Collide

An RP by NekoLen and Tachigami

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He wasn't sure where he was. The town name was lost on him, since it didn't matter---all in all, he was just passing through. Or it was what he could tell anyone that asked how he couldn't possibly know where he even was. That didn't interest him, though. What interested him was across the street, beyond the cars, the people blocking his view. When the light at the corner changed to red, and cars began to pull to a halt, he threaded between them, jumping onto the curb and catching the eye of the form by the alley. He was probably a cook in the nearby restaurant, out in the slightly warm air for a break. He'd been ignoring most of the people that cast a glance his way, but his folded arms loosened and hung at his sides when he caught the gaze of Cole Dermott.

A step toward the opening between the butcher shop and the restaurant had the man following suit, until Cole's black-tipped hand grasped his arm and sent him walking, avoiding the glances of nearby walkers, those sitting at the bus stop, or flagging down a taxi. A series of boxes were stacked against the small diner's wall, ready for collection, but for now provided quite the cover from anyone on the streets. The man, a rather small one, shorter than Cole, with light, sandy hair, was blinking hard, coming back to reality, and Cole acted quickly, grasping the sweater sleeves on the young man's thin arms and holding him tightly, digging his teeth into the soft flesh of his throat. A sound escaped the young cook, between a squeak and a gasp, and his legs weakened, though Cole kept him up and against the wall, levering his arms around the man's body. The human's hands clasped for something, reaching up and twining around the chains that trailed from Cole's neck to his belt. It only succeeded in pulling the vampire closer, his tongue searching for the drops of blood that may have escaped his lips.

He only stopped when the cook's hands grew weaker and slid from around the vampire's chains. He dropped the human down, carefully, and with a few licks over the puncture wounds, they healed quickly. He stood and glanced around. No cameras. No one coming to investigate the strange forms in the alley behind the boxes. He grinned, showing off his unique teeth---his canine teeth, and lateral incisors alike were much sharper than the rest, but not longer. Instead of following the path he had taken, back to the main street, he took the alley back behind the buildings and slid out onto another street.

He hadn't killed the man---the weakness would ebb and he would think he had fallen asleep. He brought up an arm, using the extra material of his shirt to wipe any remaining blood off his mouth. He'd been gone long enough. The sun was so tiring, and made his power over humans a little weaker. His home was nearby, a small thing that he personally paid rent on by 'favoring' the landlord. Perhaps Cole would find a job soon. He wouldn't be able to do the same thing every time they moved, and there was always someone searching for a little dirty work to be done. He smiled again, hooking his fingers in one of his many belts.

He stopped pacing and stared at the door with his large, expressive brown eyes that resembled the eyes of a puppy. Cole had said he wouldn't be gone for long. After an hour, Fenrir Grayson had become nervous. He returned to pacing, unable to sit still. He ran his clawed fingers through his silver hair nervously, sighing every time he looked to the clock.

It had only been a few weeks since Cole had found him, starving and alone on the streets of Dublin. The man had been mysterious, but also kind. They fled together, finding this little apartment. Fen had some money and so did Cole, and together they rented the flat to live in for an indefinite amount of time. Even though Fen had just met the man, he had grown to depend on him. They had found out each other secrets eventually. Traveling together, it was hard to hide the fact that Cole was a vampire and Fen a werewolf.

He sighed again, going back to combing his hair with his fingers, until he heard footsteps. He stopped and crouched, watching the door and hoping that the person approaching was Cole. He sniffed the air, his sense of smell as strong as the wolf's he transformed into every month. He could smell blood and particular scent that he knew belonged to the vampire. He smiled and stood, going to the door and pulling it open. If he had a tail, it would have been wagging.

