Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It had been a grueling day for Hat Kid in trying to find all the time pieces to fuel her ship. First, she had to deal with Mafia Goons, and then their boss, who was gruesomely put into a jar per Mustache Girl’s wishes. 

Ew… Hat Kid had thought to herself as she watched, unable to look away. She didn’t wish to displease her… “friend” after all. 

So much for that. She was now on a race to find every time piece before she did. Though it was funny how Hat Kid hadn’t seen Mustache Girl in Dead Bird Studio, or while she was trying to cheat DJ Grooves and the Conductor to victory. 

She managed to get every time piece back from them, even if helping them was a pain. And DJ Grooves had the nerve to backstab her after she helped him. What nerve…  

Hat Kid sighed, plucking the bird feathers off her outfit, when her ship discovered a new location. She hopped over to the almost fixed control panel, careful not to bump into or jump on Rumbi, and leaned in to see. 

It was a nice change in scenery. Spooky though. Sadly, the fuel she needed was scattered here too. She had to find the time pieces, her time pieces, in there. She steadied her breath, steeled herself, and hopped on over to the hatch. 

Waving goodbye to Rumbi for now, she opened it and jumped down with a “Here we go!”, pulling out and opening her umbrella to slow her descent once close enough to the planet. 

This oughta be interesting…

It was dreary and foggy in Subcon Forest, home of the dead. There was a spooky ambiance all around, and the purple swamp near an extremely tall tree home didn’t help matters either. In the home, across the narrow root bridge, was a sleeping man whose orange hair had lengthened, darkened and gradiented into purple. He seemed to be using the dark and greyish purple shawl across his shoulders as a blanket, and he slept nearly peacefully in his maroon recliner were it not for all the trembling. 

He muttered to himself every now and then, digging his blotchy purple claws into the chair and screwing his eyes shut. As soon as a thud echoed through the forest, he jolted awake with a gasp, glowing silver eyes blinking and rolling around. The young man breathed and panted deeply, tears nearly falling from his eyes as he rested a hand on his chest.

It was just a dream.

He felt another agonizing pang of hunger, and winced, a tremor passing through him. 

His hunger, however, was not. 

He had no idea when his last meal had been. Reluctantly searching for fauna upon which to feed in this place had increasingly been proving fruitless, and for a while entirely pointless, as they’d all died out and away. He sighed quietly, sad silver eyes gazing at the open door all of a sudden.

...footsteps. He.. could hear footsteps… 

His right elven ear twitched, and he trembled again, clutching his stomach with a little hiss. 

Through the grass, as something outside walked slowly. H..had he..? was it food?

He got up and vanished to investigate.

Meanwhile, the young alien brunette stared in awe at everything around her. A very spooked awe, but awe nonetheless. At the dwellers, the Subconites, and especially the tree. “Woah.. this is so cool…”

Vincent appeared behind a tree, and nearly doubled over in pain, clutching his belly even more. He almost eagerly peeked out, hungry silver eyes scanning his potential meal. 

But his hungry look vanished when he saw that he was dealing with a kid… his gaze softened, but he was still very much hungry. 

Were they lost..?

He wanted to go out there, but he was afraid he’d hurt them. Vincent sighed a little too loudly, which attracted the girl’s attention.

“Huh? who’s there?” she asked, looking around, and just when her eyes slid over to his hiding spot he moved back behind the tree. Hat Kid blinked a few times. “I could have sworn I heard something… and.. saw something..”

She started approaching, heading for the path, causing the former law student to inwardly freak out. Oh Cod did she see me? I.. I can’t… 

As soon as Hat Kid got close enough, furrowing her blue eyes, her attention was drawn away by a magical glowing noose just beside it. Her expression was pure horror, but she was also curious. “What the huh..?” 

She ceased approaching, and reached for the noose, something tempting her to grab it. Vincent peeked out again. Oh Cod she was so close now… he gulped quietly, trembling still. His tremors had increased in intensity, and he found he was drooling pretty badly. He wiped it away, and soon he realized what she was doing. Eyes widening, he stepped from behind the tree and over to her with surprising speed, gently grabbing her shoulder. “D..don’t..”

