#i have unlocked a new level of pain which i didn't think was possible while watching QLs

[celestial-sapphicss]

sending you so many prayers with triage vi 🙏🏻🙏🏻 god speed

i am not going to make it vish 😭

[razzberriezz]

Fashion Dreamer Tips & Tricks

Some stuff only I found that isn't mentioned or in-game at all or is easily missed as far as I'm aware? I hope it helps some of you guys out :) It is quite image-heavy under the cut, fair warning!!

Colour Matching (Item Creator) Pressing down on the left stick changes the display from mannequin to the item itself, but pressing it again will show whatever item you're creating along with whatever your muse is currently wearing.

So if you've gotten a custom coloured item from someone else, this is great for making items and accessories to match with it! And you don't have to waste 120k points trying to match colours by guesstimation instead like me :'))) Or maybe I'm just dumb because I knew how to zoom in and out, just not the display switching OTL

2. Showroom Configuration (is stupid) This is for the Happy Home Paradise players... Make sure that any mannequins or clothing you display in your showroom is actually accessible, because you cannot walk under ceiling decorations, even if they are lighting. I have no idea why. You also can't change the camera angle, so it'd be best not to put the door/panel decorations all in a row at the front, because then players can't see what you're even displaying (unless it's just like a mannequin in the middle surrounded by lockers... Idk)

Taking the time to plug my showroom again before I swap out the outfits for the fancier stuff I have >o< Find me at a8xv4JW3Am!

3. Muse Advisors There are at least 2 or 3 advisors who are present at the Muse Mirror in each Cocoon in rotation. (e.g. Noz and Iris in HOPE) They can not only suggest colours and unique makeup that you haven't obtained yet* (I've seen a look where your character gets like a Batman/Robin mask lol), but also give you their own! If the one whose look you want isn't there, you just have to quick-travel (press down on the right stick) to another Cocoon and back. Otherwise, you can just keep talking to them and backing out until their option shows up.

Before & After (Iris ver.)!

(*Unfortunately, they won't give you unique eye shines/reflections.)

4. NPCs I've just learnt that the NPCs you start with are most likely random. I've seen others start with NPCs I haven't even seen or heard of! You need to raise their friendship level until you get a special event that says 'Friend Introduction' - and even then, I think the NPC who appears next might be random (unconfirmed). This may make it quite a pain for those who want the unnatural skin colours, since I believe they are only unlockable via NPC friendship rank... So just go into solo mode and spam some outfits :')

5. Camera Angles and Idle Poses This one is a bit useless, but I didn't know about it until now so it's going in. Most of the time, I use the drone camera to take photos, but could never really fit fullbody photos - turns out, you need to angle the camera slightly downwards (have your character looking up) to be able to zoom out enough to fit your Muse's whole body in. If the camera angle is level with your Muse, you will never be able to get a fullbody picture. Who thought this would be a good idea???

Level angle and tilted angle - the level angle is already at the lowest it could go.

Additionally, waiting for a while will let your character have the time to perform some idle animations, some of which (I think) are not present in the poses option, even via NPC friendship rank. The downside is that you'll have to crop out some parts of the UI and the quality will be a little lower - however, that can be fixed using waifu2x (which I tend to use anyways for aesthetic posts lol).

Before & After using waifu2x!

Since the game is so new I thought this might be helpful to some who are also just starting out. If anything here is wrong, please let me know and I'll fix it as soon as possible!

[wjbs-aus]

I can't sleep, anyway here's a way-too-long post where I talk about my current thoughts on the Saints Row reboot now that I've had time to properly think about it.

Please note that some parts of this post might be outdated since the game has apparently been updated since I last played.

I slightly regret not trying all the non-Venture minigames, since they seemed kinda interesting.

Speaking of which, the Venture minigames were mostly frustrating, with the exceptions of the tech one (since it gave you a lot of cool stuff, even though they're technically not minigames but rather short missions, even though one of the rewards kinda sucked; more on that later), the fast food one (even though it took me a while to figure out how to activate it) and Cutting Edge (because the whole "look for the specific texture based on obtuse clues" thing was honestly a lot of fun). The toxic waste one was painful, and the cleanup one's time-limit was so low I couldn't even complete the first instance.

