Event Six.

[awashmods]

If you see this hairy creature Your first choice should always be to run Otherwise you had better hope You have silver bullets in a gun.

he full moon hangs brightly over the Town, hovering so low that it almost feels as though you could reach out and touch it. It should be comforting. But as the howl of wolves fills the air, it's anything but. There are werewolves on the prowl, and their target is very clear -- the Town won't be able to last without your help. Welcome to Awash's sixth event log, everyone! Further information on this event can be found here at the OOC post. You are welcome to start your own posts or logs for this event as well. If there are any questions, please ask them here. Thank you!

Comments

[eusford]

i.

[ Being a creature who doesn't sleep, Crowley intended his night to consist of wordlessly flipping through the books of the library. Not with any desire to actually read the contents inside as much as he simply keeps himself doing something; it's boring, to say the very least, and he can't say that he wasn't hoping for something to happen.

There's something meant to happen at least once a month, after all, and with each night that passes he's expecting their already irregular world to shift into something sinister. So when it does there's a faint sense of delight that courses through him. Entertainment comes first, him actually defending the town is just mere convenience.

So perhaps that werewolf you were chasing down actually rounded the corner and was stopped by his blade, piercing through the creature without so much as batting an eyelash, or maybe you just happen to stumble upon the sight of Crowley fighting against one of the beasts -- either way there's no denying the glint of joy that is apparent in his gaze.

He's having fun. ]

ii. ( cw: blood )

[ And with confidence comes bad decisions. He's well aware of the fact that it's possible for him to turn into a demon, but the likelihood of that happening here seems impossibly slim, so what are the chances that he'll be affected by a werewolf bite? He assumes that he'll be fine and that's the first mistake.

He doesn't hesitate to put himself between a wolf and someone else, ensuring that they aren't torn apart by sharp fangs or bitten with the strong possibility of turning. The pain sinks in and what hiss of discomfort that manages to worm its way out of his throat is overwhelmed by the sickening howl of the beast when he so easily slams it against a nearby wall. Whimpering, the poor thing slumps to the ground. ]

Well damn. [ Nonchalant. ] I didn't startle you, did I?

[ He doesn't even fucking care that he got bit. ]

iii. ( cw: blood... he eats a rabbit )

[ The initial transformation reminds him so much of the time he was stripped away of his humanity. It burned, hurt in words he was unable to properly describe, sending his chest alight with a varying amount of sensations he had been deprived from for centuries -- it feels both familiar and not. Irritating, frustrating him, as it only reminds him of how disconnected he is to his human self.

And it doesn't help that once the transformation is over he adjusts easily.

He is at least coherent enough to know not to sink his new canines into someone in the town, so it's within the forest that he gives in to his hunger. The rabbit is easy enough to catch, the struggling within the palm of his hands dies out soon enough before his tail even so much as wags with pride and ears perked up straight. However, there's absolutely nothing cute about the way he tears into the tiny animal, tilting his head back for the final bite and allowing it to drop into his mouth before chewing.

Blood still remains peppered across his lips and is only partially being wiped off when he brings his thumb across, turning his head slightly as he notices the presence of someone else. ] What's with that face? Would you have preferred it if I ate you?

iv.

( wildcard option! honestly feel free to hmu either here or plurk @ vongaribaldi if you'd like to plot something out. )

ii.

[nascere]

Hey -- !

[ Shit. Shit. Noctis rears back just in time to not actually cleave either his rescuer's arm or the wolf's head, Ultima disappearing in a flare of blue-white light. But what shocks him is not the fact that, as it turns out, Crowley has incredible strength -- it's that he's bitten while intervening in what would have been an up close and personal encounter with a very large, very hostile set of fangs.

Noctis stares at Crowley when the werewolf is dispatched, wide-eyed and startled, which begs the question Prompto's once asked a long, long time ago during one of their movie nights: what happens if a werewolf bites a vampire (or the other way around)? Werepire? Vampwolf?

No, not the point here. ]

Dude --

[eusford]

[ Crowley thinks nothing of the wound, even if it does not begin to heal at the rate it would normally within his own world, only giving the bite marks and damaged flesh a small glance before his gaze settles on Noctis. Safe and sound, just as he intended when he stepped between them and put the risk of possibly turning into a werepie (he'd definitely vote for that). ]

Eh. [ He shrugs his shoulders, his brows curving only slightly as his expression remains relatively relaxed. ] It's better this way. You'd make a terrible werewolf.

