1x1 | Regina - & TaxiderMiss |

[Requiem;]

You are welcome to read and follow along but do not post here unless you are Regina - or TaxiderMiss
Thank you!

☩

➸ In a world just reflective of our own it seems, vampires are not a thing of legend. They are instead, that of value. The year is 1770, and the colonies are booming. Politics, civil unrest, industry...and the illegal sale of pure vampire fangs. Known for their ability to heal nearly any ailment, vampires are a valuable commodity, much like how the rhino is sought after for its horn, the vampire is needed for its teeth. Of course, with anything of great power, there must be great regulation. Laws are put in place to limit the potency of fangs, allowing legal, Crown-sanctioned sale at certain dispensaries.
...but when did laws ever stop the black market? Its said that if you take fangs straight from the source, with nothing mixed to dull its affects, you're not only granted healing from your ailments...but pure, unfettered power. Power matching that of even the greatest fanged monstrosity. While not permanent, the affects are strong, and highly sought after. Pure vampire fangs are one of the top sellers on the market. Vampire hunting is seen as a worthy cause, a rise to glory and power. The problem?
You've gotta catch one first.

"𝓗𝓪𝓿𝓮 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx𝓼𝓮𝓮𝓷 𝓪 𝓿𝓪𝓶𝓹𝓲𝓻𝓮?"

[Requiem;]

➢ 𝕵𝖊𝖘𝖘𝖎𝖈𝖆 | 𝕳𝖚𝖒𝖆𝖓 | 𝟚𝟜

It was strange, even now, waking up in a real mattress. Jess had been here for less than a week, having caught a lucky break upon running into Mr. Harper at the Bakery in town. She had been trying to haggle the shopkeeper into letting her buy a two loaves of bread for the measly pence she had left. The kind old man had stepped in, paying for two whole loaves of bread, before offering her work on his property. Their stable hand had evidently been in an accident recently, and he was in need of a new one. In exchange for caring for the horses, Jess would be allowed to sleep in the hay room, with a small amount of pay per week to go with it. It was one of her better jobs, considering she actually had a roof over her head this time. She knew she couldn't bring herself to stay here long, she was a loner by heart, never able to stay in one place.

However, it was nice for now.

In addition to a place to sleep, Jess was also allowed to take and eat any leftovers the Harper family had. Well...take and share with the other people who tended to the property. At first Jess had been skeptical, but it turns out they have an abundance of food each night that's more than enough to fill every belly and then some. It was lavish, and fanciful...and oh so wasteful. But, rich people will do what rich people will do.

She couldn't say that she loved it here...or even liked it. She didn't mind the work, even if it was dirty and oftentimes left her muscles sore. But Jess could never find peace so long as she was reliant on someone, in some way, to be able to survive. She had often dreamed as a little girl of owning her own mansion, where she would be able to provide for anyone who came knocking at her door. Her next meal never a concern, clothes clean, and an over abundance of anything she needed. It was killing her to work at the very place she dreamed of living. But she would be foolish to turn away before she had enough to get going again.

A day's work is another step closer to being able to travel once more. Another step closer to working towards having enough to stay somewhere that she can actually pay for. Though her dream of a luxurious life has long since diminished, a humble cottage was now what she pined for, quiet, secluded, where she could be at peace.

But enough daydreaming. She was already running late.

The sun was barely in the sky as she descended the stairs to the barn below, but any sunlight meant she was already behind schedule. Food needed to be prepared, stalls needed to be mucked, and horses needed grooming. There wasn't a moment to lose, especially since she was pretty sure that Mr. Harper and his son were planning a morning ride. They wouldn't be up and active for a couple hours to come, but Jess needed to have everything prepared regardless.

It was actually a bit amazing that she had managed to catch onto the morning routine so well. It seemed daunting on the first day, but she found her pattern rather quickly. She couldn't quite run through the routine mindlessly yet, but she was getting close, her hands seeming to move on their own as she gathered feed into buckets. She found that she quite liked the horses here, most of them were rather friendly, a trait that was not always passed on at every stable. Perhaps Mr. Harper's kindness ran through every living creature here. She knew that any efforts would fail on her jaded heart.