Hat Kid jolted out of both shock and how cold the feeling was, and whirled around too fast for him to try and hide again, eyes wide as she beheld him. Vincent took a step back, chains rattling slightly as he moved, and licked his lips, looking nervous and scared. 

Man, this guy is tall, was the first thought that came to her head. She sized him up, and all the while Vincent was inwardly begging her to leave. And then she noticed how scared he was, and grew concerned. “Um.. hi. Are you afraid of me? I’m not dangerous at all!” 

Says the one who beat up some Mafia Goons, and then Mafia Boss and DJ Grooves with nothing but an umbrella. 

It didn’t quite make sense for him to be afraid of something smaller than him, but she assumed anyway. Vincent pursed his lips and shook his head. “I’m.. not afraid.. of you..” 

He was afraid of what he’d do to her. 

“Oh..” the hatted brunette seemed satisfied with that answer. “Who are you then?”

The man held back the tremors as much as he could. So many thoughts were swirling around in his head. So many of them were mercilessly hungry and every fiber in his being wanted to feed. But he simply smiled gently down at her, a small smile that didn’t show his fangs. “Y..you can call me Vinny.”

“Oh. Hi, Vinny! my name is Hat Kid!” she extended her hand to him, and he backed up a bit. Blinking, she withdrew it. “Not a touchy kinda person?”

The demon took another breath, gulping down some saliva to help distract his hunger; it didn’t, really. Oh Cod he almost saw her veins- and then he realized she asked a question. Vinny chuckled softly, revealing a small portion of his fangs, and nodded. “No, I am.. sorry..” his shoulders trembled, and he shut his eyes, reeling in pain. 

Hat Kid bit her lip, though carefully since she had her own fangs, and approached the man. “You okay..?”

Why am I near her..? I could lose it any time.. oh, but she shouldn’t wander the forest, not alone at least.. his mind was a trainwreck, alongside the humongous thoughts urging him to feed. And he was so conflicted, and he barely realized he was hunched over in pain, gripping his belly. 

Vinny hissed quietly, clenching his teeth, revealing hideously long canines. Hat Kid thought not much of it. Most of her species had fangs that long too. She waited for an answer, and tugged on his pants sleeve, shocking him out of his turmoil. 

He gasped, as if for air, and rubbed at his head. Hat Kid repeated her worried question, even more concerned for him, and he shook his head. “No.. I.. I’m not alright..”

“Anything I can do to help?” she offered. The man was nice enough, countering almost everyone she met on this planet, and she wanted to help in almost any way she could. But she wasn’t the least bit naive. She kept her guard up.

He thought for a while, and eventually shook his head. This disheartened the alien girl. Nothing? 

“Are you sure?”

Vincent furrowed his brow, thinking more. His tired silver eyes were shaking as they stared at her. He could hear her heartbeat, and it was driving him nuts. He nodded. “Yeah, kid..” Unless she had an animal somewhere on her person, which he knew she didn’t because he’d smell it. “W..why don’t you head into the treehome over there? I’ll.. I’ll join you in a moment..”

Hat Kid mouthed an “oh”, before she nodded, her smile having faded, and she turned and began walking to his home. A Subconite popped up beside the demon, looking up at him. They sighed, and, once she was fully inside the home, spoke, “Boss.. I know you have reservations, but.. you have to eat her.”

His eyes widened with horror. They were logically right, but.. he couldn’t. He didn’t want to. He shook his head. “No. I..” 

There was another pang, much more ferocious than the rest, and he fell to his knees, clutching his belly ever tighter and panting. The Subconite placed a hand on his back, rubbing it. They felt extremely bad for their boss. The demon had refused to eat anyone else who stumbled upon his forest since the animals died out, and it had been years . The native was surprised he even held out for so long, especially when flesh and blood appeared here. It was really, really bad this time, and they wanted him to eat.

