I Hesitate(female victim)

For a moment, I feel my urge to take immediate action fade, as I toss around my few options. At the moment my fleeting time comes back into my mind, a searing pain tears through the skin on my right forearm, forcing a scream through my lips and sending me off of the ship’s mast I’ve been hiding atop. My body crashes to the ground, not too far behind the person I’ve been hunting.

The sound of my fall catches the ear of both figures in front of me, the one I’d stalked revealing herself to be a woman. I push back my urge to stand upright quicker than one could blink and, instead, make my rise seem more pained and human. I **** myself to shake and stumble, uncomfortably slowing me down and fighting against my nature. Mimicking human frailty and fragility is the best way to mask oneself among them, so I’ve become quite used to the song and dance.

By the time I’ve managed to my feet, the woman of interest has already made herself comfortable at my side. Before I’ve had the time to even finish pretending to re-orient myself, I feel her hand resting almost familiarly on my arm, letting me put some of my weight against her frame and further my weak act.

“Good Christ, are you alright,” she asks, taking my weight in stride. Painful as it is, I **** my expression flat, though the excitement of how easily she’s practically given herself over to me. Before responding, I feign a cough, doubling half-way over as I do, before straightening myself and speaking.

“Quite. I’ve just gotten over something and I’m apparently not taking quite as well to leaving the house as I’d thought. One of my legs gave out on me and I took a bit of a fall. Really, I’m alright. Though, I should be getting home, the outside clearly doesn’t seem to be agreeing with me at the moment.” Even with the sun growing closer and putting me further in danger, I take my time, laying out a trap, praying he bites. Every moment she doesn’t respond, the pain searing through me worsens.

“Well, let me help you.” Without saying another word, she puts one of his arms around my shoulders and the other under my legitimately injured arm, practically holding me up with her own body. Not too eager, Lestat. I squint my eyes at the growing light, knowing that I’m completely at the mercy of this stranger and the speed of her stride.

“Are you sure? I wouldn’t want to be a burden on someone I’ve just barely met.”

“Of course. I don’t see why lack of familiarity should be the barrier to kindness.” A gentle smile spreads across my lips, though much more soft than what I feel on the inside.

“Well alright, then.” Without another word from the two of us to the other man, or vice versa, my new companion and myself turn and quickly head away from the docks, my limp mysteriously fading the higher the sun gets in its rise. Luckily for me, the woman doesn’t seem to notice, instead just easing her physical support, which I can handle. My eyes are momentarily drawn to hers, as they draw back and forth between the path ahead of us and the noticeable mark on my arms, clearly scarring before both of our eyes.

“Which house is yours,” the woman asks, glancing around the crowded street. I gesture towards my decoy house, glad to finally be able to use it for its purpose. She guides me to the door that I then unlock, letting us both in to the nearly empty house. The only things filling the space are a bed and blankets, a fireplace, a few scattered crates and chests, and a table with two chairs around it. The drawn curtains prevent any light from getting in and furthering the wound on my arm, one that can only be healed with the breath of life I’m planning on stealing from my victim - blood.

Without a word, she leads me towards one of the chairs, taking charge in a way I hadn’t expected her to, though it does align with some natural sense of maternity I suspect she must have. Before addressing me, she goes to the already loaded fireplace and lights it, filling the room with warmth and gentle orange light.

“Thank you,” I remark, looking up at the man who’s returned to my side. Her eyes meet mine and I get my first chance to truly take in her face- a chance that the rising sun hadn’t allowed me before. The blaze reflects on her blue-bordered, green-centered eyes. The light from the fire lights her features, the flickering glow highlighting his soft, full lips, a soft, round jaw, and light, warm, skin. Soon as I’ve taken in her features, I’m sure that I’ve made the right choice in hunting her.

“It’s no issue, truly. I couldn’t simply leave someone injured on their own in good conscience. Now, I really should do something about your arm, it looks painful.”

“No true problem, it should be healed in a day or two. But, really,-” I punctuate my words with my rise from the chair, putting me a little above eye level with her “-I should thank you.” My hands find their ways to the sides of her full hips, building a bridge between the two of us.

Though she seems caught somewhat off guard, with her eyes widening and her lips parting, the woman doesn’t back away from me or break our connection. I slide my thumbs down the waist of her pants, holding us closer. The small amount of her skin that I can feel is soft and warm against my own, drawing me in. She doesn’t seem to be surprised or put off by the normally nearly-frigid feeling of my skin when put against human’s.

“May I?”