Vampires Oh Noes

Who: Harper and Herbert
When: 30 minutes after night fall.
Where: Nevermore then a few blocks south of Washington

Harper had heard the explosion, it was loud and only a few blocks away. The sound of sirens and smell of smoke that found it's way down the block was reason enough for Harper to close up shop early. She did all the closing work and locked up before heading out. Things were slower than she may have like seeing as she kept getting flashes of flames, gunfire and other things that reminded her of waving limbs. Tonight was not a good night.

She hurried down the street thinking she should have tried to call a cab because it would take her a little while to get home. If she hurried and followed her gut she should be able to avoid any danger. She just had to focus and push back the visions of things happening elsewhere. As she quickly walked down the street she reached one of the smaller intersections that bordered along an alley. As she approached she stopped, that bad feeling swelling in her as she approached. Harper got close enough to realize there was a dark figure at the other end of the alley and before she could let her presence be known she turned and hurried the other direction. Maybe she could circle around and find another way home. Reaching the other end of the block the feeling returned, this time the figure was walking up the block and caught sight of her quickly, she'd been surrounded. Harper quickly turned on heel and ran, dropping the journal and shoulder bag she’d been carrying- the last thing she needed was something to slow her down. Her keys were still in her pocket, if she got there first she could cut through the parking lot to the next block and get back to Nevermore and lock herself in. Of course Harper had no way to know that the figure she’d spotted in the alley was moving her way as well.

Herbert had wound up riding the Williams home just before sunset, acting as much the "friend enjoying their company" as the "big, imposing bodyguard", just in case. And then he'd been caught up there a bit, invited in to share dinner after Sammy brought it back from the diner Olivia worked at. Herbert was not one to turn down food, especially not from Mya's!

The scent of dead things and blood caught in his nose, first, and he wrinkled it, looking around warily. Smoke-smell from the fires was in the air, too, confusing him, but not enough that he missed that particular scent-- just enough that he couldn't tell which way it was coming from. Things were mostly quiet, though, so he definitely caught the sound of feet turning into a run down the street and around the corner, and the thud of something falling in their wake, and there was a sharp fear-smell that he definitely could pinpoint.

Another set of running feet ahead-- someone was running towards and around the corner, too, and Herbert pedaled quickly to catch up. Just in case there was trouble.

Ok, no dropping your keys, tripping over your own feet or running straight into the bad guy like one of those ditz’s in horror flicks. Harper told herself as she fought to suppress the -really- bad feeling she was feeling. She was about ten feet from the start of the parking lot when she saw the other figure running at her. Oh god this was not good. Harper glanced behind her and the other vampire had stopped it’s quick pursuit, they now seemed to be toying with her, mocking her. Creepy guy in front, creepy guy in back, store front on the other side- only one direction to choose. Harper took only half a second to decide before turning and running as fast as she could into the street, maybe she could reach the other side and continue running; then she could get away.

Harper had only taken three strides before she felt the hand of the creepy guys on her arm. How’d he get to her so fast? That growing ‘something bad is about to happen’ feeling erupted again as he pulled her close and brushed her hair from her neck. She tried to fight back but he grasped her other arm, she was almost sure he was going to break it if he held on any tighter. Harper let off a loud scream which resulted in getting her smacked across the face by the other vampire who’d joined his friend. It was then that Harper realized that they were all too familiar.

Turning the corner just in time to hear Harper scream, Herbert just about launched himself off his bicycle to try and get there faster, leaving it clattering to the ground behind him. Screams were not good things. Ooooh no they weren't. He saw someone pinned by two larger people, and let out a loud, animal growl, landing heavily and racing towards them, grabbing one to pull them away.

Harper felt the vamp behind her grasp harder on her arm as the other participant arrived which made her cry out again. Her mind flashed back to her dream the previous night and the three figures in the alley. She’d seen the man in front of her well enough to see his teeth and just knew they were the same two from her vision. Her body suddenly fell limp as she was cast aside like an after thought- they probably figured they could just get back to her after they dealt with the new pest.

