Her frail figure trailed the forest path ahead; she carried herself with what little strength had remained with her and eventually collapsed nearby an oak tree. With shaking hands the weakened woman removed the black coat she wore and peeled its melted remains from her injured skin. She winced and whimpered miserably, tears filled her eyes and washed away the apathy they otherwise reflected. “Ah—argh,” she recoiled and flinched at the sight of her own wounds. Burned flesh covered her right arm in its entirety, the traces of a destructive attack climbed down the side of her body until it reached her thigh, where it ended. The dying vampyre searched for the small flask in her bag and took the last sip of human blood it had to offer. She had completely underestimated the sheer force of light magic and the power it held over the undead—now she paid the price. Seira was lost within the woodlands surrounding Magnolia Town, far away from any source of human blood that could possibly stabilize her condition.

It was day time, and the sun stood still.

I shouldn’t have, she thought and smiled a wry smile. In all this agony she wanted to laugh at her pathetic self and how she had planned out her whole life ever so perfectly only to watch it all fall apart after making the small mistake of underestimating the target. I shouldn’t have done it, I should have waited until nightfall, Seira was painfully aware of the hopelessness of her situation and dreaded the coming hours in which the damage her body had suffered would begin to paralyze it. Thoughts of regret and fear filled her head and she sighed heavily. Seira didn’t want to die. She had never asked for any of the bad things that had happened to her and when life punished her she simply dealt with it—but even so the Sorceress just couldn’t win.

As time continued to pass and Seira’s consciousness began to fade away, the faint sound of footsteps along with a concerned voice kept her awake. The vampyress squinted in confusion. ”You are badly hurt—” a man, who was perhaps in his early thirties, lifted her off the ground. Seira shook her head fiercly and attempted to push him away. ”No,” she said with her usually stern voice and turned her face away. ”You have to leave now, or else I will—” She hesitated to finish her sentence and he interrupted her shortly after. ”You will die!” Her chest tightened, she clenched her teeth. Her heartbeat quickened, and indescribable hunger overcame her.

He was right. She would die.
And then the starving vampyress made a decision.

”Forgive me, Seira begged as her gaze found his. He had kind eyes, she could barely watch. ”Forgive me, but I haven’t lived yet. There is more waiting for me in this world—there has to be!”

She snapped his neck before he could respond and sobbed when his lifeless body fell onto hers. The vampyress dug her fangs into his neck and drank his blood until there was nothing left of it. Seira’s strength returned with every drop and her skin slowly regenerated—she was healing. By the time she finished most of her wounds had improved significantly; human blood had numbed the pain and she was going to recover completely.

Once her mind cleared up she became fully aware of what she had done.

”Oh no,” she whispered and tears fell from her eyes, ”no, no, no, no, no,” unable to get a grasp of the situation, the distraught woman dragged  the corpse away from the tree and, in sheer desperation, began burying it with bare hands until her fingers bled. ”I’m sorry,” she repeated, over and over again, ”I’m so fucking sorry,” but her efforts were in vain—he couldn’t hear her anymore.

The forest outside Magnolia was one of impressive size and mystique. There were supposedly all manner of life and mystery within their confines. It had been these rumors that kept bringing Finn out into them every day, regardless of whether or not Jake wished to join him. The idea of making a discovery of any type that would lead into a grand adventure excited him enough to bring him back time and time again. His searches had not yet bore any fruit, but that was not to say that they would continue to leave him without excitement.

Finn's white hood hung around his neck, exposing his blond hair to the elements. As it was tugged and tossed to the side, being caught upon every breeze and gust of wind that wound its way through the woods, he continued to push through the overgrowth. His sword was strapped firmly on his back, a green backpack filled with supplies joining it. His blue shirt and shorts were freshly clean, and he couldn't help but wonder if that was what kept the creatures away. His smell was that of human society, clean and maintained. It contrasted the nature enough to drive anything with a strong sense of smell away from him.

"Guess that's it then..." His voice came out as a mumble as he knelt down, lifting up a broken twig and dropping it on the ground. There were no fresh trails or anything that might lead him to some sort of grand surprise. It was a relatively normal forest, with normal creatures, none of which posed a threat to Finn. Had this been a waste of his time?

In the distance, echoed between the bark of a thousand trees, there came a snapping sound. It wasn't just a clean snap, potentially a crunching sound along with it. Since he was surrounded by trees, he could only assume that it was a thick branch being rend from its home. Turning to the west, in the direction of the noise, Finn stayed crouched down and slowly lifted his hand to the hilt of his blade. He stayed without moving, continuing to listen for any sort of sound.

For several moments, there was nothing. The wind rustled the leaves and the branches brushed against each other. Finn began moving forward, his body avoiding making any noise when possible. The leaves below him accepted his foot with every step, the crunching they made hardly audible. The moments turned into minutes as he slowly but surely made his way forward, off the beaten trail, looking for the sound.

His movement was slow and arduous, a predator who knew he was within striking distance of his pray. He was no longer in a rush. Things were on his time, he controlled the tempo here. His fingers slowly writhed upon his hilt, maintaining a slight motion so as to not let his muscles dull. He could pull the blade and strike at a moments notice, should whatever made the noise want a preemptive strike.

Coming to a halt, he put his free hand on the side of a tree to steady himself and closed his eyes. He focused on his hearing, willing himself to pick up any sounds that weren't a part of the vegetation. What sounded like a steady rasp came through the air, reaching his ears but not giving away its secrets. His eyebrows furrowed, unable to determine what exactly was making that noise. It could have been whistling from a crevice, but it sounded almost like it was fluctuating. A voice caught on the wind perhaps?

"Hello," his voice called out, loud enough to echo. If whatever was making the noise had been a beast, and the beast was worth its time, it would not be driven away by his words. If there was even the slightest possibility that it was something else other than a creature he had the responsibility to check. "Is anyone there?" His hand had remained on his hilt, but no longer was he grasping it at the ready. His hand was slightly before it, his fingertips outstretched to maintain a gentle contact of his weapon. Whatever made the noise, he was going to get to the bottom of this.

With the sound of another one’s voice echoing through the woods, her own became silent. Seira’s ears perked up—the vampyress stopped her every movement and tightly pressed the blood stained lips together. No, she thought and anxiety tainted her beautiful face until it lost its shine. ”This can’t be,” she whispered quietly to herself; the words of disbelief matched her shocked expression. Perhaps this area wasn’t as abandoned and far off from civilization as she had formerly assumed. I can’t be seen like this, her desire to keep her identity as a vampyre a secret remained strong, especially after the sacrifice she had to make in order to survive. The man’s corpse was well hidden underneath dirt and leaves—if only she could lure whoever was out there far away from it, she could keep it from being discovered to soon.

Seira’s body tensed up when the stranger’s voice called out again and this time she was actually able to make out the words. Without a doubt another male, most likely someone who was not as careless as his predecessor, had arrived. She could hear him speak, but not move and pointing out the direction from where it was coming from was difficult for her—at least in Seira’s current state. Furthermore, the poor girl looked like a hot mess; her clothes were torn apart, soaked in blood, she was covered in dirt and amidst all of that only her hair seemed to look somewhat decent. She quickly rubbed her face clean and tried to remove the blood that still clung to her lips and chin, before she tucked a few loose strands of hair behind her ears and slowly stood up.

Calm down. Focus.

Fortunately for her, Seira’s abilities as a vampyre put her above human limitations. She was quick, strong and capable of moving soundlessly—an excellent predator. She peeked around the massive oak tree, but there was no one to be seen. Seira did her best to locate the direction the voice had come from and leaped away in perfect silence, careful to not make any noise while she moved through the thicket with quick steps until she had run almost an entire circle, putting whoever was out there between herself and the dead body. Now that her position was somewhat safe (or so she thought?), the woman began to purposefully create sounds by breaking a branch off a nearby tree and stomping on top of it. ”Who is there?” She called out and got a little shocked at the sound of her own voice and how weak it still was. The vampyre retracted her fangs and took a few cautious steps forward, ”Please don’t attack, I’m injured,” she admitted meekly and hoped for the best. Her searching gaze was wandering around and with nervous fingers she started plucking leaves off the bushes.

