#('you have to be drained to the point of death and then fed the vampire's blood' - Lucy

[marypsue]

You know, for years I've been thinking "the whole half-vampire situation and 'kill the head vampire and free any half-vampires' thing in The Lost Boys is so unique, I've never seen that particular approach to vampire turning in any other vampire story, and it really fits the story well, I wonder how they came up with it" and.

It's Dracula. It's literally just what happens in Dracula. Michael Emerson and Mina Harker 'having to kill the master vampire whose blood (which you ingested) is slowly turning you into a creature of the night in order to become human again' handshake meme.

[harunovella]

just give me a taste ; s.g.

synopsis: a devoted church goer and descendant of powerful vampire hunters, you have caught the attention of the new father of the church: a man you suspect to be the center of all disappearances. little did you know, fate has something brewing for you and the sinful nightwalker...

cw: f!reader, priest/vampire!gojo x vampire hunter!reader, mentions of blood, pet names (little one, little dove, lots of "little"), intercourse within a church, blood drinking (he's a vampire ofc), attempted murder, dub con, basically no prep/unprotected sex, hinted virginity loss, overstim, gojo is a beast and goes at it like one (insatiable much?), somethings in the air and you aren't stopping him?, groping, creampie (kinda), cockwarming, ambiguous ending... 18+ MDNI!

wc: 3k+

an: was supposed to post this on Halloween but oh well here it is now! I love the idea of vampire gojo so here's a little somethin somethin... tbh I just love supernatural/fairytale au's and I am so tempted to do a werewolf!toji one? also, vampire!geto bc tbh he legit looks like one, so... anyway, enjoy! title inspo

There was no coincidence. At least to you there was none. The number of murders rising exactly at the same moment the town's local church gained a new priest. What were the odds?

You were well versed in all that was claimed to be folk lore. You knew of the beasts that lurked within the shadows, freeing themselves from the darkness once the moon was high and bright. Those that preyed on the weak. Those that fed on flesh and blood. Those that gained their youth through their victims' demises. The night walkers.

And you were sure Father Gojo was one.

It wasn't a secret that the creatures of the night existed, it was the matter that many of the towns folk chose to either be ignorant or cower in fear and avoid them at all costs. Curfews existed for a reason, but as the death tolls increased, the hours grew earlier and earlier. What once was at sunset became hours just before sun even reached the horizon.

Fear was rising and you were sure the town's threat was feeding off of that, too. Enjoying the worry and the paranoia of who the suspect was, wrongfully pointing fingers at those who seemed suspicious. It put the town in a state of madness, matters growing worse as more drained bodies were found.

And maybe it was getting to you, too... at least, that's what your friends believed. How was it possible the a priest who walked in the daylight, was a blood sucker?

"No way is Father Gojo a nightwalker," Shoko shook her head. The young brunette stood amongst you and your other, dear friend, Utahime. "How would he be able to step foot into a church without... I don't know, burning?"

Sighing as you peeked over to said church, seeing the white haired man kindly say his goodbyes to various groups of people, you shook your head, "it isn't what fairytales make them out to be. They don't cringe at garlic or fear the cross. They don't burn under the spritz of holy water. They are practically the undead who survive off of the living's blood."

"And you know this because..." Utahime trailed as your eyes widened, quickly looking at the two with an awkward laugh as you waved your hand dismissively.

"Reading! Lots of reading! I've read so many stories from hunters far and wide that spread their knowledge of nightwalkers," you nodded as the two, young women tilted their heads. "It's not like they don't exist..."

"We still have no proof that they do, either. It's all stories," Utahime sighed. "Word of mouth. Written on paper."

"I'll believe it when I see it," Shoko huffed as she crossed her arms.

"You don't want that..." you mumbled, but the two were already walking off, leaving you behind with a subtle frown and a shake of your head.

It wasn't like you could give your identity away. Being a hunter was part of who you were, part of your bloodline. Ancestors who fought off the evil and protected the innocent from them. A woman like you, who went to church, tended to her family and had a social life did not seem like the kind who knew how to precisely take down and slaughter a nightwalker. It was absolutely absurd, something unheard of. A man's job.

At least, that's how the townsfolk perceived it. Only men were capable of protecting others. Them being the larger population of those who saved lives. When, in reality, the women of your family and all those before you were the ones with the higher kill count. In fact, one of the very first nightwalker hunters was a female and she was the woman you descended from.

However, this wasn't an argument you could even have... just something you rambled on in your mind when an ignorant slime of a man claimed only he and his kind could protect the weak and vulnerable—the women and children.

Snapping out of your thoughts as you found yourself staring at the man you believe to be a threat to your town, Father Gojo slightly tilted his head as his eyes from behind his rounded sunglasses landed on you. A bright grin grew on his lips as he lifted and waved a hand at you. Always so charming. Always so charismatic. But you never fell for any of it. Kindly waving back before turning to join your friends, you took in a deep breath and looked up at the sky.

You hoped he wasn't on to you. After all, it had been weeks now since you started watching him, keeping an eye on his way of being. It wasn't something you were new at, you were trained for this. Father Gojo would be another name added to the list of nightwalkers your family took down.

However, unlike the rest, this one was the wisest and most skilled. All those moments you shared with him, whether it be alone or amongst others, he was careful with how he carried himself and how he spoke. He was strategic and you were sure this man was of something greater... something beyond you. How else would he survive under the sun?

Questions lingered in your head about how powerful he could be... but, you wouldn't let that stop you, would you?

It was one of those nights where you stayed in and flipped through the pages of one of your family's journals. There was a faint drizzle outside, the beautiful moon hidden behind dark clouds that rolled into the night sky. You sat comfortably against your window sill, wrapped in a cozy, fleece blanket as your eyes danced along the written text. You were so deep in your reading, recounting stories of powerful night walkers that were taken down—their abilities, their strength... what it took to defeat them—that you flinched at the sound of knocking. With a sigh, you settled the book down, leaving it opened to where you had been reading, before exiting your room and making it to your front door.

"Oh, you're awake!" The older woman before you sighed in relief as your eyebrows furrowed. She was your neighbor, someone you had known for quite some time as she and her 18 year old granddaughter would visit you often with their baked goods and bright auras. "I need your help! My— My grand baby... I— I haven't seen her. I haven't heard from her. I don't know where she is, she never comes home past sundown, she's a smart girl and is always on time! I— I—"

"It's alright," you said as you reached for her hands. "I'll go out and look for her, okay?"

"But—"

"It'll be alright," you nodded, reassuring her. "Remember, my parents taught me self defense. You just go back home and I'll handle the rest, okay?"

Gulping as she nodded, tear stained cheeks and a body covered in a drenched coat, you ushered her to go back home and lock up and to only answer the door to you or her granddaughter should she return. She didn't hesitate to do so, thanking you profusely before rushing back over to her home. You, on the other hand, slid on your coat over your nightwear. It wasn't ideal to go out in your night gown, but you had an inkling as to where the girl might be and you weren't about to waste any time.

The church wasn't too far from your home, making it a rather quick journey over. Something in you, maybe it was your gut instinct or your ancestors whispering to you, knew very will where the 18 year old was. You rushed over, clinging onto your coat as the rain picked up its pace. The moment you stood on the church's steps, the downpour came rushing towards the ground. With a deep breath, you removed your hood and pulled out your stake before quietly pushing the doors open and slipping inside.

The church wasn't large, but it was still decent in size as you began your silent search. It didn't take long for you to find what you needed—evidence. Blotches of blood left a trail along the wooden floors, leading you to where you assumed the victim was. You had hoped and prayed she was okay, but you feared it may have been too late.

You also hated how right you were now that you spotted the man you theorized to be the menace of your town.

Peeking through the cracks of an ajar door, you easily recognize the broad shoulders that were hunched over. The lengthy body that was on its knees as a body laid limp before it. You easily recognized those shoes. They belonged to the young woman. Trailing your eyes down and spotting the blood splatter that coated the ground, the sound of a whimper made you flinched as you accidentally bumped into a frame. The sound of it shifting and scratching the wall caused your eyes to widen. You were ready to hide, but your luck ran thin. Or... perhaps, out.

With eyes wide, wider than they'd ever been, you slowly backed up as the white haired predator stood before you. Porcelain skin with blood staining it, matching his button down shirt. Flecks scattered his hair, dripping lightly from his twisted grin, licking his fangs while lurking forward. You nearly forgot just how fast these monsters were, moving within the blink of an eye.

"It took you long enough, little one," he finally spoke as you swallowed hard, forcing yourself to stiffen your shaking hands. You were terrified, to say the least. There was something sinister about him... something you were terrified of. You may not have encountered plenty of his mind, but none made your skin crawl like he did. "I had been eagerly waiting. I tried to be patient, I really did. I knew you sensed it. Your instincts were going berserk, were they not? I had to take it a step forward to finally get you out of hiding...

"You, a one of a kind. I had to come and find you. The church was the perfect fit. Who would have expected the priest to be the murderer? Certainly no one but you, of course," he chuckled as you shivered. "It took longer than I had hoped, finding you was a pain, but to lure you out? Quite the hassle. Of course, that never stopped me. Not when it is you. It was always you."

Bumping into a wall as you let out a faint gasp, you found yourself too deep in shock to even do what you were trained for. You were wasting too much time fighting with your own fear. He was right there, so close, you could've stabbed him... couldn't you? You could've fought him, yet you stood there, almost as if your mind were void of any thought of self defense. Your fight or flight nowhere to be seen. And he caught on to this rather quickly. Probably why it was so easy for him to lift and pin your wrists above your head.

"There is something about hunter blood like yours that is so special," he lowly spoke, leaning in towards your neck as his sharp teeth grazed your skin, "I can smell it. Unlike anything else I have ever encountered... I just need a taste." Looking deeply in your eyes, Gojo furrowed his brows. Charming his victims was easy, why weren't you titling your neck for him?

Almost as if you snapped out of your terror, you lifted your knee and slammed it against his groin. Twisting your wrists out of his grip and shoving him back before tackling him onto the ground, you aimed your stake at his heart, only to stop at the sound of his boisterous laugh.

"I should have known better than to try and charm someone like you!" He shook his head as he lied beneath you, your stake still aimed at his dead heart.

"What do you mean?!" You finally broke your silence, eyebrows narrowed as he continued to laugh, mouth open obnoxiously wide, lips still very much covered in fresh blood. "Tell me!" You demanded, pressing your stake slowly into him.

Licking his lips, he winked, "you will find out."

Gasping as he suddenly thrusted his hips against yours as you had been straddling him, you felt your heart skip a beat as your grip on your stake slipped. "You—!"

"I never wanted to kill you, little dove," he breathed, "but... it seems like you want to kill me. How painful..."

"Why? You seemed perfectly fine killing everyone else," you furrowed your eyebrows, tightening your grip once again on your stake.

Shrugging, Gojo reached up and placed his hand against your cheek as your frown deepened. You weren't sure what he was up to... and why you weren't as disgusted as you should've been by his actions. "You are far too beautiful to have your head ripped out," he chuckled.

Shaking your head as you lifted your stake again to stab him, your wrist was locked into his large hand as he smiled yet again. "Wh—?"

"I know you feel it, too," he softly spoke grin still on his sinful lips. Your eyes zeroed in on his fangs as you felt your heart flutter. "Ah... there it is... Took you long enough, hmm?" Reaching for your other hand, he brought your fingers down towards his lips, grazing your fingertips over his fangs.

Feeling your heart flutter, you bit down and snatched your hand from his grip, squeezing his cheeks with your other as you growled, "why do you want me alive?"

Grinning at your attempt to be threatening, Gojo twirled some of your hair around his finger, "the same reason you seem to fail at killing me. How many attempts has it been? Yet... here I am..." Sighing, he lowered his hand from your hair, down the side of your neck and over your racing heart. "The reason is quite simple, my little mochi... it is our fate."

There was an odd sensation filling you, gravitating you towards him as your weapon so easily slipped from your grip. You weren't sure what it was, or how it happened. Maybe it was when you blinked? Maybe he did something to you? It was impossible, your bloodline was practically immune to the ways of his kind... Yet, here you were, lips hovering his own as you felt him breathe against you.

As if the world stopped spinning, as if time stilled, then snapped so suddenly—you were now beneath him. Lips claiming yours, stealing your breath and burning a fire so bright within you that was beyond frightening.

His large hands cradled your head as his tongue slithered into your mouth, searching and feeling the cavern before meeting your own. The way they moved and pressed and glided against one another before he sucked yours made a wonton moan leave you. A sound so foreign to you, you felt your face burning brighter. Why weren't you stopping him? Why were you reciprocating? And why were you enjoying it so much? Was it true... that it was fate?

Caressing your body with one hand as his other held the back of your head, he gave one of your breasts a rough squeeze before he parted from you. Sitting on his heels as he watched your hooded eyes lazily focus on him, he gave you a hungry grin as he undid his belt and lowered his pants, feeling himself throb in anticipation. Palming himself and letting out and deep moan, he lifted and parted your knees before bunching up your nightgown at your waist, exposing your pristine white panties that had a very obvious wet patch, beckoning him.

Caressing your clothed cunt as he shifted his eyes to meet yours, listening to your sweet sounds, he leaned forward and pressed his cheek against yours before whispering in your ear, "I am going to fuck you so deeply, little hunter, that you won't be able to hunt ever again."

Shivering at his sultry words, you felt him slip off your panties before he aligned himself with your entrance, pushing into you without a warning and not seeming to care if there was resistance and that you cried out. Whether it was pain or pleasure, the sound shot right through him, making him push deeply into you before bottoming out. For a moment he stilled—not for you but selfishly for himself over how tight you were. Squeezing him to the point his breathing faltered and growls left him.

Then your eyes shot open as he began to fuck you. Thrusting in and out, nearly pulling all the way out before fucking back into you at an animalistic pace. Your shared moans echoed across the church, a sinful sound for such a holy structure. Your cheeks stained with tears as you clutched onto his arms, nails digging into his skin as he roughly held your hips. His fingertips were already leaving bruises in his wake as you were sure he was going to destroy your cervix, split you in two, and break you like the fragile doll you were.

There was a sort of haze amongst the two of you where you saw nothing but each other, wanting nothing but each other. A sensation like no other. It was dangerously blinding, but you didn't know better, the lust was overbearing just like the slamming of his hips. He fucked you like he hated you. He fucked you like he always wanted you. You were seeing stars, your breath getting caught, your chest heaving. Your mouth was open and you were panting like an animal, unable to properly breathe as your eyes practically crossed. The sight for him only made him throw his head back in laughter, incoherent words leaving his mouth that you couldn't quite comprehend. Whatever it was, it didn't seem to matter as you milked him and came violently. Your whole body trembled, you swore you were seeing white as you nearly suffocated yourself.

Then you found yourself on all fours as he fucked you again. Again and again until you came. Until you were seeing stars all over again. Until your body became nothing but jelly. You were long gone, your head buzzing, your body aching and drenched in sweat. Every time you tried to speak, your brain short circuited.

Now riding him as you dug your nails into his shoulders, tearing holes into his shirt, Gojo's hips lifted and met your own as you cried out. His hand slipping between the two of you, rubbing tight circles and beckoning your orgasm. He didn't care if you were overstimulated, didn't care if he could break you in any given second with his inhuman speed and strength, he just couldn't get enough. And neither could you.

It all blurred, how many times had you come? You were lying beneath him, legs pressed to your shoulders as he practically folded you and continued to ravage you. You were no longer coherent, your soul left your body long ago, you were just a vessel at this point. Practically lifeless, fucked out, eyes rolled back. You could hardly move, could barely lift a finger as Gojo sat up and turned you, sitting you on his cock and fucking into you again and again. You had become his fuck toy, you were brainless, hardly acknowledging anything that was said, your whines coming out weak as your pleas came out as gentle whimpers.

Your head fell back to his shoulder as he thrusted into you, grabbing a fistful of your hair in one hand to tilt your head as his other reached between your thighs and toyed with your clit. Pinching and circling as his fangs sunk into your neck. Your blood came gushing forward as you came all over him, squirting and letting out a high shriek of ecstasy as he lapped up your blood. Your heart raced faster than humanly possible, your head spun and your body shook so violently, you weakly clung onto his thighs.

Pulling away with a satisfied smile as he licked his lips, Gojo moved a hand to hold your chin as he whispered in your ear, "have you not figured it out yet? Or maybe I fucked you too good for you to even put two and two together... There is a reason why neither of us can kill one another. Why we are so drawn to each other," he hummed, licking just beneath your ear as he gave you a few languid thrusts, spilling his seed as deeply as possible into you. Groaning in your ear as he kept himself plugged in you, he then chuckled, "you and I are soulmates."

an: feelin real bad for the neighbors granddaughter bc these two are at it like rabbits while she's bleeding to death in the room... oops... anyway, thanks for reading!

[pinkydevil16]

Eric Northman x reader

Eric stared at Sookie, his annoyance peaking as he waited for her to get to the point, his eyes darting to Pam as she reapplied her lipstick with a sneer at the small blonde. 

"Bill is missing and i think he's taken Y/n with him." Eric's attention instantly snapped to her, Y/n was a friend of Sookie's that Eric had taken an interest in but she was firm in her stance that she didn't want the 6 foot viking to claim her as he had asked. 

"He has Y/n. Why was this not raised to me the second she went missing?" Eric's voice came out bitter as Sookie folded her arms with an annoyed huff, she was there to find Bill, Y/n tended to go missing from time to time but something Bill had said made her believe he had taken her with him. 

"She tends to drop off the face of the earth from time to time, but Bill had mentioned that apparently another vampire had been coming to Merlow's and asking about me and Y/n. Then he's gone and so is she, Y/n hadn't mentioned anything and normally she would tell Sam if she was going to be off. I don't know anything else, i need to find Bill." Eric didn't care about Bill, he was a nuisance at the best of time but normally he was causing Eric extreme annoyance and making his relationship with Y/n a thousand times harder. 

"I will reach out to some contacts, i do not care to find Bill but whoever has taken Y/n will meet the true death." Sookie didn't get a chance to respond before Eric was gone, Pam smirking as she walked towards the door waiting for the short blonde to follow her. 

"You should have called him the second she was gone, you don't use your resources." Pam waited until Sookie was out the door, giving her a smirk before slamming the door in her face, the club opening in an hour but now she had to find out what Eric planned to do. Her heels clicking against the ground as she entered the office, Eric swearing in his native tongue down the phone before slamming it down, Pam giving him an odd look as he grabbed his jacket. 

"It appears one of Bill's old next friends decided to pay him a visit and thought he would take Y/n as collateral. I will be back soon." Eric left before Pam could speak, rolling her eyes as she muttered out about humans. 

Y/n laid on the dirty ground, her legs chained to the ground as she turned her head to look at Bill, his fangs popped as he looked at her. Y/n scowled at him, pulling her body further away from him, he hadn't fed in nearly a week and the vampire who took them had been teasing him with Y/n's blood.

"Put those away before i rip them out." Y/n sneered, she had been chained up for 4 days now and was becoming more and more annoyed with Bill's behaviour.

"I cannot help it Miss Y/n." Y/n rolled her eyes, she didn't mind Bill normally but he and Sookie seemed to be constantly dragging her into vampire related messes which were getting on her last nerve.

"And i can't help being held against my will so if you even think about putting those little needles near me, so help me god i will stake you." Y/n turned her head away from him, staring at the ceiling as Bill forced his fangs back inside trying not to concentrate on the sweet smell of her blood that was tempting him almost as much as Sookie's did. Y/n brought her hand to her face rubbing her eyes, she'd been given food and drink once a day, barely enough to keep someone alive but it was better than being drained dry. The basement door creaked open, the creepy vampire walking down the stairs as he smirked at Y/n and Bill, inhaling loudly as he stood over Y/n. 

"It appears you are on Eric Northman's radar Miss L/N, i just had a very frantic phone call from a friend of mine warning me about him." Y/n didn't react, she hadn't thought of Eric but now she actually wanted him to annoy her, she usually hated when he would come and see her but now she wished he would. 

"She is his." Bill said the words quickly, Y/n snapping her head to him ready to shout and curse at him for even insinuating she would touch him with a 5 foot pole. Bill's eyes begging her not to say anything, the creepy vampire seeming to shiver and took a step away from Y/n as he looked her over. Y/n stared back at the vampire her eyebrow raised to challenge him before she was suddenly dragged from the ground, the chains on her snapped off as the vampire tossed her over his shoulder. Y/n made a grunt in pain as she landed, the vampire glaring at Bill before he rushed Y/n out the basement, reaching the porch just as Eric waltzed out the woods. The vampire froze, his eyes darting between Eric and the house, rushing inside as Eric ran forward. The doorway stopping Eric from getting in as he flashed his fangs, the younger vampire positioning Y/n in front of him, holding her throat as he dropped his fangs.

"Give her to me now." Eric's voice had dropped an octave, his gaze heated on the vampire as Y/n grasped the vampire's hand trying to loosen the grip on her throat.

"You really should listen to him, i mean he's a viking." Y/n wheezed out, the vampire tightening his grip slightly, just enough that Y/n squeezed her eyes closed in pain, Eric moving away from the door to break off wooden stakes.

"You have 5 seconds to let her go before i start throwing stakes." Eric's threat made the vampire loosen his grip, Y/n taking a deep breath as she felt herself be thrown over the doorway, Eric catching her before she hit the floor. The vampire speeding i to the basement, Eric holding Y/n close to him as she got her breath back.

"Let go of the human." Y/n said, Eric chuckling as he picked her up, running to a safer location before allowing her sit stand on her own, Y/n pushing his hands off her as she did a wiggle shaking her legs as she tried to get the feeling of the chains and other vampire off her.

"Are you okay?" Eric asked watching her oddly as she seemed possessed, Y/n stopping and looking at him with a wide grin.

"Thank you, i just needed to get the feeling of that vampire touching me gone." Eric nodded, taking Y/n's hand and pulling her closer to him, Y/n looking oddly at where their hands touched.

"So...how come you knew we were gone...WAIT! Bill is still in there!" Y/n went from awkward to concerned as she turned running back towards the house, Eric rolling his eyes as he ran pulling her back to him with a head shake.

"I have people retrieving him. You were the one i cared about." Y/n stared at him for a moment before punching his shoulder, her hand instantly aching as she bent over in pain clutching her hand. Eric looking at her oddly as she yelped.

"Shit, that was meant to hurt you not me." Eric smirked at Y/n as she held her wounded hand, he could see they weren't broken but he wondered if she would accept his blood if he said it was.

"What was that for?" He asked, Y/n blowing on her knuckles to cool the skin as she glared at him.