As she went through the morning routine, she found herself shivering the entire time. Her tattered clothes did nothing to protect her from the chilly autumn air, especially in the early morning. It would be winter soon, she would have to figure something out to protect her from frostbite or pneumonia... much like last winter, which had been quite the nightmare. It seemed that New York showed no mercy in its winters, not even to those who couldn't afford to cover up. Perhaps she would take the blankets Mr. Harper provided...though she knew if she asked him he would attempt to give her more than she deserved, putting her even more in debt to the man. No, she would have to endure.

But for now, there were stalls to muck. Jess shook away her thoughts as she grabbed her shovel and barrel and got back to work.

[ShadowHunteress]

The barn wasn't an ideal place, it was a barn after all, full of large smelly beasts that cloyed the air and messed with a delicate sense of smell. It was warmer then the outdoors though, and it was some place to hide, as much as she hated stooping that low. She had always prided herself in her in her ability to fend for herself and remain strong, no matter what happened. But with how things were going now, even the toughest creatures were forced to, loing, and partially wer themselves every once and awhile. A barn though, that was a new low, and reminded her of things she didn't like th think about...

That train of thought was abrubtly cut off though when a different smell cut through the horse and the muck, although it did blend in. A stablehand, and they were close, pale, snowy eyes raised from the straw where she had been laying in the straw. She slowly forced herself upright and leaned back against the wall in the last stall in the barn, which luckily for her had been empty when she'd nearly fallen in through the missing window hole. Blood stained the straw she had been laying on, as well as the dark grey shirt she was wearing. Luckily for Jess though, she was about to stumble onto something worth more then gold. For the woman who was wounded in the stall was none other then a vampire.

Their fangs were worth a vampires whole body weight in gold on the black market, a person could make their life's wages on the creature's fangs. They'd be able to make a comfortable living for themselves, clothes, a home, food, for the rest of their life if they were smart. And this vampire was already injured, so it would be easy enough if she was smart, or even a bit resourceful with the pitchfork she mucked stalls with. She'd been shot, and even though she was a vampire, a ball at close range did a lot of damage, which feeding would fix with a little bit of time. But fortunately for the humans, and unfortunately for her, she didn't run into any on her way here to hide from the ones hunting her.

In the cold morning air Anora's breath still didn't show, after all, her body temperature wasn't very high, especially since she was hurt, but even in this cold air, she didn't shiver. She slowly tried to stand, knowing the human was getting close, but she let out a low moan and sank back down, this wasn't good, she was too injured to even attack the human. She wasn't sure what she was going to do about this shot and she knew she'd need to feed if she was going to survive. But she also wasn't a fool, most humans would see her as nothing more then gold, especially in her weakened state.

When the human got closer she could hear their footsteps, smell their more dstinct smell, less obscured by the smell of horses that reeked so strongly in this barn. Her flaming hair had straw in it, and she was looking a little rough, another thing which would have annoyed her since she hated having things messing up her hair, which had fallen from it's ponytail and was falling loosely around her shoulders. She leaned back against the outer wall of the barn, facing the stall door and waited for the inevitable for this human to come in and hopefully she'd pass out in shock, and then Anora could get a meal. But those chances were slim, so she just waited, watching, ready.

[Requiem;]

➢ 𝕵𝖊𝖘𝖘𝖎𝖈𝖆 | 𝕳𝖚𝖒𝖆𝖓 | 𝟚𝟜

There was something off about the atmosphere as she neared the other side of the barn. Jess had keen instincts, along with years of practice in knowing when something was wrong. Her steps slowed, and she was quick to grab a pitchfork that was hanging on the wall near the tack room before investigating further. The scent of blood was in the air, and Jess realized that someone was wounded, though whether it was human or animal she wasn't sure. Whatever it was, it certainly didn't belong in her barn. Especially since Mr. Harper would be coming within the next couple of hours. Though he was kind, if one of his horses was injured, Jess wasn't sure how happy he'd be with his brand new stable hand.

Jess crept slowly, her body stiff with tension, the pitchfork gripped tightly in her hands, ready to strike. There were droplets of blood on the ground, leading in from the outside, which led her to believe it must not be a horse. None of them would have been able to get out. This meant it could be...much more dangerous.

Great. This was exactly what she signed up for.

