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joshsindigostreak · 1 year

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I See Hell in Your Eyes

Chapter Three

"But pack your heart, you might need it."

Josh Kiszka x Vampire!Reader

Authors Note: Listen, this chapter is a complete behemoth but I promise its worth it. I had so much fun writing this. I hope y’all love it just as much as I do. Shout out to @gretasmokerising @sinners-go-to-drink-the-wine and @losfacedevil for being complete angels and giving me amazing feedback and not letting the imposter syndrome take over!! Love y’all 🩸🖤🩸🖤🩸🖤

Word count: 9075

Warnings: Detailed depictions of blood, swearing, you know the drill.

You tried, and failed, to control how wide your eyes got as he said his name. On this side of the country, their last name was said in whispers, rumors, petty gossip even. Out west, they were feared. If you had friends head that way and disappear, you could bet money on them being picked off by a Kiszka. For Vampires especially, you had to be careful where you slept during the day. One of their usual moves was striking while the sun was out, and depending on which one got to you, determined how they killed you. Allegedly, one of them really, really liked the sound of Vampires sizzling in the sun, like an egg on a sidewalk. It was probably the most painful way to die. It was slow, it was brutal, and he wanted you to feel it. Sick bastard.

While you never truly heard what their first names were, you did hear plenty of stories of a set of twins who worked together up and down the western seaboard. As you locked eyes with Josh Kiszka himself, you hoped he wasn’t one of them. If one was here, the other one was probably close by, and you didn’t need to find out which one was the more trigger happy twin.

Josh tilted his chin, a smirk slowly replacing the snarl around his mouth. He hadn’t pulled the last name card in a while, but seeing the look on the Vampires face was worth it. The wide eyes, the little gasp she tried to hide, it always felt good to remind them of their place. Lectures from his father about how Vampires viewed themselves as Apex Predators and that it was their job as hunters to humble them. He was always taught to look at Vampires and other supernatural creatures as pests; populations they had to control for the betterment of the ecosystem. Little needed to be said now that his name was out there, he could see the understanding in your eyes, the worry starting to form between your brows.

You opened your mouth to speak, but he cut you off, hissing out your name, “Yeah…I know about you too. Allegedly turned in the 1690s, when we were still the colonies?” He raised his eyebrows at you, watching as your expression hardened at his words, “from what your file said, you kept a low profile for most of your ‘life’ but you ran into trouble during the ‘20s in…Atlantic City, was it? Yeah that Nest you were a part of at the time had a trail of bodies too.”

“It was prohibition…you’d be surprised at how desperate humans can be for a little booze.”

“Almost as desperate as Vampires are for blood?”

You rolled your eyes, “that's not a fair comparison and you know it. Humans don’t need alcohol to survive.”

He ignored your reply and continued, “...after the ‘20s you circled Europe for a few decades, spent a good chunk of time in Canada, but seemed to disappear off the map towards the late ‘90s until you popped up in this city a few years ago-”

“My favorite color is purple, was that in there?” You smiled, cutting him off. A lot of his “facts” about you were off, or flat out wrong. You would’ve laughed had it not been for the knife at your throat. He rolled his big eyes at you, and you couldn’t help but be amused at how he was almost cute when he was annoyed.

“Can we get back to the reason why I have you against this tree?”

“I just figured you had a thing for pushing girls up against trees.”

“Girls, maybe. Vampires? No.”

“A shame, you don’t know what you’re missing,” you teased. Josh twisted the blade against your throat once again, this time flattening the metal against your skin, searing into the flesh underneath it. “Ah! Ok ok, yes newbies being stupid,” you sucked in breath through your teeth, “hate to break it to you but we don’t exactly keep files on each other like you hunters do with us.”

“Yes but I know Vampires love bragging about their kills. They had bounties on me and my siblings' heads when we were children.” His eyes flickered at the memory of the Vampire that broke into their house and had lifted his twin up off the floor by his hair. The way the creature had sneered at the two of them, and practically salivated while it described taking them back to its Nest to feed off one while the other watched. That was the night he learned just how hated his family was, and the image of his brother trying to wriggle out of the Vampires grasp mid air haunted him for weeks.

As his eyes started to trail off, you could see he was deep in thought about something. The thousand-yard-stare was starting to creep over his face, and it made you pause. For a brief moment, you almost felt sorry for him. But your sympathy was limited when you factored in the knife at your throat. His fucked up childhood didn’t justify half of the shit he and his family had done.

In the silence, an annoying realization hit you. In order to get this asshole off your back you had to find whatever Vampire was leaving the alleged bodies all over the place. He wasn’t going to leave you alone until he had another suspect to harass and interrogate. It almost made your brain itch at the mere thought of working with a hunter of all things but if it got the job done then so be it. You could leave the city afterwards and never see him again. That was the plan.

You thought back to what you had said, about how newly turned Vampires are sloppier when it came to feeding. As you said, these things weren’t common talking points between Vampires. Bodies happened. It was part of death. But if someone had just turned someone and let them loose with zero guidance, that could turn into a problem quickly. The city you currently resided in was relatively quiet, creatures kept to themselves and the various truces between species were kept with little fuss. It wasn’t perfect all the time but the balance was a lot better here than in the bigger cities.

It dawned on you, “have you ever been to a Blood Den, Boy Scout?”

This snapped Josh out of his ruminations. A Blood Den? He recalled his grandfather had raided one a few decades ago. They were “public” places Vampires could feed on humans, and wipe their memories afterwards. Because of this they were hard to track down, especially in the bigger cities.

“No…not officially.”

“You’re in luck then! If there’s any place a bunch of Vampires are going to sit around and potentially talk about their killing sprees it would be there. Sometimes we get a little chatty after feeding. I can ask around while we’re there.” Your bright tone completely masked the gravity of what you just suggested.

“What and have me pretend to be a Vampire? They’d see through that instantly,” Josh countered.

“Exactly. You wouldn’t be pretending to be anything. You’d be my…human companion…for the evening.” You centered your gaze at him, arching an eyebrow as he took in your implication.

“No. Absolutely not. You are not getting a free meal off of me while you play detective.”

You tilted your head in annoyance, “Ugh, relax. I wouldn’t have to feed off of you at all. The place I’m talking about has private rooms for feedings that we can “excuse” ourselves to after I ask questions. The private rooms are soundproof for obvious reasons. No one will know we’re just sitting there waiting to leave. You just have to play along and try not to slap cuffs on people trying to enjoy their dinner.”

Josh chewed his lip at the thought, weighing his options. It could lead to the big break in his case he had been searching for, but the idea of this Vampire being in the driver's seat while he was undercover made his skin crawl. “And how do I know you’re not just leading me in there to get bled dry by you and your friends?”

“As fun as that sounds, if you go missing I don’t need the rest of your family showing up here and completely destroying the peace around here. I know your family's methods, and I’m in no hurry to be on the receiving end of them.The quicker we find out who's being sloppy, the quicker we can never see each other again. I’m not exactly going to enjoy babysitting you all night either.” You sighed, “and besides, Dens have protocols. If I take you there as my human, no one can lay a fang on you without my permission. So all you’ll have to do is sit there, look pretty, and let me do the talking.”

“Fine. Let's go and get this over with.”

You tutted at him, “Oh no we can’t go tonight. It's almost Blue Hour! We wouldn’t have time to get ready and the Den is probably nearly empty by now.”

“Get ready?”

“Oh Boy Scout, it's a classy place. You can’t just show up in khakis,” you said, giving a pointed look at his outfit. “If we show up dressed to the 9’s it’ll sell that you’re my human, even more.”

He huffed in annoyance, “Fine. Tomorrow night then.”

“Perfect. 1 AM? We can meet here in the park. Same tree? But not against it, it’ll ruin my hair.” You replied with a small smile.

At this, Josh finally released his grip on you, taking the knife away from your throat and slowly backed up a few feet. It was slightly jarring, you hadn’t realized how warm he had been until you felt the rush of cold from his absence.

“Ok. 1 AM. Don’t be late,” he said, resigning himself to your plan. As much as he didn’t want to, he’d have to trust you a little bit in order to get anything done.

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” you leaned off of the tree and started to walk away, before throwing a look back over your shoulder at him, “Wear something black.”

At this you sped off, leaving him alone in the park. He watched you leave, trying to process your entire exchange. As he turned to go home, he could feel the adrenaline start to pump through his system at the thought of being in the literal lions den with you.

~!~

Your stiletto heels clicked against the sidewalk as you made your way to the spot in the park you agreed to meet Josh. Your dress was simple: a black bodycon number with an asymmetrical hem that went from the top of your knee on one leg to mid thigh on the other. You always had a good night when wearing that dress, and you hoped the luck would continue as you broke several protocols by bringing in an undercover vampire hunter into a Blood Den. The price of being caught doing was almost unknown, as you couldn’t recall this happening before. Your kind was very protective about their “public” places to exist. Bringing humans back to any Nest got old, and feeding in darkened alleys could be risky. It was nice to be able to let your shoulders down in a Den and have a “normal” evening.

Rounding the corner, you found your “date” for the evening standing under a street lamp. He was a good boy, he listened when you told him to wear something black. He looked very proper in the all black suit he was wearing, the color contrasting beautifully against his skin. He had his phone in his hand, and he was tapping a message onto the surface, before shutting it off and slipping it into his pocket. He hadn’t noticed you coming towards him yet, and for once you got to observe him in the wild. The light from the street lamp was cascading down his figure and you noticed he had reshaven down the sides of his head, making the skin visible and fresh looking. He looked beautiful, and the amount of effort he had put into his appearance tonight pleased you greatly. Who knew hunters had the time for a proper skincare routine? You could tell he was deep in thought, his eyes were fixed on the trees across the path from him. The wheels were churning in his head and you almost smiled at the way his brows slowly knitted together. You caught yourself wondering what he was thinking about, or if he was nervous about tonight. He would be in good company, as you were nervous as hell too. He was still such a wildcard but you hoped he could use all the self control he had to play along like you needed him to.

Your heels crunched on a stray leaf, which made Josh look up and take you in. Unblinking he looked you up and down as you approached. His own breath betrayed him by getting caught in his throat. He wasn’t supposed to look at you and think anything positive, he was raised to view any Vampires attempt at vanity to be another lure for their prey, or at best, a warning. His father always compared it to how the most poisonous frogs had the prettiest colors. And yet, there you were, slinking towards him with that ever present smirk on your face. A smirk that had invaded his dreams, causing him to toss and turn for most of the night before. Blurry images of you flashed before him in his mind's eye: your eyes narrowed at him, the surprising warmth of your skin beneath his hands, your breath on his face, and finally your mouth twisted in a smile, giving him a perfect view of your sharp teeth. If he could have tried his brain for treason, he would.

Most of the time, when a Vampire was in his dreams, it was normally scenarios where he’d have to save his siblings, or himself. They always ended the same, with the Vampire on top of him with a stake shoved into its chest. He could always see the color drain from the creatures’ face mere inches from his own, feeling the death rattle leave its lips and caress his face. It was his default setting, being the hero in his own stories. He was reliable that way, and he was raised to know it. His father had always pulled him aside to explain his responsibilities, and he knew his younger siblings weren’t subject to the same pep talks.

At last, the two of you made eye contact, and you slowed your walk to a stop. Like the hunter before you, your brain betrayed you with quiet thoughts of what this night would be like in another life. If you were both human? If you were both Vampires? If you were anything else? You knew this wasn’t a real ‘date’. To be honest, you hadn’t been on a proper date in years, maybe even a decade. You were ok with being alone. Sure, you had your flings here or there, but anything beyond that had you running. Romantic entanglements weren’t the most ideal in your world. Plus, life was too long to be attached to someone like that. You had to focus. This was a means to an end. A way to get this obsessive little shit to focus on some other Vampire, and you can go back to your mostly drama-free life. He would fade into your memories of other hunters you’ve encountered over the decades, lost in a sea of faces you can sort of recall. You’d hope you’d remember his eyes at least…or the gap between his teeth, or that deep dimple on his left cheek, or even the scar-

“You clean up nice...for a Vampire.”

You blinked at him, immediately snapped back to reality and your default amused expression slipped on your face. “And you own something other than khakis…I like it,” you said mirroring how he looked you up and down.

Josh rolled his eyes at you as he left the warm glow of the street light and made his way to you. “So where are you taking me?”

You smiled even wider at him, “oh just one of my favorite places in this city. You’re going to love it!” He winced with a skeptical look on his face, “It won’t be that bad! Just listen to everything I say and keep your mouth shut, got it?

“You don’t know me very well-”

“-and honestly I’m ok with that but I do know a hunter like you won’t be stupid enough to run his mouth around a bunch of Vampires who would love to use him as a cute little juice box.” You wanted to desperately boop his nose at the end of that but held back. As annoying as he was, you loved messing with him.

But your smile faded slightly, and you faced him fully, “there is one thing I need to make clear before we go.”

“...and that would be?”

“You have to promise me you won’t come back and raid the place like your family is known to do. I know I can’t Persuade you to forget like every other human that goes there, so you have to give me your word you won’t leak the location.”

