Open Post

[almightythirst]

  

Comments

is it vampire times?

[nockturnal]

[ Preceded by this monster of a thread. ]

It's fortunate they got a room facing away from the rising sun. The light never slips farther than the barest of slits closest to the window, dancing across the table and then fading away once midday passes. Evening creeps on and the sun dies behind a ridge of buildings in the distance, and Hanzo begins to stir in a most unfamiliar way.

There are arms, cool and bare, pressed close. A body lain against him, but no mere corpse. This one has all the familiar, comfortable scents that he's marked as a part of this journey across the country, tobacco and leather over the faint strains of preserved flesh and slow-flowing blood.

Tomorrow.

It's already here, the moment they could enjoy this for what it was without consequence has passed, and he quietly contemplates how easily he can slip away without rousing Jesse immediately. He'll be up before long, but...better to start steeling himself now for what was to come. Akande's visit, Reaper's attack, the meaning of the mask recovered at the killings of certain family members, all of that had to come before whatever this wound up being.

Much as he was loath to, the elder vampire began to try and pull loose of both Jesse and the covers, as quietly as possible.

it's a l w a y s vampire times

[almightythirst]

Jesse is prone to “sleeping in” a little as a vampire, but it’s been years since he fell asleep with someone in his arms. He’s had time to get used to people he trusts moving around in his space as he rests. That he can sleep through. But Hanzo’s quiet, careful movement beside him has his eyes blinking open almost straight away.

Hard to believe that the night before had actually happened, from start to finish: Akande. Reaper. This. But the reminders linger, from the ache of his healing skin, to his ever-insistent hunger, to the sight of Hanzo in his bed. It’s no question which of them is the more pleasant of the three. And the most fleeting.

Jesse toys with the idea of tightening his grip. Making it a little harder for Hanzo to slip away. In the end, he manages his impulses and lets Hanzo go without resistance.

“You ever not been an early-bird?” he asks without making a move to get up himself. He simply lays back and watches his sire, eyes still bleary from sleep, hair mussed, something warm in his gaze that hadn't been there upon waking on any other evening.

[nockturnal]

Of course it wouldn't matter how delicately he tried to extricate himself. Hanzo turned his head, peering back over his shoulder for a moment before huffing. Reaching for the band that had been tossed aside last night to draw his hair up from his shoulders.

Just seeing that glow of satisfaction in Jesse's eyes twists something in his gut. He's not sure he cares for the feeling.

"Our time to conduct ourselves in the evenings is limited to begin with. And we have much to see to." A stern reminder that he does still intend on carrying on as before, taking care of things with Talon and their continued journey across the country.

But. He hesitates in moving completely out of the bed, remaining there at the edge. Even if he reached for his clothes, he has the feeling he'd feel every bit as naked with them on. There's this uncomfortable sense that something's shifted unexpected, and he has no comprehension of how to deal with it.

Beyond not dealing with it at all. Which. Hasn't gone all that well, has it?

[almightythirst]

Jesse hums his assent, watching Hanzo in silence a moment longer before he moves to sit up. It’s slow going—slower than it should be, thanks to a certain someone and his shotguns.

The elder vampire is right that they don’t have time to sit around. They could have been tracked here by now, and with Jesse in this state, feeding quickly is a priority. Then there’s deciding their next move. Choosing which thread to follow.

Still. Jesse watches Hanzo tie his hair up, and the small, innocuous movement reminds him of something else. Like the first piece of armor being fitted back into place after a moment’s reprieve. It’s not the best feeling, for the morning to have gone this way, but what was the alternative?

Jesse huffs a quiet laugh, shakes his head, then slips across the bed to get out on the same side Hanzo is sitting on. His hand rests on his sire’s shoulder, squeezing gently before he uses it as leverage to get himself standing.

“I vote breakfast first. Won’t be much good to anybody ‘til I eat.”

