Urges Open

@Valencia Deathstout

Winter in the Scottish highlands. To most it was a season of hiding away as they sought shelter and warmth against the frigid weather. It was a time to huddle around the hearth and fill their bellies with hot liquids and hearty foods. However, for Howard it was a season that brought freedom from the confines of the Hogwarts castle. Spring and summer brought with them sunny days and clear skies, a detriment to his kind. To go outside at all meant wearing heavy cloaks, protective creams upon his skin or wait till after sundown. It isolated him from the outdoors which really was like torture for a boy of his nature. So, when the winter months approached, Howard would revel in the cloudy skies and cold weather. His flesh could finally be set free.

It was these very reasons that the Dhampir would find himself strolling the grounds this day. The cold could be felt, but didn't have too much effect on him as he walked around in just his school uniform. One of the best things about this time of year, accept for the diminished sunlight, was that the fact that very few people would brave the elements and this meant privacy. A chance for Howard to be alone with his thoughts and process his emotions. The gods know he had plenty of those to sort through these days. As he walked along a strong gust of wind would blow his way and with it came many scents for his sensitive nose to pick up on. It carried the smell of the nearby forest. A mixture of different trees, plants and animal scents that made up the enchanted eco system, but with it also came a smell that seemed almost...familiar. It carried notes that he swore he had picked up on somewhere before and told him another person was nearby.

After a slight change of direction, Howard's long legs would carry him over the crest of a hill. Not too far in the distance her would see vibrant red hair blowing in the wind as another student ambled about near a tree. His nostrils would flare again as he tried to take in their scent and again there was familiar notes, but not enough to establish identity. It wasn't often that he saw another person on these lonely winter stroll and it peaked his curiosity. As the student came to sit at the base of the tree, Howard would walk around in a wide arc. His intentions were out of curiosity and he did not want to scare. Soon enough they would be in eyesight of each other and as soon as he saw her face it would give him pause. It was none other than the younger student who had stood by his side during impromptu protest against the school paper and the author T. Ruth. Howard wouldn't pause because of any embarrassment of his actions or displays of emotions, but because her lips were stained in blood and her fangs exposed. His eyes would quickly scan the area around her. There were no injured bodies or corpses in sight, so how had she come to...

The realization would dawn on him in that moment. He could remember plenty of times where he had bitten his own lips. Those canines could be tricky. "Ya bleedin'." Howard started with his best captain obvious as he pointed to her mouth with a long, clawed finger. "And ya still got yer fangs outs."

@Howard White

She could feel the presence of another, not by some weird nonhuman ability, but just by hearing their footfall. She didn't bother glancing up, assuming they'd make their rounds and leave her be once they've seen all there is to see. A brash, impetuous girl brooding under a tree.. A twinge of fear crept inside of her, noticing the figure had stopped abruptly. An eyebrow raised slightly, yet her head stayed just low enough where she couldn't see or identify the boy.

"If ya come to taunt me, I swear ta the gods I'll bite yeh." She said bluntly, assuming it to be a random student taken interest in playing games. An empty threat though, really. She didn't have the courage to bite someone, nor the heart for it. Who knows what she could do to a person. Her head raised finally, wishing to see the response she'd receive. Despite trying to hide the way her eyes widened when she saw him, her reflexes weren't fast enough. A small gasp came from the girl as she laid eyes upon the fourth year, not particularly embarrassed but not proud of what she'd said either.
Unsure of whether to apologize or shrug it off, she waited for him to speak with pursed lips. A part of her wondered what he was doing out here, possibly the same as she. Valencia thought it to be cowardly, coming out here all sad and solemn, though perhaps it was more justified than she'd originally made it out to be.

His obvious statement couldn't help but make her laugh, a nod following shortly after. "That so? Hadn't noticed.." The sarcasm in her voice was clearly apparent, but it wasn't intended to come across negatively. Joking was her way of coping, even if the matter at hand didn't have anything to joke about. She wiped harshly at her mouth with her jacket sleeve, the metallic tasting blood being smeared away from her mouth.

"Twelve years o' life and still haven't got the hang of the dumb fangs." She said with the shake of her head, a statement he didn't particularly ask for but better than letting the awkward chill stand between her and the upperclassman.

Kaegen Deathmote. The original monster. He had spread fear since the first day he had set foot in the school, and that fear had only grown. Most had known of him at one point or another. His aura along could nearly snuff out candles, and for a long time his presence could be felt moving throughout the castle, causing his fellow students to hurriedly move out of the way before he had even been sighted. But those days had faded along with the little Ravenclaw. The hatred and animosity that burned like a passion cold enough to freeze the pits of catholic hell had been carefully sealed, and supressed.

