1 x 1 || molotov and Rosario

[molotov]

『 𝐉𝐀𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐑 ───── ☾ 』
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all at once, the humanity seemed to wash over his confusion. even as sebastian pulled away, jasper remained with his back pressed against the wall, evaluating the hunter cautiously—not yet fully trusting him enough to make any sudden movements. at least, that was until that stifled whimper escaped the other man. jasper was shaken from his daze with the pained noise, jolting with the familiarity of the horrible sound. he turned his concerned stare back to his partner, anxiety gripped his voice and expression though before he could hope to speak the maids interrupted with a knock. jasper’s gaze flitted from sebastian, to the door, and then around at the mess as he searched his muddled brain for a plan. how would he explain this? “i’ll do the talking, just try your best to compose yourself until we’re out of sight. i’ll give you the okay to move ahead of me, go straight to your room. i’ll meet you there once i get this settled.” jasper ordered firmly but quietly, his voice cooler and calmer than he felt offering the plan. there was no way he would fully convince them that something wasn’t out of the ordinary, but if the maids did begin to question him or start to connect the dots he supposed he would have no choice but to dispose of them. a pain as it was to find replacements, he had grown to favor them over his previous staff. while he was sure edith would turn a blind eye as she had previously—she was quite reliable in that regard. rosemund and thea were still fledglings by contrast, and tended to be needlessly chatty, he couldn’t have that.

the nobleman gave sebastian one last glance, before he moved over to the damaged furniture and pulled the table out of the way of the door. the broken wood cracking and creaking with the motion. as he did so, the door swung open almost instantaneously, three figures standing wide-eyed in the doorway as they took in the scene. “what in heaven’s name happened?!” exclaimed rosemund, her hand now cleaned and tightly bandaged. jasper was once again on edge, sniffing the air for any lingering blood that may reawaken sebastian’s urges to kill. fortunately, he could tell she had cleaned it well. remnants of rose water traced it which meant rosemund had followed his advice of retreating to his laboratory, not only would it help fight infection but the lingering scent of rose was helpful in this case. jasper realized he had gone silent, their expectant eyes boring into him for an answer that seemed stuck in his throat. “—a wild animal got in through the storeroom.” he blurted with little emotion apparent in his voice. “this is exactly why i need that cellar cleaned out, its attracting all manner of pests to plague my living quarters. fortunately seb—mr. ryoshi here was able to fight it off. we’re fine, though it did manage to do a great deal of damage to the room as you can see.” he continued to try and explain, feeling his whole body trembling from the adrenaline that hadn’t yet left his muscles, still he tried to ignore it. turning to sebastian now, he observed his features once more before stepping out from the doorway and giving him a curt nod as to give the indication that it was safe to move ahead of him. the maids were clearly doubtful with the sight of the two, collectively swiveling to the broken table, then to sebastian. “wh-what kind of animal is strong enough to—“ thea had tried to say, cut off by the nobleman. “in the meantime, clean this mess up to the best of your ability. avoid opening the door to the larder just in case it comes back. i’ll have the issue dealt with shortly, no need to panic.” he requested. again thea tried to protest “b-but-“ edith nudged the smaller maid into silence, though the little utterance she had managed to squeak out had provoked the noble. “do you doubt my words, miss beckett?” jasper questioned, glowering at thea now. the woman tensed, fiddling with the ruffles of her dress as she forced herself to make eye contact. “no sir.” she murmured, voice so quiet he could be thankful his hearing was so acute. “good.” he took a step forward before pausing once more to address the trio before he followed after. “i would ask that you refrain from stepping foot in the west wing for the rest of the day, thank you.”

