Blood Ties [for lokiswoman]

[animefangirl]

Strange tips had been flooding into the local newspaper all morning, speaking of giant wolves and people who could move faster than the eye could see. Had it only been one tip, the boss would have dismissed it as nothing more than drunken ramblings but there were five now! He couldn't very well ignore that, especially when two sent in pictures of felled trees that seemed to have been splintered by some sort of impact. Still, he was skeptical, so he decided to send his youngest reporter out to get the story. At the very least it could serve as a humor story to show tonight if it turned out to be all one big joke.

Tobias Warren was only nineteen years old and despite being smart he had foregone college to get a job at the local paper as a junior reporter with the grandiose plan to work his way up the ranks with some big-hit stories to become an anchor. That hadn't really been going according to plan lately, but he wasn't one to be easily deterred. So, when the boss told him he had a story Toby jumped on it and set out to track down the witnesses and see the scenes for himself. It was getting late by the time he was done photographing the last clearing full of damaged trees and ripped up grass. Still, he thought it was a big prank at that point.

He decided to get to the bottom of it though, mostly because he didn't want to go back empty handed or have this potentially "breaking news" story turned into a joke. So he wandered the woods as the sun sank and eventually heard some sounds that were suspiciously similar to animals fighting. He hurried over there, ducking behind a bush and raised his camera to take pictures, switching it to night mode so it wouldn't flash. He couldn't believe his eyes though, or the film as he saw what appeared to be a regular guy face off with a giant wolf...and win! He was so shocked that when he ran off he didn't try to be quiet and managed to get the attention of the man.

The next thing he knew something jumped him from behind and then there was a sharp pain in his neck that wrenched a scream from the young journalist.

[LadyLoki]

Tonight had not gone as expected. What was supposed to be a quiet night in grading papers had turned into a massive fight between Duncan and a werewolf encroaching on his territory. Vampires didn’t really feel tired unless they hadn’t fed in a while, but Duncan was coming close. He had gotten the wolf down on the ground, before he’d sensed someone running away from the fight scene. Had he been spotted? How long had that human been standing there? How much had he seen? Duncan’s mind was quickly clouded by the numerous possibilities, and before the vampire realized it, his fangs were sinking down into the neck of the young human who had been trying to get away.

“Oh dear…” Duncan sighed quietly, before tightening his hold on the young man, so he couldn’t break free. The change was excruciatingly painful, for the first few moments it felt like your entire being was engulfed in flame. He had never sired someone before. Being alone had always been preferable, but Duncan supposed now he had to deal with his error in judgment. A newborn running around would attract too much attention, and Duncan was comfortable in this town. The transformation would only take a few minutes, assuming the human actually survived the process. Duncan waited the change through, keeping a tight hold on the young man until the worst was over.

“You’re going to feel very thirsty.” Duncan said calmly, his voice even. “There are deer and other large game in these forests. I will show you how to hunt properly, and instinct should do the rest. I understand this is overwhelming, but you will be more clearheaded once you feed.” He explained, before seeing the camera. So the little newborn had been taking photos. As unfortunate as this might be, at least there was no way his childe would be able to turn them in without incriminating himself now. “I will explain afterwards. Are you able to move?” Duncan asked, since from what he could remember, his legs had felt almost like stone for several minutes after he was first turned.

[animefangirl]

While Toby wasn't overly superstitious he did believe in some supernatural things such as ghosts and karma, but he had never suspected that something like THIS could be real. No sane person believed in vampires and werewolves! Even his boss had thought this was all a joke! He didn't really have time to give that too much thought though, and he turned to flee in genuine panic but that didn't end too well for him. Even when he felt the sharp pain of the mans fangs sinking into his neck he couldn't fully grasp what was happening. "What the fu--!" he started to speak when Duncan stopped biting him but then the intense pain hit him and he started to thrash around in Duncan's arms. At first he clenched his teeth to try and fight the pain but he eventually yelled and clawed at the restraining arms as his entire body felt like he'd been thrown right into a fire.

