Serve and protect

Gabriel Miller. Owner of Saints and Sinners by day. Masked vigilante by night.

[thevigilantevamp-blog]

Marco:

This was ridiculous. In all his years as an Incubus, he had never known a hunger quite like this. His stomach gurgled loudly, as if he’d been starving himself for the past couple of days, instead of gorging on snack foods from the dollar store. So what if he was in the money now? He couldn’t just go flaunting it around, hell no, it’d raise way too many suspicions. Especially considering his new status in town. New bachelor buys out the town of Shadow Falls’ steak and caviar stock? Yeah, no. Honestly, being human sucked ass. Gaze roaming the sidewalk, he approached the first person just a few inches before him. “Listen, we’ll skip the formalities for now. What I’m dying to know, is where can a guy get a good hot dog? And I don’t mean the ‘Oh, I’ll just throw it in the pot of weiner water we keep in the back’, 'cause I know the difference, alright? I mean genuine grilled, packed tight, dripping with relish,” Heaving an exaggerated sigh, he gripped at the jacket material over his stomach for emphasis. “I’m basically starving here, if it wasn’t obvious. Help a guy out, maybe?”

“A...hotdog?” Gabe replied, somewhat incredulously. The man who approached him had a certain scent to him. Not like the way a homeless person reeked or the scent of a young teenager who had yet to discover the magical properties of deodorant. But he didn’t smell quite human, but still more human than how witches smelled. It threw Gabe off for a moment and his mind worked to figure out where to place this stranger. He gave his head a slight shake, as if to tuck that thought away for later.

“Uh, maybe Devil’s Diner. Really? You’re hungry for hotdogs? I thought humans liked to eat...better food,” he said, raising his eyebrows. “We’re not at a baseball game.”

[thevigilantevamp-blog]

Syndra:

Syn was starting to find this town to be boring, she missed being in her club but it was getting renovated right now. Plus with the whole news of the cure coming out, she actually had a regular come up to her and suggest she get it like she actually wanted to be a human. She never in the last hundred years had regretted being a Succubus and she wouldn’t in the next hundred more. She just didn’t get why humans thought that they would want to be one of them? 

“Honestly is there anything fun to do in this town?” Syn ask the person who was behind her in the coffee shop. She needed her caffeine as she was dealing with the final consultants for her club and if they messed anything up their heads would be on a platter.  

Gabe wiped at his eyes wearily, rubbing any remaining sleep out of them. Thank God it was his weekend. Monday nights were slower at the nightclub so he could rely on the manager to take care of everything. But that meant Gabe would have to take to the streets dressed as his alter ego, metaphorical ear to the metaphorical door to get some intel on what the hunters would be planning for this upcoming moon.

He almost missed Syndra’s question and blinked when he realised he was expected to respond. “I’m sorry...” He mumbled before looking at her somewhat incredulously. Syndra owned the strip club in town, a very similar establishment to the one he owned. “Syndra, you’ve lived here probably as long as I have.” He pointed out.

[thevigilantevamp-blog]

Grace:

@thevigilantevamp

Always careful, Grace was the type to keep her magic use limited when it wasn’t a full moon.  She’d spent most of her life running from hunters holding a centuries old vendetta against her family.  She knew she had to be careful.  She knew one false move could lead to them finally finding her and wiping out her family line for good.  After all, she was the only one left.  The Hopkins hunters were getting closer and closer to her goal.

Maybe that was why she found solace in a small town coven after being found the last time.  She felt comfortable here.  It was easy to pick out the people who didn’t belong.  There was safety in that.  That and Grace didn’t flaunt her abilities.  She kept quiet.  She didn’t show off no matter how proud she was of what gifts she possessed.

That was why she found herself out in the privacy of the woods playing around with her magic when suddenly a crossbow bolt landed in a tree beside her.  Immediately she used magic to kick up dirt and throw it towards the hunter before she ran, another bolt grazing her arm as she ran.  Blood dripped down it and Grace knew she was in trouble.  Had they finally found her or was this some new threat?  She could hear them breathing as they cornered her, fear overwhelming her.  