The voice called out from behind him, causing an involuntary reaction within the young predator. Spinning on a single heal and sliding his other foot around, using it to become the rear base of his stance, he whipped his sword out and held it at the ready in front of him. He stood defensively, staring in the direction of the voice as it had rang out to him. She not only came from the complete opposite side that he had heard the previous noises from, but she had somehow gotten that close without making a noise. He could only assume that meant she had been as careful as he had been.

And yet as the next words rang out, there was a bit of hesitance in his demeanor. He heard the steps, shuffling along quietly within the leaves. Slowly but surely he could make out the image of a woman being birthed from the foliage, and he couldn't help but wonder whether or not he should do anything at all. Against his better judgement he fought away the will of a predator and instead was thinking like a member of Blue Pegasus.

The noise I heard must have been whatever it was that injured her... I was so focused on tracking it that I allowed myself to let my guard down... He couldn't know how wrong he was, but in his mind it made some sense. Dropping his blade down to his side, but still keeping it firmly within his grasp, he took his first cautious steps towards her. "You're alright now," he started, taking a few more steps so he could get an angle to see her better.

Her clothes were torn and there was evidence of blood on her clothing. Whether or not that came from her or people who she had been with he could only guess. Regardless, it temporarily restricted any suspicions he had of her as his eyes widened. Beginning to move forward a little quicker, his eyes scanned the surroundings behind her as he spoke. "You're safe now, lets get you out of these woods." The distance between them was short now. Short enough that a couple of steps would put her within arms reach. "I'm Finn Mertins, and I'll be taking care of you now. Where are you hurt?" Let it never be said that Finn didn't know how to be gentle.

She inhaled the midsummer air and gasped as it took her breath away. Leaves fluttered joyfully in the evening breeze, and it carried his scent all along its way. Strangely exciting, sweet & spicy and—ironically—with a hint of danger; the taste was difficult to describe, but quite enjoyable nonetheless. Every human was different, not necessarily equal in her eyes but a life’s worth was ever-changing and the perspective was never the same. Seira’s awareness had been altered with her transition into something undead, but instead of arrogance she felt appreciation towards those who still had to age. When he stepped into the light and she saw his image, the vampyre was reminded of those feelings.

He was young and while his expression was soft, his features were not. Taller than her—but that was no surprise. Something about him, however, felt foreign, his reaction differed greatly from the person she had met earlier and even though she had never thought of considering him ‘prey’ to begin with, Seira promptly realized that he was far from that and much more like herself, albeit in another way. Similarities could be comforting and terrifying all the same and when he rose his sword as an immediate reaction to her appearance, Seira took a step backwards and lifted her hands up in front of her body in a defensive manner.

”Ah, please don’t do that,” she pleaded and gave him a sheepish smile. They gazed at one another, curiously and cautiously, until he put his weapon down and moved closer towards her, this time in a much more amicable way. Seira—who was still cowed by his blade—took a step backwards, and then another one but eventually stopped in her tracks when he spoke again.  


And just like that, with nothing but a few words, he suddenly became the most trustworthy person in this world to her—at least in these moments. Seira exhaled the breath she had been holding for a while now and approached him slowly and with care. ”You found me,” she began and sighed heavily, ”Thank you, Finn,” her words held genuine gratitude and she wanted nothing more than for him to take her out of these god forsaken woods and return her to Magnolia safe and sound, where she could rest and recover.

”My name is Seira, I was attacked while I was delivering.. something to someone and, well, I’m hurt everywhere,” she forced a smile, even chuckled at her own words and shook her head ever so slightly. Strands of purple hair bounced around her face and she was almost a little proud of herself for handling the dramatic change of situation so well. ”I’ll be fine as long as I get out of this forest anytime soon, could you perhaps lead me back to Magnolia Town?” It only took a second for her eyes to find his.

Finn, she thought with a smile, what a weird name.

"You found me."

Finn paused for a moment, his eyes widening in a bit of surprise. Whether or not his reaction had been due to something he picked up consciously was anyone's guess, but he couldn't put something like that into words. It was something he hadn't truly experienced before. A slight flutter in his heart from those words that seemed so straight forward, anyone could have said them. It was the way she said it that caught him off guard. The sort of breathless gasp, as if she was more happy to see this stranger than she had been for anything else. It wasn't a reception he'd ever gotten before, and he wasn't entirely sure of how to react to it.

"Seira..." He mumbled the name, feeling the two syllables roll from his mouth. It was a nice name. He glanced behind her again and then behind himself. Something about this situation didn't feel right, but he couldn't figure out exactly what it was. Slowly he lifted his blade and eased it back into its resting position on his back. His guard had been lowered, but certainly not dropped. The situation reeked of hidden truths, but it wouldn't do him any good to delve into it.

"These woods can be dangerous, I'm just glad I found you when I did," he said as he took a couple strides forward, kneeling down and holding his hand out. "May I?" As he asked, he reached out and gently took her arm in his, tilting it and analyzing it for any damage. She was dirty, dry blood from further up her body. He couldn't tell if it was her own or someone she was with, but what she had said seemed true.

Standing tall, he looked at her with genuine concern on his face. "Are your injuries bad? Can you stand to walk back to town?" He hadn't fully accepted her story, but it was obvious that something had definitely happened here. Besides, the feeling he was getting from this location didn't sit right with him. They had to get out of there fast, and he wasn't just going to leave her alone.

”I’m a wanderer,” Seira spoke softly, ”I rarely lose control of the situation like I did today,” for merely a moment the woman’s embarrassment became very obvious through her words, but also her expression as she turned her face away when she explained herself. Seira flinched slightly when Finn’s hand touched her skin and for a second she was tempted to pull back her arm—but she didn’t. It had been years since the last time she had physical contact with another person and even though this was perhaps nothing to lose sleep over, Seira still thought of this as sharing an intimate moment with someone. “Yes, I can still walk,” the vampyre responded to his words and watched with curious eyes as he tilted her arm around and inspected it for injuries.

This is how humans interact with each other, she thought to herself. It’s perfectly normal, return the favor. Seira grew up as the daughter of a wealthy family where she learned manners and the rules of etiquette, but most of that had gone lost over the years and although she never abandoned society as a whole and still spent plenty of time in the cities of the country, she had not spoken or met anyone on a personal level in nearly a decade.

Carefully, ensuring that her movements were slow enough for him to follow, the vampyre shoved up the sleeve of his hoodie. ”Hm,” she finally stated, as if that would explain anything. ”You spent a lot of time outside, don’t you?” His skin colour was uneven—but it was barely noticeable—and his hands felt coarse on her much smoother skin. Seira came to the conclusion that he had probably spent a lot of time training with his sword.

”I think we should leave now, the sun will go down in a few hours,” and she would recover by then. Seira rose to her feet and began dusting herself down. Needless to say, the woman was still completely clueless in regards to their location and required his assistance. Her fingertips poked the palm of his hand gently, almost as if she was asking for him to make the first step ahead, so that she could follow. ”Lead me, Finn.”

It had been a peculiar thing that the side of her body with the most blood seemed to have saved her further most appendage from any major damage. There were cuts and scratches, but nothing that seemed to match up with the immense damage she had taken. His eyelids narrowed as he pondered what it could have been as she spoke to him. He had let go of her arm and gone to move back when she completely caught him off guard.

She had reached forward, grasping hold of his wrist and pulling it at an angle for her to see as she dragged his sleeve up his arm. As she inspected his arm with a 'Hm', he couldn't help but tilt his head in confusion. Was she... Returning the favor right now? "As much as I can," he finally had answered with a bark of a laugh. She was weird, but he liked it.

"You're probably right, lets get going," he said as he rolled down his sleeve. Turning so that he could lead the way, he began to go through the woods in the direction of the town. As he walked, regardless of if she was behind him or beside him, his attention shifted to the hand in which she poked. Folding his hand into something resembling a fist, he began to trail the center of his palm with its own middle finger. Really weird...

