[ They haven’t spoken since the night on the beach. Carver thought about it, reaching out, but didn’t. Maybe that makes him a coward. Maybe it’d be better if they just avoided each other.
But he drops a pin. Answer enough, he thinks. He’s up on a rough, staring down at the shadows and the things hiding in them. ]
[ Larus is also thinking about that. About not having seen him, about wondering if he should talk to him. There are things they need to work out, and it worries at his thoughts as he takes the elevators down and navigates to Carver's position. And on the way to the roof, he can feel it: that subtle shift in the air, the strange heaviness of the dark that lingers.
He's quiet as he approaches him. ]
What do you think it is? [ It's all he says as he comes to stand next to him, hands loose in the pockets of his jacket. ]
[ He waits, and he stares out into the dark, and wishes he had night vision goggles — something. Shit’s happening, again, and he can’t suss the shape of it. But he waits there, like he said he would. And then, eventually, he’s not alone anymore.
Carver breathes out slow, glancing at Larus. What do you even say in a moment like this? ]
I don’t know. I heard people screaming. Thought I heard rotters too but I couldn’t be sure.
[ Maybe there's really nothing to say. Everything about this still feels off to him—the small things that had separated Carver from the rest of them. It's a new way to listen to him, pinpointing his heartbeat and finding himself distracted enough by it that he doesn't respond for several seconds after the fact. His lips thin, eventually turning his head to look at him. ]
I said I would, so I'm here. [ It feels awkward in a way it shouldn't. ] I didn't see anything, but that doesn't mean much. We could take a closer look together.
[ At least it would be something else to focus on. ]
[ What do you say to that? He’s not accusing Larus of being a liar — he never has, to Carver’s knowledge — but it’s jarring to stand next to someone you trust but don’t understand, not entirely. Uncomfortably, he thinks of how angry Shaw was after the fire, and Bossie. A test, he tried to tell her, everything is a test now. One of those fundamental truths of their lives—the shape their world took.
But her anger stung. Maybe it kept her at Dixon’s side. Maybe she would have trusted Carver instead if he’d —
Don’t, he thinks. Don’t go there, just don’t.
He exhales. ]
Can you do the heartbeat thing? See if there’s anything close by?
[ They should talk about it, probably, but Larus isn't ready to delve into that quite yet. He still hasn't decided what he wants to do about Frost, if he's going to do anything at all, and so, he gives a slight nod even as he steps closer to the edge of the roof.
He crouches down, forcing himself to tune out Carvers pulse so he can focus on anything else close by. ]
There are a few people in that building across from us. Sleeping, maybe. [ It is late, after all. ] And several down below, but nothing —
[ He squints, leaning forward. After a moment, he gestures. ] There's something in the shadows there, but I don't hear anything.
[ He doesn't think it's a good idea, but if it will help with whatever tension still exists between them, he isn't going to say no. All Larus does is nod, standing again so he can follow Carver down to ground level. There's a moment they walk close enough that their hands almost brush, and an indescribable ache fills him with the need for more.
Larus had missed him standing on that beach, and he misses him now.
By the time they reach the place he'd gestured to, he's close to telling Carver to forget it. That they should spend time together instead. Yet, a weird sense of dread suddenly fills him, and he grabs for Carver's arm, stopping them inches from a particularly dark alley. ]
Do you hear that? [ It's not a heartbeat or anything that says it's living, but it's there. Whatever it is. ]
[ With anyone else, Carver thinks he would have snapped at the way Larus grabs his arm. The presumption of it, someone suddenly in his space. He’s not afraid of touch — that’d be fucking absurd — but it happens in controlled ways, under certain circumstances. Not even he and Shaw touched all that much and that was just the way of things.
He and Larus do, though. And this is a mission. That part makes it simple. Carver goes very still, one hand reaching back for his pistol. ]
No, [ he murmurs, keeping his voice low so it won’t carry. His heartbeat remains steady. ] What do you hear?
[ There's a shake of his head to signify that he doesn't know, eyes far more than adjusted to the dark and whatever might linger in the shadows. His hand loosens on Carver's arm for a moment, watching and waiting, and it's as if they materialize out of the night, too fast for humans to notice until they're upon them. He shoves Carver to the side just as cold fingers curl around his throat.
His squirms, hands already latching on to tear skin and break bone. ]
Vampires, [ he hisses, and with it, a moment of fear comes.