Swallowing a lump in her throat, Jess took a deep breath then ducked quickly around the corner, standing in the entrance of the stall, pitchfork raised at the intruder, a dark glare forming on her face. It was threatening, and considering her height, Jess made quite the imposing figure. Her eyes scanned the stall, taking in the blood soaked hay until it landed on...

"Oh my god!" She exclaimed, the pitchfork leaving her hands to fall to the ground in a loud clang as it hit the cobblestone that was exposed beneath the hay. It wasn't an animal at all, it was a girl, and she was hurt. "What happened to you?" She asked, quick to fall to her knees next to the woman, hands hesitantly raised to look at the wound. It looked bad, almost like a gunshot. It needed attention for sure, otherwise she feared the worst.

Perhaps it was due to it being the heat of the moment, or maybe it was the fact that she'd never encountered a vampire before, but Jess failed to notice the strange appearance of the woman. All that she was concerned about right now was tending to the woman. Though she was a total stranger, Jess always did have a desire to help those in need, even if it wasn't often returned.

The wound was still bleeding, and Jess knew that she had to find something to staunch the flow. She looked around the stall, looking for anything that might work, before an idea came to mind. Despite the fact that she had nothing else, Jess didn't hesitate to tear a strip from her tattered shirt, shivering at the exposed skin of her stomach for just a moment before pressing the cloth against this stranger's wound, looking at her with sympathetic eyes. "I know it might hurt, but I have to put on the pressure."

[ShadowHunteress]

When the footsteps slowed Anora realized the person saw her trail leading into the barn, and when they came around the corner, pitchfork ready in hand, she was prepared for a fight. But what happened next surprised the vampiress, she watched as the woman came over to her, she was a little surprised, they were near the same height. When she felt those hands press to her side, and suddenlt the woman tore her shirt and was pressing it against her side. Which had her in shock to be honest, this woman, she really didn't know what she was doing, and how close to danger she really was... the smell of her blood was so enticing.

It took a moment, but she managed to snap out of her intense focus on the woman's neck. She shook her head and leaned back, "You are either incredibly kind or very foolish." she said as she looked at the girl, who looked like she was in just as bad shape as Anora was, even if she didn't have a bullet in her. That was what was stopping Anora from biting her there and then, she wasn't sure if the human could lose any amount of blood, and she was trying to be kind to her, even if she hadn't realized the truth just yet. But when she did, well Anora wasn't sure how she'd take it.

When Jess pressed the cloth a little harder to her side, a hiss escaped her, thankfully she had already pulled out the ball, so she didn't have to worry about it, but it still hurt, and she would need blood to heal the damage and to replenish all the blood she had lost while fleeing. But she realized that if she left a trail they could find her. Her eyes focused on Jess's neck once more, the warm lifeblood that flowed within it. Her mouth opened and she licked her lips, leaning towards the woman's throat, ready to sink her fangs in, her cold breath hitting Jess's throat, but a horse whinnied in the stable and snapped her out of her state ad she shook her head.

The vampiress leaned back against the wall, "You shouldn't be so close to me." she said with a huff of pain. "You are going to get yourself hurt." she said as she looked away from Jess to avoid the temptation of sinking her teeth into that soft, warm flesh of the other girl's throat... Another groan escaped her, her lips parting as she exhaled and exposed her fangs to the other girl. Even though they hid when her mouth was closed, they were easy to see when her mouth was open, her canines were more like a feline then a humans, long, sharp and thin, perfect for piercing flesh and making someone bleed, especailly if you hit an artery.

Once more her mouth had opened a bit more, preparing to bite as she heard that heartbeat, like a siren call, but she caught herself again, closing her mouth with a snap as she leaned back. "This is not a safe place for you to be, or me for that matter." she said with a soft hiss. She knew those hunters were not going to give up so easy, her fangs were worth more then a bit of trouble, and this girl wasn't an obstacle, she'd help them for a cut probably, it would keep her warm for the winter. She looked at the well intentioned human, who might not be so well intentioned for very long.

