The Shape Of Things (Lux)

[Jack McCarthy]

Jack would be dead in a month, even with his very limited vision of the world, his overly simplistic and naive version of the world thanks to his years of isolated exclusion knew that….The idea that he has survived this long was either incredibly lucky or Jack Mccarthy had an angel looking over him…


And given the fact that Jack spent the vast majority of his life being fed on by rather a belligerent sort of vampires the later seemed like less than likely, either that or Jack had a particularly lazy guardian angel.


Still, better late than never for divine intervention it would seem as Jack managed to make his “Home” deep in the forest, making something for a makeshift bed (Bed being the loosest possible sense) by arranging quite a sizeable amount of leaves together in a pile , to create something that somewhat remotely resembling an actual cushion….Sure it wasn’t exactly the most comfortable and sure the slightest gust of the wind pretty much destroyed it, but he made good use of it...And he happened to situate fairly near  a stream of clean fresh water so, right there he had two basic needs fulfilled…


Now the pursuit of food, now that was proving to be problematic. Food was hard to come by….especially due to the fact that Jack didn’t know what he COULD eat and what he couldn’t….Every time he was hungry he was rolling the dice, stuffing whatever random thing in his mouth in the hopes that it was possible to eat it….


He was just having a hearty debate with the voices in his mind when


Crack.


The unmistakable sound of a foot breaking a twig.


Almost instantly, a primal kind of fear gripped his heart as he quickly hid behind a tree kneeling behind it, waiting….

[Luxanna Cross]

Her sire seemed fond of the ruins. Perhaps it was because that was the only place he wouldn't risk running into someone. She supposed she should have felt lucky that he actually let her be around, though, in the end, she supposed it made sense. It was an obligation to him now that he'd offered her this kind of life. It would be on him if someone didn't teach her these things.

"These things" meant a wide array of things, though. Today, it meant learning how to move silently around in a forest filled with twigs and bushes. A landscape designed to make sound. This was something the young brunette found herself good at. Moving around without making noise. It was something she could pull back from when she'd been human. Moving around - never being noticed. 

Her entire body froze at the sharp sound of a twig breaking somewhere close. Immediately, her eyes darted to the ground, but the source didn't come from her. She knelt down, eyes scanning the surrounding area. If she still needed to breath, her breath would have been sharp and ragged. She moved forward, pushing a branch aside as she peered over the bushes - her muscles relaxing as the deer moved past her, knowing nothing of what was watching it from the darkness.

And then she smelled the fear. It was weak, but present. Her eyes turned sharply, finally noticing the figure of a man standing only a few meters away from her, his eyes shining through the dim light within the forest walls. Her primal instincts told her to pounce - to embrace the fear and take advantage of the fact that her prey was weak.

Instead, Luxanna rose, making herself visible in hopes that it would calm the boy's unsteady heartbeat.

[Jack McCarthy]

Was he or she gone? Jack really didn’t have the nerve to check, less he looked up and saw a vampire looming over him, with bloodlust dancing in their eyes and fangs protruding from their mouths.


...That was the mental image that Jack had more or less imprinted on his mind…and not an altogether pleasant one.


The mere thought of that figure, caused his face to drain of all colour waves and waves of childlike panic seemed to race up and down his spine like tiny earthquakes….


Assuming Jack could stay hidden best case scenario; it was a hunter…. While that wasn’t exactly a good thing that meant, that it was an even playing field, Jack’s eyes flickered towards quite a large heavy branch , lying on the forest floor beside him . If he was quick enough he felt when The hunter was near he could hit him square in the face with it and make a break for it.


If it was one of those monsters? Then Jack was in trouble. Sure, he could make a break for it, but out running a vampire? He’d have to get VERY lucky indeed.