Vincent was drooling heavily again, and he wiped it off once more with his sleeve, looking down at the ground and huffing and puffing. It was so hard. Pushing his hunger back was so hard. But he managed, since the Subconite was grounding him via rubbing his back.

“There aren’t any more animals in this forest…” they said sadly.

“I know…” the vampire muttered, digging his claw into the dirt.

Meanwhile, Hat Kid was exploring the treehome with even more wonder, her worries forgotten. She knew, however, that she’d have to ask Vinny about her time pieces eventually, and maybe encourage him to let her help because he clearly wasn’t okay. But now was the time for exploration and pinpointing where things were. 

She’d seen that there were stairs when she stepped through. A tree this tall having stairs made a whole lotta sense. Lots of books here too, stacked neatly in a bookcase, and this made her smile. She may not be neat herself, but she appreciated neatness. 

Not much down here, so she started heading upstairs. There was a small kitchen, dining room and a microwave on a desk that held thicker books, with a door leading somewhere mysterious. Hat Kid hopped over and opened the door. 

It was a bathroom. 

Blushing, she stepped out and closed the door. And that’s when she noticed more stairs, next to the fridge, and she joyfully and tirelessly skipped up them. 

Two beds, and a full mirror against the wall opposite them. There was another door, though she didn’t try it. She ran up to one of the beds and jumped into it, plopping on it back-first. 

Soft… she smiled, cuddling in the blankets. Hat Kid didn’t know how long she stayed there, but it was enough to make her realize that she hadn’t slept since yesterday. So, against better judgement, she yawned and drifted off to sleep.

Vinny soon entered the room, having taken the stairs. He noticed Hat Kid sleeping in his bed, and smiled a little. There was sorrow within it, and his eyes, as he walked over, his steps making not a sound. Carefully, he adjusted the blankets around her, and then.. stared. 

Another tremor coursed through his shoulders, and he hissed lowly. He knelt down onto one knee, and his mouth hovered over her neck. After a bit, his mouth opened, lengthy fangs ready to sink themselves into her jugular. 

Vinny trembled, a side of him wanting this so badly. But… 

He was crying, and whimpering quietly, fangs still hovering. 

He.. he couldn’t. 

The man closed his mouth and backed away, standing a few seconds later. Vinny sighed, sitting down against the wall to watch over her, wiping the tears from his tired silver eyes.

His choice was made.

He’d rather starve.

Chapter Text

Hat Kid woke up, her eyes fluttering open, at what she thought was late morning, and felt ready to tackle this new day. 

Time to search for those time pieces! 

After she found Vinny. She sat up and stretched, yawning a little and looking around, and soon she saw him, asleep against the wall. 

The girl smiled, happy to see him, and shuffled off the bed, carefully heading over. The floor didn't creak at all as she did. She inspected him more closely once close enough. 

...he was exceedingly pale… 

...his hands were purple-mottled claws…

...heavy dark circles under his eyes...

...was he sick?

Hat Kid grew concerned for the man, and she lightly poked him on the chin, and quickly pulled away because woah his skin was cold , and ew had he been drooling? 

She looked at her finger with both disgust and wonder, before she decided to wipe it off on his shawl carefully. 

Vincent snorted, jolting just a little bit. Hat Kid backed off, blue eyes wide. Apparently not careful enough. The man stretched and then yawned, revealing his atrociously long and huge fangs for a bit. Now that she thought about it, those fangs were a bit… too long for her species. Just what was she dealing with?

He soon finished yawning and stretching, and opened his silver eyes a little, carefully scratching his lower back as he leaned forward a bit. The demon soon noticed Hat Kid, and smiled tiredly, wiping away the drool from his face. "G'morning, kiddo…" 

"..morning, Vinny," she greeted back almost warily, which earned her a worried look from the demon. So she promptly fixed it with a smile. "How are you?"

