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@ontheluis
[pm] Sure man, shoot
[pm] Someone I know mentioned there were drugs people like us could take
[pm] But he blatantly doesn’t trust me not to fuck up somehow
[pm] Because the second I showed any interest he shut up
[pm] And gave me the whole ‘putting yourself in danger’ lecture
[pm] Any chance you know anything about supernatural drugs?
[pm] Like, do they actually exist?
A Christmas present for the gentlemen of Ashwood University →
Each gift comes in a uniquely wrapped box with a ribbon or bow. There are gifts for @chefshaunabrams, @princecarterw, @maxcanderson, @backstageberry, @mikeymike-chang, @malakaixchang, @ashwoodclarington, @teachernicky, @ashwoodsammy, @harperxdallas, @dominick-henryharper, @dave-thefishguy, @luisrenaldomontez, @cullenatashu, @andrewstjamess, and @malachiwilde.
The tag:
Merry Christmas,
Hope your holiday season has been absolutely wonderful and that you have a Happy New Year.
Happy Holidays, Parker Smythe
The gift:
Continued from here @dxrkcrxwn
Florence could not begin to understand the pain and turmoil that he must be going through. As Lady Whistledown announced the news, she had left every upset and doubt between them behind, and decided to check in on him. It was as if she had gone mind over matter, knowing that despite the tension between him and his father, he would be devastated and lost as such a loss. She wanted to be there or at least offer to be. She noted how he seemed to dislike her these days. She often wondered what she had done to make him despise her so. She had approached their home, being let in and eventually remained by his side. They spoke for hours and for a moment, she feared he would leave. She pleaded for him to stay, for now at least, as they watched the sun set by the lake.
His words spurred surprise. She had noted her father liked her, but their last conversation had been that Luis no longer wanted her in his life and he had been burdened with telling her. She could not begin to understand what had led to his loss of love for her. His next words puzzled her, and she could not simply remain quiet. "I'm sorry to question you at such a time but what do you mean by my decision?" She questioned, brows narrowed together. "If I remember rightly, you had fallen for another and my final conversation with your father was him telling me of this.' She had held her tears that day, before leaving and breaking down in private. She had felt like she had lost her best friend and still had.
[pm] Dude. Did you lose your toe?
[pm] No?
[pm] But thank you for the concern
[pm] I think
[pm] Please don’t tell me wolf Luis like
[pm] Spat out a random toe or something
[pm] Because that image is really not something I need in my head
[pm] Hey wanna be my wingman for this formal ball thing I have for work? Its look of free food and blood.
[pm] Wait?
[pm] Firstly, balls are a thing?
[pm] Like, what?
[pm] Who does that?
[pm] Secondly, why was I your first thought?
[pm] Shouldn’t you be taking someone classy?
[pm] And you know
[pm] Not on drugs?
NORMAL IS OUT OF STOCK | MILO & LUIS
PLACE: Nightshade Market TIMING: 10:00 PM SUMMARY: Luis takes Milo to the Nightshade Market, and Milo makes some unexpected friends WRITING PARTNER: @ontheluis CONTENT WARNINGS: Addiction, drugs, brief mention of NSFW themes
The last rays of Friday’s sunset were fading over the horizon as Luis led the way to where the Nightshade Farmer’s Market was getting started. Strings of lights were hung across the stalls and poles, brightening the dusk like an oasis of radiance in the approaching night. Elephant ears, fresh fruit, baked bread, and other organic market fare were sold alongside selections of more morbid fare.
“A friend showed me the Nightshade Market,” Luis explained as they strode through the grassy field toward the island of tents and lights. “Supposedly it was started by a vampire farmer and since then people like us come here to buy fresh stuff that's normally hard to get.”
It was only the second that Luis had smelled so many werewolves together in one place. His eyes strayed to families and children cooking marshmallows around campfires just outside of the market proper. Luis knew it shouldn’t surprise him to see kids. Like werewolves could obviously love, screw, and get pregnant so why wouldn’t they have families? But Luis had only experienced his lycanthropy as a source of slaughter and pain. Putting that together with kids in his head felt deeply wrong in a way he knew was illogical, but couldn’t quite shake.