Donning his mask and signature dark clothes, Gabe kept to the shadows of the trees in the woods. The city proper was usually safer-- more vampires, succubi, and incubi went to the nightclubs to feed and drink their troubles away. The other supernaturals, however, took to the woods. The harpies needed to fly, the sirens need to swim, the wolves needed to run. Most witches got their power from nature, save for darkness witches. This fact also was known by hunters, who ran in groups to take down any and all that they could.

On full moons, Gabe would dart between trees, keeping his heightened sense of smell and hearing keen on his surroundings. That was when he heard a zip and a crack through the air as a bullet or arrow seemed to have ripped across a distance and strike a tree. Then an unmistakable crack as a bullet soared through the air. The scent of blood just faintly wafted his way and he ran in the direction of it. It wasn’t a werewolf, or harpy. This one was more similar to a human’s blood scent: a witch.

He dashed silently through the trees until he came upon the sight: three hunters towering over a small witch--whom Gabe recognised as Grace, the witch who worked at the magic shop. The hunters hadn’t heard him yet so he took advantage. He zipped up behind one of them, hands gripping the top of his head and under his chin, then twisted his head sharply with a sickening crack. The man fell to the ground instantly from his neck breaking. By the time one of them registered what was happening, Gabe had already snatched the dagger out of the second one’s hand and plunged it into his chest.

“Run!” He told the girl as the remaining hunter panicked and fumbled with their gun, aiming poorly at Gabe and firing into his shoulder. Gabe staggered for a moment before lunging at the remaining hunter.

[thevigilantevamp-blog]

Nate:

Nate wasn’t in a good place right now, but no one could blame him, because he was being followed by a weirdo. At first he had assumed that this was just another case of the ol’ enthrall, no big deal. Just some dude who had fallen under his unholy Incubus spell and didn’t know how to express the feeling of enamorment. Oh, if only. As soon as he had tried to confront him, the man had shrieked about being threatened by a supernatural. So not an enthralled person then, Nate had thought as he had legged it out of sheer fight-or-flight, just some bigot.

As most of his past tormentors (fuck them, by the way) would be happy to confirm, Nate was not someone easily cowed. In fact, most methods of intimidation just didn’t work on him, unless you threatened someone he cared about. Which was exactly why he couldn’t go home — he lived with children and did not want this jerk to get anywhere close to them. And he couldn’t go to the police either, because he doubted they would see his side on it, if his experience was anything to go by. To them he was just a lying Incubitch hurting for attention.

Gods, he could use a hug.

Stopping in his tracks, he glanced around for anything he could use as a deterrent. It was then that he spotted a person nearby and he didn’t hesitate to force a big smile on his face as he approached them. “Hey, buddy! Didn’t expect to see you here!” With his back now to the man watching him from a distance, the beam faded. “Sorry. I know this is weird for you,” he continued in a rapid whisper. “But would you pretend to be my friend for a bit? I’m being followed by someone, but I think he’ll leave if I’m not alone anymore.” He didn’t want to deal with bigots, he didn’t want to pull strangers into this, he wanted to go home.

The cure had been announced for weeks, and supernaturals deemed gone were crawling out of the woodworks. The air in Shadow Falls was tense with anticipation, with uncertainty. Gabe had been patrolling the streets of the small town in his vigilante get-up every night for the past few weeks, save for tonight. Hunters had been out on the prowl-- he suspected it was because when everyone became human again, they’d have nothing to hunt. Got to get those last few kills in, right? It sickened him how those groups existed and everyone turned a blind eye; blaming those hunted for being supernatural in the first place. No one would hunt you if you weren’t...what you are. As if most of them had a choice.

Even without the mask, it seemed his vigilanteism wouldn’t stop. When the man called out to him, Gabe perked. He wasn’t the most social fellow, but he was, somehow, the face of Saints and Sinners. Everyone knew the quiet owner, as per Reid’s request as a silent partner. His gaze darted to the person following the man and he understood immediately. He forced a smile and put his arm around the other.