...it took everything he had not to say he was hungry, the word almost tumbling out of his mouth. He wasn't okay, so he decided to say, "I'm.. living, I guess.."

He rubbed at his arm, squeezing it every now and then to distract himself, his roaring hunger. 

The girl nodded, still smiling, and even chuckled a bit. "Pretty sure you're living, Vinny!" 

Was he?

He somewhat doubted it, what with his cold, pallid skin and extremely slow heartbeat. Nonetheless, the demon smiled again and nodded. "Thanks, kid… h..how about you?" he asked, trembling as he got to his feet.

The girl was still not over how tall this guy was, and thought it over before she replied, "I'm doing okay. Maybe a little hungry." She did just wake up. Maybe she'd discuss the time pieces during or after breakfast.

The demon blinked a bit, and took a shaky breath before he turned to the stairs. "I'll.. I'll go make you some pancakes…"

"Okay, thanks.." Hat Kid stared at him as he left, unsure if he should be cooking in that state, but she decided it might be fine. She walked over to the mirror, and started cycling through the clothes she had so far. Which was.. not much.

Meanwhile in the kitchen, Vincent had started the process of making pancakes, the batter ready to be poured into the skillet he had fired up. He could still hear her heartbeat, but it wasn't as unbearable as it was when he was so close to her. Which was so small it wasn't actually worth noting.

The man was leaned forward, head against the cabinet and claws on the counter as he watched the first pancake cook. A tremor caught his shoulders, and he let loose another low hiss, shutting his eyes. 

The world was slightly spinning and.. growing foggy…

He shook his head, willing the dizzy fog to go away, at least for a while. The pancake started filling the treehome with a delightful smell, helping to ground Vincent. 

He sighed, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. He couldn't keep this up for long. He'd kept it up since the animals died away, more than a hundred years ago. And now that a young'un was here…

No.

He'd rather starve.

He.. didn't want to kill her, or anyone.. like.. that dying Express Owl…

Vincent sighed, shaking as he licked his lips. Her blood was amazing… 

He clenched his claws. No.. w..well.. it was but.. I still feel guilty… 

The vampire sniffed the kitchen - the pancake almost burning caught his attention. His head shot up and he hurriedly grabbed the spatula and flipped it over. 

Slightly black around the edges… well.. he hoped she liked it. And so he continued making pancakes, some for himself too, and when it was ready he called her down.

Hat Kid came running down the stairs, intensifying the heartbeat and making him suppress a deep shudder. He shook his head, and picked up the plates, serving them at the nearby dinner table to which the child was currently helping herself, sitting down and patiently waiting. 

He sat down too, scooting the chair closer to the table. Hat Kid smiled and licked her lips. "Mm! these pancakes smell yummy!"

The pale man nodded, smiling himself. "Thanks, kiddo.. I.. made them myself.."

And then they started to eat, prompting the girl to say, "Well you did a good job!"

Aw, this kid… he chuckled, thanking her as he continued to eat. It wasn't really that good for him to eat regular food on a severely empty stomach, but he'd managed for so long he got used to it.

As Hat Kid ate, she began thinking. She really should bring up the time pieces now or she never would. This place was becoming her second home. So she looked up at Vincent, on her second pancake out of three, and asked, "Have you seen any hourglass-like items fall anywhere here?"

The demon glanced up at her, chewing. He eventually swallowed and placed a finger on his chin. "Hm.. I think I have a while earlier. A..are they yours..?"

Hat Kid gained some hope, and then nodded vigorously. "Yeah! they're time pieces and I use them to fuel my ship!"

Vincent stared. Before he nodded. "I see.. well, the forest is too dangerous for you to go looking around for them, kid, so I.. I'll see what I can do…" he offered with a smile.

Well, that was a first. She had been about to provide a counterargument, that she could handle herself, but having something done for her was a rarity on this planet. She'd had to earn them back, which made no sense because they were hers . So she nodded with a giant smile. "Thank you!" 