[nockturnal]

'Morning'. 'Breakfast'. The ideas still stick with the younger vampire, don't they? Those tethers of a life once lived that he hasn't quite let go of, and truthfully? He wouldn't be quite the same once he did. There is something so decidedly human in him still, past the hunter and the demon and the undead curse Hanzo laid upon him when he first laid fangs into him. None of those things can touch that spark, it seems. Even now.

It's the thing that draws him in, perhaps, when he knows better. The thing that tightens in his still, silent chest when those fingers grasp his shoulder. Hanzo's dark eyes follow Jesse's movement as he draws himself free of the bed first, taking a moment for himself to simply center himself.

Last night was--

It doesn't matter, now.

"True. I do not suppose there is hope of finding something on our way out of town?" he murmurs in reply, finally drawing himself up to go retrieve his clothing. Might as well prepare for the quick retreat.

For all the good it will do. If Akande found him here, and Reaper found Jesse elsewhere, it is likely they will know where to follow them if they so desired. Better to decide on where to go next once they're on the road again.

[almightythirst]

“Only if we can make it quick. Otherwise, hope you don’t need me doing any fancy footwork before we get to the next place.”

Jesse is quick about gathering up his clothes, but there’s no hesitation in the way he moves without them. Hanzo had made it more than clear the night before that he didn’t mind Jesse’s scars. Or anything else about the look of him, for that matter. He smiles privately to himself as he slips back into his jeans and buttons up his shirt.

It does matter. It matters a lot, even if neither of them will talk about it just yet.

Hopefully Hanzo doesn’t intend for that to last forever though, because it won’t. If it wasn’t for the circumstances, Jesse would have broached the subject already.

“Afraid I don’t know this area so well. Wasn’t exactly a planned stop.”

He sits down a bit heavily in one of the chairs, and checks his phone with a quiet curse. He hadn’t thought to charge it before almost dying.

“We’ll have to just wing it from here.”

[nockturnal]

He's midway through pulling his shirt on when he notices the soft huff of breath, and sees Jesse staring at his phone. Well. They're not going to have time to wait for it to charge, at this point. However...

"It would be wise to change vehicles. Clearly, they know what this one looks like. Perhaps we could find one that could also see to that." He nods towards the device before returning to pulling his shirt into place, smoothing out the fabric.

"And, perhaps, strike two birds with one stone."

Travelers exchanging cars would be a prime opportunity. People out of their element that could be diverted for long enough to provide a quiet drink for both of them. Though Jesse clearly needed it more, given the injuries he'd manage to sustain the night prior. His own encounter with Akande had been...

Civil. It makes him wonder. The goodwill offering of information had certainly come at an interesting time.

[almightythirst]

The loss of the truck stings, but he knows Hanzo is right. In the life of a hunter (and, it would seem, the life of a vampire), there’s little room for getting sentimental over things. You always have to be ready to throw away what you can’t carry on your own back. Cars are easy enough to replace.

“Lookin’ for an upgrade?” Something with a USB hookup would be more useful than the outdated truck, even if Jesse prefers the simpler style. Again, no room for that kind of thinking when you’re talking survival.

At that, he looks up from his dead phone and casts a curious glance Hanzo’s way.

“I think I can guess at the birds you’re talkin’ about. And if there’s not the right sort around that just so happens to have a nice car we can ‘trade’?”

‘Right sort’ meaning criminals, of course. Jesse has his code. If he has to drink human blood, it has to be a certain type. Turns out he's a lot pickier about his meals as a vampire than he ever was as a human.

[nockturnal]

It makes a difference when you feed to kill. And Jesse's thirst is unlike any he's known in one of their kind before. When that weighs on your conscience with every feeding, being choosy makes sense.

"Fortunately, bad men and desirable cars have long been a fashionable pairing." One eyebrow arches in his fledgling's direction, before he starts to gather their things together. What little had been unpacked, at least. This was always a temporary stop, a detour neither had anticipated.

In more ways than one.