Cole was surprised to see the door open before he even made it to the steps, but glad that Fen was still there. Why he thought Fenrir would go off or vanish today, out of any other day he could easily have done so, was beyond the concept of the thousand-year vampire. But he smiled at the eager expression on the werewolf's face, glad that someone cared to see him when he came back. He met Fen at the door, drawing his black nails over the werewolf's jaw and grinning a little wider. "Was I late?" He asked, sliding into the apartment and closing the door. "I can smell your concern." Or he could smell what remained. The werewolf, like any being, gave off strong emotions, and he could sense what remained after the emotion was long gone.

The place was small. A single bedroom apartment with an open concept and not much storage space, but then, neither had much between them. Before he had run from his family, Cole had manage to take his clothing, and they were in one of two bags he had stored away in the small closet in the bedroom. There wasn't much, but then, they wouldn't be staying here long. A few months. Cole would find a way to get them out. On a plane, a boat. Somewhere. An apartment couldn't always hold a werewolf after transformation, after all. He'd been scoping out abandoned buildings and basements he and Fen could get to on the next full moon.

Fen looked away, feeling ashamed for being so weak. He had been mocked and laughed at from the moment he joined his pack, to the time that the alpha decided he had to go. A skinny, feminine wolf had no place in a pack of strong and vicious ones. The fact that he refused to hurt humans, to bite them and pass on his curse, and how he hated to eat meat had eventually wore on the others' nerves.

Now he was on the run with a vampire. A charming and kind vampire, who smelt old but young at the same time. Fen had no idea where he would be without him. "Not too long, I just... Got nervous." His emotions were running high. Even though they had no calender, he could tell that the full moon was sometime this week. He dreaded it, unlike his kind who loved to transform.

He backed off from Cole, though he didn't go too far away. "I found a strange place behind one of the cupboards in the kitchen... Looks like a pantry." He looked to the vampire. Cole didn't have to eat, as long as he got blood he could survive. Fen was supposed to eat a lot of meat to become strong and healthy... But he just couldn't do it. The last thing he had to eat was an apple and he was already hungry again. He was glad that in this age, more and more "vegan" foods could be bought.

He tilted his head, curiously running a hand through his black hair, loosening it from his ponytail and going forward. "Really now..." He muttered. "Might want to keep that quiet... Landlord might want to pawn that off as extra square footage and try to up the rent... or want me to do overtime." Cole snickered, going around to find the extra space Fen referred to. "Hm... could do with a little stocking." He sifted through the few bags and cans that were on the shelves. "Fruits and vegetables... Ever try tofu?" Cole never had. Human food didn't sit well with him, had a sandy taste, and as a whole, smelled bland.

Cole sat on the old couch, unbuckling his collar and unhooking the various chains from his belt. It was coming to be afternoon, and he didn't have plans to leave the apartment until after nightfall. "So, is my loyal companion looking forward to his transformation in a few days?" Fenrir had told him when the full moon was---soon, perhaps too soon. He had chains that he was sure would restrain the werewolf. After all, Fen as small and weaker than his kin, and that would translate into his transformation, for certain. No matter how sweet and loving the human side was, the werewolf's viciousness would emerge with the full moon.

Cole had dealt with plenty of them. Had killed just as many as his siblings. He didn't do it now---he didn't even like to call himself a relation to the clan he had escaped from. The very fact that he had come to attach to a werewolf would probably be enough to kill his parents, his family, who still resided in Ireland.

Fen watched the vampire loosen up, looking as though he had already made himself at home. Fen was still on edge. He could smell so many things in this small space and could hear so many others around them. He was so tense that when he heard someone cough, he jumped like a startled cat. He climbed up onto the couch, sitting next to Cole and hugging his legs. He rested his head on his knees, staring at the wall where a TV had sat at one point.

He flinched slightly at the mention of his transformation. It was a painful experience for him, so he hated talking about it. Most werewolves had no problem transforming, but he ate no meat as a human - his wolf self was starving. "I've had tofu, yes," he had tried every vegetarian food that came out during the century he had been a werewolf. He wanted to change the subject. "Did you find a place...?" He really didn't want to transform in this tiny space and so close to humans.