As he shot her a quick glance, he decided it would be best to make some small talk. "So you're a wanderer?" It was a rhetorical question, one that he didn't require an answer to. "Where is the most amazing place you have been?" His mind painted her image again, seeing as how he was now looking ahead and therefore not taking in her features. Even as a man who hadn't much experience with women, he knew that she was no ordinary girl.

Her face was of sculpted ivory, with big eyes and high cheek bones. Her nose nestled into her face as if it simply belonged, her lips with a natural pout to them that begged attention. Her hair framed her face, and was still long enough to frame her curvaceous body. She was beautiful by every definition, and the only thing he was left to wonder is why he was noticing it so much now. Certainly he'd come across other people in the past who could be argued as being pretty, and yet this woman was absolutely beautiful.

Thank Glob that Jake isn't here...

Finn Mertins walked through the deciduous forest effortlessly. His tireless and upright posture indicated that his stamina exceeded hers and the vampyre trailed behind, if only for a few steps. She paced, her feet sunk into the undergrowth and produced, compared to his, nearly no sound. Seira reminded herself often to subconsciously create noise, but every step she made was soft and unintentionally quiet—especially for an alleged human. Finn could not see the smug smile drawn across her pretty face whenever the leaves rustled and she scurried around a particularly large piece of wood, almost carelessly bouncing after her companion.

Every now and then, however, her eyes together with her mind got a little lost.

He had golden hair—not just blonde or any dull variation of said color—it was like glistening, fluid gold. Seira was envious, but the envy was only meant to distract her. Somewhere in between the tips of his hair and the collar to his sweater his neck remained unprotected and Seira was mesmerized by that small bit of naked skin for more reasons than just one. Sometimes she noticed herself staring shamelessly, and only pulled her eyes away when he rose his voice and spoke to her. The vampyre was overcome by guilt (even though hadn’t noticed her yet!) and exhaled a sigh before responding casually to his question.

”Worth Woodsea,” although he had ‘kind of’ caught her off-guard, Seira wasn’t sleeping and her answer followed almost immediately. ”Strange and mysterious—not necessarily a safe place either—but beautiful beyond comparison. There is so much to discover, but it requires time and preparation before every visit, at least for me.” she said and began picking the leaves off the bushes again. The woman had only visited the Worth Woodsea twice during her lifetime, both were several years ago, but the memories of her experiences remained vivid. ”Did you know that there are herbs that cannot be found anywhere else in the world?” It was an innocent remark and perhaps it gave away how helpless Seira was in regards to small talk, but she was glad that he decided to speak to her at all.

Moments later the vampyre was falling behind again. She was scanning the forest floor for potentially hidden treasures and desperately tried to hide the skittish behavior she had succumbed to after suffering from the earlier events of the day. She was oddly energetic for someone who was injured; Seira had never consumed more human blood in a single session than today and her body was still adjusting. None of this even considered her emotional confusion and she had not forgotten about the man’s body, which was now far behind and every so often she glanced over her own shoulder and peered into the dense woodland.

Seira finally made an interesting enough discovery and stopped in her tracks. Without saying a word the woman kneeled down and harvested some of the plants she had spotted and noticed a little too late that the gap between herself and Finn was getting bigger and bigger. ”Oh,” she whispered in surprise and, without thinking, closed the distance between them with a quick and perfectly soundless dash. She appeared by his side seemingly out of nowhere, her arm brushed against his and Seira—who was still holding on to her precious herbs—smiled diffidently at the young man. ”Look, I found some scotch marigolds. I can make these into a compress for my burns.”

As she said the name of the woods, his eyes sparked to life. While previously he had been focused purely on what was ahead of them, wanting to ensure that there was no dangers to be seen, he now found himself more enthralled by the woman behind him. Worth Woodsea was his home, where he knew as his starting place. It was where he and Jake had grown up with one another, and it was where his home with his brother still stood. When was the last time he had been home, even for just a while? Had he gone back at all since joining Blue Pegasus? What if it was in ruins...

The thought seemed to swim through his mind within a single heartbeat, and as she continued on with why she loved the place, he couldn't help but smile. She described his home, but it didn't sound like his home. To him, Worth Woodsea was what could be described as regular. The norm in which he had grown up with, learned, and shaped his life around. It was the familiar feel of being surrounded by trees, and knowing where all the nooks and crannies were. It was the knowledge that even when you discovered something new or found yourself straying into the irregular, you still could somehow know where home was. Hearing where he grew up described from an outsiders perspective felt surreal, but it brought a warm smile to his face. So, he thought, a content sigh escaping through his nose, that's what others see it as?

He could understand where she was coming from. In a way, he found that he could redouble his appreciation for his home when given this new perspective on it. "Herbs and animals," he said, finding himself speaking before his mind had caught up to what he wished to say. "The plants there are pretty special. A lot of good medical supplies, and some that are just plain cool." As an adventurer who lived away from civilization for most of his life, he couldn't exactly go to the market and buy potions. Learning of many of the plants from his home was just a part of life, a necessity to survival.

The human mind was a fickle thing. He had been suspicious of her since they first met. Maybe not a suspicion that was deep seeded and threatened to distill violence or paranoia, but a disbelief of her words. Something seemed off, and somehow the story she gave didn't feel full. Call it intuition, call it disbelief, whatever it was just caused things to feel as if they didn't line up. Now that she spoke so genuinely of something though, and his home at that, everything about her seemed more genuine. Perhaps, in hindsight, he'd be able to pick out the difference between her heartfelt responses and the ones that were obviously speckled with deceptive intent. For now, though, everything she had told him now felt much more true.

As the silence grew between them, he felt an urge now to get to know this girl better. As he began to turn to say something, his vision was filled with the sight of her hair as she bumped into his arm. The motion that would have been innocent and simple before now made Finn react on instinct. In his mind, he just bumped an injured person whom he volunteered to protect. Regardless of the fact that it was by no means rough, it was still something that could potentially cause problems for a woman obviously injured.

Reaching out and grabbing her real quick to stabilize her, regardless of whether or not she was actually stumbling, he found his hand wrapped around her waist. The immediate realization of how close she was caught him off guard. He'd been close to people before, but had he ever realized it like this before? Looking down as she looked up at him, he heard what she said as he thought. Her eyes are so big.

"Yeah, that should work great. I think there's some aloe vera growing near the edge of the woods leading back to town." His cheeks had flushed a light pink, and once he responded he quickly released her waist and looked away, masking his embarrassment with the need to look ahead. "Should uh... Should we get going?"

There was nothing—not a trace of malicious intent in his act. Finn’s movement was natural and Seira’s reaction unintentionally fluid; her body responded without the need of a command. Life was ironic, beautiful and unforgiving. She realized that, but hardly understood what it meant until now. Solitude was needed to appreciate the presence of another person; the eerie feeling of warmth overtaking her numbed her senses and made her feel weak.

The walls she’d built up throughout years of isolation—willfully—crumbled down and her fear of connection melted away with a single, well-intended touch. Finn’s hand felt warm on her waist and when her eyes found his something inside the vampyre shattered. She nearly dropped the flowers, and as her lips began to separate Seira held her breath and listened instead. She could hear his heart beating.

I don’t want to be alone anymore.

Seira swallowed the words she wanted to say and quietly stood there. For a moment she allowed her head to rest against his chest and there it was—perfectly clear and healthy. Soft, regular throbbing. The woman sighed and politely stepped away when he did. It was only now that she noticed the herbs in her hands had been squeezed a little too hard and she awkwardly fiddled around, trying to fix the mess as best as she could so they wouldn’t stick to either her or his clothing. She busied herself with that and relaxed the moment she saw him turning his face away from her. ”Yes, it’s getting dark soon.”

She hated having to admit to herself that maybe she didn’t want to be alone anymore. That perhaps the company of another person could make her happy and that there was pleasure in companionship. Fate had chosen a different path for her and becoming a vampyre was something she had never considered a possibility—and yet, here she was.