[Requiem;]

➢ 𝕵𝖊𝖘𝖘𝖎𝖈𝖆 | 𝕳𝖚𝖒𝖆𝖓 | 𝟚𝟜

The woman was strange. That much she knew upon first glance. The pained warnings, the cool breath on her neck...Jess wondered if perhaps this poor girl had hit her head as well. She seemed to be a bit delusional. Jess kept the cloth pressed tight to the wound, wondering what else she could do. She could get Mr. Harper, he was sure to help this poor girl. Especially if she was in any trouble, Jess knew that he wouldn't stand for a young woman getting hurt. Perhaps he could drive off whoever could possibly be chasing her.

All these thoughts racing through her head, ideas, plans for what to next....they all came to a screeching halt when Jess looked at the woman's face, only to wind up being face to face with a pair of sharp, menacing fangs. Eyes wide, heart racing, Jess scrambled backwards until her back hit the door of the stall on the opposite side of the woman, the blood soaked piece of her shirt haven fallen to the ground between them during her retreat. She didn't scream, she was smarter than that, but her eyes were wide and her face shone with shock.

"Y-you're...you're a vampire." She stuttered out, finally, the realization only serving to make her heart race faster. Sure, she had heard of vampire. She knew people who hunted them. It wasn't as if they were a myth, for heaven's sake Mr. Harper himself runs a fang dispensary. But this was the first time Jess had actually come face to face with a real vampire...especially a living one. Well...as alive as a vampire could be.

She was starting to realize the danger of her situation. It dawned on her that she needed to grab the pitchfork. Especially since she had just admitted out loud that she realized what this woman was. In a quick move, Jess scooted over to grasp the fallen weapon in her hands, holding it (admittedly a bit shakily) in front of the dangerous creature, trying to regain her composure. She knew the basics of handling a vampire, or...at least knew of precautions to take, and yet Jess had violated pretty much all of the basic safety rules already, and she was still alive. Boy did she luck out that this beast was injured.

Injured...another realization dawned on her. This could be her chance. Pure fangs straight from the source? She could make a fortune selling them on the black market. She'd be able to afford pretty much anything she wanted, just from the payout that one pair of fangs would give.

Her features visibly shifted from shock to cold, calculated determination as she slowly rose to her feet. She needed to kill this creature. This was the break she'd been waiting for her whole life, served to her on a silver platter - or, er, more like a dirty barn floor. She raised the pitchfork high, taking another step closer. "It'll be easier if you don't try to fight." She warned, even as her voice shook. Could she really kill something that looked so much like her? Her brain was telling her that this thing wasn't human, that she needed to just do it...but her heart was telling her that this was an intelligent creature, just like her. And it had been human...at least once. How could she hurt one of her own?

Her head was starting to hurt, and she needed to make a decision. She couldn't just stand there like an idiot forever.

[ShadowHunteress]

Anora couldn't help but chuckle a little as the girl realized exactly what she was, the rush she backed away from her in was nearly comical. As she picked up the pitchfork in her shakey hands, she just smiled a little and watched, waiting for it to click in the woman's brain what exactly she was looking at. The moment was as clear as the pitchfork in her hands and the blood in the straw, when her body switched from scared to, almost eager. Even her smell shifted, the fear fading into an undertone as she realized that she was staring at wealth she could have only dreamed of.

When she stepped closer and spoke those words, she let out a soft laugh, "I can't move if I tried, let alone fight you." she said as she watched her. She was hesitating, warring with herself, which may have been a surprise, except for the fact that she had rushed in the stall to a stranger's aid. Clearly she had a kind heart, but money swayed a person, especially when they thought that vampires were mere soulless beasts, monsters.

A pained noise escaped the red head once more as she adjusted her posistion slightly, not too worried about the woman right now as she seemed to war with herself. "At least if you kill me it will be quick, and you seem to need to money. More so then the men who shot me. When they find me they will rip out my teeth and leave me here to die, which I don't really want to happen." she said with a sigh as her pale eyes focused on Jess once more. "So, while you are warring with yourself, I am just going to talk, since if I am going to die, by your hand or theirs, I want to set the record straight, since I do hate the mistruths about vampires." she told Jess, "Now, don't let this sway you, I just want you to have all the facts, like any person should when facing a tough decision."