"Stop telling everyone i belong to you, it's weird." Eric let out a chuckle as he watched Y/n, her face serious as she crossed her arms and glared at him waiting for him to say he wouldn't do it again.

"I do believe you said people should listen to me, i am a viking. We are not known for letting what is ours be let loose." Y/n groaned rolling her eyes and pushing him, Eric staying still as she tried putting her whole body into it.

"You're a bastard you know that? I am not yours, i am mine." Eric moved her hand off his chest, pulling her into him as she looked up at him with a scowl. 

"You are cute." Y/n felt her face turn red as he spoke, his voice so innocent she wouldn't believe he'd said it if anyone else was present. 

"You need to read signals." Y/n retorted, rolling her eyes as Eric smirked down at her, his fangs out. 

"Hmm, maybe." Eric replied, Y/n lifting her finger up to poke his fang, Eric letting her as he grinned widely, his hand catching hers and forcing her finger to his lips, a small kiss on the tip of her pointer finger. Y/n coughed, Eric allowing her to take her hand back, he enjoyed the cat and mouse.

"Anyway...can we go? I need a really good shower." Eric smirked at her, bending down to pick her up as she squeaked, her stomach landing on his shoulder gently as he held the back of her thighs.

"What a tempting offer Y/n." Y/n smacked his back, before she felt the harsh winds around her as he flew them back to fangtasia, only taking minutes although Y/n was ready to hurl as soon as he placed her on solid ground.

"I hate that." Y/n complained, Eric opening the door to let her through, the night club already packed as she looked at Eric with confusion, his hand taking hers to pull her through the crowd. Vampires parting and dragging humans with them as they nodded to the sheriff, Y/n ignoring everyone as she got pulled along, Eric closing the door behind them as she stood in his office.

"This isn't my house." Y/n stated looking at Eric expectantly.

"I saved you, you can shower here and stay until tomorrow." Y/n raised an eyebrow, it wasn't a request it was an order, weighing her options she tilted her head side to side.

"Fine but i don't want any strippers clothes." Eric smirked before leading her to the bathroom and leaving her to have privacy. Eric left some clothes folded up outside the door before going back to sit on his throne with a nod to Pam. Y/n scrubbed at her skin, the small cuts and puncture marks had luckily been hidden from Eric before but she knew he probably smelt the dried blood on her skin, stepping out she wrapped a towel around herself and another small one around her hair. Towel drying her hair Y/n poked her head out grabbing the bundle of clothes, her eyebrow raising as she looked at the men's shirt, boxers and bra. Sighing she threw on the clothes, the shirt reaching her upper thighs with the boxers covering her butt, the bra oddly the right size as she tied her hair up. Exiting the bathroom she placed her clothes in the bag, a pair of slippers by the door which she slipped on quickly. Walking through the office she found Pam at the door with a grin, the door wide open and Eric looking at her from the throne, frowning she began walking towards him. Standing in front of the throne she crossed her arms with a cocked hip, Eric smirking at her from where he sat aware of the eyes on them. His hand outstretching to her, Y/n staring at it for a moment before seeing the slight warning in his eyes, he tolerated a lot but not infront of those beneath him and she knew not to risk it. Sighing she took his hand, Eric pulling her so she sat across his lap, her feet dangling over the side of the seat and butt between his legs as he felt her relax against him. 

"How much did he hurt you?" Eric spoke softly but Y/n could hear the strain, the want to sneer it out as he looked over her uncovered legs seeing a puncture wound on her calf. Y/n shrugged relaxing more into him as she crossed her arms, her eyes closing as she let out a small shiver, she could feel Eric's heated stare as he ran a finger over the wound.

"Couple of bites, cuts, nothing i can't handle...do you always keep it so cold in here?" Eric let a small smile crack as he kept running his hands along her legs, his fingers catching on the cuts as he resisted the urge to force his blood down her throat, the wounds almost healed so he couldn't drop his blood onto them. 

"I can warm you up?" Eric ran his hands along her upper thighs, the tips of his fingers running under the boxers until her hand came down on his. 

"Don't ruin this." Eric gave her a smile although she didn't see. Her eyes still closed as she enjoyed the comfort he brought, being chained up in a basement had not been her ideal way to sleep for the last few days. Eric waited until she was half asleep, the noise in the room still loud but her body was so exhausted she didn't mind, her breathing evening as she relaxed fully into half consciousness. Looking at Pam he watched her bring over a small glass with a straw, biting his wrist he dropped a good amount of his blood into the glass before dipping the straw into it and placing it against Y/n's lips.

"Drink." Y/n didn't think twice, didn't even open her eyes, completely trusting him as she took a sip before the cold liquid hit her lips and her eyes snapped open, her hand coming to smack the glass out his hand. The glass shattered nearby, her body now sat up and hands wiping angrily at her lips, Pam cleaning the blood quickly as fang bangers ran to it, others mumbling about the ungrateful human on the powerful vampires lap. 

"You bas-" Eric placed his hand on her mouth pushing her back to her laying position, the shirt she wore riding up as she squirmed under his hold, his other hand holding her thighs as he watched all her wounds heal and the puncture marks disappear. Eric smirked as he watched the punctures disappear, no sign of another touching her or claiming her, turning his head back to her he saw the dark glare she gave him as she kept fighting against his hold. 

"You cannot be marked by others." Y/n shouted into the palm against her mouth, desperately trying to get out of the hold as she tried to bite him, anything to get him to let go of her. Eric leant down, staring deep into her eyes as she tried to close them but she could feel the hold he had over her now.

"Calm down. You don't remember me giving you my blood. You're thankful i saved you." Y/n instantly stopped squirming, nodding to Eric as her eyes dropped back to half asleep as he removed his hand, placing his arm behind her head as she curled into him. 

"Thank you for saving me." Eric grinned as she spoke, he knew she had been thankful, it was the reason she'd indulged him so much but he wanted to hear it. 

"You're welcome, now go back to sleep." Y/n nodded closing her eyes as she relaxed back against him again, his hand rubbing up and down her thigh as he looked at the skin where the cuts and bites had been, perfectly unscarred now, perfect for him to mark one day. She'd be his one day, she already was but one day she would tell him to claim her, he just needed to wait it out.

[nyxronomicon]

kill me

vampire!geto x vampire hunter!reader (gn); 1.5k words

!! dark content ahead !!

🔞minors DNI!! 18+ readers only🔞

@pearlsxandxpeonies ... hehe

cw: non-con (though he does not fuck you), blood, fighting, aphrodisiacs, biting (obviously), reader gets beat up, mind break, implied reader death!! pet names: darling a/n: this was supposed to be a drabble but i got a little carried away and now there's a little world in my head where geto keeps you as a pet in his dungeon and drains you to the brink of death only to let your body heal and do it again... and also a prequel where gojo-sensei feeds you the vampire aphrodisiac to raise your tolerance..... idk if i'll actually write them but uhh i'm definitely gonna think about it

"You finally made it." The figure didn't even turn around to see you, he sat in the furthest corner of the lavish mansion, staring out the window at the snow piling up outside.

After such a painstaking infiltration, your stomach dropped when he immediately noticed your presence. You were careful to avoid the various other creatures lurking the mansion. You'd spent weeks surveying the comings and goings of him and his thralls, plotting the perfect route through the floor plan. You'd even surveyed the traps, his feeding times. He at his weakest. You confirmed just this morning that he hadn't fed since last week.

"Don't be shy." A glint of red showed in his eyes as his gaze locked on you. "After all, a vampire hunter has never made it this far." A candle flickered at the table next to him, the soft glow bringing out his attractive features.

Vampires were usually more grizzled, the monster within them hard to control. They often rejected the dark curse put upon them, but those that didn't... well, Suguru Geto was a prime example. Feeding on blood made it easier for them to blend in. Easier for them to fly under the radar for god knows how many centuries.

"Or were you hoping to give me something fresh to drink?" He smirked. You watched his fingers wrap around a delicate teacup filled with a familiar red liquid.

Fuck.

Most vampires prefer fresh blood to the point where they wouldn't even touch something like that. It didn't occur to you that his infrequent feeding was due to the fact that he drank it cold.

"You know why I'm here." You hissed, fingers grazing a wooden stake in your holster. You had no choice. You wanted to sneak up for a clean kill, but you'd have to fight for it now. You just hoped that the lack of fresh blood in his system would be enough to give you an opening.

"You don't know what you're up against, darling." Geto smiled as he stood.

You brandished a stake, one of four you had on your person. Then you leapt at the vampire, hoping to catch him by surprise. He was too quick, nearly vanishing into thin air and smacking you onto the floor from behind. You quickly pulled yourself onto your feet, stabbing at him as he dodged your attacks. His strength and speed made it easy for him to relieve the stake from your grasp, throwing it out the window.

You watched the stake slip out of your view, the cold air wafting in. The momentary distraction allowed him the opening to grab you by the neck with one hand and rip the holster with the other three stakes off your body, tearing your clothes along with it. He threw the bundle of stakes out the window to join their companion, soon to be buried in the snow.

"Is that it? After all that hard work you did to get here..." Geto looked at you sadistically, eyes wandering your exposed skin as his fingers tightened around your neck.

"Nnh..." Though you struggled to breathe, you choked out a few words. "I'm not... dead yet..."

The vampire admired your tenacity. "Alright, I'll humor you." He dropped you. "Kill me."

Your head pounded as you caught your breath. Your eyes flitted around the room for something wooden to break. The table that sat next to his chair looked delicate. You barely took a step towards it before his claws dragged across your chest. Your already torn shirt was now completely in tatters, your chest now exposed as drips of blood trailed down your torso.

"Don't even think about breaking my things, darling." A light shove was all it took to have you on the ground. He quickly pinned you down, your strength no match for his, though you wiggled in his grasp anyway.

"Gonna... kill you..." You snarled, kicking and squirming.

"What's stopping you?" He chuckled, knowing full well he hadn't even given you the chance to fight back. Why would he? It was adorable how hard you were trying, though.

"Let me go." Your squirming weakened, pain catching up with you.

"I don't think so." Geto eyed your reaction as he dragged his tongue along one of the bloody gashes he left on your chest, trailing over your collarbone as he savored the taste, humming in satisfaction.

The most dangerous thing about hunting vampires was the consequences for failure. If they bit you, their saliva was a powerful aphrodisiac that went straight into your bloodstream. And a vampire as powerful as Geto would undoubtedly have you flooded with desire in no time. Not only that, but it made your body and will weaker.

This was how they controlled their victims.

Even so, as a vampire hunter, you'd had some training on this. They build your tolerance so that weaker vampire bites had no effect. Still, all it took was a more powerful vampire or a higher dose, and you'd be on your knees. It was really only a matter of time.

You could already feel your body reacting to him, though you kept defying him as long as you could. "You think a little spit can stop me?" You chuckled, a bit of a bluff, but it motivated you to attempt to wiggle out of his grasp again.

You were much weaker than before, his tight grasp not budging an inch. In fact, he was able to bring both your wrists over your head and pin them down with one hand.

"Call me naïve, but I do." He smirked, "I know how you hunters love to claim immunity, but I don't think you really understand the gulf between me and the average vampire." He dragged his tongue up another gash, lapping up your spilled blood. As more saliva entered your bloodstream, your squirming became less about escaping his grasp and more about keeping your mind clear.

Your thoughts became foggy anyway, back arching and eyes fluttering before you barked out, "Get off me." Lust still dripped from your words, making Geto chuckle. A last desperate attempt to resist when your body had already succumbed to him.

"Darling," you felt his teeth graze your neck, his tongue pressing your jugular. "There's no way in hell I'd let my prey run free."

Pleasure coursed through you. You ached with desire. He still had your wrists pinned above your head with one hand, the other holding the side of your neck that he wasn't about to pierce. You stopped moving, feeling weak and limp and if you were being honest, really fucking good.

Your will to fight was fading fast. It didn't help that he was so hot and he smelled incredible. You squeezed your thighs together when you heard him chuckle in your ear, teeth dancing lightly on your sensitive skin while he waited for the aphrodisiac to fully kick in. Watching a defiant little hunter like you give in was his favorite part or reeling you in.

"You want this, don't you?" He didn't need to ask, the scent of your arousal was heavy in the room.

"I..." in your brain fog, your head tilted briefly to give his mouth easier access to your neck. "Nn... No..." As if acting on instinct alone, you made a languid attempt to close the space he was occupying, but you were far too weak to hinder him. And you weren't sure you really wanted to defy him anymore...

"I'm getting mixed signals, darling." He grinned, teeth still dragging along your skin. "Answer me one more time." The aphrodisiac had set in like a thick blanket smothering your desire for freedom.

"Answer you..." What was the question? You felt so good, you just wanted more. You wanted him. No, he was a vampire, you had to... why were you here again? Fuck, there was something in your mind you just couldn't grasp... right? Was there? You couldn't think of anything other than him. But it felt so incredible to think about him...

"You want this, yes?" He rephrased a little to guide you to the answer he wanted to hear.

"Yes." Your weak voice echoed without thought. His scent was so decadent. The warmth of his body was so soothing. And the way his teeth punctured your neck was like pure ecstasy. You moaned as he drank your blood, your body limp and pliable in his arms. God this felt so good. Why did you deny yourself this pleasure for so long?

You could feel the fog take over, your mind only a jumble of thoughts now. God, this was so fucking hot. You wanted to fuck him a million times and that still wouldn't be enough. Your eyes drooped and you vision faded, the world around you a hazy memory except for him. And even then, his voice, his touch, it all faded into nothing. The darkness washed over you, replacing your entire being with emptiness.

Geto pulled away from your limp body with a smirk, his lips stained with your blood. "Almost a shame how easy that was, darling."

[thethirdromana]

Van Helsing's misinformation

I took a look at some of the claims Van Helsing makes in his "immortal parrots" speech on the 26th of September.

Why was it that Methuselah lived nine hundred years, and 'Old Parr' one hundred and sixty-nine...

The oldest authenticated age that anyone has ever reached is 122 years (Jeanne Louise Calment, 1875-1997). Thomas Parr ('Old Parr') allegedly lived from 1483 to 1635 (which is 152 years, not 169) but the 1895 Dictionary of National Biography, which has an entry for Parr, is very sceptical about his claim, noting that his exact age was "attested by village gossip alone."

Here's Old Parr, painted by an unknown artist:

Do you know the altogether of comparative anatomy and can say wherefore the qualities of brutes are in some men, and not in others?

Comparative anatomy is a perfectly reasonable field, but coupled with "the qualities of brutes" and it being the 1890s, I strongly suspect this is some racist physiognomy bullshit (see p550 here for an example of how this looked in contemporary writing, if you must).

Can you tell me why, when other spiders die small and soon, that one great spider lived for centuries in the tower of the old Spanish church and grew and grew, till, on descending, he could drink the oil of all the church lamps?

This one is delightfully weird. It seems to be a telephone-game version of this story, printed in a variety of magazines and miscellanies (e.g.) since 1821:

The sexton of the church of St Eustace, at Paris, amazed to find frequently a particular lamp extinct early, and yet the oil consumed oil, sat up several nights to perceive the cause. At length he discovered that a spider of surprising size came down the cord to drink the oil. A still more extraordinary instance of the same kind occurred during the year 1751, in the Cathedral of Milan. A vast spider was observed there, which fed on the oil of the lamps... It weighed four pounds, and was sent to the Emperor of Austria, and is now in the Imperial Museum at Vienna.

Here's a photo of St Eustache:

In 1894 the story was reprinted in Notes and Queries, with the question: "Are the statements therein pure fiction? If not, can any one tell me how much we may safely believe? A spider weighing four pounds [1.8kg] is indeed a heavy tax on the reader's credulity."

In reality, the largest spider in the world is the Goliath birdeater, which weighs 175g.

Can you tell me why in the Pampas, ay and elsewhere, there are bats that come at night and open the veins of cattle and horses and suck dry their veins...

Vampire bats are real, and live in parts of South and Central America. The prey of the common vampire bat can include cattle (source). The quantity of blood that they drink is small - in the region of 100g, or about a fifth of a typical blood donation. Vampire bat predation can result in the death of much larger animals, but from infection, not draining them dry.

Here's a common vampire bat:

... how in some islands of the Western seas there are bats which hang on the trees all day, and those who have seen describe as like giant nuts or pods, and that when the sailors sleep on the deck, because that it is hot, flit down on them, and then—and then in the morning are found dead men, white as even Miss Lucy was?

From Wikipedia:

West Sea or Western Sea may refer to:

Atlantic Ocean

Pacific Ocean

Indian Ocean

Mediterranean Sea...

So that's not the most helpful starting point. I don't know which bats these are supposed to be, though hanging in trees like giant nuts makes them sound like fruit bats. In Van Helsing's defence, bats do carry a lot of viruses.

Can you tell me why the tortoise lives more long than generations of men...

Lovely to reach something that's just straight-up true. The current oldest living land animal is Jonathan, a 190+-year-old Seychelles giant tortoise.

... why the elephant goes on and on till he have seen dynasties...

Asian elephants live to be 50 or so; African elephants, 60-70 years. Weirdly, it seems to have been widely believed in the 1890s that elephants lived for a century; e.g. that's cited as fact in the 1894 Encyclopaedia Britannica. Either way, "dynasties" feels like an exaggeration.

... why the parrot never die only of bite of cat or dog or other complaint?

I've tried but I can't find where Bram Stoker got this one from. Maybe he made it up. The English Illustrated Magazine, 1897, contains an article complaining about how easily grey parrots die after being imported and sold as pets.

Can you tell me why men believe in all ages and places that there are some few who live on always if they be permit; that there are men and women who cannot die?

I've also got no idea what's going on with this one. I can't figure out how to look into it without coming up with lots of 1890s Christian literature on the immortal soul, which is not what Van Helsing is getting at.

We all know—because science has vouched for the fact—that there have been toads shut up in rocks for thousands of years, shut in one so small hole that only hold him since the youth of the world.

This was a wildly popular myth in Victorian times (see this article for more details). An article in The Gentleman's Magazine, 1877, entitled 'Some Facts and Fictions of Zoology' (reprinted in several other places) went into the question in more detail, and concluded:

These tales are, in short, as devoid of actual foundation as are the modern beliefs in the venomous properties of the toad, or the ancient beliefs in the occult and mystic powers of various parts of its frame when used in incantations.

Here's a toad:

Can you tell me how the Indian fakir can make himself to die and have been buried, and his grave sealed and corn sowed on it, and the corn reaped and be cut and sown and reaped and cut again, and then men come and take away the unbroken seal and that there lie the Indian fakir, not dead, but that rise up and walk amongst them as before?

This seems to have been widely believed in the late 19th century - e.g. this 1897 book references "two undoubted cases... one of whom had remained alive under the ground for six weeks, the other for ten days". This 1880 magazine says that it "will appear incredible" but relays the story of a fakir "buried alive for forty days, then disentombed and resuscitated" as fact.

The longest verified case of someone surviving without drinking water is Andreas Mihavecz, an 18-year-old bricklayer who was mistakenly locked up by police for 18 days. Even then, he drank condensed water from the walls, and was very close to death when he was found.

So in summary:

Old Parr: false

Physiognomy: false

Enormous oil-drinking spider: false

Vampire bats: partially true

Bats killing sailors: partially true

Long-lived tortoises: TRUE

Long-lived elephants: false

Immortal parrots: false

Belief in immortality: ???

Imprisoned toads: false

Buried fakirs: false

I guess there are some disadvantages to having an "absolutely open mind."

[nixie-writes-aot]

Blood Yearned, Blood Earned

Warnings: nsfw, minors dni, blood play, afab reader (fem terms used), mentions of violence/murder, praise, degradation, ownership, possessive behavior, foreplay

Characters: Levi Ackerman

Prompt: No Name Band/Modern AU // Vampire AU

Author's Note: I have not written vamps in a long, long time. First reader insert of this whole damn week, hell yeah. Where did my brand go?

Levi was a simple man, all things considered. He was born and raised in the Underground where a few warm bodies being drained wasn't a call for concern, they were either dead already or low enough in value that no one really saw their deaths as some tragedy. Well, raised was under some debate. More so, Levi raised himself. Regardless, all he strove for was to keep himself fed and high enough in the food chain that there wasn't really anyone who could go against him. Now, coming from the Underground he had expected the same apprehension and common awareness everyone had down there. That wasn't the case, however. It was one of the few things the Underground was ahead of the majority with.

There were certainly some misconceptions that Levi appreciated and encouraged among those within the Scouts. The whole "vampires burn in the daylight" ordeal was one of those. It was simply easier to keep his dirty little secret if those who might become suspicious thought he would burn to a crisp the second the sun shone. Of course, there were other things that Levi couldn't account for. One of those was you.

You were troublesome, to say the least. Normally, Levi had no trouble resisting his urges to sink his fangs into the throat of those who might be missed no matter how pretty they might be but you were different. If Levi was a monster of the night, he was sure you were the day's pretty little priestess. Sometimes, Levi just wanted to grab you by the throat and rip it out. However, that would be far too messy. Too dirty. Beyond that, it meant he could no longer be around you.

For the first time in a long time, Levi found himself properly hunting his "prey" in the methods passed down to him by Kenny the Ripper. More than anything, he found himself entranced. So, when he did finally get you in his grasps? Levi never wanted to let you go.

Levi pressed you against the wall, pressing his lips against your neck. He could hear your blood pumping within your veins, he could feel your pulse against his lips. "I want you." Levi growled, pressing his thigh between your legs as you whimpered, "I want your blood, all over my lips. Can I have that? Will you give me your blood?"

You whined, feeling your cunt clench around nothing. You had known since day one that something was off about Levi and when you learned his strength was tied to his status as one of the monsters the Capital kept a secret in the dark? Part of you was terrified but part of you was also unbelievably turned on by the very idea. "P-please." You whispered, feeling the sharp point of Levi's fangs press against that vein in your neck.

"I would love to start here except the carotid is an artery, you'd bleed out in seconds." Levi groaned, his cock hard and throbbing in his pants, "So," he began, pulling his face away from your throat and grabbing your hand, "I'll start here. I can't just kill my pretty little meal, can I?" You shook your head, stifling a low groan as he sunk his fangs into your wrist. The feeling was immaculate.

Levi knew you would taste good but not nearly as good as you did, piercing your skin and letting the blood drip and gush into his mouth. He moaned at the taste, wanting to fuck you on his cock at the taste. Levi knew he would. He wanted to claim you in every possible way, really. So, Levi trailed his hand downwards and into your pants. He pulled away from your wrist, "You taste fucking good. Lets see how sweeter your blood will taste when I'm fucking your pathetic cunt."