Finn was merely a stranger, an unknown figure with seemingly no meaning whatsoever, but the impact he’s had on her life was already immense. The woman thought that vampyrism made her stronger (and physically speaking it did) but in spite of everything, she still dependent on someone else to safe her. A human sacrifice or a kindred soul to guide her through the daylight—it didn’t matter. He was here when she needed him to be and for that she would be forever grateful.

”How much longer until we arrive?”

His hand on her waist hat been an accidental thing, something whose severity he had not realized until moments later. Likewise, he had not taken heed of her body language at the time either. These responses she made to his actions and his touch raced into his mind only after the entirety of the exchange had finished. As ignorant to things as he may be, he still noticed the weight of her head on his chest. The leaning of her body into his. The feeling of the flower being the only thing that kept them separate.

It was funny. Had another person always felt so heavy? It wasn't physical weight of course, he could still probably lift her up with a single arm. It was a weight he couldn't describe. If he hadn't stepped away, he wouldn't have been able to lift her off. It caused a throbbing in his chest, the feeling of his heart beating much too fast and his stomach feeling much too knotted. He had spoken to rip the subject away, but his lips moved without his thoughts supporting them. His mind was dancing on the actions, replaying them time and time again. It wasn't due to him wanting to think about it necessarily; He didn't know what to think. The whole thing was new to him, and yet he felt he knew it.

"We're actually here," he started, glancing over to her with a smile. As he stepped forward and pushed aside branches and leaves, there was now only a thin clearing that led to the outskirts of town. The sun kissed the earth now, halfway down the horizon. The sky burned orange and red as the furthest points from the sun were lapped with purple. They had made it just in time.

As they began to step from the area, he stopped and looked back into the woods real quick. His face was in her direction, allowing her the chance to see an excited smile if she had taken the chance. "Wait here for just a second!" With that, he turned and leaped back into the woods, pushing into darkness. Only a few moments went by before the young adventurer made his way back to her, a smile on his face and the smallest of cuts having formed on his cheek. In his rush, he hadn't properly moved the branches from his way. With his speed and the branches ability to bend rather than break, it dragging upon his cheek was enough to draw the tiniest beads of blood.

"Uhm... Do you mind?" He realized that he had already touched her a few times, so he hoped that this didn't bother her. His heart was exploding in his chest, and most of the sound he could hear was only the rushing of his own blood. He could have done this same action a hundred times with not a second thought, falling into lore that his mother told him. Instead he now felt like he was taking the biggest risk of his life.

Brushing her hair on her left side behind her ear and sliding stark white flower behind it. The pedals looked to be in mid bloom, and a smile was on his face. Anyone who could focus in would see a bit of panic in his body language, counteracted only by the comforted gaze upon his face. "I don't think I know as much about plants as you, but this flower is called the Beauty Under the Moon. My mom use to tell love these things, she grew them around the house and well..." Looking from the flower to her eyes, he let out a nervous laugh. "I thought it suited you."

With that, he looked past her and to the town. His face was blood red, but the sky showed no more remnants of such colors. Purple, blue, and black covered it like a blanket, tiny specks of light beginning to birth in the darkness. "So uhm... If you don't have anywhere to go, would you like to go to the nearby Adventurers Inn?" His words were slightly rushed, as if he wasn't too confident in what he was saying. Luckily, that seemed to be the hard part for him. What came next was with a bit more confidence, complimented by a smile. "They should still be serving food and drinks, and they'll definitely have some medicine to help with your injuries."

Seira’s facial features softened and she closed her eyes for a moment, allowing herself to settle into the sudden change of situations. With every disappearing ray of light the vampyre felt strength return to her weakened body and she knew that nightfall was approaching. She felt relieved, but also overcome by exhaustion. The sudden bursts of adrenaline, all caused by a mere mortal, had led the woman to forget about the wounds on her body and her mind suppressed every thought that wasn’t dedicated to Finn. He was a lovely distraction, and she wouldn’t mind forgetting about every bad thing she’d been through for as long as she was with him. When she blocked him out all of that returned at once.

His voice brought her back; she opened her eyes and was met with a kind smile, followed by the words she had been eager to hear ever since they had started their little journey. ”Thank goodness,” Seira whispered and gazed into the far distance. ”The sun is already setting,” she sounded more hopeful than ever, understandably so, since the difference in strength varied greatly for a vampyre depending on the time of the day and the sunlight slowly dying away only added to her already improving mood. Seira could see the outskirts of Magnolia Town and they would, without a doubt, arrive very soon.

Finn, however, had other plans and when the young man disappeared into the woods Seira stood around dumbfounded, waiting for his return. She didn’t have it in her to leave him behind, even though she no longer dependent on his help. He came back shortly after and to say that the woman wasn’t prepared for what was going to happen next was a complete and utter understatement. ”No, I don’t mind it at all.”

Seira stood perfectly still; she felt content when his fingers brushed against her skin and no longer experienced the need to shy away from his touch. The flower he’d picked out for her was beautiful and it took a while for her to realize what he was saying. Finn’s demeanor seemed to have changed and he was nervous now. Words helplessly stumbled out of his mouth and his gestures were hectic as opposed to the calm and cold posture he used to carry himself with. ”Thank you,” she said with a smile on her lips and although Seira wasn’t that ignorant, it still took the girl a while to fully understand what he’d said.

”..you think I’m beautiful?”

A breathless silence ensued and all the while Seira’s skintone slowly began to match his. Finn’s words made the poor girl blush with shame and embarrassment and she dropped all the silly flowers she’d carried with her up until now so she could bury her face in her hands instead. ”Thank you..again,” she muttered under her breath and didn’t flinch until Finn spoke again. Seira was by no means an ordinary girl, but she wasn’t completely oblivious to the feelings of her heart either and Finn (may the gods have mercy on his soul) sure as hell made hers flutter. It took her a moment or two, but she pulled herself together and bravely rose her little head up to look at him. ”Yes, I would love to go with y—”

And then the wind changed its direction.

Warm and cozy, the evening breeze blew into her face and tickled her skin—a sensation that could have been comforting if  the air didn’t carry the scent of his blood along with it. Seira’s eyes widened in surprise and she froze, unable to finish her sentence. What felt like forever merely lasted a few seconds, but it took her everything to break away from it. She turned her back on him and fiddled around with the tips of her hair while trying to subdue the desire to bare her fangs.

He smelled awfully delicious.

”I’m sorry,” Seira began and shook her head ever so slightly, “I spent a lot of time in the woods, I have to stop by somewhere else first. We could meet by the inn in an hour or two, if you don’t mind?” Her voice was shaking, but she hoped he wouldn’t notice. She needed to get out of here but stubborn as she could be, Seira didn’t want to let go of this encounter yet. 1-2 hours, she thought to herself, 1-2 hours is all I need to fix myself and then I can have a normal conversation with this man and express my gratitude.

”By the way, you should get that cut on your cheek treated. It looks pretty bad.” If he had nothing else to say she’d quickly disappear into the night and basically make a run for it until she arrived at her hotel where she could collect herself and put the stranded pieces back together.

— timeskip!

The very act of his fingers brushing against her cheek made the entire situation feel more intimate than he had been prepared for. It was part of what made him so embarrassed, and apparently part of what made her get caught up in the same moment as he had been. The blood rushed to her cheeks as if to contend with his own appearance. Her words of thanks had quickly been overcome by her words of shock, and her hands had released the flower she held as if to cover the tracks of her embarrassment. Something about the situation put a fire inside of Finn, one that made him feel like everything was going okay.

"Well yeah, it's not even a question..." His voice trailed in barely a mumble as she thanked him for a second time, their words seeming to clash in mid air and yet there was no attempt to avert them. They were both in a painfully awkward state of tension, one that he had broken with his invite and she seemed to welcome gratefully.