Not feeling terribly threatened-- though that smell of dead-and-blood was nearly overwhelming now, he was still taller and heavier than both of them-- Herbert growled, "Why don't you two pick on someone your own size?"

Okay, so it was a cheezy line, but it's what came out, and he didn't really register how it sounded, too busy planting himself between himself and the girl-- Harper, he recognized her from the mine-- and glaring.

The two men stared at him, then glanced at each other, then both rushed in.

Fast.

Sweet spirits, who moved that fast?? Herbert managed to hit one, going more on sound than sight, and send him sprawling back, but the second rammed right into him, and even he had to stagger at the force.

And then the pain, as two sharp teeth sank into his forearm. He yelled and swung, but the man was already letting go, gagging and spitting out a mouthful of blood just like Regan had. Like Regan-- like a vampire?!

Spirits bless, what was wrong with this town??

Harper laid on the ground for what felt like a longer time than it actually was before she stirred, her arm really hurt and now her head did too. Turning to look at the commotion, she yelled out at Herbert- who she didn’t register at knowing yet, - “Behind you!” She anticipated the vampire attack before it happened; she had to give her gift some credit. As much as she hated it, it did have a way of helping her when she really, really needed it.

The second vampire-- they both were vampires, they had to be-- had snuck out of his admittedly limited field of vision, and at the sound of Harper's cry, Herbert turned only just in time to grab the on-coming wrists and stop the vampire in his tracks. That still left a second vampire, who was already recovered from the foul taste and starting towards him, and a helpless girl. This was, erm, not a good situation. Even Herbert could tell he'd be outnumbered, out-classed, and out-fought here.

Well... in human form, anyway.

Giving a mighty heave, he threw the vampire he had right into the oncoming other's path, letting him go. "Don't be afraid, Harper," he got in quickly, then he stripped off his shirt and kicked off his shoes and, wishing he had time to save his jeans, too-- but he didn't, given the fact that the vampires were already untangling themselves-- shifted into full bear form, ripping the denim apart at the seams in one instant and positively shredding his underwear.

Harper wasn’t sure, but she may have stopped breathing for a moment as she tried to wrap her head around what she was seeing. There was a boy who became a bear... a boy just became a bear… boy… bear… boy… … … bear…

A nice, loud roar made the vampires pause-- but whether they were particularly stupid or even more brave than Herbert was, pausing was all they did. If anything, they looked... gleeful, almost, bounding in to engage him. It was ridiculously easy to smack them back as they sniped at him, and he was perfectly happy to lead them away from Harper in a series of short charges, keeping them engaged, but whenever he hit one, the other would dive in and leave his mark-- a bruise, a little cut, a quick enough bite so they couldn't taste his blood. It hurt! And was noisy, because the bad ones kept making him growl and roar and otherwise make a ruckus.

If they kept it up too long, he'd be exhausted, and they'd get them both. He couldn't let that happen. How did you stop a vampire? Herbert didn't really know, honestly-- something about stakes? What was a stake, exactly, and what did one do with it? More importantly, what happened when you ripped their arms off-- would they keep fighting with their feet?

Harper watched for a moment trying to think quickly, she’d read some of the books on vampires and tried to remember which things seemed more myth and which real. One of the books had claimed to be something of a ‘hunters guide’ and disputed a few of the myths. Decapitation was one way she was sure, but she couldn’t do that. She thought she remembered stakes working, but she didn’t have any… or anything she could use (looking around in the dark didn’t help her case any either). The… bear in front of her was putting up a pretty good fight, but the two vampires were pretty quick – vampires, she’d seen the vision and tried to explain away the pointed teeth but now that she’d seen them up close she couldn’t ignore it… they were vampires – and the bear-boy wouldn’t be able to keep up with them for long. She felt useless all she could do was scramble to her feet and limp to one of the cars for shelter. She couldn’t leave him but she couldn’t help him. “Take off their heads!” She yelled. She didn’t know why she yelled it- it just kind of came out. Maybe her subconscious had reasoned it to be the most logical way the boy-bear could get out of the situation and forced her to tell him.

