[ it's near dawn when he hears it: a beating heart.
the pulse is rapid, a loud drum that even he is drawn to. but larus knows better. he knows that whatever it is – most likely human – is as good as dead before the sun comes up. which is why he continues making his way south through the dark without bothering to stop for whatever sounds rise up in the night. long ago, before the world swarmed with vampires, it used to bother him. strange, maybe, since he, too, was also a creature of the shadows, but it's the bloodlust he wants no part of. the destruction. it's everywhere, and worse, he wears a target on his back that invites many of them to try to kill him.
if it's a human, he hopes they die swiftly.
if it's a human, they probably won't.
larus thinks about it as he walks, only a block away from the safe house he's going to pass the day in when he smells it. fresh blood, human and vampire both. he grits his teeth, grinding down to ignore the prick of his fangs, and when he catches sight of the hooded figure fleeing in his direction, the echo of that heartbeat vibrates all the way through him almost enough to distract him from the fact this person is being stalked. he growls, darting forward and catching them briefly by the elbow. ]
Red door down the street. Go.
[ and without another word, he lets them go as he steps right into the path of the vampires. they attack, of course. they always do. but larus is faster, ducking and smashing one's face through a wall before he tears the other apart using his teeth. the taste of that blood is bitter and makes him nauseous – or maybe hungry, he can't tell – but he spits it out regardless, wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his jacket as he backs away and disappears once more in retreat. he meets the stranger at his safe house and rattles the door as he works it open. ]
You're a fool for coming here. [ and he bares stained teeth like it will prove something. ]
[ at first he thinks he's found another human, but the moment the stranger's hand catches his elbow, he feels that sensation wash over him, the one he thinks he's never going to get used to β an overwhelming lack of life. it's familiar enough by now that he doesn't recoil despite how his body wants to, but he's instantly glad he doesn't. this man may be a vampire, but he's not like the rest. casimir catches a single glimpse β bits of gold threading his dark hair, the evening sky in his eyes, his name is larus β before they both turn away from each other, casimir to shoot down the street and larus to stand against his pursuers.
casimir spares a glance behind him, but only for a moment. it's clear he doesn't need help. he focuses on finding the door, faded red paint peeling off the wood. silently, larus appears beside him, the blood on his teeth a much more vibrant red. casimir lets down his hood and frees his long black curls with a drag of his fingers, regarding larus with an almost amused grin. ]
I wasn't going to die tonight.
[ his words are spoken without a trace of the disquiet he feels β or the pain. his ribs give a sudden twinge, bandages looped beneath his dark coat. they're healing, but they're certainly taking their sweet time. larus gets the door open and casimir shuts it behind them, his gloved hand resting against the rough wood for a moment as he exhales softly, gathering his composure before he turns around and brushes the back of his knuckles across larus' bloody cheek, sending a single thought through his head. my name is casimir.
[ casimir. the word seems to burn through him like lightning, enough that he steps out of reach and across the room in the blink of an eye. ]
There's no one else here, if that's what you're asking. [ larus doesn't look at him. ] I'm only going to stay until nightfall. You should think about doing the same.
[ because he knows they're going to swarm this place the second the sun isn't in the sky, and frankly, he'd rather not be around to try to fight more than a handful of them. he doesn't even know why he'd intervened the way he had anyway, regardless of what he'd felt or sensed. regardless of whatever this human named casimir says now, far too conscious of the way his pulse fills up the space of the room and radiates through him. it must be the hunger, pressing the edge of his tongue against a fang in an attempt to ignore it.
larus slips out of his jacket to feign some kind of normalcy and also so he isn't thinking about anything else, tossing it over the back of a chair nearby. the safe house itself is poorly furnished, holding only a few chairs and a table as well as a bed somewhere in the next room. the dust that coats some of the surfaces indicate it hasn't been used in quite some time. ]
Are you alone? [ had there been others somewhere that had died? ] You're the first human I've seen in a while.
[ he regards the space with a critical eye, immediately taking note of the lack of furnishings and the mostly untouched dust. as far as safe houses go, it's not the least welcoming one he's stepped into, but it's close. he follows larus' lead and sheds his own coat, dusting off the back of a chair before draping it across the wood, taking care that none of his knives fall out of their hiding places. larus is not interested in killing him. that much is clear. ]
There are less and less of us. [ a grim truth, but one he has to face. ] I have a group. Somewhat. I'm more the one that brings people together and provides them with some sort of stability so that they might endeavor to carve out a life again. If it can be called that. I have a small team of people I work with, but none of them are like you.