Taglist: @leviweek2023 @yourthoughtsjim

[pool-floatie]

Dead by twilight - Pt 1

I have decided for you guys you get a merry crisis Vampire borrower fic! 🚨TW: for blood and death described kinda graphically I guess. like it's vampires, what are ya gonna do🤷 Also as a heads up this will contain vore in the future, it shall be appropriately tagged, none in this chapter tho 👍. Soooo I guess, Enjoy part one!✌

Lazarus sharp white fangs sink deep into the humans warm flesh. He enjoys the warmth and sweet taste of their blood, savoring the meal.

He hadn't properly fed in a week, which might have justified him drinking so much from the human that their face paled.

Dropping from the vampires hold, Lazarus's victim slumped onto the cold concrete.

He cringed at himself

"oooh.... Shit."

It wasnt the first time he had taken a life, sure, But he tried to avoid it when possible. Lazarus much perfered drinking his fill, healing the wound and erasing the humans memory, that way they could go on with their night normally, albeit a bit dizzy, and Lazarus could feed without worrying about police banging on his door.

But thats not how the night went, and now he had a crime scene to cover up, great...

(Wren pov)

Outside in the chilly night air, Wren watched as the bean strolled happily along the sidewalk. It was strange, usually beans kept inside at night, allowing borrowers to, well, borrow, but this one seemed to enjoy the fall air, unbothered by its icy sting as they were protected by a thick orange sweater. Wren noticed them slowing down to admire the turning leaves and the clear night sky. Finally they sat on the old wooden bench across the street, crossing their legs, and pulling out a book.

Out from the shadows, a bean dressed in a black cloak approached the other from behind. Wrens eyes narrowed, this bean seemed.... Odd in a way. Wren stared in disgust as they put their mouth onto the other. only able to guess at what the hell they were doing. Wren watched, confused as the color drained from the orange-clad beans face, staring dumbly as they slumped limply to the ground.

Their eyes became blank and soulless.

Dead.

Wrens' eyes widened, hands rose to their face to hide their gasp.

They werent really d e a d, were they ? Wren thought.

They heard the colaked figure muttering to themself.

Wren watched. They knew they should just bolt, but... What point was there, really, they had such a good hiding space , it would be a shame for it to go to waste...

Wren stared wide eyed, intrigued as to what this horrible bean planned to do with the body.

Wren saw the figures head move as they sniffed the air, suddenly their head shot up and turned, looking left and right before settling forwards.

The borrower paled.

Before them the cloaked figure stared, eyes locking directly onto the missing brick at the bottom of the wall.

Right onto Wren.

(Lazarus pov)

Lazarus' head shot up as he smelled something peculiar, a human scent, mixed with fear, meaning that someone had seen him, but peculiarly, it was very... Light? like the person was a mile away from him...

Nonetheless, whatever it was needed to be dealt with. Lazarus sighed and began to track the scent, closing his eyes, he quickly pinpointed the smell, coming from....

From right across the street...?

Lazarus used his superspeed, zipping across the empty road, he searched in the nearby alley, throwing open the dumpster and upturning a few boxes, but the scent was.... lower? Lazarus looked downwards towards a missing brick at the bottom of the wall, he sniffed again. The scent was undeniaby right there, but how ...

Curious, Lazarus crouched down, as he did so, he saw something dart out of the hole, dashing away and turning outside the alley so fast that anyone would have mistaken it for a mouse, but Lazarus wasnt anyone, his enhanced vision allowed him to see more detail than any human, but right now, he felt as though his sight was betraying him. That thing... it had a tail, but no other animalistic features, and wearing a red jacket and pants wasnt typical of any rodent the vampire knew of, how curious....

(Wren pov)

Wren winced, No of course this thing couldnt see them, no human would think to look for a borrower right after committing murder, obviously, Wren thought. Looking back the strange bean seemed to dissappear, one moment there, the next, gone. Wren frantically looked from left to right as all they could sense was a wooshing sound and a barely visible blur. The dumpster lid was thrown open by seemingly nothing, boxes were upturned and trash flew around the alley.

The blur finally slowed and In front of the borrower stood a pair of polished jet black boots.

Wren didnt even look up, they bolted from the broken wall, dashing straight towards the road before turning sharply at the corner. maybe they would just think it was a mouse, o-or a hallucination! They rationalised, before being met with the same pair of black boots that seemed to appear from nowhere just like before.

Wren screamed as they switched back around towards the alley.

They felt something push them, toppling them to the ground.

"AAAgHhhh!!"

a sharp pain ran through their leg as they scrambled to get up, making them faceplant into the concrete

They twisted around the best they could, finding a maroon claw digging into their calf.

They tried again to drag themself away "gaaah!!" they cried out as the claw opened the wound even farther.

The borrowers breathing quickened as they imagined horrible scenarios, horror stories told by their parents and friends about what beans would do to their kind.

Wren didn't know what to do, they couldn't run, couldnt hide from this apparently all seeing, sonic speed, murderous monster. They pressed their face into the concrete and began to sob and shake against their will.

They felt that horrid claw finally release itself from their leg, but they still didnt move. Wren knew they were caught, dead. Anything this monster wanted with them, they could do, besides, it hurt far too much to even think about moving, their bruised, mangled body refused the natural instinct to run even as they felt cool fingers wrap around them.

[lasplaga]

[ META ] + blood

-;┊ 𓆙 𝕺𝕺𝕮 ; ◥ 𓆙      —       𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐃 [ 𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐀 ] + 𝐀 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃 / 𝐏𝐇𝐑𝐀𝐒𝐄 / 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍 / 𝐄𝐓𝐂. & 𝐈 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐀 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 𝐈𝐓. --- ALWAYS Accepting! 𝐒𝐎𝐅𝐓 𝐓𝐖: 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐃 & 𝐅𝐎𝐎𝐃 [ 𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 ] 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐓𝐖: 𝐁𝐎𝐃𝐘 𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐑𝐎𝐑 / 𝐒𝐄𝐌𝐈-𝐍𝐔𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐘 & 𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐌𝐀𝐋 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇 [ 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐓 ]

Las Plagas is inspired from The Thing, an alien which must replace it's dying cells with that of suitable hosts, or consume suitable hosts in order to reproduce. This is how it gains energy / feeds / spreads in order to function. Of course, Las Plagas does not match the biology of this parasitic alien 100%, but the gist is very similar. This is done by literally & physically, sucking the hosts dry until they are absorbed of all essential nutrients, most horrifically their blood, organs & marrow. Eventually, their prey are left to crumble as skin & bones, or a pile of absorbed cells, dead.

This was, again, first established in Archives II as hosts can express these tendrils through their mouth ( & hands if they underwent a certain ritual ), acting as proboscis or ovipositors, depending upon if they are feeding or implanting. Unlike most of the human body, other animal species may have multiple biological purposes for their appendages / organs. This is no exception to Las Plagas parasite, which consumes & reproduces both through it's mouth ( or tentacles ). It was then developed for 5, Mercenaries 3D, Umbrella Corps, until finally making it's way into the remake of 4, predominantly seen with Pesanta ( & hinted with Osmund ).

The images below will clarify what I mean more in-depth, as the pictures pretty much explain themselves, but they are VERY graphic:

As I've noted before, their cannibalistic / flesh-eating obsession isn't just rooted in religious symbolism, it is a biological necessity. They MUST feed on other hosts, or they will have no choice to feed upon themselves. As they are mutants, utilizing their mutations & keeping up with their enhanced metabolism costs a lot of energy. Their dietary needs are different from humans, so it is silly to expect them to eat as such. Cooking inherently destroys nutrients in food, which is why raw flesh, organs, & carrion are seen predominately throughout the entire game. Ganados / Mutants cook MUCH LESS OFTEN than they do scavenging upon raw or spoiled food. The butcher-house, to emphasize my point, is filled with gallon bags of meats & organs, completely unfrigerated. It is not going to waste, as that is how they feed the village.

You can see here that mutants who grow tentacles from their bodies can ensnare prey to revitalize themselves off from blood, killing their target quickly. The plaga is a highly adaptable organism which uses it's bodily appendages in a myriad of ways, which includes self-preservation off the expense of others, especially if their target is already weakened or on the verge to die. Pesanta, after being injured by Ada, uses this ability to heal herself without expending energy ( why this scene was removed, I'm not sure why, as it already appears as a death animation ).

The 'mummified' description is a bit of a exaggeration, but more or less the host was consumed of it's life-force. They were the original representation of 'vampires' after all in the series.

I do headcanon that Osmund fed off from Ada in order to mend his injuries so quickly, as I find it EXTREMELY HARD TO BELIEVE that she was held hostage without a fight. Drained to the point of temporary unconsciousness, but not killed, makes sense to me. However I will not force this HC upon other Ada roleplayers if they do not deem it fitting.

[kiss-my-freckle]

Full Episode Commentary

1x3: Friday Night Bites

Most of what you see with Elena in 4x16 can be found in this episode. It opens up on Damon's side of the story because Stefan is keeping half their truth from Elena. He's lying to her by omission. "But then the sun came up and reality set in."

Damon and Caroline are written similar to Katherine and Stefan in their opening scene. While some fans believe he bit her, then they had sex… I believe they had sex, then he bit her. I don't know any woman that would sleep in their bra, and it would likely have blood on it after he bit her, so they put her in a nightie. Fans should expect Caroline to pass out or even fall asleep after Damon fed on her as they show with most of their biting victims. Like Vicki, who was fed on first. She slept the entire time he fed on her friends to the point of their death, then took her to his house. She's still sleeping on his couch before he heals her in 1x6. When Klaus is draining Elena in 3x21, Tyler would've had to carry her because she would've been too weak to stand. That's why I believe Caroline changed into her nightie, but Damon would've needed to help her. While the bite was clearly uncomfortable for her, she looks quite comfortable in her bed at the open. The star tattoo on her foot is adorable af. I have a tattoo of a sun on the top of my foot that my son drew when he was 5. I call it my "Walking on sunshine" tattoo because he's the reason I'm still standing.

Damon has to bury his face into Caroline's pillow to make himself vamp out. Obvious that he has more control over his bloodlust than Stefan. "You were the one who said to go for it." Bonnie's in a bit of a pickle. She was urging Elena to go for Stefan because she wanted to see her friend happy. But then she felt his death when she gave him Elena's phone number. She doesn't know what that means, but she knows something happened to him as she describes it as death. Now she's scared for her friend. She's so much as suggesting Elena play the field while Elena isn't the type. Best to keep this in mind as the writers throw in their football/game theme. Elena pushes the issue because she's desperate. That's what I consider a sad girl needing to be happy... Desperate. While she does listen to Bonnie, she doesn't take her advice. She's basically gonna force Bonnie to accept her new relationship.

Again, Stefan hates being a vampire, but has no problem using his vampirism to impress Elena. He catches the football when Tyler throws it at his head. I consider this a lie by omission.

Matt: Hey, what am I supposed to do, Ty? She made her choice. Tyler: Let her know she made the wrong one.

This bit of conversation plays well in the 4th season. Damon doesn't need to do anything to make Elena know she made the wrong choice. She already knows. You can find several "right" and "wrong" dialogues in seasons 3 and 4 because of it. Like Damon's, "It's right. Just not right now." Or Matt's, "So, you're just gonna let her call the shots? Even if they're wrong?" That's why The Right Kind of Wrong by LeAnn Rimes is a song I'd choose for Delena. Season 4 Stefan parallels season 1 Matt. And as I say this, I've already stated that lying is nothing short of compulsion because the end result is the same. Stefan is taking away Elena's fear by lying. So Damon gets the sire bond in season 4 while Stefan essentially compels his way into her heart in season 1. Damon's dialogue in season 6 supports this fact. "You've compelled enough people to know it's just a way of covering the truth. And no matter how badly you want it done, it doesn't make it any less of a lie, you know." It's up to the fans to decide which is worse, Damon compelling Caroline or Stefan gaslighting Elena. "Gloomy graveyard girl" is quite a reference, considering the very definition of gloomy. As I tell my followers, Elena was always dark. She has been since her parents died because death brings a certain darkness. If not for her parents dying, Stefan wouldn't stand a chance with her. He'd be an Augustine vampire, which I feel was the reason they introduced Damon's Augustine storyline early.

As I said before, most of Bonnie's visions are Damon-related. She had to get closer to Stefan to feel him. I believe this is due to Stefan's direct connection. He's the one that stalked Elena and forced himself into her life, so it makes sense for Bonnie to have visions of the other brother. Again, Stefan hates being a vampire, but uses it to impress Elena. He has a date war with Mr. Tanner. Note the years because Stefan was alive for all of them. Their debate over 1952 or 1953 is their first note to Damon's Augustine storyline. He was abducted in 1953. "Years and years of crossword puzzles. It's a loner thing." This is another lie, and jumps off his opening journal voiceover. Like I said in my pilot post, Stefan's journal fit more to Damon than to him. That's why Elena herself refers to Damon as the lone wolf. He's the loner because he's the one truly alone. He lives as a vampire, doesn't trust anyone, and his family wants nothing to do with him.

It's insane to me how they show Stefan struggle signing up for football because he's a vampire when this is the brother they wrote living one human life after another. Who, if not for Elena, would already be signed up for football. Much like the contradiction that he can't be a doctor because he can't be around the blood, but he can somehow be a paramedic. As I said of Elena, she outwardly admits she's not the type to play the field. Combine this with Damon's comment in 1x4, then throw the football/game theme between them. "It might even the playing field. Football reference. Too soon." Matt is a football player, Elena is a cheerleader. Stefan signs up for football as Elena quits cheerleading. Damon was the one who taught Stefan how to play football to begin with. This is all shown in Katherine flashbacks, so it's doubled for Elena in current timeline.

"I got the other brother. Hope you don't mind." This comment is reversed for Elena in 4x16 and specific to this scene right here. "By all means, Care, just take him out for a spin. He could use it." The two brothers have their "mystery/mysterious" parallels. The perfect color choice for mystery is purple. It's also a good color for Bonnie because she's a witch.

Damon and Elena don't have to say anything to each other. Their body language is insane. It doesn't surprise me that fans shipped them from the very beginning. I didn't start shipping them until 1x20, and I'll note the scene when I get to it. I have no problem with Caroline asking Elena to observe because she's behind in their routines. It's their scene later in the episode that makes me dislike her. Elena shows that she has no interest in cheerleading. She'd rather watch Stefan play football. Stefan tells two lies on the field. His initial lie as he intrudes on Tyler's conversation with Matt, which is the reason he allows them to tackle him. This is done for the sake of fitting in with Elena's friends. The second being his broken pinky finger, which he fixes before they see it. "Maybe I can do it, too. That I can learn to be a non-living living person. Maybe there's hope for both of us." Damon continues to joke about living a human life because he has yet to feel it for himself. He hasn't felt human in a very long time. You can see how his references change once he falls in love with Elena. That's when he actually refers to himself as a non-living living person, and they do this before they have Isobel out him for his feelings. "You know, it doesn't have to be this way, Damon." Damon is being honest in his reply to Stefan as it jumps off his comment to Caroline. "This could have gone a completely different way." Damon is choosing to use Caroline because he's in love with Katherine while Stefan still believes Katherine is dead. That's why Stefan doesn't understand it. "I saw Elena today, BTW. That means "by the way." She was at cheerleading practice. She looked so perky in her little short shorts." Damon goats Stefan a lot. He'll do anything to piss him off or make him fear what he's gonna do next.

This scene of Elena and Bonnie is insane because I consider it a double. "Today I'm obsessed with numbers. 3 numbers. I keep seeing 8, 14, and 22. How weird is that?" From Damon killing Coach Tanner to Elena falling in love with Damon. "Birthday candles." Just as Stefan does with Tyler and Matt, he uses his vampirism to fit in with Bonnie. If he weren't a vampire, he'd know nothing of witches. He speaks to her heritage without telling her how he knows. "Salem witches are heroic examples of individualism and nonconformity." So he's basically using his vampirism to impress her and lying by omission. That's when Damon and Caroline show up. "We're just finishing up." Again, lying by omission in his desire to stop Damon from getting an invite into Elena's house. At the same time, this whole belief he has that he's better than Damon. The same belief he has in the pilot episode. It's okay for him to be back home, but not Damon. It's okay for him to get invited into Elena's house, but not Damon. He belongs, but Damon doesn't. As much as fans talk about how Stefan treats Elena like a broken toy in season 4, fans should know that Stefan has been treating Damon this way since they became vampires. In his eyes, Damon is a broken toy solider. While Damon has no problem accepting the fact that Stefan is the "good" brother, he doesn't like being treated as less than just because he's the "bad" brother. They're both vampires, and because they're both vampires, they both pose an equal threat to Elena. It is their basic nature to feed on humans. For fans choosing to ignore the truth of this matter, Cade blames Stefan because he IS the one to blame. Stefan invited Damon into Elena's life the moment he forced himself into her life. Living as a human doesn't negate his relationship with Damon. They're still brothers, so Damon would've ended up in Elena's life at some point because of Stefan. So while Damon pushed Elena to own the darkest parts of herself, Cade blames Stefan for Damon being in her life to begin with. Because they're both vampires.

More of Damon's alternate meanings. "You can't just sit there and wait for life to come to you. You have to go get it." While watching Damon, even in the first season, it's important to understand that he's carrying on two separate relationships. "I'm sorry, Elena. I know what it's like to lose both your parents." His relationship with Elena should be viewed separately from his relationship with Stefan. "In fact, Stefan and I have watched almost every single person we've ever cared about die." He's being honest with Elena as he apologizes for her loss. "She used to be way more fun." This is Elena's partying scene in 4x16, that's why it comes from Caroline's mouth. She's the one who references Elena having fun without Stefan. Damon knows that Elena isn't a cheerleader anymore. He knows that girl died with her parents four months ago. He can see just by the way it makes her feel. "You know, you don't seem like the cheerleader type, Elena." This doesn't just hit in 4x16, it hits in 3x22 when Dr. Fell heals her with Damon's blood. While Stefan helps Elena move on from the death of her parents, Damon helps Elena move on from the death of herself. That's why she drowns and becomes a vampire with Damon. "God, I don't know how you're ever going to learn the routines. I guess we can put her in the back." This is why I dislike Caroline. It's one thing to put her in the back to have her observe, and another to treat her like she can't learn the routines. Caroline likes being the center of attention. She's treating Elena like crap, and using Elena's need to learn the routines as an excuse to treat her like crap. While Damon's relationship with Elena should be viewed separately from his relationship with Stefan, he makes comments to both when he's speaking to both. That's why he references Katherine. "The last thing I wanted to do was bring her up." While Damon could've easily referenced the death of their mother, it's better that he reference Katherine. Their mother died when Stefan was still human, when he was just 10 years old. Katherine... it would be hard for Stefan to explain his girlfriend dying when he was 17 while he's stuck inside his 17 year old body lol... that's why Damon name-drops Katherine every chance he gets.

And it's not just the fact that Katherine is the vampire that turned them into vampires. It's the fact that they're literal doppelgangers. How insane it would be for Damon to simply rescue Katherine from the tomb just to spring this truth on Elena at the last second. "I find it pretty easy." Jeremy refers to Vicki as a slut. His comment coincides with Caroline's in 1x2. "Ok, it's easy. Boy likes girl, girl likes boy, sex!" He's going through the same pain as Damon in season 2, watching Vicki be happy with Tyler. This love triangle exists with Tyler and Jeremy because of Katherine. Tyler and Jeremy parallel both brothers just as Klaus and Elijah do, it's up to the fans to see their parallels. Matt's response is every bit Jeremy in 3x19 and 3x21, only it's his sister. "What are you doing, Vick?" Damon continues with his alternate meanings while being real with Elena. "I like you. You know how to laugh." He talks to her about Katherine, and at the same time, he's describing himself. "She was also very complicated and selfish and at times not very kind, but very sexy and seductive." It's not until she sees the picture of Katherine in 1x10 that she understands his alternate meanings. "She was beautiful. A lot like you in that department." Elena picks up on some things, but remains blind to other things. Here, she picks up on the fact that both brothers dated Katherine, but is blind to the fact that both brothers are vampires. Damon needs to be there, not only for Elena to learn the whole truth, but for the sake of continuing to get the whole truth because Stefan doesn't stop lying to her. "Ask Stefan. I'm sure his answer differs from mine." This level of honesty is so damn refreshing. Damon opens up to Elena about her cheerleading. Even though he's a vampire, he's speaking to her as a human... as Oscar spoke to him when he considered deserting. "Quit, move on. Problem solved. Ta-da." Yet another theme that continues into seasons 3 and 4 as Damon is quite literally the problem. That's why Elena dies with Damon's blood in her system. It's her way of quitting and moving on. Living true to herself is the only way to truly live. Otherwise she's just existing. Like Damon, merely existing for 145 years while waiting to rescue Katherine from the tomb, Elena is merely existing while denying she fell in love with Damon. She has to drown to solve that problem. 4x1 has their largest number of "problem" dialogues because Elena fell in love with Damon.

This is Damon's parallel to Anna in 1x14. He knows she's being honest, and he responds as he does because she's being honest. She actually cares about his feelings, his loss. This is something he's not used to. In this moment, she makes him feel human. Even though he views Elena as friendship material, he's not ready for a friendship with her. Not yet anyway. He's still busy playing with Stefan. While Damon speaks with Elena, Stefan speaks with Caroline. This is all based on how 1x2 ended. "That's a really nice scarf." Stefan knows exactly why she can't take it off, but he's acting dumb about it, so I consider this a lie by omission. I view compulsions a certain way due to wording and loopholes. Klaus' compulsion on Stefan in 3x5 is all-inclusive. No matter what Klaus tells him to do, Stefan has to do it. Katherine's compulsion on Stefan is strictly relationship-based. They're to continue as they have been, but that doesn't mean they won't break up eventually. Katherine would have to compel Stefan again to get him to feed on her for the sake of making him a vampire. It's made clear that Damon compelled Caroline to keep wearing the scarf, to not take it off. That's why she has no idea why she can't take it off. However, he needs to continue compelling her to do other things, like helping Elena in the kitchen. His compulsion isn't all-inclusive like Klaus'. If fans don't see the lie-compulsion parallel yet, I'll just make it clear right here and now. Caroline's scarf is a parallel to Stefan's vervain necklace. "I'd very much like it if you'd wear it for me, for good luck." This scene pushes into 4x16 as Elena feeds on a cheerleader just like Damon, then hands the cheerleader a scarf just like Damon. "Because that is what is normal to me." Damon speaks true to his existence. He's a vampire. He's simply acting as if his switch is off, as if he doesn't feel. It's because Stefan lives as a human that people aren't there for his amusement, but this exchange is yet another that works as a double for both brothers. Humans are there for Stefan's amusement, for him to feed on when he acts ripper... and Damon will try to stop him when he acts human.

