harkerriver

[harkerriver]

The last thing River was trying to do was sound cool or aloof. She was sadly hyper aware of how she appeared — being a vegetarian, skinny, sort of bohemian — people would easily write her off as some sort of unshaved hippie trying to save some obscure animal in another country, but even that was a better alternative to some hipster weirdo who only drank organic coffee and tried way too hard to seem quirky. She had noticed how hard people tried to stand out in the world outside of her little community, and the result was fearing that everyone was judging her for everything she said and did. Rene was no different, and if anything, he probably made her think even more because he was a cute boy. 

“No, not like, a vegan, just… I didn’t grow up eating meat, really. Or anything processed or frozen and stuff…” She paused. How much was too much? She didn’t want to come right out and say she was raised in a cult that only ate what they grew themselves or found in the woods, but she also didn’t want to come off as some meat hating weirdo, either. “ My parents were pretty into healthy eating type stuff —” she decided this sounded better than saying she’d literally eaten tree park and flowers. “ — I mean, I guess, like… I take a more Native American stance on it? Like if you have to hunt an animal, respect it and eat it and use the parts and stuff instead of like… hanging it’s head on a wall.” River shrugged. 

Kicking a rock as her feet shuffled beside her companion, River was surprised that things weren’t horrible. She found herself feeling comfortable enough to snort at his comment, eyeing him with disbelief and amusement. “ I try to steer clear of everybody, don’t flatter yourself, pffft. “ She laughed. “It’s got nothing to do with being smart and everything to do with being weird and anti-social. If anything I’m probably the dumbest person I know.” River admitted somewhat bitterly.  It was something of a miracle that she could even read and write.

“No — not really. Like… I just wanna see what’s out there and what my options are before I decide or let someone decide my life for me, yanno?” She shrugged, stealing a glance at him again. “It’s not that I’m noncommittal, I just wanna know what I’m committing to, you know? Right now I’m here, but who knows where I might end up.” River shrugged again. It made her sound a lot cooler than she actually was, and maybe that was a good thing.

“Twenty-three? You don’t look it.” She chuckled. “I’m twenty-one.” She said with a wince. She didn’t feel like it, honestly, and she knew for sure that she didn’t look like it. “ So like — You’ve been here a long time? ‘Cause your English is way too good to be Romanian, but you seem to know your way around or whatever. “ 

River was in her head a lot. Whether or not she realized it, or perhaps an observable fact of his overzealous need to know just about everything, Rene watched as she drifted in her own thoughts between his questions and the time before she gave him any answers. Rene took it as pensive behavior. River seemed like a quiet girl. It wouldn’t be so weird for her to be handling this separately internally, as they’d only just reached the point of comfortable familiarity. Rene was happy to reach this point with her and that she’d even considered coffee. It didn’t matter if he’d talked into the open free air if it meant she was listening, even if it meant she didn’t talk much herself.

Rene had to give it to himself, how proud he was despite this weird onset of anxiety. He’d done the work of at the bare minimum appearing normal and human, and despite her unsuspecting and underwhelming view of herself had the most beautiful girl he’d seen in his long life at his arm. As it was done with a fumbling effort, Rene felt somewhat on edge, sort of dawdling at a worry of losing her interest.

She’d even seemed to be musing in her head, a soft disinterest in school, then a complete shock at the mention of the museum. Rene thought it bizarre, a link to something else he missed. He was quick to analyze it, what he might have done wrong. “Game hunting, yeah..” he chuckled in an uncertain way, smiling at her precariously, flickering between both of her eyes in search of what he hadn’t caught the first time. “What, are you a vegan or something? Not a huge fan of hunting animals?” He tried to guess, but already her eyes had less of a sharp edge than they did before.

“Oh, oh okay.” His last question was answered swiftly, and he nodded in agreement. “I bet you’re smart. Smart enough to try and steer clear of me.” He smiled over at her, trying his best not to linger where it caused obvious discomfort. River wasn’t used to be looked at longingly, and he would have to save that for the long days and nights he’d have long after this initial meeting. He loved how openly she spoke and how the more he got to know her arms opened like an acceptance, as if her body language could give away that he was less of a threat. It filled him with a temporary joy and he stole another glance, smiling etched at the edge of his lips.

“Oh so you’re non committal?” He grinned. “You bounce from place to place, a real free spirit?” Now he got a better look, if only for the excuse that he was speaking to get a longer look at her. “Is that what you’re doing with all your freedom, you travel a lot? Maybe that’s why I’ve never seen you around here, I definitely would’ve creeped you out a lot sooner.” He smiled for a moment, constantly tickled by this particular lie, even if he detested having to do so with her. “23, what about you?”

[harkerriver]

It was funny how far a little training went. Even though she was naturally pretty thin and lived in the woods, walking most places, learning to be a hunter had made River keenly aware in the earliest phases of her training just how poor her stamina was. Her health overall was frail and meek due to the fact that her commune didn’t eat meat and all their food was grown organically within proximity to their land. If they had a bad harvest, people got less to eat, and since all food was evenly distributed based on the family size, some days a handful of fruit or berries were considered meals. Desmond had expected her to be fast and able to use her speed in place of the strength she obviously lacked, but as he would come to learn, he was disappointed. She had barely made half the lap before she was breathless and about to faint. 

Now, nowever, she kept pace with ease.  Rene walked kind of fast, and while she took notice, her legs didn’t burn nor did her ankles feel like they were going to snap as she moved in step with him. Desmond would be proud. The thought made her smile a little to herself, as her trainer had quickly become someone she deeply respected in spite of all her screw ups. What he probably wouldn’t be proud of was knowing that she was sidetracked by a boy. Desmond was teaching River a great deal, and one of those things was to be wary of strangers. They were monster hunters, after all, and some monsters, she’d learned, could hide in plain sight. They may have had things that gave them away, but it took a trained eye, and she was only just learning. Still, Rene? River took a not-so-quick look at him, her lips twisting as she assessed him. He was her height, thin to the point of being frail, and all around looked like a pale and sickly Victorian child more than a man. It was impossible that he was a danger to anything more than ants he may crush under his shoes while walking. 

“Uh…pffft…” River paused, walking as her raspberry lingered while she pondered. “ Reading’s okay. I listen to audiobooks sometimes when I’m doing stuff with my hands. Movies are cool too…” She shrugged. She liked movies. They were like a window into other people’s minds, but she had been sheltered all her life and suspected that she often didn’t have the same appreciation for what they were as other people. “ You can learn a lot from movies, y’know? Like, some stuff you may not figure out on your own. Yeah they’re fake and just for entertainment, but some of them really hit hard on the lessons.”

“Ah,” River nodded, listening on as she glued her eyes to the ground before her steps. Her face felt a little hot and her nerves made her blood pump faster as she felt the awkwardness retake it’s position. Topics that were broad and general like movies and TV shows were among some of the easiest things to talk about. Music too, although some people were too passionate about that and got angry at other’s opinions. School however, was new territory. Her education was stunted and severely lacking due to her upbringing, and most of the things she should have known at her age she was only just learning. It was embarrassing that big words and their meaning went right over her head and some words were read or spelled wrong when written down. 