"Happy to help, kiddo…" he ate the last piece of his pancake, and very soon Hat Kid finished eating too. He took both their plates to put them in the sink, and the girl watched from her spot at the table. 

She grinned, before she got up and rushed him, wrapping her arms around him from the back. Of course, she only had his long and slim legs, but it still counted. And she ignored the cold this time.

He gasped, dropping the soapy plates into the sink. He started trembling even more. Vincent felt dizzy and saw the world going foggy again. That heartbeat was so tantalizing… he needed it. He needed it so much. But he tried so hard to resist. He.. was in so much pain. 

Vinny let out a low hiss, looking down at the kid still hugging his legs. He took a deep breath, shaking still, and placed a claw on her head and patted it for a bit.

Hat Kid was so cold. But it was worth it. And.. was he trembling? and.. hissing? what was that? did it actually come from him? 

She was about to back off when he knelt and turned around to face her. And then hugged her. The young girl smiled, despite the cold, and nuzzled into him.

Her heartbeat was incessantly pounding in his mind. This was dangerous, why was he doing it? Vincent felt the world go foggy again. He leaned in, bending his head down ever so much to her neck.

Hat Kid could feel his breath upon it, and then sharp teeth grazing where her jugular vein would be, and it finally clicked. 

OH!

She screamed, and Vincent was shocked back to reality, silver eyes snapping open. He stopped hugging her and rapidly stood up in one fell swoop, hitting his head on the cabinet. "OW!"

Hat Kid pinned him with a frightened stare, as he rubbed the crown of his head, and took this chance to flee. He heard her running footsteps through the throbbing pain and her heartbeat, and opened his eyes. Oh Cod what had he done?

He raced after her, flying down the stairs. "W..wait.. kiddo!" 

She was almost to the exit, and crying. She started to trust him she couldn't believe it he was just like the rest-

Vincent called out to her again, at the bottom of the stairs. "Kiddo, please! I.. I didn't.. I didn't mean to…!"

She threw her umbrella at him, and he dodged with impeccable speed. "NO! YOU'RE A MONSTER!"

This.. really stung. So much so that he stopped approaching and stared stiffly at her with such a sorrowful, remorseful expression that it made her feel almost guilty, her frightened expression faltering. But.. he was a vampire…

"Kiddo… I'm.. sorry…" he bit his lip carefully, sniffling, and he shuddered, tremors coursing through his body as he hugged himself. He was so hungry…

Hat Kid continued to stare, before she left the treehome, footsteps rushing along the path. She didn't know where she was going, so long as it was anywhere but here. Vincent sighed, bowing his head. What had he done?

She kept running, every Subconite and dweller staring at her or trying to get her attention. But she didn't notice the air growing colder as she ran...

Chapter Text

The hatted child ran and ran, eventually stopping at a broken bridge, just short of falling into the abyss below. A frightened and worried Subconite caught up to her as she was about to jump the gap. "Wait! don't go that way!"

The girl stopped in her tracks, and looked back at the Subconite dressed in purple burlap. She was panting from running all this way. Fear really did take one's breath away, didn't it?

"Why not?" she eventually frowned at the vessel.

They shook their head. "Very cold and very dangerous!" they explained, even more jittery due to the chill.

And then the child noticed too, and started shivering. She shook her head. "But I just came from somewhere cold and dangerous!" she bit her lip, feeling at the slightly broken skin on her neck. "He tried to eat me !"

"B..Boss didn't mean to!" 

“He still tried!” she shouted, reaching for her belt, but then realized she didn’t have her umbrella, her weapon, and paled. Oh Cod she left it with him! more accurately threw it at him but still…

And that face he made… it was haunting her… 

The Subconite vessel watched as her expression changed from angry fear, to panic, and then to guilt in several seconds. She bowed her head a bit. What if he.. really didn’t mean to?

The vessel soon spoke again, offering a small hand to her, “You don’t have to go back there . I can take you to the village. Real nice and warm there.”