This is the first time Damon speaks true of himself. "Come on. Your brother isn't as bad as you make him out to be..." A truth he wants her to know despite his attempt to kiss her and put himself in her bed. It's also his ability to compel a dream that he knows Elena is wearing vervain rather than consuming it. The reason they show her grabbing the empty water glass when she wakes. Elena lets go of her cheerleader uniform, but understand there's a difference in letting go of the uniform and letting go of the girl. That's why she dies in season 3. Stefan writes in his journal. "There must be a shred of humanity left inside my brother. Somewhere. I keep hoping. But how do I make him see it? And how do I protect her?" This is where Stelena fans have it wrong when it comes to the necklace. The necklace itself is for Damon, the vervain in the necklace is for Elena. Stefan is killing two birds with one stone. The "vervain necklace" is a Delena thing, period. The contents of the necklace is for Elena. "And how do I protect her?" The necklace itself is for Damon. "But how do I make him see it?" If Stefan cared about anyone other than Elena, he would've fed the vervain to Caroline and threw Damon in the cellar in this episode. The necklace itself is a long-game concept. That's why Caroline questions Elena after Stefan gives it to her. He's opting to protect one girl with the vervain, and protecting all girls with the necklace as it's meant to show Damon his humanity.

"No, it's, uh… it's an herb. It's nice, huh?" This is a lie by omission. Stefan has been living on and off as a human since he became a vampire. He's had the necklace since the 20s. "It's something that I've had forever, and uh, I've never wanted to give it to anyone until now." Another lie by omission, but not the point I'm driving here. He's been on the market so to speak since 1935, that's according to his own journals. He's had every chance for relationships with other women, both human and vampire, yet this is the first time he felt the desire to be with someone and she happens to be a human Petrova doppelganger. Apparently, no other human will do for him. She has to look like Katherine. Certainly not a coincidence that Katherine was there when he found the necklace, now he's giving it to Elena while stating he's had it forever. I view this as I view the photo of Katherine in his journal.

Elena: We're a pair. I quit, you start. Stefan: Right. We're a work in progress. 

I not only take offense to this while respecting the hell out of Damon's parallel dialogue in 2x4. "I'm a work in progress." I love it at the same time. I take offense because Stelena is as much a "work in progress" as any other human life Stefan has lived. This is something he's actually quite used to because he's lived one human life after another. I love it because true to the reality of life, they make it clear that they're a work in progress, but they're on separate paths. One is quitting while the other is starting. A sure fire sign that she'll end up with Damon as he talked her into quitting. Not the only thing Stefan isn't clued in on. He still has no idea that Damon and Elena met first, nor does he know that Katherine is still alive. To be honest, I consider Stefan draping Elena's neck with vervain a way of marking his territory. He might as well be a dog marking a tree. "Is that pee that I smell?" Caroline has no idea, she's just as blind as Stefan. "And you're not in uniform because..." That's why it's Stefan and Caroline in 4x16. Why Elena tells Caroline to take Stefan for a spin. Damon sees Elena as he sees himself. She's not that girl anymore. Just as he died when he died, she died when her parents did. Again, Stefan hating his vampirism, but reaping the benefits. "We've got some great new talent tonight starting on the offense, and I'm gonna tell you right now, it has been a long time since I have seen a kid like this with hands like these. Let's give it up for Stefan Salvatore!" imo, Elena wouldn't have looked at Stefan twice if not for his vampirism because he'd have nothing to impress her with but his looks. He'd be an average high school human like Matt. I'm certain that's why Tyler is so bothered by it. "This blows. He can't start, the guy just got here." He's so bothered by it that he starts a fight with Jeremy, which in turn, reveals more of the very reason Stefan is starting. He's a vampire.

"Yeah, you smell fine." Elena with Jeremy is hilarious because she can smell booze and she can smell vervain, but she has no idea what vervain is. "Is that rose that I smell?" Another lie by omission for Stefan. "No, no, no, it's fine. He missed. It's not my blood. See? I'm fine." Again, fan's choice. Is it worse to compel someone or to make them question their own sanity? To make them not believe what they're actually seeing? Every reason why Damon closed the door behind Elena in 1x2. "The door was... open." Elena turns to Bonnie and questions her, and this scene between them is written opposite their shared scene at the open. "When I touched Stefan, it was a feeling. And it vibrated through me, and it was cold, and it… It was death. It's what I imagine death to be like." Elena doesn't know how to take this. Damon catches up to Elena and talks to her about Caroline. "I'm hiding from Caroline. I needed a break. She talks more than I can listen. Well, she's awfully young. I don't see it going anywhere in the bigger picture. I think she'd drive me crazy." I view these four comments as one because it's my opinion that he's not referring to her age, but her maturity. She acts too young for him.

"I'm sorry if I make you uncomfortable. That's not my intention." Damon is being honest, actually. It's his intention to make Stefan uncomfortable while trying to give Elena their truth. Still, I think he enjoys her intelligence as much as I do. She's not completely incapable of picking up on certain things, like his alternate meanings. I've analyzed this scene for someone before. Damon truly believes he's compelling Elena. Not only because he was able to compel her a dream the night before, but because her shock is selling it. Her shock that he's actually trying to kiss her is coming off like she's being compelled. That's the only way I can explain it. The closer his lips get to hers, the more it's gonna hurt when she slaps him. Trust me, he feels the sting lol. I know some of my followers may not know this, but I love it when Bonnie and Elena use violence to ground Damon. While "good" Stefan marks Elena like a dog pissing on a tree with his vervain, Elena smacks Damon because he's being a "bad" dog when they're supposed to be man's best friend lol. I view it the same way I view Rebekah smacking Caroline when she's cutting herself because of Silas. Damon has to be reminded that he still has his humanity even though he's a vampire. What I'd expect for the brother that's been living as a vampire for 145 years. Violence isn't good, but it works for someone like Damon, and it's not like he can't take it. I consider the sting he feels punishment enough for trying to compel her. Yet another instance where Elena doesn't tell Stefan. It's Damon who tells him. "I bet you even dreamed about me." Every bit what I meant about Damon's compulsion coming in two parts. He was using her compelled dream as a prelude to his kiss. "And I don't know what happened in the past, but let's get one thing straight... I am not Katherine." Poor girl has no idea that she very much should know what happened in the past. The point of Damon name-dropping Katherine. They became vampires.

Damon: Where'd you get it? Stefan: Does it matter?

Stefan knows damn well that it matters and why because he knows Damon is the reason vervain hasn't grown in Mystic Falls since 1864. He's simply referring to things in the opposite. Meaning, Zach is gonna pay rather than Elena because it was used to catch Katherine, not protect her. This is why I fault Stefan for Zach's death. He clearly didn't care even though he knew. "Guess I could just seduce her the old-fashioned way." Any fan knowing the truth about vervain would know the truth Damon spits while making this comment. He doesn't need to seduce her the old- fashioned way. He could've kissed her if he wanted to simply by ripping the vervain off her neck. It only burns them when they touch it directly, and the vervain is inside the necklace. That's why Elijah rips it off her neck, tosses it on the floor, then compels her for information in season 2. Coach Tanner is what an impulsive "crime of passion" looks like because it's fueled by emotion. You can see the emotional shift in Damon as Stefan talks to him.

This is the reason Damon kills Coach Tanner. "Katherine is dead. And you hate me because you loved her, and you torture me because you still do." Stefan has no idea that Damon tortures him because Katherine is still alive. If she were dead, Damon would've moved past it by now. He wouldn't still be torturing Stefan. "You're still haunting me. After 145 years." It's an eye for an eye as he believes Katherine has been desiccating in a tomb for 145 years. He can't let Stefan be happy when he's not happy, when at the same time, he blames Stefan for Katherine being caught in the first place. Stefan has no idea that he doomed Damon to more than two lifetimes of misery when he forced him to become a vampire because not only did his love for Katherine become magnified as a vampire, but he was forced to live in a world where he believed she was to desiccate in a tomb until the next comet. Just in believing that she's actually dead, Stefan should've known better than to pull her into their convo. "If that's my humanity... then what's this?" Damon's reply is intentional. It's his vampirism, and Stefan is the reason he's a vampire. "No! I want you to remember who you are!" He shifted from Stefan's vampirism in 1x2 to his own vampirism in this episode. Matt is still so blinded by Stefan that he's defending him against Tyler. "What's beating up the new guy going to prove?" It's gonna prove he's a vampire since vampires heal quickly lol. Matt then finds Coach Tanner's body. Damon left him there to be found because he's not the one pretending to be human, Stefan is. Stefan left him there to be found, and likely because he didn't wanna get caught moving his body.

"It wasn't just for the drugs." I love this scene between Jeremy and Vicki based on their love triangle parallels. I'm referring to their track, Chemical by Kerli. Damon and Elena are themed in the unbreakable. They're what "Til death do us part" truly means. That's why the necklace becomes Damon's before they prove it unbreakable. Why they have multiple tracks speaking to how they're unbreakable. Because Elena doesn't know how to take Bonnie's comment and Damon just killed Coach Tanner, she starts to combine clues while Stefan continues to lie to her.

Elena: What kind of animal could be doing all this? Why would it come out of the woods and attack someone in the middle of town? Stefan: I don't know. I don't know. Elena: I was so sure that you cut your hand. I saw it.

I laugh at Elena's question because I live in a town smaller than Mystic Falls, so I get it. Our wild animals don't leave the woods and head for the school lol. "I thought there was hope that somewhere deep inside, something in Damon was still human, normal. But I was wrong. There's nothing human left in Damon. No good. No kindness. No love. Only a monster Who must be stopped." It's because Stefan has his journal entries backwards... because he has a relationship with Damon separate from Elena's relationship with him that he makes a huge mistake by locking up Damon in an attempt to desiccate him. He has no idea that he already affected his brother.

This was the moment I saw their direction for Damon's character. He's connecting to his humanity, and Stefan has no idea. Fans must understand that this is a necklace scene for Damon, and he very well knows the purpose for the necklace. "No. You're not gonna hurt her, Damon. Because deep down inside, there is a part of you that feels for her." It's about his humanity, period. That's why he's gone when Elena wakes up to turn her light off. "You found it during your darkest time." And the voice of Damon's humanity is created.

[thevampirearchive]

Twilight Sex Ed — How Renaissance’s origin should have been & Why

By Dr. Juju MD (me) with a PHD in Twilight & Vampirism

Firstly, I would like to preface this medical journal by saying this theory is not new nor mine originally (at least not within this reality. I have faith that the other versions of me have had the sense to think of this & much more beyond this version of me’s capabilities)

Now, let us start; The idea that ancient Edward Anthony Masen Cullen has never had sex, this harboring this single spermcell like a prisoner in his frozen junk is absolutely absurd. It is know by all that vampires have 3 core behavioral instincts!

The first is the Constant hunger, as the thirst for blood never qualms (what would the fun be in that? You want controlled immortality? Never!) secondly, the chaotic behavior — which varies depending on author & vampire type (classic vampire, ancient, hybrid, white, newly spawned etc) an example that seem befitting my point; pretending to be teenagers for years in hopes of fooling stupid humans into thinking you’re not an ancient vampire trying to get a few more years out of a tiny town where no fart goes ungossipped about. And lastly, whore behavior. All vampires are whores, even when they are not — they are. So, to think that Edward has gone this long without ever getting this ice cawk (penis) wet, is not only a mockery of vampires everywhere but a mockery of the readers intelligence. This means the single sperm is either clutching for deer life or something else is at play. I vote for the latter!

Instead of a single cell fighting for its life till it found Miss Bella Swan Cullen, think of it like this; Due to derange bloodthirst, vampires rarely try to sleep with humans — unless they are into some sick necrophilia, as the focal would go from hornyness to hunger very fast, not much documentation or experimented have occurred. So, if Bella (young fertil human woman) sleeps with Edward (young freezing whore vampire) & no protection is worn — would it not make sense that sperm would do what sperm does? We are already stretching the fabrics of reality, so please hang in there. Yes, Edward is dead — but the idea of hybrids have never been denied within the Saga nor many vampire lore — there is no need too, as I said, vampires don’t spend much time tossing sheets with humans. But if it did happen, I theorize that a child would be the result. A child who is half vampire, thus a child who would need blood to survive. Instead of killing it, Bella decided to keep her spawn (Mormonism won, because in my reality Bella would have been at the vampire Clinique seconds after throwing up #TeamFuckthemKids) They fed her with blood, keeping the baby away from her own supply of natural blood. This baby grew untill there was not much space or strength left in Miss Bella. Human children take longer to make, but this is not a regular case — with a bigger & thirstier child, giving birth is a must, but seeing that the baby drains Bella by the second (again, unquenchable thirst) she is unable to even stand let alone birth. This results in her death (RIP) but before she is lost to the world, the turning process begins. Renaissance survives, because she is done growing — she was possibly done growing after a few hours & if left longer I think Bella would have birthed her age mate. Bella is turned by the vampire fluids, a complex but plausible process. The mingling bodily fluids did not only ensure the baby was always going to survive, but the mother was too. And there we have it — plausible vampire hybrid bearing!

Now, to an important part to all of this; This could technically work with any human & vampire, as long as the human was the child bearer. A baby cannot grow in a vampire womb as it is too cold & there is no nourishment (aka they can’t eat their mom) so, technically if Rosalie was truly the bad shit crazy girl we know she could be, she would have stopped become #2 mom to CGI, and found herself a look-alike, had Emmett do his thing & made sure the human womb got as far (or even further) as possible before getting her own child. This would though require she kills the human after the turn (if transformation is completed) — which I fo not think would pose a problem. This is could be huge, and the fact that there was a whole medical Vampire in the household yet no solid plausible conclusion was drawn is Mormonism to blame (derogatory).

Now, this could give us more books — Rosalie short stories, maybe Esme want’s her own mini babies too & I am sure Aro would not rest till he had an army. Is this a very dark turn for the Saga? Yes, but I am also a horror fan & this is my post, so *shrug*.

Lastly, the imprinting should have not went down how it did. Jacob should have been madly obsessed with Edward (he was, but more so how he was with Bella) & THEN nicknamed their daughter after the Lochness monster. And no kissing of the newly born rapidly growing hybrid CGI baby! strictly big brother protector & little sister cute wholesome content (a sick woman she is, sigh)

In conclusion, the idea of a vampire pregnancy — despite teen YA pregnancy being nothing but misery for all parties involved except the author, it could have been a very interesting turn of event with much more to offer. But how would the patriarchy have won yet again?

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk. If you are confused, no you are not. I believe in you & that beautiful big brain of yourse! Stay safe, red twilight & re-write whatever you deem emotionally damaging to know peace! Goodbye

Xoxo, Dr Juju MD

[t4llhum4n]

Hey! I'm bored as hell, so I'm gonna talk about one of my favorite Redacted theories that I've had for a while!

Theory (and major spoilers for the Imperium and, like, everything) is under the cut :)

So. Seers.

I've shared this theory on Patreon, but that was months ago, and while I still agree with the some of big points I made, recent lore reveals have challenged some of the details (looking at you, Channelversary stream and Hush).

My main point was this: Seers and the Sovereigns are intrinsically connected. My reasoning for this was the fact that Seers don't exist in the Imperium and that Seers awaken to their powers by seeing their death unless they're Obscured.

Seers not existing in the Imperium was my first hint that they might be connected to the Sovereigns. When that was revealed, I started listing the big differences between the Imperium and the Prime universe, and I found that almost all of those differences came back to the aftermath of the Cacophony. The Sovereigns were kept in Aria. That's why Deathwalkers don't exist in the Imperium, and it's why D(a)emons are practically a myth on Elegy. So why can't it also be the reason why Seers don't exist?

In the Prime universe, we know that the Sovereigns are kept in Death. We also know that Deathwalkers are actually Serenity Daemons that were sent there to feed off of the Sovereigns until they were nothing, but over time they forgot their purpose (which feeds into one of my theories about Brachium and the other Deathwalkers, but this isn't about them). I believe that Death is far very removed from Aria. Aria and D(a)emons are infinite, so there would be no need for it to be closely connected to a plane of existence that is associated with ending. On the other hand, I believe that Elegy and Death are very closely connected. I mean, humans die all the time, and it's been said that Elegy is not an infinite plane of existence. It's why Vega is so driven in his mission to free D(a)emonkind from having to depend on Elegy and humans to survive. But what does this have to do with Seers?

We know that the Sovereigns are most likely not in their prime. Even if the Serenity Daemons forgot their purpose, they were most likely fed on for thousands of years beforehand. So, if the Sovereigns wanted to make an impact on a plane of reality beyond Death, they'd have to reach closer. They'd have to reach Elegy. So, they did. Seers are rare, Morgan said so himself, but no one knows why that is. If the Sovereigns are as drained as I'm assuming they are, then they wouldn't have the strength to connect to Elegy all the time. Meaning that those connections, and physical proof of them, would be rare as well.

I believe that the connections that the Sovereigns may be making to Elegy have been coming in the form of Seers awakening to their powers. That's why their first visions are their deaths; because that's where the connection is coming from. I also think this explains why Seers can learn any magic at a specialized level and have their auras read as anything they choose. Seers are the most powerful form of empowered humans, and I think this theory explains why.

In my original theory on Patreon, I explained my reasoning for this by comparing it to Vampires. So when it was revealed in the Channelversary stream that Vampires and Seers are connected, I got super pumped. Basically, I claimed that the magic that the ancient humans got straight from the Sovereigns was the strongest, and that it got watered down little by little throughout the years. I compared this to how old blood Vampires, like William, are much stronger than newborns and their Progeny. I also mentioned that it was revealed through Vincent that newborns turned by old blood are stronger than newborns turned by younger Vamps. If we apply that logic to the Sovereigns and empowered humans, then an ancient Freelancer would probably be viewed as a magic user who has equal access to all magic at a specialized level because of how strong their magic is. Seers, I think, have the same power as ancient Freelancers, just with the added gift of the Sight as well.

So what does this mean? I originally said that this meant that Seers are the Sovereigns' eyes into Elegy, which is where their Sight comes from. While that might be a possibility, I'm not so sure anymore. If you took the time to read this brain vomit, I would love to know your thoughts! Also, if I missed anything or there are any glaring holes in this theory, please let me know. I know I mentioned Hush at the beginning of this, but this is already super long, so I might rant about him and his antics later. I hope you all enjoyed my ramblings!

[hellsaint]

VAMPIRES WILL NEVER HURT YOU : VAMPIRIC TRAITS

As Jude is a fandomless character , I take inspiration from various media and folklore for how his vampirism operates. These apply to all vampires within this original setting.

GENERAL TRAITS : These are things that occur when embraced and are typically physiological.

RETRACTABLE FANGS : Vampire fangs are not visible until they want them to be. It can be involuntary as well such as when experiencing very strong emotions ( more common among fledglings ) or when very hungry.

UNSETTLING BEAUTY : Once embraced , vampires become supernaturally attractive in a way that is strangely alluring. Nothing drastic changes about their appearance but there is something about the quality that fundamentally changes in an almost faelike way. Vampires hunt better when their prey is intrigued by them.

TECHNICALLY DEAD : A person must die to become a vampire , and their body reflects this. They are cold to the touch , have no heartbeat , etc. When it comes to doing things they could while living “there is no relief tied to the action” a la one of the only valid things to come out of Tw*light. Vampires can eat but everything tastes like ash. They can breathe but there is no satisfactory sensation like when they were mortal and alive. They can sleep , but have no need to save for avoiding sunlight which can be circumvented as well. However , drugs and alcohol do affect them somewhat , but both are stronger when someone they feed on has recently partaken.

DRINK BLOOD : An obvious one but vampires can only sustain themselves on blood. Animal blood is an option , but it is extremely unsatisfying and surviving on it only requires near constant feeding. Drinking human blood is generally required at minimum every few days. If one does not feed they begin to take on a slightly more monstrous appearance ( more reflective eyes , veins turning black , visible fangs , etc. ) The quality of the human effects this as well : someone who is well off and thus able to afford to take good care of themselves is a better meal than someone who does not. Blood from a blood bank is only marginally less effective than a live human to the point it almost does not matter. A vampire can feed on other vampires but it is very difficult to do so. Draining someone entirely is the only way to fully satiate hunger and stop the ever present burn in your throat but it does not last long and runs the risk of discovery.

VENOMOUS SALIVA : There is essentially a toxin within vampires that allows them to better survive. Whenever they bite someone , there is momentary pain in their prey that is quickly replaced by a very pleasant and pleasurable feeling. It makes victims docile to allow them to feed and the linger effects leave them almost intoxicated for a little while after. It is with this same trait they can close the puncture wounds. And create other vampires.

EMBRACE : As is typical with vampire lore , the only way they can “reproduce” is through the bite , referred to as embracing. Someone must be almost completely drained of blood and killed before they can be turned into a creature of the night. Once this is done , the sire must feed their potential creation some of their own blood to complete the process. This means that having been fed upon does not automatically make someone a vampire and even then the toxin is “cycled out” after a few days anyway. The embrace is a very intentional act and why there is not an overabundance of vampires.

POWERS : Additional abilities that vampires have along the more supernatural line. Nearly all of these powers increase in strength as a vampire ages , and can weaken if one has not fed enough recently.

IMMORTAL : All vampires are undying , able to exist in perpetuity at the age they were embraced. They are already dead and there are few ways for them to meet a true death.

SUPERNATURAL CHARM : Vampires are not just physically alluring but literally so. They are able to take over the mind , to varying degrees , of other creatures. Their very presence can become more attracting , intimidating , or compelling with magical emotional manipulation. They can alter minds as well , confusing and altering memories , dominating any who can be influenced. Other vampires are more resistant to these effects , and few humans can without proper magical protection. When these powers are used , a slight tinge of red enters the iris coloring.

SUPERNATURAL PHYSICALITY : Even if they may not look it , all vampires have enhanced physical abilities. This includes supernatural strength , speed , reflexes , endurance , toughness , and senses. A vampire can will these abilities to exceed even vampiric basic standards in some cases at the cost of growing hungrier. For example , being fast enough to cross large distances in a moment , strong enough to stop a moving train , etc. though all of these obviously run the risk of mortal exposure. The state of a person during life when they were embraced does have some influence on the proportional vampiric abilities.

RAPID HEALING : Already difficult to damage , when a vampire is injured their body heals very quickly. A broken bone can typically be fixed within minutes.

