blood on the saddle

strange how abraham saw such a thing in someone he barely knew. "we won't get lost," he reassured her quickly, for however great the woods around greywood were, his vampiric powers were sure to help. "promise,"

“Better to have it and never need it, then to need it and not have it.”  Roman commented.  Truth was, there was some paranoia that he suffered from.  It came with being part of a secret unit and eliminating different enemies in the name of freedom.  You never know who might come and try to find you later in life.  Plus, Greywood always had an array of issues it seemed.

“No problem, after this you owe me a nice bottle of bourbon” the wolf teased as he helped get Abraham situated on the roof for the night shift.  “You need flashlights?”  Roman asked, not sure about the night vision of the creature.

the vampire took somewhat of a perch upon the roof like a bird would, getting down on one knee and lining up his sight - it didn't allow for a complete 360 view but, abraham was quick on his feet thanks to his affliction. chances were, he'd hear it before anything else, and could react appropriately (pulling the trigger with little hesitation).

"shit, i'll buy ya two," the gesture of goodwill was for another time, though. "naw. i see pretty fine in the dark," if anything, it was better than his vision in the daytime. "i'll holler if i need anythin' else,"

She observed with a smile as Abraham talked to the horse and she imagined this was as close to a hug as it could be, patting her neck with both hands before taking her reigns. Helen took a deep breath and also walked closer, though slowly, not wanting to ruin their reunion. "I do not think I have been anywhere in this part of the town's woods," she said slowly, raising a hand to put on the horse's muzzle.

"Make me." Eris said before he could think better of it. There was a challenge in his voice that he'd never heard before. He didn't know why he said it. Abe was helping him get home, and maybe saving him from hitting his head if he passed out. He should be thanking him. But something in him didn't want to just accept his help. It was stupid to be provoking a vampire who was probably already on edge from being around his blood. He was tired of fading into the background and hiding. He wanted for Abe to remember him, even if it was as some asshole who refused to let him help.

"Maybe. I'm hoping I won't need to stay at Roman's for much longer." Eris felt bad having Roman waste his time and attention on him. He'd shuffled rooms in his home so Eris could stay, and he'd been sleeping on the couch ever since. He found it difficult to sleep no matter how he exhausted his body during the day. And on the rare occasions he did manage to sleep, he screamed. He didn't know how Roman stood it. He enjoyed spending time with the man, but on the other hand, he'd feel better if he was on his own and not disturbing his dad's sleep. He wanted to go back to his house, where at least he knew he wouldn't bother anyone. "Never ridden before. But I might learn to like it if you teach me how."

"Hopefully I'm going back to my house in a week or two." He told Abe his address even though he knew it was dangerous. He never let anyone in his house. He wasn't even sure if Roman knew where it was. "You should bring your horse there sometime."

abe's anger came from himself - he was trying to be better. open with strangers, kind in a way he'd never been before and the first real attempt at such a thing was being thrown in his face. the words were harsh, and gruff, things abraham had always known he was, and had never challenged.

there was a bout of silence afterwards, he listened but didn't respond, staring ahead as the sidewalk began to melt into the dirt paths that lead towards the outskirts. there wouldn't be an apology for the outburst, just another awkward attempt and conversation.

“Get her in, I’ll grab the ammo.”  While Abraham tended to his dear horse, Roman ran inside making sure his own animals were okay and going to the back closet where the boxes of ammunition were stacked up upon each other.

Returning, he brought an arm full of boxes. 

"c'mon you silly filly," the vampire grumbled, eventually getting her inside and quickly shutting the doors the moment she was, bolting it up immediately afterwards and letting out a soft sigh. he met his wolfish friend halfway back to the house, looking through the ammo and taking a box and a half.

"yer sure packin' for a guy in the middle of nowhere in a trailer," there was humour to abe's tone, despite the circumstances.

