Night Hunters

[HecateProxy]

Overview

• Can love blossom in the dark?
  
  
  
  When dusk gives way to the tendrils of the night and the moon rises swollen and proud into the sky. That's when the beasts slink from out of their homes and cries pierce the air.
  
  Vampires and werewolves have formed a covenant over the centuries. Where wars over territories and food once cost countless lives now exists peace.
  
  Where humans once hunted with vigor was now just a ghost story whispered around the campfires.
  
  They were a force. United for the sake of survival. Vampires fed on the blood while the wolf feasted on the meat and bone. A delicate balance.
  
  Now two have lost their hunting partners. In a desperate need to find safety with another they team up, for the moment at least.
  
  Will this partnership only be until the next pairing ceremony? Will friendship bloom or will the seeds of love take root in this unlikely pairing?​

Moonlight sung in her veins.

Nails clicked sharply against the asphalt as paw pads fell deftly on the cool ground. It was like being shrouded in mist; the scents rolled around her seductively. A voice in the back of her mind screamed a warning but her primal beast howled louder. Humans. Their scents were thick, bitter and coating everything in a vile stink but that wasn't what was calling her. A sweet scent swirled past her. Soft and sticky on her tongue. Her inner beast growling with anticipation, ancient blood whispering in her mind venomous images of sweet flesh rendering to sharp canines. Her ears perked with an eagerness as the scent picked up.

Her slow trot gave way to a frantic pace as she locked on. She revealed in the scent. The warmth that saturated her core as roads twisted and turned before her. Soon. Soon. Her mind whispered feverishly. The moon heavy and swollen high above her. It's magic sung to her; invigorated in the power that flowed through her muscles.

There.

The lone wolf lowered herself to the ground; a soft growl escaping her maw as a figure caught her attention. There it was a rather ordinary looking dog sleeping peacefully outside her masters home. Amara slowly circled around her prey. Keeping her scent downwind from the dog. As she crept forward she could see the slight bulge on the dog's belly. Swollen with unborn pups. The sweetness rolled off of her. Ripe. Perfect. Amara let out a bone chilling howl before charging. The dog startled to her feet; hackles raised and growling as she her attacker sunk vicious teeth deep into her shoulder. The dog yelped in pain and inside frantic noises spilled out. She didn't care as blood seeped into her mouth. Everything was intoxicating. Despite the pain the dog tried to roll. Jaws snapping close to her ears as Amara locked her jaw and thrashed her head. She could hear the muscles tear and the flesh rip as her teeth severed the chunk of meat. With a wet swallow she backed up as the dog lunged at her nipping at her throat.

Yellow light spilled out as the front door swung open and caught Amara off guard. Humans! The voice was now clear and furious. Her humanity fighting through at the last moment. The barrel of a shotgun was pointed at her face and with a speed unlike normal creatures she turned tail and sprinted. But it was too late. The sound echoed loudly in her ears as fire exploded in her back leg. Letting out a painful cry she felt herself stumble and fall to the ground for a second. But it wasn't silver and the pain quickly numbed to a irritating ache as she found her feet once more and continued her sprint.

Nothing looked familiar. She had been driven here on pure instinct and now she had to find her way out; fast. she could hear the rumble of an engine in the distance behind her. They'd find her. They'd mount her pelt on the walls and bring danger back to her clan. If she could've she would of cursed. Winding her way through the alleyways she found herself at the means of a dead end. Ears flattened as she huddled in the shadows listening to the sounds of vehicles and footsteps grow closer. In one last plea of desperation she let out a distress howl into the chilly night air.

Someone, help me....​

 

[upscalerat]

Hunting alone really wasn't so bad. There were disadvantages- there were always disadvantages- but there were things to be relished, as well.

For starters, Ameline was much more quiet on her own. She had loved Lenn dearly, but he wasn't exactly a quiet wolf. Were any of them? Perhaps not. But some had more stealth than he did. He was young, though; he would have matured into the perfect wolf, especially with her guidance. Maybe she would try to find a young one to train. Start breeding better wolves... Or not. The solitude was nice aside from the quiet; she no longer had to share her meals, and no longer did Ameline have Lenn acting as her moral voice. It was freeing, living life as she wanted to. The vampire pretended that she couldn't still hear his voice, and what he would say, when something he would have disapproved of tempted her.