“Hey, man, good to uh, see you again,” he said, turning them away from the creep before looking over his shoulder. The person slowed their pace and dropped back several feet, keeping eyes on them. Gabe nearly cringed when he realised he’d have to keep up the charade. “No worries. We got to look out for each other,” he whispered back before clearing his throat and talking louder. “I was just headed to the bar. Pretty packed there tonight, the guys are expecting me. You should tag along.”

[thevigilantevamp-blog]

Mattie:

Mattie stared down at the body. While it all felt horrible and wrong, she knew he was right. It was better to do something while he was still dead and keep it that way. She did not want to tear the body apart anymore. The poor man did not deserve that. She had to start thinking about herself and her safety. 

She tried to refrain from looking at the now visible body. Curiosity was trying to take over, but she was convinced she would be sick if she did. She gave a nod before following after the man. Her mind raced with thoughts of what would happen with the scene they left behind.  Before she realized it, they were at their destination. 

“So… uh… How long is this going to take?” she asked. She stood a few feet behind the man, looking back towards where they came. Part of her worried of anyone following them, but she mainly did not want to be too close to the body.” You know, to dig the hole? Will we have time before the sun rises?”

“Not long,” Gabriel responded, handing her the shovels and picking up the man once more. Fortunately for her, this wasn’t the first time he’d had to do something like this. He cocked an eyebrow at her, nodding his head again as a motion for her to follow. “Superhuman speed and strength will be our allies. You start digging, six feet deep, six feet long, and three feet across.” He instructed before zipping off his property when he was sure the blonde could follow.

It was quieter out here, in the woods. Their immediate surroundings were calm despite the chaos of the night. In town, you could hear screams, the howls of wolves losing control. The crashing of something disrupted by the magic from covens in town. But out here, those were just echoes. It was unsettling, how quiet, how grim their situation was. He lay the man’s body down near the site where they would dig, and took a shovel from Mattie.

“You might want to look away,” he warned, crossing back over to the limp, bloodied body on ground. “Start digging,” he suggested, curling his fingers around the wooden handle of the shovel. He lifted the tool up, the metal blade hovering above the pale, still neck of the stranger. With a swift motion, the blade pierced through the man’s neck with a sickening crunch and squish. Gabe squinted away as blood squirted up and leaned away from the shovel, using it was a lever to pry the head completely from the neck. He sighed deeply, shakily, before turning back to Mattie. “How’s the hole?” he asked, holding his breath to keep from inhaling the stale stench of sitting blood.

[thevigilantevamp-blog]

Zeke:

Yes, the past was inescapable. It stuck to him like poison ivy, vines and tendrils that slowed him down and affected everything he did, even now. No matter how much he grew, it would always grow with him. He couldn’t reclaim the name his unsympathetic parents had given him, he couldn’t find a fault in the brother that had abused his kindness, he couldn’t even really bring himself to hate his captor. They were long gone, but their reach was still there, fragmented memories that left him shivering and whimpering on this bench as if they had hit him physically. Perhaps it was selfish that he took this disappearance so personal, after all it wasn’t him that had been taken, but it was impossible not to remember.

“I suppose we wouldn’t have come so far or become who we were otherwise, right?” There was no confidence in his voice as he said that. He felt helpless, terribly helpless and small, as if none of his achievements over the past century had any meaning. Worst of it all was this gross urge to overshare and explain everything and he had to clench his fists and dig his nails into his skin to stop himself from doing something so dim as to act on it. If he wanted comfort, he’d have to go and find a lover later today rather than whinge about it now.

Of course Gabriel was right again. It wasn’t in his nature to ignore the problems of others, he always had to make them his own and solve them. Perhaps there was a deeper meaning to it, that he might feel this desire because he had been groomed into feeling useless if he didn’t give himself up for others, but in the end it didn’t matter. No, the only thing that mattered was that he did help, even if it turned out for naught. “This world is crowded with those that look the other way,” he said, voice monotone. “At least we’re doing something about it.” Even if some people can’t be saved. A new shiver ran down his spine and he frowned, his gaze averted. “I don’t feel safe here.” Too much noise, too many smells, too many people.