The game was buggy, but most of them weren't that serious. The least-severe was the Death Blossom ability Daniel Radcliffe-ing my character (that is to say, the guns that spawn during the associated animation got irrevocably attached to their hands whenever I used it; it kinda reminds me of a bug in The Third where picking up a Decker Specialist's hammer in a Mayhem instance causes it to clip into your current weapon and not have its associated attack), the most annoying was not being able to attack, switch weapons or use abilities (which was fairly easy to fix by just dying and then loading from the last checkpoint), and the worst was the very cool and probably useful shoot-through-walls ability crashing the game outside the mission that unlocks it (this is the reward that sucks).

The hoverboard is fun. That is all.

Ok so on one hand, possibly-canon* non-binary boss is cool; on the other hand, only being able to have top surgery scars if you use the stitched-together body texture is bad. Other than that (and the dumb body-type triangle, since apparently people can't be both fat and muscular at the same time), the character customisation system is good.

Knowing that the DLC content will include new locations, I really hope they have Stilwater as one of them, since it canonically exists in the new timeline.

You know one mission where you destroy stuff with a giant digger and it's really fun but then you don't get to do that again? Yeah, that was kinda disappointing. Same with the island mission, which could have been turned into a full minigame like in The Third.

I still don't understand why you don't unlock the AI tank after the level where you use it. Literally any of the previous games in the series would have given it to you, although there is a chance that you get it for choosing to kill Marshall (which I didn't).

My opinion on the LARP questline has kinda changed; while I do still think it's a fun little side-thing (and the crossbow is super OP when upgraded), it really doesn't fit into the rest of the plot, especially if - like me - you put off completing it until relatively far into the game. I think the premise could work really well as a separate game.

Ok but like what if the Saints of Rage machine you can find was accidentally brought into the new timeline by the original-timeline Saints when they were, like, time-travelling or whatever (assuming Gat Out Of Hell and Agents of MAYHEM are non-canon to the old timeline), and since they couldn't let anyone know about them they just sold it to some random guy in the middle of the desert? That's my headcanon.

Seriously why don't Cutting Edge materials just work like normal colours please I just want to have a hat with a gold buckle and not a garish all-gold hat???? The only things I used them on were vehicles and my character's prosthetic hand.

Speaking of Cutting Edge materials, you could totally make a human statue using one of the stone textures.

*(them being NB depends on whether or not you treat the use of "they" in that one cutscene as diegetic or not)

[changeling-of-the-fae]

One Week Post-Op (and change)

Has it really been that long already?

1 down, 5 to go before I get to ditch the brace (in theory), and not much longer after that before I get tropical recovery time. <3

Tuesday (boxing day!) was my one week appointment. They scheduled my appointments for me (I would never have chosen a 7:45 PT time), followed by an x-ray and the Uncovering.

I'm starting off at around 15 degrees flexion, and my quad is kinda sorta still firing (this gives me hope - I would only wish quad atrophy on my worst enemies.) The target is -4 to 140 to match my right leg.

The incisions look good, no signs of ooziness or anything else. I do have a little calf pain, which I mentioned, but it's more what's expected of an abused muscle than a blood clot.

More than anything, I was looking forward to showering. I've done long backpacking trips before, but there's something different about having dirt and dust all over and feeling accomplished than after you've spent sitting in your pj's, eating Christmas cookies and feeling like a proper potato.

Objectively speaking, it was the most stressful shower of my entire life. I didn't expect to feel so vulnerable without my brace, but I was.

I have a built in shower seat. I was able to prop my crutches just outside the door and get situated before taking off the brace, but I was genuinely afraid. Taking off my exoskeleton, the only thing holding my leg together, seemed like a terrible idea. But damn, did I want that shower.

It was jump scare level timing - I had just undone the first buckle when someone slammed a door in the next room, the crutches tipped over, fell into the shower, and landed on my knee.

It didn't hurt, but this is what I mean about the vulnerability of it - I don't think I've ever been so scared. Ever. And that includes the time I got caught in a blizzard in a strange city, ended up in waist deep snow in whiteout conditions and wondered if I was going to die.

After those crutches landed?

I had to remind myself there's no crying in the shower (...), and I clutched the washcloth bar like the 'oh shit' handle in a car accident and tried to pull myself back together.

I've never had a panic attack, but I can't imagine I was far off. I wanted to curl up in a ball and never come out. It's good that no one else was in line for the shower. It took me a good while to recover.