As they began to approach the market, Milo found himself wondering why he hadn’t asked Luis about this before. It had only been a week since he had learned of his friend’s true nature, but that week alone had made it very clear Luis did know more than him. Albeit only a little, and maybe not in the way he had been expecting him to. It seemed he still had an awful lot to discover when it came to other members of the supernatural community, they were in that one together, at least. He could only assume working for somebody promising a cure for Lycanthropy had opened doors, had led him to various locations he wouldn’t otherwise have discovered. “A friend?” He asked curiously, figuring maybe he had been wrong in his assumption. “Wait- a vampire farmer?” It was ridiculous how saying things like that no longer felt ridiculous. “As in a vampire growing vegetables he couldn’t even eat? Or a vampire raising animals he was planning to drain of blood?” He wasn’t entirely sure why it mattered. Glancing around, feeling a little on edge, even as he fought to appear relaxed, and comfortable, it wasn’t lost on him how many scents he couldn’t recognise, and how many scents he could.
There were werewolves here, they had to be surrounded. And definitely other vampires. Somebody was selling blood, or drinking blood, and as they made their way further into the crowd he realised that was definitely not something to be startled about. “Fresh stuff like… blood?” He asked, unable to help himself. “And what about other things?” He tried to sound casual, although Luis was already aware of his interest in substances. “Like the drugs… the supernatural ones? Is this where you can buy them?” Faltering as they wandered by a family, he tore his gaze away from them before they could notice him staring. It was so jarring, thinking of children growing up in this world instead of being raised to believe it was entirely fictional. Were they happy? Were they healthy? Did that entirely depend on their species? “How many times have you been here? It’s not… dangerous, right?”
“Another werewolf,” Luis clarified but didn’t provide Alcher’s name, “one of my….” He caught himself right before mentioning a pack. It’d been so insidiously natural to immediately think of himself as part of something he wished to reject. “And uh honestly dude I have no idea,” he admitted amiably the subject of a Nightshade Market’s alleged founder. “Maybe they grew blood veggies? There’s all kinds of weird stuff here.”
They passed a stall owned by an incredibly slender woman with bright yellow eyes and a forked tongue that was a bit too convincing to be wholly the result of modification surgery. She beckoned to the pair and pointed to cages full of weasels, teeming mice, chirping crickets, and plump fish drifting about transparent tanks whose glass reflected the market lights. “All quite healthy,” she assured Luis as if having an inkling he was the sort of being inclined towards raw animal meat. “See anything you like?”
Luis squatted down in front of the tanks to peer at their piscine occupants. “Mhm, blood or live mice,” he answered Milo with a hint of a smirk. “This is more of a family friendly place...well...uh,” he amended in a murmur, “friendly by like wolf people kid standards I guess.”
Luis watched the drifting fish and mice climbing over themselves in their cages, listening to their tiny rapid heartbeats. “Like I said, it's more family friendly-like but later near the market’s end there’ll be a guy to talk to.” There was a slight twinge of guilt on infringing upon the wholesomeness of a place Alcher had shown him during an attempt to bond over a gentler part of the paranormal night.
“Safe yeah, apparently they got spotters to watch out for monster hunters, but like,” Luis glanced at the milling throngs of people who smelled doggy, had reptilian musk, or lacked heartbeats. Couples exchanged coy bites of cow hearts while children dashed amongst the stalls with very tooth grins. “I think most people just don’t make trouble here.”
Milo noticed the way Luis faltered but made no effort to push him. Despite now knowing the truth about each other, there was an element to their friendship that was vulnerable, that made him feel exposed. No doubt, Luis was feeling the same way, still in the habit of catching himself before saying certain things. “Okay, maybe a month ago I would have told you that’s an insane idea, but now…” He laughed, shaking his head. Now, the idea of vegetable blood felt like a genuine possibility. Following Luis’ lead as they were both encouraged to look at a stall run by a woman who definitely, definitely wasn’t human, he eyed her wares with a degree of hesitance. He didn’t know this world, it all felt so alien to him. Part of him felt half convinced just looking at someone the wrong way might get him killed… again. He wanted to ask Luis what people used live mice and fish for, but decided against making it obvious he didn’t belong. Instead, he crouched too, his attention drawn to two mice in a glass jar, separated from the others. The scuttling of their paws against the glass, the humming of their hearts, beating impossibly fast inside their chests, it was soothing. They were so delicate, so innocent looking. He knew what it felt like to be trapped like that, to feel as though you were living inside a bubble. He was struck by a sudden, and overwhelming urge to help them. “Why are these two alone?” He asked the woman, unable to help himself. She grunted, a shrug accompanying her response.