And like those hastily sealed emotions, Kaegen, too, had dimmed. His eyes were glazed and disinterested, more like a corpse than ever before, which was no small feat, as Kaegen had always looked like a corpse even by the standards of those that shared his vampiric blood. His condition went beyond half-vampire, and into obvious deterioration. Robes fading and frayed by the corners, spidery fingers showing wire-like strength stretched taut against bone, hair a tangled, dark, knotted mess. It almost looked as though he was wearing more than one robe at once, folds of fabric manifesting where there really shouldn't have been any at all.

He, too, had smelled the blood. And he, too, had recognized that there was something familiar in that blood, something that wasn't quite natural, something that made him want to see who it was coming from. It was real interest, true curiosity, something he hadn't felt in a long time. It felt like he was being forced to move after having been petrified in place for hundreds of years, like his mind had decided to emerge from endless fog.

Nostrils flaring, he picked himself up from where he had been nestled in a little ball up in a tree. It only took him a second to gather a bearing, to register the direction of the wind, and the smell. Sliding down the trunk, he began to make his way towards the blood. He was moving slowly, however, curiosity not being enough to truly pull him out of the stupor that he had maintained for what must have been months. He had been always close to sleep, but never to rest. And it showed.

The scene that greeted Kaegen's eyes was that of a girl bleeding from the mouth. A girl with fangs. A monster, then. She was being accosted by a boy, a boy whose smell Kaegen vaguely remembered, a smell that tried to pull his mind back to the past, but the past was something that Kaegen tried to avoid with a passion, and some smell wasn't going to stop him from doing just that. Had she just said something about fangs? He wasn't sure, but it would make sense if she had, considering her fangs.

Slow but silent steps carried the corpse-child over towards the other two, only to simply drop cross-legged on the grass, about ten feet away from the pair. He raised a hand in simple greeting, and then waited to see what would happen. Curiosity would only get him so far, he had to work himself up to actually speaking.

@Valencia Deathstout @Kaegen Deathmote

Hey Kaegen! Welcome back!

A smirk splashed its way across Howard’s lips as the red head offered a bit of sarcasm and sass. First impressions went a long way with him and a bold opening was something he could appreciate. The fact that she met his gaze with both blood on her lips and fangs exposed told him that she was not nearly as timid as most her age or perhaps the fact they were of the same nature emboldened her to do so. It didn’t matter to Howard either way, the girl had peaked his interest and curiosity drove him to find out more. “Twelve years, eh?” This told him she was more than likely born a Dhampir. “Got more time with ‘em than me.” Which would indicate that this nature didn’t come to him from birth. “You should practice more.” Howard teased with a smile as he quickly unsheathed and then retracted his fangs.

He wouldn’t hear the approach of another as they walked with silent footsteps, but Howard’s sensitive nose would pick up on another scent. He would turn in time to see the boy plop onto the ground, cross legged as he offered a simple wave in greeting. Howard’s eyes would widen as he recognized the other. “Kaegen?” He wasn’t sure why it would come out as a question, for he was positive of the others identity. Though small in stature there was no denying the presence that followed the fellow fourth year. In all of Howard’s time at Hogwarts there were always rumors and whispers about the half dead Ravenclaw. How he would terrify the halls, haunt the corridors and if memory served correct, deadly accuracy with a slingshot. Not to mention his appearance wasn’t one any would easily forget. If people thought Howard looked odd with his pale skin and red irises, it was nothing compared to Kaegen. The disheveled clothing, almost emaciated body structure and eyes as dead as a corpse set him apart from any other.

Although Howard recognized the Ravenclaw his eyes would drop to his own hands. Would he recognize him? Had they seen each other or interacted in any way since Howard’s turning? He racked his mind but for the life of him he could not remember. And where had he been anyways? “Been a while, yeah? Oh! Uh, this is...didn’t catch a name.” He turned to the younger red head. “Name’s Howard. That’s Kaegen. You?”

@Howard White & @Kaegen Deathmote

Allowing her fangs to retract finally, Valencia's hands raised in mock surrender. "Fer sure, promise I will." Her "promise" was more than a truth than she made it out to be, as she definitely needed more experience them.