Spending most of your life trapped in a cage did not lead itself well to running…


...But then again there was still that branch…


It wasn’t long before Jack felt eyes on him and he winched momentarily once he did. He didn’t move, not for a very long time...he couldn’t bring himself to...Eventually, Jack steeled his courage and poked his head out in the open,making eye contact with whoever it was who was visiting him……


….Jack wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but seeing a girl around his own age staring back at him was not one of them. The instant he made himself known he thought that that’ll be it. The chase would be on….so the fact that she seemed so still and calm was….unsettling.


Silence hung heavy in the air, Jack almost didn’t want to break the spell by speaking….


….Until eventually the tension got too much


“....You human?”


Jack was ready to grab the branch

[Luxanna Cross]

She supposed she couldn't blame the poor guy for asking, and yet, it had the brunette's brows furrowing slightly, casting a shadow across her already hidden face. "No," she replied, as if it was the most obvious answer in the world. "I'm a tree," she continued, stepping out of the shadow of the trees, gesturing towards herself.

"See?" Then, as if the wind had caught her, she gently swayed to one side, her hands following the motion like fickle branches. She straightened then, pursing her lips. The boy made it obvious that he was human - simply by asking and from the way he was covering. She wouldn't have needed to smell the strong odor of fear or hear the sound of his heartbeat.

She shook her head, having to force down the inner beast howling at her to take charge of the situation. It desperately wanted her to take advantage of this pitiful human who was stupid enough to stay out here. Though, vampires were the least of his worries. She could smell the gangrels - even if they were far away. The foul smell of them was easy for someone like her to spot.

[Jack McCarthy]

Jack was taking every single second available to him in the momentary standoff between the two examining every inch of the girl’s face as if trying his might to see past any potential mask and to the monster that might lurk within...Some discolouring in the eyes, or any signs of fangs. He had spent his entire life surrounded by them so he thought he could do a pretty good job spotting them….But then again, his experience with other human’s was limited at best. Sure there were other cages and other people….but none of them lasted long. That was the thing about blood bags to rather aggressive vampires, they didn’t last very long, generally. Some vampires just used them up fast like they’re toothpaste and just move on to the next, so Jack saw people get used up...some dried up. Some just checked out mentally…... And Jack? Well, call it fate or luck or just plain neglect on the part of Jack’s masters. But Jack had lasted far longer than he really had the right to. The joys of having a particularly prudent owner he supposed.


Lucky him.


If it was a vampire and she changed, well then Jack was in quite a bit of bother indeed. Before he could blink she would be on him in a flash, so the only chance he got was trying to get a head start as quick as humanly possible, So his blood shot sleep depervated eyes darted between the girl’s eyes to her mouth. Back and forward. Teeth. Eyes. Eyes. Teeth. Lingering on the eyes and then right back to the teeth.


Jack didn’t say a word while the girl was swaying to and fro, his facial expression was...well it was hard to really define, it was rather a bizzarre expression. One part onfusion, one part astonishment, with a pinch or two of bewilderment and just a hint of fear...until eventally Jack raised a shaking finger towards the girl “That was a joke right? I’m pretty sure you’re jokin-Wait...maybe...no, you’re joking...probably” he said in a rather fast paced voice that screamed with nerves as Jack was about 98% that she wasn’t a tree…


97.9% maybe…


“You’re not answering the question,” Jack noticed panic started to come into her tone his body language shrinking starting to back away “Why are you not answering the question?! What are you hiding?!” Just...J...Stay back ok?...nothing to see here….forget this ever happened. Go Shoo. WHAT A PERSON CAN’T TAKE AN INNOCENT WALK IN THE WOODS ANYMORE WITHOUT BEING ATTACKED BY TREES?!

[Luxanna Cross]

Luxanna simply stared at the boy; clearly there was something very, very wrong with him and she didn't think hanging around him for long would do either of them good. Especially if he kept talking like this and attracted every gangrel in the surrounding area right to their position.

"You're either dumb or insane, because if you keep your voice up like that, there will be hundreds of gangrels here within moments." They weren't the smartest animals, sure, but they did respond to sound, sight and smell and well, this boy both smelled like fear and screamed like a scared little child. "So you don't have to tell me twice about leaving." 