Gabe listened for the cues and words that went unsaid between he and Zeke. The tension was thick between them, but not about their relationship. Maybe part of why Gabe wore a mask and saved those at night had something to do with rebelling against being overlooked his whole life. For spiting the family that didn’t believe in him, who barely took note when he went eastward. His whole life, he was the quiet, intelligent, strange boy. At least when night fell he could claim some power under the guise of chaotic justice.

He smiled sadly at Zeke’s words. True, they wouldn’t be who they were today had it not been for the sins and thorns of the past. It was tiring, searching desperately for a meaning to this eternal life: to believe in a cause that never ended. Equality and peace were just a carrot on a string and Gabriel often felt he was running on a treadmill. Their goal would never be reached and only served to distract them from an eternity of guilt, of nihilism. Some looked to God, some looked to the people in front of them. Gabe wondered when he would run out of places to look.

Gabriel’s hand rested on Zeke’s wrist, his spine stiffening as Zeke spoke. His gaze darted around the crowded park, searching for an immediate threat. “Let’s get out of here,” he suggested before softening in an attempt to comfort his friend. “Saints and Sinners is closed, but I happen to know someone who has the key. Retreat to the shadows there?”

[thevigilantevamp-blog]

Elsa:

Shadow Falls. The quaint town was drawing attention to itself. With the recent disappearances, she found herself wasting no time to move. The people needed answers. They needed to know what happened to so many innocents, why police were turning a blind eye. Most of all, Elisabeth had to ensure the safety of the few she did care for. The vampire was determined to get answers, for her men back home as well as those feeling unprotected.

 Elisabeth spent her first evening becoming acquainted with her new setting. There was no better place to meet the locals than a bar, Flanigan's bar to be exact. It was a quiet evening, a boring beginning to the town. She sat alone at the bar, elbows crossed over the counter. She kept to herself, listening in to surrounding conversations. Some were concerned with the disappearances, but nothing seemed out of place. While distracted by her own thoughts, she gave no attention to someone sitting next to her. 

Gabe slid next to Elsa at the bar, his hands clasped in front of him on the bar. Above them, behind the bar, the TV interrupted its usual programming for the breaking news about the new serum. How so many supernaturals that were long forgotten or written off for dead had crawled out of the woodworks with this miraculous cure. He snorted skeptically, his gaze darting to Elsa on his left.

“What do you make of all of this?” He asked, genuinely interested in her opinion. Truth was, it reeked of something far more suspicious. It was as if he could hear the ripple effect this newfound serum was going to have on the world. What would it mean for the supernaturals who remained? And were the volunteers really volunteers?

[thevigilantevamp-blog]

Erin:

Erin couldn’t help but let out a short, sarcastic snort at his comment. She had seen her fair share of the exact opposite of what he had done, and had been a victim of it in the past. It was easier to freeze a card than to lose bills, and she had learned that the hard way. “You’d be surprised,” she chuckled, crossing her legs at the ankles and smiling brightly up at him. 

“I learned a long time ago that people kinda suck sometimes, especially when it comes to money. So really, thanks. If you’ve already ordered–do you come here a lot? You look kind of familiar but I mean, I’m usually never here this late in the day. Anyway, your next one’s on me, then. Just, you know, tell whoever’s at the register. Just ‘Erin owes me one,’ they’ll get the hint. That’s me, if I didn’t say. I’m Erin.”

Gabe responded with a simple, tight smile. In his current circumstances, he had to be humble, modest. It was Gabriel. But as the vigilante, he had seen a lot. He’d seen treachery, murder, the cruelty that existed in the world. His small gesture was probably very significant in Erin’s eyes because thankfully, she lived where she was more worried about losing her money than actively fearing for her life.