Eventually I got the brace off and managed to get clean, but that was more than enough excitement for one day.

I've been mostly self-sufficient, but after my shower I called my mom in to pass me my brace, crawled into bed, and slept for a few hours.

After that...things have been better. I can put full weight on my leg (still with the crutches, so I move carefully.)

My PT schedule is unfortunate because of the holidays, and I can't go back in for two weeks, but I've been doing extra credit exercises and I'm up to 30 degrees of bend.

I get to leave the brace unlocked when I sleep - I still can't sleep on my side, but having a little bend feels SO GOOD.

It is frustrating to be at this phase, trying to focus on making it through each day and not looking where I might be headed (I don't want to end up in MPFL hall of failed recoveries, but it's always a possibility.) Next year I want to be conquering whatever slopeside anxiety I've developed, someplace snowy and brisk.

I'll have more on this later, but I'm very aware that I need to (am in the process of?) making a mentality shift (I hate those.) PT seriously needs to become a lifestyle for me, and not just a bandaid. That's...not the world I come from, but I also come from a world where oil changes and other vehicle maintenance is optional.

If I can learn proper car maintenance, I can learn proper me maintenance, too. Just in time for the new year!

(New year new knee!)

[legguk]

Hi!! So,

it's my ( literal ) first time writing fanfiction, so I'm pretty new at this stuff, but Lady Dimitrescu is all I was able to think about for weeks and I >needed< to do something about it.

( If you want some context, I wrote this thinking “what if Alcina survived?” - Alcina's pov )

———

The fall,

The end of everything you once loved

Ethan Winters.

You woke up... somehow, you woke up. The frigid air hitting your fresh wounds felt like a jolt send by reality, as if one says "you're still alive" -

- and oh how you were starting to hate that feeling.

Laying on the demolished floor of your castle, muscles twitching in pain, mouth open gasping for air... that's how you are, how you will remember yourself from now on. A defeated dragon, a crushed woman, a dead mother.

You should get up, you should let go of your carcass and crawl your way back into the warmth of your home, you should—

—you should be dead, actually. Resting on death's cold embrace along with your daughters.

Daughters.

God, your daughters.

The memories flood your mind with a painful, unbearable reminder; they're gone, dead, crystalized - gone. They're gone. Your lovely daughters, your pride and joy, the main reason you'd open up your eyes in the morning...

...Bela,

Cassandra,

Daniela....

Their names are long cold, not yet forgotten - no, never forgotten - but somewhere else, as they don't belong here anymore; not on your arms, tucking them to bed. Not on your hands, caressing their faces. Not on your lips, kissing their foreheads. Not on your tongue, as you say them.

A raspy scream leaves your throat, it sounds disturbing.

You sob, hot tears trailing down your cheeks and neck, small cries for help find their way into the wind, disappearing with less importance then when they materialized.

You cannot recall for how long you stayed at that very same position, perhaps some hours, perhaps a day, but you are certain that at some point you were overcame by tiredness and collapsed - probably the best to do for now.

xxx

And so, rises the moon and the stars watch upon your limp body, the night howling a merciful wind and singing a melodic song. Grunting, you push yourself up with your elbows, sitting up and facing the sky through the hole you've made on the roof... and the levels above...

A huge carcass sits besides you, it's wings bended on itself and it's big mouth open to whoever would like to have a peek; you probably changed back into your normal body while unconscious... Now that you can see it clearly, you notice the damage that man-thing did to you... by heavens, how were you still alive and...

Oh. The castle. You look forward, taking in the horizon - the stars look exclusively shiny tonight - you breath in, the dusty air causes you to chough a few times. Stretching your neck a bit to see your whole house, you tell yourself it looks.. fine, actually, ignoring the broken windows. The broken windows.

It's cold. You shiver harshly, panting as the air meets your bare back and rumbles through your lungs, making you hug yourself, - you're naked, you just realized - the winter in Romania is truly kind to no one.

Your legs tremble with just the thought of trying to stand on your feet. You don't rush to do it either, let the wintry breeze take in your wounds, make it sting, burn it, freeze it; freeze your body along.

“To die. To die is to live. To live without them, that's torture. To live without their presence, absent of their scents, to not hear them, nor see their faces again, that's worse than death; far, far worse. How could I ever walk into that damned house without the heavenly sounds of their laughs, the tapping of their feet as they walk free, the steadiness of their heartbeats, reminding me that my own still beats.