She squinted slightly as a boy slipped from the corner of her eye, approaching slowly as if preparing to strike. His slow movements, the obvious tattered appearance, it was off in all the wrong ways. Yet still, the way his skin appeared more than corpse-like, the red ring around his pale blue eyes, it seemed unnatural at the very least. She shifted uncomfortably as the other fourth-year sat down, the distance between them feeling so vast despite it only being ten feet. He didn't say anything, which just made him all the more ominous. Just a long, clawed hand raised as if to say hello.

Although she felt somewhat at unease at the sight of this boy, she nevertheless let her mouth get ahead of her. "Oi, who're yeh?" She asked with intentful eyes locked on him, noticing his robes portrayed the same house as she yet Valencia couldn't ever recall seeing him around the commons. Not that she paid much attention to faces anyway, they meant very little to her in the long run. But there was no way she would have missed a guy like this. There was something different about him, something different about Howard too. She felt safe around the older Huffle, however loud and angry he had come across in the Great Hall that day. The struggles he faced with his Vampiric state made her view him with respect, not out of pity but because she could relate.
She'd heard the brunette say he was a human once, which made her wonder about his past. Then the statement of Valencia having more time with her fangs than he, it all just confirmed the theory of him being turned rather than born. A small twinge of sorrow fell over her, feeling somewhat sad for this boy. Despite her age, she still knew the hardships that came with being such a species, and even that was while being accustomed to it her entire life. The thought of being normal, only to be turned into.. into this? While she'd like to call it a blessing, it was a curse and she knew it. Certainly not her place to indulge in such matters, though curiosity disregarded things like that.

Her head turned to the side when Howard referred to the scary boy as "Kaegen". The name was vaguely familiar though she wouldn't have paired the name to the face had he not said it. He was.. a dhampir too, wasn't he? The rumors surrounding his name weren't all that positive, most things she'd heard described the odd-looking boy as monstrous and terrifying. They wouldn't be wrong appearance-wise, though his personality she couldn't speak for. Yet still, her curiosity piqued, waiting for a sentence to leave his mouth.

"Ehm, Valencia. Valencia Deathstout." She introduced herself along with her surname, an old habit that she really wished she'd break out of. It was the norm here, your name serving you power, though things like that didn't seem to interest her much. You are who you are, and your name couldn't change that.

@Howard White @Valencia Deathstout

Kaegen felt more at ease when he knew that he had been the one to find the others. He hadn't been sought out, and therefore the dangers were decidedly fewer than they would have been otherwise. And there was only so much fear he was capable of feeling. Sure, the first wrong move from either of them would have his terror spiking to ridiculous heights. But exhaustion could only do so much to force calm and reason.

Kaegen's glazed eyes would turn to stare directly at howard's face, taking their time before finally switching targets. Red eyes, unusual skin. Probably unusual enough to indicate far more, and if he factored in the boy's proximity to the first monster he had noticed, it made sense, it tracked, two and two was four, food was filling, and this boy was some kind of monster as well. Well, that was okay by Kaegen, obvious monsters had always been more honest, easier to deal with.

There was no response given when the taller monster asked for his name. He didn't feel like giving it, or perhaps it was more accurate to say that he didn't feel like talking. That brown haired monster knew who Kaegen was. If you had the ravenclaw's name, you had at least one story, and there weren't a lot of people running around whose description fit the bill. The question of how long it had been, on the other hand, was absolutely a question that he should probably have been able to answer. That is, if he had actually been capable of remembering.

Seemingly ignoring the monster's question, Kaegen's hand slipped up into his own robe, pulling out a worn leather journal that he began to quickly flip through. There was a small chance that whoever this was showed up in his notes somewhere. But how would he even search for that? His sketches had improved over time, but the terrible outlines of what people looked like mostly relied on hair shape, which in hindsight was a bad move. Hairstyles changed. This was pointless. So he had to bluff. Closing the book with a little thud, he moved his gaze back to the boy.

"More than one."

Flawless. More than one what, the other boy couldn't possibly hope to guess. One day, one week, one second, random mumbling? The possibilities were endless, as was his desire to not be pinned down, either physically or verbally. Kaegen was slightly irked when the large monster introduced himself as howard, because that name didn't ring any bells, but he did appreciate that he now knew what it was. coward? No, they didn't smell like a coward. What was the opposite of coward, anyway? Un-coward? Anti-coward? He finally settled on "non", and moved on to what the girl was saying.

"Kaegen Deathmote, Key-keeper, scarf-bearer, monster of hogwarts' halls."