”Yes, I would love to go with y—”

Her words were cut off, caught by her own tongue and stopped in their tracks. The look on her face showed concern, conflict racing in her mind by whatever thought had come to her head. From an outsiders perspective it was a woman who remembered something urgent, or perhaps merely realized something that made her have to rethink her answer. It would not necessarily equate to a positive nor a negative thing, but that was only from the view of someone who could see the situation clearly.

For Finn, it was like the first blow had been landed to him. His stomach, once elevated with the wings of butterflies, felt like it plummeted below what should be possible. What had been his first real shot at pursuing the fuzzy feeling of affection had begun to turn into what appeared to be his first taste of rejection. It was a bitter thing, something that made his eyes wide and his jaw clench. For the briefest of moments he consciously realized how he was reacting and was caught off guard.

Why am I acting this way? She doesn't know me.
I don't know her. She can do whatever she wants.

His mind attempted to sooth his soul. With a little bit of preparation, he'd be ready for whatever she would say next. "I'm sorry," she said, her head shaking in denial. He couldn't describe the feeling that he currently was bathed in. To call it heartbreak would be a melodramatic overstatement. To call it disappointment wouldn't begin to breach the surface. It was the feeling of when you reached the point of a climb in which there was no return, and you felt the ladder begin to fall backwards.

It was dread that consumed him, anxiety that attacked him, and confusion that gripped him. It was not heartbreak; It was his first tasted of what it was like to develop a crush.

As she continued, his mind was ripped from its trance of overreaction and misunderstanding. As she suggested the idea, he suddenly felt another burning sensation in his cheeks. A sort of embarrassment for how wild he had let his mind run only to have it turn into a case of misunderstanding. She had not completely turned him down.

Still another part of him made a mental note of what he was hearing. Her words had a clear message, and yet it wasn't so certain that they were confident in themselves. Shaking as they protruded her lips, a more aware version of himself would have immediately caught onto the discomfort. As it was now though, he could only hope that hindsight would be his friend. "Yeah! Uhm... Yes" His attempt to cover his relief and enthusiasm was pathetic at best. "I'll be on one of the benches out front."

As he said that, she mentioned the cut on his cheek. As she turned and began to hurry away, a hand rose to his cheek and pulled away. A thin sliver of blood, not at all serious. Staring at his now stained fingertips, a smile kissed his lips. "She's... Nice."

-Ten Minutes Later-

"What the Glob did you just say!" His paws were on Finn's cheeks, smooshing them inwards to cause minor distortion of Finn's mouth. "Jayke, cyut it ouht" Attempting to talk while having his face messed with turned out to be more difficult than he thought it was, and so he pulled back and swiped his brothers arms out of his face. His heard had mostly calmed down, though there were still feathers in his abdomen. His cheeks had tinted red, betraying his words to Jake.

"So let me get this straight..." Jake started, sitting down on the chair across from the bed and punching the bridge of his nose with an overly flexible paw. "You met a girl in the woods and brought her back, right?" Finn nodded. "And you thought she was beautiful?" "Come on man-" "This is serious! Answer the question, Finn."

Hesitation gripped him, his face turning a deeper shade of scarlet. "Yeah man. Her eyes were so big and she had this kind smile, and she was... Nice. You know?" Jake leaned back, a "Ooooooo" escaping his lips as if he had just heard the juiciest of secrets. "Okay okay... So you invited her to the bar and that's when she said no?" This was the culmination of the story as Finn had told it.

At that point, Finn sighed and took on the look of a man defeated. "No, she said yes at first I think. But then... I don't know, she looked like she remembered something I think? Then she said she couldn't." Jake crossed his arms and nodded with sage-like understanding. "The goalie kept you from scoring, huh?" Confusion crept itself onto Finn's face, met only with a shrug and "It's complicated."

"Look Finn, sounds to me like you've been bit by the love bug." As Finn panicked, holding his arms and legs out in front of him while searching for a bump, Jake shook his head. "No no no. You have a crush, dude. You liiiiike her." A loud sigh escaped his lips, throwing himself backwards and flinging his arms out to the side.

"Knock it off man." "I'm serious! Think about it, you thought she was beautiful right? And nice?" A grumbled agreement barely made its way to the dogs ears. "And she gave you wigglies in your tummy, right?" Moving a hand sheepishly to his stomach, Finn tried to apply reason to the situation. "I mean... I've seen other people I thought were pretty. And I've felt that feeling in my tummy before..."

Sighing, Jake retook control of the conversation. "Did you feel like your heart was gonna explode?" Silence. "Were you super disappointed when she said she couldn't stay with you?" Silence. "Then you've got a crush dude."

A defeated grunt escaped Finn's lips once more, raising his feet up to the bed and thus angling his legs so that his knees were into the air, running both his hands through his hair. "I didn't ask for this. My stomach feels all wild and my chest feels all tight." Jake laughed and walked over, jumping on the bed and laying down next to Finn, looking at his face.

"Hey man, it's part of life. Everyone goes through it. Mom and dad did. I did. It's a thing with growing up. Your heart gets all lonelike and wants to find a friend forever, so you start feeling this way about special people. Don't fight it bro." Finn was confused, unsure of what to do or say.

"What do I do now then?"

"Just let it go for now man. Don't think about it. You'll see her again someday!"

"In an hour or two."

Voice dropping down an octave, pointing his paw at Finn as if were a finger, a single brow arched over the dogs eye. "Whatchu just say?"

"Yeah, she's going to meet me here in an hour or two. She told me to clean up my cut and stuff too..."

Silence.



"Ohhh my Glob. Oh my Glob. OH MY GLOB. FINN IS BECOMING A MAN!" His voice held panic and shock, but all the same he jumped onto Finn and gave his brother a hug. "What the heck are you d-" Covering his mouth with a paw, Jake shook his head. "You don't have to speak. Just listen. Jakie here is gonna help you get ready. You just be you, and let me be me, and then you'll be all ready. Okay?"

And with that, Jake began to force Finn to prepare.

Finn’s smile turned sour and Seira saw the crack in his façade—he was hurt. ”Don’t look at me like that,” she chuckled and nudged him ever so slightly, ”I’ll see you soon, I promise.” The woman disappeared from his sight and quietly snuck through the streets of Magnolia Town. Her destination was ‘home’ and upon arrival she closed the door shut, sealed the lock and fell onto the bed. Seira could hear her own heart pounding fast, blood was rushing through her veins and she found it hard to breathe. I’m so stupid, she thought to herself and pressed her small hands against her aching stomach in a desperate attempt to ease the pain.

Seira Navillera was a mess.

Haunted by guilt and strange, foreign feelings of affection, butterflies were eating away her insides and she felt physically sick. I killed someone. The woman dreaded those memories, but it was impossible for her to erase them. Finn was no longer present and as ridiculous as it was, his companionship had kept her sane for the time being. Now that they were separated Seira felt the weight of the world on her shoulders and it was crushing her. Death was a natural occurrence, but she had yet to understand that. She wanted to cry and blame herself but thoughts revolving around a very particular blonde kept her mind occupied with other things.

Seira took the flower and inspected it with dreamy eyes. It’s really pretty, remembering his compliments brought a shy smile to her face. It was silly and there were a hundred other things she should be worrying about, but the vampyre chose to focus on the good that had happened to her instead. Seira’s entire appearance was a disaster and the woman prepared herself a blood bag to snack on while she decided to take a bath and pretty herself up. It took her a good 1,5 hours to finish the entire ordeal, but as the former daughter of a rich household she could not help but to be a little princess-like when it came to her appearance.

Seira treated her injuries and bandaged the wounds until they were hidden under a thick layer of white cloth. She decided to wear a black dress with long sleeves and a black coat over it to mask as much of her skin as possible. Her face, fortunately, remained unharmed and after finishing up the blood bag her complexion, albeit still pale, looked a little healthier and fresher. Finn’s flower adorned her hair, which she wore open now and eventually she decided that it was time to leave.