Cole cast a pained look at the werewolf. He sighed, pulling the too-small-to-be-a-werewolf form close to him. "Sure, I think I found a place..." He said after a moment. "There's actually a few old shacks near Newland Golf club... One's in a little bunching of trees if I remember..." He remembered perfectly. The shack had an earthy basement accessed by a trap door and not many knew it was there. He knew, because he used it to escape his overbearing, crazy family. There were steel supports holding the roof up, which could be used to chain an even somewhat weak werewolf for hours, from moonrise to moonset. Though COle would have loved to be elsewhere during a night with a full moon, he had no intention of leaving the werewolf to transform and return to human form all alone and covered in chains.

The werewolf was, dare he say, the sweetest and most puppy-like he had ever met. Cole didn't often pass up a chance to touch or pet him, especially if he seemed sad or nervous. And nervous seemed commonplace with Fen. "It'll be just fine." He promised, running his pointed nails through the silver hair on Fen's head. "Not too close to people, underground, lots of chains and no one can hear your howls..." He bit his lip, drawing a bead of nearly-black blood. The wheels in his mind had started to turn at the mention of chains, but his bloodless veins let no color reach his cheeks, or his still heart beat any faster than it already was---not at all.

Fen could sense the change in the vampire. His heart may not beat like others when they are excited, but Fen could almost smell it. Was it the thought of his transformation, or the mention of chains? He had only transformed once in front of the man, and when he turned back he was tightly chained against a wall. He had been grateful that Cole hadn't let him roam free to hurt and possibly kill humans. But what had happened during that night?

He didn't know much about Cole at all. All he knew was that he was a vampire, and he was running from his family. Fen didn't like asking too many personal questions. He was afraid to offend or annoy his new companion. The last thing he needed was for the man to abandon him. Just thinking about it made him whimper. "It's sometime this week," Fen said quietly, burying his head in Cole's side as he hugged him. "I'm sorry to be such an inconvenience..."

Cole rolled his eyes, stroking the werewolf lightly. "You're hardly an inconvenience." He said, and chuckled lightly. "I like the variety. It's nice. Exciting." He shivered, grasping Fen a little closer. "I'll figure out which day it is tonight so we aren't surprised... I don't think it'd be good for my hiding out if I'm chasing a werewolf through the whole of Dublin..." He shook his head, absently twisting a ring on his middle finger. "I was thinking of leaving the country entirely... I could probably find work..." He thought for a moment. "Could probably be an illusionist..." He smiled, looking down at Fen. "Maybe a hypnotist... Could you imagine that? Humans are so malleable, I could bend them to whatever I'd like..."

Just thinking about the prospect of bending the will of a human in front of an audience made his mind wander. Maybe he thought far too much about humans and what he could do with them, but it had to be that overly-imaginative side of his vampirism.

Leave the country? Fen tilted his head, lost in thought. He had never left the country of his birth. Traveling to other countries had been difficult when he was younger. Of course now one could just jump into a plane and arrive half-way across the world in less than a day. He was excited by the idea, but knew that no matter where he went, other werewolves would try to kill him.

"I like the sound of that... A change of scenery would be nice," he commented, listening to the noiselessness of the man he lent against. He remembered the sounds that humans made when you laid on them. The heart beating, the lungs working... He found the emptiness of Cole oddly soothing. A loud bang that came from the apartment next to them made him start and look about the room wildly.

He was glad to hear that. To get out of the country was to get out of the direct line of sight of his family. He gasped at the sudden sound, sitting up suddenly, but easing a little quicker than Fen. "Hey." He pulled the werewolf into a hug and clamped his mouth shut. "Hear that? Nothing else. It sounded like a box dropped, that's it." Fenrir was terribly jumpy. It was probably because of his predicament---lone wolves were often targeted and killed, especially if they were smaller and weaker than their counterparts. They both had something to run from, it seemed. He settled back again, running both hands through Fen's hair. "Besides, I have a feeling if someone's looking to make trouble, it'll be easy to handle." He'd killed even powerful wolves relatively easily, and in a small environment, he had the upper hand.