Hat Kid looked at them and their hand, and pulled her cape across her torso to block out more of the cold. She then looked down the path back to the treehome, and decided she'd follow the vessel, taking their hand. Vinny probably needed some space. Blood too, but she had no idea how to get it to him.

And curiosity about crossing the bridge she was now being led away from, was steadily bubbling up…

Vinny was kneeling on the floor, one arm across his stomach, putting pressure against the wall with his forehead to keep himself sane. Though he knew what he really needed. He lowly hissed again, exposing his frightful fangs. 

The kid was right. 

He was a monster.

The man clenched his mottled claw, a tear falling from his eye. The world was slightly spinning and growing foggy again.. he trembled, shutting his eyes and swallowing. He really didn't know how much longer he could keep this up.

A Subconite popped in beside Vinny, the same one who spoke with him yesterday. They set a hand on his back, and rubbed it, grounding him further and bringing him back from the brink. He took shallow breaths, sniffling, and he looked at them with pitiful, worried silver eyes. "She said I was a monster, Eins…"

The vessel didn't respond just yet, just kept soothing the vampire. 

"And she's right.." he let his arm drop from across his stomach. "I'm nothing more, nothing less." He licked his lips, eyes filling with tears. "Just a pitiful, worthless monster.."

"Boss.." Eins mumbled, before they pulled the man into a brief hug. "You're not a monster. She was just scared."

The demon didn't say anything. Waiting.

"You know how people get when they're scared," the vessel continued to talk softly. "They spout nonsense.. you, out of high and clear moral caliber, have gone without feeding for a long time. You even ignored my urging so she could live. That, boss, is a quality no monster has."

Vinny sniffled again, and smiled, pulling the Subconite into another hug. "Thank you, Eins… where is Hat Kid anyway..?"

"On her way to the village with another Subconite. She's safe," Eins tried to wrap their arms around him, but found they were too short, so they settled for just standing there. "Well, as safe as we can get in this forest."

The demon chuckled halfheartedly. "Yeah." He glanced around his home and soon locked eyes with the blue umbrella that the girl threw at him in her panic. The Subconite pulled away, allowing Vinny to stand up, however weakly, and pick up the closed weapon. He gulped, as its scent was heavily reminiscent of Hat Kid's. "I.. I should give this back to her, and tell the others about her time pieces…"

Eins then plucked the umbrella from Vinny's grasp, and shook their head. "No, I'll do that, Boss. You should sleep."

Sleeping.. sounded nice. And he somewhat understood how it helped stop him from doing what he'd regret all these years. He nodded soon enough, and returned to his chair and sat down, getting comfortable. "Okay.. thanks, Eins…"

And he drifted off to sleep soon enough, however plagued with hungry nightmares it was. Eins watched him for a moment, before they shook their head. Must have been too out of it to head upstairs .

They then shrugged, not wanting to wake the poor vampire back up, and headed out of the tree home for the village.

Hat Kid had marveled at what the village had to offer. There was a river, dried up though it was now, so many tree trunk houses, and so many dwellers and people hanging out and playing around! 

It was a kid's dream. 

Well, it was slightly tarnished when she saw the small, fenced in and frozen graveyard, and large icicles that looked like they erupted from the ground. Despite that though, it was warmer than Vinny, and warmer than the air coming from across that bridge.

"This place is cool!" the alien girl exclaimed with cheer. The Subconite who brought her here chuckled nervously.

"We try," was their response, as they led her to a tree trunk home. "You're lucky I caught up to you in time."

"I can handle myself just fine," Hat Kid stuck out her tongue, crossing her arms, and the stinging in her neck where Vinny's fangs grazed her tingled uncomfortably. She winced, taking her hand and gently rubbing it.

"Sure, kid," the vessel pat her on the shoulder, before they turned to look at her. "Are you okay?"

"Oh I'm fine! it's not like I wasn't almost bitten or anything," she narrowed her blue eyes at them. 

"Okay okay, sheesh! ask a stupid question.." they bowed their head, and Hat Kid realized she was a bit too hard on them. 

