The Sound and the Furry
May. 18th, 2014 10:48 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
daniel_stacy in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
birthright_rpgAs he headed in the direction of his apartment, Daniel felt alright.
He’d done a deed that would net him social capital. Rhiannon, Jazz, and even Melody could be enemies under the right circumstances, but they weren’t, at least for tonight. And that was okay. He jumped over the outstretched legs of a pair of drunks and hummed an Aerosmith song. Daniel wondered for the millionth time why he was on better terms with the white hats than his own kind, and in this well-worn train of thought he stumbled over a realization about himself that made him stop where he stood, teetering over the edge of a street curb.
Being liked was more important to him than anything else.
His brow furrowed.
Could that be it? The answer to why he hadn’t become a violence-crazed monster had nothing to do with his demon at all, but was instead a desire for popularity? And when his sire hadn’t provided it, he had cashed in his chips and sided with the good guys?
Daniel retraced his steps and turned into a narrow street used primarily for loading and unloading into restaurants and shops. He needed a minute alone with his thoughts. As he walked faster, he squeezed the back of his neck and mulled it over. If this new thing was true, that meant he’d rip out throats if he was surrounded by a nest of vampires, which wasn’t a bad thought except that meant he was a fucking sheep.
And here he’d come to think of himself as a trailblazer.
“No way.”
He was too deep in his self-effacing thoughts to notice the demon until he was on top of it. It was hairy and muscular. Its teeth gnashed as it chewed on the still-warm corpse of a stock boy. As it turned to assess the interruption, its eyes glowed red. A hell-hound. Daniel had heard of them, but never seen one in the flesh, probably because this particular breed had come through the portal sometime before it was guarded. The hound growled and dropped its meal.
He’d done a deed that would net him social capital. Rhiannon, Jazz, and even Melody could be enemies under the right circumstances, but they weren’t, at least for tonight. And that was okay. He jumped over the outstretched legs of a pair of drunks and hummed an Aerosmith song. Daniel wondered for the millionth time why he was on better terms with the white hats than his own kind, and in this well-worn train of thought he stumbled over a realization about himself that made him stop where he stood, teetering over the edge of a street curb.
Being liked was more important to him than anything else.
His brow furrowed.
Could that be it? The answer to why he hadn’t become a violence-crazed monster had nothing to do with his demon at all, but was instead a desire for popularity? And when his sire hadn’t provided it, he had cashed in his chips and sided with the good guys?
Daniel retraced his steps and turned into a narrow street used primarily for loading and unloading into restaurants and shops. He needed a minute alone with his thoughts. As he walked faster, he squeezed the back of his neck and mulled it over. If this new thing was true, that meant he’d rip out throats if he was surrounded by a nest of vampires, which wasn’t a bad thought except that meant he was a fucking sheep.
And here he’d come to think of himself as a trailblazer.
“No way.”
He was too deep in his self-effacing thoughts to notice the demon until he was on top of it. It was hairy and muscular. Its teeth gnashed as it chewed on the still-warm corpse of a stock boy. As it turned to assess the interruption, its eyes glowed red. A hell-hound. Daniel had heard of them, but never seen one in the flesh, probably because this particular breed had come through the portal sometime before it was guarded. The hound growled and dropped its meal.
no subject
on 2014-05-18 08:37 pm (UTC)He was scratching his stomach idly when he heard footsteps come to a halt nearby, and the warning growl echoed eerily as the monstrosity abandoned its dinner. One of the vampire's long arms reached out, and a hand plucked lightly at the back of the other vamp's shirt. He was close enough to tell that there was no heartbeat within the dark-haired man's chest. The guy was an inch or two taller. As someone who was used to having to look down to make eye contact, Ruben was mildly pleased with that.
"Yer disturbin' him, son."
The beast took a surprisingly delicate step towards them, paws tracking blood as it left the mess behind. Hounds were supposed to be agile fuckers, despite their size. Together, they could probably kill it if they had to, but there was no real loyalty among the undead except between sire and childe. Ruben's other hand closed into a fist.
""Leastaways, it ain't got two heads."
no subject
on 2014-05-22 12:13 am (UTC)Daniel’s rejoinder came from the side of his mouth. The young vampire was trying hard not to move. It was like being caught in the path of a grizzly bear; did you run? Try to look threatening? Hold still and cross your fingers? Offer it a sandwich?
He sensed the other vampire and when he cut his eyes at him, Daniel was thankful for that ability. Otherwise, the term ‘son’ would’ve struck him as incredibly odd.
“What do we do?”
no subject
on 2014-05-22 12:47 am (UTC)Ruben peered into a half-open dumpster, saw mostly discarded food and soiled cartons from the nearby restaurant. The hound was inching towards them. Now that it was getting closer, he realized it smelled gamy. The smell of the blood had overpowered that before, but now he noticed it. Its eyes were a muddy yellow.
He found an abandoned packing crate near the dumpster, and there was a splintering noise as he broke off a piece of it. He didn't possess the lunatic bravery of some of his brethren, but he was strong and scrappy and mean. If he started putting the boots to someone - or something - he didn't stop until they were dead.
"What're you wantin' to do?"
no subject
on 2014-05-30 01:19 am (UTC)But just because that was what he wanted to do didn't mean he would. As long as he didn't get beheaded in the attack, he'd recoup. Maybe he could hire on a sexy nurse to help tend his wounds.
no subject
on 2014-05-30 04:17 am (UTC)Ruben's tone held no rancor, but he re-considered the situation a bit. When it came down to it, you saved your own ass first and said screw everyone else. And he didn't actively wish this thing dead anyway. A big puppy eating random people would take the heat off of him.
The hound was closer now, and the vampire felt his face shift. House pests recognized a predator when they saw one, but he'd never run across a hellbeast up close. It growled. He growled back.
Fuck you, puppy.