[ a vampire, and one that seems to put effort into tempering his bloodlust, no less. larus is far across the room by now, putting an unnecessary amount of space between them. or perhaps it is necessary, for him.
casimir sets off further into the house, which he finds is in the same disappointing state. he pauses at the bed, pressing a hand to the mattress and pulling a face when the springs squeak. ]
Well. You couldn't have chosen a less comfortable place if you tried. [ he turns, smiling again. ] Would you like to share the bed? Don't say no. There's only one, and I won't have you on the floor.
[ gingerly, he crawls onto the small mattress, resting his back against the wall. he strips off his gloves, the knuckles on his right hand bruised, leaving the still-warm leather carelessly in his lap. ]
larus frowns a little harder as casimir speaks, uncertain as to why he's explaining all of this to him. there have been moments where a coven of vampires had lured unsuspecting humans in like this. pretended to be alone, uninterested. befriended them and tried to help them as much as they could for a day or two before flipping the switch and allowing the rest of the group to descend upon them. he isn't interested in that method of hunting, and he certainly isn't interested enough in trying to attack casimir to feed from him either. his appetite might say otherwise, but it's not bad enough that he has to resort to something like that. ]
You mean you're the leader. [ he only needs to speak plainly to him, and frankly, larus doesn't care about it. ] If you were working, I hope none of your group were with you. They're probably already dead if they were.
[ he talks as he follows, keeping a safe distance between him and casimir. it also gives him a chance to wipe some of the blood from his chin since it's still damp, and while casimir helps himself to the bed, larus opens a dresser to tug out one of the few items of clothing stashed in the top drawer.
there's absolutely no modesty as he strips, back turned away and slipping on the t-shirt so he can toss the one he'd been wearing in the trash. if another vampire finds it, they'll track him down, and that's the last thing he wants. he's too tired to explain why he's lurking in a territory he shouldn't even be in. ]
You don't know a lot about vampires, do you? [ the question is flat but jeering all the same. and facing casimir once more, he moves to the opposite side of the bed to sit. ] I don't need to sleep, but you should. [ a pause, and his eyes fall to casimir's knuckles, gesturing with the slightest tilt of his head. ] What did you do?
[ he's expecting something ridiculous already. like punching a vampire. ]
I prefer... guiding force, maybe. The goal isn't to sustain leadership over anyone. It's to foster self-sufficiency. They might need rescuing or a bit of hand-holding at the start, but eventually they'll have to stand on their own two feet. At least until we come up with a more permanent solution to the present condition. And don't worry β my team isn't dying tonight, either.
[ casimir's brows tick up slightly as he watches larus undress, taking in the planes of his body and the exquisite lines of muscle. he trusts him enough that he doesn't think larus will attempt to kill him in the next few hours. but that's as far as it goes. still, if he's going to put on a show, he has no problem playing the part of a rapt audience. he purses his lips around a low whistle. ]
Maybe I just wanted the company of a warm body. [ a beat. ] Or a cold one. That would be a new experience.
[ he lifts his knuckles, surveying the mottled bruises. he would punch a vampire, for the record. ]
[ self-sufficiency is a pipe dream, he wants to say. at least when the world is the way that it is, but where would that kind of argument get him?
anyway, this human apparently likes to talk – or maybe it's hear the sound of his own voice – and that's fine with him. it means he doesn't have to say much in return and only needs to respond when prompted. it allows him a moment to reset, ignoring the whistle and then the sudden shift in proximity where he can practically taste the beat of his heart in his mouth. he can smell him too, the scent of something deep and earthy beneath the sweat and sloughed emotions that continue to hang over him. adrenaline, fear, excitement, amusement. larus tries to focus on saying anything to keep his mind from wandering too far. ]
Then I hope you find them. [ a blatant pause. ] If they're not dead.