Josh almost looked offended by your words, but then he realized that in any other situation that's exactly what he would have done. He could almost feel his fingers itching to reach for his phone to text Jake location details, something he had done many times in the past when they scouted out Nests in other cities. Agreeing to your terms would go against everything he was taught, every natural instinct he had, but if he wanted his answers, he’d have to say yes.

“Fine. But I also have one condition.”

“Name it,” you said, keeping your gaze steady.

“No feeding on me when we get there, even if you get hungry or want to blend in better with your friends.”

Your smile returned to your face, “like I said last night, I didn’t plan on doing that anyway. I’m just going to tell anyone who asks that I already fed before we got there, and that we just wanted to come by and relax. People do that all the time! You just get to sit there and look pretty.” This time you didn’t fight it and you reached out and slid your finger down the adorable bump in his nose and lightly booped the end, causing his brows to furrow instantly as he pushed your hand away.

“Ok, ok, can we go now?”

Rolling your eyes, you turned down the path in the direction of the Den, “Ugh fine, but please lighten up a little before we get there. It's only a few blocks away.”

The two of you walked down the path, eventually making it out of the park and into the downtown streets. This part of town was relatively quiet, especially at this time of night. It wasn’t downtown where all the human clubs were, or where all the bars were clustered together and the streets were full of people. No, this area housed the local Mom and Pop stores, devoid of chain businesses and tourist traps. It was very quaint, and unsuspecting.

Neither of you spoke as you walked down the sidewalk. Beyond your petty banter, you found it hard to make small talk with a hunter. What was there to say? So instead you just observed him out of the corner of your eye. His jaw remained clenched for most of the walk, hands in his pockets with his eyes set firmly ahead of him. Up close you could see a tiny red mark above his ear where he had probably nipped himself with the clippers he used to shave down the sides of his head. The mental image of him standing in front of the mirror, concentrating hard on getting both sides even almost had you stumble in your heels. Shaking your head slightly, you pressed onward, glad you were almost to the Den.

Beside you, Josh was observing you just as much. He kept it subtle, as he was taught. He could assess a situation purely out of his peripheral vision, and this skill was only heightened when he had Jake with him. He listened to the way your heels clicked in a confident rhythm on the sidewalk, and how you never looked down at your feet or the ground once. He noticed how even with a neutral expression on your face, the corners of your lips were upturned into a slight smile, as if you walked around with an inside joke with yourself. Or how your eyes shined constantly, the wheels in your head were always turning, and you didn’t hide it. He caught himself wondering what you thought about, what made you tick, what did you do with the centuries worth of memories, what were those memories, who did you have memories with-

“We’re here.”

Josh snapped out of his thoughts, and looked up at the building you had stopped in front of. The fluorescent, “Lakeside Rx” sign illuminated the sidewalk, with a smaller sign underneath detailing, “Open 24/7”. A pharmacy? What the hell?

“Umm…I don’t think-”

“Follow my lead, ok?” You looked him in the eyes, giving him a look to assure him you knew what you were doing. “Once I open the door, you’re my Human. You do not speak unless spoken to or prompted by me. Just listen and observe. Any Vampires you interact with will probably assume you’ve been Persuaded to be there and won’t remember anything once we leave. Its standard protocol. Since you…clearly, can’t be Persuaded by me,” you resisted the urge to roll your eyes at the memory, whereas Josh resisted the urge to smirk at the thought, “you’re going to have to play along and pretend you are. I know you don’t want to, but for this you’ll have to trust me.”

Josh sighed and nodded his head, instinctively he didn’t want to put this much trust in you, but something deep down made him feel uncharacteristically calm about the situation. Maybe it was the way you were looking at him, or the warmth of your hand as you placed it on his arm in reassurance, or maybe it was because you were the first Vampire he’d ever met that seemed motivated by something other than insatiable hunger and blood lust? He couldn’t pin it down but he did as you said and dutifully opened the door for you like a gentleman and followed you inside.

The overhead lights of the pharmacy flickered slightly as you made your way through the aisles. Everything looked normal and well stocked, not even a layer of dust on the shelves or various products around the store. This confused Josh even more as he followed you to the back of the store, where the prescription drop off/pick up desk was located. Even that looked completely normal, even with the singular employee he had seen throughout the entire establishment looking through prescription bins with her back to the two of you.

This was your time to shine, and you could hardly contain yourself at this point. You had seen the complete confusion on the hunters face and you wanted to laugh but you had to keep up your ruse. He really had no idea. There were so many things that humans weren’t privy to. That amount of blissful ignorance was almost enviable.

You confidently stepped up to the counter, and tapped the bell stationed on the desk. At the shrill sound, the pharmacist snapped her head up and turned around, giving you a warm smile as she walked up to the counter.

“Hello, what can I help you with,” she greeted in her best customer service voice.

You smiled, knowing your next line, “I believe I have a prescription ready for pick up?”

The pharmacist tilted her head and placed her hands delicately on the edge of the counter, “can I get your date of birth?”

You smiled and nodded, “of course.”

“Alright, you can enter it here…” she gestured at a number pad sitting next to the bell.

With zero hesitation your hand flew to the number pad and punched in your actual birth date, year of 1673 and all, pinky all but slamming the enter button as you finished.

The pharmacist turned to the computer to her right and smiled at the information you submitted, “excellent, you can pick it up at the back counter.”

“Thank you so much,” you replied with a matching smile before turning on your heel and heading for the hallway to the left of the pharmacy window.

Josh was so mesmerized by the interaction that he almost forgot his cue to follow you down the hall but quickly recovered and took long strides to catch up to you. He had so many questions running through his head but knew he couldn’t ask you anything right now. The two of you passed a couple doors for some bathrooms, along with a couple of water fountains, which made Josh even more confused as to what “the back counter” meant but he followed you along, the only sound being the clicking of your heels echoing throughout the hallway.

There was a door at the very end of the hallway, which Josh figured was your destination due to where you were headed but you instead stopped in front of another plain gray door to the right, just before the end of the hallway. There was no signage or even a window on the door, just chipped paint and a worn out brass doorknob.

You swiveled your head in the hunters direction, smirking, “wanna see a real party?”

Josh opened his mouth to speak, a little unsure if he was supposed to answer, when a loud clicking sound was heard from the other side of the door. You reached out and twisted the handle, pulling the door open to reveal a darkly lit hallway lined with ornate vintage wall sconces, the walls themselves decorated in a red and black wallpaper in a damask pattern. Josh nearly kicked himself for not figuring it out. Of course they’d have a speakeasy-style entrance to their Blood Dens. He started to file away this information in his head, but then remembered the deal he made with you outside. He’d have to keep this secret, even from Jake.

You stepped into the hallway, allowing Josh to follow behind as the door shut behind the two of you. To be honest, you had left the human world as soon as you stepped into that “pharmacy” in the front of the building, but now that the door to the “back counter” was shut, you were completely immersed in Vampire territory. This was your world, and you felt your shoulders relax the further you walked. The hallway took a sharp left turn and before you was a set of stairs descending down, the sconces continued to light the way.

Just before you stepped off the landing to begin your descent, you gave him one last look before softly slipping your hand into his. He was your Human now, and as such you had to show it as much as possible. Granted, most Human Companions in Dens weren’t romantically involved with the Vampire that brought them there, but a lot of them were, and 9 times out of 10 if you presented that way you were mostly left alone. If you weren’t, it was common to “share” humans throughout the night. The Vampire equivalent of a blunt rotation, or sharing food off of your plate. You had partaken in said practice more times than you could count, but not tonight. Josh was off limits, not only because of the deal you made with him but because…well he couldn’t be Persuaded to forget any of it, and it would be too risky! Yes, that was it.

He looked down at your hand slipping into his, and he didn’t fight the grip you had on him. Once again, he was surprised at how warm you were, and how soft your skin was. While you had your classic smirk on your face, the slight tremor in your fingers told a different story. It didn’t take his impeccable observational skills to understand you were nervous. It hit him just then that you were basically committing an act of high treason by consciously bringing him with you tonight. Not only because he was a hunter, but he was a Kiszka on top of that. One wrong move and both of their heads could easily become trophies -and warnings- to Vampires and hunters alike. Keeping that in mind, he gently gave your hand a squeeze as he followed you down the stairs, matching your grip with his. You were doing this, together.

The stairs turned and twisted, taking you at least two more levels down. As you descended, music met your ears. It wasn’t the strong bass you’d expect at a typical club, but every Blood Den was different. This particular Den leaned into “the old world” aesthetic that a lot of their patrons were nostalgic for. Classical music, a mix of candlelight and gas lamps, antique furniture, this was where you could leave the modern world behind and fully relax among other Vampires.

As you finally reached the bottom of the stairs, the familiar atmosphere greeted you. You were now in the main “chamber” of the Den, where most people gathered during the night. On the right hand side of the room was a traditional “bar” where one could sit and get a blood-infused drink if one was alone.

Humans didn’t even know what they were missing with Vampire cocktails. Instead of human liquor being the main ingredient, here it was blood. Vampires were always aware of different blood types among their prey, and there were centuries old descriptions and books of different blood profiles based on location, age, and overall health of human subjects. But it wasn’t until humans cracked the code to blood typing in 1901 that the science of it really took off. It was similar to how humans classified different types of wine. The thought of an A-Negative Manhattan had your mouth watering, you needed to take the edge off and calm your nerves.

Throughout the room there were multiple antique chaise lounges and matching couches. Vampires and their human companions were scattered amongst them, some in groups of four or five and some just one on one. Each group was in various stages of feeding. Directly in front of you and Josh was a couple where the female vampire was straddling the male human, fangs firmly planted on his neck while she fed. The man had his head thrown back in ecstasy, smiling softly while his hands gripping her thighs. Josh wanted to be disgusted but knew better than to let it show on his face. He stared at the couple curiously, was…was the human enjoying that? Is that possible? He had rescued plenty of humans in his time as a hunter and they never seemed happy to be in the clutches of a Vampire. Most of them were scared shitless, and grateful to be free of their tormentors. This was entirely new to him.

The human let out a moan and the Vampire chuckled against his throat, inadvertently spilling some blood down his neck and into his shirt. Josh hadn’t realized his mouth had been hanging open until he felt the tip of your finger push his chin up to close it.

“You’re staring…,” you whispered into his ear.

Dumbfounded, Josh turned to you with wide eyes and opened his mouth to speak but you squeezed his hand again, letting him know he didn’t have to explain himself. It was so amusing to see him react that way, like an Amish kid seeing a laptop for the first time.

“Let’s go find a seat,” you led him over to an empty corner booth, sliding around to the middle so the two of you could get a good vantage point to the room. The table was isolated enough to allow for quiet conversation, and Josh wanted to use this precious time to ask at least a few questions, but before he could get a word out a male server appeared at the table, focusing entirely on you. Now it was his turn to slip into character. He turned to you and gazed at you with the best heart eyes he could muster, even going so far as to sliding closer to you, completely invading your personal space.

“Can I get you started on a drink this evening?”

You smiled and licked your teeth before answering, “an A-Negative Manhattan would be amazing.”

The server threw a sideways glance at Josh, who was blinking slowly at you, resting his chin on his hand. You respected how hard he was committing to the bit. “Anything for…?”

“Oh no he’s fine,” you turned to look at him, he was so close you could feel the heat of his cheek next to yours, “...maybe some water,” you said firmly, hoping he’d get the hint to dial it back a little.

The server raised his eyebrows in judgment, humans were so fucking weird. “Right…I’ll be right back with those.”

As the server scurried off to the bar, Josh continued to stare at you. He was even closer than when you were walking down the street together. The last time he was this close to you was when he had you against that tree in the park, and he was noticing details he hadn’t before. Were your eyelashes always that long, or was it your mascara? He fully took in the profile of your nose and found himself admiring how perfect it looked with the rest of your face.

You scooted away from him just far enough to regain some space. Though you found yourself slightly disappointed you could no longer feel his breath fan down over your neck and bare shoulder.

“Easy, Boy Scout.”

“What? You said I had to sell it.”

“Yeah but don’t overdo it, we can’t have anyone get suspicious,” you warned.

Josh gave a sweeping glance at the rest of the room, noting the various states the humans in the room were in. If their eyes weren’t closed in pleasure from being fed on, they were gazing adoringly at their Vampire partners, as if waiting to be bitten again. “I don’t know, I think I was blending in just fine…”

You rolled your eyes because he was right. But still, you thought spitefully, you didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of knowing that. “All I’m saying is, less is more because I don’t want anyone to start asking questions while we are trying to ask questions, got it?”

“Fine,” he relented before going quiet for a few seconds. A few very short seconds before he whispered, “do…do humans really enjoy being bitten?”

You briefly considered messing with him further but decided to give him a straight answer for once, “some do. It honestly depends. I’ve fed on people who just stood there and took it, but I’ve also had a few who got really into it. Every once and awhile I can get an “arrangement” if you will where I can regularly feed on the same human, mainly out of convenience.”

Josh felt a pang of jealousy course through his system that he did not expect.

