The Thrill of the Hunt

[potassiumboron]

​

The Venatoré family, for generations, had made it their duty to keep vampires at bay. Specifically, the vampiress dwelling on woodland not even an hour away from human civilisation of their beloved home. Rather than panic families and their township, a father and his two sons centuries ago made a deal with the vampires - they could live on that land, but in return for their lives and for peace itself, could not leave it, or else face full-on war.

For generations, that deal stood, with the Venatoré men spending and devoting their time in ensuring the deal stayed, all unaware that one vampire had left that clan, for her own reasons, to begin a life alone in another part of the wood. While she wasn't intent on murder or violence as some Venatores had worried would occur if a vampire dared leave the boundary, she still left it, nullifying the deal and risking death.

That is only if she and her son are found. For the time being, they remain unbeknown to the new Venatoré men, thus allowing Adelpha to live her life with her son, Noel, outside the boundary, as they had for 50 years now.

On a day when it was uncharacteristically sunny for the time of the year, where no clouds marred the sky and the sun was able to shine without any barriers, it was only expected that people would be out and about to revel in the rare warmness of the Autumn season. Yet, almost undeniably, the same couldn't be said for Adelpha, who, upon seeing the sun, only groaned exasperatedly from the living room, where she had been resting up with a book. The sun didn't harm her, but she still hated it.

Okay... maybe it wasn't that she hated the warm weather itself (though admittedly, she was a fan of the winter months more), but rather that if it was warm and there were people about, it only made the opportunity to go into the local store unnoticed all the more difficult. Usually at this time of year, when it was cold, people stayed indoors, giving her an opportunity to sneak down to the town and collect some supplies. The sun, however, attracted people outside; made them decide to trek the forest or just sunbathe outside in their garden. It was basically the sort of weather that ruined her plans, and she hated that.

Nevertheless, she did remain in her evidently expensive get-up (as she always would do) and simply set all those plans aside to instead spend the day with her son, as she would have inevitably done anyway. Noel was her favourite person; her best friend, really. Spending time with him, rather than steal things from the human stores was a step-up in her day.

"I was thinking that we could have dinner outside today. I can get the barbecue started up," she murmured once reaching her son's bedroom and placing herself down on his bed, dusting away a few crumbs from sheet with a distasteful grimace. That expression, however, did disappear the moment she glanced towards her sick son again, resting her chin on her hands with a warm smile.

"It's a lovely day, Noel. We could have burgers, raw of course, dripping with blood, and I'll make up those milkshakes you like so much," she smiled, fiddling with her expensive earrings. "I might even have an ice cream. I can break the diet for one day."​

 

[ForeverRed]

Sunny, rainy, snowy, or foggy; days were almost always the same for Noel. Noel was born in that mansion and never left its grounds in all of his fifty years. Hell, most days he spent in his bed, sick and far too weak to move. He hated those days. The days his legs felt like led, and each step he tried to take felt like stepping on shattered glass. But some days, he led in his limbs went away, and his steps were only dull aches. On those days he would venture to the porch. That's as exciting as his days really got. Well...As exciting as it physically got. Mentally though? He was almost never in Montana in some abandoned mansion.

No, some days he was sailing the seven seas, searching for treasure and fighting off other pirate ships. Other days he was falling in love in Verona, only to die three days later. The next he was in a completely different world, fighting humans who dared come on their alien planets. In short, Noel read many books to keep his mind occupied. What else was there to do for the sickly vampire? Nothing. All he could do was read, look at maps, maybe chart the stars. Reading made his little corner of the world big. But it did make him yearn for adventure even more.

He wanted to leave the mansion, but even if he mom let it, he wouldn't be able to. He was sick. Mostly because he's never had human blood. Human blood was essential in a vampire baby's growth. Having never had any slowed his aging more than it should and caused him to be sick. So while he was fifty and should look to be in his twenties, he looked like he was sixteen. When his mother entered his room, he had obviously been reading, however, he shut his book, sitting down on his lap. His auburn hair was in its loose messy curls as always and they sat on his shoulders. Brown warm eyes looked kindly at his mother, meaning he was in a fair mood. While he adored his mother more than anything, he could sometimes be a bit cold towards her. But that was only on days he felt really sick.