"Do you just prefer to live away from the noise of town?" she asked, though the question was quieter than her previous words, unsure if it was okay to ask a personal question. She knew she would rather not answer any of those herself, but she thought that it might be nice to know something else than the name of the man and where he lived.

the question might've gone amiss if it wasn't for that vampiric hearing. abraham didn't enjoy divulging details about himself but, he felt helen had been a little vulnerable early, even if she didn't think so herself. "i ain't lived under a roof since i was 12," he explained, leading helen only a few steps away to where andalusia was tied, nose stuck in a trough of water near to where the trail started. "and i ain't gonna start now. i never liked cities, and i'm not used to living alongside other folk - think i forgot how to. i prefer my solitude in the evenings. jus' me, the horse, and a beautiful nights sky,"

of course, the crew had been different. abraham once knew how to live, work, rob and die with those he considered brothers. closer than that, if there was a thing, like an extension of the self. that turned to ash long ago, the years without them all outweighing those with. the moment he came within distance, andalusia looked up at the approaching to, abe clapping a gentle hand on her neck affectionately.

#for science

He braced himself and stood up. It was strange to feel that one section of the wound move and stretch with him. The stitches were tight and, up until now, immobile. He had to be careful to not move his chest too much when he was walking or it'd pull the skin. He felt another gush of blood leak down his shirt.

It didn't hurt. But it did make the dizziness worse. He leaned on the table as he waited for Abraham to move. He'd been playing along earlier when he talked about Abe making sure he didn't faint. And yet, it was starting to look like a possibility. He felt the color leave his face, leaving him pale.

He hated feeling weak. Not being able to run meant death if he met the coven. But at the same time, he was curious about what it felt like. To show his wounds and not expect a knife in the back. Maybe other people found it easy. Eris never did. Would Abe stab if he saw the opportunity? Or would he try to help?

"Works for me." He said, voice quieter than before. "Pity I won't be able to meet your horse today. Maybe next time you can introduce me to her."

abe knew if he didn't tell this guy - eris - to help stop it, he probably wouldn't, he felt as if there was very little self preservation under the skin. "c'mon,"

out of the cafe finally, he was torn between the need to rush and keep slow enough for the other man to keep up. "maybe next time. if you're still at roman's, i can bring her round?" abraham suggested, thinking that maybe keeping him talking was good, as he was keeping him awake and upright and least.

It occurred to him that he might be in danger. That he was sitting next to a vampire with an open wound. Somehow, the thought didn't bother him. He wanted to stay there in the bruising grip. But the man did have a point: he should probably get home and lay down.

He told the man Roman's address. He'd be going back to his own house soon, but for now, Roman was still taking care of him.

"No doctor. I just went to one of those, and it reminded me why I need to avoid them. I've had worse happen to me than a stitch popping."

He shot the vampire an appraising look. He seemed concerned. He was talking like he was worried. Eris didn't quite know how to handle that. He'd spent his life taking care of himself, and nobody besides Roman had ever cared if he was okay to get home. His choice in the past had been to keep moving or die. But he did appreciate the worry this man held for him. He found it cute.

"You want to walk me home? Make sure I don't faint on my way back?" He asked. Wondered with delight if he'd get home or whether the vampire would corner him and ask for a drink. Eris wasn't going to say no to him.

so, he wouldn't go the hospital but, he would go to the home of roman. abraham grumbled something under his breath about there at least being plenty of disinfectant in the trailer at least.

"well, if yer ain't gonna go somewhere to get it checked then yeah, i might as well walk ya, i only live down the road an' i gotta collect my horse from the barn,"

not always but, abe sometimes left andalusia amongst the small menagerie of farm animals his friend had. the vampire liked to think she liked the company.

he was the first to stand, holding out an arm incase the other needed it.

Behind his glasses, his eyes flickered and went white, burning with heat. He sucked in a breath. Fought back the urge to bite what was touching him. He froze instead.

He thought about Roman stopping the bleeding when Eris had collapsed on his floor. He trusted that Roman wasn't going to hurt him. That had made it okay for him to touch Eris even though it hurt. He didn't know if this man wanted to hurt him or not.

Very distantly, he felt bruising pressure on the wound. Cold hands. He told himself that being touched didn't mean he was going to be tortured. He was bleeding. He let the vampire press into the wound.

Surprisingly, the overuse of pressure helped. After a few heartbeats, the blackness retreated. He was back in the cafe. He felt sick and sweaty, but not terrible considering. He looked into the eyes of the man. He looked hungry and almost frantic. It didn't unsettle Eris.

He sucked in a breath, letting the familiar weight of the cigarette against his lips sooth him. Ran a hand through his hair, hoping the man wouldn't catch the trembling in his limbs. He was suddenly exhausted down to his bones. It had nothing to do with the popped stitch. But he found that being as stressed for long enough would leave him with periods of fatigue. That was what was happening now.