Tonight was one such evening. He'd never approved of her going to a bar. Too risky, he said, and he was too young to join her, and keep her in check. Drink in, he would say. It was depressing, drinking alone, she would argue. Now he couldn't stop her. It was a bittersweet feeling.

She arrived, and took a seat at the end of the bar. No mirror staring across from her; not that anyone would be looking for her reflection. The pale woman knew what her reflection looked like, well enough- or rather, what it would have looked like. She hadn't seen it in decades, but she remembered she had green eyes, and her hair was long enough she could see the color. A sunny blonde. At the sides of her face, Ameline's hair reached down to her chin, but reached only to the bottom of her earlobes in the back of her head. It was mostly straight, but tousled with some light curls. As for the rest of her face, the pale woman had run her hands along it many a time, but couldn't quite form what she looked like in her head. Defined cheekbones, and a sharp chin, but what other features did she have? Time had faded the memory of her appearance. Ameline took a shot. It didn't matter. She took another one.

It just wasn't as fun, any more. This wasn't the first time that Ameline had done this- new city, far away from the last one, find a bar, relish the dark wood and the quiet murmur over and under the music, drink for as long as she could stand it before a sense of guilt had her fleeing. Cash on the counter, collect her coat- appearances were important to not be caught- and walk out. Without Lenn's begrudging permission, or even the sense of doing something forbidden by sneaking around her partner. Tonight was no different. Ameline paid, put on her coat, and walked back out, into the night.

There was a shot in the night. Not an uncommon sound for this country, but... Ameline paused, and turned towards where it had come from. Then, a howl. Had her heart still been beating, it would have stopped; had Ameline needed to breath, it would have been caught in her throat. It wasn't Lenn. Of course not. But it was a wolf, in danger. There was no question about what to do next: she took off at a brisk walk, and ducked into an alley. It was a tiny space between two buildings, hardly large enough for her to fit into, but that was fine. Ameline dropped her coat and purse, and concentrated. Her body pulled at itself, shrinking, darkening, and finally, becoming that of a bat. Her clothes dropped into a pile, and the bat flapped above them, mournfully, for a moment, but then flew away.

It was lucky, how close Ameline was to the howling wolf. In just a matter of moments, she was above the wolf, and could hear the approaching figures. There wasn't much time, but there was an alley across from the wolf. The bat flew toward it, and towards a dumpster. She was small, but even a bat pelting a dumpster at full force made a sound. Hopefully, enough to attract the people just around the corner. Ameline landed, ungracefully, on the ground, but shook herself, and flew into it, again. Once more did the vampire stir herself, but this time to fly further down the alley, where the remnants of a fence lay. She hung off the top and shook, with all of her small might, before flying up, and over to the wolf again.

 

[HecateProxy]

This was it. The end, Amara was so sure of it. She could feel the dread seep deep into her bones when something soft sounded above her.

Despite the lack of the soft glow from the street lamps her eyes allowed her to see in the dark with accuracy. A small bat. It hovered over with for a moment before flying off in the opposite direction, thumping loudly into the metal tins causing her pursuers to jump and quickly change their direction. It would only give her a few seconds but that was all she needed. Rising back up on all fours she drowned out the dull ache protesting the movement and waited for her moment. They gathered in a half circle, guns gleaming. She sent out a silent thank you to her unknown hero before leaping behind them. There was no need for stealth as her claws thudded loudly at their heels. A man startled whipped around as his eyes rounded with fear at her greatness. Within she felt the beast growled with pride as she gnashed her teeth at him before taking off. Amara felt the primal urge to assert herself by going back to rip out each and everyone of their throats but her more human self was slowly dominating her senses as the moon had started to sink above her.