[ and while he's at it, he maneuvers away from him so there's still some vague illusion of space separating him. until he takes it upon himself to touch casimir instead—just the edge of his thumb over the swell of his knuckles. like he's feeling the bruise. like he can imagine what had sparked his frustration in the first place. ]
I can't say I've ever let something like that build in me before. [ once, a long time ago. then sun had turned him, and that had been that. ] I do things when necessary. I hit, I break, I kill — it doesn't matter to me since it's all the same. [ a feigned breath, and he drops his hand into his lap. ] I'm guessing you beat the tree and won.
[ a once in a lifetime joke that's offered with the slightest smile. ]
They're not dead. [ a hint of steel appears in his tone when he says it this time, his gray eyes meeting larus' as if to cement the truth of this statement. then his mouth curves into a smile, his features relaxing. ] You can meet them later.
[ the gentle brush isn't enough to truly delve into larus' mind, instead just feeling a faint wash of hunger prickle over his skin. it's expected for a vampire. casimir doesn't particularly like reading the thoughts of the dead, most of their minds having been debased by the twin traumas of death and bloodlust, but there's a guise of calm in larus, a shield so carefully placed that he almost doesn't notice how thin it is. almost. ]
Hit, break, kill. Can fuck be added to your list? [ he grins, sitting back against the wall and fluidly twirling a small blade over his bruised knuckles and between his fingers, watching as the silver glints in the shadows. ] I do look better than the tree. Than all trees, really.
[ he lapses into silence until his blade stills, held between two fingers as his eyes lift to the shuttered windows. ]
Why are you alone? [ he crosses his legs, leaning forward as he rests his hands over his knees. ] Why not with your nest? I told you what I was doing. It's only polite to return the favor.
[ their eyes only meet briefly, but it's mostly to show his displeasure.
he doesn't actually want to meet anyone—now or later. but if it's something that casimir needs to believe, then larus isn't going to correct him. there are other things to focus on anyway, unsure how to take that question – is fucking added to the list? – and remaining silent about it as he watches him. besides, humans and their weapons are oddly funny to him now, like they're searching for some sort of leverage where there is none. casimir makes it look like an art, a skill that might have been useful had a blade been any danger to a vampire. ]
I'm not adding anything to the list. [ not with him. not now. larus moves back, settling into a comfortable lean that isn't directed towards casimir. ] And there is no nest. I'm alone because I like it that way.
[ which actually says nothing about what he's doing, and being honest like that, with a stranger... well, it shouldn't matter. there's a higher chance of casimir dying once he steps outside the door when night falls than spilling whatever secrets larus harbors. so, he shakes his head a little. ]
I'm looking for someone – a vampire. [ and for even more clarification: ] I want to kill him.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
apocalypse au.
the pulse is rapid, a loud drum that even he is drawn to. but larus knows better. he knows that whatever it is – most likely human – is as good as dead before the sun comes up. which is why he continues making his way south through the dark without bothering to stop for whatever sounds rise up in the night. long ago, before the world swarmed with vampires, it used to bother him. strange, maybe, since he, too, was also a creature of the shadows, but it's the bloodlust he wants no part of. the destruction. it's everywhere, and worse, he wears a target on his back that invites many of them to try to kill him.
if it's a human, he hopes they die swiftly.
if it's a human, they probably won't.
larus thinks about it as he walks, only a block away from the safe house he's going to pass the day in when he smells it. fresh blood, human and vampire both. he grits his teeth, grinding down to ignore the prick of his fangs, and when he catches sight of the hooded figure fleeing in his direction, the echo of that heartbeat vibrates all the way through him almost enough to distract him from the fact this person is being stalked. he growls, darting forward and catching them briefly by the elbow. ]
Red door down the street. Go.
[ and without another word, he lets them go as he steps right into the path of the vampires. they attack, of course. they always do. but larus is faster, ducking and smashing one's face through a wall before he tears the other apart using his teeth. the taste of that blood is bitter and makes him nauseous – or maybe hungry, he can't tell – but he spits it out regardless, wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his jacket as he backs away and disappears once more in retreat. he meets the stranger at his safe house and rattles the door as he works it open. ]
You're a fool for coming here. [ and he bares stained teeth like it will prove something. ]
no subject
casimir spares a glance behind him, but only for a moment. it's clear he doesn't need help. he focuses on finding the door, faded red paint peeling off the wood. silently, larus appears beside him, the blood on his teeth a much more vibrant red. casimir lets down his hood and frees his long black curls with a drag of his fingers, regarding larus with an almost amused grin. ]
I wasn't going to die tonight.