"....Outside? Sure. That sounds splendid, Mama." Mumbled the soft-spoken boy. Slowly, he climbed out of bed, grabbing a light knitted blanket and wrapped it around his shoulders. He was always cold. "Mhmm, let's go."

 

[potassiumboron]

Perhaps she ought to have felt guilty about the fact that she was making her son feel almost suffocated by the house; claustrophobic even despite its grand size. He was sick and needed bed-rest, that was the truth for most days, but there were also those days were he could take walks in the woods if she allowed him to. She should feel guilty, therefore, that she was preventing it and thus preventing her son from achieving what he wanted. Her whole life revolved around him. Not making him happy was like a dagger to the heart--

But she didn't feel guilty for it. If he went out there, he'd see for himself just how dangerous the world was for him. There were a clan of vampires who were probably ready to break every rule to come and find Adelpha. There were hunters out there, who would kill her on sight if they realised she'd stepped from the boundary. There was a reason she used fake tan. Unlike her son, she had to go into the village now and then. She tried to go when nobody was about, but on the off chance she did bump into people, she didn't want any gossiping about the strange pale lady. If hunters heard that, alarm bells would go off for them.

Her son had no idea that the world was dangerous for them, and she was doing the best job she could keeping him safe. The only thing she really felt guilty for was not being able to give him the blood he needed-- but she couldn't take a victim from the village without alerting the hunters. It was all a big, complex mess she couldn't find a solution to.

"Not too far, just out in the back. A little treat because you've been patient with me this week," she smiled, linking her arm with her son - she'd do that even if he wasn't sick, so while she did it to support him, she also just wanted to be close to her son. "Sunbathe a little-- you could do with getting a tan, you're so pale. Pale for a vampire, even."

 

[ForeverRed]

"I try, Mama. But it never works. Being in the sun too long makes me uncomfortable." He cackled, heading out of his room and into the grand hallways. He knew this house so well he could walk in it in total darkness without bumping into anything. Which he's done plenty of times. He's never left this house, so of course, he knew everything about it. He even knew about the small crack in the basement's back wall. And he also knew about a small hole in the bottom of the kitchen all that was dug by mice, who no longer live there. He knew everything about this house. He counted all the windows, and there happens to be one hundred and seventy-eight windows. He knew how many doors the mansion had, and he knew how many bricks the mansion was made with...Yes, he counted the bricks because he was just that bored.

When they reached their backyard, he sat down in the grass, not wanting to sit on a blanket. He loved to feel the prickly grass on his feet and he loved to have it on his hands. He loved the smell of grass as well. He read that it sometimes caused humans eyes to water, it never caused his to. A small smile spread on his full lips as he glanced up at his mother. "Today is nice. There isn't even cloud in the sky." He noted as he looked up at the unblemished sky.

Silently, he laid down to stare up at the sky as his mind wandered elsewhere. He often did that. Daydreaming helped him cope with his boring and useless reality. But then his mind was brought back when he remembered something. "Mama, you were going to the store today. You've changed your mind?"

 

[potassiumboron]

Deciding to start on the barbecue when her son said he was hungry, her immediate decision was to lay back on the sun-lounger, put her sunglasses over her eyes and soak up the sun, wearing a recently-stolen bikini to really get as much of her body tanned as was possible. It wasn't easy to tan, being a vampire and all, but she could at least give it a shot.

Sipping at her cocktail briefly, she only paused when hearing her son begin to speak. "Oh-- Oh right. It would have been busy, and I can't stand humans when they're pushing and shoving. I get so enraged. I don't want to snap and hurt anyone, it'd get those dreadful hunters on my case. I'll go tonight when it's much quieter-- I'll sneak one of those comics you like so much, how about that? Now, let me have a little nap, okay? Wake me when you're getting peckish. Don't disturb me for ten minutes, though. I'm exhausted."

Though, her attempt at getting a nap would go unfulfilled because, wandering the woods close to the mansion, was Beau and his father. This wasn't how Beau wanted to spend his Saturday. He wanted to be with his friends, chilling out at one of their pools with some weed, just... enjoying the rare day of sunshine. Instead, he was traipsing the forest with his father in search of any rogue vampires out of their boundaries.

Also known as a complete waste of time and energy.