“Yeah, not much for school either,” She noted, hoping the topic would be pushed over for something else. What she got, however, was something that made her freeze. Stopping in her tracks, River made a sharp turn and gave the boy a wide-eyed look. “ What do you mean? Oh, like… Game hunting? Right…” She nodded, wincing mentally at her lack of calm. Just the word hunters made her nervous, which she really needed to work on as well as a dozen or so other social things. It was, after all, supposed to be a secret, but keeping secrets too, was on that long list of things River needed to be better at. 

“Yeah, no… No heads on walls. I’m…kind of a vegetarian.” She admitted. It was half true, as eating meat was not a habit she took part in most of her life, but with her newfound freedom, she’d tried bacon and a hamburger for the experience. While they tasted pretty good, she still wasn’t sure where she stood on the matter. “ I just like… Kinda go with the flow and see where life is taking me. I’m not a ‘school’ person.” She noted with air quotes. “ My attention span isn’t the greatest and I’m not all that smart. Besides, I just kinda got my freedom and I don’t really wanna commit to something so….heavy.” She admitted, even though she understood the irony. Being a hunter was a commitment, but it was also her meal ticket out of a life she loathed. While it had it’s challenges and drawbacks, River hardly thought it compared to cramming and studying for test after test in an old stuffy building.” So like…how old are you?”

Rene made an array of faces as she spoke. He was no sooner surprised that she would exude so much confidence, and it became apparent to him that when she had such a response it was very likely that it was true. He hadn’t believed her any less before, making a simple observation of her excitement and honesty. “Mad skills.” He repeated after her, with no intent except to cement the term in his brain. A chuckle made it light and less a tease, even if it was more of a cover-up for him. It hadn’t taken long to unravel just how behind he was in current communication between those his ‘age’, and he reflected upon just how stubborn time had made him - almost as if he was resistant to the knowledge for others.

If she had been trying to conceal her reasons for training, it would’ve been hard to decipher. Rene would have to dedicate, really focus on the ellipses in her heart and how fast it was beating. It hadn’t slowed much since they met, it spiked nearly every time she spoke and more when she laughed, like every word brought forth some level of exertion in her body. He could have sat and read her responses and tried to figure out if how quick her heart rate was now was matters of a lie or her consistent body full of worry. But his self interest blinded him, and even really if she had been lying, he would have blindly kept on, still. “Yeah, me too. This one’s on me.” He laughed, still lost in his own head.

“You don’t have anything you need to prove to me, I’ve seen your cart I think that was enough for me.” What worry did he really have against this young woman, who even if she’d trained for a time would be able to best his physical abilities? It was so unlikely that she could cause him any danger, and to even hinder the experience by trying to read her felt pointless. Something he kept with himself was always how quickly time moved even still, and he found it much easier to enjoy things as they were in present time. “I like learning.” He added, realizing soon after it needed an after thought. He didn’t want to waste precious time on suspicions when most humans relied on intuition. “What, do you like reading, movies?” Almost as if trying to become one again, leaning on the mortal side of himself Rene listened intently to her words and laid waste to the rest.

“Oh, ah no.” He smiled, and shook his head. He wasn’t lying, technically, having been done with school for some considerable time now. “I finished secondary school, I just haven’t gone back. Not sure I want to.” In truth he loved the course of education, the endless facets of learning. Even now it was something of a fixated interest. “I’m a freelance writer.” He lied. “I try to keep up and practice, like it’s a muscle or something.” Rene glanced over and smiled, even if most of the time her head was crooned to the cobblestone below, avoiding eye contact. “They have some great art centers around here, and this huge bookstore they made from this old, derelict building, some museums.” He smirked, a smart look as he turned his head to her attention. “There is kind of an outdoorsy museum for hunters, you know? But you don’t strike me as a taxidermy type of person. I just don’t see you with giant deer heads on your walls, I don’t know, I could be reading you wrong.” He shrugged. “What about you, are you in school?”

[harkerriver]

“Oh, I know I could.” River said with confidence. It was just about the only thing she could say with confidence, as she hadn’t been training all these months for nothing. Even if men naturally had more strength than women, Desmond had been training her to fight supernatural creatures and use her speed and other things against them. She knew for sure she could best this guy in a fight. “I’m not saying I want to fight you, just that I could. I have mad skills.” River bragged as she dusted off her shoulder. It was only as Rene asked what she was training for that she froze. She wasn’t supposed to talk about her training. Hell, she wasn’t even supposed to talk to anyone so casually. The organization was a centuries old secret and was supposed to stay that way, and likewise, River was supposed to be dedicating all her waking hours to training. Yet here she was, chatting with a boy.

If Desmond happened to walk by right about now, he would scowl his fearsome scowl before dragging her off to make her run laps as punishment. The thought was both scary and embarrassing and made the hairs on the back of River’s neck stand at attention. She gave a small shudder and then looked around the room, stuttering. “ Um… Just for protection. You know how it is when you’re a woman and how dangerous Europe can be. Pffft.” She said with an exaggerated shrug. “ I take self defense classes so I know how to fight off creeps and whatnot. So do lots of women. It’s not like it’s a big deal or anything. Everyone does it.” 

With another nervous shrug, River gnawed at the skin on her lip. She had made an already awkward situation even more uncomfortable, and was more than ready to run from the store, leaving her purchases on the floor to find them at some other location. Before she could even make her feet and body do what her mind was suggesting, Rene had snatched the items from her hands and walked off. It left River wide-eyed and dumbfounded for a moment before she snapped to, following him all while tripping over her own feet. 

“Hey! What— That… um…. Excuse me? Those are… I can get those myself…” She stammered as she jogged up behind him. Before she could protest, Rene had paid for her things. It was a chivalrous gesture that would have made her blush crimson for no reason had she been a lighter complexion. Instead she just glared at him. It wasn’t a look of anger, but shock and confusion. Her lips parted, then closed, making her look like a fish on land gasping for air, she was sure of it. Still, she was unsure what to do or say. Saying ‘thank you’ felt weird, but not doing so felt rude. “I have money, you know?” Came out instead, which was even more rude than saying nothing at all.

RIver grimaced at herself and her lack of social skills before she humbly followed Rene out the shop with her head hanging and shoulders slumped. She felt ashamed and stupid for every word that had come out of her mouth, but for whatever the reason, Rene was still there talking to her. Maybe he was trying to lure her into a trap, but she still couldn’t fathom why he would bother with her at all otherwise. 

“Uh….” She paused at his question. She didn’t really have a ton of hobbies, even before leaving her home, and now most of her days were spent training, so her free time was usually spent being lazy. “I guess I like learning about stuff…” She finally said after a beat. Her brain was filled with useless knowledge about things she’d learned after leaving home, and while she knew she had no need for it, it still was amazing how much was out there that she’d never known about. “ And I guess I like walking — hiking and stuff. I like the woods.” She shrugged. As much as she wanted to experience the world outside of it, something about the woods always made her feel like she was at peace and safe. 