[ his words are spoken without a trace of the disquiet he feels β or the pain. his ribs give a sudden twinge, bandages looped beneath his dark coat. they're healing, but they're certainly taking their sweet time. larus gets the door open and casimir shuts it behind them, his gloved hand resting against the rough wood for a moment as he exhales softly, gathering his composure before he turns around and brushes the back of his knuckles across larus' bloody cheek, sending a single thought through his head. my name is casimir.
it's only fair, after all. ]
Are you alone?
no subject
There's no one else here, if that's what you're asking. [ larus doesn't look at him. ] I'm only going to stay until nightfall. You should think about doing the same.
[ because he knows they're going to swarm this place the second the sun isn't in the sky, and frankly, he'd rather not be around to try to fight more than a handful of them. he doesn't even know why he'd intervened the way he had anyway, regardless of what he'd felt or sensed. regardless of whatever this human named casimir says now, far too conscious of the way his pulse fills up the space of the room and radiates through him. it must be the hunger, pressing the edge of his tongue against a fang in an attempt to ignore it.
larus slips out of his jacket to feign some kind of normalcy and also so he isn't thinking about anything else, tossing it over the back of a chair nearby. the safe house itself is poorly furnished, holding only a few chairs and a table as well as a bed somewhere in the next room. the dust that coats some of the surfaces indicate it hasn't been used in quite some time. ]
Are you alone? [ had there been others somewhere that had died? ] You're the first human I've seen in a while.
no subject
There are less and less of us. [ a grim truth, but one he has to face. ] I have a group. Somewhat. I'm more the one that brings people together and provides them with some sort of stability so that they might endeavor to carve out a life again. If it can be called that. I have a small team of people I work with, but none of them are like you.
[ a vampire, and one that seems to put effort into tempering his bloodlust, no less. larus is far across the room by now, putting an unnecessary amount of space between them. or perhaps it is necessary, for him.
casimir sets off further into the house, which he finds is in the same disappointing state. he pauses at the bed, pressing a hand to the mattress and pulling a face when the springs squeak. ]
Well. You couldn't have chosen a less comfortable place if you tried. [ he turns, smiling again. ] Would you like to share the bed? Don't say no. There's only one, and I won't have you on the floor.
[ gingerly, he crawls onto the small mattress, resting his back against the wall. he strips off his gloves, the knuckles on his right hand bruised, leaving the still-warm leather carelessly in his lap. ]
I won't touch you. Not unless you want me to.
no subject
larus frowns a little harder as casimir speaks, uncertain as to why he's explaining all of this to him. there have been moments where a coven of vampires had lured unsuspecting humans in like this. pretended to be alone, uninterested. befriended them and tried to help them as much as they could for a day or two before flipping the switch and allowing the rest of the group to descend upon them. he isn't interested in that method of hunting, and he certainly isn't interested enough in trying to attack casimir to feed from him either. his appetite might say otherwise, but it's not bad enough that he has to resort to something like that. ]
You mean you're the leader. [ he only needs to speak plainly to him, and frankly, larus doesn't care about it. ] If you were working, I hope none of your group were with you. They're probably already dead if they were.
[ he talks as he follows, keeping a safe distance between him and casimir. it also gives him a chance to wipe some of the blood from his chin since it's still damp, and while casimir helps himself to the bed, larus opens a dresser to tug out one of the few items of clothing stashed in the top drawer.
there's absolutely no modesty as he strips, back turned away and slipping on the t-shirt so he can toss the one he'd been wearing in the trash. if another vampire finds it, they'll track him down, and that's the last thing he wants. he's too tired to explain why he's lurking in a territory he shouldn't even be in. ]
You don't know a lot about vampires, do you? [ the question is flat but jeering all the same. and facing casimir once more, he moves to the opposite side of the bed to sit. ] I don't need to sleep, but you should. [ a pause, and his eyes fall to casimir's knuckles, gesturing with the slightest tilt of his head. ] What did you do?