"Sorry."

"Eh. I'm not the most intelligent of the bunch," they waved a dismissive hand. "I'm sure we have some first aid kits for when trespassers get hurt somewhere."

"I wasn't the first?" she kept her hand on her wound, raising eyebrows. 

"Course not!" the vessel chuckled. "Boss had to help a great many out of this place over the years."

She figured "Boss" was Vinny. It certainly fit how he was so kind around her. "Did he…?"

She pointed to her own fangs, and the vessel shook their head. "He didn't bite anyone as far as I know. Didn't eat them either. He got everyone out safely."

Her blue eyes shimmered with confusion. So why her? and she asked it out loud, pointing to herself. 

"Well, you're the latest of trespassers in over a two hundred year time period. And according to Eins he hasn't eaten in.. one hundred years.. so.."

"Oh so he chose me, huh?" her anger rose again, conflicting with her guilt and realization.

The vessel waved their hands and shook their head vigorously. That wasn't the case. Hat Kid sighed. She'd only read about vampires in legends. Neither she nor Bow Kid had crossed paths with one. Till now of course. And each legend was evil. There was no such thing as a reluctant, good vampire in the books. So she had reason to doubt. Maybe?

She had no idea, really. 

Hat Kid was about to ask another question when the vessel announced their arrival. She stared at the door, as they knocked and waited for it to open. The girl decided to ask a different question. "So.. do you have a name?"

"Call me.. Drei," the vessel said with a smile on their tone, and the door soon opened, revealing stairs to the underground. Who opened it? Hat Kid couldn't see. But she was led inside before she could even attempt to figure it out. 

The area at the bottom of the stairs was homely and big, with flooring the same color as the trees and no windows. 

Her breath was taken as she looked around with awe, finding somewhere to sit. Drei waltzed over to a cabinet and got out a first aid kit, offering it to the girl. "I'm guessing you like it."

"It's a nice place.." she smiled, and Drei went to work disinfecting the graze on her neck before placing a bandaid on it and patting it a few times. 

"There, good as new!" they backed up, just when another Subconite holding a blue umbrella entered the open door and paced down the stairs. Hat Kid looked over, and jumped off her seat and rushed to them. "My umbrella!"

Eins nodded. "Boss wanted to give it back to you personally, but I made him stay and sleep." 

There goes that conflicting feeling again. Her hands grabbed the umbrella and placed it on her belt as she thought on this. "He did..?"

"Yeah," the other Subconite replied, tilting their head, "you knew him for a few hours; why are you so surprised?"

Because I didn't know he was a vampire then.. was the thought that wanted out. But she decided to keep that to herself and shrug instead, conflict still eating away at her.

Eins and Drei exchanged glances, and the latter shrugged, before Eins sighed. "Well, we got wind of your time pieces. We all saw seven fall here."

"Really?! where are they?" Had Kid grinned, eager to obtain them.

"Well, you see, kid, Boss said that he'd arrange and handle things," Eins explained. The girl crossed her arms and frowned. She knew, and liked the agreement, but at the same time she could handle herself just fine.

"We'll get them back for you," the vessel finished, trying to assure her. Then Hat Kid suddenly thought of Mustache Girl. What if the Subconites dropped them? what if they found out they could rewind time with them? what if they decided they weren't going to give them back? those were risks she couldn't take again, but at the same time she also felt like there was no dancing around this.

"...are you sure you'll give them back?" and not try to kill me? 

They both nodded, but Hat Kid couldn't relax. She remained sitting there with her arms crossed. "Kay.."

"Great! glad you chose to trust us!" Drei cheered, before they promptly left the house. "Trust" was a little too big for right now though. Eins simply nodded, and followed Drei out.

Hat Kid gripped something on her belt, brow furrowed even more with a stubborn anxiety. She thought it would feel nice having others help her. But all it did was cause her panic. And who could blame her?