"I should get home." He didn't try to move. Just kept watching the man's hands soak up the blood on his chest with a napkin.

the way the others pupils faded into the whites, the way abe tensed up - ready to act upon something else without a moments notice but, nothing comes. the stranger sucks in a breath, apparently coming back to himself which keeps abraham on edge in-case it happens again. it makes him wonder how such a wound came about, and how dangerous the man truly is.

"where'd ya live? got a bad feelin' ya might bleed out before ya put the key in the lock," abraham didn't like the idea of this man walking home alone with blood seeping from his chest but, couldn't really stop him. "i ain't no doctor but, i don't think ya should be goin' anywhere but some form'a hospital," the vampire licked his lips, letting out a slow breath. it smelt so good, didn't it? the blood. would it even be noticed if he just pressed his fingers to his lips for just a taste-

he reels back, pressure lessening. "y'know what? do whatever ya want,"

Eris felt heat blooming in his chest followed by a stinging pain. Just as he'd feared, laughing had popped one of his stitches. He peered down and saw red seeping through his white shirt.

"Shit," he said. He didn't think about the fact that he was sitting in a vampire cafe next to a vampire. He was just concerned about bleeding all over the furniture. He wished he'd thought to bring some kind of gauze with him when he left the house. He'd just been in a hurry to get out of Roman's house.

He pressed his hand over the area, trying to staunch the flow. All he succeeded in doing was spread the blood around. His fingers felt sticky.

there was much to catch up on, to understand, for he'd lived on the outskirts of it all for so long. the sudden, sharp scent of blood brought the vampire out of his thoughts like a slap, bones in his neck cracking with the speed, dark eyes immediately drawn to the crimson stain slowly spreading across the strangers chest. it wasn't just abraham interested, a few others in the cafe glancing over to see where the sudden delicious scent of ambrosia had come from.

"shit," abe breathed out, grabbing some of the napkins from the table and immediately going to press them against the shirt with little regard for boundaries, just immediately attempting to help. "just gonna put some pressure on, alright? ya need the hospital? i can get the cashier to get ya a cab there or call someone out,"

it had been a long, long time since abraham had tasted blood from anything that wasn't an animal, and he was trying to stop it from affecting him. this wasn't the place to lose it.

She had to bite her lip in thought as he asked her, time a bit of a blur for her. "Well... I did grow up with my own horse, but I do believe it has been quite a while since I've seen him," she added and had to remind herself to stop chewing her lip in unladylike manner. She knew now with her time spent in the town that they had celebrated 2024 this New Year. She had not dwelled on that at all during the months, but now... "Six years, maybe," she added.

once again, helen talked in a way that made him mildly concerned for a woman he barely knew about. how could she not have a solid idea of how long ago it had been since she rode? abe thought about that scent that lingered on her, not quite death but...

"alright," abe said with a nod. "so, a while then. maybe we put ya on her and i'll lead with the reigns? till ya get back into the swing o' things?"

"Sounds like she's pretty special to you. Helps keep us old men sane to have someone around."

He couldn't stop a chuckle from slipping out at the other's morbid statement. He could appreciate a darker sense of humor. It was pretty hard to crack him. Roman had tried to make him laugh with dad jokes, but he'd been too stressed to laugh. He could barely remember the last time he'd so much as smiled. It sounded strange. Like some kind of strangled crow having an asthma attack. He held his chest, hoping his stitches wouldn't pop.

"Fuck, that's funny. Sorry." He took as deep a breath as he could manage without hurting the wound further. "I have. Been in this world for 200 years."

He'd been living in the Chasm for a bit longer than that. His mom tried to raise him for a while in the Realm of Virtue before she dumped him with his father. But he'd been here, in this body, for close to 200 years. "What about you?"

"200, huh?" never would the vampire get used to those who looked physically younger than him being older - abraham was finding that so many others who lived long lives seemed to have arrived at that place much earlier than he had. the man sitting near him didn't smell of vampire, however, and there wasn't a trace of fae in his scent. what else was there that lived so long? abraham wasn't overly familiar with all that lived in greywood.

"ya got a few years on me, i think. i was born the year jefferson died," and abraham didn't know the date, nor the year. "don't ask me when it was, i ain't sure," the man had had a newspaper clipping, it had been front page, and his folks sensed its important, so kept it with him.