moving into the hallway jasper’s composure was quick to break, troubled by what had just transpired in the kitchen. his pace quickened as dread clung to his stomach. as if they needed anymore problems to worry about, sebastian’s savaged behavior implied the worst of outcomes if they were not careful. certainly, no two vampires were fully alike in how they reacted to an exposure of blood, but the ability to deceive to that degree in his desperate of a state was not normal, especially for a newly turned vampire. perhaps, it was his background to blame, the knowledge he had in battle would surely be used, he was dangerous, far too dangerous to allow that loss of control again. would voicing his concerns do the poor man any good? he feared the truth would only worsen his evident distress, only tempt that inner monster to the surface. after some hesitation, jasper slipped into sebastian’s room. shutting the door behind him. he let out a heavy sigh as he ran a hand over his face. instincts had not yet allowed his body to ease, warning him that he was in the presence of the threat. another tremble running through him before he was able to steady himself a in preparation to face the other man. he could not afford to be plagued by fear, he was just a little shaken up but it was nothing he couldn’t move past. “it’s not your fault, there’s no way you could’ve known.” he spoke before the other had a chance to, swiveling to sebastian. “it was a grave oversight on my part, that’s all.” he examined the other man apologetically. nervously trying to fill the gaps of silence with words. “this is why this sort of environment is ideal in your case. makes things that much easier to control if further mishaps were to occur, as i intended.” he added in passing, the shakiness in his voice clearly indicating he was still bothered but not willing to admit it outright, instead he hoped to bring some form of ease to the taller man. “fortunately, no one got hurt—that’s what matters.”

[Rosario.]

【 . 𝒮 𝑒 𝒷 𝒶 𝓈 𝓉 𝒾 𝒶 𝓃

The hunter was quick to latch onto the other man's confidence. Letting the more experienced vampire take over as he tried to shake the horrible feelings of shock and terror that gripped him.
He balled his cut right hand to hide the slowly closing wounds from view his left was, thankfully, in a better state. The scratches from where he'd punched into the wall weren't as deep and were already mostly gone.
His breath, though, was still shaking and his head still seemed to buzz with adrenaline. He closed his eyes briefly as he tried to calm down. He tried to put himself into the mindset he'd always used when working - he couldn't show fear to a threat - couldn't let them know they had the upper hand or that he didn't have another plan. It helped quite a bit and as the sound of the other man pushing the furniture away to unbarricade the door hit his ears he opened his eyes.

He carefully maintained a façade of confidence as the maids were allowed in, probably seeming almost cold with his lack of interjection into the conversation - not confident in his ability to manage any sort of pleasantries he was more than happy to do as the other had asked and allow him to handle the explanation.
Thankfully, the scent of the maids wasn't setting off his instincts too badly now, though it felt as if his throat clenched with need and the rhythmic beating of their hearts seemed almost intoxicating, the tight bandage on Rosemund's hand seemed to be working well at staunching the bleeding and the lingering scent of roses both covered the scent of the blood and helped to soothe Sebastian's instincts.
Jasper's cover seemed to be a great start - it was something they'd definitely be able to work with at least though in the moment it clearly didn't answer all of the maid's questions as their puzzled gazes took in the room before falling upon him. Whether they wondered if he did it or they questioned how Jasper's teacher could allow the situation to get so out of control he couldn't tell, nor did he trust himself to be in enough control at that moment to ask or even attempt to aid Jasper's explaination. At the other man's indication he simply left, swiftly brushing past the maids in the doorway. He'd have to apologize later, he decided, he loathed to act so coldly but even as his senses returned to normal he worried what might happen if he lingered. The thought of hurting an innocent person was horrifying.
Leaving so quickly, he missed the brief argument that followed as Thea struggled to accept Jasper's explanation. It was for the best, though, as more confrontation and concerns were the last things the hunter needed at the moment.

His steps were quick as he headed off to his room, he did his best to keep himself at a fast but normal pace - he didn't need to make things even more suspicious by taking off in a run.
Once he entered his room his façade was quick to break. Closing the door behind him and all but collapsing on the bed as his breathing once again picked up and trembles ran through him. Just what all had happened? He could remember bits of the lead up to the fight but beyond that it was a haze of emotion. It deeply worried him that he couldn't recall any of it. Just how close had he come to doing serious harm?
He didn't have the time to think too much into it as Jasper entered the room and his attention snapped to the other man. He sat up, the wounds in his hands now closed, and he wracked his brain for just what to say opening his mouth to speak but Jasper was quick to cut off any apologies and questions with an assurance that there was nothing he could have done. He sighed softly, hanging his head slightly as Jasper continued. "Truly?" Sebastian finally spoke when the other man finished, his gaze was etched with a mix of sadness as he raised his gaze to look back at Jasper. "What about you? I didn't... I didn't hurt you, did I?" While he didn't know the full scope of his own dangerous nature when his instinct took over there was no mistaking the conclusion of the previous situation. Whatever had happened during the fight, whether by luck or brute strength, he'd somehow managed to corner the older vampire - there was no mistaking the look of fear on the other's face. How had he overpowered him like that? Had Jasper allowed it to happen staunchly believing that Sebastian would be able to return to his senses?
He wasn't sure, and he certainly had no clue how to even begin to ask about what had happened. It all felt like a haze to him, a cloud of thirst and anger. A control over his body that had felt so foreign to him. While the maids had, thankfully, seemed largely unscathed apart from the wound that had set events into motion he wasn't so sure about Jasper's condition. Though his vampirism and experience put him in a good position to defend himself the hunter couldn't help but worry - he couldn't shake the other's expression from his mind - he could only hope he hadn't hurt him.