It seemed to take forever before the pain faded, but really it was only a couple of minutes, and Toby was limp in Duncan's arms as his brain tried to catch up with everything that had happened. He didn't even register the burning thirst until Duncan calmly informed him that he was going to feel it. "What did you do to me?" He demanded, ignoring Duncan's assurance that he would feel more clearheaded later he wanted to know now damnit! He realized he was being held then, and he was very, very close to Duncan in ways that were just plain not comfortable considering the guy holding him was still a stranger. "I'm fine, let me go" he demanded, waiting for Duncan to release him and then attempted to run only to literally fall right on his face.

"What the fuck!" He snapped, rolling to his back and sitting up he started to rub his legs, confused why they weren't working. Hell, he was confused about everything at this point! "What the fuck?" He repeated a moment later, this time meeting Duncan's eyes and it sounded more like a question than an angry complaint.

[LadyLoki]

“Very articulate.” Duncan said drily as the smaller male fell to the ground, although he figured he should be a little more patient considering he had just bitten the poor human without warning. “I turned you into a vampire, a newborn to be precise.” He admitted after a moment, sighing despite himself. “I’m your sire, meaning I’m the one who turned you.” Duncan explained, before leaning down to easily heave the human to his feet once again. “I was holding you upright because it takes a moment for all your limbs to start acting as a cohesive unit again. When I was first turned, it took approximately five minutes for me to walk again…for all intents and purposes, your body no longer needs to function like it did several minutes ago.” He added, before realizing that might not have been the most comforting thing to say. Duncan did keep a little bit of distance, since he could imagine the former human was a little overwhelmed.

He ran a hand through his dark hair, gold eyes flitting about in case there were any more wolves about. It was odd for one to venture so far into vampire territory that was clearly marked. Until the newborn learned to control his abilities, he would be more of a hindrance than help. “Once you feel your legs start working again, we must find you something to drink. It will help the dryness in your throat, and then we will need to speak more.” Duncan said, since that was eventually going to take precedence over all other thought. “I understand this is very overwhelming, but I will explain things momentarily. My name is Duncan, by the way.” He had never turned anyone, so he was a little foggy on how exactly this was supposed to go. He hadn’t even intended to turn this one!

Duncan stepped back several minutes later, motioning for the newborn to try taking a few steps. “Don’t try and run. I would rather not have to snap your neck and burn you. And trust me, as fast as newborns are…I promise I will be able to catch you.” He warned, crossing his arms. “So, are you going to cooperate?”

[animefangirl]

"Shut up!" he snapped at Duncan when the older man made his dry comment, of course irritated by what he saw as an insult regardless of how Duncan may have meant it. Plus, he wasn't feeling all too friendly at the moment so it made him feel better. When Duncan went on to tell him he was a vampire now Toby's jaw literally dropped and he looked at the older man as if he had suddenly grown a second head. "Vampires aren't real" he protested, though his voice sounded weak even in his own ears considering what he'd just experienced it made a whole lot of sense. The rational part of his brain was just having a hard time coming to grips with the idea. He recoiled away from Duncan when his new sire leaned down to hoist him to his feet but it didn't help, there wasn't anywhere to go even if his limbs were cooperating with him.

"This is crazy. You're crazy. Hell, maybe I'm crazy" he muttered, though even as he spoke he tentatively flexed the muscles in his legs, which hurt but at least this time they cooperated with him. Not enough for him to lift his leg though, as frustrating as that was it currently felt like he was wearing cement shoes or something. "Wait, if what you're saying is legit, that means you killed me! I'm dead? Am I dead?" he asked, panicked about the thought of being dead though why he couldn't explain. Especially since he didn't really feel dead. In fact now that his muscles were relaxing a bit he was starting to feel pretty damn good, thanks to the vampire healing abilities soothing the pain and the transformation enhancing everything.

He was just starting to lift his legs and take a tentative little step when Duncan said that they would find him something to drink and then offered his name as if this was no big deal and such things happened every day. "Tobias...Toby" He offered his own just out of habit though almost as soon as the words were out of his mouth he wanted them back. He did NOT want to be nice, or even civil to this guy. Duncan had just killed him and made him a vampire against his will! His thirst was becoming painful though, and his instincts practically screamed at him to feed so he would play nice...for now.

