactly how he felt about her but it was nice to have his options open, she seemed to be showing a lot of interest in him and while it could've been purely from the kindness of her heart, charlie assumed there was also something hidden under the surface that she was hoping to gain. "that's- wow, sorry i don't mean to, like, pry or anything." if she wasn't with anyone, then maybe she was looking for somewhere to place that affection. that was easy for him to understand, he'd never been the best at showing people that he cared about them, big feelings were overwhelming and he preferred to numb them altogether and avoid such intimate discussions but that didn't mean there wasn't a desire within him to provide something to the world. he didn't want to be a misfit forever, in youth such behaviour could be excused but how long could he last with his current string of habits? one day he was going to be forced into civility, if he wanted to live, though that was a subject matter he went back and forth on. val might have been a little intense but she was also giving him more positive attention than he'd gotten in what felt like forever, her lack of knowledge about him gave her the ability to be free to comfort him without the weight of judgement keeping her down and for once, charlie didn't feel the need to interrupt her with stores of all his bad and ugly deeds. usually, when someone tried to show any sort of genuine care for him, charlie felt the vicious need to bite back with all the reasons that they were wrong for doing so, that they were wasting their time and pushing for something that was never going to happen- him getting better. with the lack of any kind of relationship between them, he didn't feel the same guilt about letting valerie tend to him for the time being, she appeared happy enough to do so and with the possibility of him leaving soon and never making her acquaintance again, he felt comfortable enough taking what she offered so freely without thinking of how he could return the favour. "i'm special? i- sure, if you say so." he huffed out a chuckle and shook his head in disbelief. how she could know if he was actually special or not was beyond charlie but letting her believe so did harm to neither of them, he could live being treated like something precious for a little while longer before he had to return to his life of anonymity and emotional paralysis. with another wiggle of his fingers, charlie found that he had regained feeling in his hands, a little numbness remained but they were no longer as heavy as they'd been upon waking up and he was able to use them to help himself sit up. "yeah- yeah i've got it." he said before getting interrupted with a wince, pausing his movement for a moment before gaining the strength to level himself out and sit upright without the aid of val's careful hands.

[angeldcgs]

even before she’d been turned, valerie always had a very idealistic outlook on love, influenced by the classic hollywood romances that had been pedaled to her all the way from adolescence to adulthood. it caused her to jump from guy to guy in search of her perfect prince charming, never without an abundance of attention from as early as childhood, and then when she thought she found the one, she was quickly disappointed by the realities of married life. their honeymoon phase ended before their actual honeymoon did, but she refused to throw in the towel so easily. rather than grow cold and resentful like her husband did, the change in his attitude made her cling on that much harder, going above and beyond to provide him with whatever he might need in the hopes that their love would return to its former glory. it didn’t, of course. if anything, her efforts to be the epitome of the perfect housewife made him that much more complacent in his behavior, seeing no reason to change as long as he continued to get everything he wanted. their relationship had met a gruesome end, and rightfully so, but she’d continued to hold onto that same concept of romanticism her whole life, regardless of how she’d become closed off from actual relationships. she’d resigned herself to keep her fantasies in her head, comforting daydreams for her to return to when loneliness struck— never did she anticipate finding such a connection with a human, and so early on, too. “not anymore, no… i’m divorced, actually.” sprinkling in nuggets of truth would hopefully help her come off more genuine, rather than get her tangled up in lies she couldn’t keep track of. such an assumption was likely a product of his insecurity, not believing himself to be in her league, and he wasn’t exactly wrong. her abstinence from developing serious connections with humans didn’t mean she abstained from physical contact with them as a whole, and he was far from her typical type, but she’d never felt so tempted to break her own rules as she was with him, and the more time she spent around him, the more drawn to him she felt. he’d spent most of that time laying in bed unconscious, of course, but he was such a peaceful sleeper, she couldn’t help but be endeared further just by watching over him. perhaps she was being a little too mushy-gushy so soon into their acquaintanceship, droning on about gut feelings and divine connections when he couldn’t even remember meeting her at all, likely overwhelming him with the intensity of her feelings like she’d always been prone to. she couldn’t play coy if she tried, and especially not when she’d gone so long without anyone to shower with affection. “thank god, right?” she echoed his sentiments, a wolfish grin overtaking her features. though he didn’t necessarily reciprocate with as much enthusiasm, his acceptance was enough to confirm that he was just as happy that they’d crossed paths as she was. part of that could be attributed to the fact that she appeared to be giving him a whole lot more than he offered her, but the cause didn’t matter to her as much as the outcome. “you think so?” her eyes were practically sparkling at what she considered to be a massive compliment, always having prided herself on her capacity for tender loving care. “well you’re a special guy, so it’s not too hard…” if only he knew just how special he was— he’d likely be running for the hills, that is, if he had the physical capacity to do so. she’d have to ease him into things, not wanting to scare him off by coming right out and admitting what sort of creature she was, and what she’d done to him the night before. first, she’d need to spoil him with care and attention, helping him get his strength back and showing him just how nice a life with her could be, and then she could think about telling him the truth. “do you think you can sit up yet?”