Still, she felt bad. She didn't want to leave the poor human here all alone to fend for himself, but she wasn't about to risk her own life because he had little to no common sense either. If being turned into a vampire had taught her anything, it was was that being dead wasn't an option. It hadn't been then and it sure as hell wasn't now.

[Jack McCarthy]

No, Jack really didn’t understand, the whole sarcasm thing...funny enough, being locked in a cage for the majority of his life, left him with a sense of humour that was quite frankly flatlining….It just left him with a couple of personality quirks…..Which might seem like the outside world like an abrasive and generally odd person, when you live your entire life in a box, you don’t get lessons in how to engage in discussion with people in a manner that doesn’t make them want to look away…



And to be honest Jack preferred it, that way. He preferred not having people around him, people around him just made him nervous, and noticeably twitchy...No people meant no vampires. And no vampires…..No screaming himself awake, waking up rapidly slapping away invisible hands reaching for his neck.



He was tense and nervous, not knowing if he should be trusting this woman, or running as fast as his skinny boney legs could carry him, but his face fell slightly once the woman said the magic word



“Gangrels”



The change on Jack’s face was remarkable, his face twisting from distrust to outfight terror as his head twitched all around him, as if trying to hear the beasts coming for him. He jolted up right, looking like a gazelle startled at the watering hole, “No no no no no” he muttered over and over again pressing his hands to his face. This was just like the nightmares, they were coming for him. They smelled him, they were going to rip him apart and he’d feel everything, teeth claws ripping into his skin while he screamed and screamed an-



“Wait! Please wait! DON'T LEAVE” he called out shrilly his face beet red with fear extending his arm out practically reeking in desperation…..and defeat...his voice becoming slightly more quiet



“...Just….please tell me I can trust you…..I really need someone to trust…”



Boy was that ever the truth

[Luxanna Cross]

Wincing as the boy called out, Luxanna turned her head to look at him. He clearly didn't understand the severity of the situation. He needed to keep his voice down, not cry out. Still, Luxanna remained still, waiting for his next words as a million thoughts ran through her mind. She shouldn't be this close to him. She had recently fed, but that didn't mean she wouldn't be tempted. And she had yet to learn how to control her beastial urges.

Shaking her head faintly, Luxanna bit her bottom lip. She knew she shouldn't have. She shouldn't take pity on the boy. She should leave him here, because bringing him along - heck, even helping him back to the city was risky. For both of them.

"Come on," she finally said, gesturing for him to follow her. "The sooner we get out of these woods the better." She looked upwards, towards the sky. It was getting darker by the second. It was too late for it to be sunny - not that it would have mattered, given that the forest shielded them from most of the light, but she wouldn't be surprised if there was hundred of gangrels around these parts, just waiting for an excuse to pounce.

[Jack McCarthy]

No, Jack really didn’t have a lot of self-control or restrain….or common sense….or clothes that weren’t considered at best rags….or social skills of any kind….In fact thinking about it, there was very little that Jack actually had going for him, but the most apparent at the moment was his lack of knowledge on how gangrel operated in the wild...All he knew was they were scary and he REALLY didn’t think it was a good idea to be around them. So Jack simply employed the same tactic he did with anything else when it escaped from his cage..


Avoid at all cost and if that doesn’t work, scream at it until it walks away in clear disgust….


….So the fact that, whoever this was clearly wasn’t planning too anytime soon was...New…


Of course, Jack had no way of knowing if she could actually trust this girl or not...nor if she was human or not, but Jack was willingly putting that to one side for the moment, because while he was still somewhat still nervous about being near this girl….but she was more nervous about being alone with gangrel's more…


So you can imagine how relieved his face turned when the girl told him he could tag along “Oh thank you thank you thank you” he crept out of his hiding place in a rather ungainly manner approaching the girl following the girl out “I’m Jack, what’s your name? Are you human? What town do you come from? You don’t like to eat people? You don’t want to eat me?Are the gangrel going to kill us? Where are we going? Your place? Where do you live?