“Runts.” She muttered. “No good for some people… too weak.” Milo nodded, chewing thoughtfully on his bottom lip. He knew how that felt too. He had been written off as weak, and worthless by far too many people in his life. Largely due to the decisions he made, but it didn’t stop a spark of empathy from igniting within his chest. Forcing himself not to get too distracted, he listened to Luis, attempting to process his words. He couldn’t imagine anybody labelling this place as family friendly. Apparently the human definition was far more sensitive. Catching his eye at the mention of people waiting around for the market to close, he held his tongue for the second time. It was best not to look too eager, or excited, to frame his interest as casual. Besides, he was acutely aware of the reptilian woman still watching them, waiting for them to make a potential purchase. Even in the regular world he was smart enough to know you didn’t shout about picking up. Assured by the knowledge the market was free from hunters, and slayers, he carefully got to his feet, absentmindedly brushing down his sweater.
“Hey, do they use regular money here?” He asked Luis, his voice barely louder than a whisper. “You don’t pay with like, a fucking blood pact or something?”
“The small ones? You're not feeling hungry,” asked Luis, not yet comprehending that Milo might be buying pets instead of snacks.
Luis was momentarily distracted by the gaze of a young woman about he and Milo’s age that passed by, laughing with her friends. She paused and gave Luis a once over, which he returned. He couldn’t help but notice the way the market lights framed her face, and grin stupidly in sheepish appreciation at the way she unabashedly checked him out, the bold firm set of her features betraying no sign of shyness or shame. She moved with the causal self-assured grace of one who’d been born a predator and grown up embracing it.
She felt right somehow, like they already knew so much about each other. A suggestive twitch of her smile and cock of the head that sent dark cascading over one claw-scarred shoulder asked Luis to come over in not so many words. As his blood went hot and tunnel vision crept in, Luis’ yearned to just…
In an instant Luis realized what she was, why she felt right, and that he was probably making eyes with another killer who also woke up surrounded by corpses.
Horniness became self-revulsion in an instant.
Luis broke eye contact and turned away, trying to push away thoughts of doing primal things in the woods over yonder and focus on what Milo had just asked. “Oh uh...uh,” he swallowed, trying to focus. “No we use real money here, blood pact stuff is in other places,” Luis said, realizing belatedly he should have laughed at that, before looked down at the small oddly shaped symbol on his wrist where the bosses’ claw had sealed their agreement.
Milo raised his eyebrows, shooting Luis a pointed look. If he was being entirely honest, he was always hungry. He couldn’t remember the last time he hadn’t had a burning desire to drink blood, a desperation to feed. But it only ever became truly apparent when he thought about it, when something drew his attention to it. He supposed he had Harsh and his precious supply of blood bags for that. Now that he had experienced being able to drink when he wanted to, he wasn’t sure he would be able to go back to not knowing when his next meal might be, scrounging in the woods for animals he had a chance of being able to catch. “Even if I was, I don’t think a mouse would make much of a difference.” He admitted, even more aware of the scent of blood being carried towards him on the breeze. Where was it coming from? Realising, in his own distraction, he had allowed Luis to become equally as distracted, he followed his friend’s gaze to an attractive girl around their own age. Even from this distance he could smell what she was, it was obvious Luis would also be able to. She shamelessly smiled at Luis, gesturing for him to join her, and he watched in disbelief as Luis turned away.
“Okay, firstly, I’m fine with Heterosexuality, just don’t shove it down my throat.” He teased, grinning easily at his friend. “Secondly, please don’t abandon me here to get laid.” He added, thinking about how terrified he would be without somebody who at least knew where they were going by his side. “And finally, she was totally hitting on you, are you seriously telling me you aren’t even going to get her number?” His expression brightening when he was told the currency was just regular US Dollars, he wasn’t fazed by the serious mention of blood pacts. Missing the way his friend stared down at the symbol on his wrist, Milo asked the woman behind the table how much she wanted for the two little mice, and hurried to hand over his cash. Picking up the jar, he couldn’t help feeling a surge of protectiveness for them both as they stared at him through the glass. Maybe this was what he needed. Some animals to take care of, two vulnerable creatures who were going to rely on him for all of their needs. He could focus on them, he could nurture them. And in turn they would help him to prove that he wasn’t a monster. He wasn’t cold, and callous, and dead. He was very much capable of harbouring life, of celebrating it. “Aren’t they sweet?” He asked Luis, holding them up so that he could look at them. “Hey, we should probably stop by a pet store after this… I don’t have anywhere to keep them.”