Beats for them. For them only.

And they're gone.

So who shall my heart beat for? Myself? No, that wouldn't do. I will rip it out from my chest if I must, sacrifice it to any god who may hear me, all so I could spend five more minutes with them. Then I'd die in peace and find them at my arms again at whatever comes after this poor life.

But I'm here.”

You still hold yourself as you stare at a castle's - broken - window, new warm tears hanging the same trail the old and now dry ones did, a silent cry.

Your intrusive thoughts were abruptly cut by a loud noise from the inside of the castle, making you jump up, gathering all your last strengths to stand and walk a few shaky steps closer to home. The more you walked, the louder the noises got; a little rustle became a bang, and your tiptoing became a sprint, you hold yourself as tight as you can, ignoring the bleeding, the cold air spiking your lungs, how insanely fast you heartbeat was. You need to get there, protect the last remnant of them you still have.

The gates felt heavy now, even for you, who would open them with one hand. Where is your strength now? The fearless dragon who'd do anything to protect her house? Perhaps she died on that fall, and now all there's left is a shadow of what you were one day.

With much pain, you open the big doors, leading to the comfort of your house; you don't get in, you throw yourself in. The warm atmosphere engulfed you like a summer kiss on a winter storm, all you needed to ground yourself to reality for now. Grabbing some sheets laying over an old counter, you wrap yourself in it – oh, that's gonna get soaked in blood, but that's not of your concern now – moving incredibly fast for someone as hurt as yourself, you follow the continuous sounds that could not mean something good. The main doors are open, the cellar is unlocked as well, that idiotic man-thing couldn't even close the doors once he finished slaughtering your home? Imbecile.

You stand at the library's door now, suddenly frozen; you know what happened in there... do you really want to get in? Are you truly ready to face it again? Maybe you should take a step back and walk away, it would be the most logical decision to take now.

But what is logic when the heart screams? What is the brain for once your emotions take the best of you? You can't walk away. Put some honor on your name. Save the last bit of your daughter that fate is still conceiving you. Your chest rises and falls completely out of coordination, your fists close around the fabric involving your body; get ready, you're going in; gather the last bit of courage you have inside yourself and blast these doors.

And so you do.

You bring those pieces of wood to the ground, the only barrier between you and the reality you couldn't accept; a guttural growl forms in your chest as you see a lycan approach your child's crystalized body; you're blind with ire, sorrow, protectorship - you name it - and it makes you shout at the top of your lungs as you dilacerate the filthy beasts you'd bat your eye at. A bloody trail of corpses marks your way through the castle grounds, your claws dripping with fresh sanguine fluid - which you can't tell if it's from the creatures or from yourself - the crimson path follows you all the way to the other wing of mansion like a spirit who must haunt you for eternity.

You scream like a feral animal, blood soaking the once white cloth around your form; the scream becomes a shriek, which descends to a yelp, ending as a furious cry. You can feel the anger leaving you, like the waters of a waterfall; explosive, big portions of water falling into a numb, deaden lake. Hopefully those waters will carry you with them, you shall fall and sink at a anesthetizing lagoon.

You kneel, eyes closed, eyebrows frowned; a loud sigh fills the deafening silence in the air, your mind is blank – better, your mind is red, scarlet red mixed with black, ire and grief. Slowly, your head lower itself so you're facing the floor.

The big Lady Dimitrescu,

kneeling on a pool of blood, defeated.

•

“Lady Dimitrescu!”

Who..? The voice was so far yet so close, you try your best to focus on the direction of the calls but your nerves just won't cooperate.

“Lady!”

Who would be calling for you? Is your mind playing tricks on you now? And since when you were laying on the floor? Too many questions for too little answers. You try to stand up, but a sharp pain on your side made you cry out and fall on your back, face knotted in pain – perhaps your adrenaline rush was keeping you from feeling what was really happening with your body, and now you feel like you're betraying yourself for that.

A small figure approaches you in a fast pace, causing you to unleash your claws one more time and snarl at the not-so-possible threat; you were hurt. Vulnerable. Letting someone close was the last thing you wanted now. The humanoid thing backs away a few steps with your aggressive reaction, hands on their chest, visibly afraid – even though your vision is quite blurry, you identify their expression: scared, desperate, sorrowful – they call out once more, almost shouting.