With a victorious howl she bounded out of the alleyway. Navigating around the still humming vehicles and racing down the street. At this point she didn't care who or what saw her. as long as she made it out, alive. That word tasted sweeter than any kill. Her mind fluttered back to the bat. Why was it so close to the humans territory? Doesn't it know that it has been forbidden? Her mind was quick to shift her guilt over to the mysterious party before the guilt rose up. This was too close. Ever since she lost Tonya. Her batty companion. Tonya was a riot to be around and the two had sealed their pairing ceremony with mischievous giddy but that was a long time ago. They had outgrown their youth, well more like Amara had than Tonya. Werewolves, while still aging slower than a human, still aged faster than a vampire. Tonya was still a bit to reckless, too eager and curious. She snorted. Scattering the memory from her minds eye. Without a vampire companion, Amara was more of a slave to her primal beast than ever. Driven on instinct while the human self settled down to sleep while the beast hunted and sated it's hunger. She had awoken several times close to the humans homes. Inside live stock barns coated in blood and surrounded by mutilated corpses. All it took was one slip up, Like tonight, and that was it. She was already sure that this mishap would get back to the counsel. They had already called on her twice before. Pushing her to find a new partner but Amara didn't want anyone. She wanted Tonya.


A fresh scent lined the stagnant smells as she had finally reached the outskirts of the town. With renewed giddy she raced into the thick of the surrounding woods. Rolling around in the dirt's musky soil with glee and masking the stench of brick and mortar. Panting she crept on her belly underneath a bush that grew on the outer edge; looking for the lone bat to come out. Morning would be coming soon and she owed the mystery person at least the courtesy to see them to safety. ​

 

[upscalerat]

Within moments, the wolf had taken the opportunity that Ameline had given, and bounded away. The vampire was uncertain about how to proceed- she wanted, desperately, to make contact with a wolf again, to have something to do, something for her time... But she also wanted the clothes and purse that she'd left in that narrow alleyway. So she flew high, and shouted down at the city bellow her. The city formed itself in her mind's eye as her cry rebounded back to her ears- the buildings, the cars, the disgruntled hunters... And the blur that flew out of town. There. Ameline swiveled her head towards the shape, and cried out again- as she'd expected, there was the wolf, leaving town as fast as it could. Not an entirely stupid mutt, at least. The haughtiness masked her true feeling- gratitude at the reminder that she wasn't alone in this world, just because she had lost Lenn.

Still, her clothes were not where the wolf had gone, and meeting in the nude was always something of a gamble- one never knew how another would take to it. True enough, vampires could communicate, in a sense, as a bat, but that sort of a thing was hard to do without a preexisting bond. Another wrench in their meeting. So Ameline turned, back the way she'd come, and was relieved to find that her clothes were still where she'd left them.

The trouble with the alley, though, was that it was tight, indeed- changing back was always an uncomfortable experience, and the confines of the walls around her only gave her a few scrapes and a cold embrace. Ameline hurried in dressing, complete with her coat, and resuming her façade among humanity. It was strange, navigating the town without a sound to follow, or a direct path there, and walking took Ameline longer than she would have liked to take, but it gave her the opportunity to think- to be excited, and nervous, and to question if she really wanted another partner. No- of course she didn't. But Lenn was no longer an option, and being alone was frowned upon. Being so close to humanity was also frowned upon, though- more than frowned upon, it was outright forbidden- and that didn't stop her. She could control herself; even without a wolf to eat up her leftovers, Ameline was good enough to not get caught. She could pass for a human, easily enough. But what was a wolf doing so close to humans tonight? Why, why on a full moon, of all nights? There was evidence that it was alone- no bat of its own, no vampire leading it to safety... Had it run away? Was it wild? Was it also partnerless, like Ameline?

A stray car horn reminded Ameline of just how quiet the night had grown. Walking had taken longer than she intended... It was late. It would be morning, soon enough. This encounter would be worth the risk, wouldn't it? Of course. It had to be. Ameline hurried through the town's outskirts, then hesitated. She hadn't known were the wolf was going- she'd known this far, but nothing more. She stared at the woods, peering, tilting her head this way and that, looking for a sign of where the beast had gone.

 

[HecateProxy]

It was her smell she first caught wind of. It was subtle, like a breath of fresh air after being inside a stuffy office for hours on end.