WALL CLIMBING / WALKING : Vampires can walk or climb on vertical or upside down surfaces. They do not need to remain in motion and could theoretically sleep laying “down” on the ceiling if they feel like it.

THRALLS : In addition to being enthralling , vampires have the ability to create thralls. These are creatures , typically mortal humans , they are compelled into loyalty bordering on obsession in some cases. Thralls must be created by feeding vampire blood to the subject continuously over time in addition to repeated exposure to the mental manipulation of enthrallment.

WEAKNESSES : A list of weaknesses that often fatally affect vampires.

SUNLIGHT : The sun is fatal to vampires , though the burning process is not instantaneous. It takes a minute or two until it completely dissolves a vampire to dust. Vampire hunters can be especially cruel and leave a vampire tied up to meet the rising sun to draw out the true death. However , there is one way to prevent this from happening : an enchanted object of personal significance. Vampires have the ability to do this process themselves , but more often than not they require the assistance of a witch. Once the enchantment is complete , the object must be carried or worn and the vampire is able to walk in the sunlight. The moment it is removed from their person they can be burned. Only natural sunlight can kill a vampire ; manmade items like sunlamps do nothing.

BEHEADING : Removing the head results in immediate true death for a vampire. Due to their supernatural toughness , this is very difficult to do.

FIRE : While not an immediate death , fire is incredibly dangerous to vampires. It can burn them almost as quickly as sunlight and it impedes their regenerative healing significantly.

STAKE TO THE HEART : Whether it be wooden or not , being staked does not kill a vampire. Instead , it paralyzes them until it is removed and the injury takes time to heal. Some of the oldest of vampires go through the process of actually removing their heart , at the cost of deadening their emotions and morals , to prevent this possibility.

SILVER : Also not fatal though still dangerous. It does not burn them or anything as with werewolves , but it is easier to wound a vampire with silver weaponry. Like fire , it impacts their ability to rapidly heal their bodies after sustaining damage.

MYTHS : A list of other popular vampire lore that do not apply , or apply differently , to this setting.

HOLY PLACES / OBJECTS : If you could not tell by the nature of this blog , such things do not affect vampires , no matter the religion. There are supernatural wards that exist though , and have often been applied to holy places or objects , hence the prevalence of this myth.

ALCHEMY / MAGIC : Magic of the more physical than innate sense typically belongs to the realm of witches. However , vampires are capable of following the same practices and in fact are better equipped at grasping this talent than humans new to witchcraft and some other supernatural creatures. More specifically , vampires are able to take to blood magic very quickly if they are taught or learn it themselves due to their propensity for sanguine elements.

RUNNING WATER : Vampires are not affected by this in any way.

INVITATION : There is nothing stopping a vampire from coming into your home. Again , the wards that exist are often the cause of the belief in this limitation.

SHAPESHIFTING : Vampires cannot turn into bats , rats , dogs , clouds of mist , turn invisible , or anything like that.

ANIMAL AFFINITY : Animals are not able to be specifically commanded by vampires , but they are more susceptible to their ability to compel other beings.

GARLIC : This does not work as a vampire deterrent.

MIRRORS : Vampires do have reflections.

[fullmoonraven]

Getting around to actually drawing a (multi-fandom) vampire oc of mine, and I figured I'd drop the lore and shit for how their particular "brand" of vampire works!

I'll be separating this into three posts for easier readability, and they'll all have the same tag; Feel free to send me questions! I love answering questions and stuff about lore and concepts.

(1/3) Vampire Types: Similarities and Differences, and Abilities

There's three kinds of Vamps; Lords, Bornes, and Turned:

Turned are standard vamps that had been human before being turned into vampires, and they are frozen at the age they had been upon being turned. (Bitten at 30 = Frozen at 30)

Borne are vampires that had been born that way. They age at a slightly slower pace than humans before their appearance "stops" once they've reached a point of emotional stability. 

Lords are completely random whenever they occur. They can be Turned or Borne, and tend to be rare.

Bornes and Turned are only able to Turn humans after draining the human entirely of blood- thus killing them- and having to wait several days to see if they'll come back as a Vamp. There's very little science to it as far as they're aware, but genetics have some form of influence in chances of someone Turning. If both parents came back, then there is a good chance that the child will as well, though in the same vein, if neither parent came back, there's a low chance that the child will.

Lords are the more typical vampire that you see in legends, being able to Turn humans just from their bite alone. A direct bite to the neck or anywhere otherwise close to the brain and heart will result in a Turn within less than an hour if it's not instantaneous, however any bites in other locations will take longer to Turn and will have a chance of an antidote being administered before Turning can occur.

Thralls are humans or other beings who have been fed vampire blood and gain abilities from it.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Turned and Bornes are close to the same in power level, the main difference being in experience with living as a vampire; They share weaknesses, strengths, abilities, and needs:

Weaknesses:

Skin begins to redden in direct sunlight and will quickly begin to blister and burn

Weakness to Allium, Aconite (Wolfsbane), Morning Glory, and Wisteria flowers. Being in the presence of these flowers does not weaken them, but any contact results in what is similar to a severe allergic reaction, and ingestion can lead to death.

Vulnerable to the commands of a Lord. Those who're stronger willed or have experience can resist a Lord's Command, but many will be compelled to obey regardless.

Abilities:

Physical strength, speed, and senses far above those of a humans.

May be able to learn to shapeshift into an animal of their choosing; many prefer birds, dogs, or the ever classic bat. Being in animal form negates their weakness to sun, but transforming back and forth takes a lot of energy.

Form of hypnosis closer to a strong Suggestion. Thought to be activated through a mix of eye contact and voice, they can persuade prey to follow them or persuade hunters to look the other way. Strong willed individuals can fight against it, and weaker Suggestions can be broken by pointing out inaccuracies.

Needs:

Pack creatures who Need community, they will naturally congregate into groups known as Covens. While a Coven does not need to have a Lord in it, most Lords will have a Coven form around them.

Nocturnal to the point of naturally becoming sleepy upon daylight; some vampires can resist the urge and either stay up past dawn, or wake up before sundown, but most will fall asleep before the sun makes it past the horizon.

While able to sustain off of animal blood, it lacks in nutrition and will eventually lead to starvation regardless. Human blood must be consumed weekly to ensure proper physical and mental health.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Lord vampires live up to their name, and have enhanced versions of the above abilities with severely lessened weaknesses.

Weaknesses:

Sun exposure simply results in an uncomfortable sensation; lengthened exposure leads to severe sunburn but not much else short of being under a magnifying glass as well.

Effect of the relevant flowers is lessened. Contact takes longer to rash, and ingested amounts must be larger to be fatal.

Possible to be Commanded by a fellow Lord, but generally seen as not only rude/bad form but also a severe sign of disrespect: more likely to piss them off than actually form a possible vulnerability.

Abilities: 

Physical strength, speed, and senses often above those of "lower" vampires. Even their presence can cause "lower" vampires to falter.

Able to shapeshift into multiple animals freely, with less energy expended and a far easier time regaining it the more familiar they are with a form.

Command over other vampires. By issuing a Command, they can force other vampires to bend to their will and obey them.

Far stronger Hypnosis to the point of memory alteration. While they're unable to properly replace a memory, they can muddle details and cause humans to completely forget long periods of time. Rarely able to be broken out of or fixed without the use of magical artifacts or the aid of magical beings.

Other:

Able to survive entirely off of regular human food, without the need for consuming blood of any kind. (Note: doing so weakens their abilities and lowers their resistances; a Lord surviving like a human will be reduced to the strength and abilities of an average Turned or Borne)

No urge to sleep around daytime, Lords can go weeks without needing to sleep, though prolonged sleep deprivation will eventually lead to memory and concentration issues.

Through practice, Lords are able to change their appearance to various stages of their age, such as appearing as their childhood self or as an elder version.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

As stated earlier, Thralls are beings who have been fed vampire blood and gain abilities from said blood, at the cost of being incredibly susceptible to any vampires' commands. 

The state of being a Thrall is not permanent, and needs to be reaffirmed from regular feedings. While the donated blood does not always need to be from the same vampire, a Turned vampire's blood will have less duration than a Borne's blood, and a Lord's blood will last them the longest as well as give them the strongest abilities.

Abilities: Most commonly, Thralls will gain an enhanced regenerative healing factor alongside enhanced strength, speed, and senses, though often not on the same level as Turned or Bornes.

Weaknesses: However, as a result of their new state, they are almost entirely incapable of resisting a vampire's commands or suggestions. While a Thrall can resist a Suggestion with enough practice, a Lord can Always force a Thrall to obey through a Command.

[anabsolutefreak]

Chapter 8: The Bard, the Hag, and the Hunter

This is a canon adjacent full campaign based story involving my original TAV character, the full BG3 crew and, of course, our favorite undead high elf. I created this story to help me get through an exceptionally difficult time in my life and so, you might notice Tav's story is a little more atypical than some. Be advised that the story I have created has some mature themes including violence, kink, mental health and self harm. I will be placing warnings on each individual chapter when any of these themes are included so please be aware. I hope you enjoy. Summary: Our favorite group of D&D misfits discuss the VERY SURPRISING revelation about the pale elf. ;) Then, Embrae meets Alfira before setting out to meet the strange Auntie Ethyl. No big warnings on this one except for some mentions of violence. Also, warning: smut has been written, finally and will be coming soon. Am I excited about my first time smut writing? Yes, indeed I am. I hope you will be too!

Shadowheart tutted at Embrae as she looked at her neck. “I thought you someone with good judgment, you know.” she scolded as she handed her a ruby potion and ordered her to drink. “Letting a vampire drink you— you must have a death wish.” Embrae had entered Shadowheart’s tent that morning head bowed, lackluster blush on her face as she explained what she needed. 

“Well, he didn’t kill me.” She pointed out.

She scoffed. “If he had gone any longer he very well might have. What were you thinking?” Light emanated from her hands, moving up and down Embrae’s body. 

“I don’t know— honestly,” replied Embrae closing her eyes as a sensation of warmth passed through her body. “I guess I— I just wanted to help.”

“Well, next time, direct him to a bandit camp. He can drain a few would-be enemies for us instead of leaving you a weak, bloodless mess.” 

“Hmm,” Embrae said happily. Shadowheart was a wonderful healer, she thought. She had woken feeling dizzy and unwell. She was already feeling much better. “Did you know, Shadowheart?”

“Know?”

“About Astarion.”

“Oh, that.” She smiled, rare good humor piercing her dour veil. “I was reasonably sure. He’s not exactly— subtle.” 

Embrae giggled. “That’s what I told him… he thought it was a secret.”

“Who thought what was a secret?” Karlach asked, poking her head into the tent. “Sorry!” she said grinning. “ I wanted to be sure you were good. You looked a little tipsy walking up here. Too much to drink last night?” She winked. 

Shadowheart rolled her eyes, “it wasn’t her who had too much to drink.”

Understanding touched Karlach’s yellow eyes. “Ooooh. Fangs got you, did he? Need me to string him up by the ankles for you, friend?” 

“You did know!” 

“Well— yeah. I thought everyone did.”

“Me too. He didn’t.”

“Ha! No way. This is gonna be good.” She bounded out of the tent, Shadowheart and Embrae following. 

“Oi, fangs!” Called Karlach over towards Astarion who stood over at the other side of camp, reading. 

He shut his book with a snap and glared over at her. “You not talking to me?” He asked cooly, walking over to them. 

“Well, of course I am. Been nipping off our resident panther girl, haven’t ya? I hope you at least asked first.”

His eyes shot towards Embrae, “You told them?”

Embrae flushed. “No- I—”

“Astarion, I’ve known you for about 24 hours and I already knew your big secret. Anyone who didn’t is probably just a bit thick.”

The tips of Astarions ears turned red. He must have fed well, thought Embrae.

He sniffed, affecting an unconcerned attitude but she could see worry in his eyes. “Well, I suppose I’m just glad you didn’t come at me with torches and pitchforks.”

“Ah, I wouldn’t worry about it Fangs. We’re all a bit odd in this group. Got an engine from the hells in my chest myself and we all know these half-elves have more secrets than a politician with a second family. Shadowheart and Embrae both flushed, glancing ruefully at each other. 

Lae’zel had walked up to Astarion, drawn in by the conversation. “Just see that your teeth stay far away from my neck, vampire, or you’ll be wearing your blood on the outside.” She sniffed. “Otherwise, I see no good reason to break our alliance.” 

“Charming,” muttered Astarion, leaning ever so slightly away from the gythyanki woman. 

The group dispersed, all except Embrae, who followed the vampire back to his tent. “I swear I didn’t tell them,” she told them. “Although I would have had to. They do deserve to know who they’re traveling with.” 

He turned to her, eyes assessing, brighter than she was used to seeing them. “Oh, it’s all out in the open now, and I’m not unhappy about it. It’s a tough secret to keep after all— and apparently, I didn’t keep it nearly as well as I had assumed.” 

“Well,” she said thoughtfully. “Is it true vampires can’t see their own reflections?” 

“Indeed. Why?”

“Well, that’s probably why you didn’t realize that it was a little… apparent.” 

He frowned, looking displeased by the thought. “No one ever seemed to notice in Baldur’s Gate. Then again, I was more for the nightlife back home. Perhaps in the dim light— and most of my, erm, friends were quite inebriated. 

“At the Drunken Mermaid, for example. Yes, they would have been.” 

He stared at her. 

“Oh come on, I knew I’d seen you somewhere before! Pretty sure I saw a few vampires there while I was—entertaining. You always seemed to be entertaining someone different yourself ” Embrae’s smile faltered a bit. 

Astarion looked away. “Spawn, he corrected. We aren’t true vampires. Just the spawn of one.”

“Oh, is that why you can walk in the sun? Because you’re not a true vampire?”

“Oh no! I should be cinders in this light!” He looked up, stretching luxuriously, like a cat in a window. “This tadpole— someone has gone and changed the rules. I can even wade into running water now— enter homes without any sort of invitation. It’s— it’s a strange type of freedom, knowing you’ll have to give it up unless you want to sprout tentacles.”

“It’s a bit of a catch-22 for you isn’t it?”

“Pardon”

“It means you’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t.”

“Ah well, I suppose I’ve been damned from the moment my former master, Cazador, turned me. Certainly, the last 200 years have proven that.”

“But you don’t have to go back to your master— even if you can’t walk in the sun, right?”

“I— I don’t know. A vampire master has a sort of bond with his creations. He can control them-- completely… I never was able to resist his commands. But now, I’ve been conveniently lost,” he said spreading his hands wide. “I never wish to bow to that bastard’s demands again.”

He compels them, thought Embrae. She shivered. 

“Are you cold, darling? How are you feeling? I may have gotten a bit— overeager last night.”

“I’m fine. Shadowheart helped fix me up. Just a bit dizzy.” 

“It’ll pass. Just be thankful a spawn like my good self can’t turn you like a true vampire can.”

Spawn, thought Embrae. She really disliked that word. It made her think of something less than, something unimportant and subservient. She couldn’t imagine the man who stood in front of her as any of those things. If anything, he was larger than life, especially puffed up on sass and sarcasm as he always seemed to be. 

“We’re going to have to find a way to keep you fed, Astarion.”

“Well, you know what I am now. I suppose you wouldn’t object to me draining an enemy of ours on occasion-- I mean, they’ll be just as dead if I don’t. But no innocents... you have my word."

“No, I don’t object to that,” she laughed. “But I don’t want to wake up to your teeth in my neck, not unless we talk about it first.”

“Of course!” He grinned seductively at her. That seems eminently reasonable… I shall wait patiently until you suggest we— dine together.” His eyes grazed Embrae’s neck and she shuddered. His grin widened as he noticed the reaction. 

Oh, she realized. I am in trouble.

“Come on,” she said. “We need to get ready to head to the grove again. Wyll mentioned there might be a blacksmith who can help Karlach with her engine there and I wanted to see about trading with the merchants there before we look into the goblin camp.”

Within the hour they were off. Shadowheart, having decided to stay examine the tadpole with Gale in the hopes of finding what made it tick decided not to accompany them. Instead, Lae’zel and Karlach accompanied her and Astarion. Karlach was over the moon at the chance to meet someone who might have answers for her, who could cool down her engine a bit. Imagine not being able to touch someone, thought Embrae glancing at the happy-go-lucky tiefling. Then she flushed remembering the previous night. That was the most physical contact she had had from anyone in over two years. Well, almost… What was her excuse? Was that why she kept thinking about it? Why she was willing to do it again? 

Lae’zel followed with her endless stream of complaints about the “Teethlings and druids being a waste of time” and finding the gythyanki crech. Embrae wondered, not for the first time why Lae’zel hadn’t decided to pursue that path on her own. Perhaps she too loathed the idea of being alone, unlikely as that seemed. 

The gate opened for them with little hesitation once they arrived. They stopped a while and haggled with a dwarf merchant haggling and trading with bits and bobs they carried in overflowing packs as well as gold for supplies and food. By the end, they were even able to buy a new dagger for Astarion, whose original had been chipped against a rock during his last fight. The next stop was the blacksmith, a good-natured Tiefling called Dammon who knew a thing about infernal machinations.

“I don’t know if I can contain it indefinitely Karlach. Outside of the Hells, it will only become more unstable—”

“I’m not going back.” she cut in bluntly. 

“Well, the good news, is that I can cool it down with the right supplies. But it’s a bit rare. Infernal metal. It’s not the easiest to find but not impossible. I've heard rumors of where one might find it. Here, let me mark it on your map. Bring it and I won’t even charge ya.” The shorter tiefling grinned up at her. 

“Will it— will it cool me down enough to touch someone?” The words made her seem oddly vulnerable. That was the thing about Karlach though; she didn’t seem to mind wearing her feelings out in the open. She was probably the most refreshingly honest and open person in the group, mused Embrae. 

“I believe it could cool you down enough. Yes”

“Aw brilliant!” she beamed. “I’d hug you or shake your hand but, ah well, you know. Guess we’ll have to keep our eye out.”

“If it’s around we’ll find it,” said Astarion stiffly. “I’m not one to miss out on good treasure.” 

“Thanks, mate,” she laughed. I feel better already. 

“Well, I don’t suppose there’s anything else we need here is there?” Embrae asked the others. 

“Wait, before we go, I’m starving. I smell grub up that way. No offense to Gales's cooking but I could use something um, different. ”

“Yes,” hissed Lae’zel. “Then let us find something that has flavor.”

“I for one have had my fill of flavor for a while,” said Astarion, looking at Embrae suggestively. “But do carry on.”

“Just have to make things awkward don’t you.”

He grinned. 

The smell Karlach mentioned led them to a large cooking pot. An older tiefling woman stood over it sprinkling spices into it and mixing. 

“Well, good morning! I’ve been hearing all about you strangers and your heroic deeds. Defending the grove from goblins is hungry work. Would you care for a bowl?”

Karlach, Lae’zel, and Embrae accepted gratefully. It smelled mouthwatering— and spicy. Astarion declined, stating he had already had a quite satisfying meal. Embrae flushed and rolled her eyes. As they were about to find a place to sit and eat, an older human woman shuffled up from the tent beside them. Well hello, my lovelies. I wanted to come and introduce myself. I’m Auntie Ethyl. If you need any healing or potions, I’d be happy to whip you something up. 

“You’re a healer?” Asked Embrae cautiously. The woman seemed sweet enough but there was a curious gleam in her eyes. 

“Och, nothing so spectacular. But I know my way a bit around old cures and potions. Even cued old Zevlor of his receding hairline,” she said conspiratorily. “But you’ve got something a bit more serious don’t you?” Her gaze became intent, birdlike almost and Embrae fought not to take a step back. “You’ve got the most unusual— essence around you dearie. More unusual even than the little vampling sulking behind you I’d wager.”

“Does everyone know?” growled Astarion testily. “Gods.” 

“Hmph. I’ve seen my fair share of your kind before dearie. Although one walking about in the sun without so much as a sizzle is a new one even for me. But you though, she said staring intently again at Embrae. You’re something different. I can tell.”

“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.” said Embrae ignoring the feeling of her companion's eyes on her neck.“I’m just a half-elf.”

Auntie Ethyl cackled mischievously. “Of course you are, pet! But there’s no just about you. Tell you what, come see me at my home. We’ll talk some more, maybe even see about getting those pesky little parasites removed, hmm?”

“How did you—?”

“Shhh dearie. Plenty of time for questions later. I’ll mark the place for you. She raised a finger to Embrae’s forehead and a perfect image of a map unfolded in her mind's eye. Then Auntie Ethyl disappeared into a cloud of smoke. 

“Well,” said Astarion. “She seems positively demented. “Let’s go find her!”

“I don’t know, Astarion,” said Karlach. “She kind of gives me the creeps.”

“Same,” asgreed Embrae. “But if she knows something— anything about these tadpoles. I think it’s worth a try.”

Lae’zel growled. “Perhaps we’ll turn before I manage to convince to to pursue the real cure. But fine. Let’s go see this— mad woman.”

“Can we please eat first?” whined Karlach. 

Embrae laughed. “Yes, let’s go sit down. My feet are already killing me.”

They found a spot away from almost everyone to settle into the grass and enjoy the sun. They ate while the vampire elf basked in his forbidden sunshine. Embrae smiled a little at the sight of him. Since feeding on her the previous night, she really had thought he looked more relaxed. Happy she remembered him saying. Happy, she thought to herself as she took another bite of the hot soup— tieflings certainly don't hold back with their spice, do they? 

She looked up the path. She was sure she had just heard a voice. “Dance among the stars tonight— Dammit.” The sound of lute strings, then the timid singing once again. Someone was trying and struggling to write a song, she realized with some sympathy. She stood, leaving her empty bowl. “I’ll be right back. Then we can go, she told the others.” Astarion made no indication that he heard her at all— Karlach nodded into her second bowl of soup. Lae’zel continued to run a whetstone over the edge of her blade but said nothing. 

Embrae followed the path up a grassy hill towards the halting music until she found the tiefling woman. Her blueish skin was flushed in frustration as she tried again to sing, dance among the stars tonight, the moon— Oh it’s no good!” she sighed to herself. She was lovely, even wearing a ridiculous outfit with bells. She had long, shining raven hair that curled and swayed in the light breeze. Her amber eyes were alight with whatever fire all tieflings seemed to possess and also with frustration. 

“I don’t think it’s that bad.” Said Embrae softly. The squirrells sitting in front of the woman seemed to disagree vehemently but she thought they were being a bit dramatic. 