[molotov]

『 𝐉𝐀𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐑 ───── ☾ 』
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jasper visibly eased the longer he remained in the room, evaluating his own safety wordlessly, calmly. the hapless man sat with his head hung, dejection was evident in the other as his red eyes met jasper’s own. it was safe to assume further description of the incident could spark issue, if he wasn’t careful. still, it was hard to find a balance between the truth and sebastian’s well-being. was it wise to keep him from knowing the full extent? the last thing he wanted was to put him under anymore stress. the poor hunter had been put through the wringer more times than jasper could hope to count. did he really want to become the harbinger of yet another bout of torment? at the same time, if he said nothing—the obliviousness could be just as disastrous to both him and sebastian. what was he to do….
jasper’s expression softened as he listened, not making his inner dilemma known in the slightest. the concern geared towards him was appreciated, if not still a little new to him. it didn’t make his decision any easier. “well, to tell you the truth, you did come awfully close to punching my face in. aside from that, i’m perfectly fine.” he answered with a chuckle, his voice lacked in energy to maintain a sense of lightheartedness he was aiming for. the vampire raised his hand to adjust his collar as they tried to find a purpose in the midst of his sheepishness. his awkward smile slowly faded with the recognition, this approach wasn’t going to work. “i had to shove you into the larder to buy the maids some time to escape, you weren’t very happy with me after that.” he explained, again hesitating to continue, observing the hunter’s features before he parted his lips. “but, that’s not what concerns me. aggression is to be expected, it’s more so the way you went about it.” he continued with some hesitance, gaze dropping to the ground before turning back to evaluate sebastian once more. “i mean, it’s no secret that you- uh-“ he cut himself off, realizing the implications of admitting his awareness over who held more power here. was sebastian aware of how big of a threat he was? jasper bit the inside of his lip as he searched for a way to explain, deciding to abandon mentioning it entirely. “-forget it, it’s nothing i need you to fret over right now. it—can’t be helped.” he shook his head, keen to move along without giving the other much time to get a word in. “you should rest for the time being, i’ll continue to scour the library for anything of use.” he suggested, starting to swivel to face the door, the vampire paused before his claws could graze the handle. “we’ll hunt at sundown. it’s imperative we keep that thirst of yours satiated.” his ability to handle this situation was no doubt graceless, maybe he was a little more shaken up than he had initially thought. while his nerves could not be heard, his clumsy and reluctant wording, topped by his fidgeting would likely give away that he was still bothered.

[Rosario.]