Color flushed into Luis’ cheeks and neck, his freckles stark flecks on brown on spreading rosy awkward. “I uh,” Milo’s teasing brought out a smile that helped break through the contradiction of attraction and aversion messing with Luis’ head. “Sorry didn’t mean to horndog on you there, I uh...got distracted but I’m not going to leave you hanging for some rando girl or guy here.” he ran hand through his sandy hair with a shake of the head.
“The more chill I am with...uh...being around,” Luis euphemized, “people like me the harder it’ll be to leave that behind and I’m afraid I’ll give in the wolf if i'm too comfortable like this,” claimed the young werewolf, as if each scrap of comfort and happiness among his new people was a temptation he needed to resist.
“So nah, best I don’t ask for her number,” Luis said, despite a pained expression and glance back over his shoulder suggesting an inner contradiction.
Luis peered at the mouse jar. “Mhm,” allowed the guy used to farm cats being bought to kill these things. But hey if Milo loves them whatever. “Yeah we could do that.”
Luis stopped by a stall with coolers full of hearts amongst other organs. Hearts of many sizes and species were for sale. The werewolf’s eyes strained to those that looked suspiciously human but settled instead for ordering a selection of cow and pig hearts from the a butcher who brutally chiseled frame might’ve been well suited for ripping them out still beating.
Milo’s grin widened at the sight of Luis’ blood. He could smell it as it rushed to the surface of his skin, giving away his embarrassment at being caught out. “Well, as long as you’re not about to leave me hanging.” He said, his eyes shining with mischief. It didn’t take long for his humour to fade though, as Luis began to elaborate on why he hadn’t approached the girl. It was a stark reminder of how different their situations were. Luis was looking for a way out, a way to reverse what he was and go back to life as a human. It made sense he didn’t want to get close to people, or too used to the supernatural world. Whereas he was the opposite. This was his life now, whether he liked it or not. He had no choice but to get used to it, to throw himself into it headfirst. “I get it.” He said quietly, letting him know he didn’t need to keep talking about it if he wasn’t comfortable. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t even… sometimes I forget this isn’t forever for you. It’s weird.” He wasn’t entirely convinced that there was such a thing as a cure for Lycanthropy, but for his friend’s benefit he was going to believe. Or at the very least, try to.
Clutching the jar to his chest, he glanced down to make sure there was sufficient air flow through the holes in the lid. It was strange, holding a pair of animals that could now be considered his. He had grown up in a household that saw pets as an unnecessary burden. And here he was, with two of his very own. He felt almost childlike in his excitement, for a brief moment the quest for drugs was forgotten, replaced by a quest for cages, and chew toys, and water bottles. Following Luis, unable to blame him for his disinterest in the mice, he watched as he purchased some questionable meat from a butcher. The thought of it made him want to wrinkle his nose, but he would be lying if he said the blood didn’t smell incredibly appealing. His old human nature at war with his new appetite. Thinking back on his conversations with Luis and Orion, he wondered whether he would be able to enjoy a bloody steak with his new tastebuds. “So, hearts, huh?” He asked as they began to walk away. “Is that a thing, or like… just personal taste?”
It was Luis’ turn to smile at his friend's question. “Some people at work asked me to pick some up” the werewolf explained as if this were the equivalent of a Starbucks run amongst paranormal carnivores. “They're harder to get then like slabs of beef and stuff, but yeah for some people they are like a delicacy or whatever.” In truth, Luis liked them when they were still warm and full of life, but that was just another thing he hated about the creature he’d become.
It felt weird to have actual money at his disposal after so long on the road. The syndicate paid well even if Luis knew each bill represented something he’d spent the rest of his life regretting.
Whatever, it's not like burning the money would stop that stuff from happening, or make it any less necessary for getting his humanity back.
After the hearts had been secured in bags of ice, Luis led the ward to an elegant pavilion of black silk strung with lights. The interior of the black tent was filled with antique medicine cabinets from the victorian era. On those weathered shelves were row up row of blood vials, each with stylized labels expounding upon the particular virtues of their contents.
The stall own was a tall reedy figure in a ratty suit two centuries out of date and a safari hat from which hung a silk veil that completely obscured their features.
“Get whatever you want man,” Luis insisted, “I just had payday so I can spot you if you need it.”