With his hood up and eyes narrowed, the teenager angrily stomped off after his father. "Dad, seriously, can I go home already? There ain't nothing here, there's never anything. Those vampires listen to the rules, y'know? They ain't, like, running riot around the woods, they're all fine. Let's go home, yeah? Mom's made iced tea~"

 

[ForeverRed]

"No, we aren't going back until everything is checke- Put your damn hood down. You're making me hot by just looking at ya." Grumbled the man, pulling his son's hood down, exposing that vibrant blue hair of his. Grimacing at the color, he sighed, shaking his head in a disapproving away. Now Clément loved his son. Loved him more than anything in the world, including his wife. But Beau did some questionable things. Like dying his hair blue. When he did that, Vera, his wife literally had a heart attack. She complained about it for days and still does.

"And why don't you just dye your hair back blonde already? The roots are growing out already. You know your mom misses when you had blonde hair." He mumbled as he walked through the forest, holding his weapons. Blinking a bit when he saw the back of mansion in the distance, realizing they probably went deeper into the forest than what they've ever gone. Because whenever he saw that abandoned mansion, he knew he went too far. He knew there wasn't any vampire out there...But he's never checked, so what the hell? "Come on, let's keep going. After we check the mansion, we can head back. Rogues could be hiding out in there." He mumbled.

Soon they came to the backyard but was still in the shade of trees and bushes. But they could clearly see a young woman and a teenage boy. The woman seemed to be napping while the boy was staring at the sky. However, the boy randomly sat up and looked right in their direction.

While Noel was a weak vampire, he could sense the two. But...Any vampire could have sensed them way early on. They weren't even twenty feet away now. He stared at the humans, his brown eyes wide in shock and fear. "M-Mama." He squeaked, quietly, moving to tap her.

 

[potassiumboron]

"What did I say about waking me up, sweetheart? Mama needs her beauty sleep," mumbled the woman in a sleepy doze, incoherently mumbling beneath her breath until her nose crinkled at the smell of humans. As soon as she sensed her own son's fear, a motherly instinct more than a vampiric skill, she sat up slowly. If she sat up fast, that would arouse suspicion. As nervous as she was, she wasn't going to make herself look like she had something to hide.

"You sit right here, understand? Don't move from this spot, I'll handle this," she whispered to her son, wrapping him in his blanket. In fact, she made a fuss of doing that. If they saw her son was sick, not only would it invoke sympathy, but it would alleviate suspicion of them being vampires. Their kind were usually strong, not weak and sick.

Wandering over to the bewildered humans, she pushed her sunglasses up and offered a flirty smile. Even if the man had a wedding ring, every man liked to be treated with a flirty smile. It didn't mean she was going to jump his bones and plead for sex - it was just a welcoming smile to get him on side.

"...You two ain't police, are you? Having a barbecue in my own backyard ain't cause for police interrogation," she began quietly, her brow arching curiously. "...That was a joke, but now I'm getting mighty worried. What's this about?"

 

[ForeverRed]

Glancing over at the pale boy, he would have thought he was a vampire, but he realized just how sick and weak he appeared. Vampires were pale, but they weren't sick and weak. He didn't even know they could get sick and weak. Glancing at the attractive woman, the flirty smile did please him. Made him feel like he was special, but he wasn't just gonna go and cheat on his wife. He adored Vera. "Sorry, we thought this place was abandoned. I didn't know someone moved here and fixed it up. Sorry bout this ma'am. I'm Clément by the way. This brooding looking one here is my son Beau."

Noel stared at the humans in complete shock. He always imagined himself talking to humans, and being their friend but...Once the moment to actually make friends appeared, he was far too scared and shy to move from his seat. It was...Crazy. The moment he'd craved for all his life was right in front of him. His eyes went to the boy with bright colored hair. His hair was blue. He never saw blue hair before! Could it really grow in like that? He realized it didn't since the roots of his hair were blonde. He had really bright green eyes, like a cat's. And he was tall, like...Really tall. His face was pleasant to look at too. Noel stared in wonder, wishing he could just talk to him.