Why? How? He's been all over this city and hasn't encountered one like him, but this is frighteningly familiar, punching his assailant in the chest hard enough to cause them to stagger. And there's no time to think, knowing that Carver can handle himself in a fight but still unable to ignore how he wants to protect him. ]
[ Ah, Carver thinks, and then, fuck. This is happening. And just like that, it’s simple. He staggers back but keeps his feet, drawing his pistol. There’s too much he still doesn’t know about vampires but he’s picked up a few things.
One, a knife strike might hurt but it won’t put them down. He hasn’t tried a bullet yet.
Now’s as good a time as ever.
He draws his pistol without a word and shoots the enemy in the head. There’s no time to warn Larus about the noise. ]
[ There's no warning, and the sound of the gun going off so close to him is jarring. But it doesn't stop him, swarming on the vampire Carver's just shot to grip them by the chin. A bullet would not stop them permanently, only delay the inevitable. That's why Larus uses both hands, getting one in their mouth and pulling hard in one sharp, fast motion so that he rips the top of their head from their bottom jaw. There's no strain as he does it, clearly something he's used to doing, and for safe measure, once he tosses the head, he tears out the thing's heart.
The odd part about it all is that there's no real blood, just dark stains on his hands, and when he drops the body, it seems to simply melt back into the ground with the other shadows like it had never been there to begin with.
[ The concept of vampires is still new. There are things he doesn't know. Sure, Carver's read Dracula. He knows the stories. There's a logic to follow, even if he can't get all of it just yet. But there's accepting that, and then there's watching Larus tear some fucker's head in half.
So.
That happens.
Carver lowers his gun, scanning the alley for movement. Nothing yet. ]
There more?
[ There's not nearly as much blood as he expected. ]
[ He shakes his head, wiping his hands absently on the dark material of his jeans. ]
I don't know. You can't really hear a vampire unless they make some noise, and this– [ He turns, looking in the direction Carver's facing. ] This isn't normal. There should be —
[ More blood. But he doesn't get a chance to say it as several more come from the darkness and try to box them in.
It's not a good situation, not when there are so many and Larus can't keep track of his movements as well as Carver's. If they stay and fight, chances are they're going to die, and there's too much he has yet to say to Carver, giving his sleeve a tug to indicate that they should run. At least for now, until they have a better idea of what's going on and why. ]
[ Even as it escalates, Carver starts thinking up strategies. Larus is fast and strong but there’s only one of him. He could get overwhelmed, brought down. A gunshot isn’t enough to put these things down but it hurts them, and it makes them slow. Combine that, Carver thinks as he reloads. Play it out, come up with a plan.
It’d be easier with a sniper, with Montanio or Jenson, but it’s just the two of them. Carver could soften them up, he thinks. Gunshots to the head, the throat. Maybe the knees. Enough to slow the enemy down and give Larus enough time
Only thing is, the enemy keeps coming. This isn’t normal, Larus says, and there’s something worried and tense there.
Carver doesn’t question it. There’s no room for that now. He just runs, dodging around corners and down alleys, he knows this place. He scouts it out when he can’t sleep, he knows every fucking alley in this city. He keeps close to Larus, though, watching their corners.
Always watching the corners. ]
There’s a lot of them, [ he observes, once they’ve slowed. ] What’d you mean, this isn’t normal?
[ They run until it's obvious it isn't helping anything, and by then, Larus doesn't really know what else to do. They could fight them, yes. It wouldn't be the first time he's had to kill a multitude of vampires, but when that had happened, he'd had Jericho with him. Even a half-breed werewolf is still stronger than a human (or whatever it is Carver is now), and that thought sits with him heavily until Carver's question draws him back. ]
They– we bleed. There's no blood. [ He shows him his hands as he listens to everything around them. ] Maybe it isn't real.
[ Not in the way they'd think it would be. Because Larus hasn't met another vampire like him, only other vampires. Similar parameters, not quite the same. And all he does is shake his head, searching the darkness around them for any signs of their pursuers. Right now? It's oddly quiet. ]
[ All Larus does is shake his head, staring out into the darkness and trying to pinpoint anything that moves. There's nothing, and for a moment, he wonders if they're both starting to go crazy. ]
I don't know. But being down here isn't going to help. [ He glances over at Carver, considering, and then, quietly, he sighs. ] We should head back to the rooftops.
[ Carver scans the area, searching for moment. For enemies in the dark. There's something there but they don't go down. Sometimes, he thinks he hears the dry groan of rotters advancing on them. But earlier there were vampires, more than a few, and none of them bled.