“...but the problem with arrangements like that is they often become really messy and I just don’t have the time for the fallout. I haven’t had a “regular” in years.”

Before he could reply the server from earlier appeared again at the table gently placing both glasses down. Josh used your distraction as you thanked the server to let himself exhale the sigh of relief at your confirmation you didn’t have any current “regular” humans. Why the fuck was he even thinking about that? Get it to-fucking-gether, Kiszka, he chastized himself. He glanced down at your drink, it looked relatively normal, but the obvious dark red hue reminded him that the whiskey it contained was accompanied by blood.

As if you could sense his question, you informed him, “A-Negative pairs really well with whiskey. Robust but not overpowering, gives you a great buzz. It's a shame you can’t find that out for yourself with your…humanity and all.”

Josh gave you a flat look, “I like my humanity just fine.”

“Suit yourself…though a hunter turned Vampire would be hilariously ironic.”

No it wouldn’t, Josh thought darkly. That was a train of thought he did not want to entertain. The consequences of that…no. Being turned was something his father refused to speak to any of the kids about. The emphasis was always on destroying whatever Vampire you had in front of you before that was even a potential thought. He did have a memory however of overhearing his parents talk about a raid his father had conducted. He wasn’t supposed to hear it, he had just snuck downstairs for a snack out of the kitchen when he walked by his fathers study and heard the gruesome details. Just before his father had killed the leader of the Nest, the Vampire had taunted him with the possibility, using his younger brother Sam as the example but what made it more depraved was that Sam had just turned 4.

“Oh my god, Monica!” his thoughts were thankfully interrupted by you cheerfully calling out to a woman that was passing by the table.

“Hello!? How long has it been, 7 years?!” Monica, the tall, willowy Vampire with chestnut hair nearly shrieked your name as she threw herself into the booth to give you a hug. She had a man with her, but from what Josh could see he was also a Vampire, but there was something off about him.

“Bitch, I told you to call me after you came back from Italy,” you squealed and giggled into her hair.

“I know, I know! But I was just too distracted by this one,” Monica beamed and turned to pinched the cheek of the man who stiffly sat beside her.

“Who is this, then?” You questioned as you toyed with the metal skewer the cherry garnish of your drink sat.

“This is Ethan…,” she gushed, “I met him while in Italy, actually! He was a human companion to a friend of mine at the time and we were all out to dinner together and we just hit it off! Eventually he ended up becoming my human companion for an entire summer but I just realized…I couldn’t let him go.” Monica leaned towards you like she wanted to tell you a secret, “I ended up turning him last fall,” oh, it was a secret all right. Turning someone wasn’t a taboo by any means, but like you had told Josh the night before, your species was very selective about the process. Turning your regular snack wasn’t unheard of but…it wasn’t the classiest thing either.

But you used this to your advantage, “So he’s only about a year old? How has the adjustment been?”

“He’s been wonderful, haven’t you sweetie?” Ethan nodded with a tight-lipped smile.

“We’re still working on the cravings and the self control but we haven’t had an incident in a few months now.” Monica explained while Ethans eyes were trained on Josh specifically, and you felt how tense Josh got next to you because of it. You kept your attention on Monica while she prattled about how being a Maker was going for her and slowly slipped your hand under the table and firmly gripped your hunters knee. You gave it a good squeeze, signaling that you also didn’t like how Ethan was staring at him. “...but enough about me, who is this?” Monica gave a pointed look at Josh.

“Oh this is my human companion tonight…isn’t he pretty?” You looked over your shoulder at Josh, flashing your teeth in a smile.

“Oh he’s very pretty…where did you find him?”

You chuckled, “would you believe it I found him near a dumpster?”

Monica let out an obnoxious laugh, “oh my god how random! Well, I hope you keep this one around, he’s too cute.”

The music playing over the speakers abruptly stopped, and coming out of one of the side doors was a man who walked over to the piano in the corner, dramatically dusting off the bench before sitting down and starting to play a soft melody. Both you and Monica jumped at the sight, knowing what it meant. Your friend immediately started pushing her boyfriend out of the booth, looking pale and skittish. “Well it was lovely seeing you tonight! I’ll definitely call you later!” She gave you a weak wave while she grabbed Ethans hand and scurried off to one of the doors along the back wall, where the private feeding rooms were.

Josh turned to you confused because what the fuck was that all about, but he answered his own question when he saw…him. Weaving his way around the lounges and tables, was a Vampire that was easily 6’5”, dark hair and olive skin, his presence was massive. Every Vampire, even the ones mid-feed would look up at him as he passed.

Dimitris Nikolou. He was the owner of this Blood Den. He was at least 200 years older than you, but you suspected it was a lot more than that. You had known him very well over the years, it was his Nest you turned to when you were caught in the Atlantic City raid in the 20s, and he had accepted you with open arms, in exchange for your loyalty. You didn’t serve him, but should any rival Nests decide to start shit, you knew which side you had to take. He and a blonde, statuesque woman made their way over to your table, Dimitris’ eyes lighting up when he not only recognized you, but when he saw Josh.

“It has been far too long since I’ve seen you here,” he announced before sliding into the booth…behind Josh. His human companion slid in next to you, effectively trapping you and Josh in the middle of the corner.

“Dimitris, lovely as always,” you greet with a smile.

“Oh Darling, after all these years it's just Dimitri to you, you know that,” he replied fondly. He turns to give a proper look at Josh, more specifically, his jugular, “Now…who is this lovely creature you’ve brought with you?”

You squeezed Joshs knee once again, this time for your own reassurance, and to funnel your nerves to anywhere else but your face. “This is my human companion for the evening,” you said politely.

“What a catch…such striking eyes.” You hated the way Dimitris’ eyes were raking all over Josh, but you couldn’t do anything about it. “Does this human companion have a name?”

You felt your throat start to close, there was no way you could even give him his first name only, that was too risky. You had to play it off, “I think his name was…William…I found him outside of a restaurant and decided to bring him here.” You could see the wheels turning in Dimitris’ head and your grip on Josh tightened.

He turned back to Josh, “Well William what are we going to do with you?” Once again he was staring at Joshs neck, “I suppose a little taste of him won’t hurt, would it?”

You interjected almost too fast, “No no, he’s mine for the evening, I quite like this one.”

“Of course he is but he just looks so delicious, we’ve always shared haven’t we, darling?” He gave a look to the woman next to you, who immediately extended her wrist underneath your face. “Oh, ignore my horrible manners, this is Yvonne. I found her while scouting a new Den location in Chicago. She’s A-Negative as well, that's your favorite if I recall?” His eyes sparkle at you, triggering the memories of the bodies you shared the last time you occupied one of his Nests.

The thing about rules is that they only work if everyone plays along with them. Vampires like Dimitris played by their own rules, and were prone to rip the proverbial rug out from under you at a moment's notice just to make a point.

“So what do you say? A companion for a companion?”

There was no way out of this, and if you could have grabbed Josh by the collar of his shirt and drug him out of there, you would have. Instead, you’re both trapped in a booth with someone who could destroy you both with barely a flick of the wrist.

Josh has been politely silent this entire time, keeping his eyes focused on you. He wasn’t sure if the worst part about this was the fact he was about to be fed on for the first time in his life, or if it was because he was about to be fed on by someone other than you. He felt a strong hand coil around his neck and gently tilt his head to the side, his eyes never left yours. He watched as you weakly grasped Yvonnes wrist, bringing it to your mouth. Your fangs descended from your gums as you bit into her skin, and before he could even register his own thoughts on that, he felt similar fangs pierce the skin of his neck. His ears instantly started ringing, the sensation burning a lot more than he expected it to. He quickly realized that the actual action of having your blood sucked out of you wasn’t what hurt, but the entry wounds made by the fangs, which still burned. Having your blood suddenly start flowing in the wrong direction was…different. His body felt heavier yet he was beginning to get light headed at the same time.

Your eyes were locked onto Josh and Dimitri, distracted to the point where you were barely feeding off of Yvonne. Slowly, you detached from her wrist and placed it on the table, which visibly disappointed Yvonne, who was enjoying the whole thing. Your hand inched forward under the table, desperate to make contact at least with Joshs hand that was limply lying between the two of you. After a few agonizing seconds your pinky brushed against his, and you tried to put every emotion you could into that action, to let him know you were still here. His eyes were starting to droop, a sign that Dimitri was nearing the threshold of too much at one time for a human.

“Dimitri!” You yelped almost too loud.

Dimitri popped up off of Joshs neck in surprise, but after looking at Josh himself he saw the state he was in, “I do apologize…his blood is very…different than what I’m used to. It's got almost this…spice to it? It's almost familiar to me but I can’t quite place it. ” He grabbed a handkerchief out of his coat pocket and dabbed his mouth before nicking his finger to heal up the neck wound with his own blood. Given his age and experience, there was hardly any mess on Josh to clean up, and what little there was he wiped away with his handkerchief before handing it to Yvonne to mop up her wrist.

“He is…very special,” you agreed, inching even closer to Josh who was starting to slump against the booth wall. “I really hate to cut this short but I reserved one of the private rooms for tonight and I’d really like to take him there now.”

Dimitri licked his lips and nodded, suddenly willing to play by the rules now, “I do remember seeing your name on the books for tonight! Right, well we’ll get out of your way, darling. It was lovely seeing you again. Don’t be a stranger, you know you’re always welcome here.”

“Thank you…Dimitri.”

“Always, darling.”

With that Dimitri and Yvonne slithered out of the booth, finally leaving you and Josh alone. You couldn't bring yourself to move until you saw the pair settle down on a couch next to another couple, seemingly about to repeat the process with them. This was your chance, and you quickly grabbed Joshs hand and hauled him out of the booth. He was weak, and he needed food to replenish what he just lost. Thankfully he could still walk and you were able to make your way to the back wall where the doors to the private rooms were. The door Monica and Ethan had entered still had its “occupied” light on above the frame, but the door on the far side was open and waiting. Turning on your heel you beelined for that door, shutting it behind you and clicking the lock before pushing Josh himself against the back of the door, your forearm barred across his chest, anchoring him to the wood. You had wanted a chance to reverse the roles and shove him against something like he had done to you twice, but you hated how it happened tonight.

“That was so fucking stupid…,” you gritted out through your teeth, frustrated not at Josh for once, but at yourself.

“It's ok..” Josh finally spoke, his voice softer than you had ever heard it.

“No, it's not ok. If I hadn’t stopped him-”

“But you did…that's what matters.”

You met his eyes, those big brown eyes, and for the first time in a long time you felt your own well up. You moved your arm from his chest and cradled his face in your hands. His eyes were still droopy, but they were fixed on you.

“You need to eat something…,” you whipped your head around the room to find the mini fridge they always stocked with food for the humans to eat after feeding. It was a small courtesy to prevent any liability issues. Taking his hand, you lead him over to the antique couch in the middle of the room, gently sitting him down before crouching down in front of the mini fridge, grabbing a bottle of orange juice and a bag of chips. You shoved both items into his hands, not caring if the combination didn’t taste good. The faster you got him well enough to walk so you could get out of there, the better. Josh ripped open the bag of chips and unscrewed the top of the orange juice, wincing at the flavor combo but eating it anyway. As he worked his way through snacks you sat next to him, staring at him to make sure he was eating it all.

After a few minutes of silence, you finally said, “I am…so fucking sorry Josh. I thought he was still in Chicago, I didn’t know he was going to be here and I definitely didn’t know he was going to do that. I know that was your one deal breaker tonight and if you end up giving the location to your brothers I underst-”

“I won’t go back on our deal,” he cut you off, voice sounding a little stronger than before.

“But you said-”

“The deal was you were not to feed on me, and you didn’t. That creep doing it was an unforeseen circumstance, but at the very least you stopped him before anything happened. You could’ve let him finish me off and got rid of me so easily, but you didn’t. You got me back here and made me eat something,” he downed the remaining orange juice, “I might not know all the ins and outs of your world, but I do know the risk you took by bringing me here, and it won’t be forgotten.”

“I just-”

“No, now we get out of here and think of our next move. Your friend with the newbie? We need to talk about that. He was two seconds from launching himself across the table had Count Chocula not made his grand entrance.” There it was, the humor that let you know he was feeling better. His face wasn’t as pale as it was, and while he still needed time to recover, he was well on his way. “I don’t think she was telling the whole truth about there not being any ‘incidents’ recently.”

You nodded, agreeing with him, “can you walk?”

“Yeah I think I’m ok.”

“The exit is through that door,” you pointed at the solid black door in the corner, “it leads to a set of stairs to take us back to street level.”

Josh tested his legs and stood up slowly, you quickly helped him all the way up and stood in front of him, making sure he didn’t fall back. A few deep breaths later, he nodded at you and the both of you exited through the black door. The stairs to the street were at the end of the hallway, and as you started to ascend a new panic ripped through you. On the second landing, the faint early morning glow of sunlight was creeping down the stairs. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. You couldn’t believe that much time had passed down there. Another stupid move on your part. Josh felt you retreat down a few steps, before looking ahead and seeing what you were backing away from. Without hesitation, he ripped off his suit jacket and draped it over you.