one of charlie’s favourite things to do when he could be bothered to leave the house was get super stoned and head to the movies, a variety of snacks stuffed in his bag for him to nibble on while he lost himself in whatever new world was before him on the big screen. he’d seen one too many films with plots similar to what was going on, unsuspecting men falling victim to beautiful women with nefarious intentions. it was probably just hangover paranoia, making problems where there were none. he was lucky that val was so kind, he could’ve very easily had worse people stumble upon him and enact all sorts of horrible things. in the grand scheme of things, the best case scenario had taken place and he needed to lighten up, let himself enjoy her care before it was time to retire back to his shit hole of an apartment. “right- you must have a boyfriend or something.” of course she did, there wasn’t a way in hell that a girl as beautiful and eager to please as her didn’t have some guy around. he probably worked in business, wore a suit and a tie which he’d loosen when he got home from work, a real man who could take care of her in the way that guys like charlie never could. would her boyfriend be mad if he found out what she’d done or were there in some weird saviour complex type relationship, did he get off on watching his girlfriend save pathetic little losers like him off the street? he accepted the sip of pedialyte without any fuss and felt himself grow warmer under her acknowledgment. all he could do was hope he hadn’t looked too pitiful, dragging his feet around the club with no purpose, no one to talk to. it would’ve all made a lot more sense if she was a nurse or in some kind of caring occupation, people didn’t usually go out of there way to help others unless it had been trained into them somehow, val must��ve been a special case, a rare kind of person who looked out for others without any reason to do so. her explanation was almost too sincere for charlie to handle. he was used to making jokes out of things to cope, numbing himself from every possible feeling as a way to avoid the possibility of ever feeling bad. however, with his inability to move from the bed, he was forced to listen to her dutifully explain why she had gone through all the effort to bring him back home, claiming that something like fate had encouraged her decision and made it the only right thing to do. never before had someone concerned themselves with him so obviously, most of the time people tended to avoid getting themselves involved in the shit show that had become in his life in the last couple of years and while val knew nothing of him or his history or his horrible habits, she’d seen something in him that had encouraged her to stick her neck out and become burdened with his mess. it was a strange feeling, one he didn’t know if he had a name for. like everything else about her, what she said was intense and a lot to process especially given his current weakened state, it was also the most thoughtful thing he’d heard in months, a show of genuine concern that was otherwise absent in his life. “that’s… yeah, i mean, thank god you did find me.” charlie swallowed the wash of emotion that had cascaded over him and forced a pleasant, calm expression that did not match the whirlwind going on inside of him. “you, uh… know how to make a guy feel special.”

[angeldcgs]