“People definitely suck. Not all of us, but an unfortunate portion,” he agreed with a simple nod, departing from the conversation only to grab his coffee at the nearby counter and returning. He hummed thoughtfully with a shrug. “I come sometimes. I work late nights and like to be up and about early. Coffee helps fuel that no-sleep lifestyle,” he replied. He smiled and offered his hand to her. “Erin, it’s a pleasure. I’m Gabriel. I’ll certainly take you up on that free coffee eventually. It’s too generous. I take it you work here?”

[thevigilantevamp-blog]

Zeke:

His fingers twitched, itching to stop the other’s hand from leaving his arm and taking the safety it had provided him with, but he wouldn’t act on it. After all, they weren’t that close and it might seem weird or uncomfortable.

Was there something he needed to share? Zeke averted his eyes, gazing blankly into the crowd, all energy sucked out of him. “Sort of,” he replied, wishing he was anywhere else but this park.“I thought I was a human again. I suppose even the brain of a vampire can’t handle all of the lunacy going on.” Hugging himself, he took a deep breath. Since Gabriel was nice enough to show concern to him, he might as well explain himself and answer that dreaded other question. “It’s these disappearances. Someone I helped out in the past might have become a victim.” He shook his head, eyes darting to Gabriel again. “It’s… terrifying. Helping someone, only to find out they might be going through the same thing you did in the past.” And that was all he would implicate for now, because he didn’t know the other well enough to say more. “Do you ever wonder what the point of helping someone is if they’re just going to get hurt again?”

Gabe listened carefully, searching Zeke’s face for any sign of said lunacy. But he understood: reanimation from death didn’t always heal every ailment pre-transformation. He was open-minded about each person he encountered, and his rapport with Zeke was strong enough to know the man was harmless, but possible haunted.

He nodded in understanding, sucking in a deep breath from his nostrils as he leaned back into the bench. “We can’t escape our pasts. No matter the years, no matter the distance from where we started,” he acknowledged with a nod, clasping his own hands together. The disappearances. It was something he was privately trying to uncover. He had taken to the streets in his alter ego more and more often, trying to pin down what was happening and why. Rumours of District X always lingered during times like these, but what would be the motivation? Did the hunters have something to do with this?

“More than you know,” he admitted quietly, in response to Zeke’s question. He released a bitter laugh despite himself. He saved many, but lost a few along the way. The hunters wore masks too, often, so the supernaturals wouldn’t know who was after them. He aided innocents, learning what this new life meant for them. Sometimes it was only a moment, sometimes it was continued guidance. But there was only so much Gabriel could do, only so much he could control. Zeke brought in people too, like Gabriel. The two had much in common, it only made sense fate would have them on this bench, like this. He shook his head softly. “It’s not in us to let things just be. You, especially,” he said, turning to Zeke earnestly. “I don’t know about you, but it’s like...proving you’re better than you were. If you help someone, at least the effort was made. And you helped for a moment. Saving someone, saving them is different,” he said, looking down. “Some people can’t be saved.”

[thevigilantevamp-blog]

Anna:

 Anna had been keeping an eye on the boys. They went to the same school as her son, which the woman wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing. Andon had been having trouble in school, getting along with other kids, and just last week he came home with a busted lip. Though he’d insisted on doing a face plant off his skateboard, there was something in Anna’s gut that told her maybe he wasn’t telling her the whole truth.

“Well, I am a mom”, she told the man with a smirk. Looking back at the group of boys, she arched her brow. “I believe it’s getting close to curfew”, she told the kids. “Don’t you think you all should be getting on your way?” Though she didn’t know the boy’s by name, it wouldn’t take her long to figure out who they belonged to. “I mean, if you want I can call your parents and they could always give you a ride home, but something tells me you’ll want to ride your boards home.”

As the small group set off, the blonde couldn’t help but smile. There was something satisfying about still being able to get her way even though she was far from her days of manipulating boys for her pleasure. “Sorry about the yelling and the swearing”, the blonde told the man who’d stopped in front of her house. Leaning against the frame her smile changed to one that was softer.