[nascere]

[ You saved his life, you know that, right? Noctis looks over at the passed out (or deceased? because that was quite a thunk) werewolf, then back to the wound Crowley's currently sporting. He didn't have to do that for him, and yet he did it anyway, and Noctis frowns.

How the hell is he so calm about this -- surely vampires watch TV, too, they have to know bites are infectious, right? But he doesn't back away, reaching into his pocket for a small bottle of water. He tightens his grip on it briefly, infusing it with his own magic, white light flaring before he holds it out to him.

Is it normal for werewolf wounds not to heal when it comes to vampires? He doesn't know, but the last thing he wants is yet another person added to the list who saves his ass and gets hurt in the process. ]

Here. It's a healing potion. I don't know if it'll help with the werewolf thing, but --

[ He swallows a tight knot in his throat, frown deepening. Crowley might be joking, but it bothers him more than he can say. ] Are you... does it hurt?

[eusford]

[ Actually... he's probably read a book or two about werewolves before, perhaps out of curiosity of whether or not they could exist within his own world more than actually finding interest in other supernatural creatures. But as they were quickly revealed to be completely fictional creatures that's a fact he'll never be quick to admit.

Quirking a brow, he uses his free hand to take the bottle from Noctis' grasp. Holding it up to the light shining from the moon and watching the content inside. ]

Huh?

[ HE WASN'T EVEN PAYING ATTENTION. But that should answer one of his questions: no, it doesn't hurt. ]

Hey, how'd you do that? I had no idea that you could do this sort of magic, you should have told me! [ Not for himself, but maybe for someone like Guren or other humans would definitely need this more than he would. ] Do you have to drink it in order for it to work? Or do you just pour it all over the wound?

iii...

[passio]

[ dextera would not have preferred it, actually, but it’s not that he’s bothered by the sight at all—which is strange in itself, but this is exactly the kind of thing he’s been planning for. (the sight of blood disgusts him as equally as it makes his heart beat faster, and there’s a strange but familiar feeling of intrigued nausea, at the way crowley rips the poor animal apart.) ]

…

[ slowly, he shakes his head, and he makes a nasty offering of his own—a plump, fresh deer heart, drawn out of his pocket. it’s clean of any fabric pickings, which probably means he at least had it in a bag! yum! ]

[eusford]

[ Dex... always thinking ahead.

Crowley catches the change of heart rate, but that doesn't entice him to stride forward. No, rather, it's the glimpse of the heart that has him blinking thrice, tail (annoyingly) swishing back and forth at the sight of food.

But he remains calm, approaching with a careful eye. ]

So what... did you come out here to help us out?

[passio]

[ dextera nods. guren is always telling him to be careful, to watch himself, because they don’t know how death works—and even if crowley works for him, it feels unlikely to dextera that guren would have mentioned dextera. so he assumes they’re working on even footing.

or at least as even as it can get, between their respective selves. ]

…?

[ he extends the heart, taking a cautious step forward. it’s still beating, though it’s beginning to slow the longer it stays out of the body. ]

[eusford]

[ There's something in the air that Crowley indicates is both a mix of fear and curiosity -- more so the latter, as Dextera makes no signs of wanting to immediately retreat as he steps forward. Crowley cuts the distance between them, reaching out and grabbing the still beating heart a little too tightly. Fingers curling into the muscle and causing blood to spill into the palm of the others hand, plucking it from his grasp and bringing it closer to him.

And just begins to eat it casually. ]

You don't have to do all this, y'know.

i

[a_special_hat]

[Killing had become a necessary part of Mahmut's life. He was a soldier, after all. It was too early for him to have realized that werewolves had been human before (such folklore didn't exist where he came from) but it didn't change what he needed to do. So when the werewolf he was chasing had been killed he hadn't bat an eye either. He had enough blood splattered over his clothes to indicate that he was doing much the same thing this night.

That glint of joy does give him pause, though and he's on guard even as he steps closer.]

I apologize, that one had gotten away from me. [Because the damn things were fast and Mahmut was only human.]