【 . 𝒮 𝑒 𝒷 𝒶 𝓈 𝓉 𝒾 𝒶 𝓃

He winced as Jasper began to explain, recalling how he'd come to with one fist firmly planted in a dent in the wall - it was a relief that somehow he'd come to his senses in time to divert the blow. While he was sure Jasper could have stopped him, he couldn't imagine a solution to that sort of attack being very pleasant and it was clear Jasper didn't have the energy to belay the severity of what had happened - though it seemed that he tried. The tiredness seemed to tinge his actions, understandably enough after what happened, and though the other man had reassured him that there was nothing he could have done he couldn't help but feel guilty for his actions.
He couldn't remember it, from being pushed into the larder to where he came to again cornering the other man against the wall - his memory was like a near impenetrable haze with only brief glimpses fleetingly making their way through. The mess in the kitchen had spoken for itself, though, items that had fallen in their struggle, the table cracked and pushed against the door, and the dent in the wall.
Yet no matter how he tried he couldn't remember the exact actions that caused the destruction, only his recollection of his emotions seemed reliable and that memory was far from reassuring. Fury, need, desperation - like a starving animal who, in it's attempt to stay alive, had shed it's fear of humans for what it might be it's only hope of a successful hunt.
Sheepishly, he looked down as Jasper continued. realizing that the other man must have been implying his lack of experience as a vampire. While it was lucky for the them that his attack must have been rather pitiful he wondered what that meant for his future. If his instincts were lacking would he find himself ill-equipped to survive? Could he learn to make up for what he lacked if it did?
He sighed softly, despite the other man's reassurance he couldn't help but worry. Even so, he nodded. Though he loathed the thought of not being able to help, "I understand." He said finally, though he did his best to hold back his disappointment - in himself - the tone of his voice was still rather somber. There was nothing for it, he supposed, try as he might it was inevitable that the gravity of the situation would eventually catch up with him and he wouldn't be able to suppress his emotions. The mention of needing to hunt sent a chill down his spine. Though the need was clear the thought still filled him with a mix of dread and horror. He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment as he fought the tremble that threatened to run through him. If he was to live like this he couldn't give in to fear now, and he tried to comfort himself by reasoning that he would hunt criminals - he'd heard about a fair few as he'd been making his initial inquiries about deaths and disappearances in the area.

He was pulled out of his thoughts as he heard Jasper opening the door. "Wait - Jasper" He spoke up again in a hurry to catch the other man before he left, "Thank you - for sorting everything out" He couldn't help the faint blush that crept onto his cheeks as he continued "..and for going easy on me." He could barely remember the last time someone had needed to go easy on him in a fight - not that many of the hunters had been keen on doing anything like that. 'A supernatural creature would never go easy on them' and the intensity of their training heavily reflected that. There had been a fair amount of times that he'd had to take time away to recover. As a vampire, though, he didn't want to consider how something like that would translate and he was immensely appreciative that Jasper had. He couldn't imagine it was an easy situation to find himself in - especially with it leading to being cornered at the end - though he felt bad about it, it meant a lot that he'd take the risk to help him.

[molotov]

『 𝐉𝐀𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐑 ───── ☾ 』
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another day came and went, and soon enough the sun began it’s dissent below the sea of trees, timbervale swallowed by the shadows of the coming night along with if. jasper could feel the ever looming sensation of thirst strengthened as the unease of prey permeated the air, like a serenaded stake, fear made the heart pound faster, blood flow quicker. alas, this night deprived him of the freedom’s of hunting opportunistically. for the sake of his new companion he’d need to hold back, and present himself accordingly. jasper lead the way as the two of them slipped from the safety of the old manor and into the enthralling night. his steps were quiet, yet speedy with eagerness as he moved through the alleyways and narrow passages of timbervale as if it were his own home. listening and slowing in accordance with the other’s footsteps from behind. westbound they moved, the older vampire was uncharacteristically silent all the way as sebastian’s words from earlier that day echoed through his mind. how conveniently tragic for the hunter to assume he held all the power here, maybe it was for the best he keep it that way. there was no point in telling him the truth, at least not at this current point in time all it would do was cause him more anguish - which was not ideal when hunting. he would simply lighten the mood and hope to distract sebastian from any troubles that might be plaguing his mind.
“i must admit that this partnership may take some adjusting on my part, i am typically a solitary hunter. though a change of pace is sure to do me some good.” glancing above them, the echo of movement sounded just behind the rows of run down buildings that lay in their path, luckily for him, he had a way to work around it. they’d just have to take a shortcut. jasper moved ahead to the dead-end, giving the clearing a quick look around before using the rubble of the damaged home as leverage, he hopped from one place to another with inhuman agility and accuracy. landing silently atop the roof before swiveling on his heel to glance down at sebastian below with a cheshire grin, hoping to show the benefits of vampirism. “we might as well make the most of it.” jasper purred, turning away as he strolled down the rooftops. nearest one of the most crime-prone portions of the town. “we’ll get a better view of your options from up here, and plan your hunt accordingly.” he explained casually, moving right along to peer down at the other side. jasper’s crimson eyes scanned below, coming to a brief stop as his gaze settled on the state of the place, this impoverished part of town—it was far more neglected than he remembered. a scent unrecognizable traced the night air. blood—no, not quite blood, decay, though something was definitely off about the smell, nearly human but with traces of gods knew what mixed in between. all he knew was that he didn’t like it, neither the sight nor the stench, and his nose wrinkled in distaste. “isn’t this a sight.” the noble scoffed, leaning over the edge to glance down at the dreariness and rubble, his brow furrowed with growing perplexity. “odd though, i don’t recall it ever being this ruinous. certainly, timbervale has deteriorated over the years, but this is…” he paused, focusing on a small home, freshly demolished by the look of it, almost as though it was neither decay nor any natural causes that were responsible for such damages. “this is new. some of these buildings are nearly uninhabitable.” he muttered, almost to himself. swiveling to observe the food selection down below, the murmur of two suspicious figures were quick to captivate him in a nearby alley, then there was the off-tune hum of a woman lingering near the entrance of a shabby little tavern, and from within the sound of arguing as a man was shoved out the door, a scruffy looking fellow who seemed to have overindulged in beverages of the alcoholic variety. his steps wobbly and his movements awkward as he nearly toppled, spitting out a torrent of incoherent curses as he wobbled off. jasper watched them all hungrily, as if eyeing hors d'oeuvres on a platter. “this place reeks of desperation.” he leaned back with a satisfied smile. “finely dressed gentlemen such as ourselves should be wary of that. the jingle of coins alone is bound to attract some unwanted attention.” he warned teasingly, reaching into his pocket with the words. “speaking of which.” he tossed the small, yet hefty bag of clinking coins at sebastian. “your fee, mr. hiroshi.”

