whitehairandblood - Tumblr blog

whitehairandblood · 26 days

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Cw: burns, starvation, infection, bound character, talk of animal death, self-afflicted strangulation, talk of death, (very brief and implied) suicidal ideation

(Let me know if I missed anything)

Fire crackles quietly in the night.

The hunter sits by the flames with a distant expression. Their improvised fire poker rests slack in their hand- a piece of their broken weapon, bent vaguely back into shape.

Their dragon lays a couple paces away, just outside of the light's reach. Her scales shimmer in the warm glow. She's keeping watch, eyes flickering towards a nearby tree every once in a while. Her muscles ripple underneath her scales. She's tense.

The hunter's eyes flick over to the tree. Their hand tightens around the weapon.

A pair of void dark eyes stare back at them.

The vampire sits at the base of the thick pine tree, secured to its trunk with chains that shimmer and vibrate against its body. The enchantments on the metal have singed its clothes. The hunter is certain that even underneath the fabric, the vampire's skin must be burning hot.

Whether or not it's in pain - which it must be - it doesn't show it.

It just keeps staring at the hunter with those dark eyes.

It has been unusually quiet for the past several hours. The hunter can't find it in themself to complain, they would take the unnerving silence over the screaming and growling any time.

Though they have to admit... it's beginning to concern them.

Not that they particularly care about the vampire's wellbeing. It tried to kill them not that long ago and even managed to ruin their favorite weapon. Not to mention...

The hunter bites the inside of their cheek.

They slowly peel back the dark fabric of their glove, supressing a shudder at the wet, sticky sensation as it clings to their skin.

The fire light illuminates their blood soaked bandages. Underneath them, the bite is growing more irritated by the minute. It takes all of the hunter's willpower not to claw at the wound.

There's a strained noise from the direction of the pine tree, and both the hunter's and their dragon's head snap in its direction.

The vampire has shifted, leaning against its bonds to get closer to the fire.

No, not the fire- the hunter. Its eyes are trained on the bloodied gauze wrapped around the hunter's hand. Around its bite.

"You're killin' me here, Hunter..." it rasps, voice husky and rough. "Do you have any idea what you're doin' to me? I thought your kind was above torturing your victims."

Thr hunter scowls before quickly pulling their glove back on. They cast a glance at their captive before rummaging through their gear for a fresh roll of gauze.

"It's not my fault you can't keep your teeth to yourself."

The vampire barks a laugh, which startles both hunter and dragon. "Come off it. You're the one waving your hand around like you're ringing a damn dinner bell. You're lucky you had the good sense to tie me down. That hand would be the least of your worries right now."

The hunter unrolls the bandages.

"Your threats don't scare me."

"It's not a threat, Hunter," the vampire pants, straining against the chains as the hunter removes their glove again, "It's a fucking promise."

The hunter's dragon yowls in alarm and moves to stand, but the hunter waves it off. The vampire grins, teeth glinting, turning to stare at the hunter's companion.

Their voice is lowered, like they're divulging a secret.

"That's right. Once I get out of these chains there won't be a damn thing that could stop me from tearing them apart. Not even you. I'll just carve my way right through you if I have to."

The dragon growls and bares her teeth right back at it. The hunter waves again.

"At ease. It's bluffing."

"Am I?" The vampire drawls, "Why don't you release me and see for yourself? Or better yet..."

It shifts again, the chain keeping its neck bound to the tree pulling taut as it leans its entire weight against it. Its words turn breathless as the metal burns the skin of its throat.

"Why don't you just kill me and get it over with, eh? Save us all the trouble."

It grins, which looks more like a pained grimace than anything else. Dark tears gather on its lashes.

The acrid smell of burning flesh wafts in the air.

The hunter's eyes widen and they spring into action.

They stumble over their own feet as they rush to the vampire's side. If it dies now, there's no telling where it will revive itself. They would fail the hunt, fail their first big task, their initiation- they can't let that happen, no matter what.

The hunter struggles against the vampire's strength, one hand in its hair and one on the chain to try and pull it lower, away from its throat.

"Are you out of your mind?! Stop that!"

The hunter doesn't register just how close their faces are like this until they see the vampire's fangs flash in the corner of their eye.

They recoil not a moment too soon, because the vampire's teeth snap shut only centimeters from where the hunter's eye had been. The vampire howls in frustration as the hunter scambles away, thrashing against the chains.

"NO! Get back here and let me have a bite! I might even let you live afterwards if you don't put up a fight..." It pants, something like laughter on the edge of its words. It stares with wide, blackened eyes, all but frothing at the mouth.

The hunter takes a moment to calm their frantic heart. Their dragon is right by their side, caging them with her legs while she stands above them, snarling and snapping her teeth at the threat.

The vampire snarls back, fangs on full display, but it soon turns to mad cackling as it throws its head back. It thumps loudly against the tree bark, but it doesn't seem fazed. It might not even be able to register the pain with the state its in.