Gabriel raised his eyes-- partly impressed, partly surprised at how easily she seemed to command the situation. From her tone, he was sure the boys’ hearts would have raced. They shirked away in shame as she called them out on breaking curfew and Gabe couldn’t help but smirk. He looked back up at her, her expression softened. It seemed like to him, she could flip personalities quickly, adapting to any situation. Gabe almost smirked to himself: he knew what that was like.

“I’m not at all surprised to hear you’re a mom,” he said with a soft, awkward smile. Maybe that wasn’t the right thing to say. The Vigilante would know what to say in a situation like this, but here, exposed, he was simply Gabe. No clever remarks, no games. Just Gabe. It was uncomfortable for him. He shifted his weight from foot to foot with a simple shrug. “It’s fine. I’m sure you did what you had to do,” he replied, still looking up at her.

[thevigilantevamp-blog]

Saoirse:

A small chuckle slipped from her as she looked over the cover of the magazine she had in her hands. A special edition with one of the hottest trending girls. Saoirse would’ve rolled her eyes, but she found it comical that this was delivered to the funeral home instead of the next building over. “You know, I applaud the mailman for getting the addresses mixed up so often.” The front of it was turned towards the other as she spoke. “Take a moment to grieve over the loss of a loved one and feel invigorated- maybe the business next door is trying to tell me something.”

Gabriel’s eyebrows shot up when she flipped the magazine around and he was greeted with a scantily-clad model. In all his years, his awkwardness and modesty hadn’t adapted to the more openly hedonistic trends of the modern age. If he could, he would have flushed but he opted to avert his gaze quickly. “Seems like mixed messaging: a mortician’s office and that sort of visual,” he said before clearing his throat. 

He knew Saoirse was a vampire and would come to her to see if any of her deceased clients were willing to donate to their cause. Occasionally his more morbid and creative bartenders would want to offer cocktails that would appeal to the vampires who missed brutal feedings. He put his hands in his pockets awkwardly. “So, business?” He started, tilting his head. “Do you have anything this week for me?”

[thevigilantevamp-blog]

Kelsie:

She nodded when he spoke.  That was exactly what was happening and Kelsie hated it.  Her whole body hurt and she wanted to scream, to lash out at all those near her.  Her humanity kept trying to hold on, to keep her from truly slipping into an animalistic state.  “Yeah,” she breathed out while they walked.  One foot in front of the other.  That was what Kelsie could focus on rather than the war within herself.

Still, he prompted her and she took a breath.  “I’m a waitress at the Hellmouth,” she told him as they walked.  If he wanted her to talk, to distract herself, then Kelsie was going to try no matter what.  “It’s not my dream job…but it pays the bills.”  Especially now that she was living with Dianna.  Even still…babies were expensive.  Figuring out how to afford a child on her weekly income was not an easy task.

He nodded softly. Gabe, ever the empath despite his inability to really convey his own emotions, could pick up on her tension and restraint to let her pain be known. In this moment, he was grateful that his only side effect was a thirst to feed that was stronger than usual. Given he was in a better position, he tried to stay on track and keep her focused on anything else other than her pain.

Hellmouth. That’s right. The pieces started to fall together-- she was Kelsie, she was the one who had gone with the last pack alpha in town. That probably wouldn’t be a great topic to bring up, given the disappearances that had been happening nationwide. “I don’t think most people love it,” he said with a soft, forced chuckle. “What would you rather be doing? What are you, um, passionate about?”

[thevigilantevamp-blog]

Erin:

Erin blinked, and then blinked again, trying to shake off her mental fog. The proffered wallet was hardly more than a blur, but she offered a genuine, if weak, smile at the stranger before her. “I think so, yeah. Shit, thanks. I didn’t even notice.” She laughed, reaching to grab for it, double checking the contents to make sure it was actually hers. Finding it to be true, and what little she kept as far as cash still safely folded inside, she dropped it down onto the table and nudged it to the side, effectively forgetting about it once more. 

“Thanks, really. Do you want a coffee? Or a pastry or something? As thanks, of course. I’ve been so out of it that I didn’t–God, having to get a new license would’ve been a nightmare. The DMV is literal hell on Earth.”