The young woman started and smiled sweetly at her. “Oh,” she said. “I didn’t realize I had an audience.” She sighed. “Unfortunately this tune isn’t ready for one. I just can’t get it right. I’m Alfira by the way, the would-be bard.”

Embrae sat down next to her. “Songs can be tricky like that sometimes. For me, I think they tended to fall apart when I tried too hard.”

“Oh are you a bard?” she asked delighted. 

“Um, no— not really,” said Embrae. “Just a casual player sometimes. Not for a while though.”

Alfira grinned. “Nonsense. You know what you’re talking about. I can tell.” She reached behind her and thrust a second lute at her. “It’s been ages since anyone has played with me. Since my teacher passed away.” Her face fell again. “The song is meant to be for her.” 

Embrae looked at the lute offered to her and frowned. She took it and her fingers itched to touch the strings even as her stomach filled with bile. “Well, focus on how she made you feel then— when she was with you, what music did you hear. Follow only that and the words will come in time.” Even as Embrae said it, she could hear whispers of music in her own mind. She could hear it everywhere if she allowed herself. 

Alfira smiled uncertainly and closed her eyes. She began to play a tune, haunting and full of loss, but also joy, hope, and love. The bile in Embrae’s stomach faded and she felt her own fingers move to the borrowed lute, adding a harmony. Alfira gasped as the music game together in the way it it does when it’s simply right— perfect but not too much so, like a river flowing over your toes as you sit in the sun, or like the waves crashing upon the rocks. Alfira began to sing and the words flowed unimpeded, belonging to the song as though it had been written a thousand years ago upon an ancient cliff face. Embrae could feel every one as though she sang it. She didn’t sing though, and would not sing. Still, a part of herself she thought lost did as the music came to a crescendo and then softened into its final notes. 

Embrae opened her eyes, not realizing she had closed them. Alfira was beaming, tears gleaming in her glowing amber eyes. “Oh, it was perfect! Thank you so much.”

Embrae flushed with embarrassment. “I didn’t do anything— it was all you.”

“I thought you were both fantastic!” Exclaimed Karlach from behind her. Embrae nearly jumped out of her seat, startled. She, Astarion, and Lae’zel stood looking at her. Embrae felt her face turn scarlet. “Gods! They don’t have music like that in the hells!" continued Karlach. "Spooky organ music is about much as I get— that and the screams of tormented souls.” 

Astarion smirked. “And you keep saying you’re not a bard,” he said in a mocking singsong voice. 

“Shut up,” Embrae mumbled. 

“It was— pleasant.” Admitted Lae’zel thoughtfully. “My people are not without their fondness of music— although we tend to use it to sing about the glories of bloody battle.” 

“Why am I not surprised?” Asked Astarion, rolling his eyes skywards. 

“I should. We should go,” stuttered Embrae. “Um thanks, Alfira— I’m glad you found your song after all. She made to hand the lute back but Alfira waved her away. 

“Keep it, she insisted.” Embrae tried to protest but Alfira was adamant. “I wouldn’t have found the music without you today. You were—- a muse.” She leaned forward and pulled the half-elf into a hug. Embrae froze at the contact and pulled away, still flushing. 

As they walked out of the grove, Astarion continued to tease. “So, another one for the firewood, is it, he asked nodding towards the lute strapped over her pack.”

Embrae rolled her eyes and didn’t answer. She wouldn’t burn it… it had been a gift. But she’d be damned if anyone would catch her playing it again either. 

“Let's just go find Auntie Ethyl before the day gets away from us, shall we? Tomorrow is likely to be full of goblin guts— so I’d like to get this done first.”

“Well, don’t be shy, strum us a tune for the road darling. Keep us entertained.”

“Yes! Play us one of those naughty tavern songs. I’ve missed them.” sighed Karlach.

“The only entertainment any of you are getting from me is my fist in Aaron's face if he doesn’t let me be.”

“I would accept that as entertainment," hissed Lae’zel from several paces ahead of them. Karlach chuckled in agreement. 

Astarion affected a pained expression. “Darling I’m hurt.” His eyes gleamed wickedly. “But I can assure you, you’ ’d not be able to lay a finger on me, not unless I wanted you to.”

***

Shadowheart tutted at Embrae as she looked at her neck. “I thought you someone with good judgment, you know.” she scolded as she handed her a ruby potion and ordered her to drink. “Letting a vampire drink you— you must have a death wish.” Embrae had entered Shadowheart’s tent that morning head bowed, lackluster blush on her face as she explained what she needed. 

“Well, he didn’t kill me.” She pointed out.

She scoffed. “If he had gone any longer he very well might have. What were you thinking?” Light emanated from her hands, moving up and down Embrae’s body. 

“I don’t know— honestly,” replied Embrae closing her eyes as a sensation of warmth passed through her body. “I guess I— I just wanted to help.”

“Well, next time, direct him to a bandit camp. He can drain a few would-be enemies for us instead of leaving you a weak, bloodless mess.” 

“Hmm,” Embrae said happily. Shadowheart was a wonderful healer, she thought. She had woken feeling dizzy and unwell. She was already feeling much better. “Did you know, Shadowheart?”

“Know?”

“About Astarion.”

“Oh, that.” She smiled, rare good humor piercing her dour veil. “I was reasonably sure. He’s not exactly— subtle.” 

Embrae giggled. “That’s what I told him… he thought it was a secret.”

“Who thought what was a secret?” Karlach asked, poking her head into the tent. “Sorry!” she said grinning. “ I wanted to be sure you were good. You looked a little tipsy walking up here. Too much to drink last night?” She winked. 

Shadowheart rolled her eyes, “it wasn’t her who had too much to drink.”

Understanding touched Karlach’s yellow eyes. “Ooooh. Fangs got you, did he? Need me to string him up by the ankles for you, friend?” 

“You did know!” 

“Well— yeah. I thought everyone did.”

“Me too. He didn’t.”

“Ha! No way. This is gonna be good.” She bounded out of the tent, Shadowheart and Embrae following. 

“Oi, fangs!” Called Karlach over towards Astarion who stood over at the other side of camp, reading. 

He shut his book with a snap and glared over at her. “You not talking to me?” He asked cooly, walking over to them. 

“Well, of course I am. Been nipping off our resident panther girl, haven’t ya? I hope you at least asked first.”

His eyes shot towards Embrae, “You told them?”

Embrae flushed. “No- I—”

“Astarion, I’ve known you for about 24 hours and I already knew your big secret. Anyone who didn’t is probably just a bit thick.”

The tips of Astarions ears turned red. He must have fed well, thought Embrae.

He sniffed, affecting an unconcerned attitude but she could see worry in his eyes. “Well, I suppose I’m just glad you didn’t come at me with torches and pitchforks.”

“Ah, I wouldn’t worry about it Fangs. We’re all a bit odd in this group. Got an engine from the hells in my chest myself and we all know these half-elves have more secrets than a politician with a second family. Shadowheart and Embrae both flushed, glancing ruefully at each other. 

Lae’zel had walked up to Astarion, drawn in by the conversation. “Just see that your teeth stay far away from my neck, vampire, or you’ll be wearing your blood on the outside.” She sniffed. “Otherwise, I see no good reason to break our alliance.” 

“Charming,” muttered Astarion, leaning ever so slightly away from the gythyanki woman. 

The group dispersed, all except Embrae, who followed the vampire back to his tent. “I swear I didn’t tell them,” she told them. “Although I would have had to. They do deserve to know who they’re traveling with.” 

He turned to her, eyes assessing, brighter than she was used to seeing them. “Oh, it’s all out in the open now, and I’m not unhappy about it. It’s a tough secret to keep after all— and apparently, I didn’t keep it nearly as well as I had assumed.” 

“Well,” she said thoughtfully. “Is it true vampires can’t see their own reflections?” 

“Indeed. Why?”

“Well, that’s probably why you didn’t realize that it was a little… apparent.” 

He frowned, looking displeased by the thought. “No one ever seemed to notice in Baldur’s Gate. Then again, I was more for the nightlife back home. Perhaps in the dim light— and most of my, erm, friends were quite inebriated. 

“At the Drunken Mermaid, for example. Yes, they would have been.” 

He stared at her. 

“Oh come on, I knew I’d seen you somewhere before! Pretty sure I saw a few vampires there while I was—entertaining. You always seemed to be entertaining someone different yourself ” Embrae’s smile faltered a bit. 

Astarion looked away. “Spawn, he corrected. We aren’t true vampires. Just the spawn of one.”

“Oh, is that why you can walk in the sun? Because you’re not a true vampire?”

“Oh no! I should be cinders in this light!” He looked up, stretching luxuriously, like a cat in a window. “This tadpole— someone has gone and changed the rules. I can even wade into running water now— enter homes without any sort of invitation. It’s— it’s a strange type of freedom, knowing you’ll have to give it up unless you want to sprout tentacles.”

“It’s a bit of a catch-22 for you isn’t it?”

“Pardon”

“It means you’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t.”

“Ah well, I suppose I’ve been damned from the moment my former master, Cazador, turned me. Certainly, the last 200 years have proven that.”

“But you don’t have to go back to your master— even if you can’t walk in the sun, right?”

“I— I don’t know. A vampire master has a sort of bond with his creations. He can control them-- completely… I never was able to resist his commands. But now, I’ve been conveniently lost,” he said spreading his hands wide. “I never wish to bow to that bastard’s demands again.”

He compels them, thought Embrae. She shivered. 

“Are you cold, darling? How are you feeling? I may have gotten a bit— overeager last night.”

“I’m fine. Shadowheart helped fix me up. Just a bit dizzy.” 

“It’ll pass. Just be thankful a spawn like my good self can’t turn you like a true vampire can.”

Spawn, thought Embrae. She really disliked that word. It made her think of something less than, something unimportant and subservient. She couldn’t imagine the man who stood in front of her as any of those things. If anything, he was larger than life, especially puffed up on sass and sarcasm as he always seemed to be. 

“We’re going to have to find a way to keep you fed, Astarion.”

“Well, you know what I am now. I suppose you wouldn’t object to me draining an enemy of ours on occasion-- I mean, they’ll be just as dead if I don’t. But no innocents... you have my word."

“No, I don’t object to that,” she laughed. “But I don’t want to wake up to your teeth in my neck, not unless we talk about it first.”

“Of course!” He grinned seductively at her. That seems eminently reasonable… I shall wait patiently until you suggest we— dine together.” His eyes grazed Embrae’s neck and she shuddered. His grin widened as he noticed the reaction. 

Oh, she realized. I am in trouble.

“Come on,” she said. “We need to get ready to head to the grove again. Wyll mentioned there might be a blacksmith who can help Karlach with her engine there and I wanted to see about trading with the merchants there before we look into the goblin camp.”

Within the hour they were off. Shadowheart, having decided to stay examine the tadpole with Gale in the hopes of finding what made it tick decided not to accompany them. Instead, Lae’zel and Karlach accompanied her and Astarion. Karlach was over the moon at the chance to meet someone who might have answers for her, who could cool down her engine a bit. Imagine not being able to touch someone, thought Embrae glancing at the happy-go-lucky tiefling. Then she flushed remembering the previous night. That was the most physical contact she had had from anyone in over two years. Well, almost… What was her excuse? Was that why she kept thinking about it? Why she was willing to do it again? 

Lae’zel followed with her endless stream of complaints about the “Teethlings and druids being a waste of time” and finding the gythyanki crech. Embrae wondered, not for the first time why Lae’zel hadn’t decided to pursue that path on her own. Perhaps she too loathed the idea of being alone, unlikely as that seemed. 

The gate opened for them with little hesitation once they arrived. They stopped a while and haggled with a dwarf merchant haggling and trading with bits and bobs they carried in overflowing packs as well as gold for supplies and food. By the end, they were even able to buy a new dagger for Astarion, whose original had been chipped against a rock during his last fight. The next stop was the blacksmith, a good-natured Tiefling called Dammon who knew a thing about infernal machinations.

“I don’t know if I can contain it indefinitely Karlach. Outside of the Hells, it will only become more unstable—”

“I’m not going back.” she cut in bluntly. 

“Well, the good news, is that I can cool it down with the right supplies. But it’s a bit rare. Infernal metal. It’s not the easiest to find but not impossible. I've heard rumors of where one might find it. Here, let me mark it on your map. Bring it and I won’t even charge ya.” The shorter tiefling grinned up at her. 

“Will it— will it cool me down enough to touch someone?” The words made her seem oddly vulnerable. That was the thing about Karlach though; she didn’t seem to mind wearing her feelings out in the open. She was probably the most refreshingly honest and open person in the group, mused Embrae. 

“I believe it could cool you down enough. Yes”

“Aw brilliant!” she beamed. “I’d hug you or shake your hand but, ah well, you know. Guess we’ll have to keep our eye out.”

“If it’s around we’ll find it,” said Astarion stiffly. “I’m not one to miss out on good treasure.” 

“Thanks, mate,” she laughed. I feel better already. 

“Well, I don’t suppose there’s anything else we need here is there?” Embrae asked the others. 

“Wait, before we go, I’m starving. I smell grub up that way. No offense to Gales's cooking but I could use something um, different. ”

“Yes,” hissed Lae’zel. “Then let us find something that has flavor.”

“I for one have had my fill of flavor for a while,” said Astarion, looking at Embrae suggestively. “But do carry on.”

“Just have to make things awkward don’t you.”

He grinned. 

The smell Karlach mentioned led them to a large cooking pot. An older tiefling woman stood over it sprinkling spices into it and mixing. 

“Well, good morning! I’ve been hearing all about you strangers and your heroic deeds. Defending the grove from goblins is hungry work. Would you care for a bowl?”

Karlach, Lae’zel, and Embrae accepted gratefully. It smelled mouthwatering— and spicy. Astarion declined, stating he had already had a quite satisfying meal. Embrae flushed and rolled her eyes. As they were about to find a place to sit and eat, an older human woman shuffled up from the tent beside them. Well hello, my lovelies. I wanted to come and introduce myself. I’m Auntie Ethyl. If you need any healing or potions, I’d be happy to whip you something up. 

“You’re a healer?” Asked Embrae cautiously. The woman seemed sweet enough but there was a curious gleam in her eyes. 

“Och, nothing so spectacular. But I know my way a bit around old cures and potions. Even cued old Zevlor of his receding hairline,” she said conspiratorily. “But you’ve got something a bit more serious don’t you?” Her gaze became intent, birdlike almost and Embrae fought not to take a step back. “You’ve got the most unusual— essence around you dearie. More unusual even than the little vampling sulking behind you I’d wager.”

“Does everyone know?” growled Astarion testily. “Gods.” 

“Hmph. I’ve seen my fair share of your kind before dearie. Although one walking about in the sun without so much as a sizzle is a new one even for me. But you though, she said staring intently again at Embrae. You’re something different. I can tell.”

“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.” said Embrae ignoring the feeling of her companion's eyes on her neck.“I’m just a half-elf.”

Auntie Ethyl cackled mischievously. “Of course you are, pet! But there’s no just about you. Tell you what, come see me at my home. We’ll talk some more, maybe even see about getting those pesky little parasites removed, hmm?”

“How did you—?”

“Shhh dearie. Plenty of time for questions later. I’ll mark the place for you. She raised a finger to Embrae’s forehead and a perfect image of a map unfolded in her mind's eye. Then Auntie Ethyl disappeared into a cloud of smoke. 

“Well,” said Astarion. “She seems positively demented. “Let’s go find her!”

“I don’t know, Astarion,” said Karlach. “She kind of gives me the creeps.”

“Same,” asgreed Embrae. “But if she knows something— anything about these tadpoles. I think it’s worth a try.”

Lae’zel growled. “Perhaps we’ll turn before I manage to convince to to pursue the real cure. But fine. Let’s go see this— mad woman.”

“Can we please eat first?” whined Karlach. 

Embrae laughed. “Yes, let’s go sit down. My feet are already killing me.”

They found a spot away from almost everyone to settle into the grass and enjoy the sun. They ate while the vampire elf basked in his forbidden sunshine. Embrae smiled a little at the sight of him. Since feeding on her the previous night, she really had thought he looked more relaxed. Happy she remembered him saying. Happy, she thought to herself as she took another bite of the hot soup— tieflings certainly don't hold back with their spice, do they? 

She looked up the path. She was sure she had just heard a voice. “Dance among the stars tonight— Dammit.” The sound of lute strings, then the timid singing once again. Someone was trying and struggling to write a song, she realized with some sympathy. She stood, leaving her empty bowl. “I’ll be right back. Then we can go, she told the others.” Astarion made no indication that he heard her at all— Karlach nodded into her second bowl of soup. Lae’zel continued to run a whetstone over the edge of her blade but said nothing. 

Embrae followed the path up a grassy hill towards the halting music until she found the tiefling woman. Her blueish skin was flushed in frustration as she tried again to sing, dance among the stars tonight, the moon— Oh it’s no good!” she sighed to herself. She was lovely, even wearing a ridiculous outfit with bells. She had long, shining raven hair that curled and swayed in the light breeze. Her amber eyes were alight with whatever fire all tieflings seemed to possess and also with frustration. 

“I don’t think it’s that bad.” Said Embrae softly. The squirrells sitting in front of the woman seemed to disagree vehemently but she thought they were being a bit dramatic. 

The young woman started and smiled sweetly at her. “Oh,” she said. “I didn’t realize I had an audience.” She sighed. “Unfortunately this tune isn’t ready for one. I just can’t get it right. I’m Alfira by the way, the would-be bard.”

Embrae sat down next to her. “Songs can be tricky like that sometimes. For me, I think they tended to fall apart when I tried too hard.”

“Oh are you a bard?” she asked delighted. 

“Um, no— not really,” said Embrae. “Just a casual player sometimes. Not for a while though.”

Alfira grinned. “Nonsense. You know what you’re talking about. I can tell.” She reached behind her and thrust a second lute at her. “It’s been ages since anyone has played with me. Since my teacher passed away.” Her face fell again. “The song is meant to be for her.” 

Embrae looked at the lute offered to her and frowned. She took it and her fingers itched to touch the strings even as her stomach filled with bile. “Well, focus on how she made you feel then— when she was with you, what music did you hear. Follow only that and the words will come in time.” Even as Embrae said it, she could hear whispers of music in her own mind. She could hear it everywhere if she allowed herself. 

Alfira smiled uncertainly and closed her eyes. She began to play a tune, haunting and full of loss, but also joy, hope, and love. The bile in Embrae’s stomach faded and she felt her own fingers move to the borrowed lute, adding a harmony. Alfira gasped as the music game together in the way it it does when it’s simply right— perfect but not too much so, like a river flowing over your toes as you sit in the sun, or like the waves crashing upon the rocks. Alfira began to sing and the words flowed unimpeded, belonging to the song as though it had been written a thousand years ago upon an ancient cliff face. Embrae could feel every one as though she sang it. She didn’t sing though, and would not sing. Still, a part of herself she thought lost did as the music came to a crescendo and then softened into its final notes. 

Embrae opened her eyes, not realizing she had closed them. Alfira was beaming, tears gleaming in her glowing amber eyes. “Oh, it was perfect! Thank you so much.”

Embrae flushed with embarrassment. “I didn’t do anything— it was all you.”

“I thought you were both fantastic!” Exclaimed Karlach from behind her. Embrae nearly jumped out of her seat, startled. She, Astarion, and Lae’zel stood looking at her. Embrae felt her face turn scarlet. “Gods! They don’t have music like that in the hells!" continued Karlach. "Spooky organ music is about much as I get— that and the screams of tormented souls.” 

Astarion smirked. “And you keep saying you’re not a bard,” he said in a mocking singsong voice. 

“Shut up,” Embrae mumbled. 

“It was— pleasant.” Admitted Lae’zel thoughtfully. “My people are not without their fondness of music— although we tend to use it to sing about the glories of bloody battle.” 

“Why am I not surprised?” Asked Astarion, rolling his eyes skywards. 

“I should. We should go,” stuttered Embrae. “Um thanks, Alfira— I’m glad you found your song after all. She made to hand the lute back but Alfira waved her away. 

“Keep it, she insisted.” Embrae tried to protest but Alfira was adamant. “I wouldn’t have found the music without you today. You were—- a muse.” She leaned forward and pulled the half-elf into a hug. Embrae froze at the contact and pulled away, still flushing. 

As they walked out of the grove, Astarion continued to tease. “So, another one for the firewood, is it, he asked nodding towards the lute strapped over her pack.”

Embrae rolled her eyes and didn’t answer. She wouldn’t burn it… it had been a gift. But she’d be damned if anyone would catch her playing it again either. 

“Let's just go find Auntie Ethyl before the day gets away from us, shall we? Tomorrow is likely to be full of goblin guts— so I’d like to get this done first.”

“Well, don’t be shy, strum us a tune for the road darling. Keep us entertained.”

“Yes! Play us one of those naughty tavern songs. I’ve missed them.” sighed Karlach.

“The only entertainment any of you are getting from me is my fist in Aaron's face if he doesn’t let me be.”

“I would accept that as entertainment," hissed Lae’zel from several paces ahead of them. Karlach chuckled in agreement. 

Astarion affected a pained expression. “Darling I’m hurt.” His eyes gleamed wickedly. “But I can assure you, you’ ’d not be able to lay a finger on me, not unless I wanted you to.”

***

As they approached the spot Auntie Ethyl had mapped out for them, Astarion couldn’t help but notice that the smell of the place was—incongruous to say the least. It was quite a nice little spot aesthetically: green with flowers, and butterflies and bunnies if one liked that sort of thing. A pond ahead of them sparkled in the sunlight as dragonflies whizzed about and little green frogs sat atop lilypads. Across a wooden bridge, he could even see the tufts of perfect little white sheep. It was very— fairytale, he thought, complete with the quaint little cottage up ahead, Ethyl’s abode, no doubt. But it smelled.. wrong. Rotten almost. Ahead of him, Embrae slowed and then stopped, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. He had become rather familiar with that cute little expression lately. Something was bothering her too, he realized. 

“Something is wrong,” she said, confirming his suspicions. 

“Yes.” he agreed. “It smells like someone died here.”

“That,” she agreed. “And— it’s dissonant— somehow. Like what we see isn’t.” A pained expression suddenly crossed her face.” He felt a stab of anxiety he didn’t quite understand when he saw it but he held back. 

“You alright?” Asked Karlach, ever the best of them.

“Yeah, it’s just I can almost— ugh— I can almost see it.” Her hand moved before her then came down in a sudden sweeping motion. Then the world seemed to dissolve around them, lush greenery becoming barren and thorny, little green frogs becoming toads, and the butterflies biting flies. The smell he had become absolutely overpowering and putrid. 