Herbert took a second to shoot Harper what he hoped was an incredulous look-- bear-faces were very expressive for an animal's, but disbelief was not one they did well. He couldn't take off their heads. He didn't get into this to kill people, just to keep someone from being hurt. Or maybe killed.

Except one of the vampires took advantage of his distraction to grab some of the loose skin around his neck, pull it out, and give it a good slice with his switchblade. Herbert let out a pained roar and whirled, swinging a heavy paw and sending the vampire sprawling into the nearest wall. He followed it up with, as Harper suggested and without even thinking about it, a powerful bite to his neck.

It's a vampire.. it's a vampire. She kept telling herself as she saw the body fall, it was the first dead body Harper had seen outside of a vision. It looked so human (save for the sharp teeth, pale part), there was blood everywhere. Harper popped her hand over her mouth and pulled back behind the car more. It's a vampire, not human.. a vampire that wanted to kill you. Turning away Harper was greeted by a blurred image of the bear in her head and the vampire's partner coming up from behind as he finished his bite. "Watch out!" She screamed as she turned around quickly to see if the image had happened yet.

Herbert almost didn't hear Harper, he was so busy gagging and spitting out blood and trying not to retch up everything in his stomach. Oh sweet spirits, he'd just bitten someone. Bitten their head off. And there was blood and gore and the taste and the smell and oh, spirits save him, he really did think he was going to be ill. While he turned at Harper's warning, it was sluggishly, and he only managed to take the attack on the shoulder instead of someplace deadlier.

He also managed to get a claws-fisted hit in, knocking the vampire down and then standing on him, pinning him down and baring his teeth in his face-- but it was half-hearted, now. He let the vampire struggle and spit and lash at him ineffectually, staring at him blankly and trying to work up the stomach to do it again. He didn't think he could.

There were sirens in the distance, coming closer.

Now, was an 'ohgodohgodohgod' moment. Harper pushed herself up out of the crouched position, and really wanted to run. There was just one problem- this kid had come out of no where and saved her. "Oh god." She said, acting purely without thought. Harper ran forward and grabbed his shirt and shoes. "Come on!" She yelled, maybe the vamp would flee from the cops as well. She looked at her boy-bear-boy savior with a pleading look. The last thing she wanted was his animal hide death on her conscious.

Herbert looked up dully, blinked at Harper, then backed up off the vampire. The vampire, for his part, lunged at him again. This time when Herbert smacked him back, he smacked him all the way out into the street, and turned to lumber after Harper. He probably ought to have changed back, but it just didn't occur to him yet. His mind was too busy with the fact that his mouth tasted like blood and his stomach was still trying to rebel and he'd killed someone and oh, spirits....

Harper was paying about as much attention as Herbert was, she was just trying to get away. With the grace of god they were running the right direction and passed her shoulder bag and journal. Harper stopped just long enough to snatch up the bag by it's strap and keep running, not realizing at the time she'd left her journal. They needed a place to hide, at least for a moment and they were still to far from her place so Harper took a quick turn to the left and into a small alley that went behind one of the corner stores- it was one of the shortcuts she'd taken home in the past.

Following her, Herbert only just barely managed to wedge himself into the back street-- at which point he remembered his bicycle and stopped. He couldn't leave it-- but he couldn't go back there. Torn, he stood there in the alleyway without moving, completely unable to make a decision.

Harper leaned against the wall, she was still clutching Herbert's shirt and shoes. She panted there for a moment, not used to all the running and looked up at the bear-boy who was still a bear. "Thank you." She said between breaths.