many vampires allowed themselves to grow out of touch with the modern world, unable to keep up with shifting trends and mindsets after being separate from the mortal population for so long, but val prided herself on staying up to date. her closet was ever expanding, both with archival pieces from the eras she'd lived through and more current releases, and she kept up to date with pop culture almost religiously, so she felt like she had a fairly good grasp on how to fit in. it was rare anyone ever grew suspicious of her, especially as she kept her interactions with humans brief, but in keeping mortals at a distance, there were certain subtleties she missed out on, as well. to her, it didn't seem completely outlandish that someone would stumble across a near stranger passed out in an alley and bring them back to their home until they recovered. unusual, perhaps, but not an immediate red flag. she wasn't aware of the heightened fear of stranger danger that existed nowadays, exacerbated by the rise in popularity of true crime content. plenty of people had no issue inviting her back to their homes despite hardly knowing her—what was so wrong with her doing the same? he was probably just distressed over the confusion of it all; the lack of memory, his overwhelming weakness, and unfamiliar surroundings. once he saw that she just wanted to take care of him, surely he'd let his guard down and accept her help without apprehension, so she just had to be patient with him and continue on with her coddling. he had nothing to be afraid of as long as he stayed with her, not even her thirst for his blood was a threat considering how precious she'd already come to see him. "we've all been there... i know i've had plenty of messy nights like that, and i was always lucky enough to have someone there to take care of me afterwards. i'm just repaying the favor..." setting the protein bar aside for the time being, she went back for the pedialyte, bringing it back to his mouth to encourage him to take a couple more sips. "i saw you drinking a lot of alcohol, but i didn't see you take a single sip of water all night! we gotta replace those electrolytes, you'll feel a whole lot better, i promise." his earnest query drew forth a snort, glad that he seemed to be more relaxed in her presence, as if he'd accepted that she was a benevolent force rather than a potential threat. "a nurse? no... definitely not." a nurse probably would've brought him to a hospital rather than deciding to administer care in their own home, but then again, a nurse wouldn't have nearly sucked every drop of blood out of his body in the first place. "i'm just a good samaritan... what kind of person would i have been if i just left you there in that alley to rot? it's silly, but... i dunno, i just felt like maybe it was meant to be. like, i was meant to find you... especially after you spilled your drink on me, and everything— it sounds weird, i know. and i know you don't remember me, so this must all be so weird to you. really jarring, probably... but i couldn't help myself, i just had to. i can't explain it, exactly, it's just a feeling..."

charlie desperately wanted to believe that val was caring for him out of the kindness of her heart and not harbouring some secret need for revenge for however he’d after the night before. it was easy for him to assume he’d acted in some stupid way, he wasn’t a malicious person but he could be distant and un-empathetic when he got too high, way too focused on himself and how he was feeling to think about how he was acting those around him. he’d never done anything bad enough to warrant being kidnapped, though in the grand scheme of things he could see why his behaviour might have been deemed unsavoury enough to need such a punishment by someone who also wasn’t completely right in the head. val seemed so nice though, the attentiveness she was showing him was a lot yet he didn’t want to believe it was false, not only for his safety but because it had been so long since anyone had even pretended to give a shit about him. what did she have to gain otherwise? a girl like her didn’t need the company of guys like him, twenty years too early for their midlife crisis and inept at the most basic levels of self care, there was little to nothing about him that he saw as appealing and it made her desire to coddle him all the more confusing. did she not know how hot she was? there was no way, she was all big red lips and big eyes lined with dark makeup, looking straight out of some goth porn video he might have had bookmarked. she was easily the hottest girl he’d ever seen and it made sense that he would’ve only had the confidence to talk to her when he was completely out of it, what didn’t make sense was her being in any way into it. he was getting ahead of himself, she’d never said she was interested in him like that, she’d seen some poor asshole on the street and taken pity on him and that was all. sure, it was a lot of sympathy, more than charlie would’ve ever been able to give a stranger himself, but she must’ve been a better person than him. probably didn’t fill him with a lot of hope, he couldn’t recall what she’d been wearing the night before though it was easy to assume it was nicer than anything he owned and deserved better treatment than having his cheap beer spilled down the front of it. offering to clean it popped into his mind as a way to appease whatever grudge she might’ve still been holding, however, charlie was quick to disregard such a pathetic show of his remorse. instead of repeating his apologies, he decided a better tactic was to do as val wanted and let her look after him. if she didn’t have anything held against him in the form of his lacking memories, then there was no harm in getting nursed back to normal. besides, even if he wanted to leave, he was too weak to do anything but open his mouth and accept the crumbles fed to him. “yeah i’m…” he craned his neck and watched as he gave a small wiggle of his fingers from where they laid by his side. “must’ve been a rough night. usually i’m pretty good dealin’ with hangovers but… i don’t know, one too many beers, i guess.” he forced a timid smile and relaxed his head back down against the pillow. “you’re, um… you’re nice for doing all this. a-are you a nurse or something?”