"I know a different place would be nice... Maybe somewhere warm... With a lot of land. Away from people, for you, but closer so I have a direct food source." He'd tried werewolf blood before. Most vampires thought it would kill or poison them, but Cole had been too curious not to try. It had a strange, tangy flavor to it, werewolf blood, and seemed more potent than human blood. He hadn't asked Fen for his yet, however, because of the effect a vampire's bite had on them.

Fen hadn't thought about what a vampire could really do. He had never met one before, though he had heard from his old pack that you did not want to pick a fight with one, especially one as old and seemingly powerful as Cole. He didn't want to know, so didn't ask how the man knew he'd be able to protect Fen from hordes of murderous wolves... Because wolves always hunted in packs. If one was in trouble, more would come. "Sorry... They are just so... Loud..." He hadn't lived so close to humans for a long time.

He closed his eyes and imagined a warmer place, with a bright sun and lots of palm trees. He smiled at the thought of playing in the waves at the beach, and being safely away from any human. This made him think. "Cole, I've wanted to ask you something for awhile now... Can you go out in the sun? I know you go out during the day sometimes, and I always thought vampires turned to ash..."

Cole absently twisted his hair around his finger, watching it unravel from its tight collection when he released it. "Bah..." He shook his head, laughing a bit. "That's just stupid rumor. Vampires put that in the minds of humans a looooooong time ago, Fen, so we could convince them that they're perfectly safe during the day. So we didn't have to worry about vampire hunters or people putting up their guard like they did at night. Just some straw figures and a lit tinder in the sun and we convinced everyone that a vampire can't come out in the sun. It was even written into famous novels, and then it just took off."

He smiled, watching the ceiling. He could see a tiny black speck moving, but it wasn't a bother to him. "Other things... Well it depends on the vampire. Some turn into mist, some turn into small flying animals, some can bend the darkness to their will. It's something you're born with, not something you learn." He shuddered, rolling his blood-red eyes. "That's why my family think I'm oh so important." He hadn't told the werewolf of that yet. Maybe he hadn't considered it to be the 'right' time. Maybe he was afraid it would scare Fen off.

Fen followed the vampire's gaze and saw the tiny spider making its way across the dusty ceiling. His stomach grumbled and he blushed, feeling embarrassed. Just the sight of a spider had made him hungry... But he couldn't cave in and eat meat, not after so long of resisting the urge. "You said there was some food?" He stood up and started to walk towards the pantry, finding the mentioned cans of vegetables and tofu.

"I didn't think this stuff could last long without being refrigerated," he commented, picking up a can of peas. He bit through the top of the can with his sharp teeth and strong jaws, spitting out the metal before he cut himself on it. He poured the peas into his mouth and swallowed without chewing, cringing at the thick gloop that came out with them. 'How can they eat this stuff?"

Cole wrinkled his nose, grimacing at the canned vegetables. "I don't know, it looks and smells disgusting. But it's in a can... I figure it's safe enough until you open it, then it's got to stay cold." He sat up, rolling his shoulders and causing them to pop several times. "I guess it's the same with blood. Matter of what you are and how much you like it." He grinned, showing his teeth. "I've found various types to have different... flavors, I guess? But to a human it all tastes the same---horrible."

Standing and stretching, Cole's joints loosened up and he shook his hair out. "So Fen... I know you don't like talking about it, but I figure a couple days beforehand, we ought to get ready for any transformations. Want to see the place I mentioned? And let me know if it's a safe place?" He put his hair up high, and reattached the black cuff around his neck. He still felt warm---the human blood still coursed through him, but would wear itself out eventually, causing his hunger to rise. He wanted to feed fully, drain a human or something else of all its blood, its life, and feel alive for longer than just a few pitiful hours. A day. Two days, maybe. But that would mean he'd be gone for longer, and it would probably worry Fen.

