(Untitled)
Characters: Everyone!
Setting/Location: Fort Hood
Date & Time: Day 48, one hour until sunrise.
Warnings: Violence! Language?
Summary: The Battle begins! Werewolves, Koda has asked you to return to the Fort as a "favor" - problem is, with the moon as full as it is now, you'll turn almost immediately as you leave the cover of the forest - directly ( Read more... )
Setting/Location: Fort Hood
Date & Time: Day 48, one hour until sunrise.
Warnings: Violence! Language?
Summary: The Battle begins! Werewolves, Koda has asked you to return to the Fort as a "favor" - problem is, with the moon as full as it is now, you'll turn almost immediately as you leave the cover of the forest - directly ( Read more... )
He pants out of habit.
Kurt.
This is Hummel-san.
He remembers that name from the caravan. He remembered talking to him--the boy with the high voice. He'd left him food during the costume event, and he'd talked to him on and off.
Finn's friend.
Finn had put himself through humiliation to make up to him. He'd been in the process of mortifying himself in that hallway weeks ago when he and Gau had met. He'd done that for "Kurt".
And he'd just started feeding off him.
His friend.
Gau shudders, cold to his core.
The click of his teeth sounds obscene in his ears as he grabs Finn's shoulder, very somber, and very pale.]
We have to go.
They're killing people like us out here.
[He can hear Kurt's heartbeat racing against his lack of blood, and grimaces, reaching for his handkerchief in his bag, pressing it against The boy's neck so the smell of blood doesn't drive him mad. The heat against his fingertips makes him just feel colder, and more lost.
He's bitten into his lip again, to fight it down, and looks to the town, and the twisting beams of spotlight, and sucking at his own cold blood.
He thinks quickly. He knows how this goes in movies, and bites his lip a little harder, taking out his little dagger, and holding it to his wrist, looking to Finn in hesitation, questioning.]
If it's bad enough...
[Hesitation. If he was dying, should he just let him die? Would that be better than knowing you might be stuck living in a forest while the caravan goes on, taking everyone home? That you might be stuck here, like this for centuries?]
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Is Gau going to kill himself?!]
What the hell man?!
[As carefully as possible, Finn lowers Kurt to the ground, then turns to Gau.]
You can't kill yourself, man! Don't be crazy, God...
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You... you idiot! Why would you think-?
[He lowers the knife so he can glare at you.
They're squabbling like normal human guys, which is comforting, even if this definitely isn't the time, or the place.]
Haven't you ever watched vampire programs? You're supposed to give them your blood, and then...
[he trails off. He's still not sure what the idea is. What Finn wants. If he just intends to leave him there. If he intends...
Uncertainty.]
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Maybe I should do it. I mean, I'm the one who--
[Aaand one of the spotlights is turning their way. Crap.]
Uh, Gau, we gotta-- we gotta go. [Point!]
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Oh. he's never going to see the sun again. That bothers him too, now that he thinks about it. Admittedly, much of his wakachi work was nocturnal, but...
He swallows, looks at Kurt.
he's still breathing. He's still-
Nod.
Decision.]
Yeah.
[He stands, leaving his handkerchief at Kurt's throat.
Making that kind of choice for someone I don't know seems unsavory.]
If we run, and we're careful, we can avoid the lights.
Quick- The woods.
[And he's gone. Running. He does like being able to run so fast, but...
He can't help but look back, and hope Kurt has enough blood.
Oh. He might never see him again.
He's about to say that, when he sees one of the lights turning in front of him, and leaps for cover.]
Finn-san! Be careful!
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He knows it's his fault.]
Kurt, I'm-- I'm sorry.
[And off he goes, dodging behind a tree just as the light swings over him. The edge of his hand catches just a bit of light and it's as if somebody stuck his pinky into a fire.]
Shit.
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[It's a hiss from someone safely behind a bush, that much is clear. Gau's busy wrapping his scarf around his face, making himself disappear behind a load of wool until he's nothing but a lump of clothes with two sulking eyes sticking out.
He's watching for patterns. The lights are sent out by hand...they're probably like spotlights. But they need to be driven by a human eye, then...
So a distraction will work just as well. Every eye will turn to whatever draws interest.]
Here, Finn-san!
[And he throws one of his smoke pellets as far as he can in the opposite direction.
WUMPH
Spotlights turn to see what all the fuss is, or if there's a cloud of sudden bats. Gau seizes Finn's arm and runs in the opposite direction, hissing.]
The forest is safe! We can hide behind the trees! Since the weapon is light, we can definitely...
[Oh. He's looking back.
His hand tightens a little on Finn's arm. Gulp.]
It's-
It's okay, Finn-san.
There are...animals in the woods.
[Can't quite bring himself to say "I'll kill one for you."]
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I'm...no. No, thank you.
[Did he just thank him for offering squirrel blood? God.]
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You should at least try to eat something.
So that...you don't end up doing that again.
[He chews his knuckle, licking the blood that wells up, because his bad habit's rather made worse by the addition of predatory teeth.]
There might be people in the woods.
[He's starting to wonder if Yoite's scrap of lifeforce in him is really the thing that lets him feel so conscience-struck whenever he sees or smells human blood. If that's combining with all that latent kinkiness, and justice-heavy duty, and actually giving him an edge. Or...if Finn really was so hungry.