It was a prideful title, but there was no pride in the boy's voice. There was, if anything, bitterness, although tone was hard to convey, his voice was raspy and hoarse, tired and unused. It was habit, to introduce himself properly. He had begun to resent his old ways, but there was hardly anything he could do to stop himself at this point. Stopping himself took effort, and that was not something he was willing to spend.

The blood smear was on the girl's lip, he noticed. It was possible she had bit herself, but if he had learned anything from his months of observation, it was that...

"Are you two that bad at kissing?"

@Valencia Deathstout @Kaegen Deathmote

Another smile and a laugh would come to Howard's lips as the younger girl held her hands up in mock surrender. As tough of an exterior that he tried to maintain it was nice to meet someone that didn't take him too seriously. Most of the other first years would scamper away just at the sight of him or if they did converse it was always one sided. Howard would speak while the other shifted uncomfortably, silently hoping the discussion would end as soon as possible. Often it was of his own doing as he kept up a defensive wall, but often it was just his physical appearance and the presence he carried. A half dead looking human with blood red eyes wasn't always considered approachable. The red head's reaction was refreshing to say the least and Howard yearned to find out more about her. Although the two were seperated by a few years they could still potentially bond over being of the same species. Even if she had spent her whole life as a Dhampir and Howard only had a couple years, the shared experiences and hardships of their nature was something they could potentially bond over.

Then enter Kaegen Deathmote. Howard would attempt to introduce him to Valencia, but when he did there would be nothing but a moment of awkward silence. His red eyes would widen as the Kaegen's hand slipped into his robe. What the hell?! Paranoid as usual when he retrieved nothing but a simple leather journal. In Howard's defense, that was where most of the students kept their wands. He would watch in confusion as Kaegen flipped through the pages, searching the content for something. More than one. "Huh?" His tone as confused as his facial expression. More than one what? If Howard was confused before, it was nothing compared to when Kae finally gave a proper introduction. As the various titles were announced, Howard's jaw would drop slightly. "What the fuck...." He whispered to himself as his eyes drifted back to Valencia, concern and confusion in his gaze. Were all Dhampir families this mad?! He remembered Kaegen being odd and perhaps a bit deranged. He had once held a loaded slingshot to Howard's head, but that situation had already spiraled into chaos and violence. Howard assumed the rest of what he had heard about Kaegen was mostly just tall tales. Over exaggerations linked to him because he looked wild and didn't fit the norm. However, Howard was beginning to second guess this odd little Dhampir.

"Dude!" Howard nearly choked on the word. Kissing!...A first year! Ok, this MFer was batshit crazy for sure. His eyes would flash between Kaegen and Valencia, his hands raising in surrender even though he knew he had done nothing wrong. "She's like ten..." He exaggerated her age to try and prove his point, but it was surely a folly considering the mental state of who he was speaking with. "Pretty sure she just bit her lip...ya know...the fangs and what not. You feelin' alright there?" Howard asked, not actually concerned about the mental health of the other, but definitely concerned with how deep the crazy might flow.

@Howard White & @Kaegen Deathmote

An eyebrow quirked upwards as her eyes followed the ghastly boy, momentarily freezing in wonder if he'd pull out a wand instead. Wouldn't shock her with how suspicious he was being, but to her surprise it was a small book, the leather journal he held in his hands appearing just as tattered as its owner. More than one.. His words were vague, the lack of context both irritating and disorienting. It was awkward watching him disregard Howard's reunion like greeting with a cold, distant one in return.

The titles he carried were interesting, that was for sure. Monster of Hogwarts' halls.. He either liked the negative attention or simply accepted it for what it was, either of which Valencia couldn't care less about. It was more so him in general she was intrigued in, the wary instinct she felt around him still not enough to have her shy away. He was weird. This trait Valencia had, the way she didn't give two shits about a person's reputation apart from her own experience, it could be both good and bad for the young girl. Though the impression she was getting right here, she couldn't tell how she felt. Sparing a glance to the older boy, her eyes held just the same amount of concern as his.

Valencia gaped for a moment, the accusation of her snogging the fourth year leaving her nearly stunned. She didn’t bother flushing a shade of red, and instead laughed slightly. Ah yes, a pre-teen making out with the taken fourth year. ”Wouldn't be the case.” Her reply managed to withhold seriousness, the entire topic in question awkward for her the further it hovered the air. Eyes rolling back at the drastic exaggeration of her age, she nodded. "Twelve. But yeh, definitely.." Glancing at Howard for a moment, she continued. "Definitely outta my age range." She ignored his gaslighting towards the Ravenclaw, wishing to provoke him the least of her intentions.