[Rosario.]

【 . 𝒮 𝑒 𝒷 𝒶 𝓈 𝓉 𝒾 𝒶 𝓃

The hunter hadn't slept well after the events of the day. He tossed and turned for a while, trying to get his thoughts to settle before eventually giving up and trying to continue reading for a bit. That, too, though proved to be futile as he soon found himself reading the same page multiple times yet processing none of it.
His mind just continued to flash back to what he couldn't remember. Those flashes of feelings and the look on Jasper's face. The whole situation was horrifying to him. He'd be able to learn to control himself, right?
He finally decided to give up on trying to focus on reading, setting the book aside careful to not nick it with his claws, before he rolled back over and pressed his face into the pillows with a soft groan of frustration.
The fact that vampires didn't suffer from lack of sleep was a small mercy, but he was far from fond of being stuck with his thoughts like this. After laying face down for a moment in the soft embrace of the bedding he sat back up, getting out of bed quietly and contenting himself with sorting his remaining equipment.
His remaining jar for holy water was empty, save some concerning small remnants that lazily glided along the glass at the bottom as he held the jar. He set it aside to rinse out. His wolfsbane had withered and dried, looking like a pitiful husk of it's former self and he grimaced looking at it - reminded that it hadn't been cheap - but he supposed that he could crush it into powder and still use it. Turn it to a salve to coat his weapons and really give werewolves a reason to turn tail? The scent was drastically weaker now but it would still certainly burn the right supernatural when prepared properly. He'd need some oil and a few weeks for it to set - he realized he'd also need a mortar and pestle. He hadn't had one for years, instead opting to buy what he needed with the funds he could get together - worried about the equipment breaking as he traveled. For the time being, he set it aside carefully, not wanting the dried plant to crumble all over the room.

His weapons were alright, his sword a little weathered and perhaps due for a sharpening soon, but it was useable. He needed a new wetstone, though. He supposed his old one had been lost during one of their struggles - it was nowhere to be found with his things, at least.
His arrows also needed maintaining - having dwindled down to a pitiful few. Given enough time he could make his own to replace his stocks easily enough. They certainly wouldn't be as good as what he could purchase - but he rarely had the funds to purchase any anyways so it really didn't make much difference for him.