Gabe smiled humbly and shrugged. His actions, in his opinion, weren’t particularly heroic, but it was always nice to do a good deed. No matter how simple. “Happens to the best of us. I don’t think it was on the floor long,” he said as she shuffled through her wallet, checking to make sure everything was in there. He hoped no one had taken all of her cash or anything. It didn’t seem to be the case.

“I, uh, actually already ordered a coffee,” he admitted with a chuckle, reaching up and scratching his cheek. He wasn’t excellent at conversing with others-- he was quite an introvert and while the brunette had the girl-next-door charm, it didn’t exactly help put him at ease. “But thanks. You don’t, um, don’t have to worry about it. Just doing what anyone else would have done,” he said, waving a hand. He smiled at her comment about the DMV. “Yes, I understand. I’m glad it all worked out.”

[thevigilantevamp-blog]

Mattie:

Mattie’s nerves were able to calm slightly knowing there was a shovel around for them. The last thing she wanted was to add more crimes to the night by breaking in somewhere and stealing one. She repeated to herself this was going to turn out okay. He knew what he was doing, although the fact that he seemed to have some experience worried her a bit. The self talk could not prepare Mattie for the new step in their plan.

At first the thought passed over Mattie’s head. He knew how to stop the poor victim from returning and that was good enough for her. When the thought registered in her mind, Mattie’s body tensed up. “Wait.. you need to what?” To Mattie it was out of the question. They could not bring more harm to the poor guy. Her hands started to shake as she stared down at the ground.

“…There’s another way, right?” she asked, her voice cracking as she spoke. She knew he was right. Something had to be done to keep him from returning. The more solutions the thought up, the less she liked. “Can’t we bury him deeper? Or trap him somewhere?” Her gaze moved back to the body, suddenly unable to look away. “…I know he can’t come back. We can’t let him come back. But… I can’t do that.”

Gabe swallowed the lump in his throat. He didn’t mind getting his hands dirty but he could tell this woman was almost virginal to a situation like this. Maybe this was her first kill, but also likely the first kill she could remember, he thought. He sighed and rested his hands on his hips, shaking his head softly as she listed off alternatives.

“More inhumane to leave him in a trap. Let him starve somewhere? Or let the hunters pick him apart in their sadistic ways?” he explained, raising an eyebrow. He shuddered at the thought. He had come close many times-- it was hard to be a supernatural for as long as he had been one and not have encounters with those who killed for sport. “Consider this: right now, he’s dead. He won’t feel it. He won’t awaken with the pain of his body reanimating, he won’t starve, he won’t be afraid.” Gabe explained. He knelt down and scooped the man up in his arms. Despite the body being shredded, Gabe was able to hold the body together in his arms. They would have to go to his house, collect the shovel, then head out back to the woods. Luckily, Gabe lived close to the forest.

His gaze dropped to the nearly-black pool of blood on the ground. Without a body or witnesses, it was likely the police would turn the other cheek and assume it was supernatural on supernatural violence. “Follow me,” he instructed, before utilising his superhuman speed and rushing to his house.

[thevigilantevamp-blog]

Tessa:

The sudden speed in which she was listed and carried from the house made her head spin. Weakly, Tessa rested her head against the man’s clavicle, curling in on herself. Why couldn’t she just die now? Stop herself from sucking the soul out of someone. When her feet touched the ground, she wobbled on top of her toothpick-esque legs and balled her hand in the man’s shirt to steady herself. “Why help me”, she asked her voice small and faint. “You don’t even know me.”

Gabe frowned softly as they made their way to the back. The door read V.I.P. Only but everyone knew that was a cover for the curtained areas where humans waited, ready to be fed upon. They were available for vampires and most got their rush from being drank from, others signed off in agreement to be available for succubi and incubi. Gabe made sure they were compensated handsomely but also agreed to have bouncers monitoring the area.