When she arrived at the inn Finn was already there. She thought it would be a great idea to sneak up on him from behind and cover his eyes with her hands—so she did. ”Hey,” her voice was softer now and compared to hours before Seira seemed much more in touch with herself. ”Sorry it took so long, I had kind of a rough day after all. Fixing myself took a while, but I guess I made it.” She followed up with a nervous laugh and glanced over to the inn. She wasn’t exactly hungry or thirsty anymore, but for the sake of pretending to be human she would play along.

"I'm already a man!"

His words were confused and defiant as Jake pushed him to his feet and towards the bathroom. "Yeah, but now you're becoming fully a man. I didn't think this day would come so fast..." As Finn was pushed into the bathroom, a genuine look of confusion on his face, he glanced back just in time to see the door slam shut. Trying the handle, an aspirated sigh escaped his lips.

"Come on Jake, open the door." "Nuh-uh, no way. You shower and clean yourself up real nice!" Trying the handle a few more times, it seemed that he'd have to admit defeat. It wasn't as if he had planned on going without cleaning himself up or anything, but he certainly didn't want to have to feel as if he were being rushed. Undressing quickly, Finn turned to the mirror once all his clothes were removed to look at his cheek. Turning to see it at different angles, he shrugged. She had made it sound so much worse than what it was, but that was almost sweet now that he thought about it.

Stepping into the shower, he made quick work of the dirt and sweat that had accumulated and began drying off. Wrapping the towel around his waist, and grabbing another smaller towel from within an oaken cabinet, he stepped out of the now non-blockaded door. Using the smaller cloth to pat his hair, Finn looked around. "Jake? Jaaake?" Walking up to the bed, Finn looked down. Laid before him were the clothes he hated to wear, the ones which made him feel as if he were completely stuffed up.

The trousers were a nice pair of khakis that were more of a dark beige. The shirt was a button up polo, blue to match his normal taste for clothing. The socks and shoes were even a step up from the norm, falling just short from formal wear. Rolling his eyes, Finn walked right by the bed and to the nearest dresser, pulling it open to grab some clothes. Instead, he found a note within.

Dear Finn,
Chances are, you saw the clothes I laid out for you,
then decided they were nuts and wanted to wear your normal clothes. By now, you've realized that they're no longer here.
I'm sorry bro, but you know how I get with romance and suspense.
I just couldn't let you mess things up for yourself!
Dress nice, be yourself, and remember to woo her.

P.S. I ate your sandwich in the fridge.

By the end of the letter, Finn's embarrassment had mounted to the point where he didn't address any of the nonessential parts of the letter. Romance? What did Jake mean by that? It's nothing like that, he thought to himself. Regardless of whether or not it was true, it seemed he wouldn't be able to wrap his mind around that as an idea. In order to distract himself, he crumpled up the note and tossed it onto the bed. All there was left to do was get dressed, it seemed.

Later

Finn had made it outside, sitting himself on a bench where he found himself feeling wound up. His fingers kept interlocking, then breaking apart from each other. His eyes found themselves tracing patterns in the stars, always making their way back to the moon. The nervous ticks turned into ways to manage his attention, and soon he found himself starting to relax. His hands pulled apart again, finding themselves around the back of the bench he was sitting on. His position got a bit more relaxed, one leg crossing over the other to rest his calf on his other knee. The tracing of the stars gave way, and now he was just starting at the moon. It was beautiful, its stark contrast against the late night sky a sight to behold.

"Hey."

The voice catapulted his consciousness back to reality, and he found his gaze matching up with hers. She continued on, explaining that why it took so long. "You look incredible,", breathless as his voice picked up the second that hers had cut off. Standing, his cheeks tinting themselves pink as they had many times around her already, he offered a meek smile. For a moment, just a moment, he let himself fall into temptation. He stared at her, taking in her appearance and nothing else.

Her skin was mostly covered by the well fitting dress and jacket, but they both fit so well upon her that it didn't matter. Her eyes were big as he remembered them, a gentle lilac color that reflected the stars like the eve of twilight. Her hair was no longer a mess, now framing her face and cascading down her clothes like a waterfall. Her face held color that certainly had been driven away prior, likely due to the fear and stress of the situation she had been in. Catching his breath for only a moment, he found he could only repeat what he already knew.

"You really do look incredible." With that repeated again, his face dared him to make it any redder as he looked beyond her. His cheek had been cleaned up, and though one could see the cut on his skin it showed no blood to be found. "I don't know much of Magnolia to be honest, so I don't know where all is open." His voice cut through the silence that he honestly could have basked in for hour without care. "We could walk around, or just hang out at the benches so you can relax for a bit? You must be exhausted after today."

”I have always wondered what crosses your mind when our eyes meet,” sarcasm tinted the vampire’s voice. Seira’s fingers tickled his cheek; she caressed it and took notice of the wound’s improved condition. ”Much better,” pleased that Finn paid attention to her words she seated herself and glanced over the young man. He flattered her with his compliments, but unlike hours ago the woman now had perfect control over her emotions and she decided not to let her newfound feelings towards him cloud her judgement. He was ever so youthful looking and she was very much aware that he was younger than herself—he just had to be. Finn, albeit unintentionally, carried himself with worldly innocence and although his honesty attracted her, his apparent naivety did not.  

”There are quite a few places open during the night,” Seira responded and flashed him a disarming smile, ”but perhaps you aren’t old enough to visit them yet.”

She was cold by nature, there was apathy in her eyes and even the sweetness of her words could not hide the change in her demeanor. Vulnerability allowed him a glance behind the walls, but she put them back up in case he meant harm. She had to be suspicious—even though she wanted to trust him. ”I have yet to thank you for your help,” Seira tucked her hair behind her ear and paused for a long moment.

”I made a mistake in choosing my client and my greed led me into a dangerous situation I could not handle; I was injured and I got lost,” she thought it was best to explain herself a little before continuing with what she had in mind. ”You appeared out of nowhere and I didn’t think a stranger could show me so much kindness. It’s almost scary how natural you made it seem,” Finn was, without a doubt, a good person. Whether or not there was something twisted about his personality was difficult to tell (she hardly knew him after all) but he was certainly not evil.

”For that I will be forever grateful to you,” swiftly, and without hesitation, the girl leaned over and planted a soft, chaste kiss on his cheek. ”Thank you for finding me when you did, Finn.”

This woman seemed so much different than the woman he had met in the woods. She held about her a certain air of confidence and mystique that could pique ones curiosity. She held herself with the confidence of someone whose sense of authority should be respected. It had seemed like any trace of the woman who needed protecting and guidance was gone.

So little time was given to process that change though. As her words escaped her lips and her fingertips caressed his cheek, he felt himself taken ever so slightly back. The usual flare of his cheeks was evident, but so too was the look of surprise on his face. There wasn't a glimpse of negativity to it. He was not apprehensive, but rather intrigued. The woman he met before was certainly not gone, for here she stood. Yet the side of her he had glimpsed, the way he had been permitted to see her, seemed to have been only a part of a much deeper person.

An adventurers delight.

"It's not that," he stated, rubbing the back of his neck and glancing away with an embarrassed chuckle. In Fiore, or perhaps only for guilds, the legal age of nearly all consumption was 18, making him at just the right age. Still, in all his time mingling with society, never once had he been turned away from a location due to his age. Perhaps the law was more of an idea, one that was paid little mind.

As she spoke to him, he found himself gazing in her direction again. Her voice was soft, carrying her feelings across the wind. He gave her the respect of being silent, unwilling to interrupt her for fear of making her pause. She stated what was on her mind, explained what happened before, and even talked about how he had made her feel. Then, without time to breath, the distance between them was gone. The feeling of her lips, soft and sweet, were on his cheek for but a moment. As she spoke after that, his eyes wide in shock, a single hand went up to his cheek.

Diverting his eyes away from her and down into his lap, he sat in silence for just a moment. "You don't have to thank me..." His words were quiet, though not without confidence. They came smoothly, well enunciated despite their sound. "I did it because... You needed help. You were obviously hurt, and obviously scared. You hid it well but... You were scared." His words were coming out still, slow but assured. It was as if he was contemplating each word as he said it, making sure nothing was out of place.