People might be in the forest, looking for their friends, to save them.
They might be stuck with the same problem Finn is, all unwilling.
He holds up his knife, still somber and serious.]
If there are people here, we need to help them.
[He says it so simply... Like they both aren't stuck as bloodsucking dead boys who might never get home now.
He bites his lip, hesitating.]
You don't have to watch me do it if you don't want to, but it's that or...
Or you could drink from me.
[Holding the knife to his throat now, loosening his tie.
He knows well that the cold blood isn't anywhere near the same. He's half-depending on that, and at the same time, half-hoping Finn accepts, because of the guilt of being responsible for his condition.
And if he drinks from me, maybe he'll have a small piece of Yoite in him too, and that will make a difference.
He...shouldn't have to be so overwhelmed that he attacks his friends.
SQUIRREL BLOOD IS GOOD FOR YOU, FINN.
Lots of little leeches in Africa or something would LOVE to have that blood you're wasting!]
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I'm not hungry.
[Damned if he doesn't feel like he's going to puke when he thinks about what he's full of, though.]
You're right. We should help people. We should help Kurt.
[But he isn't moving. Maybe he's hoping it'll take care of itself.
Maybe he's afraid what he'll find if he goes back.]
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He frowns deeply, noticing your finger, and remembering belatedly he doesn't have something to tie it up in. It...looks like it's healing, though. Maybe he should point that out? No...not in your current state...
He breathes in out of habit, before straightening his spine.]
As one who's responsible for your predicament, and for what's happened between you and your friend, I'll fight by your side without hesitation.
[If he weren't so honor-bent he might have had a more sensible idea like making a distress signal on the net with Kurt's location and sending that to the city officials, but Gau always was one for sacrificing himself in a blaze of glory to bring people what they want.
And when it comes down to it, he'd let Finn blame anything but himself at the moment. And it is his responsibility. In a way.
It's not like I'll be able to see Raikou-san again, anyway.
He curls the knife close to his chest--one memento he has of his samurai friend. He frowns, noticing there's pine sap on the blade. He's about to flick it off with his nail when he pauses. He can feel pine needles under his feet. Frozen, but...]
...I think I've thought of a distraction that might let us return to look.
[Somehow he knows this will work, even though it's never worked before. He's oddly calm now, knowing he's probably going to die a true death. he raises his hands, bringing them together in the ninja pose he'd practiced in front of mirrors for hours, never wanting to admit how much he'd wanted that kind of ability, that kind of usefulness.
He lifts a handful of needles off the ground.]
Live fire, conquer wood.
[As he lets them spread on the air, each sparks into flame and vanishes. The heat feels intense on his skin even from that distance, satisfying at the same time. The flames dazzle his vision. If he lived, he doubted he'd ever have the kind of peace that he had now, the kind of peace he needed to accomplish this again.
But...
I did it. I used an elemental technique.
I wish Yoite-kun could have seen that...]
I think I can keep the lights from you. They...turn to look at things. So...distraction should...
[He can't really make it sound like what he wants it to.
But it's right like this. I owe him my life because he lost his. This...works.]
I think you can get back to Hummel-san.
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What if you get hit instead? I don't-- I don't blame you man. You don't have to help me.
[Still, he's looking through the trees, back the way they came, wondering if he's fast enough now that he could at least carry Kurt back to the fort.]
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Why should that matter?! If you really want to help your friend, then help him while I work on setting a fire for distraction at the edge of the forest!
Anyway, looking into a light source weakens night vision, and there's the matter of "freshness"...
As long as you make use of the distraction, everything should be fine and you can make certain your friend is safe.
[He's so serious again, like he'd hold his knife to his throat again just to make a point. What is with these stupid puns? It's that too-earnestness he gets sometimes that's kind of weird and embarrassing.]
I'd gladly risk my life for the sincerity of your friendship with Hummel-san.
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And then he thinks of what it would do to Kurt's dad if he came home without him.
Decision made, he gives a tight nod.] Be careful. Like, set the fire and go, okay? I-- I'm gonna go bring him closer to the fort.
[He swallows, and then:]
Thank you. Seriously.
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That makes rather a big difference.
Gau just gives a bright smile. He'd totally salute about now.]
Don't worry, Finn-san! I'm not going to let myself die until I can make sure Yoite-kun's situated well enough to make it back to Rokujo-kun without me.
[That was actually meant to be reassuring.]
I won't let you down!
[Says the boy who always goes down in a single blow from anything. Being a vampire makes him tougher than he usually is, though, right? And it's not liek in this case he's going to get slashed through the chest and put into a three month coma, or clawed in the face...]
And anyway, I mentioned our freshness. The head vampire posting to the network seemed to imply that younger ones like us wouldn't die from sunlight, we'd just be seriously hurt.
[And he...sounds like he's happy about that. Finn, your roommate's a little weird. He's going to push ineffectively, though.]
Go save Hummel-san! I'll be fine!
[IT'S SO ROMANTIC. JUST LIKE A MANGA. GO SAVE DAMSELS ALREADY, FINN.]
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But he's breathing. Thank God, he's still breathing.
It takes hardly any time at all and Finn's laying him down by the fort, head low to avoid being frigging shot, and then...
Frig, he just runs away.
What a great friend he is. ]
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