But they hurt. That was real, he thinks.
Maybe. ]
They follow us up and we get overwhelmed, it's gonna be a bad time.
[ He loads his pistol. He's ready, either way, and he doesn't have a better idea. ]
They slow down when I shoot them. I can line them up for you. C'mon.
[ It's a quiet comment, giving Carver a careful look before decidedly taking them in a different direction than the original roof they'd met on. He knows this area decently, and there's a building he enters that doesn't need breaking into, climbing the steps quickly and grateful that they make it to the top without being followed.
That doesn't mean they're safe though, double-checking the door as soon as they're both outside again. ]
It could be magic, [ Larus says quietly, detesting the idea but entirely ruling it out. ] Has anything like this happened since you've been here?
[ Hope's a dangerous thing to rely on. Carver thinks it, giving Larus a long look, but doesn't say it. They're in this now. Larus knows the score. Saying that shit like he's a green newbie doesn't get them anything but frustration. Carver follows without a word, climbing up behind Larus and then checking the roof. The horizon line. They can see plenty far up here, which is good, but there aren't many exits if they need to bail.
A balancing act. So it goes.
Carver sucks on his teeth, running a hand through his hair. ]
[ It is dangerous. All of this is dangerous, and it's especially true of everything that's between them currently. They haven't talked, the tension more than obvious, but still, they follow each other. Maybe that speaks volumes of the trust they still have in one another. Maybe it's something else. Larus doesn't want to think about it anymore than he has to right now, moving over to the ledge and glancing down.
If things got bad, there's a rickety fire escape off to the side. Or he could hold onto Carver and climb down. Variables and thoughts, turning his head to glance at him. ]
Any kind, I guess. I don't know a lot of people here who use it. [ There's a pause. ] But it could also be the city doing this somehow.
[ Larus doesn't say anything for a while, mouth thinning into a frown as the comment about it being 'that time'. He can't say he hasn't noticed, but sometimes, it doesn't feel like there's a design to it either. There's a quiet sigh, still watching Carver carefully out of the corner of his eye. ]
Is there a better place we should go?
[ He could, technically, bring them both back where he's staying now, but that would also mean explaining that he'd formed a contract with someone that night he'd left Carver standing on the beach. It's a cold thought, one that sinks through him the longer he stares. ]
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i haven't been in the down though.
[ He wonders if he should worry now. ]
i can meet you there.
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But he drops a pin. Answer enough, he thinks. He’s up on a rough, staring down at the shadows and the things hiding in them. ]
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He's quiet as he approaches him. ]
What do you think it is? [ It's all he says as he comes to stand next to him, hands loose in the pockets of his jacket. ]
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Carver breathes out slow, glancing at Larus. What do you even say in a moment like this? ]
I don’t know. I heard people screaming. Thought I heard rotters too but I couldn’t be sure.
[ He tips his head back. ]
Wasn’t sure you’d show.
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I said I would, so I'm here. [ It feels awkward in a way it shouldn't. ] I didn't see anything, but that doesn't mean much. We could take a closer look together.
[ At least it would be something else to focus on. ]
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But her anger stung. Maybe it kept her at Dixon’s side. Maybe she would have trusted Carver instead if he’d —
Don’t, he thinks. Don’t go there, just don’t.
He exhales. ]
Can you do the heartbeat thing? See if there’s anything close by?
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He crouches down, forcing himself to tune out Carvers pulse so he can focus on anything else close by. ]
There are a few people in that building across from us. Sleeping, maybe. [ It is late, after all. ] And several down below, but nothing —
[ He squints, leaning forward. After a moment, he gestures. ] There's something in the shadows there, but I don't hear anything.
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But there is something out there. He wasn’t going insane. ]
Let’s go look.
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Larus had missed him standing on that beach, and he misses him now.
By the time they reach the place he'd gestured to, he's close to telling Carver to forget it. That they should spend time together instead. Yet, a weird sense of dread suddenly fills him, and he grabs for Carver's arm, stopping them inches from a particularly dark alley. ]
Do you hear that? [ It's not a heartbeat or anything that says it's living, but it's there. Whatever it is. ]
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He and Larus do, though. And this is a mission. That part makes it simple. Carver goes very still, one hand reaching back for his pistol. ]
No, [ he murmurs, keeping his voice low so it won’t carry. His heartbeat remains steady. ] What do you hear?