He finally stood from his gear, taking the jar and wolfsbane into the bathroom where he rinsed the jar out, careful not to get any lingering remnants of the holy water on his skin. Once satisfied that the jar was cleaned out he placed the wolfsbane in it - neatly contained and unlikely to make a mess in the meantime. He left the jar on the bathroom counter next to the sink and gave his hands a quick wash just in case any scents imperceptible to him but notable to other supernaturals lingered - with the maids leaving the upkeep of the room to him, he didn't have to worry about anyone questioning the jar of wolfsbane, even if they did he supposed it would be simple enough to explain that it was just a travel precaution.
His organizing had the intended effect, he felt a fair amount calmer and was finally able to lay down to rest - a welcome relief given the work to come.

---

The cool night air felt so different as the pair departed. His senses, heightened with need, seemed to pick up even the smallest of things. Even the heartbeats of small creatures going about their night were picked up distractingly sharply and the air itself even seemed to have a taste. Prey with a keen awareness to it's weakness, quickening heartbeats of creatures seeking to escape the darkened, quiet, streets. His instinct seemed so easily able to warp his thoughts, hesitation turning to desire, his need urging a keenness to listen to what his instincts alerted him to. Every now and then his steps would slow, unintentionally, as he was distracted with someone coming particularly near - tantalizingly close - but the route Jasper chose was clever, keeping them just far enough away from the more populated and well patrolled parts allowing Sebastian to maintain control over himself - not that the hunter was really able to notice this, distracted as he was he didn't even notice how Jasper's own steps would slow in accordance to his own pace, ensuring that he could keep up easily as they traversed the unfamiliar paths and alleys delving into the impoverished parts of Timbervale.
Jasper's voice broke him from the dream-like trance of instinct, "Honestly, I'm in a similar spot." Sebastian admitted, "It's been a long time since I last hunted with anyone." His words though were promptly followed with the thought that his hunts were also never anything like this. He hunted supernaturals, not humans, and generally he didn't even go after criminals outside of extenuating circumstances. A cold feeling of gloom went through him with that thought and he did his best to force it from his mind.
The sound of movement came from nearby and his once interrupted haze of instinct once again vied for attention, startling him with it's intensity and leaving him gritting his teeth for a moment as he worked to reign it in. Thankfully, whatever it was was far enough that he was able to quickly shake the feeling - though his throat still burned with thirst.
Jasper, it seemed, didn't need him to mention his growing struggle to decide on a different path as he headed towards the dead end at the end of the alleyway. A wall that separated the outskirts of the impoverished parts from the better maintained ones, itself dilapidated as the house it came to an end against and for a moment Sebastian was able to ignore his thirst as he watched Jasper's impressive display - scaling the rubble with catlike agility and grinning down at him from above. Sebastian nodded in response as he approached the wall. Quietly taking in the footholds he's seen Jasper use. Not yet used to what he could do now in this form he was doubting his ability to emulate the other man's actions. Even so he followed Jasper's lead, using the rubble as leverage before jumping from one spot to the next following the same pattern as the other vampire albeit a bit slower, less confident, gauging the leaps before he took them though it was unnecessary, his body more than capable of clearing the distance, soon enough reaching the rooftop as well. Even the dread of what he needed to do that night couldn't stop the smile that briefly touched his expression - climbing up the rubble like that his body had felt nearly weightless as he'd made his way between the footholds - an incredibly freeing feeling. It was a fleeting moment but for that brief moment he could almost picture warming up to his condition.
It was a feeling destined to quickly die out as the night went on, small joys hardly able to negate the weight on his conscience.
He followed Jasper along the rooftops, trying to keep his concerns pushed to the back of his mind. "Alright." He murmured with a nod as Jasper explained. It was such an odd feeling, from learning the bits and pieces of how supernatural creatures hunted that the Spellbreakers had documented to finding himself learning firsthand how to hunt for himself. It was an uneasy feeling, he'd seek out the lawless yet.. He tried to push the thought from his head almost as quickly as it came to him - a task which became much easier the moment he saw the state the area was in.