“I rather liked it the other way, I think,” said Astarion glancing around at the bog. He pointed ahead where there had once been sheep. “Redcaps. Notoriously bloodthirsty little creatures, even by my standards.”

“Well, we were invited,” she said uncertainly. “Let’s see if we can get by with any trouble.” She stepped forward and the others followed suit. Astarion wondered what it was about this woman who could scarcely hold a knife that seemed to make everyone follow her. Even he did, he realized a little resentfully. And gods knew she had secrets just like the rest of them— except maybe Miss open-book Karlach. He would find out what they were eventually if only to use them against her if she turned on him. He wondered what it was Ethyl had seen. 

Embrae approached one of the hideous-looking redcaps as it looked at her through hostile bloodshot eyes. His hand went to his dagger. “Baaah!” the foul thing croaked out. The half-elf paused a moment, considering, and then very loudly bleated back, “BAAAH!” Astarion’s eyebrows shot up as the creature, seemingly satisfied turned and shuffled away from them, continuing its painful sheep imitation. Impressive. 

They stepped carefully towards the house, now more of a rotted derelict-looking affair, rather than a quaint cottage getaway. Stepping up to the doors, they found them locked tight. Astarion sighed, making to pull out his lock picks but was stopped by a straying touch on his hand. “Wait a minute,” whispered Embrae, quickly removing her hand when he looked at her. Still, the heat of her touch lingered. “I don’t want to break in— not yet anyways.” 

“Well, then what do you want to do?” He asked. Breaking into the home was a bit exciting to him now that he no longer needed the owner's expressed permission to enter. 

Her eyes were far away. “I don’t know— let’s look around a bit first and if she doesn’t come home soon, we’ll do it your way.” 

They made their way around the house, noting rotten food, dead animals, and an old well that stank so suffocatingly of rot, Astarion found himself feeling ill. They moved away from it, back to the path in search of relatively breathable air. 

“There is someone up on that hill,” said Lae’zel, indicating a small hill behind the old woman’s home. “Shall I rip out his innards?”

Embrae closed her eyes as though praying for the gods to give her strength. She’d certainly need it, traveling with so many bloodthirsty lunatics— one of them being bloodthirsty in a very literal sense. “Thanks,” she said, “but we should probably see who he is first.”

They walked cautiously up the hill when another smell hit him, different than the reek of the bog, sickly sweet and metallic. “Hale, fellow travelers!” said the man ahead, his tone friendly. A Gurr, Astarion realized with some disgust, looking at the man’s goatee and unbound brown hair. Behind them was a stone altar baring several offerings including what looked to be someone’s toe… Well, I’m sure they won’t miss it. 

“Do you also seek the hag of these lands? If so, I would exercise caution. They are— vicious creatures.” He held out a hand to Embrae who took it gingerly. She was clearly trying not to wrinkle her nose. “I’m Gandrel— my apologies for the aroma. I use powdered iron vine to dissuade monsters from making a meal of me whilst I hunt.”

“You’re a monster hunter?” Asked Astarion, curious. He couldn’t help but add, “I thought all Gurr people were vagrant cutthroats.” At least the ones who had killed him were.

Embrae frowned back at him warningly. “Be nice.” Then turning back to Gandrel she said, “Excuse my friend. Um, who or what is a Gurr?”

“Malicious wanderers of course. We’ll salt your crops, burn your houses, and steal your daughters!” He laughed. “No alas, most of us don’t have half the powers settled people seem to imagine for us. I’m a simple wanderer and monster hunter.”

“Ooh, what are you hunting. Giant spiders? Dragons? Kobolds? Perhaps the hag herself?”

“Nothing so spectacular,” said the Gurr. “I seek a vampire spawn called Astarion but I fear he has gone to ground. I was hoping the hag of these lands can help me… if I can afford the blood price,” he said with some distaste. 

Astarion felt his grin fall from his face as he stepped back a few steps, looking towards Embrae who seemed to be considering her next words carefully.

“Sounds interesting. When you find him, you plan to kill him, I take it.”

“Normally, yes, but it’s a bit more complicated than that. I’m to bring him to Baldur’s Gate.”

“That seems like a lot of effort for one vampire spawn. I mean, he’s not even a true vampire, is he?” 

The spawn in question glared at her. What was she doing?”

“True, but those are my orders— bring him there alive and well… well, alive, anyways.”

Karlach shifted uneasily to his left. Lae’zel, by contrast, held absolutely still as though poised to strike. How he wished Embrae had said yes when the gythyanki had offered to brutally murder him. To his surprise, Embrae stepped forward and slightly to her left, almost as if trying to shield him. He could no longer see her face but he could almost hear the wheels turning. Was she thinking about giving him up? His eyes started seeking a way, any way out. What reason did she have, after all, to risk danger for him? What reason did any of them have?

***

Shadowheart tutted at Embrae as she looked at her neck. “I thought you someone with good judgment, you know.” she scolded as she handed her a ruby potion and ordered her to drink. “Letting a vampire drink you— you must have a death wish.” Embrae had entered Shadowheart’s tent that morning head bowed, lackluster blush on her face as she explained what she needed. 

“Well, he didn’t kill me.” She pointed out.

She scoffed. “If he had gone any longer he very well might have. What were you thinking?” Light emanated from her hands, moving up and down Embrae’s body. 

“I don’t know— honestly,” replied Embrae closing her eyes as a sensation of warmth passed through her body. “I guess I— I just wanted to help.”

“Well, next time, direct him to a bandit camp. He can drain a few would-be enemies for us instead of leaving you a weak, bloodless mess.” 

“Hmm,” Embrae said happily. Shadowheart was a wonderful healer, she thought. She had woken feeling dizzy and unwell. She was already feeling much better. “Did you know, Shadowheart?”

“Know?”

“About Astarion.”

“Oh, that.” She smiled, rare good humor piercing her dour veil. “I was reasonably sure. He’s not exactly— subtle.” 

Embrae giggled. “That’s what I told him… he thought it was a secret.”

“Who thought what was a secret?” Karlach asked, poking her head into the tent. “Sorry!” she said grinning. “ I wanted to be sure you were good. You looked a little tipsy walking up here. Too much to drink last night?” She winked. 

Shadowheart rolled her eyes, “it wasn’t her who had too much to drink.”

Understanding touched Karlach’s yellow eyes. “Ooooh. Fangs got you, did he? Need me to string him up by the ankles for you, friend?” 

“You did know!” 

“Well— yeah. I thought everyone did.”

“Me too. He didn’t.”

“Ha! No way. This is gonna be good.” She bounded out of the tent, Shadowheart and Embrae following. 

“Oi, fangs!” Called Karlach over towards Astarion who stood over at the other side of camp, reading. 

He shut his book with a snap and glared over at her. “You not talking to me?” He asked cooly, walking over to them. 

“Well, of course I am. Been nipping off our resident panther girl, haven’t ya? I hope you at least asked first.”

His eyes shot towards Embrae, “You told them?”

Embrae flushed. “No- I—”

“Astarion, I’ve known you for about 24 hours and I already knew your big secret. Anyone who didn’t is probably just a bit thick.”

The tips of Astarions ears turned red. He must have fed well, thought Embrae.

He sniffed, affecting an unconcerned attitude but she could see worry in his eyes. “Well, I suppose I’m just glad you didn’t come at me with torches and pitchforks.”

“Ah, I wouldn’t worry about it Fangs. We’re all a bit odd in this group. Got an engine from the hells in my chest myself and we all know these half-elves have more secrets than a politician with a second family. Shadowheart and Embrae both flushed, glancing ruefully at each other. 

Lae’zel had walked up to Astarion, drawn in by the conversation. “Just see that your teeth stay far away from my neck, vampire, or you’ll be wearing your blood on the outside.” She sniffed. “Otherwise, I see no good reason to break our alliance.” 

“Charming,” muttered Astarion, leaning ever so slightly away from the gythyanki woman. 

The group dispersed, all except Embrae, who followed the vampire back to his tent. “I swear I didn’t tell them,” she told them. “Although I would have had to. They do deserve to know who they’re traveling with.” 

He turned to her, eyes assessing, brighter than she was used to seeing them. “Oh, it’s all out in the open now, and I’m not unhappy about it. It’s a tough secret to keep after all— and apparently, I didn’t keep it nearly as well as I had assumed.” 

“Well,” she said thoughtfully. “Is it true vampires can’t see their own reflections?” 

“Indeed. Why?”

“Well, that’s probably why you didn’t realize that it was a little… apparent.” 

He frowned, looking displeased by the thought. “No one ever seemed to notice in Baldur’s Gate. Then again, I was more for the nightlife back home. Perhaps in the dim light— and most of my, erm, friends were quite inebriated. 

“At the Drunken Mermaid, for example. Yes, they would have been.” 

He stared at her. 

“Oh come on, I knew I’d seen you somewhere before! Pretty sure I saw a few vampires there while I was—entertaining. You always seemed to be entertaining someone different yourself ” Embrae’s smile faltered a bit. 

Astarion looked away. “Spawn, he corrected. We aren’t true vampires. Just the spawn of one.”

“Oh, is that why you can walk in the sun? Because you’re not a true vampire?”

“Oh no! I should be cinders in this light!” He looked up, stretching luxuriously, like a cat in a window. “This tadpole— someone has gone and changed the rules. I can even wade into running water now— enter homes without any sort of invitation. It’s— it’s a strange type of freedom, knowing you’ll have to give it up unless you want to sprout tentacles.”

“It’s a bit of a catch-22 for you isn’t it?”

“Pardon”

“It means you’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t.”

“Ah well, I suppose I’ve been damned from the moment my former master, Cazador, turned me. Certainly, the last 200 years have proven that.”

“But you don’t have to go back to your master— even if you can’t walk in the sun, right?”

“I— I don’t know. A vampire master has a sort of bond with his creations. He can control them-- completely… I never was able to resist his commands. But now, I’ve been conveniently lost,” he said spreading his hands wide. “I never wish to bow to that bastard’s demands again.”

He compels them, thought Embrae. She shivered. 

“Are you cold, darling? How are you feeling? I may have gotten a bit— overeager last night.”

“I’m fine. Shadowheart helped fix me up. Just a bit dizzy.” 

“It’ll pass. Just be thankful a spawn like my good self can’t turn you like a true vampire can.”

Spawn, thought Embrae. She really disliked that word. It made her think of something less than, something unimportant and subservient. She couldn’t imagine the man who stood in front of her as any of those things. If anything, he was larger than life, especially puffed up on sass and sarcasm as he always seemed to be. 

“We’re going to have to find a way to keep you fed, Astarion.”

“Well, you know what I am now. I suppose you wouldn’t object to me draining an enemy of ours on occasion-- I mean, they’ll be just as dead if I don’t. But no innocents... you have my word."

“No, I don’t object to that,” she laughed. “But I don’t want to wake up to your teeth in my neck, not unless we talk about it first.”

“Of course!” He grinned seductively at her. That seems eminently reasonable… I shall wait patiently until you suggest we— dine together.” His eyes grazed Embrae’s neck and she shuddered. His grin widened as he noticed the reaction. 

Oh, she realized. I am in trouble.

“Come on,” she said. “We need to get ready to head to the grove again. Wyll mentioned there might be a blacksmith who can help Karlach with her engine there and I wanted to see about trading with the merchants there before we look into the goblin camp.”

Within the hour they were off. Shadowheart, having decided to stay examine the tadpole with Gale in the hopes of finding what made it tick decided not to accompany them. Instead, Lae’zel and Karlach accompanied her and Astarion. Karlach was over the moon at the chance to meet someone who might have answers for her, who could cool down her engine a bit. Imagine not being able to touch someone, thought Embrae glancing at the happy-go-lucky tiefling. Then she flushed remembering the previous night. That was the most physical contact she had had from anyone in over two years. Well, almost… What was her excuse? Was that why she kept thinking about it? Why she was willing to do it again? 

Lae’zel followed with her endless stream of complaints about the “Teethlings and druids being a waste of time” and finding the gythyanki crech. Embrae wondered, not for the first time why Lae’zel hadn’t decided to pursue that path on her own. Perhaps she too loathed the idea of being alone, unlikely as that seemed. 

The gate opened for them with little hesitation once they arrived. They stopped a while and haggled with a dwarf merchant haggling and trading with bits and bobs they carried in overflowing packs as well as gold for supplies and food. By the end, they were even able to buy a new dagger for Astarion, whose original had been chipped against a rock during his last fight. The next stop was the blacksmith, a good-natured Tiefling called Dammon who knew a thing about infernal machinations.

“I don’t know if I can contain it indefinitely Karlach. Outside of the Hells, it will only become more unstable—”

“I’m not going back.” she cut in bluntly. 

“Well, the good news, is that I can cool it down with the right supplies. But it’s a bit rare. Infernal metal. It’s not the easiest to find but not impossible. I've heard rumors of where one might find it. Here, let me mark it on your map. Bring it and I won’t even charge ya.” The shorter tiefling grinned up at her. 

“Will it— will it cool me down enough to touch someone?” The words made her seem oddly vulnerable. That was the thing about Karlach though; she didn’t seem to mind wearing her feelings out in the open. She was probably the most refreshingly honest and open person in the group, mused Embrae. 

“I believe it could cool you down enough. Yes”

“Aw brilliant!” she beamed. “I’d hug you or shake your hand but, ah well, you know. Guess we’ll have to keep our eye out.”

“If it’s around we’ll find it,” said Astarion stiffly. “I’m not one to miss out on good treasure.” 

“Thanks, mate,” she laughed. I feel better already. 

“Well, I don’t suppose there’s anything else we need here is there?” Embrae asked the others. 

“Wait, before we go, I’m starving. I smell grub up that way. No offense to Gales's cooking but I could use something um, different. ”

“Yes,” hissed Lae’zel. “Then let us find something that has flavor.”

“I for one have had my fill of flavor for a while,” said Astarion, looking at Embrae suggestively. “But do carry on.”

“Just have to make things awkward don’t you.”

He grinned. 

The smell Karlach mentioned led them to a large cooking pot. An older tiefling woman stood over it sprinkling spices into it and mixing. 

“Well, good morning! I’ve been hearing all about you strangers and your heroic deeds. Defending the grove from goblins is hungry work. Would you care for a bowl?”

Karlach, Lae’zel, and Embrae accepted gratefully. It smelled mouthwatering— and spicy. Astarion declined, stating he had already had a quite satisfying meal. Embrae flushed and rolled her eyes. As they were about to find a place to sit and eat, an older human woman shuffled up from the tent beside them. Well hello, my lovelies. I wanted to come and introduce myself. I’m Auntie Ethyl. If you need any healing or potions, I’d be happy to whip you something up. 

“You’re a healer?” Asked Embrae cautiously. The woman seemed sweet enough but there was a curious gleam in her eyes. 

“Och, nothing so spectacular. But I know my way a bit around old cures and potions. Even cued old Zevlor of his receding hairline,” she said conspiratorily. “But you’ve got something a bit more serious don’t you?” Her gaze became intent, birdlike almost and Embrae fought not to take a step back. “You’ve got the most unusual— essence around you dearie. More unusual even than the little vampling sulking behind you I’d wager.”

“Does everyone know?” growled Astarion testily. “Gods.” 

“Hmph. I’ve seen my fair share of your kind before dearie. Although one walking about in the sun without so much as a sizzle is a new one even for me. But you though, she said staring intently again at Embrae. You’re something different. I can tell.”

“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.” said Embrae ignoring the feeling of her companion's eyes on her neck.“I’m just a half-elf.”

Auntie Ethyl cackled mischievously. “Of course you are, pet! But there’s no just about you. Tell you what, come see me at my home. We’ll talk some more, maybe even see about getting those pesky little parasites removed, hmm?”

“How did you—?”

“Shhh dearie. Plenty of time for questions later. I’ll mark the place for you. She raised a finger to Embrae’s forehead and a perfect image of a map unfolded in her mind's eye. Then Auntie Ethyl disappeared into a cloud of smoke. 

“Well,” said Astarion. “She seems positively demented. “Let’s go find her!”

“I don’t know, Astarion,” said Karlach. “She kind of gives me the creeps.”

“Same,” asgreed Embrae. “But if she knows something— anything about these tadpoles. I think it’s worth a try.”

Lae’zel growled. “Perhaps we’ll turn before I manage to convince to to pursue the real cure. But fine. Let’s go see this— mad woman.”

“Can we please eat first?” whined Karlach. 

Embrae laughed. “Yes, let’s go sit down. My feet are already killing me.”

They found a spot away from almost everyone to settle into the grass and enjoy the sun. They ate while the vampire elf basked in his forbidden sunshine. Embrae smiled a little at the sight of him. Since feeding on her the previous night, she really had thought he looked more relaxed. Happy she remembered him saying. Happy, she thought to herself as she took another bite of the hot soup— tieflings certainly don't hold back with their spice, do they? 

She looked up the path. She was sure she had just heard a voice. “Dance among the stars tonight— Dammit.” The sound of lute strings, then the timid singing once again. Someone was trying and struggling to write a song, she realized with some sympathy. She stood, leaving her empty bowl. “I’ll be right back. Then we can go, she told the others.” Astarion made no indication that he heard her at all— Karlach nodded into her second bowl of soup. Lae’zel continued to run a whetstone over the edge of her blade but said nothing. 

Embrae followed the path up a grassy hill towards the halting music until she found the tiefling woman. Her blueish skin was flushed in frustration as she tried again to sing, dance among the stars tonight, the moon— Oh it’s no good!” she sighed to herself. She was lovely, even wearing a ridiculous outfit with bells. She had long, shining raven hair that curled and swayed in the light breeze. Her amber eyes were alight with whatever fire all tieflings seemed to possess and also with frustration. 

“I don’t think it’s that bad.” Said Embrae softly. The squirrells sitting in front of the woman seemed to disagree vehemently but she thought they were being a bit dramatic. 

The young woman started and smiled sweetly at her. “Oh,” she said. “I didn’t realize I had an audience.” She sighed. “Unfortunately this tune isn’t ready for one. I just can’t get it right. I’m Alfira by the way, the would-be bard.”

Embrae sat down next to her. “Songs can be tricky like that sometimes. For me, I think they tended to fall apart when I tried too hard.”

“Oh are you a bard?” she asked delighted. 

“Um, no— not really,” said Embrae. “Just a casual player sometimes. Not for a while though.”

Alfira grinned. “Nonsense. You know what you’re talking about. I can tell.” She reached behind her and thrust a second lute at her. “It’s been ages since anyone has played with me. Since my teacher passed away.” Her face fell again. “The song is meant to be for her.” 

Embrae looked at the lute offered to her and frowned. She took it and her fingers itched to touch the strings even as her stomach filled with bile. “Well, focus on how she made you feel then— when she was with you, what music did you hear. Follow only that and the words will come in time.” Even as Embrae said it, she could hear whispers of music in her own mind. She could hear it everywhere if she allowed herself. 

Alfira smiled uncertainly and closed her eyes. She began to play a tune, haunting and full of loss, but also joy, hope, and love. The bile in Embrae’s stomach faded and she felt her own fingers move to the borrowed lute, adding a harmony. Alfira gasped as the music game together in the way it it does when it’s simply right— perfect but not too much so, like a river flowing over your toes as you sit in the sun, or like the waves crashing upon the rocks. Alfira began to sing and the words flowed unimpeded, belonging to the song as though it had been written a thousand years ago upon an ancient cliff face. Embrae could feel every one as though she sang it. She didn’t sing though, and would not sing. Still, a part of herself she thought lost did as the music came to a crescendo and then softened into its final notes. 

Embrae opened her eyes, not realizing she had closed them. Alfira was beaming, tears gleaming in her glowing amber eyes. “Oh, it was perfect! Thank you so much.”

Embrae flushed with embarrassment. “I didn’t do anything— it was all you.”

“I thought you were both fantastic!” Exclaimed Karlach from behind her. Embrae nearly jumped out of her seat, startled. She, Astarion, and Lae’zel stood looking at her. Embrae felt her face turn scarlet. “Gods! They don’t have music like that in the hells!" continued Karlach. "Spooky organ music is about much as I get— that and the screams of tormented souls.” 

Astarion smirked. “And you keep saying you’re not a bard,” he said in a mocking singsong voice. 

“Shut up,” Embrae mumbled. 

“It was— pleasant.” Admitted Lae’zel thoughtfully. “My people are not without their fondness of music— although we tend to use it to sing about the glories of bloody battle.” 

“Why am I not surprised?” Asked Astarion, rolling his eyes skywards. 

“I should. We should go,” stuttered Embrae. “Um thanks, Alfira— I’m glad you found your song after all. She made to hand the lute back but Alfira waved her away. 

“Keep it, she insisted.” Embrae tried to protest but Alfira was adamant. “I wouldn’t have found the music without you today. You were—- a muse.” She leaned forward and pulled the half-elf into a hug. Embrae froze at the contact and pulled away, still flushing. 

As they walked out of the grove, Astarion continued to tease. “So, another one for the firewood, is it, he asked nodding towards the lute strapped over her pack.”

Embrae rolled her eyes and didn’t answer. She wouldn’t burn it… it had been a gift. But she’d be damned if anyone would catch her playing it again either. 

“Let's just go find Auntie Ethyl before the day gets away from us, shall we? Tomorrow is likely to be full of goblin guts— so I’d like to get this done first.”

“Well, don’t be shy, strum us a tune for the road darling. Keep us entertained.”

“Yes! Play us one of those naughty tavern songs. I’ve missed them.” sighed Karlach.

“The only entertainment any of you are getting from me is my fist in Aaron's face if he doesn’t let me be.”

“I would accept that as entertainment," hissed Lae’zel from several paces ahead of them. Karlach chuckled in agreement. 

Astarion affected a pained expression. “Darling I’m hurt.” His eyes gleamed wickedly. “But I can assure you, you’ ’d not be able to lay a finger on me, not unless I wanted you to.”

***

As they approached the spot Auntie Ethyl had mapped out for them, Astarion couldn’t help but notice that the smell of the place was—incongruous to say the least. It was quite a nice little spot aesthetically: green with flowers, and butterflies and bunnies if one liked that sort of thing. A pond ahead of them sparkled in the sunlight as dragonflies whizzed about and little green frogs sat atop lilypads. Across a wooden bridge, he could even see the tufts of perfect little white sheep. It was very— fairytale, he thought, complete with the quaint little cottage up ahead, Ethyl’s abode, no doubt. But it smelled.. wrong. Rotten almost. Ahead of him, Embrae slowed and then stopped, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. He had become rather familiar with that cute little expression lately. Something was bothering her too, he realized. 

“Something is wrong,” she said, confirming his suspicions. 