“My place isn’t very far, we can get there quickly if we’re careful.”

You stood there, stunned by his actions, just like how you could’ve easily gotten rid of him in the Den with Dimitri, Josh could’ve led you to your very death with little effort, but he didn’t.

“Ok…” Securing his jacket over your head and arms, you restarted your ascent up the stairs, hoping he was true to his word in his place not being very far.

“Come on…I’ve got you…” was all he said as he led you up to the street, and into the sunlight.

To be continued…

Tag me List: @lightmylove-gvf , @dannyandthekiszkas , @gretasmokerising , @sinners-go-to-drink-the-wine , @wideminded-dreamer , @runwayblues , @wildbluesorbit , @llightmyllovee , @rhythm-of-space , @sacredthefran , @writingcold , @alwaysonthemend , @wetkleenex-gvf , @josh-iamyour-mama , @lightsofthe-living-gvf , @gvfcinema , @sacredthethreadgvf , @losfacedevil , @jakekiszkasbuttsweat , @shutupdevvie , @hearts-hunger , @gretavanfleetposts , @andromeda-raine-gvf ,

#josh kiszka #josh kiszka x reader #greta van fleet #josh gvf #my fics #i see hell in your eyes #🩸🖤#enemies to lovers #slow burn

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iiboronii · 2 months

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Ok so the aforementioned OC universe is known as IDPS, short for Interdimentional Pizza Shop (and Mercenary Work)! There is literal YEARS worth of lore and ideas put into this thing I love it so much :D

This version of Artic is the one in my pfp, and who the oc: artic tag refers to lol- Basically she's embodiment of the season of winter, a huge dragon enthusiast, and the much-needed voice of reason!!

She's not a "true" skeleton per se, like she's not undead, she's just kinda in the shape of one- Though she can disconnect and reattach her bones like a cartoon ouo

She has ice powers, but not in a "shooting ice beams out of your hands" kinda way, it's very contact based!

She can freeze things by touching them, she can make a layer of ice under her feet to sliiide around super fast, and sometimes she physically freezes up under stress so you have to wait for her to thaw out akjfds

She can pick up your drink and little ice cubes form in it, in whatever shape she wants! And when she cries the tears freeze up so there's just little bits of ice on her face you gotta wipe off

In IDPS there are these things called essences, which are the super concentrated (and super illegal) form of a concept, usually in liquid form like a potion. Like if you poured a drop of Essence of Princess onto an apple, it would turn all sparkly and have a big bow on it!

Artic just naturally has the Essence of Winter in her bones instead of blood or marrow! So she doesn't have to worry about vampires bc they'd just get a really bad brainfreeze lol

She mainly fights with dual blades made of ice, inspired by Monster Hunter's dual blades! She's a very strategic and speedy fighter, her movements almost dancelike in combat, and she likes to use the terrain to her advantage!

And since this is a multiverse story, she actually goes through the story mode of Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, saving a village from a giant sea monster! The gal who gives out quests in that game, Aisha, is like an older sister to her hehe ouo

So Artic is a licensed monster hunter, and she is absolutely FASCINATED with these creatures and how they work. And after some shenanigans in her childhood town in the mountains, she even starts her own sanctuary to educate people and care for dragons that wouldn't make it in the wild!

Here she's shipped with Ink Sans, and they live together with her dragon pet / companion Blizzard ouo!

It's this really sweet little story about Ink showing this really anxious and sheltered girl the world, seeing all the potential and life in her eyes and wanting to see her blossom.

And there's a scene where Ink is trying to hide his condition (basically he's undead and needs to drink magic paints in order to feel and regulate emotions), bc so many people have left him after finding out. But Artic doesn't mind at all, after all it's still him and she likes him for who he is ouo

The two are basically opposites, but they work well together and they're just silly little guys in love ouo

Artic's main arc is about identity and archetypes. Like how winter is often portrayed as this harbinger of death that needs to be driven away, but Artic is really soft and sweet-

She wants so desperately to be a hero, but the archetypal hero is confident and charming and brave and super strong; everything she thinks she isn't. But in reality, she's the most heroic of her peers because of her kindness!

There's a whole theme of knights and dragons and legends, realizing that those notions of what she should or shouldn't be don't define her, because people are more complex and nuanced than that ouo

THIS IS SO COOL OUGHHHH I LOVE IT I LOVE IT

My FAVORITE part is that there's literal years of lore built into this thing. Clearly it has been crafted with nothing but love and care in mind and I think that's beautiful.

I didn't even realize that was Artic in your pfp?? That's so cute I love it so so much :DD (Is there a high definition version I can look at? I wanna see her clearer!)

ARTIC'S POWERS ARE SO NEAT IN THIS!!!! I want heart shaped ice cubes that's actually so cute. And the way her abilities affect the way she experiences stress and cries? Chef's kiss. Do her ice powers affect her whenever she experiences other intense emotions? And also can the thawing out process be helped by blankets and stuff or does she just stay frozen? Oooh or does she just continuously keep refreezing bc of the stress? Like trying to thaw her out helps a little but not for long and not much? SORRY I'M JUST SO CURIOUS I REALLY LIKE THE CONCEPT OF HER POWERS AFFECT HER BASED ON EMOTIONS THAT'S SO FREAKING COOL-

And essences!!!!!! Oughhh I really like the concept (pun intended)!!!!! Is there an essence for every concept or just certain ones? And vampires getting brainfreeze LMFAO. Can you drink an essence or does that turn your organs into the concept? And is Artic the only person with an essence in her bones or do other people have it?

THE COMBAT YES OMFG I CAN SEE IT SO CLEARLY,,, STRATEGIC AND SPEEDY AND DANCELIKE I LOVE IT!!! She's so intelligent using the terrain!!! I can see her in my head looking around, eyes darting quickly to survey the area as she narrowly avoids an attack before making her next move!! Effortlessly she slashes her opponent when they're not looking due to her adaptability and quick thinking.

And I'm so sorry I don't know anything about Monster Hunter whatsoever </3 BUT I DID SOME RESEARCH FOR YOU OFC AND IT LOOKS LIKE SM FUN???? I didn't get much of the story aspect of it but it seems great omg. Anyways Artic's curiosity is always something I love seeing!! I can see her killing this giant sea monster (Lagiacrus, I presume?) and then being like "wait a moment- I know this thing was terrorizing you all but I want a closer look at it-" AND FOUND FAMILY MY BELOVED OUGHHH ARTIC AND AISHA <333 THAT'S SO CUTE,,, and the sanctuary <33. Artic is so caring it's so sweet!! It's completely refected in her character and everything she does, I think. Not just in IDPS but across the board! Like. She saves this village from a sea monster and she wants dragons to be taken care of because she's just like that natrually. And even in like Buttermilk Daydreams she just wants to take care of The Onceler as best as she can!!!! And in the Biggering AU even though she's MAD at this man she's STILL telling him that they'll figure something out (they always do). Sorry I'm literally IN LOVE with the threads that stitch your AUs together I got so sidetracked LMFAO-

But anyways Artic and Ink Sans being opposites is SO GOOD AAAAAA- Artic feels so deeply and Ink doesn't feel at all without the paints. Artic has been sheltered and Ink has seen too much. And there's Artic's sweet and caring side coming out again!! Ink is afraid to tell Artic about his condition, but Artic could care less.

ARTIC SELF DISCOVERY YES YES YES YES YES!!!! SHE DOESN'T NEED TO GIVE INTO THE STEREOTYPES!!!!!! She's not winter even though she has its essence flowing within her. She's a hero even though she doesn't look like it. And her kindness being the thing that makes her most heroic?? I'M IN LOVE. This is what I was talking about earlier!!!! She's just so caring and sweet!!! It's something she uses to her advantage!!!!

#once again i'm overjoyed to read your writing #the descriptions you give are so good i'm foaming at the mouth #also where does the pizza shop come into play i need to know #SORRY I TOOK FOREVER TO REPLY I'M SO BACK NOW THOUGH #browsing your profile as we speak #i didn't reread what i wrote for clarity/typos like i sometimes do so i hope this made sense LMFAO

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cadaverousdecay · 1 year

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leaf im trying of expand my horror film history knowledge and also just out of curiosity please i need to know your favorite vampire films. the campiest ones, the essentials. the so bad it's good ones. give me the juice

YIPPEEEEE okay so. i have made it my life goal to watch every movie on the vampire films wikipedia, im not yet there, but i will give you all the favorites of the ones ive watched so far

first off, LOST BOYS!!!!! (1987) my favorite movie of all time, i could watch it every day for forever, the style, the vibes, the soundtrack, everything is so perfect. amazing execution of a horror comedy, about familial love and the feelings of alienation in youth (so many queer undertones), this is a movie for fags

for essential films, i gotta say nosferatu (1922), dracula (1931), [also check out the spanish version of dracula (1931) if you can get a hold of it, it comes with the dracula dvd if you have it at your local library], horror of dracula (1958), blood and roses (1960), the vampire lovers (1970), and the blood splattered bride (1972). three early dracula adaptations, and three carmilla ones. these, esp the dracula ones, lay the groundwork for vampire movies.

for some comedy and camp, check out what we do in the shadows (2014), vamps (2012), love at first bite (1979), dracula:dead and loving it (1995) <-thats where the blood gif i reblogged is from, dracula ad 1972 (1972), buffy the vampire slayer (1992) <-i prefer the show but the movie has its charm, so bad its good, was a fun watch, and jesus christ vampire hunter (2001)

idk what to title these last ones but i love them, the hunger (1983) <- also if u can find a copy of the book it was an amazing read!!, interview with the vampire (1994) <- also check out the new show if u feel like it, its even better than the movie to me, blade (1998), let the right one in (2008), only lovers left alive (2013), and a girl walks home alone at night (2014)

i'll keep u updated as i watch more <3

also if u havent read the vampyre by dr polidori, carmilla by sheridan le fanu, or dracula by bram stoker id def recommend them, those are the big three in vampire lit history. also the vampire a new history by nick groom is a wonderful book about the history of the vampire myth

#okay that was a lot lol #i loooooooove vampires #anyway. yeah #let me know if any titles jump out at u and i can tell u more abt them if u want #i love u so so much thank u for asking about vampire movies <333

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aranict · 1 day

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Tag 9 people you want to know better!

Tagged by @lanistas <3 <3

Last Song: I have been listening to this acoustic rendition by Maggie Rogers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QmdZTcsM_I&list=RDio0UQ74sXfw&index=13&ab_channel=BBCRadio1VEVO and kinda being overly emotional over this set

Favorite Color: black and very dark blue.

Currently Watching: I have not watched a series in so many months... so yeah sorry nothing there.

Last Movie: I rewatched the Blade movies and I blame the last Deadpool flick for this reason, and also the fact that I missed badass vampire hunters kicking ass.

Sweet/spicy/savory: sweeeet ( bonus if its sweet and spicy?)

Relationship Status: married to a lovely man who's been putting up with my fangirl antics for the last 9 years :D

Last thing you googled: "how many soldiers in a regiment." Presented with no context, totally not related to any fic writing. Not. At. All. Why do you ask. :D ( the darklina brainrot continues strong this year)

Thanks for tagging me! <3 <3

#aranict rambles

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yakool-foolio · 11 months

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I am actually having more monster hunter x rain code brainrot now, what monsters do you think the NDA people prefer to hunt like do they have a favourite monster? Or alternatively, if you were to assign the detectives monsters from MH, which would they be? I think you might have mentioned something about Vivia being a bit like Malzeno but what about the others?

That makes two of us with the Monster Hunter Rain Code brainrot combo! For whatever monsters they prefer to hunt and associate them with, I picked from the Rise Sunbreak pool since that's the game I'm placing them in for the crossover AU. Though it's very possible I could cheat and pick a monster that's in World if I feel like it heh. Enough dilly-dallying, time for the list!

Yuma - I feel like he'd favor hunting Rathalos, a good challenge while also not too overly demanding like an elder dragon. It's a good show of strength without putting himself in too much danger. The posterboys are fighting! As for what monster I associate him with, I'd say Chameleos suits him pretty well. An elder dragon with the ability to blend in with its surroundings and create mist, while also acting very jittery and unpredictably. Yep, that sounds like our lad.

Halara - They enjoy hunting down Goss Harag since they treat it like a sparring session. Two powerful blade wielders battling to the death, just the average hunt for Halara. This is where I start to cheat by saying that Halara's associated monster is Glavenus. Another sword-like monster, Glavenus is known for being one of the strongest brute wyverns while also being the most intelligent, fitting for Halara's excellence in brains and brawn.

Desuhiko - Taking the surname Thunderbolt to the extreme, he absolutely loves to hunt Zinogre. I associate Desuhiko with electric guitar motifs, so for Zinogre to also have electric guitar in its theme makes it all the better. I associate him most with Tobi-Kadachi though, the electric flying snake-squirrel simply fits him to a T. He managed to get the highest honor one can receive since Tobi is my favorite monster.