 

[potassiumboron]

It took everything in her power not to attack these two humans and drain them of blood. They were from the village, quite far from it in fact, but they were villagers nonetheless. Killing them would only lead to more people coming into the woods to search for them, which meant more people turning up unannounced at her home. Despite the pleasure it would bring to have fresh blood running down her throat, and as dearly as she wanted her son to get better, at least a little, it wasn't worth the hassle. It could get them permanently killed-- and for what? A brief moment of pleasure that would disappear in a day or two?

"Teenager, hm? See, I know all about it. He looks like an angel, but my boy -Noel- has his little tantrums. Teenagers are so difficult, aren't they?" The woman beamed, tilting her head as she first looked the man over, and then peered back at Noel. If she knew these men were hunters, she'd have asked them to leave immediately. She couldn't differentiate them from normal humans, though, hence the relaxed demeanour. "Oh, come and have an iced tea before you leave, at least. It's too hot out here, you must be parched."

Again, entertaining the humans wasn't something she wanted to do when every second felt like agony for her urges-- but she didn't want to be suspicious. Acting natural was important, and offering a drink seemed polite and the normal thing to do.

"I want iced tea," grinned Beau, immediately wandering over without his father's agreement. Nodding to Noel on the floor, he only really turned to speak after chugging down half the glass of iced tea in one. "...You're sick, huh? Too bad. What's up with 'ya?"

 

[ForeverRed]

Noel's brown eyes were wide, and he held the blanket tighter to his body as the human boy spoke to him. "...W-Weak...H-Heart." He managed to squeak out, before looking down at his lap proudly. He did it! He spoke to a human! It was amazing. Sure he said two words, but that was the most he ever said to anyone other than his mother! It wasn't like he ever had the chance until before now but hey! It was great!

Clément sighed at how his son just decided to do things without him, but he went to grab a glass of iced tea and sat down as well. It was pretty hot, and he could use a drink. "So this is your boy? Wow...You don't look old enough to have a teenage son. You must have some great genes." Grinned the man.

Noel looked up at the other teen next to him, his eyes wide as he nervously chewed on his bottom lip. He was prettier up close. And he smelled nice too. Noel wondered how warm he felt. "...N-Noel...Th-That's my n-name."

 

[potassiumboron]

Silently urging the men to drink their beverages quickly and leave, she cursed inwardly when Beau seemed to want to refill his glass to the brim. It was just her luck that they weren't leaving as fast as she'd like. As happy as it seemed to make her son, she didn't want these humans around. Not when her cravings were at their very limit already.

Nevertheless, ever the pro, she managed to rest back again with that same sumptuous grin on her face. "Oh, trust me, I'm not young-- though I had him young. Far too young. Had to deliver him all by myself, too. At just 16. Can you imagine how hard that was? I'm a little protective of him, understandably. He almost didn't make it--"

"He looks like he's about to drop dead now," muttered Beau rudely, albeit with a wide grin as he nudged the other boy. He was joking around, trying to be friendly, but it wasn't something he should really joke about when Adelpha was as protective as she was. "My Mom struggled with me, didn't she, Pa? Said I fucked her right up."

 

[ForeverRed]

"Yeah, my wife Vera got really sick after having this brat over here. She got better but getting sick scared her off of having any other kids. But you delivered him by yourself? That's amazing, a feat honestly. Why didn't you go to the hospital if you don't mind me asking?" Asked the father as he drank his iced tea slowly, not knowing he was annoying the woman.

"...She didn't make it t-to the hospital." Noel didn't even smell their blood the way his mother was. Sure they smelled nice to him, but since he's never had human blood he wasn't craving it, and his throat wasn't burning or anything of the sort. "...I...I look that bad?...Am I...ugly?" He asked, reaching up to touch his face, slightly offended.

"Hmm? No, no, my son is just an asshole, I'm sorry! You're a handsome young man, he just means you're a little paler than what's considered healthy. Not to mention you have a blanket on out in this heat."


"...I-I'm cold..." He mumbled.

 

[potassiumboron]

"He's sick. What healthy person do you see wearing a blanket around them in the blistering heat?" Challenged Adelpha with a sudden scowl on her face, moving towards her son to make sure his blanket was wrapped properly around him. Hearing him be insulted by this little human infuriated her-- especially when Noel barely seemed to acknowledge that it was an insult. As his mother, she knew when he liked or disliked something, and she could tell he was looking favourably upon Beau... something she disliked greatly. She didn't want him liking any human, but she especially didn't want him near some weed-smoking, lethargic teenager.