This was.. strange, though that felt like an understatement. He'd been to this part previously, some of the best information he'd gotten had come from here and the people who felt they had nothing left to lose in speaking out against what hunted their streets at night. Things had looked bad back then, but this destruction was new - though it certainly didn't smell new, in fact it smelt so nauseatingly bad to his newly heightened senses that for a moment his steps paused as he struggled to stifle a gag. "It wasn't." He murmured once he'd managed to get his reaction in check, though his nose remained wrinkled in distaste. "I visited not that long ago for information. The people here think this is your doing." He shook his head, "Threw me off on what I thought I was hunting - I've never come across a creature doing things like this, at least not something that doesn't want to be found." He shook his head again before turning a curious gaze to Jasper. "Have you heard anything about this, anything that might indicate what's doing it?" Realizing that it might seem odd to ask he continued, "It could cause problems down the line if we leave it be." he said as he turned his gaze back to the ruined buildings. It didn't make sense and the part of him that had spent years hunting the supernatural wanted to find out what was behind it.. but this wasn't the time to sate his curiosity, as their targets were quick to turn up. Ending their chances for a longer conversation.
Drinking and a terrible attitude were far from crimes, yet the sound of their heartbeats was like a siren's song. His mouth was watering as his gaze lingered on the man who made his way off, angry and stumbling as the door he'd been shoved out of was slammed behind him. His focus only broke when Jasper spoke and he tore his eyes away from the man - trying to keep himself in check.
His brief curiosity from Jasper's warning was quickly answered as he caught the bag of coins Jasper tossed to him. His eyes widened in surprise as he held the weighty bag of coins. Payment for him was often scarce, even when he was a spellbreaker being the leader's son ended up meaning that payment for him was having the gear and food he needed. Since the group's destruction his work had become more so an act of charity. He had the skills to drive out the creatures that would haunt the streets, and he had to keep moving from place to place anyways so it only made sense to do what he could for the places he stopped at. However this also ended up meaning that funds were generally scarce for him. Aside from people occasionally donating to his efforts he generally didn't see much coin. This was the most coin he'd had in a long time and he felt self conscious accepting it - but they'd already discussed this, hadn't they? He stifled his concerns, even if they hadn't this wasn't the time to. "Certainly," He answered as he tucked the bag into his pocket wherein it's outline was still plainly visible. "It would be a shame to draw that kind of attention - especially at night." He offered a look of mock concern. "I suppose I'll just have to be careful on my way back to your manor." He said before making his way along the edge of the rooftop as his attention returned to the direction the man had headed - seemingly out towards a quiet alleyway.
He dropped from the roof, feeling blissfully unaffected by the fall despite the height and he stepped onto the quiet street. The smell of the dilapidated buildings was so much worse at this level but he could tune it out better now that his senses had something much better to focus on.
He feigned wariness as walked, as if he'd come onto this street by mistake and was trying to quickly leave this part of town the coins in his pocket clinking with every step he took. Yet.. while it seemed to catch the man's attention for a moment he seemed to have something else in mind as he dipped into the darkened alley. Sebastian's steps slowed before he halted entirely, watching in confusion. The man seemed completely in his own world as he walked down the alley out behind a row of buildings. After a moment Sebastian followed him.
Most of the buildings down this way were fairly rough looking and the man continued to walk without paying them any heed leaving Sebastian to wonder if he was wasting his time. Had they judged this man too quickly? Should he just go and look for someone else? Turning back should have been easy but his senses were so captivated by the potential prey just ahead of him that he couldn't seem to will himself to turn away which worried him horribly.
As they drew to the end of the alleyway the man turned towards one of the buildings. It looked quite nice given the area it was in and the man stopped outside it's back window. It was a rather unsettling sight as he just stood there seemingly contemplating it. After a moment he began to try and open it, naturally the window was locked yet he continued to yank at it. It seemed a few drinks and criminal behavior didn't work well together. Frankly, it was honestly a relief to know that he hadn't come down this way with good intentions as Sebastian slowed his steps. Move too quickly and the coins would clink, giving him away. He was so focused as instinct too control that he was scarcely breathing as he drew behind the man who seemed to be becoming ever more frustrated yanking ceaselessly at the window and muttering something incomprehensible under his breath. Perhaps if he weren't so focused on the hunt - the prey before him - the hunter may have noticed the growing oddities in the man's actions. Something.. wrong. With his scent, the way his body moved, or even the fact that he wasn't speaking a human language. All of that, his instinct tuned out. It didn't matter. Sebastian couldn't care less what was on the man's mind at this point. He was so close, the pounding of the man's heart seemed to drown out the sounds around them. With one more step closer, Sebastian bared his fangs and struck.