[angeldcgs]

before him, val had been very careful about her interactions with humans. she had to be, both for their safety and hers; though her self control had greatly improved over the decades, to the point where she felt confident going out in public without the need to feed, the closer she got to a person and the longer they spent together, the greater the potential craving grew, and she could never be too careful. not only that, allowing a human to get close to her would open up to the possibility of being found out, and god knows what someone would do with that kind of information. for as long as she'd lived in her sprawling estate, she'd never had a human on the grounds, so bringing charlie there wasn't something she took lightly. they hardly knew each other, and still, she felt it was her duty to personally ensure that he was restored to full health in a safe and comfortable space— the fact that she was already yearning for another taste of his blood came secondary. it was her fault he ended up in this incredibly weakened state in the first place, and therefor it was her duty to take care of him. she could sense his mounting uncertainty, verging on fear and souring his heavenly scent, causing her to frown in dissatisfaction. had she come on too strong? perhaps she should've given him a bit more space, but she was just trying to be as attentive as she could to help him get his strength back as soon as possible. even before she'd been turned, val had always been told she could be a bit much. she felt things too strongly, loved too hard, and cared too much; too clingy, too desperate. she didn't take rejection well, and had issues with control. it was for those very reasons that she avoided relationships altogether as a vampire, having already been hurt enough times for one lifetime, and she knew it would only get worse when the complications of immortality were thrown into the mix. the thought that she could be losing him before she'd even really managed to hook him caused a bit of a panic, though she tried her best to mask her emotions so she wouldn't startle him further. "it's ok!" she reassured him, a bit too hasty in her efforts to assuage his worries. "no, no, no, it's totally ok! i'm not mad. i mean, it was kinda nasty smelling like beer all night, but it's really not a big deal... it happens! i've got tons of clothes, so don't even worry about it. and it was black, so... it probably won't stain." except for the fact that it was silk... she'd begun to regret even sharing that detail with him— seeing as he'd reacted so poorly to it, you'd think she reminded him that he accidentally ran over her pet cat. it only confirmed to her just how good of a person he was, that he was so remorseful over something as petty as a spilled drink. "you seemed like you felt really bad, and then i felt bad... so don't apologize, please. you did enough of that last night." a spilled drink really wasn't all that damning in the grand scheme of things, least of all when she had much darker sins to be sorry for. what they both needed to focus on now was his health, and so she broke off another chunk of the protein bar, repeating her prior actions and helping to sprinkle the crushed bits into his mouth. "are you feeling any better? you look better. got some of your color back... how about another little drink, hm? you're probably dehydrated."

the longer he was in her company and the more cognisant he became, charlie could see that there was something strange about valerie, more to her than what met the eye. wasn’t that always the way with beautiful women? charlie didn’t consider himself bad with women, not exactly. he’d had a few girlfriends and they’d all ended in the same way, with them growing tired of his reliance on vices and how that affected the attention he could give to them. at the end of the day, he’d only ever met one or two people who could be more important to him than drugs were to him and even then, it was never enough. val was too caring considering the circumstances they’d met under. it was one thing to make sure a stranger didn’t spend the night passed out in an alley, it was a whole other ballpark to take them home and nurse them back to health. it wasn’t a complaint, it was hard to let his wariness get the better of him when he was enjoying her soft pets so much, but it was something he was growing more and more aware of as she got more comfortable with him. “yeah…” charlie reaffirmed softly, though mostly to keep val from questioning the sort of person she’d allowed into her home rather than boosting his ego. before he had the chance to question what she was doing, her freezing cold hands were pressed to his cheeks and she lamented that sweet pet name again, the one that would’ve had him squirming if he had any control over his hips. “o-oh-“ no normal person could be so kind with wanting something in return. maybe he did something that she’d yet to remind him of, maybe she was lulling him into a false sense of security and once he let his guard down she’d strike and take whatever it wad she wanted. he was already so weak though and unable to fight back. why wait any longer? to tease him? had he really acted that poorly? he blinked up at her like a dazed animal, something that wad waiting to be eaten, and winced only a little as she leaned in and kissed his forehead. his stomach both filled with butterflies and churned with sickness and suddenly he lost the appetite he had for the protein bar, however, he had little choice hence it came to eating it when val was so insistent on hand feeding him. picking any sort of fight felt like the worst of ideas and so charlie decided to play subservient, just until he started to feel better and could take care of himself. “y-yeah that sounds like me.” he cringed and nervously bit down onto his bottom lip. “i’m sorry, val, i-i’m a shit drunk and i- it’d been a long day and i must’ve drank way too much-“ and done one too many lines off the back of the toilet, an irreverent detail. “if i ruined your clothes or- or if i was a dick about it, t-that’s not how i am usually. i’m- a good guy, like you said. i’m not usually that messy.” he said wth a grimace, lying through his teeth. the way she’d found him wasn’t all that unusual for him, the hangover was new but he was accustomed to ending the night in a state of disgrace.