Milo laughed, unable to help himself. “Of course they did.” He resisted the urge to roll his eyes, amused by how casual Luis managed to make the comment sound. He supposed it was the equivalent of a coffee run when you were working for supernatural creatures. “Yeah, I can imagine walking into a butcher shop and asking for a bunch of hearts might get you some weird fucking looks.” He laughed again, the sound dying in his throat as he was overcome by a fresh wave of curiosity. Following his friend, he ducked inside a black silk tent that looked far more mysterious, and extravagant than the others. He realised this was where the scent of blood had been coming from. His throat felt dry, closing up as he struggled to fight against a sudden, powerful thirst. The space was lined with delicate shelves, row upon row of glass vials holding various types of blood. Different colours, different levels of viscosity, different smells… It was overwhelming trying to dissect them all so he began to carefully read every label. Fae blood, human blood, hunter blood, slayer blood. He swallowed, trying not to think about how the blood had been drawn. He couldn’t imagine any slayer or hunter willingly offering to open a vein. Not if Dani was anything to go by. Maybe Orion would, if he knew it might help somebody in need, but Orion was a very special case. It didn’t take a genius to work that one out.
He was very aware of the strange store owner following his movements, and he was unnerved by the fact that he couldn’t see their eyes. “What?” He asked, turning back to Luis. He wasn’t even sure where to begin. He didn’t know what the purpose was of having so many options, and he was too nervous to take a closer look and read about what each vial had to offer. He didn’t want people to know he was new, that felt like painting a target on his back. Instead, he wrinkled his nose, feigning disinterest in the delicacies. “I… when I drink blood, the whole vampire thing happens…” He admitted, gesturing vaguely to his face. Sure, Luis had seen his fangs, but he hadn’t seen him feeding. After losing his reflection he had spent more time than he cared to admit staring at himself on the front camera of his phone. He wanted to know what other people saw, he needed to know what other people saw. And he wasn’t exactly ready to reveal his true nature, the full, uncensored version of it. What would Luis say when his eyes flashed red? When his fangs withdrew without his permission? “Nobody wants to see that…”
Luis placed both hands behind his head and grinned, glad that his blood money could at least help someone out.
“Dude, you’ve seen the other side of me and well uh….all the rest of me too I guess,” Luis pointed out bluntly. Lycanthropy tended to work you through that kind of bashfulness pretty quick, given how often you were put in the position of a streaker. Honestly he mostly felt bad for having forced that level of personal knowledge on Milo when they weren’t even like on a sports team together or something. “It’s not a problem.”
But though Luis had initially laughed it off, the more he paid attention to Milo’s body language, the more he realized that his friend wasn’t taking this well. Milo was a newbie vamp. Luis had enough hangups on his lycanthropy that he was still repressed about being flirted with by other wolves. Why wouldn’t Milo have a thing about whatever this feeding face was?
“Hey Milo,” he said more gently, lowering his voice. “It’s ok, you’re still my friend, no matter what I see.”
Milo smiled appreciatively as he was reminded of just how vulnerable Luis had been in his company. It was true, no matter what his friend saw, he wasn’t about to turn on his heel and run. That much was obvious. But it didn’t take away from the strange sense of embarrassment. He wondered if Luis had felt that after becoming human again, regardless of the fact that he was naked. Was there more to it? Had it been about the wolf, and not about the distinct lack of clothing? Chewing thoughtfully on his bottom lip, the longer they stayed in the tent, the stronger his thirst seemed to grow. Stronger, and more painful, until it was clear to him he wouldn’t be able to leave without first buying something to sate it. Not without becoming a danger to any humans unfortunate enough to cross his path. Clutching his jar to his chest, aware of the two mice looking up at him curiously, his expression softened at the sound of Luis’ voice. It was gentle and reassuring, as though he recognised the internal struggle.
“I know…” He replied, his voice low, and sincere. It meant more than he could possibly put into words, so he didn’t try. Instead, he turned his gaze back to the vials, deciding it would be smart to settle for what he knew. As he carefully selected a vial of human blood, he couldn’t help but think back to his initial question of how it had been collected. It felt odd, not knowing. But then, did humans ever question where their meat came from? How the animals had suffered? Did they ever wonder who stitched their clothing, or put together their cell phone? The drugs he so readily took were definitely manufactured in questionable ways, and he never once let that stop him from taking them. His fist closing around the blood in his hand, he shot Luis a look that told him he had made his decision, too nervous to approach the person waiting to take their money himself.
If working with hardened criminals could really be said to have any benefits for one character, it was that you quickly got acclimated to exchanging money with strangers who were probably on a dozen government watch lists.