Scoffing and rolling her eyes, River kept pace with Rene as he led her in an unknown direction. She wasn’t even paying attention to the street signs or the buildings as they walked, which was stupid on her part. Her anxiousness made it hard for her to keep her eyes off her feet longer than a few seconds. “Well it’s not like a fight club. And it’s not Cobra Kai, either. I just….don’t like people to think I’m weak. “

“What about you? What do you do around here? Go to school?” River prodded. If he was going to be nosy, it felt only fair that she could as well. Besides that, she was sort of desperate to get the topic of the conversation off her. 

Rene looked back at the girl with surprise, carrying a face of suspended stupor. He was very skinny, he’d always been. It didn’t look much in comparison to her, but took a liking to it. It felt right, like meeting her on such an inconspicuous day, that they were equal in form. The comment bothered him no less than her hesitation before, and he dropped his façade of shock for nod of overall acceptance. ���You think you can beat me in a fight?” He grinned, amused at the prospect.

The possibility of her words warmed him. Rene knew in truth that this was not the case, but enjoyed how immediately confident she was in her ability to handle herself. “Oh okay, so you don’t want to pick on me you just want to fight me. I’d tell you to pick on someone your own size which would…still be me, but you seem convinced.” The likelihood of her being any real kind of danger was low, but judging by the contents of her shopping trip she probably was very active even for her size. “Yeah, training?” He added with a sense of interest. “Training for the Romanian marathon?” He smiled.

“I bet you do know lots about a lot of stuff.” He laughed, trying to contain what might come off as too much teasing. River looked away as he contained his smile, trying to dial back his intensity. The cashier worked at their own pace, collecting the items steadfastly placed on the countertop. River was stumbling forth, arms outstretched in a failed effort to stop him from paying.

Being that Rene could see he’d been placing things too fast for them to scan, he ceased for a few moments, only to look over at her with a smile that pursed itself for seconds before chiming in. “I don’t have friends that do drugs,” he placed a few more items on the counter, and peeked over at her, chuckling. “Listen if it makes you feel better, I don’t either. Maybe it’s cause I’m twinky, I don’t know..” he shrugged, taking the paper bags from the register and tucking them in the corner of his arm after paying.

It was much between the two of them, but they’d separated them into bags of two both of which he carried alone. He turned to face her as they walked. “So what do you like to do?” He asked, wishing he could keen off into a flurry of unanswered bits about her, knowing she’d be thrown off by any measure of his interest. “I know you don’t like makeup or…drugs,” he laughed mid sentence, tickled by how little he knew of what she was actually like.

“TV, maybe. Or just that you’re into outside activities..” he measured, wondering himself. He took a good look at her as he opened the door, but in a outward observation, one she wouldn’t mistake for desirous. “You must be into some kind of fighting, but you’re not scraped up or mean enough to be a street fighter. Was it self defense you mentioned before?” He questioned. “I could see you being into something like that,” he shook his head at her, smiling as she made her way through the door he held open for her. “You’re very aggressive with the name calling and sizing me up for a fight. Those classes..isn’t it a rule that you can’t start fights?”

[harkerriver]

It dawned on River ( somewhat) the more she talked that her use of American slang in Romania was probably not the easiest thing to understand. Even she herself wasn’t used to modern slang having grown up isolated from the world. She stuttered a bit and scratched her head as she searched for words, her annoyance with herself already maxed out. 

“ NO! No, oh my God, not — I’m not picking on you I just mean like… You’re skinny and stuff. And I work out now so like, if you tried to fight me I think I could take you. Or at least get away cause like, men are genetically stronger than women but if you have the mass and the muscle and the training then it —” River paused. Shaking her head, she ran her tongue over her teeth before pursing her lips, realizing that not only was she once again prattling on and digging herself into an even deeper hole by trying to explain herself, but that she wasn’t exactly supposed to talk about her training. While she was guaranteed this guy wasn’t some  werewolf or whatever, it was still the rules to keep herself as unknown and unseen as possible.

Keeping her mouth shut was a task in and of itself, but what bothered River more than the fact that her incessant rambling was her greatest weakness and yet the one thing she couldn’t do, River found herself being slightly annoyed with the boy’s confidence. He was seemingly cool and collected for someone his age, and while she wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea, he seemed to only be thrown off by her for a few seconds before he regained composure. 

“Screw you, I wasn’t wrong. I know exactly what I need and what I need it for.” River scoffed in a pathetic attempt at seeming just as knowledgeable and confident. “ I know lots of things about lots of stuff. Probably stuff you don’t even know about. Pfft.” River scoffed, looking away from the boy. HIs gaze was unyielding and a bit too intense to hold eye contact with. In addition to prolonged eye contact being uncomfortable and weird for River – something she had to work on as Desmond was very big on stare-downs — River felt that the weight of the boy’s green eyes were something else entirely. Like he was reading her mind through his gaze and trying to figure out all the ways to unnerve her.

It didn’t help either, that amidst his showing off and annoying confidence in his speech, that he was complimenting her. As much as she didn’t believe it, River couldn’t say she was stupid enough not to know a compliment when she heard it, even if it was directed at her for once. She hardly had the wherewithal to process basic social interactions, so accepting and reciprocating flirtation was so far out of her comfort zone that she chose to altogether ignore it. Being complimented, even out of pity, didn’t fit into her world view or her narrative of herself. 

“ You really shouldn’; I’ll give you the tools stuff a little but you can’t get me to believe you know anything about makeup.” She scoffed, pausing. “ Or maybe you do, I don’t know… everyone probably knows more about makeup than me…” She muttered under her breath, suddenly feeling silly for the comment. While she was being taught to be resourceful, use her surroundings, and protect herself no matter what, River had very little time to devote to learning about anything else, including how to just be a girl. 

As she was lost in her thoughts, about to utter some half-hearted retort to the stranger, he began to stroll away, her things in his possession. “ Hey!” River called, only realizing her hands were empty by the time he had been a few feet from her. It made her feel terrible, as she was supposed to be more swift and alert than that, and yet he so easily baffled her. “Hey, I need those!” She half-yelled at him, fumbling over her own feet to catch up. “ Well if you have friends who want to sit around all day and do drugs, they’re probably not great friends to begin with. It’s probably better not to have any friends at all. I have no friends and I’m doing just fine.” She scoffed, the lie obvious to her to the point of it being embarrassing.

“Oh yeah..no yeah, I’ve never seen those. I don’t watch a lot of tv, actually.” This wasn’t true, he actually spent a lot of time doing exactly that. It was an arduous task, remaining human even though he was somewhat still one himself. But it was different life, so much more reclusive. It made him weird, a tell tale sign of a generational difference where his age would do little to bridge the divide. “We stopped using cable years ago.” In truth, he stopped using it altogether, frustrated with the stagnant use of a device which had once held so much interest. Now anytime he wanted to indulge he went to a library. He would’ve been on his way there now.

“Twink-y?” He asked, laughing at her words. “Is this because I tried to tell you which tools to use, now it’s your turn to pick on me?” He felt at ease when smiling now, like he might be able to work around their individual social anxieties. He felt more relaxed, less like he might be scaring her. It didn’t last long, a laugh shortly halted by a nervous choke, a disbelief in his words.

