hai mươi tám ❀| but the darkness has a hunger; it offers you blood for wild blood

[lotuslife]

[The day wears on, and long streaks of golden light are starting to settle across Mayfield as the sun begins to set. Downtown, there's someone casting a long shadow as they walk slowly down the street. It's a young woman; she's dragging something large and unwieldy. Whatever it is, it's leaving a long, dark smear on the road as it's pulled along- a

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[decadenzas]

[Charles is also covered in blood by the time he runs into Vietnam, none of it being his own. King Duncan needed to be taken care of, you see, and he certainly wouldn't let his pride as a warrior be mocked by the lady of the house.]

I am afraid to think what I have done-

[he's playing the role of a prideful person and feels the strength of it down to his bones, but his posture is slumped and his eyes dart around in paranoia; in part because he feels his murder of the king may be uncovered any moment - the door, the door!- and in part because moths had suddenly taken to stalking him around town.]

[ooc; ;u; blanket permission for everything but death!]

[lotuslife]

[Her mind is still a shrieking mess of hunger. Her long hair still remains down and matted with blood, so she might not even look like Vietnam from behind. Still, she seems to be aware of Charles's presence, and when she turns to look at him, she doesn't seem surprised to see him.]

...Charles.

[ooc; ;u; even if you had given permission I could never kill Charles /c-crying...]

[decadenzas]

[he looks a little confused, though, caught between the desire to continue acting out the too-real world his plays had become and the reality in front of him.]

Your clothing will incriminate you. [they had to be careful, after all - the king is dead and if the blame falls on their shoulders, it'll be a hanging for sure. but how strange, to see so much blood on her.]

[ooc; fjndsj ;u; it'd be terrible for both of them...]

[lotuslife]

[There's a long pause while she looks him up and down and then stares down to her clothes. She then opens her arms towards him.] Come here.

[decadenzas]

[there's hesitation in his movements, however small, and he casts another nervous glance toward a few moths fluttering harmlessly nearby. he seems to deem her bloody reach less of a threat than them in the end, approaching carefully and looking a little distressed.]

O! Full of scorpions is my mind... [he shakes his head, brow furrowing] But you've not killed the king as I, have you?

[lotuslife]

[she reaches out and grasps his hands, giving a little laugh.] What are you talking about? You look tired. Let's go home. [her hands tighten subtly on his. well, no, it's not subtly- it's hard enough to crack bone all of a sudden.]

[decadenzas]

No, no, I'm not, that isn't it. [and if he was before he certainly isn't now! the unexpected pain causes his arms jerk back reflexively, though confusion is still his predominant expression. he can't recall any part of Macbeth playing out like this, and it's enough to jolt him out of his current role of choice, though it's only momentary and he immediately thinks of what a perfect Macduff she'd play.] What-?

[lotuslife]

I said, [she reaches out for him again, grabbing his wrist and jerking his arm up, pulling hard enough to yank him close and close the gap between them. again, her grip is bruising.] Let's go home. I can't have you out there like this. Not right now. I... really do not want to hurt you, Ch...

[a pause.]

Carl.

[there's blood on her teeth when she smiles.]

[decadenzas]

[though out of it, he's not so far gone that he can't realise how wrong, how terribly wrong this picture is, and for a second he gets the uncanny feeling that he's observing a reflection of himself. he pulls his arm away with more force this time, filled with agitation that belongs both to himself and to the role he'd been playing.]

What the hell has gotten into you? [that's putting it lightly, but he can think of no better way to word it.]

[lotuslife]

[oh, wait, it's not just blood. how... odd... her teeth are looking a little bit... sharp. her hands are trembling slightly as she reaches out for him once more, and her expression is a strange mixture of confused, hungry, and upset.]

What's wrong? I don't like it when you make that kind of face at me.

[decadenzas]

[oh.

that's the only thing he thinks of but it sums up everything - no wonder she seems so familiar. that's a familiar bloodlust, isn't it? he knows it well, and knows a predator when he sees one, especially one so familiar.

his first reaction is to take several quick steps back.] Explain.

[lotuslife]

[all at once, she looks hurt- incredibly hurt. her sharp teeth scrape against her bottom lip, and her skin flushes.] Don't-...

[...calm down. it's all right. she can control this. she has no reason to hurt Charles. why would she want to hurt him? she wants to help. if she's like him now- a monster like him- she finally understands. he won't need anyone else but her.] I can't explain it. But you... [she takes a step forward.]

[decadenzas]

[he refrains from taking another step back, if only for the sake of his pride (though he isn't certain it's entirely his anymore), but he refuses to bridge the gap between them.]

But I what?

[lotuslife]

We... [she exhales, speaking in a rush.] We can be happy together, now. And even if we can't, it's all right. I'll still... [she presses her hands together, stepping towards him.]

I'll accept you no matter what you are. I understand now-... [or she thinks she does, when, really, Vietnam has no rational grip on herself at all. she hardly even questions why she's like this. all she can think of is how hungry she is and how much she doesn't want to hurt Charles but then again she could, and she might...]

[decadenzas]

[though he can sense something is off, he doesn't know how close to a base chiropteran she is in terms of feeding urges and only feels a deep sense of sorrow at her words. it isn't that he doesn't want them, or that he doesn't want to be accepted or share happiness, not at all.]

Why? Why would you ever... [but at the same time, he knows she doesn't understand. hell, he didn't either - he thought it was a blessing at first, this form. he knows better now, even if he rarely voices it.] ...Did you ask for this?

[lotuslife]

[did she ask for this? no, no. were she rational at all night now she'd be fully aware that she'd never ask for this the way it was given to her. but... oh... what did she wish for? to understand Charles...

...her wish was granted perfectly, then. wasn't it?

but these things don't run through her mind right now. she only stares at Charles with hurt and loss and hunger and the need for him to stop making that expression, to stop using that voice, because it scares her.]

I asked to...

[she's hungry. she's so hungry. she thinks she can smell blood. or maybe she's so ravenous that she's just imagining it.] ...to understand Charles better.