4. Loss

[hismasterpiece]

[Action -- After Nightfall on the 11th]

[A pale young woman wanders into the village, twisting her hair round her fingers compulsively. She's hungry.


She's STARVING.

A whimper escapes her lips as she collapses by the fountain, and she calls out weakly:]

Spikey? Love sundae? The jaws can't bite; the claws can't catch.

[/Action]


[Drusilla has returned from death. Her DP is that she has lost the ability to go gameface and, therefore, to feed on victims using her fangs.]

Comments

[greenjacketed]

[ the pub wasn't so enjoyable, tonight. not with a troubled mind and no kindred spirit to share his troubles with. harper still hasn't shown up and dresden...ah, well. he worries over whether that bridge has been burned.

but as sharpe leaves the building and shrugs back into his uniform jacket -- it'd been too hot to keep on inside good spirits on this hot summer night -- he spots a creature wandering in the darkness.

aye, well. hogan had once accused him of being the knightly sort, hadn't he? ]

Ma'am? [ he questions, half-buttoning the green jacket before striding across the plaza. ]

[bloodwaif]

"Lord?"

Drusilla wasn't wandering any longer; Drusilla was down on the ground, too weak to do much more than lift her head.

"It's empty, now. All spilled over."

[greenjacketed]

He kneeled next to her -- whoever she was -- but hesitated before daring to put hands on her. Not even to help her up. A strange electric lamp at the edge of the plaza did manage to cast a little light and he was relieved to see no obvious injuries.

But the woman didn't look well.

"No lords here," he cautioned. Then for a moment the only sound was that which was produced by his sword's sheath scraping clumsily on the cobblestones. "Just a soldier, looking to lend a hand."

And so he did finally reach out for one of the downed woman's arms. It would be nothing, he thought, to lift her up to her feet.

[bloodwaif]

It was nothing. She was light as a feather made of dust and web.

"You have strength in your arms, m'lord." Dizzy, the woman tried to find her own feet. It felt like a dance.

[greenjacketed]

"Major," he corrected -- more forcefully, this time. He didn't care for the priveleged in the great houses and he cared even less to be mistaken for one of them.

But his grip remained only as strong as it needed to be and he tried directing her back towards one of the plaza benches. "You're cold, ma'am. Uncommon cold for a night as warm as this."

Christ, those Malnosso bastards. What had they done to this woman?

[Action] THESE TWO SHOULD REALLY MEET AGAIN.

[quicktoanger]

Another shape on the ground, near the fountain- a new feather? It seemed to be in white. I rushed toward the figure and-

Oh, hell.

I clasped my amulet and levelled my staff, taking a wary step back. Oh hell. Oh hell, hell, hell.

I knew that face. Crazy vampire lady. She never came back after Buffy made her announcement, and I had kind of hoped maybe the weird regenerations just didn't apply to undead people.

So I kept the staff and the amulet levelled at her.

;;

[bloodwaif]

"It keeps all the wolves at bay, does it? Your fancy stick?" She was smiling as she spoke, one hand clutching the fountain's edge being all that was keeping her from losing her balance and toppling to the ground.

[quicktoanger]

"Wizard, remember?"

I didn't lower it.

"What good is a wizard without a staff?"

She was still smiling and talking all creepy, but she seemed like she was on the verge of collapse.

[bloodwaif]

"He could still be a good man." She went down on one knee. "Without a staff."


Good men tasted all the more delicious, somehow.

[Action]

[mountain_sage]

[Saleh's been out a bit too late searching for New Feathers again. But he's done for the night as he heads back into the village. He seems the woman collapsing by the fountain, but in the darkness, he doesn't recognize her right away. He makes a beeline for her to see if she is well. Once he gets a close enough look at her face, he recognizes her. The "vampire." The one that Buffy announced that she had slain. It takes a moment to recall her name, but when he does, he calls out solemnly.]

Drusilla...

[Action]

[bloodwaif]

Saleh. [She knows him well; she can still smell the familiar scent of his blood within his veins -- veins that she can no longer access with her sharp teeth.]

I need a knife it would seem.

[Action]

[mountain_sage]

A knife...? Why...?

[She must have just returned from death, feeling weak. He's certain that was what was wrong with her.]

[Action]

[bloodwaif]

A knife to draw what I need, good sir knight of the moon. A fang for a sick dolly.

[action]

[echotaker]

[For some reason he's been enjoying sleeping outside like a weirdo and tonight he's sitting by the fountain watching the stars. When he sees the woman collapse, he's at her side in an instant.]

Hey! Are you okay? I guess it's dumb to ask now...

Hang in there, miss, I won't leave you, all right? I'll get you help.

[action]

[bloodwaif]

[Who is this fine-looking fellow? Drusilla always admires handsome rescuers. They're so dashing and sweet, and they always look endearingly horrified when they die.]

So hungry...so hungry, pretty boy.

[action]

[echotaker]

Hungry...?

[He digs about in his backpack, pulling out a few things.]

Trail mix... apples... will any of these do?

[His voice is soft, gentle with concern.]

[action]

[hismasterpiece]

[A shake of the head. No. Those might do to lure children close enough to pounce on them, but not for her to eat herself.]

I can't. Those taste of ash and ugly mushrooms in my mouth.

action; willow is sleeping so have my other (newer) loser

[zumo]

[Hijikata's first few hours in Luceti....well, they've been interesting, to say the least. At this point in the night, he's collected his sword, and his western battle uniform--the only things he's been able to find, so far--and is continuing his almost desperate patrol around the village.

He almost doesn't see Drusilla; she's on the other side of the fountain. Hearing a woman's keening catches his attention, though, and he slowly walks around it until he catches sight of her forlorn-looking form.]

Uh.... [Ugh he doesn't feel like talking to anyone right now, but.....she seems worse off than him.] Hey. You...you alright?

\0/

[hismasterpiece]

I am not alright. [She speaks faintly; it's difficult to put words together into sentences right now.] Need......need to drink.

other loser who also needs blood to live hey BLOOD BUDDIES

[zumo]

Drink? [He takes a step closer, cautious. Yeah..."dehydrated" might be a good word for how she looks. Protective instincts starting up in three...two...]

I've only just arrived, but...I'm sure there's somewhere nearby you can get a drink, you know. [The bar is like....right down that way, lady :| ]

XD

[hismasterpiece]

Come nearer... [She is almost begging.] Come nearer, pretty sir...show me.

action

[magentarific]

[ Yuri's not in bed or even in her house right now. Usually after dinner she goes out to do who even knows what, but right now she totally sees the collapsing. She's never seen Drusilla's face, just talked to her once and they came up with a weird name. Doesn't really matter because someone collapsing is kind of bad.

Yuri goes over to her and kneels down next to her. She's really tempted to poke her in the side, but staying calm and being rude to someone who might very well be dying are different. ]

Do you need some help getting home?

[ There's the possibility that someone had too much to drink, right? ]

[hismasterpiece]

I need help...to feed. I need to feed.

[She looks up and recognizes the voice, but is too out of it to realize whom she is speaking to.]

[magentarific]

To feed? [ What. ] We've got some leftovers at our house if you want.

[hismasterpiece]

Only blood will do. [Her tone is rather brusque in spite of the weakness.] I must feed on the nectar of the living.