“Please, Lady Dimitrescu, let me help!”

Ah... Help... The now clearer feminine voice washes over you - a wave of compassion - as if hope has found its way to your house again. Well, it better go away again, or you'll drag it out yourself.

“Out.” was all that left your lips, your intense gaze locking with hers, a silent yet not so discrete warning; although you had only said one word, it was well understood by the woman, who stepped away, eyes still meeting yours, a dreadful cast hang on her face.

Still, she didn't left.

Is that girl testing her luck? It can only be. Once again you warn her: “Leave. I will not repeat myself.”

Her posture stiffens, after a moment of silence she looks at the door, truly wondering about leaving or not; her body turns around, her knuckles going white from how hard she was grabbing the fabric on her chest – she's conflicted. But why? Who is she, after all? – A long, defeated sigh leaves her, as if she knows there is no choice left.

“Allow me to help.” A failed effort on trying to sound confident; her voice is full of tears and her tone is oscillating – it makes you wonder if she has been crying – The human walks towards you, trying not to make any eye contact; you can't stand on your feet, you left hand is pressed on your injured side, the other is open and directing your now extended nails towards her.

Oh how funny it is, no?

The predator being cornered by the prey. The dragon being trapped by the rabbit. How ridiculous it is.

Her extremely shaky hands hang in front of her, trying to say she won't hurt you – oh if she only knew it's going to be the other way round. – One step closer.. Her lips and chin tremble; Another. Your claws grow bigger, eyes peering through her soul; another step, your eyebrows frown, her eyes are teary. The last step - your blood is boiling hot, your nerves on edge; you are still the predator. - a slicing sound and a half-scream saturate the air for a millisecond, just for silence to overfill it once more. Red splashes over the room again, on your face, on your chest, but mostly on the floor, where the girl was thrown at.

An agonizing scream leaves her throat - what a miracle, she remains alive - both of her hands cover her face, blood spilling all over her; what a sight, you would most definitely enjoy this very much on another situation. She cries out in despair, making you face the ceiling and close your eyes, a tired look on your face – you just want all this to end, you don't have any more patience for this. You want to crawl back into your bed and starve, you want to destroy this place, make it abandoned ruins of what one day was a home; you want to kill that damned sickening man-thing, kill this foolish girl for perturbing your grieving, and then yourself.

The woman captures your attention once again, she is kneeling, her body facing yours, her right hand presses her ripped face, the other makes its slow way up to you, although she is trembling, she manages to keep her hand steady enough to hand you a little green flask with a yellow-y label; You look closer, 'treatment disinfectant' it says... Oh you can only be joking. You feel like slaughtering the girl right this instant, but takes in a deep breath and holds the flask, her hand immediately falling along with her body. Is she dead? No, her slow yet consistent breathing exclaims that she is still alive – you honestly find it a bit offensive – You should, but you cannot bring yourself to finish the human; you should end her suffering, but now she caught your attention; and besides, she wants to help, doesn't she? then the price she'll pay is staying alive.

———

hahaaa I'm so nervous about posting this,,, ,

and yes! It is a alcina x maiden fic! I do plan it to be slow burn, and if some you liked it and read it till here, please like and/or reblog and I'll post chapter 2!

( posted on Ao3! Name: “The woman in your castle” )

( chapter 2 posted!! )

[overlyobsessedgaygal]

The Vampire Hunting Vampire and His Partners

So this is going to be a new AU. It's going to be posted in one-shot format, not in chronological order. Just random scenes I feel like writing/posting.

The summary is that Logan, Patton and Roman work for a vampire hunting organization that uses captured vampires as agents, forced agents. Virgil is assigned to be their partner, and they become close. Eventually LAMP/possible DLAMP, appearances of other random characters.

It's not the Virgil didn't like his partners, he actually loved the three hunters he was being held captive by, it's just difficult to adjust. Virgil spent a lot of time being a loner and escaping hunters who would use him to find others, he had fed freely on the human population, though rarely killing, and was able to walk freely.

      He didn't mind the bright red shock collar that he was required to wear, he didn't mind that he had to walk no longer than an arm's length away from one of his partners, he didn't even mind having to be chained and caged when his partners slept.