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His squirms, hands already latching on to tear skin and break bone. ]
Vampires, [ he hisses, and with it, a moment of fear comes.
Why? How? He's been all over this city and hasn't encountered one like him, but this is frighteningly familiar, punching his assailant in the chest hard enough to cause them to stagger. And there's no time to think, knowing that Carver can handle himself in a fight but still unable to ignore how he wants to protect him. ]
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One, a knife strike might hurt but it won’t put them down. He hasn’t tried a bullet yet.
Now’s as good a time as ever.
He draws his pistol without a word and shoots the enemy in the head. There’s no time to warn Larus about the noise. ]
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The odd part about it all is that there's no real blood, just dark stains on his hands, and when he drops the body, it seems to simply melt back into the ground with the other shadows like it had never been there to begin with.
Larus stares at Carver. ]
We need to go. [ And that isn't a suggestion. ]
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So.
That happens.
Carver lowers his gun, scanning the alley for movement. Nothing yet. ]
There more?
[ There's not nearly as much blood as he expected. ]
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I don't know. You can't really hear a vampire unless they make some noise, and this– [ He turns, looking in the direction Carver's facing. ] This isn't normal. There should be —
[ More blood. But he doesn't get a chance to say it as several more come from the darkness and try to box them in.
It's not a good situation, not when there are so many and Larus can't keep track of his movements as well as Carver's. If they stay and fight, chances are they're going to die, and there's too much he has yet to say to Carver, giving his sleeve a tug to indicate that they should run. At least for now, until they have a better idea of what's going on and why. ]
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It’d be easier with a sniper, with Montanio or Jenson, but it’s just the two of them. Carver could soften them up, he thinks. Gunshots to the head, the throat. Maybe the knees. Enough to slow the enemy down and give Larus enough time
Only thing is, the enemy keeps coming. This isn’t normal, Larus says, and there’s something worried and tense there.
Carver doesn’t question it. There’s no room for that now. He just runs, dodging around corners and down alleys, he knows this place. He scouts it out when he can’t sleep, he knows every fucking alley in this city. He keeps close to Larus, though, watching their corners.
Always watching the corners. ]
There’s a lot of them, [ he observes, once they’ve slowed. ] What’d you mean, this isn’t normal?
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They– we bleed. There's no blood. [ He shows him his hands as he listens to everything around them. ] Maybe it isn't real.
[ Not in the way they'd think it would be. Because Larus hasn't met another vampire like him, only other vampires. Similar parameters, not quite the same. And all he does is shake his head, searching the darkness around them for any signs of their pursuers. Right now? It's oddly quiet. ]
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Maybe it’s another trick. ]
I’m open to suggestions.
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I don't know. But being down here isn't going to help. [ He glances over at Carver, considering, and then, quietly, he sighs. ] We should head back to the rooftops.
[ At least they'd have an advantage there. ]
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But they hurt. That was real, he thinks.
Maybe. ]
They follow us up and we get overwhelmed, it's gonna be a bad time.
[ He loads his pistol. He's ready, either way, and he doesn't have a better idea. ]
They slow down when I shoot them. I can line them up for you. C'mon.
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[ It's a quiet comment, giving Carver a careful look before decidedly taking them in a different direction than the original roof they'd met on. He knows this area decently, and there's a building he enters that doesn't need breaking into, climbing the steps quickly and grateful that they make it to the top without being followed.
That doesn't mean they're safe though, double-checking the door as soon as they're both outside again. ]
It could be magic, [ Larus says quietly, detesting the idea but entirely ruling it out. ] Has anything like this happened since you've been here?
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A balancing act. So it goes.
Carver sucks on his teeth, running a hand through his hair. ]
No. Not like this. What kind of magic?
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If things got bad, there's a rickety fire escape off to the side. Or he could hold onto Carver and climb down. Variables and thoughts, turning his head to glance at him. ]
Any kind, I guess. I don't know a lot of people here who use it. [ There's a pause. ] But it could also be the city doing this somehow.
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[ And they're due for trouble right about now. ]
There are good sight lines here. But we can't stay here all night.
[ Not once the sun comes up. ]
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Is there a better place we should go?
[ He could, technically, bring them both back where he's staying now, but that would also mean explaining that he'd formed a contract with someone that night he'd left Carver standing on the beach. It's a cold thought, one that sinks through him the longer he stares. ]
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Cw for torture, cult bullshit
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Cw for torture, cult bullshit
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