It takes rasping, unevent breaths, throat bobbing as it swallows back drool. Its eyes dart around as it stares up at the dark forest canopy, unseeing, too lost in its own madness. Those dark tears roll down its hollow, ashen cheeks.

The hunter watches for a moment too long, still trying to fight down their panic. They eventually raise a trembling hand to pat their dragon's side, at which she moves back to allow them to stand. Her eyes remain trained on the vampire, even as it devolves into incoherent babblings.

The hunter rises slowly. Their heart still hammers away in their chest, but that sense of panic has faded at the pitiful sight before them. They can't help but be reminded of a fearful, desperate animal caught in some trap.

They startle when the vampire's words start making sense again. Its staring at them again but somehow, its tear stained face makes it look a whole lot less threatening.

"Please, just something- anything... just don't let me starve, please. It's the worst way to go for a vampire..."

It licks its lips, hesitating for a moment. It lowers its voice, although it doesn't seem intentional. "When you first wake up, there's this- this terrible hollowness inside you.

"It's not just hunger or thirst, it's like you're empty on the inside. And you never stop feeling empty, th-the blood just makes it bearable, for a little while. But then you get hungry again, and you'd do anything not to feel that emptiness anymore...

"If we get desperate enough, we- we turn against friends, family... our own kind. We don't care who it is, as long as killing them makes the hunger go away."

The vampire trails off as its voice grows weak. It hangs its head- whether to hide its face or from exhaustion is hard to tell.

The hunter looks on in stunned silence.

That was the first time it has spoken something that wasn't a thinly veiled threat or an outright insult. And it was definitely not what the hunter had expected to hear.

It does lead them to wonder though.

When... if they turn, will their life be like that, too? Just endless, horrible hunger and mindless slaughtering? Will they ever grow satisfied or will they always feel empty? Will they slowly wither away, day by day, or will they meet their end at the blade of another hunter?

If they were in the vampire's place, left to starve until they waste away... wouldn't they want someone to help?

They can't believe they're considering this. This vampire, this monster has clearly done something to their head to make them feel for it. What kind of hunter feels bad for the monsters they're meant to kill?

Even still...

The vampire's chest heaves, even as they're sprawled bonelessly against the tree. The only thing keeping them upright are the chains wound around their body.

The hunter pinches the space between their eyes and sighs. Their dragon makes an inquisitive, if slightly concerned noise at them, which makes them look up at her. They smile wrily and pat her head.

They turn to the vampire, crouching down a good few feet away this time.

"Hey."

The vampire looks up slowly. Dark tear tracks stain its skin.

The hunter grits their teeth.

"Can you drink animal blood?"

The vampire stares for a moment before the words seem to process in their mind, along with their implication.

"Y... yeah. Yes. Anything, any kind of blood. Please."

The hunter waves a hand dismissively.

"Stop it with the groveling. How much do you need to not die?"

The vampire's brows furrow, a bit of that cocky, indignant spark returning to its eyes.

"What, not even a full meal?"

The hunter scowls. "Be grateful I'm letting you have anything at all. I really should just let you starve. Maybe that would teach you to show some respect."

They regret it immediately when the vampire's eyes grow terrified. They open their mouth again, no doubt to beg or plead or whatever else they think will save them before the hunter holds up a hand.

"Forget it. How much?"

The vampire seems to think for a moment. "Some larger animal should do fine. Plenty of deer around from what I can smell. Boars too."

The hunter raises a skeptical eyebrow. "Isn't that a bit much?"

The vampire scowls, but it lacks its usual fire. It looks exhausted. The tear stains don't help the matter either.

"If you don't want me to hunt you down through the woods the next time I get peckish, I suggest letting me have my fill. It'll be better on the long run. For everyone."

The hunter smirks. "Planning ahead?"

The vampire scoffs. "Don't get your hopes up."

The dragon chooses this moment to sidle up to her master, apparently sensing their upcoming need of her. Dragons are handy that way.

The hunter turns to her, performing some infinitely complicated hand gesture that the dragon apparently understands, because the moment her master utters "Hunt," she shoots off into the dark woods without making a single sound.

The two of them watch her go, but the silence doesn't last long.

"You know you'll have to release me to let me eat."

"I do, and I will. If you promise to be good and behave yourself."

The vampire bristles. "You don't get to talk to me like that. I'm not some fucking dog."

The hunter turns. Something dark glints in their eye that makes the vampire want to shrink away. It very resolutely does not.

"Aren't you? I'm certainly not the one chained to a tree and made to sit pretty."

If it had any blood left, the vampire is certain its face would be burning in shame. It averts its eyes, staring instead at the dying campfire.

Silence settles over them again.

The vampire can feel the hunter's eyes on it, burning like the silver chains against its skin.

When will that damned dragon be back already?

#a writes #whump writing #vampire whump #whump #whump scenarios #if you can smell the minecraft game mechanics #no you can't #/j #based on a buddy's modded minecraft world (including the dragon)

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