      The only part he minded was the fact that he rarely got to feed and it was never enough to last until the next feeding station. While it wasn't deadly for Vampire to go without blood for years at a time it was uncomfortable to the point of painful. Vampires under the Monster Hunter Association were only allowed to be fed every six months at official feeding stations.

      Many vampires would do anything to feed after six months and it led to the death of many hunters that had been to close. Virgil was lucky that he was older than most vampires because he could easily ignore the cravings and handle the pain.

     He had never once bitten, or attempted to bite, any of his handlers or his current partners. A fact that he was proud of. He got to walk around without chains and a muzzle, only the electric collar stood between him and his next meal.

      The bed in the hotel room creaked and Virgil whipped his head to see the smallest of the three humans sitting up. Patton was young at only nineteen and he had a certain compassion to him that made Virgil concerned. Compassion usually meant naivety and naivety and monsters don't mix.

      "Morning, Virgil!" Patton whisper shouted as he walked over to let Virgil out of his cage and unlock the handcuffs on his wrist. Virgil noticed right away that he was only holding the keys, which meant the remote to Virgil's collar was still sitting on Logan's bedside table. If Virgil wanted to he could attack Pat and kill him before he could get to the remote.

    "Good morning, Patton." Virgil waited patiently for Patton to undo the lock before crawling out and stretching his stiff joints. "Did you sleep well?"

    "Oh, yeah! The bed wasn't exactly comfy but Roman is the best cuddler," Patton responded with a giggle. Virgil smiled fondly at his humans. "What did you think about all night?"

   Virgil was no longer surprised by the question. All three of his humans showed concern over Virgil's mental health as well as his physical wellbeing. "I compared my life before capture to my life with you," Virgil answered with full honesty. He saw no point in lying to any of them as they had never showed any animosity towards his negative thoughts.

    "Oh," Patton said. Virgil could hear the remorse in his tone and the vampire winced. "Which do you prefer?" The question was accompanied by big, soft eyes and a slight quiver to his lips.

     Virgil smiled at him. "You all try so hard to keep me happy and I appreciate that so much. How could I not like it here?" It wasn't exactly a direct lie.

      "You liking it here and you preferring it are not the same. We do not question if you are comfortable here, we question if you would be more comfortable with your freedom," Logan spoke up. Virgil looked behind him to see the oldest human had sat up in his bed and watching the conversation.

      Virgil looked down, knowing what he was going to say next would upset Patton. "Of course I would prefer to be free. Freedom is something all living creatures long for, the choice to leave as they may and eat when they want. The right to be alive."

     "Oh, Virge," Patton said it softly but Virgil could still hear the tears. "We don't want to make you feel like you aren't equal to us." Virgil felt like a jerk. He knew Patton would never knowingly make Virgil hurt and all Virgil could do was complain. He was an awful partner.

      "Is it the collar? We could always just take it off," a new voice chimed in. This voice was much deeper than the other two and held a much more intense tone. All three of the previous participants swiveled their heads to look at Roman.

       "Roman, it is highly impractical for us to allow him to walk without a collar," Logan admonished and Virgil felt a ball of lead sink in his stomach. "It would be much wiser if we were to leave the collar on but disconnect the remote."

     Virgil gave Logan a look of pure disbelief. Why would Logan suggest they let him roam freely? He was meant to be the smart one of the group.

   "No, don't do that," Virgil protested. All three humans looked at him with varying levels of confusion. "I- I don't want to be able to hurt anybody. It's safer if you keep it on me so that if I slip up then you can stop me."

     "You've been with us for three years, and the headquarters for years before, and you have never hurt a single person. We trust you," Patton put a hand on Virgil's shoulder.

       "If you're feeding instincts are the issue then we can solve that easily as well," Logan spoke up when no other words were offered. Virgil swallowed with great difficulty, which seemed to confirm Logan's theory.

       "While we can't take you to a feeding station before six months, nor can we allow you to hunt, there are no rules stating we cannot share our blood with you. Consensually, of course."

      Logan's proposal sent fear shooting through Virgil's body. Patton and Roman agreed with the idea, Patton even volunteering his blood up on the spot. Virgil stepped away from them, his head arguing with itself.

       "If I can't stop myself then I'll hurt you. You have to be able to stop me," Virgil said sternly. He looked Logan dead in the eyes.

       "Hey," Patton cut in moving to stand between the vampire and the hunter. "We know you won't do that. You've never liked to cause people pain."