When Duncan motioned for him to take a few steps he did so and was pleased to see that his legs were cooperating with him once again. His pleasure faded to irritation when he heard what the vampire had to say though. "Well since you just threatened to kill me I don't have much of a choice, now do I?" he snapped, not appreciating the threat the least little bit and he had no qualms with showing that either.

[LadyLoki]

“Yes, you’re dead, by the legal standard. You have no heartbeat, and technically no brain function.” Duncan responded, trying to keep his voice as calm as possible. He really did not want the newborn…Toby, as he realized, to end up going on a rampage. That would mean having to pack up and flee before a whole pack of wolves descended on him, or some stupid band of hunters looking for a lone vampire to take out. “I am very much real, and you are too.” Duncan did feel bad for having turned the boy without much warning. Being startled wasn’t much of an excuse. He had been alive for more than four hundred years, he should know better than to react in such a manner. His brow rose at the snappy comment, but Duncan decided it best not to escalate the situation. “I hope you’ll forgive me that comment, but we are in a rather precarious situation that I shall explain once you feed.”

Now that Toby could walk, Duncan began leading the way into the woods. Normally, he would be moving faster than the human eye could see, but he doubted the younger male would be able to keep up just yet. “I generally hunt animals, since hunting humans generally leads to people asking questions.” He said idly, as though discussing the weather. It made no sense to hype all of this up, because Toby was probably already slightly freaked out by the change. “You should be able to hear the heartbeat of every living thing around you. Use it to guide you to their location. Once you are closer, their scent will begin to take over and you should have no trouble finding a target.” Duncan explained, before pausing in a bunch of trees.

“There. In the clearing are several deer. Not the best tasting, but it will do for right now. Watch, and copy my movements as best you can. Technique will come with practice, and instincts will help until then.” The older vampire said, before crouching slightly low and waiting. Animals were smarter than most gave them credit for. They could sense predators, especially supernatural ones. Humans had the ability too, but they tended to ignore their instincts. Two deer moved slightly away from the group, and Duncan nodded in their direction. “Those.” He said simply, before darting forward with blinding speed.

It never took long. He figured Toby would be close behind, considering the bloodlust must be overwhelming by now. Duncan was on the animal before it even realized it was in danger, his fangs sinking into its neck and effectively killing the deer instantly. It was less messy now than it had been when he first learned to hunt. That had ruined many sets of clothes. He turned to see how his newborn was fairing. His feeding was less urgent than Toby’s.

[animefangirl]

"I'm dead. You killed me" he muttered, a conflicted look in his eyes since one part of him wanted to maul the man, thanks to his vampire instincts making him more violent, while another part of him felt oddly connected to Duncan as if he had known the man his whole life. Which was weird as hell but at least it kept the newborn violence at bay and he didn't try to attack Duncan. For now anyway. He snorted when the man added that they were real, "Real and dead." he insisted, for some reason fixating on that part of this whole ordeal. He would get over it, it was just really, really weird to think of himself as dead and realize he couldn't feel his heart beating anymore. He'd never been conscious of that before, but now that it had stilled he could tell the difference.

"Precarious how? Does it have something to do with that giant wolf?" He asked, latching onto that one because it made him remember why he was out here in the first place and some delusional part of his mind seemed to think it was possible for him to return to that life and boy did he have a hell of a story to tell now! Famous-making news this! Then Duncan started to talk about hunting and that distracted him pretty easily, the nineteen year old actually following his new sire deeper into the woods without a fuss. He was silent as they walked, half ignoring Duncan as he looked around and marveled at how his vision had changed. It was dark as hell in the woods but to him it was clear as if it were the middle of the day. He couldn't' wait to see what daylight would look like now!

He was pulled out of those thoughts when they reached the clearing and his sire brought up the deer, his instincts awakening in response to the heart beats and he followed Duncan's lead in crouching so the beasts wouldnt' see them. Even though he felt sort of silly about it. When he looked at the deer his whole attention zeroed in on its neck, everything else around them fading to the background and he didn't need Duncan's demonstration in that moment his instincts took care of everything. He moved at the same time as his sire, flashing over to the deer so fast it couldn't react. Then he hesitated and that was all the deer needed to take flight.