Fubuki - Her favorite monster is Velkhana! She likes to think of the icy elder dragon as royalty, so she treats the monster with utmost respect in battle, even if it means she often finds herself incased in ice for her chivalry. I feel like she reminds me of Mizutsune the most, since this monster appears harmless at first, but its bubbles are surprisingly deadly in unconventional ways by tripping up hunters.

Vivia - He's definitely the type of person who prefers not to hunt unless absolutely necessary, but when he does, he gravitates toward hunting Gore Magala. That is, until he tries to snuggle under one while using its fluffy wings as a blanket. And of course I associate the anemic vampire with the vampiric dragon Malzeno! Once a peaceful monster living in harmony with humans, its tranquility was destroyed while fighting for dominance against a powerful, demonic elder dragon. This battle forced Malzeno to form a symbiotic bond with parasitic leeches that infected it, something that Vivia would most likely sympathize with (and is definitely a plot point in the crossover AU).

Yakou - The chief achieves the greatest thrill when hunting Crimson Glow Valstrax. It's basically like fighting fire with fire with these two rocketeers. Maybe this monster even reminds Yakou of Yomi due to its title as the 'star of despair,' much like what the leader of Amaterasu has become over the years. It's certainly one way to take out his pent-up guilt and rage. I'm gonna cheat again by associating Yakou with Namielle. The sea dragon propaganda prevails!

#vivia would definitely try to nap alongside a gore magala and his teammates proceed to wordlessly freak tf out #he'd also get along well with espinas in that regard #sleepover with two highly dangerous dragons #boys night out #nocturnal hunters guild au #rain code #yuma kokohead #halara nightmare #desuhiko thunderbolt #fubuki clockford #vivia twilight #yakou furio

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thenightling · 3 months

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My favorite "bad" horror movies

I am putting "bad" in quotation marks because good and bad cinema is in the eye of the beholder. In this case I'm using limited budget, film obscurity, or critical response to define "badness." Because they have become so mainstream (cult classics) I will not put Hocus Pocus or Hocus Pocus 2 on this list though I love them. I also won't have the TV mini-series Over the Garden Wall on the list because even though it has fallen into some obscurity, it does have a fair sized cult following. I actually considered putting Frank Langella's Dracula from 1979 on this list just because the original color-restored version is so hard to find and on most "Who is your favorite Dracula?" memes accidentally leave him off. But it was popular once, was a Broadway play, and was made by Universal studios. So it's probably not obscure enough for this list. And though it had a very limited theatrical release that was kind of suppressed I won't be putting Fright Night: Part 2 from 1989 on this list, despite my love for it. It was popular enough to spawn a comic book spin-off. Anyway, these are my favorite "bad" (I don't think of them as bad) movies. Be warned, I like a LOT of movies that many might consider bad so if you're surprised one isn't on this list it could be that I was oblivious to the fact that someone might consider that particular one bad.

13. Plan 9 from outer Space. I feel I probably shouldn't put this on the list since it's become so mainstream but this is probably the most well-known bad movie, from director Ed Wood. Aliens attempt to use controlled zombies to invade the world. An alternate choice for the 13 spot is Warm Bodies. I have a soft spot for this one. Many hated it out-of-hand as the zombie version of Twilight but actually R (the protagonist) is much smarter than Edward Cullen. Also it's one of the only Zombie Apocalypse movies I've ever seen with a happy ending.

12. Dracula: Sovereign of the damned. A badly dubbed Japanese anime based on Marvel's Tomb of Dracula comics but working around the fact that they didn't bother securing the rights to use the character Blade, The vampire Hunter. So imagine trying to compress the entirety of Tomb of Dracula into an hour and a half animated movie, and leaving out one of the main characters from those comics. It would be like if they adapted all of Neil Gaiman's The Sandman into a single badly-dubbed animated movie, and left Death of The Endless out. This one is a bit obscure but you can find it to watch on Youtube

11. The Halloween Tree. It's hard to call this a "bad" movie but it has, unfortunately become obscure. It actually won an Emmy. It's a made for TV animated movie. It has a gorgeous score and it's beautifully animated. It's narrated by the great Ray Bradbury and based on his novel, which was inspired by his disappointment in the "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown." The plot is a group of trick or treaters go on a surreal adventure through time, learning the history of Halloween with their guide, Moundshroud (Death) and save the life of their dying friend, Joe Pipkin. 10. I, Frankenstein. Originally this was supposed to be set in the same continuity as Underworld but with a much lower budget and a much less sexy protagonist it didn't grab attention. Essentially it's The Frankenstein Monster and an army of righteous gargoyles vs. Demons. It's campy but I like campy. It gets points for using the novel as the backstory and then doing their own thing. Also Bill Nighy is a great villain. 9. Dario Argento's Dracula (Also briefly released as Dracula 3D). I lovingly nicknamed this one Mantis Drac because there's a scene where Dracula trans forms into a (bad CG) seven foot tall female praying mantis. He also (in a better effect) takes owl and wolf form. It's similar to the typical Hammer Dracula movie. It feels much older than it actually is. It has Rutger Hauer as Van Helsing and some of his behavior comes off as a bit random. 8. Demon Under Glass. This is a very low budget but well-written story of what happens when a vampire is held in captivity and studied. The writer of the film, Deborah Warner AKA D. L. Warner also wrote a novel with twice the plot length (the movie only tells half of the story). I liked this one so much that I and the writer became friends. I used to write for D. L. Warner. She helped me get published a few times, including a chapter in a text book on the Brontë Sisters. I did a chapter on how they influenced storylines in the 60s Gothic soap Dark Shadows. Sadly Deborah passed away a few years ago. I miss her.

7. The Bride. Released in 1985 this featured Clancy Brown as The Frankenstein monster and Sting as Baron Frankenstein. It was a loose, unofficial, sequel to Universal's Bride of Frankenstein (the actual sequel was Son of Frankenstein, followed by Ghost of Frankenstein, etc...) It feels a lot like a Hammer horror film and this was the first Frankenstein movie I had ever seen with a happy ending for The Creature. It was sweet. 6. Legend of Hell House (1973). Based on the novel Hell House by Richard Matheson, Legend of Hell House tells the story of paranormal investigators in a particularly evil house and theorizing about what is causing the haunting and why. Roddy McDowall plays someone who has previously survived the house. When I first watched this with my friend, Lorie, we both expected Roddy's character to die. I was so sure he'd die that I hoped his death wouldn't be too terrible. Imagine my surprise when his nerdish, passive, sweet character, became the hero of the story. It broke the story trope I was expecting and I was delighted by the positive subversion of my expectations. 5. The Shape of Water. Despite winning four of the biggest Oscar categories, there was a lot of whining afterward of "The movie nobody's even heard of won." And those who only had a vague idea of the plot called it the "Fish f--king movie." Essentially it's The Creature from the Black Lagoon with a mute woman lead character, and a happy ending for The Creature (who is revealed to be an Amazonian River God).

4. Frankenstein (2004 Hallmark TV mini-series). This one is NOT bad at all. it starred Luke Goss as The Creature, Alec Newman as Victor Frankenstein) and has the late Donald Sutherland and Captain Robert Walton. There was a different Frankenstein made in 2004 very loosely based on the Dean Koontz book series but that one was not enjoyable to me. This TV mini-series (which is sometimes sold on DVD as a movie) is the most faithful adaptation of the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley I have ever come across. It would be number 1 of this was my list of favorite Frankenstein movies. 3. Dark Prince: The True Story of Dracula. I don't consider this to be a bad movie at all but it's a lesser known movie and it was made for TV and kind of low budget. It is a very respectful retelling of the life story of the historic Prince Vlad III of Wallachia AKA Dracula. But it also implies he becomes the famous vampire after his death. It's good as a historic doc-drama and prequel to the classic horror story. 2. The invitation. (2022) I do NOT consider this a bad movie at all. In fact if I was doing a list of movies involving Dracula that aren't adaptations of the Bram Stoker Story (even loosely) I would probably put this at number one. I love The invitation. A young artist named Evie takes a DNA test and discovers she has family in England. I turns out, however that this family are minion of Count Dracula (going by the name Walter DeVill) and he's looking to replace a bride who killed herself. Try to find the unrated version. The PG-13 cut doesn't make clear that the bride who killed herself decapitated herself. In fact it's easy to mistakenly think she hung herself. 1. Monster Mash. The new asylum Mockbuster for Abigail deserves to be a cult classic. It has the feel of a Universal monster movie and yet it was only made a few months ago. I love this thing. Dracula's daughter is kidnapped by Frankenstein's Monster in an effort to lure Dracula into a trap. It turns out Dr. Frankenstein is dying and wants bits and pieces from all the classic monsters to make him a new, ultra-immortal body. The classic monsters must unite to stop Dr. Frankenstein from becoming a monster far worse than any of them. It's corny and predictable but delightfully fun.

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waywardrose · 3 months

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Hey ho! How are you? If you havent already been asked them, im curious to know you preferences for question 25, 38, 46 💗

25 = perfume/body spray or lotion?

I use all the scented things. The scent in lotions don't last on me, though. Even Bath and Body Works. I have both perfumes and body sprays. Body sprays I use on the inside of my clothes when I'm not wearing perfume. I'm currently using my last Vampire Blood from BBW.

As far as perfumes, I cycle through Givenchy's Play (for her (discontinued)), Kayali's Eden, Killian's Black Phantom, YSL's Black Opium, Burberry's Hero EDT, Alhambra's Kismet Magic, Swiss Arabian's Shaghaf Oud, Lattafa's Nebras, along with various BPAL scents I'm trying to use up.

38 = a soap bar that smells good?

Anything from Mistral. They're expensive, but so worth it. A bar will last me two+ months. I'm partial to Champagne Peony and Lychee Rose. However, all their scents are lovely.

46 = favorite holiday film?

Depends on the holiday.

Halloween is for vampires: Interview With the Vampire, Only Lovers Left Alive, The Lost Boys, Thirst (2009), Near Dark (1987), Vampire Hunter D, Blade, From Dusk Till Dawn, What We Do In the Shadows, and Bram Stoker's Dracula.

Honorable mentions for Halloween: The Shining, Candyman (1992), Final Destination, Suspiria (1977), Sleepy Hollow, Practical Magic, The Witches of Eastwick, The Craft, The Love Witch

Christmas is for classics: Meet Me in St. Louis, Bell Book & Candle, Scrooged, A Christmas Story, Singing In the Rain, A Wish for Wings That Work, The Snowman (1982), The Polar Express, White Christmas, The Holiday, The Muppet Christmas Carol, and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.

P.S. Hi! I'm good, but tired. Spent my entire evening on yardwork. Which is why I'm answering this so late. 😩

Questions from weirder asks!

#ask

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joz-yyh · 8 months

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Acta Est Fabula - Ch. 1

SUMMARY: Crimson Court AU. Tardif is an arrogant and upcoming vampire hunter sent to protect Hamlet from a new reign of pestilence. He serves the Order, a religious faction sanctioned by the Holy Flame. His next mission sends him to the Baroness' estate, to find and exterminate an exiled nobleman by the name of Damian. What will happen when these two meet? Expect conspiracy, love and of course, lots of blood. No Beta. Read at your own risk.

PAIRING: Bounty Hunter x Flagellant

RATING: M (just to be safe because it will get spicy later)

WORD COUNT: 3,147

READ ON Ao3: -> HERE!!

A/N: Meant to post this sooner, but despite how much I've tried to work on it, it's been fighting with me for almost a year (9 months to be exact). Happy to finally be able to share the first installment with y'all! Please, let me know if you enjoyed it! ^v^/ (Title is in reference to one of my favorite horror games, "Haunting Ground!")

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Tardif's clay-crusted boots card through the thick underbrush, toeing just outside of the water line, his keen eyes tracking along the surface of the marsh.

Aside from the droning hum of a few bloodsucking skeeters, the area seemed relatively placid, unoccupied by larger prey. Disappointing, considering how many sycophants he had to hack through on his way to get here, that despite his best efforts, there were still no signs of his mark, his true quandary.

Tired of these winding mazes and subpar loot, Tardif unclasps the cage fastened to his belt, the modest contraption housing one such common pest.

“Ye sick or somthin,” he warns, fixing the winged parasite with an intimidating stare, “He ain’t here. Don't make me quash yer little behind now fer wasting my time.”

He rattles the cage in his hands, watching as the creature crashes around inside, it's thorax jostled against every corner.

The insect buzzes frantically, it’s long tapered nose an arrow, reiterating it’s previous navigation.

Tardif sighs, “Fine, I’ll take a closer look, but ye best hope he’s here.”

He ties the cage back into place, noticing a suspicious outcropping of broken cattail reeds waiting just beyond, none too far away. His biggest lead thus far, he resolves to investigate, the cause for such an anomaly being that of pale body, one waterlogged foot sticking out into the open, almost causing him to trip.

He’s hunted enough bloodsuckers to know a bait trap when he sees one, the warrior unsheathing his axe in preparation for battle.

"That trick ain't gunna work on me," Tardif grunts, kicking at the listless corpse.

A chuckle erupts from the water, piquing his curiosity.