[Luxanna Cross]

The guy seemed to put his fear aside and almost bounced to her side. Well, then again, she could hardly blame him. Even as a vampire, Lux couldn't think of anything worse than running into a pack of gangrels. That was the thing about them - they never traveled anywhere alone. If there was one gangrel around, you could swear on your behind that there were tens of them following right behind it.

Still, the boy didn't seem to quite get the idea of quiet. "Keep your voice down," she hissed, her brows furrowing. Though, her features quickly softened. She couldn't be mad at him for being afraid. She was too. The only difference was that she might be lucky enough to survive a gangrel attack. He wouldn't.

"My name is Lux," she said then, her voice hushed. "And I'm taking you back to the city." That was all she was going to say about that matter. She wasn't bringing him home. That was too risky. The only place he'd be safe was behind the walls. Well, at least he'd be safer.

[Jack McCarthy]

Hey, Jack might be somewhat ignorant of the majority of the world around him….but he knew enough to know that apparently, this girl didn’t want to rip his tender throat out of his neck...Even though trust would be going too far for a relative stranger...especially for Jack who has mistruth practically running through his veins. No, he didn’t believe that this girl, Lux (IF THAT WAS HER REAL NAME!!) was being totally honest with him, but that wasn’t because of anything he noticed about her or any tells she might have seen from her, Jack was hardly that observant a person. His lack of trust was born out of his own paranoia that’s been well cultivated over several years. The only experience he’s had of people in any capacity commonly involved their teeth in his neck or their claws in my skin.


Classic pavlova conditioning; if all a dog gets from people are kicks eventually the dog will get nervous and aggressive every time he meets a human associating it with pain, Jack was going through the exact same feelings being around this woman.


So why was Jack following this girl? Well, he figured…...Probably walking into a death trap by putting his limited trust in the hands of a total stranger….Was worth definitely not dying at the hands of a hoard of Gangrels.


With nervous tension traveling through his body he continued to follow Lux’s lead, his voice coming in fast bursts causing is words to blur together like he was a spoken word poet, saddling up to the girl throwing nervous glances over his shoulder behind him  “Lux Lux lux” He kept repeated like a mantra hoping the process would calm him down…”I'm Jack….Jack something...I don’t know they never said, you can make up the second name though if you want..” He added hopefully nodding his head.


But that hopefulness was gone in a flash once Lux revealed what the plan was


“T-To the city? You mean...The main city?” Jack stuttered repeatedly “....But...It’s full of...V-V..and I’ll be out in the open and...no, no no can’t do that. Can’t do that….I’m going to go…” Jack said still muttering to himself about to make his way back to to the bushes but before he got even three feet he stopped putting a trembling hand at the bushes “But if I stay here the gangrels are going to get me...Teeth...claws….biting..lots of biting...and blood...and and...” Jack shuddered almost in her own little world “But if I go with her I’ll…..No...Yes...Wait...She can hide me right?” Jack said shaking his head breaking out of his own imaginary world. He sometimes, did this zone out and get lost in his own world...when you don’t have any way of conversing with people so he tended to retreat into his own world..but now he snapped out of it as he rounded on Lux “Right, I can hide in plain sight...Blend in….Mix around with the v-v...them! I can do that right?!

[Luxanna Cross]

Cocking an eyebrow, Luxanna looked at the boy over her shoulder as they walked. Something or someone had clearly done their fair share of damage on the poor guy's mind, because he was a mess. A utter and complete mess. It shot a pang of sadness through Luxanna's chest, but she quickly forced it down. She couldn't deal with this right now. She had her own problems and this was not the time to be taking in strays.

"The outer city," she continued then, looking forward as she continued walking. "There's few vampires running around there and I'm sure you'll find someone who'd be willing to take you in." She doubted that. After all, she'd been human too only a few short months ago and the way of the outer city hadn't been forgotten.

She remembered exactly how hard it was. How selfish people were. Then again, could one really blame them?

"It's better than being out here by any means," she added quickly, pursing her lips.