Twin ears swiveled forward as she crawled out from beneath the brush. Her thick tawny pelt was dusted in dirt as she moved back towards the city with a steady gate. Her iridescent eyes took in the woman before her; at first one could look at her and see nothing more than a normal human woman but Amara had been around vampires long enough to notice the differences. It wasn't just the smell, light like the wind and ever older than the trees that filled the space behind her. There was a sharpness to the way she carried herself. The mark of a predator among the prey and for a moment Amara tried to reach out to her but was to no avail. It was on pure instinct to reach out to the woman mentally, like she had done so many times with her partner but where there was once a familiar warmth she was met with emptiness. Bonds could be formed two ways; forced by the elders when starting out a new partnership or naturally occurring by the exchange of blood at the height of solidarity between the two which was not something that usually happened quickly.

Amara sniffed cautiously in the air looking for the vampires partners scent but found nothing. She stopped a foot away from the woman though she was still relatively young she was still three times the size of a normal wolf and often intimidating. She glanced up into the lightening sky with worry. The night would give way to the sun soon and Amara would be free to change back into her human figure. Stamping her feet impatiently she threw her head back towards the woods. There was a hidden room underground that she had used to store her clothes before the change took her. It had been abandoned years before since it technically was within the human territory but Tonya and she had used it anyway. It was like having their own little club house. Amara turned away from the vampire and slowly pushed forward only pausing a moment to look back to make sure she was following.

Once she was sure the woman understood what she meant she picked up her pace a little. Allowing her primal sense guide her back across the old familiar ground until they came to what looked like any normal sloping hill. At the base if one looked closely enough they could see an old rusty handle poking out from beneath the top soil. Amara gripped it tightly in her maw and with a hefty jerk pried open the sealed door. She took a few steps back and sat down, waiting for her companion to step safely inside. ​

 

[upscalerat]

If Ameline had been uncertain about whether the wolf was of her partner's kind or of the more mundane kind as a bat, there was no mistaking it now: the creature in front of her was a werewolf. Ameline stared at the tawny wolf as it climbed out from the underbrush, and looked at her with the same recognition of finding another of one's own kind. The vampire turned her gaze back to the trees, searching- where was this wolf's vampire, who was doing such a poor job at keeping it in check? Even after the years that Ameline had been with Lenn, and received his care as much as she'd given to him, she couldn't help the feeling of superiority that followed any look at a werewolf- they were still beasts, when it came down to it, that needed the sophisticated guiding hand of a vampire. At least Ameline's destruction came not from her hunger, but from her other bad habits.

A few moments of straining her eyes into the trees gave her nothing, and it was growing bright outside. "Are you... Alone?" she finally asked in a hushed tone, looking again at the werewolf. The concept seemed ridiculous- sure, she herself was in a similar situation, but what were the chances that a partnerless vampire and werewolf would just happen upon each other like this? But then the werewolf, who also seemed to have noted the changes in the sky's coloring, turned around, and started off. Even without the communication offered by partnership, it didn't take Ameline long at all to understand what the wolf wanted, and she followed, obediently. Perhaps the wolf wasn't all that unfamiliar with the area, or perhaps it just knew somewhere safe for Ameline to be while the sun was out; either way, she was happy to follow through the trees and over the hills. It wasn't long before they came to one with a handle in the ground- the wolf was quick to pull it up, revealing a door, and held it open.

Only now did a voice of caution ring in Ameline's inner ear. It could be a trap, this could be a sadistic monster that just played the lonely victim... It was easy enough to hush, though, and Ameline took only a moment to approach the threshold. She glanced in- could this really be considered a home? A safehouse, sure, a hideout, maybe, but hopefully not a home. A cautious step forward proved this to be true enough- the vampire was in, and stopped to hold the door open for the wolf, now. "Thank you," she murmured, and glanced up at the sky- light, but she was safe.

 

[HecateProxy]

"Thank you."

The vampire had almost mumbled the word as she stepped forward and without realizing it Amara felt a weight slide off her shoulders. They were safe, if only for the moment, she let out a happy chuff as she trotted into the bunker stopping to turn and tug the door firmly shut. The room was dark and damp but it was of no consequences to her. A small perk to her blood was the extra boost in night vision though as the change started to slip away she felt her vision blur before her. I need to change back. The thought always came with a grimace. After time it was no longer an agonizing process but still nothing to look forward too and changing in front of someone was always a bit; nerve wrecking. Some werewolves took pride in their shifts. Baring their bodies with no hint of shame but for Amara some would say she was a tad; shy.