There was a time when glorious declarations of love and longing were seen as admirable, pillars of romance that women could only know to the extent of the leather edges of their novels. Rene very well could have spent a good bit of his time doing just that, but for her, it would not be right. “Yeah I don’t know. Might be time to admit you were wrong about both things. The tools and now this..” He shrugged at her, pulling the cart full of his and her things towards the register now that she seemed less guarded.

He wouldn’t tell her all of things that made her beautiful, to him and to many others around her. He supposed she spent much of her time so consumed with the imaginary scrutiny of others, eyes down, deep in her own thoughts. It wouldn’t be so far fetched she’d been sharpened by the world to carry such expectation. In that she wouldn’t respond to all that he had to say in such velocity, like opening a dam to someone who never learned to swim.

He could only convey it in the whole of his eyes, in his gaze and how it warmed at the sight of her worry. He imagined she didn’t spend time on her hair for gain in vanity, but even if she had her curls fell perfectly just as they were, small tendrils tucked behind her ears and others advancing on the edges of her face. She had a way about her, sweet and cute and clumsy, then breathtaking in carefree oblivion the way he’d seen her for the first time.

There were endless amounts of very beautiful women, but Rene was too much a romantic observer not to know the difference. Some faces could be improved upon with makeup, but there were some in which without maintained the same effect. Someone, sometime must have dulled or stifled this knowledge to her, most likely in envy. Rene was sure nothing good would come from telling her all this, but he remained optimistic that holding back his urges might grant him the time to do so.

“I’ll save you my opinions on you wearing makeup, I’ve already done enough damage mansplaining to you about your tools..” he looked down and smiled, a million thoughts running through his own head. “That’s very resourceful of you, I actually love girls that recycle.” He laughed, now kind of feeling embarrassed of his own self. He was probably coming off dim-witted in an effort to be funny. “I was saying it cause I meant it.” He looked at her again, stern in that he wasn’t all too scared to remind her of that fact, smiling at her again but less foolishly. “I don’t have any friends to drugs with, I’m not cool enough, River. It’s probably cause my twink-ness.” He teased, moving the cart forward in line. “I’m not manly enough to engage in their delinquent behavior.”

[harkerriver]

Silence was something that was taken for granted by River. As a child she would walk through the woods where her family called home and enjoy the sounds of birds and the gentle rustling of leaves, would sit by the creek and listen to the water rush by and at night, soak in the cricket’s song. It was often boring at times, and she would sit and daydream about the world outside of the basic cult that her family were involved in, but now it seemed a little bit like heaven. 

The day she received the notice about who she really was seemed like her only chance to escape. She didn’t even hesitate as the chance to be rescued from the hellish monotony of isolation was presented, but if she did, she might have had the time to contemplate all that it really meant. Magic, creatures, vampires, werewolves, faeries… All real. It sounded silly, but nothing sounded sillier than finding out you were a descendant of a legendary bloodline that hunted vampires since the dark ages. Part of River thought it was a joke. Still, there was a decent amount of cash and a plane ticket, and being as eager to get away as she was, she took it.

The reality was different from the fantasy, although she wasn’t exactly sure what she was expecting. Romania was pretty now that it wasn’t a war torn regime, but the warm months were eclipsed by the longer, colder winters. The country itself wasn’t bad, but not knowing the language only added to her lack of social skills, as did the cultural differences and the color of her skin. The large house that was used as a hub for trainees resembled the school from X-Men on the outside, but on the inside, it was like a walking boobytrap. There was so many things laying around, so many blind corners, and so much foot traffic that someone who grew up in the woods with next to nothing, it felt like a maze. 

And then there was her room. It was nice, but she shared it with two other girls who weren’t the most friendly for a number of reasons. River knew she was strange, but these girls looked down on her for every single thing she did, and it made spending time in her room just to relax impossible. Without a safe haven, and with the house so lively, the only place she found peace and quiet was in her dreams, and that too, wasn’t held sacred. Her training started at the ass crack of dawn, which meant dragging her sorry ass out of bed to shovel a hot meal in her mouth and shower before the rest of the day was spent working on her shitty stamina and fighting skills. 

Of course, all of that couldn’t come out of her mouth when asked a logic, simple, but loaded question by her mentor and trainer, Desmond. He was a hot but grumpy man with an imposing figure, skilled beyond logical reason in basically every fighting style, and not great to talk to. How could she tell him that she didn’t share his same unyielding dedication to monster killing? How could she tell him that she took the first chance to get away from her miserable life and didn’t think it through when he lived and breathed hunting?

“Ehmm.” She mumbled in return to the tune of ‘I don’t know’. Knowing it wasn’t going to do, she added, “ It feels like something I had to do? I mean… to find me– like for the organization to find me all the way in the middle of the woods and stuff like… Maybe I’m meant to do it?” River shrugged. She resisted the urge to nod in agreement when he mentioned being tough on her, but for a moment after, it seemed like a tiny bit of softness came through. She couldn’t exactly tell, but it felt like he actually cared about something happening to her. 

“I wanna be here.” She said with minimal confidence. “I mean, if I can make a difference or even save one person’s life, then it’s worth something, isn’t it?” She asked, though she was wondering all the while if it actually was. She wasn’t a coward, but she didn’t know if she would ever be as prepared as Desmond always seemed to be. Still, she held her head somewhat high and found a hint of courage that was enough to look him in the eye. “ I never really had a family as much as I had a community. My parents weren’t really parents at all, and I didn’t really have any friends to speak of. I don’t even think they’re thinking about me now…”

@harkerriver

There was a stillness in the air, even in the small bouts of a breeze that crept through the open window. It was peaceful, sun hidden behind heavy, gray clouds - a frequent climate in Romania. It should have calmed him, quieted the thoughts as they flashed back and forth, brought him the sleep his body so desperately needed. Some hours went by, eyes bore into the sanded wooden planks of the ceiling, heard the creaking of others who had just woken and eager in their morning routines. He often preceded them, awake in the earliest hours of the morning to run or train.

Locations were moved consistently for their small organization of hunters, for various reasons, namely protection and concealment. This time, however, for another reason entirely. Save for the fact that they were, he assumed, much closer to the danger, Desmond was confident their newest safe house would not be found - and riddled with worry about another. Several towns were reported to have unusual activity only seen by keener eye. One of his associates had been tracking the murders and disappearances of humans in surrounding areas, none of which included a town right smack in the middle.

Desmond had been a hunter for as long as he could remember. It was his family’s lineage, a way of life so devout it was nearly a religion. He had seen the passing of missing friends never come back home, groups decimated in a single night. They never traveled alone and so their absences were felt deeply. While their organization had dwindled in numbers they still remained a connected unit, some migrating and collected in different areas, but never alone. To remain a union was the most crucial rule of their trade. It was not often a hunter was found alone.