"...I don't like hospitals either. I was more fond of a home birth-- even if I didn't have a home at the time," she laughed quietly, flopping back onto the sun-lounger and adjusted her bikini straps absently. Sure, the man was definitely cute-- but she wasn't planning on ever getting involved with a human. It was too much trouble to go through that for a night of pleasure. "And I was 16. I was scared, I panicked. So I found this place, and I've been here ever since. I fixed it up pretty good, huh~?"

 

[ForeverRed]

"Yeah, looks really nice. When I was a kid, I heard stories about this place. My pa told me that when he was a kid, the previous owner killed his wife and kids before killing himself. The place was killed up after the deaths, but it still wouldn't sell because of the gruesome story that came with this mansion. I'm amazed that you actually bought it. I thought it was taken off the market and left to rot." Mumbled the man as he sipped down his tea, finishing it.

"...That's a gr-gruesome tale." The soft-spoken vampire piped up, tearing his eyes from Beau to look at the father. "...It's funny ho-how people don't buy houses af-after hearing someone had died in them. I m-mean, we've liv-lived here my entire life and I've never had a problem. It's a beautiful house...But it often feels like a c-cage." Mumbled the teen as he looked back at Beau. He didn't know that staring at someone for a long time was considered weird. But how was he supposed to know that? Besides, he liked Beau's face a lot. He noticed that when he looked close enough he saw cute freckles over his nose.

"...Cage? Why is it a cage?" Asked the man, glancing over at the boy, arching one of his brows.

Realizing he probably said to much, he went to clean up his error quickly. "...I'm s-sick...D-Deathly si-sick. It renders me from having a n-normal life and l-leaving th-this home...I've n-never left the ground re-really. Most days I spend in b-bed, but I felt good enough to come outside...So you can understand that th-this place feels like a cage. I even...r-render my mama from h-having a normal life...She ha-has to work f-from home."

"Damn...That's tough, kid. And you've got a heart problem?" He sighed sadly, obviously pitying the child. He glanced at his son, wondering how he'd react knowing his own child was as sickly as Noel. He was blessed to have a healthy kid...Even is he made poor life choices.

 

[potassiumboron]

It wasn't that Adelpha was even mad at her son for his comments. Despite never wanting to have him come in contact with humans, just in case there were serious repercussions that arose from it, she wasn't going to pretend that seeing her son engage and talk to people was anything but relieving. She knew this was something he'd always wanted, and hopefully now he experienced it, he wouldn't feel like he was missing out.

She didn't want him to feel like he was in a cage, but it was better than the alternative of letting him wander about and come into trouble. Thankfully, these humans didn't see anything suspicious and instead felt only sympathetic. It could easily have turned into a disaster if they picked up on anything strange.

"...He's sick, that's obvious. I do my best to keep him safe and... happy--"

"God, it must suck being stuck here-- are you kidding? This place is fucking insane. It'd be great for parties," murmured Beau, letting the two adults talk. He didn't want to hear his father whine about how disappointing Beau was, so he easily blocked him out and turned his attention to the kid instead-- at least, he assumed he was his age. He wasn't going to think he was a fifty-year-old vampire, after all. "You know, weed would help 'ya. It's, like, insanely good at helping aches and pains and all that shit. I could totally lend 'ya some-- if you, like, convinced your mom to hold a party here. I'd bring my mates, we'd totally help you out with this boring life you've got. You need friends and shit, right? My mates are great-- and you're cute, they'd like 'ya. They're not assholes."

 

[potassiumboron]

It wasn't that Adelpha was even mad at her son for his comments. Despite never wanting to have him come in contact with humans, just in case there were serious repercussions that arose from it, she wasn't going to pretend that seeing her son engage and talk to people was anything but relieving. She knew this was something he'd always wanted, and hopefully now he experienced it, he wouldn't feel like he was missing out.

She didn't want him to feel like he was in a cage, but it was better than the alternative of letting him wander about and come into trouble. Thankfully, these humans didn't see anything suspicious and instead felt only sympathetic. It could easily have turned into a disaster if they picked up on anything strange.