In ways that still ache, bone-deep, and it's a small blessing that he's always had a magnificent poker face. Otherwise, it'd be impossible to stop from staring like some doe-eyed idiot.

hey here's a Dragon Age AU thing bc why not

[almightythirst]

It’d been a particularly nasty Fade rift. They’d known that going in, given the testimonies of the locals who had fled the surrounding area, but they hadn’t anticipated there being quite this many demons. Their reserves ran thin more quickly than anticipated, the team getting spread father apart than any of them would have liked.

And then, the big ugly-ass cherry on top: a pride demon. Jesse might’ve been more excited to be facing something so powerful and challenging, had it 1) not been some manner of spiritual/Fade-related fuckery (not his favorite), and 2) if he and the Inquisitor weren’t the only two people in sight.

They’d survived, and the Rift had been closed—but not before the edge of the outcropping they were standing on started to slip down the mountainside from the force of the Pride demon’s blows against the ground. Before Jesse can even finish shouting Sen’s name, they’re falling, and it’s all he can do to keep from getting knocked out completely.

When the rocks and dirt finish settling, Jesse forces himself to his feet, bits of the mountain still in his eyes as he calls out—

“Inquisitor?”

[heraldsdawn]

It had been something of a hard fight. Bull and Dorian had been separated from them, taking on a pack of demons that were deviating towards the village. Sen believed he and Jesse had this. His barriers were strong to keep them both protected against these demons. 'A fairly simple fight,' he thought. No new surprises, your standard murderous demons coming through to kill everyone.

But, of course there's a pride demon. A battle, a closing of the rift. It seems like it happens so quickly. But, as the demon dies, he doesn't see it come down with it's claws in it's death throes. In his exhaustion he can't summon the magic needed to throw up a barrier. He feels it's claws rake into his side and fresh blood pours forth from the wound it leaves him.

He's on his knees holding his side, the pain not hitting him yet as the adrenaline courses through his body. Then he hears Jesse's voice and he slowly turns in their direction. He can see them coming towards him and Sen waves over to Jesse. "Over here!" He calls out to Jesse, voice strained but clear. He gets up to move towards them, but he stumbles, the pain now beginning to wrack his body.

[almightythirst]

Jesse waves a hand in front of his face to clear the lingering dirt and dust from his vision as he makes his way towards Sen. Any relief he may have felt about them surviving both the rift and the landslide evaporates instantly when he watches the other man stumble. Maybe he sprained an ankle, or broke a bone, or…

… Is that blood? He picks up his pace and curses when he gets close enough to see the damage.

“Inquisitor, what… when did it get you?” He hadn’t seen it. He should’ve seen it, and been there to deflect the damage. That’s his whole job. The anger at himself can wait though. Will have to, so he can tend to these wounds.

These very... very serious wounds And them with no healer to take care of it. And no one knowing where they even are.

[heraldsdawn]

It takes everything just to hold the wound shut with his hand. He's not even sure how to properly heal this with magic. Maybe he should've learned how to heal at some point, maybe he should've done it sooner now that they were fighting a war. But, he didn't and this was the consequence. He looks ahead towards Jesse as he yells for him and stumbles again towards them.

He's not even sure how close to Jesse he is because it felt like the man was moving further way despite being close. Sen tries to stand but only proceeds to collapse right into Jesse. What was he saying? When did it happen?

"I. Just as we defeated it. It got one good hit in before it expired..." Sen mumbles as the sweat began to pour down his face. Another look as he looked to McCree as the adernaline was starting to course through him. Why was McCree looking so blurry...?

"Hey...can you stop moving for a moment? You're dancing right now..."

[almightythirst]

It takes a lot of self-control to bite back further cursing as the Inquisitor falls into his arms, but he does his best. As much panic as he feels, Jesse needs to stay calm. For both their sakes.

“C’mon now,” he says as he kneels, bringing Sen down along with him in a firm yet gentle grip. “I’ll try not to move too much if you won’t.” He tries for a bit of a joking tone, but it mostly falls flat with his worry lacing every word. He quickly tugs whatever clothes are in his way up to get a better look at the damage, years of practical field medicine experience rushing back to him.