Grey irises flicking to the side for a moment, she looked back to Deathmote. "You look interestin', if you don't mind my sayin'." His 'difference' went far beyond just Dhampiric qualities, as she being the same monster as him still didn't make her nearly as frightening. The mess of dark hair, his almost vacant expression, and on top of it all his weird ominous personality. It was a risk, commenting on him. There was no saying what how he would react, from merely nodding or perhaps trying to attack her. "Not in a bad way o' course, just.. Different. I like it." And while she knew her offer of kindness would mean nothing, nor her opinion for that matter, she felt like stating it anyway. Maybe because she wished to befriend him, or maybe because she wanted to stay on his good side, there was no telling which.

Their conversation was tense now, visibly so. Perhaps the change of topics would do them all good, but what possibly could the three of them converse about? Oh yeh, you enjoy being a bloodsuckin' monster? She wanted to laugh, though randomly laughing would make her appear just as deranged as Kaegen. "How come yer out here, Deathmote?" The use of his last name was an accident, a habit of calling people by their surnames ingrained in her brain. Smoothing out her robes, she cleared her throat. "Kaegen- I mean. Same question for you, Howard."
Should she feel intimidated by these boys? Her words came off as if she were friends with them, or at least equals. Though the three year age gap that stood between them technically made her lesser, weaker. That wasn't necessarily true though, was it?

An incredulous reaction met his reasonable question. The boy clearly didn't understand what Kaegen was talking about, as he began explaining the girl's age for some reason. That wasn't even relevant to what they had been talking about, was it? Or maybe it was the explanation for why she had been so bad at kissing, just a lack of age-related experience. Although, he did follow that up with an explanation of how she had actually bit herself on accident. So, he was back to where he started. Trying to decipher why it mattered that she was ten.

Unless, of course, it was code. He could guess that they were both monsters of some kind, so it would stand to reason that the possibility that the boy ate people was on the table. Maybe he preferred meat that hadn't yet soured with the stress of academia, maybe he had heard Kaegen's names and had decided to signal an attack on the bleeding girl, maybe the blood had driven him insane. It seemed the only rational conclusion to draw, but Kaegen was flying under the radar. Staring the boy in the eyes in order to attempt to get a message across, he slowly but firmly shook his head. No. was the message. No, I will not help you eat this other student. I don't want to be involved. was the rest of the message, probably lost in translation. There was only so much eye contact and a headshake could convey.

His whole tapestry of conclusions, built in less than an instant, crumbled in half the time as the other girl began to speak. He was out of Her age range? Kissing couldn't be the case, then, because of age. But why? What did he know about kissing? He knew it probably communicated something, he knew it seemed like a ritual of some kind, perhaps a test of trust, to ensure that the person you were talking to could be trusted to not bite into your lip and drain you of blood. He knew it could potentially just be people talking really close together so as not to be heard, or maybe people sharing a candy. And now he knew it definitely was age restricted.

To be considered stupid was a fool's move. It invited predators to consider you prey, it invited death, and courted misery. No, he wouldn't ask any questions. He would simply investigate later, if he felt like it. He wasn't going to feel like it.

The comment on his appearance being different was expected. The follow-up on how she liked it was not. Maybe they were a similar sort of monster, and maybe she saw something of herself in him? But that was unlikely, he knew they looked different. She was pale, for sure, but he looked like death warmed over. While she could pass for a student given contact lenses and copious amounts of makeup, Kaegen looked like some animated creation made of rags and scraps.

'How come you're out here, Deathmote?' A noticeable wince, and a slight twitch in his left hand immediately followed the question. Kaegen, his name was Kaegen, the name Kaegen had to be included in there somewhere. Kaegen Deathmote, was fine. But he was first a Kaegen and second a Deathmote and third his titles. They had order for a reason, after all. Last names was a tool used by professors to humiliate and degrade their students. Deathmote this and Sir that. It was a recent discovery, for him, but one that had been hiding in plain sight. Even a nickname would have been preferable.

"Oh. I live here."

He gestured vaguely towards the castle with his eyes, an answer stemming straight from the handbook of captain obvious, but an answer that was delivered with a complete air of serious honestly. He was, however, pleasantly surprised when the girl corrected herself, regarding the name. Or maybe she was trying to cover something up, maybe she was in league with the death witch professors, maybe that's why she spoke like them, maybe that's why she tried to pretend she didn't.

Was all of this a trap? Probably.

"Describe fog to me?"

It was a question, directed at both of them, partially asking them the actual question, and partially asking if they'd even consider answering it.