The bunker had been outfitted for werewolf and vampire use. With extra storage available and sleeping pads as well as having the generator within paw distance. She nosed a small padded button in the corner and looked back behind he as the hum of electricity filled the air. Though nothing seemed amiss she could feel it. Her limbs suddenly felt leaden-ed and her skin prickled with anticipation. There wasn't going to be much of a choice. She was going to have to change back in front of her new companion. With an wolfish gaze she tried to shoot her most apologetic look before slumping to the ground.

It was like fire poured down her veins and while it didn't hurt per say; it was like someone had pumped her full of adrenaline. She whimpered as the first set of bones cracked and gave way. Thickness and strength fell to humans more flexible and petite shapes. Her fur began to shed off her flesh revealing warm olive colored skin beneath. Her head rolled as her jaw snapped back into place and canines retreated. Every bit of her quivered with burst of pain and pleasure. Until there was nothing left but her naked self, damp and sticky on the floor. Sighing, she swiped the sweat from her brow and pushed back her wild copper colored locks. "Sorry." she panted. Her voice was rough and exhaustion seeped out like oil. She cradled her arms across her chest as she stood up, face tinged with blush as a free hand groped for her clothes that she had put neatly away in her cubby.

"I owe you a lot, you know, for earlier."

There was regret and shame blatant in her tone, Amara as her human self was vastly different from her beast. She was level headed where it was strong willed. There was a chance the woman was to go to the counsel and turn her in and she'd have every right. Without meaning too she let out another hefty sigh as she slipped into a pair of beige cargo pants and a simple white shirt.. Normally she had bit more zip to her but her hunt was a failed one- again. The once a month hunt was a huge thing to werewolves. It was what fueled their changes and their souls. This month marked her second failed attempt though the bitches blood still was sharp in her mouth. Next month would be crucial. She couldn't fail again.​

 

[upscalerat]

It was evident that Ameline's new friend needed a moment to herself. Some werewolves didn't mind if their vampire companion, or any passerby, watched during the process, but Ameline had never been partial to watching the process. It looked so unpleasant; Ameline wasn't the most empathetic person, by far, but even she felt her gut twist when watching a wolf's body twist and contort itself back into the shape of a human. Lenn had been shy, anyways, and it had gotten her into the habit of promptly looking away and intently studying something in the area. Being somewhere new gave her plenty to look at, and she did, careful to keep her eyes away from the strange wolf. If was evident that the bunker hadn't been made for humans; no canine was smart enough for this, and there was little water and food waiting about.

Even as Ameline made a point of not looking, she could still hear the process. It wasn't that she didn't know how unpleasant it was, but she wasn't used to it, either. Lenn had been more reserved, and had always preferred running a fair difference to change, either to or from wolf, and she only rarely listened to the cracking of bones and the tearing of muscles as they shifted from one shape to another. Ameline tried, as she had many times before, to imagine what it was like, but just ended up running over her teeth with her tongue and relishing that her transformations weren't nearly so painful.

Finally, the wolf had finished. Ameline was careful not to turn around yet- she hadn't heard any rustle for clothing, yet- but she could savor the sound of the woman's voice. It was tired, but alluring. "You don't have to apologize for anything," she offered, listening as the wolf pulled on her clothes. She wouldn't turn until the rustling of clothes had stopped, but it didn't take very long to get to that point. But in those moments, Ameline had to pity her; where the beast had been feral and trapped, the girl was ashamed and bashful. "If I'm ot overstepping any bounds by saying as much, it would seem that you're in something of a tight situation. You know what they say about desperate times," she tried to offer.

From the sounds of it, the woman had finished changing, and Ameline finally turned around to look at her. Maybe it was just because she was seeing another werewolf for the first time in far, far too long, but she struck Ameline as beautiful, even as she was, starved, sweaty, exhausted, and shy. Uncertain on how to proceed- would they go their own ways? Stick together? Try to kill each other, to keep their secret solo operations just as that, a secret?- Ameline offered a timid smile, and hoped for the least aggressive progression. "I'm Ameline. How long have you..." She wasn't sure how to phrase the question after that. There wasn't any polite way to go about it. And maybe she shouldn't have asked- now there was no way to avoid it being reflected back on her, for how else would she know the signs but by having gone through the process herself? For now, the vampire was certain that the wolf was alone.