Which made her appearance that much more mystifying. Unaware of how it might be perceived, or perhaps entirely unaware, a young girl showed up quite literally on their doorstep. She had a bag over her shoulder and a paper in her hand, a struggling smile hanging at the side of her mouth. He was not the one to open the door and yet he saw her from far away, tearing at a biscuit from his plate of food. He made his way forth for an introduction and line of questioning, looking over the paper of what seemed to be her own ancestry, blood of a generation of hunters like his own. After offering her a meal, he assigned some others to make a room for her, giving her fresh and clean clothes, a night of relaxation before her first run with training.

As it was morning, daylight was perfect cover for training. They commenced these for the most part in the vast expanse of a sheltered forest which provided them the privacy needed. There was a tray of assorted weapons, all useful in their own special way. This morning, Desmond found himself with the rise of the sun, demanding the same of his new recruit. She didn’t seem aggravated at the request, abnormally quiet and eager to learn, nervous all the same. Part of him wanted to reject the task entirely. She was tall, sure, but thin, she looked almost frail. He wanted to turn her from this cursed task and save her from herself - but any numbers they could add to their rank were so significant he could not pass up the opportunity.

“Why do you want to become a hunter?” He could not say he cared all that much for those who served with him. He liked them, aided them in their ideology and sympathized with whatever tragedy brought them there. But he felt nothing, perhaps at all. What he’d lost over the years stripped him of his warmth, and hardened him. “Is it because it’s what you really want, or because you think it is something you’re destined to do, because a piece of paper says this is who your family was?” He only made them stronger, it seemed to be all that he was good at. Each time someone did not return he did not grieve like the others, angered by guilt, his failure for not training them better, for longer, not pressing them harder.

This would not be the case for her. “If it seems like I’m being tough on you it’s because I am. I’d rather you hate me and be alive.” An open collection of assorted weapons was laid out in front of them and he moved aside, leaving her with a choice in range of weapons. “I have seen more people go and never come back than I have seen grow older. If you choose this, and this is what you really want, you need to be comfortable with what’s out there, the very real possibility of death. We all died the day we took the pledge to serve this mission.” He searched her eyes for something that felt truthful, in search of her real feelings. “You may never see your family again, your friends, people you love. Are you sure this is what you want?”

[harkerriver]

“Yeah,” River was almost excited as adamance. “ I’ve seen those weird European prank shows where people hide in bushes and stuff or wait at bus stations late at night dressed as ghosts and stuff. Like you want to get me in an elevator and then the lights are gonna go out and you’re gonna crawl through a secret panel and be replaced by someone dressed as a clown.” She almost chuckled at the idea, in spite of knowing she’d be freaked out. Her inability to keep herself from rambling when she was nervous was broadcasting that she watched way too much TV, but she couldn’t help herself, as was with most things. River possessed an odd subtle excitement, not displayed with bouncy movements or elevated tone, but the way she never seemed to be able to stow away some of her words for later. It was without a doubt a result of having the world opened up to her so late in life, but it was embarrassing all the same.

“I mean, you’re not that scary. You’re kinda twink-y…” She assessed, giving him the once over for the first time that wasn’t an initial quick glance. He indeed was thin — no muscle to speak of that was visible, and she doubted that he was the wiry type with secret strength given the frail, slightly pale look of him. It was such a sharp contrast to the men within the training camp, whom all seemed to spend way too many hours of their day getting ‘swole’ in order to combat the inhuman strength of the creatures they fought. 

About to speak again, with every unintentional intention of putting her foot in her mouth again, River’s word vomit came to an abrupt halt when the words coming from the boy’s mouth were as foreign as the Romanian language itself. “ I’m what now?” She stammered out, a nervous chuckle quick to follow as she looked at him, clearly baffled. “Okay…yeah no, this is a joke.” She insisted. Her heart seemed to leap enough to get stuck in her throat, as River found herself having a small coughing fit in the process of trying to process what she was hearing. “Seriously… What’s your angle? If this isn’t a prank or a scam then why would you say that? I don't have any makeup on, I’m wearing jeans I got at a thrift store that are probably like twenty years old, and I can’t even remember the last time I washed my hair. Why would someone like you say that to me unless you were high as a kite or legally blind?”

Even had it not been for his abilities, Rene was sure he would still feel the embarrassment like a hanging air of tension. It happened so little and infrequently with their kind. Most humans would mirror certain behaviors, even a forward confidence seemed to infect them, creating an ease of conversation. They were generally cyclical beings, the result of a ripple effect, assumed in their singularity but more attached to the hive than they would ever let themselves believe. Often times the comparison he heard from his housemates would bare an unfortunate resemblance, humans being as much of sheep as he heard them say.

This infectious nature about their kind did not seem to work on the young woman, and if it had done anything at all it had worked to wedge even more distance between them. Rene could feel in her shoulders and in her stance the movement away, the reluctance to have anything to do with him at all. Rene followed her eyes as the words flowed from her, careful to catch each twitch of their movement, eyes darting to the register and the door in different moments. Still, even though he knew he was making her nervous, her body and eyes practically screaming for help, he found himself smiling, trying to withhold little flits of laughter.

“A prank?” He grinned, shaking his head. “But we’ve just met.” He searched her eyes for more, but it was her body that kept giving her away. Something about her was off, not alike the many humans he had spoken to. Her defense had very quickly reared its head into their discussion, and for moments he asked himself why that may be. “I wouldn’t even know what would scare you. I mean, besides me.” He chuckled, turning his body to give room in the aisle should she feel the need to escape.

Rene’s smile grew to a grin, another chuckle when she started to throw threats into the mix. “Well good thing I gave you the right tools. I’d hate to die a slow and painful death cause you bought all the dull ones.” He thought of telling her she was far too thin to be taken for such things, that even his own family would work at feeding her just to build at the meat on her bones. He knew enough about women not to mention their weight, and tried to have an ease about her rejection even if it pained him. “I don’t know about a dare or the black market. I just…think you’re beautiful, and if I never saw you again I’d always think about having never asked. So I asked and… if it’s too much you’re welcome to run far away.”

[harkerriver]

There was a conflict deep within River as she debated how badly she needed her items in comparison to how badly she wanted to drop them and run away. There was no saving this conversation, and given that her day had already started on a low note, she wasn’t ready to deal with another embarrassing situation. As she shifted her weight from one foot to another and back, River gnawed at her lower lip in absence of biting her nails in her anxious state. She was sure he was joking, for the most part, in spite of her poor social skills and her constant misreading of tones and faces. Still, she was thin. Not just skinny, but almost frail. It was a mix of her poor childhood raw vegan, organic diet by her hippie parents and genetics, but it helped in the fact that it made her appear non-threatening. She couldn’t imagine anyone would think that she was in the process of being trained to become a monster hunter. 

“Oh…” She nodded. “Funny as in actually funny. That’s…good.” She said nervously, her hands shaking slightly. There was a sense of relief that he was at least amused by her and not totally creeped out, but the thing that was still tripping her up was his insistence on keeping the conversation going. RIver stares at the green-eyed stranger for a long while, taking in his features as if committing them to memory in case she ever saw him again. She couldn’t say that she’d do if she did, but the odds of hiding or running away instead of saying hi were generally solidified.