"I think a lot of people consider that nice... And I do too I guess. But it's not like I do it because I want to be nice. I just..." His eyes looked back up, locking with hers. "I do it because that's who I am. I want to help people who I think I can help, and just do what feels right when the time comes. I think that's all anyone does. So when it's done friends, you don't have to worry about being grateful."

With that said, he offered a shy sort of laugh and glanced up at the sky again. "Sorry, I'm all jumbled up recently. Was nice just getting some of it out." With that, he looked back at her and smiled. If she started talking, that would have been nice. If not, he'd be happy with that too.

Regardless of what path she chose, he would let his gaze raise back to the sky. Without thinking, a single arm would go behind the bench. It would not contact her, but it would be essentially the same as him putting an arm around her. With a single comment, he'd attempt to drive them down a path of conversation. "I like your flower... It suits you. A really amazing guy must have given that to you." His voice would be teasing, and unbeknownst to him, it would be his first attempt at flirting.

”That’s admirable,” she murmured. Finn was noble (or so she thought) but what the young man described as natural behavior was a mixture of problematic traits at least in the eyes of the vampire. She had nothing but respect for his visions, but people like himself were hard to catch—and even harder to keep. They would never stop being selfless and their journey would lead them through the world and far away from anyone who dared to ask them to stay. She wondered if he was lonely sometimes and of course being completely unaware of the existence of his companion Seira was left with nothing but assumptions on her end.

”I suppose that means I am not in your debt, am I?” Seira was, by no means, unwilling to grant him a wish or two and of course (for as long as it was something within her power) the woman would gladly do him a favour, since she had grown rather fond of the blonde after all. He had already explained how there was nothing he wanted from her and she could accept that for the time being. Seira crossed her legs and looked up to the moon. It was beautiful, as was the night and she couldn’t think of a better way to spend these moments than right here under the stars.

Finn made a clever comment in regards to the flower and she couldn’t help but smile at his remark. ”You’re right,” she spoke softly, ”he was nothing short of amazing.” The vampire broke away into laughter and shook her head, causing the lilac strands of hair framing her face to gently sway around. ”If you are not from Magnolia Town either, where are you staying? And what brings you here?” she wondered and while it may seem odd, Seira had purposely not asked him where he was from even though that appeared to be the next best thing to do. She was worried he would return a question like that and the vampire wasn’t interested in having to share too much about herself.

Seira had not forgotten about the first impression he left on her and while they were still in those woods, it became blatantly obvious to her how awake and sharp his mind and eyes were; he was difficult to fool and while he was clearly distracted by her beauty now the woman had no guarantee that her charm would distract him forever—or even until the end of the night.

So caught was he in his own words and thoughts that he didn't notice the tone of voice she took. Her comment was hardly audible, but was more than loud enough for him to hear it. Had he been paying more attention, that could have been perhaps the best moment for them to bond on a deeper level. To catch her disappointment, or at least her discomfort in his own words. To notice that what she meant had not been quite what she said, and then reacting accordingly. Instead, he merely pushed on with where he had been going. Oblivious to her feelings on the matter.

As his little monologue reached its end, she laughed along with his comment and decided to get to know him better. She inquired, rather innocently, where it was that he'd been staying, and what had brought him to Magnolia at all. "Oh, I'm staying at a little place called Magtown Inn. It's small, but really nice. Plus it's right across the street from the baths, which is convenient," he said with a laugh. The place he was staying at had a small bath and rinsing area in the room. Such minor accommodations were obviously made with the baths next door in mind, the location being a major tourist attraction as well as a hot spot for locals.

"As for what brought me here..." He trailed off, his mind temporarily looking in upon itself. There wasn't a real answer there, and yet there had been some sort of driving force in his travels. The question then was how to word it. "I guess I'm just traveling to travel. I've got a guild and that's nice, but I don't think I'm particularly close with anyone." As his words trailed off he flashed a smile to her and a laugh. "Not to say they're not friends, they are! Just none who I spend a lot of time with or see often."

Despite the nature of the words, there wasn't much disappointment in his voice. He had spent his whole life with just himself, Jake, and his adoptive family. To feel lonely at this point would be almost laughable. "What about you?" He redirected her questions back at her, as she knew he'd do, and subconsciously angled himself slightly closer to her.

”The bathhouse is a lovely place to unwind, I used to spent a lot of time there. The owner is a captivating person, a little bizarre but well spoken and very well informed, ” the memory of Mrs. Missandra inspired delightful snickers and Seira flashed a smile. There were times in which the vampire had thought about eternal youth and the idea was mesmerizing without a doubt—but if the legends and myths were true, immortality was no longer something she had to concern herself with. Perhaps Bella was a vampire herself, who knew?

Finn’s focus drifted away and while she listened to every word he spoke, the woman gazed into the far distance. Among all the changes her small body had to go through during its transition, unforgiving hunger was the most obvious—and the most difficult one to control. She could go weeks without blood, but starvation weakened her and after a while it became physically visible as well. She was well fed and perfectly happy in these moments, but Seira now saw through the eyes of a predator and the desire to drink never truly disappeared.

A few steps away, submerged into darkness, the vampire’s night vision caught on to a young man, a little drunk and helpless, stumbling through the empty streets. The woman hissed and shook her head, ”It’s not even that late yet,” she murmured and her sight fell onto the bleeding wound on his hand. He was most likely too far away for Finn to see, but Seira completely forgot to consider his humanity when making such a comment.

For no longer than a breath or two, the vampire’s purple orbs turned deep red.

”A guild?” She perked up, blinked a few times and turned his way. That came as a surprise to her and even in spite of his sociable attitude, she had thought of him as more of a rogue. ”I would have never guessed,” she admitted and began searching his skin for any potential emblems or tattoos—all while maintaining a low profile, of course. ”Which guild? I suppose this makes you a wizard, then?” When Seira failed to locate the guild’s emblem she looked up and locked eyes with the young man instead. ”I’m merely a lonesome wanderer, I don’t belong anywhere. Magnolia, however, is one of my favourite cities in the country and when I visit I tend to stay for a while,” she said and smiled a smile that didn’t allow any further questioning.

”Finn, would you like to get something to drink?”

"I think so, too!" His voice contained an upturned beat, positivity laced through his words. The bath was one of the best places to relax, after all. He hadn't been able to speak to the owner of the place, but he assumed that what she was saying would be true. Perhaps that could be one of his plans now that he was here within Magnolia. It wasn't as if talking to new people had ever caused him harm before. Perhaps a discussion with the owner of the bathhouse would turn into a positive experience?

As her hissing voice came, barely audible during his attention had turned away from what she could be saying. Glancing at her as he finished speaking, his eyes widened a bit. What was that?

"A guild?"

She questioned him, drawing his attention away from that particular train of thought. As she began speaking, he listened to each word while his mind combed through the image he just saw. He could have sworn he had just seen her eyes as a deep red color. In fact, he was all but positive that he had. Now it seemed that they had gone back to normal though, which completely confused him. Could people change their eyes? Would there even be a reason to? It was confusing, but not something that he had the time to dwell on.

"Oh, I'm a member of Blue Pegasus," he said with a laugh. Whatever he'd seen must have been a trick of the light. He wouldn't worry about that right now. Why dampen the night by letting himself be distracted by things that may not have even happened, and probably don't even matter? "I'm not a wizard though. I don't have magic or anything!" His words were chipper, and yet they seemed to make little to no sense. Guilds were a world of magic, and yet a man without any magic to his name had somehow made is way into a guild. It was peculiar to say the least.

"I'd love one," he said, standing up and putting his hand down, for her to accept or not. Once he'd help her to her feet, not that she needed it even if she did accept it, they'd begin walking in whatever direction she led them. Walking close enough to her this his arm would brush against hers occasionally, he decided to break the silence. "You don't have to be lonesome all the time, you know." He was looking ahead rather than at her, but only while he searched for what words to use next.