[angeldcgs]

though she hadn't thought that far ahead, val could only hope her tenderness would encourage him to stay with her that much longer. she didn't know what his home life was like, if he had loved ones waiting for his return, fretting over what he'd gotten himself into this time, but she felt it was safe to assume she could provide better for him than he could for himself. from what she'd seen, he didn't have much of a support system. she watched him move through the bar alone, never meeting up with anyone, only briefly interacting with others, and since she'd taken him home, the only notifications that popped up on his phone were junk emails. no worried texts or panicked phone calls. it made her heart ache to think that he was going through the world all alone, clearly troubled in some way judging by the amount of alcohol she'd watched him consume— he was crying out for her, whether he knew it or not. desperate for someone to find him, and care for him, and keep him, as if he was something precious and not merely disposable. she may have wanted something from him in the form of his blood, but her desire to care for him and show him he was worthy of kindness was just as strong. it was how she justified her more primal craving, a trade off she felt was perfectly healthy. feeling needed gave her a sort of fulfillment she hadn't felt in a long time, something beyond physical satisfaction, and whether or not she was the reason he needed someone to nurse him back to health didn't matter. "of course you would... you're a good guy, aren't you?" debatable. there was very little val actually knew about him, other than that he was probably an alcoholic, and he tasted absolutely divine, but she couldn't help but fill in the gaps with her own fantastical assumptions. he had problems, but that didn't make him an inherently bad person. maybe he'd gone through something and turned to substances to cope, maybe he was lonely, or feeling lost in life. he had a good heart regardless of his struggles, and val was willing to give him all the grace she could offer. "charlie..." she repeated, rolling the name around on her tongue. it felt like something she could get used to calling out, and her lips curled into a smile as a response, but her face fell when he began to lament his own lapse of memory. "awww, honey," she purred, momentarily setting the protein bar aside so she could cradle his face with both hands and scoot closer towards him on the bed. "no, no, no, don't apologize... it's not your fault, you can't help it. you don't need to feel bad, i just want you to focus on getting better, ok? it'll come back to you, just give it time." giving him one last reassuring look, she leaned down to place a gentle kiss to his forehead before going back to the bar and breaking off a chunk, barely exerting any force as she squeezed her hand into a fist to crush it into an almost dust that would be easier for him to consume. "here— open your mouth. good..." as carefully as she could, she sprinkled the bits into his mouth, making sure he didn't choke. "my name's valerie, but you can call me val. you spilled a drink on me last night, remember?"

the way that the stranger was touched him reminded charlie of how his mother used to take care of him when he was sick as a kid, before it was her turn and the roles had to be reversed. he should have been freaked out that he was in such a vulnerable position and forced to be in the care of someone he didn’t know but it was hard not to enjoy the feeling of being babied. for someone who held no obligation to him, she was treating him so kindly, taking care of him in a way that only someone who deeply cared about him should have been. he didn’t have anyone like that anymore, they’d all been pushed away in favour of the drugs and it was a decision he’d come to be okay with, except for when he was on a come down and craved nothing more than a hug from someone who cared if he lived or died. he managed a soft hum in agreement before letting his eyes flicker around to take in his surroundings properly for the first time. out of all the people who’d been unfortunate to stumble across him in some coked out state, he had to be thankful it was a hot goth girl. call him a stereotype but he wasn’t afraid to admit that he’d done a hell of a lot more embarrassing things trying to get attention from girls like her, who knew that the only thing he needed to do was get too high and black out. her hand brushing through his greasy, scraggly hair felt good, almost too good. it made him want to melt into the mattress and stay there forever, nestled up next to her forever. his hangovers usually took a vastly different form, “yeah, course i would…” after checking to see if she had any cash on her first, he wasn’t totally selfless, but he definitely wouldn’t have gone to the extremes that she had to make sure he was okay. it was the knowledge that she could’ve been a bad person and left him out there, stolen what little he had on him and made a run for it and yet chosen not to which made charlie want to trust her wholeheartedly. a surprise surge of panic rose as she moved away from him and once again he tried to move only to be met with the same stiffness that prevented him from doing anything but straining his head. he watched her as she unwrapped the protein bar and held it up to his mouth, expectantly waiting for him to take a bite. “yeah- yeah, uh, charlie.” he fumbled before taking a small bite from the corner of the bar, the effort it took to do such a small task didn’t come as a shock when he considered the bone deep ache that was keeping him flush to the mattress but it still made him feel pathetic. “i don’t- if you told me yours i don’t…” he spoke around his food, only occasionally meeting her intense gaze before having to glance away. “i’m really sorry, you’re very nice and i- i feel… like a fucking idiot, if i’m being honest.”