"Run along, vampire hunter. Let me find absolution in peace."

“I've got yer ticket to absolution right here," Tardif smirks, wielding the notorious symbol of a slayer's blade.

"Oh," Damian says, suddenly energetic, erupting from the bog, "I think not.”

With a heavy slosh, the vampire leaps further into the lake, putting distance between them, exposition spouting from his lips, “My soul is still blackened by their filth, tarnished by impurity. The Light would never accept me as I am now. I cannot depart until I reclaim what's been stolen from me."

"Ye think some sob story is goin' to stop me from turn' ye into ash," he taunts, changing his stance, going on the defensive.

Damian isn’t taking the bait though, instead, he wades deeper into the lagoon, more of his haughty apparel submerged beneath polluted lily pads with arms outstretched, wearing a ridiculous grin to match.

What is this bastard thinking? Is he trying to drown his way out of this?

"Hasn't it,” Damian retorts, goading him with much the same strategy, “If you were so worried about killing me, why didn't you strike me down when you had the chance?"

"Where's the fun in that," Tardif shoots back, savoring the thrill of the chase, the challenge it provides.

The vampire hunter is not overly fond of the water; however. He’s perfectly content to remain on dry land, where he holds the advantage. He doesn't trust what he can't see and for good reason. Soon enough, the calm waters ripple, an oddity just subtle enough that it could have gone unnoticed, but Tardif sees them, the ridgeback of quills, the precursor of a tail breaking through the mystic surface to strike.

Massive jaws leap out from the water bank, the crocs known to traverse the estate living up to their reputation.

Tardif jumps back, opposite the shore, seconds away from losing a leg to the snap of it's jaws.

"I see you've met one of my friends," Damian says, looking awfully smug, having gained the upper hand.

As much as he wants to glare at the vampire, stagger his amusement, Tardif isn’t stupid enough to take his eyes off the fight. The croc lunges for him again and it's too fast, too strong, the warrior barely able to hold his own against it, losing more ground to it’s attacks.

"Ah, so this must be the fun you spoke of," the flagellant taunts, a pompous spectator in his viewbox, "Well, I am certainly in a better mood. If you survive, maybe we'll meet again sometime."

With that, the elusive vampire dives into the cover of water, leaving Tardif to defend himself against a much deadlier foe.

The caged insect on Tardif’s hip buzzes a frantic hum, its carapace ramming against the bars in attempts to escape.

“I know,” the axeman grumbles in distaste, sharing the same fear.

This croc was much bigger than most, the biggest he’d ever seen, and as much as Tardif hates to admit it, he’s severely outmatched. If there was any chance for him to win this battle, ingenuity would be his greatest ally, his sharpest weapon.

Taking a smoke bomb from his belt, he pulls the pin with his teeth, casting it towards the trample of insectoid claws.

An explosion of mist billows around them, adding to the ever-present gray smog of the swamp, the thick miasma masking Tardifs location as he dodges, anticipating where the apex predator will be.

The reptile needs only a moment to gather it’s bearings, huffing at the air with it’s muzzle, the long quills on it's back quivering before such illusions are thwarted. The crocodillian's snout claps through the smoke a little too close for comfort, just missing the huntsman's face.

Tardif swings out his axe in defense, breaking off a few of it's mismatched teeth in the process, wrecking it's smile, enraging the animal further. The oversized croc snatches the axeblade between its jaws, biting into it, denting metal.

With what mortal brawn he had, the brute struggles to dislodge the two, but the croc gives him no quarter, ripping the weapon from his grip, tossing out it into the lake. He watches on as his axe makes a considerable splash, lost in a pitch of treacherous depths, never to be found again.

Tardif takes a step back, realizing with eerie clarity that this might be the beginning of his end.

The croc takes it’s time now, boxing him in, surrounding him with it’s bulk. It seems to know it’s won, dipping it's head low, eyeing him down, savoring the moment before the kill.

Tardif knows what’s coming, relies on the contents of his utility belts, throwing a tranquilizer dart into it's gaping mouth just as it opens, about to snatch him inside.

The reptile hisses in pain, waving its snout around, hoping to expel the meddlesome sting, clambering through the muck, leaving a siege of angry footprints in it's wake.

While the beast is distracted, Tardif takes this opportunity for what it is. Wielding his trusty metal rope in hand, he casts a lariat around it’s sizable jaws, wringing it shut.

The battle seems to be going in his favor now, and as this comforting thought fills his mind, it becomes readily apparent that he failed to account for the length of the beast’s tail.

With a powerful blow, it lashes out at him, whips the vampire hunter along his spine, the magneton force sending him sailing off his feet, hurtling into a tree.

He collides with the unwelcoming trunk of bald cypress roots, body bending around its misshapen girth.

With a distinctive crack, Tardif hears something break, intuition telling him it came from inside, a fracture of bone and not from the split of hardy branches.

The momentum weens and the human crumples, the slough of marshland his cradle.

He lies there, a listless shamble, listening to the impactful steps of his enemy amongst the wild ringing in his ears, splatters of mud at his vision.

There’s something curling around his boots, latching onto his ankles and suddenly he’s being dragged helplessly through the dirt by the same menacing tail that had struck him from before.

This isn't exactly the warrior's death Tardif had pictured for himself, covered in sludge and strung up in the air with all the blood rushing to his head, movement and motion lost to his will.

He stares into a void of blackness and teeth, knowing that there will be no grave, no body left for the Order to find, but they will know he failed nonetheless.

"Enough, Sebastian. Release him," a voice demands, cutting through the static.

The world spins inside Tardif's head, his vision doubles, triples, fading out and then back again. He hardly has any sense of what's happening around him, let alone that he’s being rescued.

The croc's long, toothy snout claps shut, turning to face the man who issued the command, a contentious growl reverberating up from it's gullet and out it's scaley throat.

"I've brought you something else to eat,” lilts the voice, goading the semi-aquatic creature with delicious temptation, “It's your favorite."

The vampire dangles the carcass of a deer, shaking it around in a tempting bribe.

"Now, release him," he orders, holding the meat of venison back, keeping it at ransom.

Compliant, the serpent grip around the huntsman's legs unwinds, the back of Tardif's head hitting the damp earth first, the rest of his body following soon after with a limp thud.

"Good boy," Damian praises, throwing the four-legged treat up in reward.

The croc jumps, claiming it's prize with a sharp crack of its jaws, deer bones crunching beneath a powerful overbite.

Tardif blinks, eyesight still fuzzy at the edges, but he can smell peat moss and algae, hear the water-logged patter of damp clothes as his savior kneels down beside him.

"You're lucky. Sebastian is rather aggressive when he's hungry," Damian chuckles, watching as his pet devours what remains of his meal.

Tardif grunts, his boot tips scraping against the slick of the mud. He finds that he cannot bring himself to stand, his limbs are too weak for such a task, muscles shuddering with exertion before giving out entirely.

He's never known defeat like this, never been so damn vulnerable . The warrior slams his fist into the wet soil in an act of rebellious aggravation, his teeth gritting as he attempts to regain some dignity, whether it be propped up on an elbow or a knee, he doesn't care, so long as he's spared the shame of laying face-down in the dirt.

"How badly are you hurt," the vampire asks, a tone of surprise, observing the man's struggle.

Tardif glares at him. The severity of his condition should be obvious.

Realizing this, the vampire urges the other man to stay still. "I can help you," he implores.

All the huntsman can do is obey, unable to protest even if he wanted to, his body a broken husk severed of it's roots.

Damian's pointed nails extend, growing more claw-like as he slices open his palm, a line of bright red trickling down, marking the path of his index finger. He waits a few precious seconds for the wound swell, clenching his fist around the gash of fresh blood.

A warmth spreads throughout the axeman's body, blood magic making him feel flush like a bottle of ale, reminiscent of a lover's touch with the way it clouds his judgment and numbs his mind of fear.

The haze is intoxicating, a tease of power beyond that which he’s known and then it’s gone, extinguished, and to his utter amazement, he can breathe without the consequence of pain. His broken ribs are mended, probably stronger now than they were before, without so much as a sling, a stitch of thread.

He wonders how he's been healed, wants to ask the bloodsucking parasite how he's achieved this without the force of a bite, but all he can muster is one word.

"Why," Tardif asks, panting heavily, trying to understand what motivation Damian would have to help him, being both his enemy and a vampire at that.

The blonde man releases a winded laugh, his energy exhausted from treating the latent iceberg that was the warrior's wounds.

"You wouldn't understand."

It’s an intriguing answer, one Tardif thinks he would understand, if only the other would explain it.

The hunter assembles himself into a sitting position, legs crossed under him, one hand poised on his thigh as he stares, unblinking, at his ambivalent savior. Perhaps, if he glares long enough, the vampire will cave under the pressure and tell him exactly what he wants to know.

"Do you wish for our eyes to do battle," the vampire teases, hooding his gaze, staring right back.

Tardif grunts in amusement, a smirk on his lips. He had a knack for coercion and would soon win this staredown or any other contest put before him. The vampire only need present it.

Damian endures the treatment for a few beats, chuckling lightly.

"You're so unlike the others that have come," he purrs, raking crimson irises over his opponent's form.

Now that he has an excuse to, he appraises the huntsman’s appearance, noting how he is still relatively young, close to Damian in age, but experienced enough with victory to know the allure of arrogance. He wears it well, donned in stray pieces of armor, though his helmet is missing, knocked off during the tussle.

Long, raven wisps fall over his eyes, the color of their uniqueness hidden behind these thin veils of midnight. The rest of his dark hair is fashioned into a braid, laying behind his broad shoulders. His chainmail is still intact, pauldrons, bracers and greaves fastened to light-weight leather, belts of gadgets lining his front, their sole purpose to aid in the extermination of those plagued with the curse.

Damian discerns the man to be strong, cunning, and agile, adding handsome to his description as well, pleased by the rippling muscle of his arms

"I hope you’re not thinking of attacking me again," comments the pale noble, a coy contemplation, “At least, not with Sebastian around.”

Tardif’s eyes widen, somehow so engrossed in their game he’d completely forgotten the danger poised at his back. He turns, frantic, to find that the reptile’s jaws consuming the last of the deer’s legs, cloven hooves sliding down, disappearing into the dark hallow of it’s throat.

“The tiny vessel at your waist is of no threat,” Damian reminds him, calling his attention back, “and I cannot guarantee I will be able to save you again.”

So his energy does have a limit. Tardif logs this important discovery away for later, along with the knowledge that Damian would heal him again if given the chance.

"Tis not a weapon,” Tardif corrects him, a flush of shame coloring his cheeks, “This here’s my scouter.”

"Oh, is it,” Damian says, expression cheerful. He leans forward to rake in the creature, the tiny bloodsucker giving a shy buzz of it’s wings in greeting.

“Hello, little one. A pleasure to meet you,” Damian says, humbly bowing his head, “Does the master treat you well?”

The insect is much more animated, bursting into a reverberation of sound, using it’s wings and legs to conduct an elaborate tale.

“My, my that is quite a lot to digest,” the vampire nods, sympathizing with it’s enslaved kindred.

“Quiet,” Tardif barks, rattling the cage, shutting it up. He doesn’t know what the traitorous pest said about him, but it obviously wasn’t good.

“Yes, I see what you mean,” Damian says, regarding the insect's large pleading eyes, “I pray he takes better care of you. Unless of course, you'd like to come live with me?"

Tardif cuts off the insect's affirmative buzz, shielding it from view. Being gossiped about right in front of his face pries a growl of displeasure from his lips.

"Everyone's stayin’ right where they are," he snaps, putting an end to such drivel.

"Yes, of course masters orders," the vampire sighs, waving the idea away.

The insect seems to deflate as well, slouching in it’s confine of bars.

"Yer damn right," he growls, crossing his arms in triumph. Regardless of what sentiments they had, Tardif is happy to have thwarted their plans.

"Alas, as fun as this has been, I must cut the festivities short," the vampire laments, masking the severity of his condition, a spell of dizziness catching him by surprise.

Not about to accept this, Tardif’s expression hardens into something more gruff, challenging, "Think ye can just decide that on yer own, eh?”

“You must excuse me,” the vampire hums, his attention not all there, pale eyelids growing heavy, “I grow weary. Let us resume our conversation another time.”

“Went through a whole lotta trouble to find ye,” the brute tells him, fist curled in opposition, reiterating his oath, “I ain’t leavin' til the job is done.”

"Fret not, brave hunter," consoles the undead one, succumbing to fatigue, "You found me once. You can do so again. Have faith."

With that, the nobleman falls backwards, collapsing into the marsh in much the same position Tardif had discovered him in, overpowered by his deteriorating faculties.

Bewildered by this sudden turn of events, Tardif wonders if this was another trick, some last-ditch evasion technique to extend his pathetic life.

Cautiously, he leans over to inspect the undead figure, observe him more closely. He waves a hand over his face, testing if the nobleman had truly passed out, holding his hand over his nostrils to see if he was still breathing.

Do vampires breathe? Tardif hasn’t shared the company of one long enough to know for sure.