      "If it makes you feel better than you can keep the collar on and Logan can hold the remote," Roman offered. Patton frowned and pouted. He hated the idea of Virgil being uncomfortable, being trapped.

       "I'm sorry, Pat." Virgil shifted his eyes to Logan. "If we do this then I want to be safe about it."

        The humans all reassured Virgil. Patton let Virgil take full control in where he was situated and how the easiest way would be. Virgil made sure Patton was in the most comfortable position possible on the bed, propped up on pillows so he could easily see Sesame Street playing on the tv.

       Virgil was sitting on his knees on the floor in between the two beds where Roman and Logan could see him clearly. Patton's wrist was hanging limply over the edge, waiting for Virgil to sink his teeth into the vein.

      "Does it hurt?" Patton asked. Virgil took a deep, unneeded, breath when that question came. Patton had asked in a voice with no fear or worry, just trust. Trust in a monster like Virgil.

       "Yes, it does hurt. Until my saliva numbs the wound it's going to hurt, thirty seconds about. After that it will just feel uncomfortable. Try not to flinch or yank away, my teeth may snag your skin."

    Virgil watched Patton for a moment before the human nodded. "Okay! What should I do if I want you stop? How hungry are you?"

    "When you want me to stop then tell me, if I don't stop as soon as he says then shock me with full power. It doesn't matter how hungry I am, I can survive years without blood so you don't have to worry about my needs."

      Patton glanced at Virgil in disappointment. He didn't get an answer to his question, he had wanted to know how much Virgil should take, when Patton would be okay to stop him.

     "Alright, it would be wise of us to speed along if we want to locate and capture the rogue vampire within the daylight, " Logan advised. Virgil swallowed his nerves and nodded, glancing back at Roman for reassurance.

     "Okay," Virgil said as he lightly lifted Patton's wrist. He pressed his lips against the soft flesh right above his veins. He watched Patton shiver as Virgil's cold skin made contact. "I'm biting."

      Virgil let Patton take a deep breath before he tried to delicately bite into the wrist. He heard Patton gasp at the intrusion. The bed behind them shuffled as Roman and Logan moved.

      Virgil tried to focus all his energy on Patton, reading his body language, listening to his breathing. He tried but the blood rushed over his taste buds, making his eyes go wide. Oh, he wanted more.

     Virgil barely registered the small sob that came from Patton but he did and he forced himself to slow down. "Vi-" Patton started to say. Before Patton could finish the thought Virgil had dislodged his teeth and back into the other bed.

     He was breathing heavy, Patton's blood dripping from his chin. "Are you okay?" Virgil was shaking. He made Patton cry, he had been to eager and had hurt him. Logan should have shocked him, Logan should still shock him, punish him.

     "I'm okay, Virgil." The voice wasn't as shaky anymore. Patton licked his lips. "Just, a bit light headed."

    Virgil panicked. "You need food! Good food, not greasy stuff. Strawberries and sunflower seeds! That's what they give the people at feeding stations." A hand suddenly resting on Virgil's head made the rest of his panicked rambling cut off before it began.

      "Relax our Melancholy Mosquito, we know how to take care of slight blood loss. Logan and I have been bitten before," Roman said calmly as he brushed a hand through the vampire's hair.

       "Our entire career revolves around us getting into altercations with vampires who wish to injure us. You truly did not cause any distress by taking a small amount of blood from one of us," Logan calmed Virgil. "And, besides that point, your display of control was beyond satisfactory."

         "I made him cry!" Virgil shouted. He couldn't handle all the calming words when he felt the guilt pulling on his stationary heart causing it to spasm painfully. The hand in his hair paused in its stroking for a moment before resuming, in a slower, more calming pattern.

          "I wasn't hurt or afraid," Patton said softly. "I just wasn't expecting it to feel like that." Patton lifted his hand and reached out to grab Virgil's hand. Virgil took his hand with the still bleeding wrist and Patton squeezed softly.

           "Now, let's go get some food!" Roman said. He got up quickly, Logan following suit. "Logan and I will be back with a meal for our puffball and a Sprite for emo daydream."

      Patton giggled at his nickname while Virgil hissed at Roman. Logan fondly rolled his eyes at his partners before hurrying Roman along.

     Virgil almost stopped them and told them to change out of their pajamas, almost.