“Uh…I…” She stammered out, unsure of what to say or do in a situation like the one she was presently in. On one hand, herself not having any friends either and her general avoidance of social interaction standing strong in the storm that was a social life, she knew she could stand to make a new friend. However, the paranoia that often made her decisions for her spoke loudly of the many late night documentaries she had watched about kidnapping and human traffickers. While she was no prize in her mind, she knew that mattered little to those kinds of people, and that she was weak looking enough to grab. Her mind was quick after that to spiral downward into thoughts that this guy was bait used to lure girls away into some corner to be nabbed. 

Without thinking, RIver got on the defensive. “ W-why would you-why would you want to get coffee with me?” She asked through a nervous sputter. Her insecurities flared and River found herself echoing all the negative thoughts of her housemates. “I mean, why me? I mean, why would you want to get to know me? You just met me, it’s not like I’m.. Okay I mean I get that not knowing someone you just met is obvious and a reason to get to know somebody but like, why? Is this some kind of dare or a prank or something? You’re not trying to lull me into a false sense of security so you can sell my organs on the black market or something, are you? Cause I read that that happens a lot in Europe. And I know I may not look it, but I studied self defence. I can totally kick someone's ass if I need to."

“Yeah that’s what they all say.” He added on top of her ramblings, recognizing more of the media she was starting to mention. For all he knew he was farther behind in the times than he imagined, picturing that he was as outdated as he felt. The way she was looking every which way except towards him brought to light a human emotion he had long forgotten. Guilt and shame still persisted on through lifelong regrets but being timid fell off with each year like shedding new skin until eventually it didn’t. One of the dreadful things about losing the feeling of unease was that it hardened you, made you unable to catch the lulls and imperfections of the human condition. They existed in excess with River, self conscious of how he may be presenting himself going forward.

“Funny haha.” He laughed again, trying not to seem like she was the subject of his jest. “You say funny things.” He was talking with his hands, then scratching at the back of his neck. “You made me laugh.” The motions felt foreign. An after thought, a habitual hormonal response to embarrassment. Even hearing the words in his ears felt hard to hear, not well put together, fractions of a sentence.

It wasn’t as if he was completely like his housemates, but by no means did he feel closer to humanity. The things that made them what they were could not co-exist with what they had been before. He always felt himself on the verge of crossing that line, but his constant associations left him leaning less on what made him human.

He sensed that’s what was making it so hard for him to meet her on a similar level, feeling miles apart from what he wanted to say and what was actually translating to her. He was trying to be less of one thing, more of the other that had been untouched for ages. “If you don’t like coffee we can just walk I don’t..” he felt himself standing upright from his lean, as if trying to explain and make something of himself. “I’m sorry if I’m being too forward. I don’t have many friends around here and I think it’s made me forget how to socialize. Whatever.. capacity works for you, whatever feels..comfortable. I just wanted to get to know you, I guess, is what I’m saying.”

[harkerriver]

She didn’t want to admit it, but he had a point. She had in fact, thought about things like that way too many times. She was too torn between not saying anything and looking like a basketcase, or saying something and sounding like a nerd. There was no middle ground and no winning, so River chose to shrug and attempt to sound casual as she brushed it off. “ I watch a lotta TV. Criminal minds and stuff… Law & Order reruns…” She excused. It wasn’t a lie, but the truth was often worse, and River knew she sounded like an idiot with too much time on her hands. “Yeah…” She muttered, looking around at everything but the guy before her. 

“No, not murder, but it’s not like it’s the nicest thing a person can do, either.” She scoffed. In her mind, the interaction was not going well, and in spite of Rene’s laughter, River was sure she had made such a fool of herself that he was eager to get away, or maybe keep here there for more of her gems of stupidity. 

 “Funny?” She echoed, confusion in her tone as her mind went to the worst possible place. He was European, and was sure that the word meant something different to them. “ Like funny haha or funny strange and odd and belongs in an asylum or something?” She asked, searching for clarity. In her mind, however, there was only one answer, and River decided in a haste that it would be best to get out of there while she still had a shred of dignity within her. About to say she was going to leave and pay for her things, Rene asked her the last question she ever thought she’d hear. It made her freeze, her dark eyes narrowed in mistrust and shock as her brows knitted together in confusion. 

“Like the drink?” She spat out without thinking, realizing after, almost instantly, how stupid she sounded. Wincing, River closed her eyes and cursed under her breath. With a slow, deep inhale, River held in her brain’s urge to humiliate her by saying coffee gave her anxiety and the runs, and instead focused on what the actual fuck was being implied. “ Wait so like … wait what? Like coffee like, like you’re asking me if i just happen to enjoy the beverage and want some now? Or like? Wait, what?” River couldn’t ( or wouldn’t) process even the possibility that she was being asked out by someone. It had to be a prank of a joke or some elaborate set-up to steal her wallet, right? “ I…uh… I should probably go…”

Rene started to chuckle at her ramblings, smiling as each twist and turn of things he didn’t expect her to say, some references that he couldn’t place. He prided himself on staying current with the times, especially given the perception of his given age and how to interact with those alike. Perhaps he had lost some of that touch being cooped up in the big castle, only coming and going for little more than business. “I’m getting the sense you’ve thought more about this than I have, maybe I should be worried about you.” He found contentment in her slur of words, cascading one after another hurried and unrehearsed.

“Joe?” An eyebrow peaked in question, smile lingering. “I suppose you think taking my cart is an offense equal to murder.” He repeated the words with the same ridicule it had been presented with, though they still played at their figurative game with a lightness. When their fingers touched, she retracted almost immediately. It didn’t sway him. More of her human mannerisms began to seep from her pores, the wiggle and tremor of her hands when she spoke, the way her brows would press together in frustration when her body would betray her.

“You’re funny.” he remarked, his smile growing. Rene couldn’t help it. He felt the way she was creating invisible walls between the two, trying to reserve herself, but it was if he couldn’t be bothered to care. He desired more of her time, every piece of information he could draw from her like a well, however many times he had to ask until she felt at ease. He wanted to soothe the tension he could see building in her shoulders and tell her that he was safe and that it was okay. But it was far too soon for that, and even being around for an eternity meant a great deal of patience.

It was as if all the time before seemed hapless and barren. Now the time stretched before him like a long path. Rene imagined every day not spent learning something new was useless, but now he had been given purpose. The possibility of this long stretch began to expand in his mind, a future that before had been so cloudy. He smiled at the sound of her name, knowing that it would encompass the whole of his mind now that he knew. “Do you like coffee?” He asked, trying to vie for more of her time. “I know we got off to a weird start, and I know we just met,” he searched her eyes for a gage of how she was really feeling. “It’s just that I’ve been here a long time and I’ve never seen you.. and I’d never forgive myself if I didn’t at least ask.”

[harkerriver]

River being River, she fidgeted with her hands and tapped her foot to ease the anxiety bubbling within her chest, hoping - no - praying to end the conversation so she could be on her way. The years of home school had a permanent effect on her ability to socialize, and with that  came an inability to read social cues and think up witty and charming things on the spot. It instead came off as insulting most of the time and cringe-worthy the rest of the time, serving as a reminder of why she had no friends and shouldn't talk to people. Still, this Rene guy was in her way. Not in the imposing since, as he was rather frail looking and likewise not opposing in height. He was just standing there, making conversation and unwavering eye-contact which spoke in volume of his confidence and his generally European attitude towards life. 