Luis approached the seller, a suited and veiled figure in a safari hat who smelled of moldering dust and dried blood. While he’d been prepared to muster that blank-faced confidence necessary to not show weakness to his coworkers, the vendor turned out to be more passively intimidating than they were actually forceful. Their voice had the crackling dryness of paper and sounded venerable to Luis’ ears, though he wasn’t really sure what that meant when dealing with the dead.
After an exchange that was a tad eerie yet also conducted with a formal courtesy that belonged to another century, Luis returned to Milo and led the way out of the black silk pavilion.
Luis surveyed Milo’s increasing haul with a small smirk, “hey dude, I got something to show you,” he said, striding down the lines of stalls with an easy confidence, the inner core of self-assurance of one who’d fought, endured, killed, and won that the Luis Martinez from last summer would have never possessed.
The werewolf grinned over his shoulder at Milo, eyes luminous with reflected market lights, perhaps not even aware himself of being irrevocably changed in ways that had nothing to do with claws or night vision. “I promise it’s chill,” he teased.
Milo watched, almost in awe of Luis as he held his head high, paying for the blood with no evidence of being uncomfortable. He looked so unaffected, so casual. He would never say so out loud, he knew it wasn’t something his friend would want to hear, but he seemed to belong in this world sometimes. Like nothing fazed him anymore. “Thank you.” He murmured, his grip still tight around the vial, his other arm holding his two mice as though they were his lifeline. A necessary reminder of why he needed to stay calm, why he needed to stay in control. As he followed Luis out of the tent, he took a deep breath of fresh air, making no effort to hide how relieved he felt no longer being surrounded by the scent of blood. With one last glance at the market stall, he turned his attention back to his company, who was smiling at him as though he was about to share a secret.
Pausing briefly to process the way Luis’ eyes managed to catch the light, it reminded him of every fox he had seen crossing the road at night, every owl, or cat, in the garden of his family home... It was so endearing, and yet so animalistic. He wondered whether Luis knew his eyes shone in the dark, but quickly decided against telling him. Instead, he smiled too, unable to help himself. “I don’t know whether to believe you.” He admitted. “Are there- are there going to be people?” He asked, the vial in his hand feeling heavy, and hot. The burning desire to drink from it wasn’t about to disappear. And though he would much rather take his time, hide how badly he relied upon the substance it contained, if there were going to be people, with heartbeats, and blood, wherever he was being taken, it was far better to make sure he was safe.
“Yes, but also animals that are for petting, not eating,” Luis assured, perhaps having concluded something about Milo from watching him interact with those mice.
Luis led the way past stalls of vegetables and fruit. There was a pause on one market corner where cooked Flatflitters hung on strings. Luis made to move on but the smell brought him back. A bill exchanged hands with the vendor and soon the werewolf was on his way again, smiling apologetically at Milo before hungrily biting the head off a spiced hummingbird-like creature with a cluster of spiny proboscis in place of a beak.
They came to makeshift collections of domesticated animals in corrals and pens that wouldn’t have looked out of place at any county fair back in Luis’ home state. Pigs, cows, and sheep muched hay apathetically as children gawked at them, a few kid’s interest decidedly more ravenous than animal loving. Luis led the way to where a woman in denim jeans and broad brimmed hat sat in a chair. She asked Luis for the petting fee, and for just a moment the market lights caused her eyes to glitter with a multitude insectile facets, but with a blink her gaze of superficially mammalian again.
In the rancher's lap was a small hedgehog with fur and bristles of the purest arctic white. Tiny red eyes looked up at Luis and Milo with a suspicious astuteness that didn’t quite belong among normal Eulipotyphla. The woman brushed its little head, crooning comforting phrases in a airy lilting language that Luis didn’t recognize. The Arkan Sonney agitated appeared to subside and the it made a snuffing noise in the pairs direction.
“Apparently its like...a very rare ...special hedgehog or something,” Luis supplied.
“An Arkan Sonney,” the rancher corrected, reached out for the bill Luis handed her.
“Yeah the AchySomy give people luck apparently,” the werewolves flippantly cheerful tone suggested that he had not yet adopted some of the stranger superstitions of the paranormal world.
“C’mon, get in some lucky pets man, y’ll need it,” Luis claimed, gesturing Milo forward.