[eusford]

[ Crowley is in the process of pulling his blade from the corpse of the wolf when spoken to, turning his head only slightly when he takes note of the human just a few feet away. The initial adrenaline that came with the sudden appearance of the werewolf has now washed over him, quickly and with ease, and in turn his expression drains. He appears more relaxed, approachable despite the evidence of having dealt with other wolves painted on his clothes. ]

No need to be sorry, but you're lucky that it happened to have ran into me and not someone else.

[a_special_hat]

[He's not any less on guard. But at least, they appear to be on the same side. That was enough for now.]

Indeed. I will need to be more careful from now on. [Though he hoped this won't become a trend it is best to prepare for the worst. He looked down at the corpse of the werewolf.] I have never seen creatures such as these.

[eusford]

Hm~ Well...

[ He hums lightly, his tone nonchalant. It's not entirely abnormal considering he's considering something outside the normality of his own world, but then again he's yet to see a werewolf face-to-face until now. ] They're not entirely normal, they're usually saved for fairy tales and the like. Honestly it's a little laughable that they're here but then again I can't say I'm that surprised, just irritated.

iii

[swordfucker]

...

[He can't believe this. And yet he can? There's a Twilight joke in here somewhere, but all Guren can do is stare at the bloodied mess that Crowley is still wiping off. It's just spreading it onto his hands, honestly. Guren isn't sure how well Crowley can manage to resist whatever urges come with being a werewolf, but he's on edge all the same, ready to run, if he has to.

Of course, he's still going to stand here looking exasperated.]

I can't believe you let yourself get bit.

[eusford]

[ Crowley's thoughts right now: Guren smells good :3c ]

Are you that surprised? [ His lips, still peppered with remnants of blood, curl up into a smile. Obnoxiously friendly, incredibly gentle, nothing one would picture belonged to a wolf who had finished devouring a rabbit without hesitating. Everything about his demeanor remains the same, tipping his head to the side as he takes a step forward. ]

I protected the people of the town, so you can't go and get mad at me. In fact, I think I deserve some kind of reward for my actions.

[swordfucker]

[slaps his paws away]

You're not putting your mouth on me when you're like that. [Bluntly, too bluntly, and notably, his fingers wrap around the hilt of his sword. Just in case? But he's too stubborn to take a step back when Crowley steps forward, either.]

Keep behaving and maybe I'll give you a treat later. [He says this like it's a cool line, when in fact, it's the worst one ever.] You're under control?

[eusford]

[ grabby hands ]

And why not? Didn't you say you'd take care of me? This is part of your responsibility too, Guren. [ He says his name with a drawl, but there's something much more... lighter about his tone. He rarely ever reaches anything higher from his usual pleasantries unless he's excited, and the instinctive response to claw and maim at what he perceives as food is truly beginning to seep into every corner of his brain. ]

Hm~ I'd say I'm completely coherent with my thoughts; I know what I want and what I don't want.

[ So what does that mean? ]

And right now I have the feeling that I just want to eat you right up.

[ He's gotten more than enough blood out of him to be drawn to it. And it doesn't help that he can practically feel the warmth radiating from his body, causing his resting heart to tug in that direction with hunger -- he feels as if he's just a child again, in vampire terms, gaining his footing and adjusting to the newly made Crowley. Becoming a monster and learning to survive.

So he doesn't even hesitate to start taking steps closer. ]

iii!

[unghost]

You're dumber than you look if you think you can eat me.

[ They did not even mean to watch this scene, would've much rathered to just avert their eyes, but it's also very...weirdly fascinating. It's not like there was much predator eats prey back at home, so it's like watching a nature documentary, except without the narration and with more rat tails.

Cairngorm keeps their distance from him, their clothes tattered and stained with blood that isn't their own, staring hard at those ears and tail that are irrationally making them feel super anxious, despite knowing there's no possible way teeth can break through them. ]

...I thought you said you ate humans. You've fallen this far, huh.

[eusford]

[ Crowley promptly clicks his tongue, brows furrowed. ] Can't you take a joke? I'm trying to lighten up the mood. [ For once, which is actually a blessing in of itself.

But he's more interested in the blood on their clothes, on the fact that it's obviously not their own and it gives the impression that Crowley should take caution. Does it belong to another werewolf? It's likely, but if it had been someone from the Town that was bitten then -- ]

I'm just trying to survive.

Better question: how many did you kill?