Fen's ears perked up at the mention of going outside. Sometimes he acted a bit too much like a dog, and he hated it. "That might be a good idea, yes... I should get used to my surroundings so I'm not too confused when... That happens..." A confused, starving wolf was not the best customer to deal with. He didn't want to leave the safety of their new home, but he did agree that he couldn't stay coped up all week.

"Just stay near me, ok?"

Cole laughed, stretching and going forward to meet Fenrir. "I wouldn't dream of leaving you behind, Fen." He reached up, dragging his nails through the werewolf's silvery hair. It was unnatural, so when someone asked him of his friend's unusual hair color, Cole simply mentioned it was a platinum dye. He stepped back, moving toward the door and lifting the key from the hook on the wall beside it. "I figure a nice long walk will calm you right down." He said, ushering Fen into the fresh air. "We'll have to catch a bus or taxi up Belgard Road since it's a pretty far off way, but we'll be able to walk the rest."

He closed and locked the door, sliding the key onto one of his belt chains and slipping it into his pocket. "You okay with a bus? I bet I could convince a taxi driver to give us a free ride otherwise..." He stared at the street and the vehicles moving by and put a hand in his other pocket, feeling his phone.

The thought of a bus scared him. Sitting so close to potentially up to 50 humans would just be too much for him. He hated making the vampire do dirty work, but a taxi seemed like an easier thing for him to handle at that point of time. "A taxi would be best, if that's ok with you... Though, I'd hate to not pay..." He pulled his small wallet from out of his nondescript clothing. "I have about 20 euros, you reckon that'd be enough?"

He followed Cole outside, trying his best not to be too clingy, but staying as close as he could. The smells outside were over whelming and it made him miss his forest home. "Humans are so smelly, I forgot just how much scent they leave about the place..." he muttered as they passed an old lady who wore a scarf around her head.

Cole rolled his eyes, unpocketing his phone and dialing in a number. "Aah, Fen... We ought to save our money, I don't mind convincing someone that they did us a favor..." He plugged one ear to hear better when someone picked up, and requested a taxi. When it was dispatched, the voice on the other end of the line notifying him that it'd be there in fifteen minutes, and he hung up. "It'll be here soon." He put an arm on Fen's shoulder and studied the street in front of them. "I figure twenty will be fine." He added, glancing toward the werewolf's wallet. "If you really want to pay rather than helping me buy food for the next few days..." Perhaps he came off sounding as if he wanted to manipulate someone---he wasn't a blatant power-abuser like his kind tended to be; enthralled by their own power, they would often collect dozens of thralls and set up a territory in a large city or even small town, calling for any vampire that dared live in their territory to check in with them as a form of landlord. He preferred being a free-will form of vampire.

Fen felt guilty suddenly, closing his wallet and frowning slightly. He did cost a bit to feed, seeing the vampire didn't need to eat food like he did. "OK, OK, fine..." he whimpered, sulking like a whipped dog. He put his wallet back into his pocket and wrapped himself into his too-big overcoat.

The weather wasn't too cold or wet, which was rare for this time of the year. But it wasn't too warm either, and he enjoyed the comfort that the jacket brought him. It was surprisingly well kept for something almost as old as he was. It had a few holey pockets, and was a bit frayed here and there, but other than that it could practically be called new.

The taxi pulled up and Fen crawled into the back seat, not wanting to sit next to the human that drove. He jumped a bit around the seat, looking out both windows and smiling slightly. The taxi driver rose an eyebrow at the puppy-like man with the silver hair before looking to the more formidable one, the one he assumed wore the pants in their relationship.

"Where to?" he asked, trying not to sound rude.

Cole didn't normally wear heavy clothing---he was relatively immune to the discomfort that cold weather brought him until he had fed well enough, so his own jacket---a black leather thing with a red velvet inside and small sewn-in chains over the back and sides---sat folded over one arm. He was glad that Fen had buckled this time---he didn't want to feel as if he were bossing the werewolf, however puppy-like the man could be.