Naturally Toby gave chase and he managed to catch it a short sprint later, sinking his fangs into the animals neck and ignored now it was kicking the daylights out of him in the process, he didn't even really feel the hoofs hitting him. As he fed blood dripped down his chin and neck, staining the collar of his shirt but he didn't care. A low, deep growl rumbled up out of his chest as his animal-like instincts kicked in and warned any other predators nearby to stay away, this was HIS kill. He didn't snap out of it until he had drained the deer dry and then he stood and if it were possible he would have paled further.

"That's disgusting" He muttered, wiping furiously at the bloodstains with the sleeve of his coat as if he could wipe away what he'd done, what he'd become so easily.

[LadyLoki]

Duncan ignored the commentary for the most part. The time to explain would come later, when they were both less thirsty. He also doubted his childe would be able to focus until he had fed, which would be an issue in itself. Duncan watched Toby tear into the deer, keeping his distance since he would rather not be bitten by a blood-crazed newborn if possible. He couldn’t resist the slightly amused smile at the sight of the younger male stained by blood. Aw, such fond memories. “It becomes easier over time. It also gets cleaner.” Duncan added, since he barely looked ruffled. The fight had done far more damage that the deer ever could. Speaking of which, now that Toby had fed, Duncan wanted to put a little bit of distance between then and the wolf. Normally he would have killed the creature, but Toby’s presence had interrupted that.

“Come. You’re going to be staying with me for a while.” Duncan said firmly, voice booking no argument. “You can’t be around humans right now…you’ll end up slaughtering your neighbors. Human blood is extremely tempting, even for me, and I’ve been managing the ‘cravings’ for a lot longer. Newborns can’t resist the temptation. The moment you smell human blood…” He trailed off, since it really went without saying. “How long it’ll take to lose the bloodlust depends from person to person. Sometimes it goes away in weeks, sometimes months, and for a few…it never really does.” Duncan said, heading through the trees towards his home. “As for the wolf, I will explain when we get there.” He added, figuring the younger male was probably curious. That was how this whole fight started in the first place.

Duncan sighed at the state of his clothing. All torn and stained from where the wolf had actually managed to do damage. Vampires didn’t bleed, since their heart no longer pumped blood through their veins. However, Duncan had realized that if the damage was extensive enough, the wounds would leak small amounts of venom. It was a clear substance, and it was what was responsible for the change from human to vampire. “I have bags of animal blood stored there, so you can keep feeding as you need to. The thirst will be constant for at least two to three weeks.” He added, before seeing his lone house come into view. It was off the beaten path, a lone Victorian surrounded by forest.

The older vampire easily leapt over the tall fence surrounding his property, his landing almost completely silent. “You can borrow some of my clothing. I imagine you don’t want to be wearing the ones covered in blood.” Duncan said, opening the porch doors and stepping into the empty house. Numerous history books lined the walls of the living room, alongside several armchairs. He turned to look at Toby, golden eyes serious. “What you saw me fighting was a werewolf, our natural enemies. They normally don’t come close to marked territory. I assume he was here to try and kill me, since I don’t live in a coven.” Duncan said casually, settling into an armchair.

“Do you have any questions?” He asked calmly, motioning for the youth to settle in one of the chairs. “Or would you prefer to change?”

[animefangirl]

Toby had never really been violent. Quick to anger yes, but not actually violent. So the way that he attacked the deer was pure vampire instinct and he was sort of disgusted by the whole thing when he came to and saw the mess that he had made as well as the deer's carcass with a big rip across its throat. He looked over at Duncan when the other vampire spoke and just grimaced, "I don't want it to get easier, it's gross" He protested, or really whined but he would never admit that he'd done something so undignified. When his sire urged him to come he immediately scowled and stood, ready for a fight on that one but when Duncan added that he'd slaughter humans if he was near them the fight went right out of him. He did NOT want to do that, nope, not at all. The guilt would eat him alive forever if he killed someone. "You're full of good news aren't you?" he asked then, sarcastically and while he realized he was not being polite he didnt' really care, he was in a mood.