The distraction of being spoken to made Herbert look over at her blankly again, then he blinked at her, sat down heavily, and shifted back. The various cuts and growing bruises on him were much more obvious in this form, but he ignored them. "My bicycle's back there," he said first, as if somewhat surprised by that fact. Then he looked back up at her and added, because he'd started all this because she'd looked in danger, "Are you all right?"

Oh god, don't look! Harper looked down and nodded. "I am, thank you..." She replied, holding out his shirt and shoes for him. She winced as she held out her arm, only now realizing it hurt... like hell. Apparently the vampire had squeezed harder than she thought. "I- don't know if you can go back for your bike." Harper's voice cracked a little as she pulled her arm back one he'd taken the clothes.

He took them automatically with a quiet, "Thank you," looking over his shoulder at the road behind them. He couldn't make out whether the police-lights reflected this far or not-- the colors in the dim light all blurred together to him into one mishmash of gray. "I have to get it back, though. Do you... think the police might impound it?" They did that to cars, right? Maybe he could get it back from them.... Somehow or another. Maybe having the key to the chain locked wrapped around it's seat-stem would be enough proof of ownership.

And maybe his brain was focusing on his bicycle because otherwise it meant focusing on the blood-smell-taste that was still.. everywhere. And the fact that his stomach still wanted to bring up everything that he'd eaten that evening.

Harper shook her head. "I don't know... I think it might be evidence... I mean there is a dead body in the- oh my god" Harmer put her hand over her mouth to try and keep herself calm. They were attacked... she was attacked Herbert had saved her... they weren't at fault. "I'm so sorry..." Harper slipped her shoulder bag over the arm that hurt less and looked back at the naked no-longer-bear-boy. "I live a few blocks from here... if you want to get cleaned up... I'll get you a cab home... my treat." She offered, it was the least she could do after all.

As terribly rude of him as it sounded to impose on her, Herbert didn't think walking home without his pants would be a good idea. Nor was walking home bleeding. "I think I might have to," he agreed apologetically, and stood up, for her sake holding the shirt and shoes to cover himself. "Thank you...."

She shook her head. "Don't worry about it, I mean you did kinda save me back there..." She turned and started to lead the way. Once they came to the opening from behind the store it too Harper a moment to get her bearings back, not having been this way in a while and still kind of skittish on adrenaline. "This way." She gestured, only to wince and pull her arm back to her chest- oh god that hurt, the vampire really did squeeze harder than she thought. "Oh god please don't let it be broken." She whispered to herself. It would ruin Harpers record of never breaking a bone and a cast would just really suck. "You know I probably have an extra pair of old sweats you might be able to fit into." She offered, trying to change the subject.

"Thanks... that's... probably a good idea." Though he was rather distracted-- and feeling oddly blank; that wasn't normal, was it?-- Herbert did still have superb hearing, and he didn't really consider that he oughtn't answer. "I don't hear any bones rubbing. In your arm. So if it is, it's at least not a very bad break." His voice sounded weird, to him. Why did his voice sound weird?

Harper looked up to him and furrowed his brow. "You don't hear...?" Now that the lighting was a bit better, and they were afraid for their lives, Harper was starting to recognize Herbert- from the caves. It kind of made sense now, he seemed different when they met (she remembered something about a good sense of smell) and now it was fitting together. The hearing thing fitted into place. "That's good... I've never broken a bone before..." She got quiet as they turned the corner to the block her apartment complex was on. "Not much farther, just the end of the block."

"Yeah, don't hear the bones. I broke my arm-- other arm-- once when I was eight. Feel out of a tree, both bones. They scraped together, it was creepy...." Yet another thing that'd reaffirmed his desire to stay away from meat: the sounds things made when they broke.

Like ripping flesh and shattering spine.

Herbert couldn't quite suppress the shudder that went through him at that entirely unbidden and unwelcome thought. "Good," he said to her last comment. "Good, then." Cuz he really needed to sit down, maybe. Or lie down. Or curl up in a hot shower and brush his teeth a dozen times.