“Not really. I mean, it’s not giving Ted Bundy but it’s not not giving Joe from You in a way. Like you kinda have the capability in you but you haven’t quite found a reason to snap yet, but you definitely have thought about exactly where and how you’d hide the body and probably what you could use as an alibi. Like maybe a bowling team or something.” River rambled, finally pausing after what felt like at least five minutes of calling a stranger a serial killer. “Not that you would, I’m just saying that if I were to guess it’s more premeditated M.O than spur of the moment or serial killer type stuff. Like it’s probably just one person who really ticked you off and I’m gonna shut up now because I’m not doing myself any favors trying to explain myself further in the hope that it’s less insulting.” She shrugged. 

Eager to run away from the interaction, River was about to make a break for it, her hands reaching out to grab the remaining items in the cart, but the stranger was oddly swift and got to something before her. For a brief, fleeting second, the tips of her fingers brushed his hand, and River’s only response was to yank her hand back with lightning-fast speed she didn’t know she was capable of.  Cursing herself for being so weird, River watched as the boy replaced one of her items, a gesture that in itself was confusing. Part of it triggered her deep rooted independence that loathed the idea of being mansplained to, but another odd part of her that had watched way too many movies after leaving her parents TV-free home had been brainwashed by Hollywood and Media into finding the gesture a little smooth and cool in an alluring sort of way. 

“Not helping your serial killer thing, dude.” She said in spite of being mildly impressed. Her awkward quips were never to be outdone by anything. “Didn’t throw it.” She instantly replied, wincing again at the way her brain lacked a filter between it and her mouth. “Rene. No, That’s not my name. Obviously, cause that’s your name. It’s…” She paused, loathing to have to introduce herself once again by the ridiculous name her hippie parents had trapped her with. “ River. It’s… It’s River…”

He had always been drawn to his observations, finding reserve in his thoughts before setting them free. This almost always gave him the upper hand, as most people especially humans, kept talking to fill the silence. And while it wasn’t his intention to get anything out of the young woman, she kept rambling and half the noise of her words began to mingle with the sound of her quickening breaths and puttering heartbeat. Even if she had been trying to put the incident behind her with composure, her face was so expressive it laid out every emotion on the table, so much so he felt no need to even guess.

Both were in similar predicaments, and he bargained that neither party would care all that much of the contents of either party, being so preoccupied with their own perceptions. Rene clocked her evaluation, which wasn’t all the way incorrect. “Am I giving off the vibe of a cartoonish villain?” His sheltered smile couldn’t help but spread into a grin, laughing in response. She couldn’t have been any closer to the truth about the little fabrication in their shared cart, but it soothed him to know he wasn’t on the other end of a neck to see it through.

Rene already had an arm perched on the edge of the cart, eyes following her gaze as it flit from one spot to the next like a little hummingbird. He could tell she was unsettled by the motion of her hands, and now could smell the sweet scent of sweat beginning to form on the very edges of her curled wisps. “If I was the least I could do is tell you that these are terrible..” He leaned in closer, grabbing for some of her carving tools to replace, trying to elicit a smile of guidance. The proximity gave way to his long gaze, unashamed of how it might look to her that he was taking a longer look.

Brown orbs inside her almond shaped eyes, the way the curve of her cheeks would lift when she smiled, all emotions bare for him to see. He loved her expressive body and hands, how she seemed to detest the very things that made her human so outwardly. It was that reason, among many blossoming others, that he didn’t want to scare her away. In fact he felt now that he might not go on if he let her get away with no hope of ever seeing her again. He went to grab a different pair from the hanging shelf. “Not everyday you meet amateurs, gotta help where I can.” He handed her the new tools, brushing her fingers intentionally. The feeling gave even him a rush, and he smiled warmly, letting them sit where they were before she would pull them away. “I didn’t catch your name.” Another point of concern, a name to match the face. Rene knew once they parted whether it be here or in another place the name would sit with him, now even bugging him that he was lack for knowing.

[harkerriver]

River’s face sank as she watched the stranger help her with her items, feeling like an idiot who had embarrassed herself all in the name of getting attention somehow. She knew that wasn’t the case, but given how her morning had gone and her chronic affinity to overthink everything she did and said, she couldn’t help but feel like it looked as though she were trying to appear clumsy and cute and quirky. The terms were all things she’d heard before and loathed, her natural state being one of disarray as she was nearly always spaced out and daydreaming when alone ( which was often). The last thing she wanted was to come off as some manic pixie pick-me girl, so she tried to think of the best way to play off what had just happened. 

“I don’t need your cart.” She huffed, instantly regretting it. Her attempt to backpedal what might have seemed as some kind of weird flirting ro whatever made her come off as rude, and in response, River clamped her eyes shut and cringed hard at her own behavior so far. “No, I mean… I wasn’t trying to take it, I just.. I can totally carry these things on my own, I just was trying to get the earbuds out and it…” She sighed, giving up her rambling explanation as quickly as it had started, knowing that she was just making it worse. 

Her lips pressed together in a tight line, mostly to keep her from talking, River extended her hand with a nod of gratitude as she took back her earbud and fiddled with it in her hands. Gnawing at the inside of her cheek, River paused for a moment, being sucked back into her head and taking a job through her memories as if to remind herself why she was so bad at social interactions. This one would play on repeat for years to come, and the idea of that made her slump her shoulders even lower, preparing herself for the rest of the day to be just as awkward as this interaction had been. 

Glancing up as the guy spoke, River paused and got a good look at his face for a moment. It wasn’t her intention to stare, but as she came out of her head and back to the present, her eyes focused on him first since he was addressing her. It gave her time to notice the nice curls in his hair and his pretty green eyes and the way his jaw came to a point like a model or something. He was pretty cute, honestly, and it brought a small smile to one corner of her mouth before she was fully focused and heard what he had said. It made her glance down in his cart and take in all his items. Her smirk turned into a tight lipped, nodding, brow raised type of knowing expression in response. “ Well I wasn’t thinking that before, but now I’m getting vibes of that whole guy-who- jokingly-tells-his-plans-to-throw-everyone-off thing they do in movies.”

Rene could feel the change in her body when she came to, clearer from her daydream, quick to begin shoveling her items back in her arms. Her hair was rising on her forearms, a sweat beading at the wisps of hair on her forehead. “No worries.” He added, watching her attempt at balancing the clumsy items in her slender arms. The contents in her hands were already teetering over the edge, made worse by the device falling from her ear and her shoddy attempt at catching it, releasing the items to the floor below.

He tried not to laugh, not because it was funny but because it was so human. The part of him still existed, and even closer given that he didn’t have to hide who he was by existing only at night, not dependent on a diet that would only further him from the grasp of humanity. He had spent so much time among his other side, the draw to her felt strong. There was a lack of performance about her, a groundedness, an untouched beauty.