When the taxi arrived, Cole sat confidently in the front seat and glanced back toward Fen, smiling a bit before turning to the driver. "Head on up Belgard Road a ways, there's a little street we'd like to get to." He pointed onward, buckling his seat belt out of habit as the driver nodded, sliding out into traffic. "Aaah.... And thank you so much for doing this favor for us..." He added, grinning at the driver as he glanced toward Cole. In turn the driver nodded, his eyes half-closed and mouth slack. Cole's grin didn't slide when he looked out the window, back a little toward Fen.

Fen hated to see the human manipulated in such a manner, but decided that there was no other way around it. He stared out the windows, watching the scenery fly past as they drove. He remembered the first car ride he had taken, and remembered how unreliable those early crank motors had been. He personally missed horses, though it made the streets cleaner not having horse manure all over the place.

He returned his gaze at the human, a strange feeling gripping him. He almost lunged forward, feeling the starving wolf inside him trying to claw his way out. Perhaps his eyes even changed. He blinked and forced his stare back out the window, hoping Cole didn't notice his lapse of control. But he knew that the vampire had seen, because there was nothing the man missed.

They finally pulled up on the curb of the street Cole had mentioned. Fen could see the more rural landscape and felt slightly at ease, though he slipped the driver 5 euros when the vampire wasn't looking. He shuddered slightly as he stood on the street, but not from cold. There was something oddly familiar about this place, but he couldn't place it.

Hafway down the straight-shot road Cole felt the air change suddenly. Like an intense desire had almost come to be. It wasn't his, and the human driver was staring forward as if his life were on the white line slipping by on the road. He sighed, brushing it off when they pulled onto the mouth of the road, and he looked down it. Lots of trees. Lots of seclusion. The little road curved to the left, but they wouldn't be following it completely. After a moment he glanced to the driver and nodded, sending him on his way.

When Fen caught up, Cole looked at him. "We'll be headed forward, but we'll cut through the trees when the road starts to curve. I'll get you out there to the little building and you can tell me if you think it's safe." He pulled Fen on, but not forcibly. His hand was on the werewolf's shoulder lightly, as if reassuring. He felt Fen was rather tense, and wished he could do something about it. Turning a werewolf to a vampire was impossible, no matter what modern-day movies said.

Fen walked, allowing himself to be pushed slightly towards their destination. He felt a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach, but still could place it. Had there been something here...? His heart stopped beating as a familiar scent overtook him and tears started forming in his eyes. He stopped walking before they hit the treeline, staring blankly into the small forest.

The forest had been bigger a century before, and a small family had lived in a wooden cabin, a few miles away from the nearest town. He didn't want to move. He knew that the house had been destroyed a long time before, but just standing there again had sent his emotions spiralling out of control. He ran forwards, dashing through the trees until he got to a now empty space. He fell to his knees, smelling the scents of his 100 year old family. How could he have forgotten he used to live here? His tears were falling freely now as he tilted his head back and howled sadly.

Through the trees was a bare area, and a patch with the shack. It was rather hard to get through the dense foliage, especially now, and considering how few people crawled through---none. When Fen broke away, Cole gasped. "F-Fen...!" He took off after the werewolf after the initial shock wore off, bounding through the line of trees and disappearing---mist floating through the trees to avoid tripping, and when he returned to his solid form, it was beside Fen, and his jacket dropped to the ground without a second thought.

"Fen, you have to be quiet!" He put a hand over the werewolf's mouth, stifling the inhuman howling and kneeling in front of him. "Fen, look..." Cole's hands grasped Fen's face and brought it down so their eyes met. "What's wrong, Fen? Tell me..." He could practically taste the overwhelming sadness emanating from the werewolf. Using the back of his hand, he wiped the tears from Fen's eyes.