Her eyes closed a moment as the world spinned from lack of blood in her system, but it passed momentarily and her eyes opened once more. "First of all, we do not need to kill our food, sure at the moment if I bit someone I could drain them dry, but that is just because I am injured and I have lost a.. substantial amount of the blood that is keeping me alive. But, normally, I take about a cup of blood, not much, and certainly not enough to kill someone." she informed the stable hand. "I can feed from someone while they sleep and they will wake up none the wiser. As well, just because I bite someone, that doesn't mean they will become a vampire. Like snakes we can control when we release our venom, and even then, it takes a lot of venom before a human will change, but a bit will heal the bite wounds so nobody can tell they have been fed from."

She had to pause after that to breathe, she didn't like feeling this weak, and she knew she couldn't even fend off this woman, let alone the men who were more prepared, but at least the stablehand would know a bit more about the creature she wanted to kill. "Another thing, a wooden stake to the heart, that would kill anyone! Pretty much to kill a vampire you need to destroy our heart, since we need that to circulate the blood we drink, or rip out our fangs. Now, that brings me back to the venom, when our fangs are removed, we can no longer control our venom production, so it pretty much keeps leaking into our bodies and poisons us. It is a slow and painful death and a way I really don't want to go." she told her, looking up at her.

"If you hadn't noticed, some of us also have self control, even though I desperetly need blood, I resisted biting you. It's what any decent being would do after all, I'm not some kind of monster." she said haughtily. "We vampires, since we are... psuedo dead. Need human blood to live, we drink it, and it becomes part of our own blood. So we only need to drink enough to keep about six pints in us, but we don't need it all at once, so a bit here and there is fine." she said. "Unless we are wounded, then we lose more blood and need to take more in to heal us and keep the blood in our system balancing out the venom. It's pretty complicated once you get into the science of it and I don't really have time to get into details, since you are either going to stab me with that filthy pitchfork, or those men will find my trail and, well you know the rest." she said as she weakly waved a pale hand.

Now she was finished talking, she wasn't sure she could speak much more anyway, without the clothe, or even a hand against her side, what little blood she had in her was still slowly seeping out. She was going to die her second death much like her first, in a filthy barn, knowing the inevitable was coming, but still a little scared.

[Requiem;]

➢ 𝕵𝖊𝖘𝖘𝖎𝖈𝖆 | 𝕳𝖚𝖒𝖆𝖓 | 𝟚𝟜

Despite the fact that the vampire's speech "wasn't supposed to sway her," Jess found herself more and more conflicted. She was doing her best to try and convince herself that the person - creature laying on the ground in front of her felt no emotion. That it wasn't like her, it didn't have a soul...it was a coldblooded monster...it needed to be eradicated...everything she'd heard about them, she was trying to convince herself it was the truth.

But one look in this dying woman's eyes and she knew it wasn't.

It didn't matter how much money she could earn. Yes, this woman could solve every one of her problems. Yes, Jess could live her dream with just one of those valuable fangs. And yes, her mind was actively fighting to force her to take that pitchfork and end the miserable beast's existence...but her heart had evidently won out. She wasn't a killer. She was a survivor, a loner, and maybe a bit on the standoffish side, but Jess would never be able to forgive herself if she took this woman's life. There was no doubt about it, she was going to have to help this vampire. This could only go one of two ways. Either she's totally screwed by this, losing her job, or possibly even her life, or she'll be able to get the woman to safety, and get her out as soon as she healed.

Knowing her luck, Jess was likely screwed.

But, despite the odds being stacked against her she sighed and tossed the pitchfork away again. "Curse my morals." She grumbled, taking a few steps forward. She was about to fall to her knees, offer her neck to the dangerous woman, but the sounds of voices from the distance drew her attention. They were rough, unfamiliar voices, blending with the sounds of hoofbeats. Jess realized this must be the group that shot the vampire,

"See the blood trail? She came this way!" Came a deep voice, booming like thunder in the still morning air.

"Look at the amount of blood, we've got 'er now!" Came another, this one slightly higher, and more hoarse, but no less intimidating.

"I can't believe we got a real life vampire!" The last voice was much different, sounding as if it came from a young man. No older than his late teens, if Jess had to guess.

The were getting closer, and Jess knew she had to act fast. "Don't you make a peep." She growled, quickly reaching out to slide one arm beneath the vampires knees, the other beneath her arms. She took a deep breath, preparing herself for having to practically carry dead weight.