“Because everyone needs help sometimes,” he explained, walking up to a curtain and pulling it back, revealing a young man seated on a velvet chaise. “We’ve all starved. Doesn’t mean we deserve to suffer for past mistakes,” he explained before gesturing to the eager young man. “Will this do?”

[thevigilantevamp-blog]

Zeke:

Zeke flinched, turning around to look at the man, his eyes widening. Light hair, light eyes – he’d recognize this person anywhere. “Master,” he breathed, unable to believe his luck. “You came back for me.” His words came out in desperate bursts now. “Please help me. I can’t do this alone anymore.” For a moment he felt safe again, even while the rest of him was still shaking. Everything was going to be alright now. His Lord would bite him and then – wait, no, that wasn’t right, the man’s facial features were completely different. He blinked and his vision shifted, focusing on the other once more as the realization slowly set in. This wasn’t London and he wasn’t a human addicted to the vampire bite anymore.

Zeke rarely felt ashamed for anything, but he came close to it now. “Terribly sorry, Gabriel,” he hurried to apologize, utterly failing at regaining his composure. What a wretched mess he must resemble at the moment. “I thought you were someone else.” Someone dead. “Was there something you needed from me?”

Gabriel’s eyes widened as Zeke seemed to spiral into a fit of dysphoria and didn’t seem to exactly recognise who Gabe was. As Zeke went on to reveal his internal struggles, calling Gabriel master, he reached out instinctively and gripped the man by the shoulder. He wasn’t sure exactly why, maybe to tether the man back down to reality. He knew Zeke was an older vampire, much like himself; the things they saw and lived through would always haunt them like ghosts. That much Gabriel could understand.

“Do what alone?” He asked, his eyes searching Zeke’s face, his wild eyes. And then just like that, the ‘old’ Zeke had returned. In awe, Gabe’s hand slackened and slid off Zeke’s arm. He blinked, trying to process and rationalise what he just witnessed. He shook his head softly at Zeke’s question. “No, I--” He stammered. “Zeke, is there something you need to share? Do you have any recollection of what just happened?”

[thevigilantevamp-blog]

Mattie:

As her guilt rose, Mattie worried what he would think about her. What would he do now that he saw the body? Would he still keep her safe? She was afraid there was no way to argue for her innocence after seeing the body. She did not believe she was capable of anything like this, but she had no way to prove that. Now she had no time, she had to start cleaning up. She let out a long sigh in an attempt to refocus her mind. 

“Wallet and cell phone, got it.” She hoped it would be an easy task. Since she had no idea which way she came from, it might be a long search. She would not mind the time if it meant he was going to take care of the body himself. “But… where do we get a shovel?” she asked. She had a feeling shovel would be added to her search list. The situation did not seem so bad… until Mattie caught the last thing he said. 

The girl’s eyes grew wide as the dread swept over her. “I-… I don’t know.” She never considered why he was out in the first place. Perhaps he was up to some sort of trouble on his own. “How would we know? Can we tell now?” A new vampire on their hands was the last thing she needed. She could barely control herself, let alone train someone else. “Can we do something to stop it? Just in case?”

Gabriel paused at her question: it was a valid one. Where would they get a shovel? He kept one in his garage because frankly, this wasn’t the first time he had helped a rogue vampire clean up a mess. It was tough to stomach but over the past one hundred years, it had become easier. Only if you were able to disassociate from it. Gabriel found that avoiding the eyes of the deceased helped him think more clinically.

“I have one. We’ll take him to the woods and I’ll run back with the shovel,” he sighed before biting his bottom lip thoughtfully. Now he was worried it would only get worse. If this man had had vampire blood and came back to life, was there a possibility he would remember Mattie? Would he go to the police and have her sent to District X? There was an answer to one of her questions, but he was afraid she wouldn’t like the answer. 

He sucked in a deep breath, the smell of stale blood rushing into his lungs as he turned to her with an apologetic frown. “The only way to keep a vampire from turning is to behead the body,” he said slowly, his gaze slowly trailing away from hers. “If he wakes up from this...We don’t know what he’ll do.”