Without much delay, he turned his gaze to her. "I'm always traveling as well, sometimes by myself and sometimes with my brother. If things ever get really lonely, or you ever get into a bind like earlier today, you can call on me. I'll be there, you can count on it." Flashing her a smile, he glanced back ahead. He didn't know if what he said came across as anything, or even if it should have. He only knew that the idea of her being lonely was not an image he wished to keep.

Finn chuckled sweetly; his voice was bright and cheerful and he was, without a doubt, in an upbeat mood. ”You are happy,” she whispered, visibly taken aback by his innocent nature. There was nothing left of the distrust she’d thought to see in his eyes when they met in the woods and in spite of how little time they had spent with one another, he seemed to feel more comfortable around her—a feeling that improved constantly. She wrapped a strand of purple hair around her fingers and avoided his gaze, It’s like he doesn’t have a care in the world, she thought and hid her smile.

Seira slowly drifted off but he caught her attention when revealing the name of his guild, which came as a surprise to the Sorceress. ”Blue Pegasus,” she repeated his words in a matter-of-fact way and turned her face back towards him. It sounded like nonsense but she (nor he) were mistaken and as he continued, Seira’s confusion only grew. ”That doesn’t make any sense,” the woman admitted and listened patiently to his words. She waited until he had finished speaking and when he accepted her offer, the woman took his hand, squeezed it gently and rose to her feet.

”Forgive me if I’m being rude,” she took the lead and didn’t look at him, but instead of simply letting go of his hand she ran her fingers all the way across his lower arm until they reached his wrist and eventually his palm. For merely a second her fingers intertwined with his before she let go of him and focused on what to say next. Seira very much enjoyed these small, physical interactions but was completely oblivious to the fact that this was considered ‘invading’ somebody’s personal space and was (generally speaking) not acceptable—Finn didn’t seem to mind and it became her way of bonding with him through other means than words.

”Blue Pegasus is famous around the country. I’ve heard and read of them many times before. I’m not an expert but guilds were created so sorcerers could benefit from them; I don’t know why a guild would accept someone who isn’t a wizard,” she frowned and tilted her head to the side, ”doesn’t that kind of defeat the point of it being a magician’s guild?” As they talked to each other Seira was heading towards a bar that was nestled in between the streets of Magnolia and more infamous than famous—the atmosphere was dark, but cozy and they’d be able to speak freely. ”You’re nothing but a mere mortal..how does that even work?”

She spoke without considering her words now, and while she meant no harm she completely forgot that they had the potential to sound hurtful or even insulting.

”Oh, I think I know!”

She suddenly stopped in her tracks and turned towards him. ”There has to be something special about you,” she concluded and began inspecting him with eyes and hands. Seira’s aura screamed elegance and sophistication, but even she could be an idiot sometimes, especially when overcome by curiosity. With both of her hands resting on Finn’s shoulder she whispered something about ‘outstanding physique’ and turned his entire body around at once.

”Hm,” she sounded disappointed, ”you didn’t bring your magic sword. I thought maybe it was some sort of extraordinary weapon, but if you didn’t bring it along for your own protection I must have been mistaken.”

She seemed more and more taken aback by his more innocent nature. It was not a negative thing, but rather something that gave him a sense of wonder about her. For her it had likely been the way in which he carried himself catching her off guard and making her feel as if their meeting was surreal. For him, it was the interpretation of her actions as a sign of interest. He had never met someone as interested in him as she seemed to be, and it was something about that behavior that made him want to become closer to her. It felt nice to be wanted, to be looked at as a wonder rather than a monstrosity.

It was not something in which he consciously realized though. Finn was not as attuned to his emotions as one should likely be, and so for him it came in the form of confusion and mystique. It was a question to himself that he kept asking, again and again. What made her drawn to him, even if only in the aspects of friendship? What made his company better than anyone else's she could have gotten that night? And that was with the understanding that she could have grabbed absolutely anyone's attention.

Still, as they began walking, he found himself in the enjoyment of having her touch him. The contact was initiated by her, something else that was rather new to him. Feeling her interlock her fingers in his, as well as pulling him to his feet, made him feel as if he was being brought along for a ride. He had never felt this completely overwhelmed, and that feeling of butterflies that accompanied this endeavor only hoped to solidify his interest. She brought with her completely new feelings, and he could only wander blindly in pursuit of where that took him.

As she pulled her hand away from his he felt a yearning to grasp back for her hands, though he was quickly instead spun around as she inspected and spoke to him. She was obviously confused, though this had not been the first time in which such confusion occurred for exactly that reason.

"Oh, the sword is just a sword," he said with a laugh, unaware of the fact that it had made itself lighter for him than it would feel for others. "I'm just uh... Really strong and really fast." As he thought back, his lips continued to move without realizing the insanity of his words. "I actually joined due to a lost bet. I fought the Guild Master, and the rules for losing were that I had to join. Though I definitely want to try again, because I'm a bit better now than I use to be."

His way of speaking of himself was one of a humble brag, something that seemed as if he were talking himself up had it not been for the straight forward nature of his words. Indeed, what he said was completely true; Minus the fact that his sword had the ability to make itself much lighter for him to use. How was he suppose to know it was a magic sword, though?

Moving forward with their interaction, Finn acted without realizing. Stepping beside her and reaching his hand over, grabbing her hand in hers, a shy chuckle made its way from his lips. "If you hang around me long enough, maybe you'll see something special too?" He didn't realize that what he said was flirtatious, but it could have certainly been taken that way as he interlocked his fingers with hers, looking down at their hands before locking eyes with her.

A shy smile crept upon his face, accenting the red of his cheeks as he glanced ahead then back to her. His eyes searched for her own, hoping to make some sort of connection. "Should we continue?"

”You challenged a guild master,” she gasped, shaking her head in disbelief. ”You should have known better than that, but for as long as you are happy and content with being in a guild I suppose it is something I can forgive,” the vampire sighed. Finn was reckless, careless and apparently also completely oblivious to danger. She recalled some of the things he had said earlier and when he explained his reasons for joining Blue Pegasus, the woman nodded along quietly and eventually decided to mention something in regards to that. ”So, if you are always traveling by yourself, how’s the guild handling all of that? Do you never feel a desire to spend time with your guild mates?” It seemed strange to her, but maybe he was someone who didn’t worry too much and rather just acted out of instinct.

There was nothing in particular that appeared to be outstanding and while Finn was undoubtedly stronger than what his meek appearance and attitude gave away, Seira decided not to think too much about it. He didn’t give her much time to do so either, because as soon as he finished talking his hand found its way into hers and before the girl knew what was happening he was already holding it, gently tugging her along. Is this how it is supposed to be? she wondered, glanced down at their hands and felt her face getting a little hot. Seira turned deep red and she felt the strong urge to cover her blush kissed cheeks and turn away from him. ”Meeting you was already special, I’m not sure if I can take any more than that,” she admitted quietly and began dragging him along instead.

Shortly after they arrived at the place she had been heading for and silently led him inside. There was a table next to the windows she prefered to sit at and after escorting Finn there and (somewhat ungently) nudging him to take a seat, she excused herself and rushed over to the counter. The barkeeper gave her an all knowing look and she quickly denied all accusations before he could even say anything, ”I need something to drink, something strong,” she whispered and carefully slid some money over the table. ”This is the first time you’ve brought company along,” the man pointed out and looked over to Finn. ”He’s still fairly young,” she knew what he was going for, but the vampire merely shook her head and rolled her eyes.

”It’s not like that. Besides, we’ve only just met,” he counted the money and put it away before breaking into laughter, ”Not wasting any time, I see. Take a seat, I’ll get you something.” she hissed at him before turning back around and flashing Finn a smile. Without saying another word to the man she returned to her friend’s side and took a seat. ”Don’t worry, I ordered us something delicious. I’m sure you’ll like it,” she promised and took her coat off since it was rather warm inside. ”Now then.. you mentioned having a brother—is he here in Magnolia with you?”