"One...two...threee!" She heaved herself up, almost stumbling backwards with the vampire in her arms. The woman was...surprisingly light. She certainly put strain on her already weakened muscles, but Jess was shocked at how it was relatively easy to keep the woman in her arms. But, Jess really didn't have time to dwell on that now. She needed to hide her.

Moving swiftly (and admittedly a bit clumsily), Jess made her way to the other side of the barn, going as fast as she could until she got to the ladder that led to the hay room. She stopped there, adjusting the awkward hold she had so that one hand could grab the side of the ladder. She moved carefully up the stairs, but still at a fast enough speed to show she was in a hurry.

Once she was up, she gently laid the vampire down on the mattress that she was using, grimacing at the blood that instantly stained her sheets. Oh well...a small price to pay she supposed.

She took a deep breath, and then moved her hair to the side, clenching her eyes shut. "Okay, take like...enough so you don't die in the next few minutes...but be quick. And uh...gentle. I'm not too keen on being bit." She said with a shaking voice, her heart pounding at the prospect of those fangs sinking into her sensitive neck.

[ShadowHunteress]

Anora watched all those conflicted emotions on the girl's face, which did surprise her a bit she had to admit. She watched as Jess approached her, but before either could do much, they both heard those voices. A low hiss escaped Anora, but she was cut off when she was suddenly lifted. She knew she wasn't overly heavy, but she wasn't the daintiest of maidens. But Jess was lifting her almost easily. She couldn't help but chuckle a little, "All you are missing is the armour." she said with a weak smile as she was carried through the barn.

Her pale eyes went over Jess's shoulder, watching the barn door for any sign of the trio storming the place, which she was hoping wasn't going to be soon. When she felt the jolt she glanced back at what was going on, so they were headed up to the hayloft. She let out a pained exhale as she was laid on the bed, which she knew she was bleeding on, she would have to replace a few things of this girl's at this point. But that didn't matter, it could be done easily enough, if they survived this ordeal.

When Jess knelt beside her and moved her hair back, speaking to her of drinking, she laughed a little, "The neck isn't necessary." she said as she reached out with a cold, slender hand, and gently took one of Jess's. She carefully pulled her arm over her mouth, and paused a moment before she bit her arm, just above her wrist where there was a little more muscle. Her fangs sank through the skin like it was nothing, blood immediately pooling at the top of the punctures. She slid her fangs out and began to drink, knowing it would be an odd sensation to say the least, but it wouldn't be as uncomfortable as it would have been in a place with less muscle, like the wrist or throat. After drinking only about three cups of blood, she licked the bite, her saliva, which had traces of venom in it, was enough to seal the small punctures and leave no trace.

"Thank-" her gratefulness was cut off when she heard the barn door open, and her pale eyes locked with Jess's for a moment as she heard the men enter, and smelt them, vampire blood mixed with sweat and horses.

"It's gotta be nearby, you got it good." the gruffer voice said.

"Look! The trail is still here!" the younger one added enthusastically as they followed it to the stall that Anora had just vacated.

"Lots of blood, but where could the thing have went?" one voice growled, kicking the straw in the stall, which Jess wouldn't hear, but Anora could As if she'd be able to hide under that straw...

"Hello! Anyone home!" one of them called, knowing that the vampiress could have killed a stable hand and escaped. They began searching for bodies, but thankfully they seemed to be ignoring the lost, at the moment.

"You should get back down there, here..." she said, she reached up and scratched Jess's neck, enough to make it bleed and look like she had been attacked, but not enough it would really hurt her, "I will heal that later." she murmured, "But go down there and look a bit dazed. They are scratch marks, so they shouldn't think you will change." she said softly, Now that she had fed, she was slowly healing, but that didn't mean she still wasn't feeling the effects of all that bloodloss and being shot.

[Requiem;]

➢ 𝕵𝖊𝖘𝖘𝖎𝖈𝖆 | 𝕳𝖚𝖒𝖆𝖓 | 𝟚𝟜

She couldn't hide her embarrassment as the vampire scoffed at her and then reached for her hand. But what was Jess supposed to think? From everything she'd heard, vampires bite the neck, and drain the blood from a person. She couldn't possibly have known that there were other ways to get blood. Though...now that that thought crossed her mind, she was starting to realize just how idiotic that sounded. A blush tinted her tanned cheeks, and she quickly averted her gaze.