Milo grinned in response to Luis’ comment, unsure whether he was being warned against eating the animals, or whether petting the animals was being used as a way to lure him in. The fact that he didn’t know was more amusing than it probably should be. Falling into step beside his friend, he didn’t have time to dwell on the blood still in his hand. So he watched as his company purchased some very questionable meat, playfully raising his eyebrows instead of questioning where said meat had come from. He didn’t recognise the animal, and part of him didn’t want to know what it was. This was supposed to be his world now. Some things felt too trivial to be questioned. Hurrying to keep up, it was only as they came to a large open space that he finally realised where Luis had been taking him. There were large pens, each holding animals surrounded by people. Some of them looked decidedly not normal, but some of them reminded him of his childhood, of petting zoos with his parents. They had always been learning opportunities, and his dad in particular liked to set him essays, projects to mark the end of every visit. But they were happy memories of a far simpler time. It almost made him homesick.
“A petting zoo?” He asked, as they approached the entrance to the makeshift farm, disbelief written across his features. He was endlessly charmed, he couldn’t say he had done anything quite so innocent in years. Noticing the way the woman’s eyes seemed to change as Luis handed over his money, he tried not to stare, turning his attention to the creature in her lap. The hedgehog looked relatively normal, aside from being stark white, and he had to resist the urge to bend down and stroke it. Clearly it belonged to the woman taking payments, and he wasn’t about to step on any toes. “He’s adorable.” He admitted, offering the woman a smile. “Wait-” He looked between her, and Luis, searching them for permission to pet the animal. His eyes shining when he realised he was able to do so, he crouched to look into its eyes, murmuring to it quietly, introducing himself. Any concern he had over whether the hedgehog would care he was a vampire seemed to dissipate as it shuffled forwards to sniff at his hand. Carefully touching the top of its head, it was ridiculous how much joy he gleaned from such an unimportant interaction. “Thank you.” He said to the woman, genuinely grateful for her time, and trust. Standing up, brushing himself off without jostling his mice, he eyed the larger animals. The pigs, and cows, and sheep. Their heartbeats were loud, even from where he was standing, and once again he found himself unable to deny his thirst. “I think I should probably…” A frown creased his brow as he trailed off, staring down at the vial in his hands, knowing Luis would be able to guess the end of his sentence. “Before we go in… being in that tent was- it was a lot.”
“Ah gotcha…”
Luis led the way out of the cluster of pens. He strode past stalls selling handmade art crafts and pies, occasionally glancing back to see if Milo was following. The market lights became less frequent as the werewolf led onward. Shadows lengthened and the grass got thicker as Luis took them to a less populated spot at the Nightshade Market’s edge. Nightclad fields stretched out beyond the feeble umber horizon of illumination at their friend. Laughter, chatter, and battering with just a distant murmur now.
Luis held out a hand behind him as if to stall Milo’s steps. The werewolf narrowed his shining eyes to scan the darkness and shadows around him. He cocked his head, as if listening for something, before turning to Milo.
“No one is nearby right now,” he assured, “they won't see you vamp out.”
Luis scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. “Would you uh, prefer if I turned away?”
Milo didn’t know exactly where Luis was going, but he was grateful his friend somehow understood he would rather not be around others. As the market stalls began to dwindle, they came to a halt, surrounded by tall grass, and the quiet sound of insects. It was nice, being able to look back and see the lights, focus on the sound of laughter, and animals vying for attention. It reminded him of where he was, and who he was with. Waiting patiently as Luis appeared to scan their surroundings, he wondered how strong his senses were. Stronger than his own? Was there any way for them to answer that question? Laughing sheepishly at the reassurance, he offered him a smile. “Thank you.” He kept his voice steady, hoping his sincerity would be clear.
Chewing thoughtfully on his bottom lip when Luis asked whether he should turn away, he hesitantly caught his friend’s eye. The truth was he did want Luis to turn away. But he knew that not only wasn’t fair, but counterproductive. It would only be weird, and awkward this one time. After that, they wouldn’t have anything to hide from each other. He had seen Luis as a wolf, seen the painful shift back into a human being. How could he justifiably keep this from him? “No,” he said finally, shaking his head. “No, it’s okay…”
Uncorking the vial with one hand, the smell hit him so suddenly. Sometimes even when he thought he was prepared, he managed to prove himself wrong. Without waiting any longer than he needed to, embarrassment all but forgotten as he was overcome by desire, he raised the vial and drained the contents, feeling a familiar sense of longing followed by an incredible rush. There wasn’t an awful lot of blood but it was enough, and when he eventually lowered the vial, he gasped audibly. It was a strange reflex considering he didn’t need to breathe. But any strong sensation seemed to draw on his muscle memory, call back to when he was human. Taking another breath, a deeper breath to ground himself, he forced himself to stay in the moment by shfting the jar with his little mice inside. They were relying on him to keep them safe, he couldn’t lose it. “...’m Sorry.” He wasn’t quite sure what he was apologising for, but it felt like the right thing to say. As he capped the vial again, slipping it into his pocket in case there were any drops left he could try and recover later, he blinked, hoping it might do something to dispel the red in his eyes. “It’s weird, right?” He stated, as though acknowledging the fact might make it less so. “I know it’s weird…”
Luis wasn’t going to deny that seeing Milo’s face shift from human to something with long fangs and luminous red eyes was unnerving. It reminded Luis unpleasantly of the time he and a date had been attacked by a back alley slash who had eyes just like those. Yeah it was unfair to have that memory as Milo vamped out, but it wasn’t so easy to shake the twinging echo of dread in his gut, the phantom sensation having someone tearing into his throat, and the feeling of their tongue sliding along the skin of his neck.