“Whatever you do, stay awake. No time to be napping, you hear me?” He unbuckles his own armor quickly so he can get to the clothing underneath—specifically the scarf-like fabric he’d kept around his neck, which he now uses as a makeshift bandage.

“Sorry, this’ll sting—” he says, only giving Sen a moment of warning before applying pressure on the wound.

“Please tell me you’ve got some elfroot on you.”

[heraldsdawn]

He doesn't struggle when Jesse lifts him somewhat to his feet but he was beginning to feel like a rag doll. The bleeding was beginning to stain his robes even though it was being staunched as well as he could. He does laugh a little at the attempt of the joke, everything sounds funny right now when his head was spinning. "You always make me want to move, Jesse...you have that effect on me," Sen says letting out a weak little laugh.

He huffs slightly in pain though at the comment of napping. It would feel so nice to sleep right now, just let himself drift off, away from the pain. "I don't...think I have much of a choice in the matter," he says softly, his head beginning to rest on Jesse's shoulder. He felt himself going in and out up until the point he begins to feel a sharp pressure on the claw marks.

It's enough to jolt him awake and let out a small cry of pain. "Shit! Fuck!" It's a hard to hold back the swearing. He's at least concious enough now that he does hear that question. "Y-yes. In my side pack. I scavenge a lot of it when we're on the road," he says slowly. Without thinking, bloody fingers reach into the bag, beginning pulling out the mentioned roots and holding them out to Jesse.

[almightythirst]

That comment about him should have him smiling fondly, not feeling a pang of anxiety so strong his hands almost shake. They stay steady though, even as Sen jerks around beneath them from the pain. At least it woke him up.

“You can dock my rations back at Skyhold for that if you want,” he offers, mind already two steps ahead. Elfroot. No time to make a potion, but he can work with the plants themselves and make a poultice. It’ll do until they can get to a proper healer.

“That’ll be more than enough. Here—” he takes the elfroot, then grasps Sen’s hand and presses it against the cloth over his wound. “Keep that pressure there, alright? I’m gonna need a minute or two, and you’re gonna have to talk to me the whole time. Maybe give me a few more compliments. Or curse at me again. Whichever you’re feelin’ up to.”

He gives the Inquisitor’s hand a quick squeeze with his own, just taking a moment to hold him there in his arms before slowly shifting his weight completely to the ground. He then hurries to find a couple of stones, which isn’t hard to do after a landslide. They’re no mortar and pestle, but they’ll do.

[heraldsdawn]

Another weak laugh as he hears Jesse say that to him. Docking rations? He could think of Cassandra putting a punishment like that down if he ended up bleeding out because Jesse was joking. But no, Sen wouldn't. It felt out of character for him. So, he just laughs a little more as he looks to Jesse, "If I did that you'd get skinny...and we both know that's not a good idea."

Oh look, he can tease while suffering blood loss, who knew. Still, he has enough adrenaline to keep focus on McCree's words. Right. Lie down and just keep awake enough to talk. He gives another small nod to his understanding as he's slowly set upon the ground. He holds his side to keep the bleeding staunched, but did he imagine Jesse squeezing his hand? Maybe...he's not sure.

But, once he touches the grass, he rolls his head to look to Jesse as they begin to try and pound the leaves into a paste. What had Jesse said again...oh right...Keep talking.

"So...compliments, hm?...I could do that...don't really feel like insulting you much. You're too handsome for that...your beard is nice...fairly soft...didn't think it'd tickle though." Just him rambling things off. That's fine.

Fantasy AU; The Dragon Deity Patron and the Warlock

[heraldsdawn]

It hadn't been long since he had met Jesse on the road. The man could be taken as a humble wanderer, unassuming to most people. Sen might have even missed him on the road if not for the band of thieves that seemed to have harried him. It hadn't been hard to dispatch them, after all, Sen still had some magic about him to scare them off; Not much, but some.