Still he got up to follow the other man, mostly because he couldn't think of any other options in that moment. If he went home he'd kill his room mate, or family, and that was not something he was willing to risk. Once again he was silent as they walked, brooding over the situation and trying to figure out his next move. Preferably a move that took him far away from Duncan since he was currently channeling all of his anger towards the old vampire. "If you have animal blood why didn't you just give me that?" he asked, sort of angry that the guy had forced him to slaughter an animal in the bloodiest way possible if there was an alternative at his house!

Then they came upon the house, so suddenly that for an irrational moment Toby wondered if it were magically hidden or something but he dismissed that idea as foolish a second after he thought it. Next thing you know he'll be believing in fairies and witches! He was a bit taken aback when Duncan casually jumped over the tall fence but after a moment he attempted to do likewise and managed to reach the top though he had to catch it with his hands and pull himself up. Which he did notice was much easier than it should have been!

Soon enough they were inside the older vampires house and he looked around as he followed Duncan into a living room that looked like it came right out of an old Victorian movie or something. It was weird. "Not so much" he agreed when Duncan offered to borrow him some clothes before giving the older guy an incredulous look when Duncan added the bit about werewolves. "Werewolves are real? One wants to kill you, and that totally doesn't concern you?" He asked then, wondering if this guy was just really strong or if he were crazy. He also sort of wanted to know how old the guy was but for now he kept that to himself.

"I'd like to change, a shower would be nice too if you have one" He accepted that offer both to get clean and to give him a chance to get away from Duncan and just think for a few minutes.

[LadyLoki]

“Gross maybe, but it’s necessary.” Duncan says simply, since that was pretty much the end of it. “And once you start being able to control yourself, I guarantee it will be much more fun.” He added, pointedly ignoring his childe’s bad mood. It was a bit much to expect him to be polite after being turned in such a sudden manner. Duncan did understand if Toby was upset with him, since he really was one of the reasons the younger male was in this situation. Of course, had the man not been nosing around, this wouldn’t have happened either. “Eventually you’re going to have to learn how to hunt. The sooner you master it, the easier it will be. My supply won’t last forever. It’s more convenience than a full storage…so you’ll have to hunt sometime over the next few days.” Duncan explained, his tone still calm. He could remember how confused and upset he’d been for several days, possibly weeks after he’d been turned. His sire hadn’t been the type to stick around, and Duncan had pretty much been left for dead.

He chuckled at the commentary on werewolves. “Numerous werewolves and other vampires have attempted to kill me on many occasions. I got very adept at defending myself rather quickly.” Duncan said, shrugging his bulky shoulders. “Werewolves and vampires come from two entirely different supernatural bloodlines, and it means we attack one another if it comes down to a territorial dispute. Wolves tend to travel in packs, and sometimes vampires do too.” He explained, before heaving himself out of the chair. “I’ll show you to the guest room. I think you’ll be most comfortable there.” Duncan said cordially, motioning for Toby to follow him.

He led the way up the staircase and down a long hallway, coming to a stop in front of a dark, wooden door. Duncan opened it, and stepped into a reasonably nice room with a large bed covered in dark blue sheets. “The bathroom is through that door.” He said, pointing to another door in the corner. “I will bring you a change of clothes, feel free to wash up.” Duncan added politely, stepping outside to riffle through some of his things. He had been born during a time where people were significantly shorter, but he’d always been tall, much taller than most people during his own time era.

After selecting a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt, Duncan folded them and left them on the bed for Toby to change into. He headed back downstairs, figuring the youth would come looking for him when he did have questions, or at least when his thirst resurfaced. Besides, he had papers to grade. Duncan settled back into his favorite armchair, pulling out a red pen and a stack of papers on the Victorian era of England. Not one of his favorite times, but amusing enough to experience. He began marking it up, sighing at the sheer number of inaccuracies. “Such a shame. Textbooks don’t do England justice.”

Duncan loved being a history professor at the nearby university. It gave him the opportunity to talk about what he had experienced in an indirect way. Unfortunately, his students were not doing very well.