Shit, seeing this sober was alot worse then when he and Milo’d been Oxyed up a week ago.
Honestly, Luis was less tilted by Milo’s visage then by the visible craving that overtook his friend. Sure, it made no sense considering what they’d done together during their free time. But that didn’t stop the shuddering breath Milo let out and the clear euphoric rush he was going through from sending prickles of discomfort down Luis' spine.
Milo reflexively apologized and Luis felt like a piece of shit. He’d literally eaten people alive. What right did he have to feel this way when Milo only downed a blood shot?
“Yeah it's weird,” Luis confirmed bluntly. “But look..like,” he aimed a soft reassuring punch to Milo’s shoulder. “I get all hairy and howl sometimes, weird is just life right now y’know?”
Milo laughed, he couldn’t help himself, any unease he was feeling seemed to instantly dissipate when Luis threw a playful punch at his arm. There was something so easy about hearing somebody say it back. Luis wasn’t trying to assure him, or tell him everything was fine, and normal, and no, you don’t look like a scary vampire, it isn’t as bad as you think. He was being honest. Yes, it was weird. It was really fucking weird. Somehow hearing that made everything so much easier to deal with. Glancing up at the moon, he grinned, his eyes still shining red, but filled with humour, and affection. “You aren’t getting the urge to howl at the moon right now, are you?” He teased. “It’s not like, a thing, is it?” Thinking about the viral videos he had seen online of puppies howling in response to their owners, he failed to repress another laugh. “Or is it instinct?” He asked. “Like, if I howled right now, would you howl too? Would you be able to stop yourself?”
Reaching up to brush away any blood potentially lining his lips, he felt his fangs beginning to retract. Confident he no longer looked like a walking nightmare, he took a careful step closer to Luis. He wasn’t usually the one to initiate contact, but he almost wanted to this time. He felt closer to him now, and he knew that was important. “You’re okay, though… right?” He asked, needing the additional assurance. “You swear you aren’t like… totally freaked out by me? I kind of had a meltdown when I saw you as a wolf so, you know… it’s not like it wouldn’t be fair.”
Luis gave Milo a squinting ‘c’mon man’ look but sighed good-naturedly. It seemed only fair given he’d just seen Milo in a pretty vulnerable state. “It is one hundred percent a thing,” he admitted, tugging on one ear sheepishly. “But the moon needs to be uh...fuller, before I get the urge to do that.”
Honestly the howling at big round glowing things was pretty low key compared to all the other stuff that came with Lycanthropy, but it was still hella embarrassing in mixed company.
Milo tentatively asked if this changed anything and Luis shook his head.It seemed like Milo was still embarrassed about losing it, but the only difference is that Luis had already had over a year to breakdown in resolvion at the carnage he woke up too and when Alcher had confronted him with the truth. Luis just had a headstart and the best he could really wish for Milo is that his friend had a gentler rider before he became jaded to all the fucked up stuff of the paranormal world.
“I promise. It’s weird, pretty grody, and I’d probably piss myself if you vamped out right as I came round a corner,” Luis admitted without dissemblance. “But, you’re still just Milo to me,” he assured with a softer tone.
“C’mon,” Luis said, hefting the bag of hearts and motioning with his head towards the sounds life and market lights. “Lemme show you some more wholesome weird before they pack up.”
Waiter jobs are glamorous, right?
Not at all.
"Does that seem right to you?" ( shrinking-man )
❝ Scotty, c’mon, I don’ even ĸɴow anymore home’s. ❞
❝ I mean you ｓｈｒｉｎｋ an’ shit now, that sᴛɪʟʟ ain’t normal. ❞