[angeldcgs]

though it was still slightly concerning, val was glad he didn't have the wherewithal to be frightened by the circumstances he'd woken up in. or, if he was frightened, he didn't have the strength to act on it. that was good for her. he couldn't have left even if he tried, and val found that she quite liked having the opportunity to nurse him back to health, especially after the wave of guilt that washed over her after she fed. it was wrong of her, she knew that. just because she was a vampire, that didn't make her a monster, and she'd long since vowed to never drink human blood again. there had been plenty of temptations over the decades, brief slip ups here and there in which she'd had a little taste, but never in her existence had she smelled blood more intoxicating than his. the taste was a whole different story, filling her with a sort of euphoria she'd never even felt back when she was able to get drunk. inside her she was waging an internal battle, trying to justify her desire to drink from him again, and providing him the care he desperately needed was helping to ease her worries. "ah, ah... you just rest, now. i got you..." she cooed, picking up on his efforts to move and stroking her hand down his arm until she gave him a pat on the hand. "nothing weird, no... well, i guess this is kinda weird, huh? you must be so confused..." her sympathetic tone matched her soft gaze, hoping to keep him in this calmed state even as he began regaining his wits. her decor wasn't exactly the most welcoming, what with the dripping candelabras, the dark painted walls, and her gothic style of decor— not to mention her abnormally chilled skin. thankfully, beautiful women like her could get away with a myriad of sins just by batting their lashes and offering a few kind words. it was unlikely anything about her would raise alarm bells just yet, especially if he couldn't remember the events of the night before. "not exactly," a faint hint of a smile tugged at her lips, as if recalling a fond memory. "you were pretty wasted, though... i was more worried than anything." going back to stroking his hair, she looked down at him with the sort of fondness usually reserved for only her closest loved ones, already feeling such a deep connection to him just from one feeding. god knows how strong her feelings would grow should she be allowed to continue using him as a food source, likely never wanting to let him go. "that's alright, i figured you wouldn't." rather than offer him a full explanation, she chose to remain vague, expecting him to ask if he had more specific questions. it was best not to overwhelm him with too many details too fast— for now he only knew what he needed to. "you don't have to thank me! it's the least i could do... when i found you passed out in that alley, i just knew i had to step in. i'd hate to see such a sweet little thing like you get hurt... i'm sure you'd do the same if the roles were reversed, right?" finally she parted from him, albeit reluctantly, but only to go grab one of the bags full of junk food she'd bought for him, bringing it back over to the bed and rifling around until she found a protein bar. "what's your name, honey? you remember that?" after carefully peeling back the foil wrapping, she held it up to his mouth with no explanation, watching him expectantly.

in any other circumstance, charlie would’ve tried to bat away whoever was trying to look after him and claim that he was perfectly able to take care of himself. he rarely was, hangovers had become a part of his routine though and he’d managed to nurse himself back into a state of health every time, or at least enough so to go and get fucked up again. he didn’t have that same authority this time around, he couldn’t push the stranger’s hands away as he helped him sit up or knock the bottle away from his mouth before she coached him through taking sips. whatever he’d taken the night before had knocked all manner of autonomy out of him, leaving him a husk in need of tender care. he should’ve been more freaked out but he figured that whoever the woman was, she must’ve been harmless if she was there looking after him. he was all too aware of how he could act when he got too high, his tolerance had only increased over the years which meant he’d been forced into finding new doses and cutting substances that couldn’t have been less compatible together just to feel something new. whatever he’d gotten his hands on, it had packed a powerful punch, yet as he tried to think back to what it might’ve been, he found himself meeting nothing but blanks. in a strange way, he was thankful for the kindness of the beautiful stranger and her ice cold touch, if he were left to his own devices he might have frozen in the back of some alley, rats already fighting for the first nibble. charlie did his best to drink carefully but he still managed to spill some down himself, his hand twitched beside him as if it were about to reach up to wipe away the mess but it remained on the sheets. “dunno. i- just thought something weird must’ve happened.” he went to shrug but again, nothing. upon straining his memory once more, charlie found that all he could remember were the flashing lights of the club he’d been in, the feeling of the sticky floor clinging to the bottoms of his shoes as he moved around, a cool bottle of beer in his hand. feelings more than distinct memories, certainly none involving a girl like her. “i made an ass of myself, didn’t i?” he thought he might’ve blushed at the thought of how he’d humiliated himself in front of her and god knows how many other people, however, the heat never came. the blood, what was left of it, didn’t rush to his cheeks and unaware of why, charlie silently thanked whichever god had finally decided to look out for him. “i- i don’t remember much. i don’t- yeah, i don’t remember getting here…” or your name, or how we met, or if we fucked and that’s why i’m here- another silent prayer followed. “thanks for, um, this…”