“Yes.” he agreed. “It smells like someone died here.”

“That,” she agreed. “And— it’s dissonant— somehow. Like what we see isn’t.” A pained expression suddenly crossed her face.” He felt a stab of anxiety he didn’t quite understand when he saw it but he held back. 

“You alright?” Asked Karlach, ever the best of them.

“Yeah, it’s just I can almost— ugh— I can almost see it.” Her hand moved before her then came down in a sudden sweeping motion. Then the world seemed to dissolve around them, lush greenery becoming barren and thorny, little green frogs becoming toads, and the butterflies biting flies. The smell he had become absolutely overpowering and putrid. 

“I rather liked it the other way, I think,” said Astarion glancing around at the bog. He pointed ahead where there had once been sheep. “Redcaps. Notoriously bloodthirsty little creatures, even by my standards.”

“Well, we were invited,” she said uncertainly. “Let’s see if we can get by with any trouble.” She stepped forward and the others followed suit. Astarion wondered what it was about this woman who could scarcely hold a knife that seemed to make everyone follow her. Even he did, he realized a little resentfully. And gods knew she had secrets just like the rest of them— except maybe Miss open-book Karlach. He would find out what they were eventually if only to use them against her if she turned on him. He wondered what it was Ethyl had seen. 

Embrae approached one of the hideous-looking redcaps as it looked at her through hostile bloodshot eyes. His hand went to his dagger. “Baaah!” the foul thing croaked out. The half-elf paused a moment, considering, and then very loudly bleated back, “BAAAH!” Astarion’s eyebrows shot up as the creature, seemingly satisfied turned and shuffled away from them, continuing its painful sheep imitation. Impressive. 

They stepped carefully towards the house, now more of a rotted derelict-looking affair, rather than a quaint cottage getaway. Stepping up to the doors, they found them locked tight. Astarion sighed, making to pull out his lock picks but was stopped by a straying touch on his hand. “Wait a minute,” whispered Embrae, quickly removing her hand when he looked at her. Still, the heat of her touch lingered. “I don’t want to break in— not yet anyways.” 

“Well, then what do you want to do?” He asked. Breaking into the home was a bit exciting to him now that he no longer needed the owner's expressed permission to enter. 

Her eyes were far away. “I don’t know— let’s look around a bit first and if she doesn’t come home soon, we’ll do it your way.” 

They made their way around the house, noting rotten food, dead animals, and an old well that stank so suffocatingly of rot, Astarion found himself feeling ill. They moved away from it, back to the path in search of relatively breathable air. 

“There is someone up on that hill,” said Lae’zel, indicating a small hill behind the old woman’s home. “Shall I rip out his innards?”

Embrae closed her eyes as though praying for the gods to give her strength. She’d certainly need it, traveling with so many bloodthirsty lunatics— one of them being bloodthirsty in a very literal sense. “Thanks,” she said, “but we should probably see who he is first.”

They walked cautiously up the hill when another smell hit him, different than the reek of the bog, sickly sweet and metallic. “Hale, fellow travelers!” said the man ahead, his tone friendly. A Gurr, Astarion realized with some disgust, looking at the man’s goatee and unbound brown hair. Behind them was a stone altar baring several offerings including what looked to be someone’s toe… Well, I’m sure they won’t miss it. 

“Do you also seek the hag of these lands? If so, I would exercise caution. They are— vicious creatures.” He held out a hand to Embrae who took it gingerly. She was clearly trying not to wrinkle her nose. “I’m Gandrel— my apologies for the aroma. I use powdered iron vine to dissuade monsters from making a meal of me whilst I hunt.”

“You’re a monster hunter?” Asked Astarion, curious. He couldn’t help but add, “I thought all Gurr people were vagrant cutthroats.” At least the ones who had killed him were.

Embrae frowned back at him warningly. “Be nice.” Then turning back to Gandrel she said, “Excuse my friend. Um, who or what is a Gurr?”

“Malicious wanderers of course. We’ll salt your crops, burn your houses, and steal your daughters!” He laughed. “No alas, most of us don’t have half the powers settled people seem to imagine for us. I’m a simple wanderer and monster hunter.”

“Ooh, what are you hunting. Giant spiders? Dragons? Kobolds? Perhaps the hag herself?”

“Nothing so spectacular,” said the Gurr. “I seek a vampire spawn called Astarion but I fear he has gone to ground. I was hoping the hag of these lands can help me… if I can afford the blood price,” he said with some distaste. 

Astarion felt his grin fall from his face as he stepped back a few steps, looking towards Embrae who seemed to be considering her next words carefully.

“Sounds interesting. When you find him, you plan to kill him, I take it.”

“Normally, yes, but it’s a bit more complicated than that. I’m to bring him to Baldur’s Gate.”

“That seems like a lot of effort for one vampire spawn. I mean, he’s not even a true vampire, is he?” 

The spawn in question glared at her. What was she doing?”

“True, but those are my orders— bring him there alive and well… well, alive, anyways.”

Karlach shifted uneasily to his left. Lae’zel, by contrast, held absolutely still as though poised to strike. How he wished Embrae had said yes when the gythyanki had offered to brutally murder him. To his surprise, Embrae stepped forward and slightly to her left, almost as if trying to shield him. He could no longer see her face but he could almost hear the wheels turning. Was she thinking about giving him up? His eyes started seeking a way, any way out. What reason did she have, after all, to risk danger for him? What reason did any of them have?

***

Embrae moved in front of Astarion. The sunlight might have well thrown the monster hunter off of his scent for the time being but surely standing in open view baring the god-damned bite marks might make him suspicious. She smiled politely at the hunter as he explained what he was hunting and his intention to bring him to Baldur’s Gate. What do they want with him? Her mind was working fast. She had no personal quarrel with this man— he was clearly friendly enough. But if he found the hag— found their camp. Even if they left now, he might bring more hunters down on Astarion and the rest of them. She felt the elf's anxiety beside her but didn’t look at him. thus far, she had only killed goblins, brains, and beasts, all of whom had been actively hostile towards her. Killing this man would be a line she couldn’t uncross. And yet— he could not allow him to be a threat to her—- to her friends, to him. The Gurr had finished speaking and was now giving her an odd look, probably a reaction to her intense stare. 

“Are you, are you quite all right?” he asked 

She ignored him and turned to Astarion who was staring at her intently. If she hadn’t been decided before, the decision would have been made the second she looked at him. There in the dim light of the bog, his mask had slipped. Terror echoed in his eyes. He couldn’t go back— not there, she could almost hear him say to her.

“What do you want to do?” She asked him softly. 

She might have asked him to sprout wings and fly with the dragons. Confusion crossed his face as if he had never been asked such a question before. Then, finally, understanding dawned. He drew his short sword and she stepped back, drawing her own. Beside her, Karlach and Lae’zel did the same. The hunter stepped back in alarm. 

“But you— Astarion?” he said, eyes fixing on his approaching would-be quarry. “Impossible.”

“I’m making the impossible look easy these days,” he said pleasantly, eyes gleaming. He looked more like a hunter than the man behind him. “May I?” He asked, glancing at Embrae. 

She nodded. 

… 

How many times would she find herself covered in blood before the end of this?

She stared down at the still form of the Gurr man. The fight hadn’t lasted long. He was clearly prepared for his quarry, armed to the teeth with magical weaponry and potions but he hadn’t been expecting a fight right then, certainly not against four people. 

“He had a crossbow of ensnaring if you want it.” Said Astarion, seemingly unfazed by the fight, happy even. Of course, he would be.

“Keep it,” she answered flatly. She didn’t want to touch the dead man’s things. “Or give it to Karlach. She doesn’t have one.”

 He shrugged and took the crossbow to the tiefling, pocketing as he did a healing potion he had found in the man’s backpack. 

“The hag of this land,” said Lae’zel coming up next to her. “I assume that must be the old woman who bade us come here.” 

Embrae nodded. She had thought the same thing. 

Lae’zel followed her gaze, fixed on the monster hunter. “You mourn his death.” It wasn’t a question.

“No. I mourn killing him,” Embrae said sharply. 

“What you did, you did to protect those you travel with,” she said. Her voice was uncharacteristically soft. Embrae looked up at her. 

“Is that what I did?” she asked sarcastically. “Because it feels like I just murdered a man in cold blood.”

 “He would have found us eventually,” said Lae’zel, unfazed. “He was an admirable hunter and would not have stopped until his quarry was captured. And if he found Astarion with us, he might have brought more of his kin. Then, you would have been forced to kill not only him but many more.”

Embrae knew she was right. It didn’t matter. She tried to look away but the gythyanki woman held a hand up to her face and turned her face roughly towards her, forcing her to look into her sharp, alien eyes. “You did not do the wrong thing. Neither was it right. It was, however, necessary. I suspect we will have more of these decisions in the coming days. You were a good leader today and I am honored to fight with you.” She let her go and turned to catch up with the others. 

Embrae stood, shaken. Then, pulling herself together, she stalked down the hill after Lae’zel. 

Rounding the house, Embrae saw not just Auntie Ethyl but two men. The three seemed to be having an altercation. 

“We know you have her, yelled a broad-shouldered, sandy-haired human man. The man beside him glowed down at the old woman as she replied querulously that she didn’t know where their sister was. She spotted Embrae. 

“Oh thank goodness you’re here dearie. These boys have it all wrong. They think I’ve taken their sister. Me! Little old Auntie Ethyl.”

Embrae tilted her head at the woman. “Did you?” she asked bluntly. 

The woman’s eyes steeled and she scowled. “Bollocks!” Green light sprang to her fingertips and she hurled it at both men. Both men fell to the ground, dead. “You were supposed to rush to my defense love. But since you’re here, you may as well step inside. Bring your friends too if you like.” 

Embrae looked back at her companions and then at the dead bodies before her. “Still want to visit this charmingly insane old woman?” She asked Astarion.

“Well, I must admit— I am a bit intrigued. But, erm, ladies first, by all means.” 

She groaned and, stepped over the threshold, trying to ignore the corpses before it. The home would have been quaint if it weren’t for the smothering gloom the bog imposed upon it. It had a large kitchen, herbs hanging from every available rafter, and every surface seemed to be covered in baked pastries: pies, cakes, cookies, muffins, and even cinnamon rolls. Auntie Ethyl stood at the fireplace stirring a large black cauldron. Beside her, sitting at the table, was a young woman with long, red frizzy hair and a very swollen belly. Her eyes were puffy as though she had been crying as she tried to force down another bit of pie. 

“Please, Auntie, I can’t eat anymore. “ she whined pathetically. 

“Gods grant me patience Mayrina. Clear your plate. You’re eating for two after all.”

Embrae frowned. “Well, I suppose this must be the sister in question.”

The girl, Mayrina, looked up at Embrae, startled. “Sister? Does— did you see my brothers?”

“Hush, girl!” snapped Ethyl. She snapped her fingers and the room filled with violet light. When the light faded, Mayrina was gone. 

“You dearie. I don’t like busybodies. And don’t you owe me an apology?”

Embrae crossed her arms defiantly. “I don’t believe I owe you anything.”

“Hmm, well, I was planning on giving you a swift kick up the arse and sending you out the door. But perhaps we can have a little fun.” 

Embrace stared at the place the young woman had been sitting. “What use do you have with that girl?”

“Psh. It’s not the girl I’m interested in dearie. It’s what she carries. But be comforted knowing it was her choice that brought her to me home. Now, quit prattling on about the brat, and let me take a look at the wriggler you’ve got planted in that pretty little head of yours.”Without waiting for an answer, Ethyl moved with a speed that was completely incongruent with her old woman persona, shoving Embrae against the wall and peering into her eye. She sensed her companions move behind her but raised a staying hand. Not yet. 

“I see it! Laying in wait behind your pretty little peeper dearie. I can remove it for your pet. But there will be a price.”

“You’re not getting my firstborn,” Embrae said sarcastically. 

“Oh no, dear!” She cackled. “Nothing so dramatic as that. Besides, your firstborn is already much too old for my tastes.” 

Embrae felt her face drain of color completely. Karlach gasped beside her. “You’re a mum, Embrae?”

“Of two, if I’m not mistaken,” crooned the old woman. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I have no children.” 

She tutted. “Come now, surely you can feel it, somewhere underneath that poor addled brain dearie. A woman always knows after all.” 

Embrae felt her pale face flush with rage. “Forget it hag. No deal."

“On your own head be it, dearie,” she spat, pulling her rancid breath away. “You have a lot to look forward to petals,” she said addressing the rest of the group. The metamorphosis into a mind flayer is said to be spectacularly grotesque and exquisitely painful. Now get out, the lot of you, before you see what a hag can really do.” 

***

“We have to kill her.”

Astarion stared at the half-elf critically. She looked close to an explosion, her long hair pulled out of its findings by her nervous fingers, her face flushed a most delicious all the way to the tips of her ears. The last part, he wisely decided not to mention- her eyes already promised murder. 

“Darling, you really want us to rush into the old hag's lair and play heroes?” He scoffed. “I’m really not interested.”

“The vampire is right,” hissed Lae’zel. The girl clearly made a deal with this- hag. She must pay for her own mistakes.”

“Oh come off it,” piped in Karlach. “It’s not as though her baby should pay for her mum's mistakes. Gods know what the hag plans to do with it.”

“Well I would assume she plans to eat it,” said Astarion, thinking back to a book on dangerous deals which had included devils, fae, and hags. “But then, I’m sure the mother already knew that.”

Embrace rounded on him and he had to resist taking a step back. Usually relatively mild-mannered and calm, the half-elf was now roughly the color of Karlach. 

Her voice was dangerously calm as she addressed him and the gythyanki. “Go back to camp then. Karlach and I will take care of it.” 

She was serious. Dead serious. Why in the hells did she care so much? “Darling, if you insist on sticking your neck out for every sad case you meet, we will simply never get this worm problem solved.” He couldn’t stand fucking heroes. 

“If I didn’t stick my neck out for every sad case, you’d be on the way to Baldur’s gate with that fucking hunter. and I’m not even sure if that was the right thing to do.”

He opened his mouth to retort but no words came. Killing the hunter had bothered her, he realized. But then why—?

“I don’t regret doing it. She said sharply. But I regret that I had to— for you — for the group. I just— I just want to do something that I know is right because it seems like I have fewer and fewer opportunities…” She looked up at him, sadness and anger showing plainly as he made direct eye contact. “I won’t make any of you do anything,” she said softly. But seeing that young woman like that… no matter what she’s done.” She shuddered. “No one should ever have to live like that.” 

Memories flooded his mind at her words. Crimson eyes compelled him as a wicked voice rang out in his mind. “Do not disappoint me again boy.” The feeling of a lash across his newly scarred back. He jerked away from the memory and Cazadors eyes faded, leaving only her hazel ones staring back at him. 

He growled in frustration. This petulant little pup. “Fine,” he spat. “But if you fucking get me killed, I will become undead a second time simply to haunt you.”

Embrae looked at him in surprise then grinned. “just can’t get enough of me huh?”

“Hmph,” said Lae’zel. “I will not miss out on a fight. No matter how foolish.”

“Hells yeah,” boomed Karlach, pumping her first towards the sky. “Let’s go fuck her up.”

[alphagodith]

hear me out; vampire ingo

if there is any way to insert vampires into an unrelated piece of fiction, I WILL FIND IT. today’s example is pokemon!

so ingo’s stuck in the past with no way to return home to his friends and brother who verrrrry much needs/wants him back, yes? if traveling through time instantly is not an option, why not just sit it out in real time? vampires are immortal and can even spend centuries just sleeping if they don’t feel like being awake the whole time, so... let’s turn ingo into a vampire so he can get back to the future the old-fashioned way!

and then emmet can catch up to him in years and once they look to be the same age again, ingo can turn emmet and we get immortal vampire train men! i see absolutely no downsides to this.

(if anyone wants to do anything with this concept feel free, just, plz tag me cuz i wanna consume all vampire ingo content)

my personal vampire rules for reference;

- immortal, do not age at all after turning, wounds do not scar tho scars from before turning don’t go away unless re-injured.

- appearance changes are minimal from turning. paler skin is a natural, gradual consequence of avoiding sunlight. eyes may glow, especially in the dark. fangs, obviously, but small enough not to look too out of place when not in use. gain a more beastly appearance when injured/starving/scared- pointed ears, slit pupils, elongated fangs, claws, bruising around eyes, darkened/visible veins.

- turning requires blood sharing and death. drain out the old blood and replace it with vampire blood, vampire blood reacts to dying body and turns it into an immortal body.

- can feed without killing, human blood is significantly more effective but pokemon blood (if red) works as well. you could feed once from a human per week or four times a week from pokemon and survive just as well. basically blood is better for a vampire/tastier to them the more similar it is to their own blood (easier to digest). this is why many vampires prefer blood of a specific type. (also this would mean that emmet’s blood is INSANELY delicious to ingo since they are biologically identical)

- vampire blood naturally heals tissue it touches, so small amounts can be used to heal humans. emphasis on small tho, unless you want to turn them. handy for sealing bite wounds.

- react to blood the same way humans react to tasty food; if they are hungry it will take some effort to resist but if they are fed they won’t bat an eye. if they get so hungry that they are actively taking damage/dying, THEN it becomes a problem they can’t control.

- allergic to sunlight but don’t IMMEDIATELY combust upon contact. being in sunlight is essentially like being way too close to a flame, uncomfortable and sickening at first/through clothes but gradually becoming more and more painful until one is sizzling and burning. ie, a hood and glasses would be enough to get to/from work without causing a scene, but longer would leave one weakened, and being directly exposed for more than a minute or two would be VERY bad.

- silver/holy water can cause burns as well if you want but i don’t care for religious stuff like that, particularly in the pokemon universe where i don’t think christianity is even a thing. garlic is bad just cuz vampires have heightened senses and it’s already strong and unpleasant for humans.

- vampires do not have a heartbeat, do not produce any more body heat than necessary to keep their blood from freezing, and do not need to breathe. their blood still runs through their veins due to the same magic that keeps them ‘alive’, but it’s a continuous flow rather than a pulse. they prefer colder temperatures, so sleeping underground is great, but get them so cold they freeze and that is a problem (tho they thaw out just fine). forgetting to fake breathing is a common problem, also forgetting that you have to inhale in order to speak, tho younger vampires often ‘pant’ on instinct when exerting themselves.

- a vampire is 4-10 times stronger, faster, etc, than a human, when well-fed. get stronger as they age, may gain powers like flight/invisibility depending on clan. directly related vampires (sire/childe) have a mild telepathic link, able to sense eachother’s locations and communicate with just thoughts over a short-ish distance (like within a mile of eachother). this can tie-in with the ‘twin telepathy’ myth if you want, enabling ingo and emmet a deeper bond even before emmet is turned and being hugely magnified after.

- a stake to the heart causes paralysis by blocking the flow of blood/magic that keeps them animated. whether they remain aware in that state or not depends on how complete that blockage is. (bigger stake, less awareness)

- can only be permanently killed by the head being totally torched/incinerated. significant head trauma can cause issues with regeneration tho, such as memory loss, or leave the vampire BASICALLY dead unless someone else intervenes (such as gathering their parts up together and dumping them in a blood bath).

[ask-a-familiar]

Welcome back to Get Familiar!

In this second installment, we will be discussing:

Vampire Feeding

The do's, the don'ts, and more! (New recipes, anyone?)

Let's get into it!

The Bloody Basics:

Vampires cannot consume anything other than blood. That much you should be aware of unless it's your first day on the job.

That rule, the MAIN rule that you should NEVER forget, is... well... more vague than it sounds.

The most healthy thing for a vampire to feed on IS human blood. But they can also safely ingest a few other things, such as:

- Blood from other animals (this leaves them momentarily sated but still unsatisfied, for the most part)

- Other... human bodily fluids... (you've seen this if you were unlucky enough to have to host the biannual vampire orgy. This doesn't actually soothe their hunger or give them any nutrition, but they don't get sick)

- Human flesh (in small quantities), most commonly consumed during throat-ripping when they're desperate for blood.

Now, with that being said, you need to throw your morals out of the window if you haven't done so the second you took on a dark master. There are no artificial alternatives to blood that can be used to feed vampires. They can go for many nights without feeding, depending on the vampire. Younger vampires need to feed more regularly than ancient vampires.

In general, the best way to go about it is to fetch when your master tells you to, save leftovers for later when you can, and learn your masters feeding schedule.

If you mess up, be prepared to be the substitute meal.

Now that we're clear on what they can eat, here's a crash course on some do's and don'ts, and general questions most familiars have at some point in their infernal careers.

Q: Should I offer my own blood to my master?

A: NO! That is a remarkably bad idea. Most familiars start the job with rose tinted glasses and romantic YA novel fantasies about vampires. If your vampire isn't outright disgusted by your offer, getting fed off of will not be the intimate, romantic thing you think it will be. (Okay, maybe intimate, I've heard it gets kind of intense,) but the main concern is that you will die.

Virgin blood, freely given, is some of the most delectable blood a vampire will ever taste. So if you offer it, they will take it, and more often than not they WILL completely drain you. You will not be turned just for offering to feed them, unless you count being turned into a shriveled up raisin of a human corpse.

Remember: Vampires are VERY rarely attached to their familiars. You are replaceable.

What does being fed off of feel like? Am I leading people to a horrible, painful, death?

Yes and no. Being fed off of hurts, but it also makes you dizzy and I've heard there is a sort of elated numbness that comes over you when being fed off of. It might even feel sort of good.

Take solace in the fact that it doesn't ONLY hurt for your victims, but there's no way to dance around the fact that you ARE still leading them to their violent deaths. Sorry.

I feel like my vampires are bored of just plain old blood. Can I cook something with it? Or freeze it into blood Popsicles?

No. We've all thought about it, many have tried it, and it's usually a major fail. Blood "popsicles" won't make them sick, but vampires don't like them very much. Cold blood is usually a no-go. Blood snow cones work for some vampires, but it's a big gamble to try.

However... after many sleepless days, I managed to figure out an answer to the problem.

How can I make a recipe using only ingredients found in human blood?

For this, I had to turn to food items with a VERY small list of ingredients, for blood is incredibly simple in its makeup.

Then it hit me.

It is fully possible to make blood cotton candy that is edible for vampires.

Yes. You read that right. Cotton candy is the only feasible way to feed your vampire anything other than plain old blood.

They will not projectile vomit as if they were eating regular human food, just make sure you ONLY flavor it with blood. No other flavor.

You're welcome!

And with that, thank you for reading this installment of Get Familiar. I hope this helped, g*dspeed, soldiers.

-Sair