With this thought in mind, his hand treads lower, running over a frilly ascot speckled with blood and a brooch laden with a crimson jewel. His inspections continue, until he reaches his chest, prying under his heavy coat to press against the layers of his vest, noting how it still rises and falls beneath his touch. Good, seems he was still alive (as alive as vampires could be), though unconscious.

He lingers there, taking in the rest of him, noting how all of his aristocratic attire is drowned in red, dyed velvet fabric ruined from prolonged exposure to the swamps' mulish conditions. His tights are also ripped, dirty and frayed beyond repair, one buckled shoe missing, lost to the elements, leaving him to walk awkwardly without it.

At the sound of a territorial hiss, the warrior looks toward the killer croc laying in wait, it’s beady eyes fixated on him.

Apparently, Sebastian doesn't take kindly to strangers touching his master and Tardif doesn’t trust the beast not to eat him for dessert while the other is conveniently indisposed.

Perhaps, Damian was right, they could reconvene later.

“Ye better keep an eye on him,” Tardif grunts at the looming guard dog, returning to his feet, “make sure he lives.”

The obedient reptilian is of kinder disposition after hearing this, the quills on it’s back rattling, a chitter gurgling out from it’s jaws, the two coming to a silent agreement.

The hunter smiles, nods, resolving to leave his quarry behind for the moment, taking to the path of trees, making his retreat.

#crimson court #darkest dungeon #dd bounty hunter #dd flagellant #my writing #bhxf #bhf #tarmian #flaghunter #flagellant #bounty hunter #dd damian #dd tardif #darkest dungeon flagellant #darkest dungeon bounty hunter #bountyhunter/flagellant

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v1rtualv4mp · 8 months

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✮⋆ ──── ⋆ 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐌𝐄 ⋆ ──── ⋆✮

➤ ─── ☆ Basic info

My name is Elizabeth, but you can call me Izzy or just any short version of my name. I go by any pronouns with a preference for it/it's.

My interests: Horror, heavy metal, the supernatural, insects, Tim Burton's works, poetry, apocalyptic media, people, art, creativity, feelings, psychology 90s/00s movies and dark romance

➤ ─── ☆ Extras

⋕ I love calling people by petnames but not in a weird or non-platonic way

⋕ My first ever work was posted in Wattpad. It was a horror-drama story about a deceased girl haunting her murderer. Had to give up on it due to my poor writting skills, plus the severe social anxiety I used to have. But now I'm healed, if you're wondering <3

⋕ I speak both portuguese and english, but all of my works will be in english so it can reach more public. I'm trying to learn russian but I'm pretty sure I'm gonna give up on it

⋕ Despite my frequent use of religious symbols in posts, I am not a religious person. Not saying I'm an atheist nor that I do believe in something. My beliefs simply do not fit into any labels. Yet, please don't take it as something offensive. Religion is beautiful to me and I was never intentionally disrespectful to one of them

⋕ I've been a huge horror fan ever since I was 4, any type or subgenre is very enjoyable to me. However, supernatural horror will always have a special place in my heart

⋕ I fucking love zombies

⋕ And vampires, but zombies are on top

⋕ I'd say I'm too complicated to fit into any MBTI type, but if I had to choose which one suits me the best, ENFJ or ESTJ would be it

⋕ My favorite colors are red and green

⋕ I'm a dangerous combination of procrastination and perfectionism

⋕ I suspect I might have alexithymia and synesthesia

⋕ Currently obsessed with both The Walking Dead and Blade The Vampire Hunter xP

[ ⚠️ ] Warning!! This blog contains certain contents which might make some people uncomfortable, such as:

▪︎Teraphilia (monster x human romance, block #monster romance tag)

▪︎Fictional gore (horror movies's gifs or fanarts, I always forget to tag these ones properly, apologies (っ◞‸◟ c))

▪︎︎Nudity art (never sexual, block #cw: nudity tag)

#about myself #about me #metalhead #horror lover #dark romance #the walking dead #zombie #vampirecore #blade the vampire hunter #zombies #vampire #korn #jonathan davis #vampkin

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royal1asset-if · 2 years

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Upcoming IF's

Kamusta mga kapatid( Hello brethrens)

So my brain is being a rebellious bitch, I wanted my brain to think of the scenes for the "Royal Assets" but it decided to think other projects.

So I have 2 upcoming projects:

"Turn Them Asunder" and "An IF Within An IF"( Titles might subject to change)

So let's break it down shall we?( Note: I will not start these 2 yet due to I want to finish first Royal Assets but I might make a demo for the 2 so that I can see your reactions)

So "Turn Them Asunder" is inspired by my favorite childhood entertainments namely: Blade(movie), Van Helsing(movie) Devil May Cry(Game) and lastly Hellsing(animation)

So in this IF I'am planning to have the MC their own very leather trench cloth(it's so badass and choose your own color) their own dual pistols and I will be calling them "Justice" and "Vengeance"(Gun Fu shenanigan's) and lastly you can pick your own curse either "Vampire" or "Lycan"(Embrace your inner demons) also I'm thinking if I should write this in 1 POV or 3 POV

So here is a rough synopsis( Might subject to change)

It has been too long since that accursed night, too long since you enjoyed your life but the fates have chosen you as their unlucky entertainment.

Everything happened too fast, your parents were tucking you in bed and kissing your forehead goodnight. You feel safe and happy hoping that this will last forever and you dreamed about rainbows and sweets.

Then you eyes fluttured open to the sounds of scream echoing in the night, you rose up from your bed and went to the noise, creeping slowly on the staircase and you can hear fighting and cursing. Then what you saw that night will forever haunt you, your parents is fighting some sort of monstrosity at first you see them winning but the beast got it's second wind and overpowering your parents.

Killing them, rending their flesh and bathing and eating their organs their blood spraying on the walls and onto you but you were to shocked to notice it, to terrified to move and scream when the beast spotted you and planning that you will be their next meal.

The beast grabbed you by the neck and taking a bite of you( a nibble to be exact) savoring each taste then that is they bit you on the neck.

Well that's in the past, today your a hunter a special one of a kind hunter, you were cursed that night and you turned into a beast as well but you were different than the common creature of the night.

You have their strengths but none of their weaknesses.

The hunt is beginning and you will end their unlife.

You know what they say; "It takes a monster to destroy a monster"

The next on is "An IF Within An IF" let's be honest here I'm sure almost everyone wanted to be transported into their favorite movies or games and that what this IF is all about.

Inspired by me watching these 2 anime's; Konusoba(anime) and Cautious Hero(anime)

This one is a bit complicated and I think I'm gonna look for a second writer to help create this.( ANyone interested in becoming my co-writer just message me and let's talk about it :)

So without further ado these is the rough sypnosis( Might subject to change)

Hello there so I'm your basic and common IF author ever since I was a kid I'm a fan of fantasy genre type of games and novels.

To the point that I got inspired to create my own IF called

"Dragon's Edge" so gist of this IF is that the MC(you) is imbued with a dragon's soul but of course I don't want to make the life of MC's easy that particular dragon is ruthless and stubborn waiting for the opportunity to kill your MC.

I finished the game and launched it lived and I never thought that people would loved it and gaining so many followers on "Rumblr"

Ahh yes life is good, that is until I got roadkilled and a goddess isekai'd me to my IF novel.

Well at least I know what's gonna happen being my story and all and this is gonna be a walk in the park.

That is when I learnt the plotwist that my IF has is been rewritten by the gods.

#upcoming wips #demo soon #I hope I can finish it

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strawberryblondebutch · 1 year

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2 and 67 for everyone in the ttrpg asks!

2. what was your original concept for this character? how did playing them change that concept?

Ezira Gryphonsbane of the Thunderweaver: I really wanted to play a Leonin, and I love my rangers, so I wanted to think about what would make a Leonin a ranger. I decided that the Thunderweaver pride were on the smaller side, so they were dark ambushers and not strict overpowerers. She's so far the closest to my original concept! She got the epithet Gryphonsbane when she one-shotted a griffin.

Rhaelara Rynwalsdottir: Same as Ezira, this was just a character combination I always wanted to play (aasimar paladin). Some of her backstory came from the DM spinning a wheel, like her being the lesser apprentice of Van Richten, and the rest sort of flowed naturally!

M'nish Blacktooth: My beloved. Blacktooth is a gnoll swashbuckler who came about because I did a funny Texas accent and wanted to make my friends laugh. Her backstory at any given time is what I consider the most entertaining.

Katya Volkova: My Blades in the Dark character. I was looking at the character concepts and thought "whoa, a religious academic from a horseback archery community, sounds like Huntress!" In practice, she's if Yelena Belova became a history professor.

Harper Lowell: Kate Bishop is one of my favorite Marvel characters of all time, so of course when I joined a Masks game, I picked the Beacon. I decided Harper was the high school hockey captain who came to the conclusion that team sports and superheroing are kinda just the same!

Briar Blackfang: This is one of my favorite concepts. Briar's from the Root RPG, which is kinda like Redwall. One of the factions are the birds, and I decided that because wolves and ravens hunt together, Briar (a timber wolf) used to be the personal ranger of one of the Eyrie monarchs before the war. I did not anticipate how socially awkward she'd be until later.

Dylan Hartley: I had been wanting to play a VtM game for so long. Gangrel is my favorite of the clans, so I did a ton of research into their lore and decided to make a street rat with a shitty hardcore band, fitting the self-sufficient folk hero type. What i did *not* expect until the game started was that her relationship with her sire would be the closest thing to healthy that VtM relationships get!

Dakota Broward: Ah, my newest blorbo. He started as an NPC in an Urban Shadows game, a demon hunter who befriended my Imp. When that DM and I switched to City of Mist, I revamped him as the Rift (reincarnation / channel for) Sir Gawain.

67. do they consider themselves to be special?

Ezira: "Not at all. I am the sum of all who came before me."

Rhaelara: "Gods, I hope not!"

Blacktooth: "Hell yeah, ain't no one like me!"

Katya: "Of course. I am distinguished in all manner of things."

Harper: "I mean, I kind of think not being special makes me more special, you know?"

Briar: "No."

Dylan: "Insofar as the whole vampire thing goes, yeah, probably. Lyra certainly seems to think so."

Dakota: "By the definition, yes. I'm the only one who bears my specific burden."

TTRPG character asks!

#answered #i realize this is a different roster #but it's a more accurate one

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incognito-insomniac · 2 years

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Hello! How about ‘Ascots and tie pins’ for the ask game? I’ve been reading a lot of kingsman fic recently so that called to me. Or, if you’ve already done that (or even if you haven’t) silver linings?

No worries @ladyaj-13! I'm just happy for the ask. Instead of dealer's choice I took out all the previously asked ones and then some i remember talking about last time the WIP titles thing went around. Got the list down to 20 and rolled two d20s because why not. So Passionate Kisses and Stranded in Summerset!

Passionate Kisses is a working title for a Lambert/Aiden (Witcher 3) WIP based of one of my favorite Mary Chapin Carpenter songs of the same title. Lambert gets drunk and figures out Aiden wants to kiss him then teases him about it until he does and suddenly the joke is not so funny and he's butter under Aiden's touch.

And Stranded in Summerset is for my snippets of fic as I play my D&Dcharacter Arnidark Sharpsword, half-orc ranger, through Elder Scrolls Online and love him more than my main account T_T The NPCs in this stupid game are just too good.

Here is a snippet of each:

Passionate Kisses:

Lambert woke the next morning to a splitting headache and Aiden's gangly limbs wrapped around him. As he awkwardly stirred, he couldn't help but rouse Aiden with him.

" 's too early," Aiden weakly groaned eyes squinting at the daylight. He tucked his head in between his shoulder blades to shield his eyes from the sun.

Lambert grumbled, "My bladder disagrees with you. Would you get off so I can piss?"

Aiden grumbled and rolled off of him.

Lambert stumbled into the woods plagued by his memories of the night before. He couldn't remember anything beyond that kiss. It stayed fixed in his mind. Nagging and clawing at an anxious itch. What else happened last night? And why couldn't he stop thinking about Aiden's lips on his? Waking up in his arms? His breath on his neck?

Lambert returned from the woods to find a still half-asleep Aiden tending a very small flame on their campfire with a kettle set above it.

"Tea?" he asked groggily.

"Yeah," Lambert mumbled with a short nod.

Stranded in Summerset: Arnidark spares a blinded vampire, turned to cure an incurable disease. He want to help her find a life so the sacrifices made for her don't go in vain.

Norasea: I can make it out in my own. I promise.

Arnidark: But you don't have to. I know someone who can help.

He took her arm over his shoulder and he began walking toward the entrance to the sea cave.

Norasea: Really I don't want to burden anyone else. The cost has already been too high.

Arnidark: Please. Just trust me.

Norasea: I-...I- what if I hurt you. I am so hungry.

Arnidark: I'm a hunter. I will find you something to drink. I promise.