[angeldcgs]

the state he’d woken up in was simultaneously better and worse than she’d imagined– he was awake, at least, not comatose or brain dead or anything, but he seemed to barely have enough strength to move. “sh, sh… it’s ok, let me.” brows knitted together and lips pursed in sympathy, val helped to prop him up slightly, adjusting the pillows to support his neck and shoulders and lift them off the bed enough to be able to drink without straining himself too much. she should’ve brought a cup or a straw or something to help him drink more easily, but, again, she didn’t have the foresight to know what all she would need to nurse him back to health. the fact that she’d even managed to remember to get him food and drinks at all was impressive, though her selection left a lot to be desired. it was the best she could do on such short notice, seeing as not much was open at that time of night, and she didn’t want to leave him for too long in case he woke up without her there. she’d done the best she could given the circumstances, and he didn’t seem to be in a place to be picky, anyway. without knowing which he preferred, she simply chose a bottle at random and unscrewed the cap, his mumbled question causing her to snort and nearly spill the juice before she could get it up to his mouth. “what? no… silly. when would we have gotten married?” she continued chuckling to herself as she brought the bottle up, using one hand to cradle his head and make sure it stayed upright while she tipped it towards his mouth and encouraged him to drink. “slowly… little sips, that’s it. don’t rush.” though she’d never had children while she was actually alive, she couldn’t help but be reminded of the action of bottle feeding. she’d done so with a baby goat once, back when her husband had them visit a farm for “research”, chasing some homesteading pipe dream that he’d eventually abandoned to remain in the corporate rat race, thank god. “do you remember anything from last night?” clearly not the part about her inviting him out into the alley for a smoke break and subsequently sinking her fangs into his neck, otherwise he’d be a lot more panicked to find her by his bedside. deciding he’d had enough for the time being, she placed the bottle back on the table and used her sleeve to dab at the bit that had dribbled out from the side of his mouth. the only light illuminating the room was from that of the numerous candles she’d set up around them— not the most practical light source, but she’d had to block out the windows to avoid the sun and she figured the overhead lights would be too harsh on his fragile senses. the flickering glow gave off a warm cast, almost romantic in the way it emphasized the natural shadows and highlights of his face, and what a lovely face it was. there was something comforting about his features, reminding her of a bygone era she’d once known, though she couldn’t put her finger on exactly which one. he wasn’t classically handsome, but there was something undeniably alluring about him. or maybe that was just the bloodlust talking. 

it wasn't unlike charlie to wake up feeling like he'd be hit by a bus, the particular brand of ache that he became aware of as he shifted out of what felt like the deepest sleep of his entire life was new but ultimately with the cocktail of drugs that had been racing through his system the night before, there was little surprise to how shit he felt. what was a surprise though, as he slowly began to focus on the world around him, was the sound of a woman's voice. the room was thankfully dark, which meant he could squint his eyes open and look at whoever had begun petting him like some prized puppy. it wasn't a bad feeling, just confusing. there was no one he knew who'd be willing to give him such a tender touch, it had to be some stranger he'd met the night before and somehow managed to convince that he wasn't such a total social reject. thirsty was one word for it, his entire body felt bone dry, like someone had stuck a straw into the side of his neck and sucked out every last drop of moisture within him. he let out a gravely hum and tried to reach out for one of the bottles, but found that his arms couldn't let move. he was too weak, unable to do anything but move his head from side to side. "fuck." charlie settled his attention on the stranger once more and found what little breath he managed to take in stolen at the realisation of how hot she was. "shit- did we get married?" vegas, that was his first thought. that was the only reason he could come up with to why there was a woman of her beauty in the bed beside him. how long had he been out? he'd seen the hangover more than he'd like to admit, he knew the sort of misadventures that could take place under the influence.