 

[HecateProxy]

Ameline.


She liked the way the word rolled across her mind. There was something soothing behind it and for the most part it didn't seem like she was judging the wolf too harshly. actually, she had expected the vampire to jump on her case but the more Amara thought about it she was also awfully close to the human territory to hear her distress call. Cautiously she finally stopped to really look at the woman and felt her breath catch for a moment. She was stunning, as had been Tonya, it was a vampire trait. Such cold beauty and grace that enraptured most humans who happened to come across their path. Amara swallowed dryly as she shifted her gaze away a faint blush still staining her cheeks.

Her mouth pulled into a grimace as the inevitable question bubbled to the surface. How many moons had passed since Tonya had died? Her heart throbbed at her name as her mind stirred awake old buried memories. The lilt of her voice echoed in her ears. Her scent still clung to her senses, every line and curve burned into her mind as fresh and vibrant as if she stood before her. There was still so many things she had wanted to say to her, to Tonya, that had died on her lips and silenced forever. With a gruff sigh she leaned against the back wall, "My partner; Tonya. You might've heard already," Amara mumbled, "There was a group of hunters out on a trip about six moons back. They had just strung up several fresh kills to bleed dry and while she tried to warn me. I got too close and she tried to distract them but-."

Her shoulders slumped forward as a fingertip played with the frayed end of her shirt. It had been one mistake. Her beast had nosed around too close to the camp and set off an trap they had set up. Tonya was simply trying to rustle some trees to draw attention away but neither of them had seen the gun.

The news had spread fast by the next day. Amara was scorned by Tonya's family and friends not that she blamed them. She was sure that Ameline had heard all about it by now. It was another reason why she didn't want to go trying to find a new partner. Who would want to work with a careless wolf?​

 

[upscalerat]

Her suspicions were correct, unsurprisingly enough. The signs were evident... Ameline had to wonder, though, if the situation was just as obvious to read off of her own self. Hopefully not in town, but surely the wolf had figured it out by now. Vampires didn't operate alone, or with someone else's wolf, like this, in most situations. And as Ameline listened, she could see pain and grief warp the young woman's face- did such a vile expression take her own, too, when she talked about Lenn? Was this the consequence of being a survivor? Of course it was. She should have known; she'd watched her own family, after she'd died, and they had been marred with tears and dejection for months.

"I'm sorry," she offered. The words did nothing for the pain- oh, Ameline was intimate with that feeling- but anything less seemed callous. "I... Can't say I keep up very much with the community." Vampires had always been more for solitude, though covens were a good way to survive together. A moment passed, and then, "They're tricky bastards, hunters. They're adaptable, and are fast to find week points." At least the wolf wouldn't make this same mistake. And likely no other wolf, either. Confidence was a damning thing. Ameline cleared her throat. "I..." Didn't want to say it, would have been a good way to fill in the blank. "My... Partner, Lenn. You might have heard. He, uh... It was last year, and we knew there were hunters in the area... It had been a few days since we'd eaten. We were hungry. I was careless, but their bullets were wrong for me."

Her gaze had drifted down until she was talking to the floor. It felt almost like a relief to say it, get it off her chest. But it also solidified it, once again, that Lenn was gone. If someone had thrust a dull knife into her abdomen when Lenn died, they just twisted it when she said that. She swallowed, guilty. And just as she was sure that the wolf would never fall into that trap again, Ameline would never let her or her partner get too hungry again- but that meant having another partner, and she still wasn't sure if she was ready for someone to replace her dear, sweet, dead Lenn.

((I'm so sorry for how long this took me! Time just kinda got away from me... I'm so sorry!))

 

[HecateProxy]

'Shit.'