Sen had figured that once he had helped Jesse and brought him to a town for safety they would've parted ways. But the man kept following him on the road. He never bothered to question it, it wasn't much of his business as to why. Ultimately though it was nice to have the company of the man. He was funny and it made the journey just a bit easier to have someone.

He had been left with the task of finding an old temple of his clan and retrieve some form of treasure inside. Whatever the treasure had been he did not know, only the fact that it was powerful and that his people needed it.

But, right now, they were on the road, with twilight beginning to set upon them. The elf let out a sigh, looking down the long road that was ahead of them. "As much as I'd like to keep going...we should probably set up camp for the evening. It'd be too dangerous to keep going in the dark," he says as he turns to Jesse.

[almightythirst]

Jesse might not look it, but he’s been around for a long, long while now, and meeting him on the road has traditionally been a risky thing for travelers. Their wellbeing is entirely dependent upon his whims, and while he never visits outright misfortune upon the undeserving, a bit of tricksiness never really hurt anybody… not too badly, at least.

Those thieves had been a different sort altogether though. Sen had saved him the trouble of taking care of them himself, and Jesse had immediately taken a liking to the warlock. He has always had a soft spot for adventurers. That Sen is handsome doesn’t hurt either.

His eyes flash with a hint of golden light as he glances down at his companion, and he resists the urge to smirk at his concern for what lies in the dark. Jesse rather enjoys traveling at night for that very reason, but he’s willing to forgo his riskier habits for Sen’s sake. Having to stop and rest, the whole ritual of setting up camp for the night, starting a fire to stave off the darkness… it’s quite novel.

“Reckon you’re right, and this is a nice enough spot for it too. I’ll get us a fire going if you handle the tent.”

[heraldsdawn]

He turns almost too late to notice the golden glint, he almost catches it and there was a moment of puzzlement on his face, but, he figures it was a trick of the setting sun. He see's that smile and only can give something of a soft smile to it. For whatever reason, whenever he looked at Jesse there always felt like there was some kind of hint of mischief in it. Maybe it was to be expected though. He had known Jesse at least enough to know the man did like his jokes.

"Here's hoping we don't get besieged by thieves in the night. But, I'm sure you'd keep me safe," he says thoughtfully. But, he moves to set down his pack and start pulling out the packed canvas for their tent. He pulls the pieces out and just begins to put things together with his back to Jesse. "We'll have another long walk tomorrow so it might be good to head out as early as dawn," he remarks already trying to set ideas down for plans.

He does sigh though craning his head to the sky. "Maybe we'll even find a decent waterfall I can take a bath in...I'd really like that," the small comforts because well...travelling didn't allow for a lot of comforts.

[almightythirst]

Jesse delights in those little close calls. He’s not like some of his kind, who prefer to hide entirely in the shadows. Where’s the fun in that? And this particular game is especially fun, given Sen has no idea what power Jesse has already begun to lend him. It’s only a little for now. He'd known it would take though, had known Sen was a worthy recipient. He’d already started thinking of the man as a warlock long before he’d lent the man even an ounce of his favor.

Some mortal creatures were just like that. They might not have been born with power, but they were fertile ground for it. All Jesse had to do was lend it a spark and fan the flames a little…

Speaking of, there’s a campfire to start. But before that, while Sen isn’t looking, he kneels down and traces the shape of a rune into the dirt. It glows a faint, burnished orange before sputtering out, its work done: an area effect, lending them some protection against unwelcome guests in the night.

“Don’t think we’ll have a problem here,” he says with a grin as he stands. “But don’t sell yourself short. You can take care of yourself, seen it with my own two eyes. You already forget how we met?”

He moves to the edges of the clearing, gathering firewood and bits of dry kindling.

“And you’re in luck with the waterfall. It’s not that close, but you should run into something like that about twenty minutes north of here.” He gives no explanation for how he knows that as he starts to put his pile together in something resembling a proper campfire.