#ask games #my wips

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jaydonsjam · 2 years

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Tomb of Dracula VI/Blade II

Tomb of Dracula #12-15 written by Marv Wolfman and pencilled by Gene Colan and inked by Tom Palmer

Man, I just continue to love Tomb of Dracula. I think this book just gets better as it goes along. Whenever a piece of entertainment/art can make me get emotional, I have to tip my hat and that’s what issue 12 and 13 did for me. Marv Wolfman continues to excel in his writing of our heroes and Dracula. Gene Colan continues to be my favorite artist from this era or at least the books I’m reading.

Tomb of Dracula #12-13

Dracula kidnaps Edith Harker and gathers Frank Drake, Rachel Van Helsing, Taj Nitall, Quincy Harker and Blade into Whispering Hell. I loved issues 12 and 13 cause it felt like everything so far coming to a head. Blade was a badass and we got an origin story from him about his mother being killed by a vampire. Dracula turns Edith into a vampire and Quincy forcing to kill her was heartbreaking. And it led to a moment in issue 13 that made me tear up (see below panel) and maybe it’s cause I can sympathize as a parent. Obviously vampirism is not something I have to worry about in our world but putting myself in his situation I honestly don’t know what I would do. It was executed really well.

I can see Dracula always getting away being a problem for readers but I’ve come to expect that he’ll usually get away. I will say when Dracula got “killed” I knew he’d come back somehow (mainly cause this book goes for 70 issues). But it was cool to see him even get killed for an issue. At least Blade scarred his face with one of his wooden knives. I loved these two issues and they rank high in the ToD issues I’ve read so far. I also gotta say that Wolfman is doing such a great job with Frank, Rachel, Taj, Quincy and Blade. I can’t say with the other books I’m reading that I love all the supporting characters like I do with this one. I just hope Blade gets a bigger role and shows up more as the book goes along. More Blade please! I will say something nice about Dracula, he did stop an attempted SA which was good of him but then he turns her into a vampire so whatever good he does he has to do something bad.

Tomb of Dracula #14

We get introduced to Mr. Lo, Chen and Lin who bring the dead vampire, Lucas Brand to a man named Sen Su who is doing tests that confirm him to be a vampire. When you read issue 14 on Marvel Unlimited you get a content warning saying the content is outdated and culturally offensive. These characters speak in broken English in a very stereotypical manner and I will admit I found it annoying and hard to get over. Dracula’s corpse is taken by the townspeople that he had mind controlled and dropped off in his coffin. Because he was dead the mind control wore off and they left him. It’s found by a priest named Josiah Dawn who is losing his congregation so he does a sermon which ends with him pulling out the stake allowing Dracula to come back again. I did find the biblical stuff interesting. Dracula apparently has lightning powers too. The crowd including Josiah pulls out crucifixes which causes Dracula pain. The priest has a giant crucifix which he holds up against Dracula but he calls lightning which destroys the crucifix. Dracula escapes after changing into a bat and flies away. Again, I liked the biblical stuff here especially with priests dealing with someone as evil as Dracula. He even mocks their faith throughout the scene and Josiah ends their confrontation by saying his immortal soul will live longer than Dracula.

Tomb of Dracula #15

A hunter shoots a giant bat out of the sky not knowing its Dracula. It was cool seeing Dracula control a pack of wolves cause I don’t think we’ve seen him use that power except on rats. He uses the wolves to kill the hunter as he flies away. Dracula also did something good here by giving a woman the opportunity to take revenge on her husband who shot her. Obviously that opportunity meant that she became a vampire but I feel like we’re splitting hairs. Like I said before, Dracula might do something good but it’s immediately balanced out by evil. This issue does drop the g-slur which made me uncomfortable and annoyed. Cultural prejudices and stereotyping even casual racism are definitely a problem when reading this era of comics. We found out some important backstory in this issue with Dracula’s transformation into a vampire, him seeking revenge on Turac making it his first victim after becoming a vampire. I like that we also found out that Dracula was in love with a woman named Maria. It just adds some more layers to the villain which I enjoyed getting. We got an anecdote about Dracula meeting a man named Orphelus who had lived 17 centuries after finding a pool of blood. They find the pool and the man deceiving Dracula uses a mystical medallion to k- himself and destroying the pool. Then he reflects on the Scotsman who killed him before Clifton revived him. Lots of exposition about Dracula’s past but it sheds some light on his loves, becoming a vampire, his first victim, being lied to, how he died the last time etc. I enjoyed this one. I did miss seeing our heroes but nonetheless it was really eye-opening. Next up is Ghost Rider *sigh*! Maybe it’ll improve. One can hope.

#vlad dracula #count dracula #tomb of dracula #dracula #frank drake #blade #Rachel Van Helsing #quincy harker #marvel #marvel comics #70’s comics #70s comics

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or-something-better · 2 years

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Sam’s Story Corner

July 31, 2022

🔮✏️🚨✏️🔮✏️🚨✏️🔮✏️🚨✏️🔮✏️🚨

For anyone who'd like to participate, our next Item is: "Share a Defining Moment in Your Characters Life" that the show doesn't cover or doesn't adequately cover."

Ruby

My First Time

Once I became a demon in Hell, it didn’t take long before I was thrown into the job of Crossroads Demon. It always sounded better than just a demon. Truth be told, it was just like any other job. The higher up the food chain you go, the more work you have to do. While my territory widened considerably, so did the pressure to get more done. Being a lowly demon meant close supervision from other, higher, demons and it chaffed. By the time I got my ‘promotion’, I was more than ready to get the hell out of…well, Hell.

I got about a week’s worth of OJT (on the job training) and then was sent out on my own. The whole world literally opened up to me. Language had no barriers. It came along with the job title. I could be in Iran in the morning, and the Canadian wilderness in the evening. I went where called, 24 hours a day.

I’ve heard it said you never forget your ‘first time’. Believe me, it’s true.

I had been a Crossroads Demon for nearly a century before one of the ‘perks’ of being a demon knocked me on my ass. I’d been summoned by a young man in the Massachusetts territory in 1645. He wanted to sell his soul to be with his ‘great love’. (Love and money are always the top two reasons someone sells their soul.)

We were discussing terms when another young man appeared. It seems my client had picked a betrothed young girl to fall in love with. And her fiancé was none too happy about her running off with someone else. The fiancé decided to take matters into his own hands and had come armed with a musket. One thing led to another and before I knew it, my client thought I was fair game to hide behind when the fiancé shot at him.

Before I could react I felt a punch in my right shoulder and was knocked on my ass. My 'perk' of not dying saved me. After struggling to stand, I looked down at my shift and saw the hole in it. “God Damn It!” I cried out. “Look what you’ve done to my favorite shift!” Feeling the energy build, I thrust out my hands and blasted them both against the nearest trees. I was not leaving without my soul! And by damned, I was taking a bonus as well! The fear of what I might still do to them, convinced my client to finish the terms, thus getting his girl and the other to accept ten more years of living or die on the spot.

I’ve managed to avoid getting shot more often than not. But I can definitely agree, ‘You never forget your first time.’

…………………………………………

Sam

((Time Period: “Exile on Main St.” Season 6 Episode 1 #Soulless))

I stood back from the road, hidden in the shadows cast from the streetlight, and stared across at the little house at 11 Main Street. Dean lived there. Had for almost a year now with Lisa and Ben, trying to make family life work. I’d pushed him to it, made him promise me that once I carried Lucifer back into the pit, that he’d come back here and try… that he’d not waste time trying to get me back.

And as far as I knew, he hadn’t. Wasted the time. Something else had seen fit to return me top side, but after running down every clue, I still didn’t know if Angel’s or Demon’s or something unknown altogether was behind it. So, I did what I could do, I Hunted.

I fought every night. Black blood running over my blade. Always a smirk on my lips. Enjoying it. The screams, the final look of terror. The blast of light as the demon was sent back to its rightful place in hell. A devious spark in my eyes as I turned towards another. Blade at the ready. For true Hunters like me, the world held signs… clues of monsters… clues of vampires… clues of demons… all threading the streets of every town. All obvious in their mistakes. Their desires. Admiring themselves in shop windows. Blocking the world out with music. Fumbling around those they craved. They all craved so many things. Objects, blood, food, a touch, a safe place. Some desired death. The darkness could always be broken through. Hidden myself, shrouded in the cloak of death, I watched the others. Especially those blackest of heart. The true enemy of all. The angels. All were seen and could be broken by my blade. By my singular mission, to destroy them all. I had become the perfect Hunter.

………………………………..

Eileen

We all know my parents were murdered by a Banshee in 1985, that Banshee scream rendered me deaf.

The only reason I'm even still alive is because Lillian O'Grady was tracking that Banshee and found me in

my crib days after my parents' death. Lillian took me in and trained me to be a Hunter. She started just

by teaching me how to kill monsters. Cut off a vamp's head… Silver bullet to the heart will kill a

werewolf Silver blade to the heart will off a Djinn. But the most important one she taught me, is that a

gold blade to the heart kills a Banshee. We tracked that monster all over the globe. I found a few others

along the way, but never the bastard that made me an orphan. When I was 16, Lillian died of cancer. She

fought it just as hard as she fought every demon and monster she ever came across, but it bested her in

the end. From then on, I was alone. I met with other Hunters along the way, but never stayed with

them. I hunted anything I came across. Ghouls, vampires, werewolves, Djinn, and I even knocked out a

Wendigo or two. But I was always chasing down that Banshee that murdered my parents. I traveled to

Germany once when I saw signs of it pop up, but by the time I made it to Germany, the Banshee had

disappeared. I had missed it again. It had been 4 years since the last appearance. Who knew how long it

would be underground this time. And so, I continued hunting, never catching up to the one monster I

was most desperate to find. I hunted for another year, and then the news I've been waiting to hear for,

quite literally, my whole life, makes its way to my ears. Well, figuratively, anyway. The Banshee has been

wreaking havoc in Lebanon, KS. And from here on out, you know…

……………………………….

Crowley

Screaming, that’s all I know, the only constant I’ve felt. I don’t know how much time has passed but it feels like an eternity. I break off mid scream when the knife stops, only for it to be ripped from my throat again as the blade is sheathed in my gut. Straining, I peek up from the rack seeing Alistair looking away from me speaking to another demon. I thrash a bit and they both turn towards me and I go stiff seeing those yellow eyes again.

I go limp on the rack again and scrunch my eyes shut wondering if he’d chosen to come kill me now that I was in his home field. My pride was what had kept me here rather than getting off and taking up the knife, which was funny since I’d never had an issue hurting others before. I scream again, eyes snapping open to see Alistair hovering over me once more. As he brings the knife down I flinch, only for my left arm to be freed, then my right. He was cutting me loose, was it because of the demon with yellow eyes?

“Who was he?” I ask while sliding off the table, only to almost slip and fall on my own blood. “Your king, now show some respect.” He grabs me by the scruff and drags me from the pit. I want to ask more, but he looks pissed at having to cut me loose already, Still, why would the king want me off the rack? Why would the king care unless…unless what he said was true, about being my father? What were the odds there were 2 yellow eyed demons that seemed to care that happened to me?

I grunt as I’m thrown forward, my knees feeling like they shatter on impact with cold stone, and I look up to see a woman. Somehow, her white dress remains pristine even in hell and I can feel the power even before her eyes turn milky. She must be different, sadistic and warped was my guess. The only other demon I knew with white eyes was Alistair, so my reviews weren’t exactly glowing for quality time.

“You, I’m told you could be helpful.” I flinch when she abruptly speaks, gruff and demanding just like Alistair. Idly, I wonder if they’re related.

“I’m sure I can be, what do you need? Given the chance I could prove most useful.” I push myself to my feet to prove myself not weak and level my gaze. I could hold this glassy eyed bitch’s gaze if it meant I got off the rack without conceding to Alastair's plea deal. She’s sizing me up, I can tell, so I swallow down the pride that landed me here and keep my mouth shut. This could be the chance of a lifetime after all.

“You seem like a salesman to me, so I’m going to send you there. Give it a couple decades, and maybe if you do a few favors for me, I could make it a bit better for you.” She’s leering at me as though she could eat me alive. This is Hell, so I suppose that’s not out of the question. Still, I’d never regretted those extra inches until now. “Of course I accept. I’ll be certain to make this decision worth your while.” Time to start schmoozing and buttering up the boss I suppose.

“What’s your name, salesman?” she demands looking only mildly interested in knowing.

“Fergus MacLeod ma’am.” Lilith makes a disgusted look and I take an instinctive step back, only for a hand to dig into my shoulder. Alastair, how could I have forgotten he was still there?

“No, Nope. That has to change.” Lilith is ranting and I can only wonder why she was so offended? It’s just a name, I’m inclined to agree a shitty one, but still mine. It bore a reminder that my mother cared long enough to at least name me. I hadn’t even realized Lilith had been speaking, listing off random names to change mine too until another voice speaks from a forgotten corner of the room.

“Crowley. His name shall be Crowley.” All our heads turn towards the voice. Once again I can see only yellow eyes as I swallow reflexively. The aura was strong and commanding and I knew, right then, what I wanted. I wanted respect, I wanted power, I wanted presence. I wanted what this demon had. But for now. For now, I have a name and a job.

I am: Crowley the Salesman.

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