She had been caught up in her own grief that she had dismissed the vampire's sullen attitude. Of course, it all made sense. She had heard about Ameline and Lenn. It was always a sad day when someone was taken from the community. Tonya and her had actually sat up that morning after a hunt to talk about it. They promised to never get too careless. They made vows to never follow in the pairs footsteps; but here they were. Both of them desolate in the wake of tragedy. Amara could feel the waves of emotions pouring through the room. Her whole body shuttered with sorrow as did Ameline's. She gritted her teeth once more and choked back the quite sobs her heart ached to release. There would be time later to mourn. There was always time later to mourn. She moved deftly towards the woman, "I'm sorry." There were more held behind her tongue, unsure if she should go on, "I remember that day. The day the bells wrung out for your partner. Tonya and I. We held our own little morning service in the mornings early eves. I had known Lenn, not very well but we had chatted a few times. His death was the first I had heard of...At the time, I couldn't imagine. I didn't want to imagine."

Amara placed a soft hand on her shoulder, "It's easy to live thinking bad things wont happen to you. That if you're careful enough, if you know enough... That you become untouchable but mistakes happen. Fate was never kind to us, I don't know why we ever expected it to be kind to us now."

The humans celebrated their kind. Romanticized them in books and television. Hunters did't chase after them out of fear anymore but out of pride. A trophy to place on their mantle. A title to wear before their name. Their secret clubs hidden away from the rest of the mundane crowds but in the same way that they had become legend and lore in the human world. Hunters had become the boogey man beneath their beds. Vicious and twisted stories parents would tell their cubs to keep them in line. As they trained it was words written and spoken over and over but when you're there. What do you do when you come across the devil in the flesh?

She scoffed at her own thoughts, letting her hand slip from the woman. "Did you at least get enough to eat tonight?" Amara was eager to shift the subject elsewhere. Anywhere really. Her gaze traced along the upper molding of the room to the small panel in the back. It'd open to a tunnel system that lead back to the communities dens. There was a whole network underground. Filled with dead ends and traps to mislead and kill off hunters who dared step into their territory. Amara would lead the vampire back home; that is if she wanted to go home. It would seem neither of them was in too much of a hurry to face the populace.



(It's totally ok. I have no issues with waiting.)​

 

[upscalerat]

Part of why Ameline had stayed so far from the community during the months since Lenn's death was to avoid the pity- she hadn't really wanted to hear any of it, and assumed that she wouldn't take kindly to any sympathy offered her way. But finally hearing it, and hearing it form someone who was in the same situation that she was... It was just different from what she had imagined. The vampire still looked down, but allowed her shoulders to droop with Ameline's hand. There was a sad sort of comfort in what they were doing now. This... Ameline had needed this. She hadn't realized it- but for how much longer could she have gone, drinking until the guilt overtook her, and living on whatever strays and small wild animals she could find? She was a fool to think that it was a viable strategy for even the months that she had done it. "I'm not sure fate had anything to do with it," she said after a moment, and finally glanced up at the wolf, before looking back down, scared that her words would offend the woman. But- that was enough being sad. Ameline stood tall again, her shoulders firm, and looked up, meeting the wolf's gaze. "I don't believe I've caught your name," she stated, moving on.

What good did moping do? Nothing, that was what. It really only left one option for Ameline- and possibly the wolf- to pursue. Moving forward. Had the vampire needed to breath, she would have held her breath in hopes that the other creature was thinking the same thing that she was.

It could work. Very well, couldn't it? On a chance meeting, before any communication, they'd already worked together so well- what was to say that they couldn't keep working together like that? And they were both in need of a partner, one a vampire and the other a werewolf.... Ameline was practically set on the idea now. She wanted a new partner. She needed a new partner. And she'd found her, so long as she would accept the offer- but the vampire was getting ahead of herself. They'd only just met. She was too eager, too ready to jump into something without and preparation, too ready to again doom herself to a miserable time of missing Lenn.

Food? Well... The thought was tempting, certainly. She'd eaten enough to subsist on, but a real meal? The both of them could use it, if Ameline had to guess. But they'd also had enough adventure for one night. She could survive one more month off of rats and birds, and nodded her head. "I'm only restricted to the night, but I can hunt whenever it is dark out. My timetable isn't the same as yours when- when I'm alone." It was true, but still awkward to say. "What of you? Have you gotten enough to eat?" Only desperate creatures made mistakes, and creatures became desperate when they were hungry.