[heraldsdawn]

He's a little too late to turn when he see's the fire up and going already. He does arc his brow but it's met with a small smile as he finishes up the tent. "You're awfully quick when making the fire," he remarks as he moves over to the fire. More unpacking of the pack and he sets up a pot above the fire. They would need to be cooking at some point tonight.

"You sound confident. But, I should take that as you'll be keeping me safe," Sen says looking over with a small smile and a tease of his own. But, still, he does nod to Jesse's point. "Yes well, I couldn't just leave you to them. Who knows what they might've done. But, I suppose you're right I am very capable," Sen says jokingly as he pours a one of their waterskins into the pot.

However, he is momentarily paused when Jesse says that. He looks to them curiously, blinking slowly. "Wait...how do you know that? Are you sure?" Because that would be some lucky guessing on his part. Still, he shakes his head. "It wouldn't be a good idea to split up though. Twenty minutes there, the time spent washing and then twenty minutes back? Who knows what could happen. No, I can go in the morning if that's the case after we pack up."

[almightythirst]

Jesse discretely blows out an errant flame lingering on the tip of one of his fingers as Sen comes to join him, not bothering to hide his sly smile.

“You’re more capable than you know,” he insists, picking up a stick to nudge the fire with as it crackles almost merrily in the dying light. He never has that problem where it just won’t catch, or it flickers and begins to die down before its time. No, Jesse’s fires burn bright and strong long as he needs them to.

“And the waterfall? Call it a hunch.”

How long will Sen take these half-answers, he wonders? This little dance around the truth? He watches his companion, firelight shining in his eyes as he considers the answer to that.

“Quick detour sounds best, and worth the time. Got to enjoy the little things when you’re on the road this long. And from what you’ve told me, you’ll be on a road a while longer yet.” It’s often that way with quests and the like. They’re rarely ever short and sweet.

[heraldsdawn]

"Well, thank you for the vote of confidence, regardless," Sen says with a smile.

There's a moment he purses his lips as he glances to Jesse, eyeing them curiously. He always did have a lot of hunches, lot of them right most of them too. Call it good luck or intuition but no...usually there's more to it. He hadn't bothered to pry though because what would be the point? If Jesse had meant any real harm he could've just killed him in his sleep right now and taken the map.

But, thoughts like that didn't even find purchase in his mind because he had trusted the man. He does sigh though because something was there. He just wasn't sure what. Either way, he sidles up beside Jesse now, his arms wrapping around Jesse's arm as he leans his head on their shoulder. Tired. That's just how he felt right now and well, aside from the fire Jesse had a comforting warmth he wanted to be close to right now.

"It doesn't feel like it is going to end any time soon. You hear about these kinds of things in stories but you never expect you'd need to go on one," Sen reflects as his eyes gaze into the fire. "It makes me tired sometimes...the long roads, the endless wandering. Sometimes I just want to get to the destination and be done with it," he says softly. But, it's then he squeezes Jesse's arm slightly as he shifts to keep his head on their shoulder, "One of the worthwhile things about it though is to have you here."

[almightythirst]

Jesse raises an eyebrow at the physical contact, but he doesn’t pull away from it. He’s quite physical himself when left to his own devices. In his truer form, most wouldn’t dare come close enough to even try what Sen is doing now. The contact is... nice. Unexpected, but comfortable. He relaxes into it with a quiet sigh.

“I was lucky meeting you when I did, and not just because of the bandits. I’m having a grand ol’ time tagging along, but I also don’t have what you’ve got on the line.”

He smiles down at his companion, then turns his attention back to the fire. He can feel it within him, a physical extension of his power—not unlike how Sen feels, with that bit of power taking root inside of him.

“A journey is a lot like a forge,” he muses. “The person you are when you set out isn’t the person who shows up at the end of it. You get sharpened along the way. Made into something new, something stronger. Ever heard of a trial by fire?”

Alright, maybe he’s going overboard with the fire analogies. He settles his weight against Sen and judges another bit of wood with his stick.

“Point being, this is all part of the process of you getting ready for that destination. I’ve seen it all before, and I see it in you too.”