Stupid vampires.

That thought was amplified tenfold when sharp fangs sunk into her wrist. "Aah!" It didn't hurt that bad, but there was something so strange about feeling the way her blood was being drained from her body. It was almost calming...in a strange way she supposed. The wound had already gone numb, and Jess found herself fascinated by watching the alluring vampire in her predatory state, her mouth parted, eyes intensely focused. Time seemed to slow, and the outside world faded to the background as she watched...almost as if she were separate from her own body. A entity trapped in a different reality, caught in this moment...her heart was beating faster, she was vaguely aware of it, but this haze had spread over her mind, maybe it was due to the bite? Something about vampire fangs...she really couldn't bring herself to care all that much. The moment was going and going and going -

and then reality came crashing back into place when sharp nails dragged across her skin, drawing blood. The vampire's words floated into her ears, and not being able to process them until that deep voice came again. "Hello? Is anyone home?"

Shoot, she needed to go down there and answer these brutes, not stare at the pretty vampire with a dazed expression. Though...she supposed that might help when confronting them. She shook her head, gathering her thoughts, then nodded to the vampire, gripping her wrist tightly, quick to run down the stairs, then stumble into a stack of empty buckets, letting out a pained groan over the loud clatter.

"Over...over here." She called out, drawing all three men's attention to her. They came rounding the corner in an instant, guns raised, ready to shoot the woman they thought they were hunting. The leader of the group was the first to put his gun down upon seeing that he hadn't found his target, and Jess was quick to find out he was the man whose voice boomed liked thunder as he spoke.

"My God, men...put down your weapons. That she-devil attacked this innocent lass." He commanded, his dirty, thick eyebrows scrunching up in disappointment, and what could be concern. The man was nothing like his voice might let on, he was short and plump, with hair covering almost every inch of his body, including the unkempt black beard that covered the whole bottom half of his face, short, but thick and curled. His skin was pale, and even through the hair the frown lines that had formed on his face seemed to shine through, his dull green eyes seeming to be permanently narrowed, as if all he could do was scowl. Jess instantly hated him.

The second man, the one with the hoarse voice, was a tall and skinny, his hands seeming to be unable to stay still, fumbling with the trigger of his lowered gun, glancing around nervously. Despite the obvious age that shown on his face, he seemed to be more worked up then the young lad next to him, who looked to be no more than sixteen, with scruffy blonde hair and an eager glint to his eyes. He seemed eager to kill...it was a bit frightening. There should be innocence in those eyes, not blood lust.

"I...I don't know what happened." Jess began after studying them, her eyes rolling back as she showed of her bloody wrist. It was lucky she bled a lot, as the wound looked so much worse than it actually was. "O-one minute I was tending to my horses...the next I was being attacked by...by this beast...oh god its too horrible to mention!"

She swayed dangerously on shaking feet, slightly amused by the horror that crossed each of their faced, the young lad being the one to reach out and steady her. "It was a vampire you were assaulted by." He told her, his tone dangerous, and grim. "We shot her out in the woods, we had no idea the beast would get this far."

"A vampire? Oh, by the lord's name...what if she turned me?" Her voice took on an almost comically high pitch, eyes showing with faked panic as she held up the wound. The bearded man let out a huff, grabbing onto her hand and inspecting it.

"Yer fine lass, just a scratch. Do you know where that she-devil went?" He asked, his gaze seeming to narrow further, as if looking for any sign that she could be lying.

Jess helplessly shook her head. "I...I think I heard her leave once more...back the barn door. Oh god, what if she went into the town!" Perhaps she was playing up the helpless maiden a bit too much...but boy was it fun.

"We'll take care of her!" The lad exclaimed, looking to the bearded man, who Jess could only assume was his father. "Come on, we don't have a moment to lose!"

The nervous older man looked at Jess with concern. "Will you be alright young lady?" He asked her, the first time he had spoken since they were outside.

"I-I think I'll manage. I can make my way to my master...but the boy is right, you must hurry. I would never want that...that creature to run lose in the town!"

They seemed to agree, bidding their farewell, but not before leaving Jess with a small dagger as protection...something she could use regardless. Bunch of bloody fools.

It wasn't until the hoofbeats faded far into the distance that Jess started to climb back up the ladder.