"...He's sick, that's obvious. I do my best to keep him safe and... happy--"

"God, it must suck being stuck here-- are you kidding? This place is fucking insane. It'd be great for parties," murmured Beau, letting the two adults talk. He didn't want to hear his father whine about how disappointing Beau was, so he easily blocked him out and turned his attention to the kid instead-- at least, he assumed he was his age. He wasn't going to think he was a fifty-year-old vampire, after all. "You know, weed would help 'ya. It's, like, insanely good at helping aches and pains and all that shit. I could totally lend 'ya some-- if you, like, convinced your mom to hold a party here. I'd bring my mates, we'd totally help you out with this boring life you've got. You need friends and shit, right? My mates are great-- and you're cute, they'd like 'ya. They're not assholes."

 

[ForeverRed]

"C-Cute?" Noel's face would have flushed if he had enough blood, but he still lowered his head chewing on his bottom lip. "I th-thought that I wa-was ugly." Mumbled the young vampire, clenching his blanket closer to his body. "...And...And what's w-weed? It...It really h-helps with p-pain? I'd li-like one, how do I g-get a weed?" He didn't know what weed was, that much was obvious with how he referred to it.

And having a party? His mom would never allow it, not in a million years, but he wanted to. He wanted to meet his mates. He wanted to have 'a weed', and he wanted to just hang out. A small part of him grew jealous of Beau. Beau was free and able to do as he pleased. He wasn't sick and his body didn't hurt everytime he moved. And he was able to leave his house, have friends everything that Noel wanted. "...M-Mama...Can Beau an-and his friends co-come over, so I-I can have a w-weed?" Asked the vampire, not knowing it wasn't a really okay thing to do.

 

[potassiumboron]

Adelpha was hardly a woman who knew everything about the world. She didn't have a TV or the Internet in this house, so connecting with the world and understanding modern culture wasn't really something she knew either. There was every possibility that she wouldn't now what weed was... if she hadn't heard women gossiping about their children doing it. From how angry they were, Adelpha knew it can't have been anything good.

She especially knew that when spotting how Beau reacted - staring at the vampire by his side in complete shock that he blurted it out like that without hesitation.

"I think you both should leave now. It was nice meeting you. Your son, not so much," the woman began as calmly as she could, not even looking toward her son. She knew he was innocent to that all, but the fact he even asked if she would openly allow humans inside her house was ridiculous. Surely, he knew that was impossible for her to agree to? "Really, don't come here again, I don't need you influencing my son--"

"What, by asking to hang out with him?" Beau retorted, not really having the 'respect for his elders' he was supposed to. "Fucking hell, whatever, I was just tryin' to help, like."

 

[ForeverRed]

"Beau," Clement growled to his son, before standing up and looking at the woman. "....Sorry, we intruded, but you don't have to be rude to my son. He was trying to make friends the best way he knows how. Sorry, he offered drugs, but he was also offering his company. Your son should have some friends...It's obvious he doesn't have any. Look at the way he's staring at my son like's he's ever seen anyone in his life before."

Noel grimaced a bit. Was he being weird? How was he supposed to act? Looking down at himself, he wondered what was so weird about him. He wished he could be normal, and he wished he could hang out with Beau. "...Mama...Pl-Please let them st-stay just a l-little lo-long-" He was cut off by his own violent coughing, his entire body shaking. Panting from the harsh coughs, he grimaced, knowing he would have to go lay down in bed. "...Mama..I..I just w-want a friend...I'll b-be good."

 

[potassiumboron]

Adelpha had high opinions of herself, but she could take insults about herself easily. She could hear people comment on her personally, even if she wouldn't believe in any of their attacks. She liked to think she was the perfect, ideal woman, and it wasn't her problem if there were idiots out there who didn't see beauty when it was in front of them.

However, there were just some comments she couldn't take. People commenting on her being a mother and going as far as to challenge her assumption she was a good one made her physically shake with anger. Her son was her world. She kept him inside for a reason - he was sick and he needed to be kept away from humans for a good reason. If he discovered his cravings, there'd be chaos and she wanted to continue living without alerting the hunters. She was doing the right thing-- and having strangers judge her for that, and hearing her own son not defend that, hurt and angered her in equal measure.

"Get off my property," she began in a growl, somehow managing to stop herself attacking the humans-- though only through sheer willpower. "Before I call the police. I recommend you leave right this fucking second."