[ he's expecting something ridiculous already. like punching a vampire. ]
no subject
I prefer... guiding force, maybe. The goal isn't to sustain leadership over anyone. It's to foster self-sufficiency. They might need rescuing or a bit of hand-holding at the start, but eventually they'll have to stand on their own two feet. At least until we come up with a more permanent solution to the present condition. And don't worry β my team isn't dying tonight, either.
[ casimir's brows tick up slightly as he watches larus undress, taking in the planes of his body and the exquisite lines of muscle. he trusts him enough that he doesn't think larus will attempt to kill him in the next few hours. but that's as far as it goes. still, if he's going to put on a show, he has no problem playing the part of a rapt audience. he purses his lips around a low whistle. ]
Maybe I just wanted the company of a warm body. [ a beat. ] Or a cold one. That would be a new experience.
[ he lifts his knuckles, surveying the mottled bruises. he would punch a vampire, for the record. ]
This came from a tree. I was angry. ClichΓ©, isn't it? [ he leans over, planting both hands on the mattress as he brings his chin to larus' shoulder, hovering just above making contact. ] Don't you ever get that feeling where you know you're going to explode if you don't do something? Hit something. Break something. Maybe in your case, bite something? I don't revel in violence, but sometimes I think my knives need a taste of blood. Do you feel that way?
no subject
anyway, this human apparently likes to talk – or maybe it's hear the sound of his own voice – and that's fine with him. it means he doesn't have to say much in return and only needs to respond when prompted. it allows him a moment to reset, ignoring the whistle and then the sudden shift in proximity where he can practically taste the beat of his heart in his mouth. he can smell him too, the scent of something deep and earthy beneath the sweat and sloughed emotions that continue to hang over him. adrenaline, fear, excitement, amusement. larus tries to focus on saying anything to keep his mind from wandering too far. ]
Then I hope you find them. [ a blatant pause. ] If they're not dead.
[ and while he's at it, he maneuvers away from him so there's still some vague illusion of space separating him. until he takes it upon himself to touch casimir instead—just the edge of his thumb over the swell of his knuckles. like he's feeling the bruise. like he can imagine what had sparked his frustration in the first place. ]
I can't say I've ever let something like that build in me before. [ once, a long time ago. then sun had turned him, and that had been that. ] I do things when necessary. I hit, I break, I kill — it doesn't matter to me since it's all the same. [ a feigned breath, and he drops his hand into his lap. ] I'm guessing you beat the tree and won.
[ a once in a lifetime joke that's offered with the slightest smile. ]
no subject
[ the gentle brush isn't enough to truly delve into larus' mind, instead just feeling a faint wash of hunger prickle over his skin. it's expected for a vampire. casimir doesn't particularly like reading the thoughts of the dead, most of their minds having been debased by the twin traumas of death and bloodlust, but there's a guise of calm in larus, a shield so carefully placed that he almost doesn't notice how thin it is. almost. ]
Hit, break, kill. Can fuck be added to your list? [ he grins, sitting back against the wall and fluidly twirling a small blade over his bruised knuckles and between his fingers, watching as the silver glints in the shadows. ] I do look better than the tree. Than all trees, really.
[ he lapses into silence until his blade stills, held between two fingers as his eyes lift to the shuttered windows. ]
Why are you alone? [ he crosses his legs, leaning forward as he rests his hands over his knees. ] Why not with your nest? I told you what I was doing. It's only polite to return the favor.
no subject
he doesn't actually want to meet anyone—now or later. but if it's something that casimir needs to believe, then larus isn't going to correct him. there are other things to focus on anyway, unsure how to take that question – is fucking added to the list? – and remaining silent about it as he watches him. besides, humans and their weapons are oddly funny to him now, like they're searching for some sort of leverage where there is none. casimir makes it look like an art, a skill that might have been useful had a blade been any danger to a vampire. ]
I'm not adding anything to the list. [ not with him. not now. larus moves back, settling into a comfortable lean that isn't directed towards casimir. ] And there is no nest. I'm alone because I like it that way.
[ which actually says nothing about what he's doing, and being honest like that, with a stranger... well, it shouldn't matter. there's a higher chance of casimir dying once he steps outside the door when night falls than spilling whatever secrets larus harbors. so, he shakes his head a little. ]
I'm looking for someone – a vampire. [ and for even more clarification: ] I want to kill him.