[unghost]

[ They take a pause, wondering if they should answer honestly (they kept count), or keep it to themselves so they don't piss him off by accident. It's hard to discern what will set off these werewolf types, now, so they cross their arms defensively, keeping a watchful eye on his movements. ]

Does it matter? [ It isn't like they particularly enjoy killing things - its messy, and to end something else's already short life purposefully was a feeling they weren't accustomed to. ] I only killed the ones I had to.

[ Maybe he thinks they're here to kill him? That's not the case, but they can understand why there might be tension - they guess him and those wolves are brethren now. ]

I'm surprised you weren't able to evade them, after all that stuff about being stronger than humans.

[eusford]

[ Gorm came into the forest so Crowley can teach them how to nya. ]

Understandable. [ That is what the vampire had been doing even after he had been bitten; killing wolves, ridding them from the town, possibly making more enemies within the pack that had attacked them than friends. And while there's an itch in the back of his head that tells him to stalk and prey in a similar fashion the coherent side of him -- the side that wins, ultimately -- keeps Crowley within the forest. ]

They were aiming to attack a human, so it was either them or me... so I just thought it'd be for the best. [ But there's no emotion behind his voice, as if being the sacrificial lamb so a human doesn't have to go through the frustrating process of become a werewolf isn't even worth noting. If anything he's more or less confused as to why he didn't just let the monster sink its fangs into their neck. ] You'd do the same thing, wouldn't you? The most you'd lose is an arm but that's not terrible!

ii;

[perfectennist]

[ Tenn looks extremely startled. It isn't more than a couple seconds before the expression is replaced with a frown, lips pressed together as he looks up at Crowley -- and then up a little further, because Crowley is a good bit taller. ]

I'm fine. [ Which is true, since now that Crowley has so efficiently completely incapacitated the wolf, there isn't much in the way of a threat. Well, not from the wolf, at least, which is all Tenn is concerned with. ]

... Thank you. [ It's very polite, really, and a little calmer than you might expect from someone who nearly got disemboweled by a wolf, but, well, there's no point in panicking. ]

Do you have the resources to take care of that? [ Tenn makes a small, casual gesture to the wound Crowley suffered when he put himself between Tenn and the wolf. Tenn doesn't know how bad it is, since Crowley seems awfully put together about it, but. ]

[eusford]

[ At the mention of the wound Crowley looks at it, blinking thrice and slightly pouting his lips when he notices that the healing process isn't working at the same speed as it usually would. Which, of course, meant that it wasn't a normal bite, at least not in comparison to what he's adjusted to back home. ]

I don't feel anything. [ He notes, extending his arm and showing as the broken pieces of skin and blood that's formed is slowly beginning to disappear -- but that does nothing to wash away the thought that something was wrong. ] My body heals on its own, but... it's not working properly, it seems.

[ His gaze turns away from his arm, looking at the werewolf on the ground.

Still breathing, still alive, he lifts his sword before stabbing it into the creatures brain. ]

Why aren't you taking shelter somewhere? You don't look the type who fights off wolves.

[perfectennist]

[ Tenn looks more than a little concerned and skeptical when Crowley displays the wound, but it's hard not to trust that Crowley knows what he's talking about when the wound is healing before Tenn's eyes. Tenn can't exactly conceive of healing even faster than what Crowley is already, but it sounds valid -- ? ]

I'm not. I was looking for supplies. [ They have enough food and everything to last, but Tenn has been hoping he'll stumble across a trove of medical supplies like what he's used to from home. He hasn't, of course, which makes it all the more frustrating.

It isn't like him, to be so careless with his own safety for so little gain. Tenn watches the wolf die with the smallest of flinches; he's clearly not exactly used to seeing things die, even if there's a determined sort of set to him. ]

I didn't know they were this close.

[eusford]

[ Crowley blinks, both curious and surprised as he quirks a brow. While it should only be normal to gather necessary supplies he can't seem to wrap his head around the act of doing it alone; strategically it should be done in teams and definitely not unarmed when there's talk of danger in the midst of their area. ]

You're an idiot. [ Bold and without any hesitation, his eyes narrow as his lips twist into a tightly lipped line. ] If I wasn't within reach that thing would have had your neck, you know? Going out when there's no signs of them stopping all by yourself is just a death sentence. Do you like living life on the edge?