Rene was quick to grab the items that rolled around on the tile floor, tossing them back into the cart and looking at her with a growing smile. “We can share.” He laughed, taking his grasp off the side of the cart that he was leaning on to reach under the shelf. It took him a few tries, a couple finger pats onto the cold, dusty floor below before he felt it and pulled it from under. He tried his hand at wiping the dust as he stood to hand it to her, another small smile when he passed it to her.

“I’m repainting my bedroom,” he led, leaning back into the cart to pick up the clear smocks meant for protecting the integrity of clothes, the same clear plastic for the floor accompanying it. Presumptive thinking had given him the advantage of having paintbrushes to accompany them, though Rene’s only personal purchase being the brushes. “But the way it looks I may as well be Ted Bundy.” He tossed them back in the cart lightly, smiling again and offering her a hand. “I’m Rene.”

[harkerriver]

“Don’t you just love the smell of misogyny first thing in the morning?” The comment was met with a low chuckle from Edda, her only friend in the accursed place, but scowls of distaste from the other students in the room. River had always found it funny ( in a humorless way) how they never knew enough English to converse with her, but knew exactly what she was saying and what to say back when it was useful to them. She shrank back in her seat a bit as the stares lingered a moment longer before turning back to the aforementioned pissing contest between two of the other hunters in training of a girl. The girl in question was failing to hide a smile. Tall, but not too tall, slender but with just a hint of curves, pale blonde hair and smooth fair skin, Elin had come all the way from Sweden to train to be a creature hunter, and as she fit the European beauty standard to the letter, it was no wonder that all the boys at the academy were smitten with her. She loved every bit of the attention, too. She smiled and gave a weak attempt at stopping the argument as she propped her chin in her hands, watching the two fight over who got to be her sparring partner for the day. 

It was enough to make River sick, the young trainee quickly losing her appetite and pushing the last of her bacon into her friend’s plate before dropping her dirty dishes in the sink and leaving the room. It wasn’t just the immaturity that bothered her, however. Elin had guessed correctly once that River was jealous, but not over some stupid meathead. She was jealous of the attention. While it had been her own choice to move to Europe, being mixed race wasn’t something she considered to be a problem until she’d stepped off the plane to stares and shock. That feeling carried on over the months, and being the descendant of a legendary hunter did little to impress and in fact, seemed to make people dislike her more. Be it racism or jealousy over her lineage, River found most mornings unbearable in the massive estate that served as a Charles Xavier-esque training facility. 

She returned to her room with a heavy sigh, plopping on her bed to pull on her boots and fix half of her hair in a ponytail before grabbing a backpack and heading out for the day. The sun outside was oddly warm, but having grown up in hotter climates, River still found a light sweater needed. Her boots crunching on gravel as she walked, River thought of home, both nostalgic for it but repulsed at the same time. Her parents, vegan hippies who lived out of a camper since she was born, loathed the idea of her going so far away, but RIver was dying to carve her own path. One where she could use mass produced products and eat bacon as a fuck you to the people who kept her out of school, choosing to teach her from old books instead.  She wanted to be something more than they could offer, and even if it meant being the flunky at times and running pointless errands, River was glad for the chance to prove her worth.

Popping in her newly bought airpods with her allowance, another great perk of this school, given her parents worked nowhere and hadn’t believed in cell phones and technology, River took her time walking into town. She had plans to stock up on just about everything a young hunter-in-traine would need, feeling a bit like Buffy as she imagined herself sharpening stakes in her room and doing cool flips and maneuvers. The daydream sank it’s claws in as she walked into the hardware store, waving to the friendly old man that ran the place before she began wandering the aisles. Her hands held carving and woodworking tools, thick gloves to prevent splinters, duct tape, and really strong glue as she wandered, realizing she could only hold so much.  “Fuck,” she muttered to herself before glancing around. As luck would have it, there was an abandoned cart right within her grasp, and River, being a person who never had much good luck, eagerly went to set all her things down without even noticing things in it. It was only when someone's voice called her attention that she paused.

“Huh?” She said as she dropped her items and pulled a bud from her ear. Heat flushed her face, hidden by her skin (thankfully) as what he’d said dawned on her. Her lack of experience with peers growing up and likewise her general hatred of confrontation had made River somewhat awkward over the years, she fumbled with her words for a moment before swearing and stammering out an apology. “ I didn’t even see your stuff, dude, I’m so sorry.” she spat, hastily grabbing back up her things into her hands. “Huh? Oh, um… DIY project…” She blurted out, unsure how she would explain going camping with tape and glue. Overthinking just about everything, the last thing she wanted was to look like a serial killer. “Hold on, just lemme-” she stammered again, trying to balance everything in her hands again and dropping her earbud in the process. “ Aw, crap!” She hissed, moving to get it and promptly kicking it under a shelf. “No! She gasped, reaching out to catch it and dropping everything in her hands in the process. " Fuck me!" She muttered as she looked at the items now scattered around her feet.

@harkerriver

Sunlight flickered through the slits in the trees, wind beating against resistant leaves. It was a windy morning, topped off by blue and cloudless skies. Rene had to admit his own delight in this small luxury, being able to see all cycles of the moon and sun while most other vampires in the home had to hide from the light. He had always loved the feel of the sun, the mornings a quiet reprieve from the long nights that preceded them.

Today, Rene’s objective was to replenish some of what Leda called “party favors”, which really was just means of having repeat customers. Sometimes people came and went without being taken at the neck, but never in completion. Sometimes they’d slowly drain their human of choice, keep them coming back until they were done with them. A short death or a long, drawn one it was all the same. The cycle was smooth for the most part, but not faultless. No life was ever understated in value, each soul entering the castle bound to meet the same fate upon entry.

Death in this manner was unimportant to Rene. Most were vile, nearly as evil as the century old vampires that hunted them. The world was better off without them, anyway. His condition leaving him able to thrive in a world where he did not have to feed on others gave him more of a sense of humanity, with all the benefits of immortality. It also gave legitimacy to their secluded home, and a security of real human inhabitants to throw off any hunters.

Rene left in the earliest hours of the day, when less people seemed to be roaming around. He would divide his shopping into spurts, grabbing some items from each place to keep suspicions low. He already carried a bag full of tools that would have otherwise seemed irregular next to the plastic ponchos he was picking up in this hardware shop. Rene dropped a few brushes in the silver seat holder of his cart, half for himself and better cover. Chimes twinkled from the creek of a wooden door opening, the frame of a petite woman slinging a bag over her shoulder entering the shop and waving at the shopkeeper behind the register like an old friend. The light drawn in from the window seem to shadow over her, pulling new tones from the edges of her brown, curly hair.

He was all the way at the back end of the antique shop, and he could hear her voice, a sonorous sound, almost familiar. Her footsteps were concise, like she’d be there dozens of times before. Pushing a little cart around the store until she stopped to browse, humming then muttering to herself, immersed in thought. Rene was looking too, but now more intrigued by the newcomer than continuing his morning errands. So enthralled in whatever her list was saying, she grabbed his cart and kept on unphased. Rene circled the corner to grab his, meeting her at an intersection where she finally broke her spell and noticed their mixup. “I think you stole my cart.” He smiled, taking stock of some of the things she was beginning to collect. “You going camping?”