Chapter Text

Back at the treehome, Vinny was still asleep, most of his dreams ravaged by hunger. The vampire winced and curled up some on his chair, drooling something awful. Shallow breaths escaped him, and soon he woke up with a gruff grunt and a jolt. His bright silver eyes seemed wild, and he hissed to himself. He could hear footsteps again…

Eins was coming back to check on their boss, when the most horrific, bloodcurdling screech echoed through the forest, and the next thing they knew they were pinned to the ground. 

The vessel stared into the crazed and hungry eyes of their boss soon enough. 

...this was a first…

The demon hissed at Eins, claws tearing into the cloth, and the Subconite was only slightly unnerved and scared. "B..Boss? it's.. it's me! Eins!" the claws dug in deeper, and the vessel squeaked. "Stop! you're hurting me..!"

That was when the haze retreated, the plea breaking through. Vinny's eyes lost the crazed and hungry glint and his expression softened into horror. He let go and backed off. "I.. I'm sorry…" he shook, clutching at his shoulder and overall looking pitiful.

"A-hah.. it's fine.. honestly I'm not sure why you did that," the vessel sat up and waved a dismissive hand before they looked their Boss over with concern. "It's not like I have blood on or in me or anything."

Vinny shook his head, trying to clear away the nightmares and dreams he had. He said nothing. 

"Boss?"

"It's.. it's hard.." the vampire began. "I.. I need.. I need it…" he clenched a claw, and let loose a low hiss. Eins tilted their head, growing even more concerned. "B..but.. I.. don't wanna hurt.. don't wanna hurt anyone… b..but I just hurt you… am.. am I still not a monster to you..?"

"You didn't mean to.."

The demon looked up at Eins with what looked like puppy dog eyes, and tears traveled from them. And then he smiled softly. "Thanks.. I.. I need to fix you.."

Eins nodded, as Vinny got up, gently picked them up from the ground and brought them into the tree home. He set Eins on the ottoman and collected his sewing materials, before he himself sat down, brought Eins into his lap, and started to fix the mess he'd made. 

Shakily and carefully he patched Eins up with new burlap, taking shallow breaths and swallowing every minute. Anything to curb and distract his achingly empty belly and roaring hunger. 

But he knew what he really needed…

"Th..there… g..good as new, kid…" Vinny set the vessel down, and then clutched at his belly. Eins had no idea what to do to help their boss. 

"Thanks.." the vessel nodded, watching the vampire take more shallow breaths, and he just now became aware of the drool on his chin. He wiped it off with his sleeve. 

Then, they knew what to do. They'd stay here to help keep him sane. Eins waddled back over and rested themself against his leg. 

Vinny looked down, and smiled a little. Maybe his dreams wouldn't be so bad now…

Hat Kid had heard the screech, and was at wit's end sitting in the trunk house still. Okay, that sounded bad. But once she had a peek outside, she saw no one else seemed to be freaking out. Was it resolved already?

Nonetheless, she allowed herself to step outside, and close the door behind her. The girl had no idea how much time had passed since Drei and that other Subconite left. But it felt like forever. 

Maybe she should do some snooping around. It wouldn't be the first.

Hat Kid immediately thought about the broken bridge. Drei had been adamant about her not crossing it. Maybe there was something there. So she set off towards it, making sure no one noticed. 

Passing through the path between the swamp and hill carefully, she found herself at the chilly bridge again. Why was it broken? and.. there were signs around. Warning signs, about a crowned shadowy thing with red eyes. The alien girl bit her lip. Before she shook her head. She could handle it.

So she pressed on, jumping for the other side of the bridge. And now it was beyond chilly. It was cold , and snow coated the ground. Hat Kid felt something sinister here already, and it made her heart clench, and the ice erupting through the houses here made her sick. But she'd also felt something else. Familiar. 

So she braced the cold and ran deeper into it, sliding across the snow.

And a little dweller with sad green eyes had been watching her from the bridge. And then it flew away.

Chapter Text

Breaking all the ice blocking the path was a bit hard, but the dwellers there helped her with the cherry bombs. They all seemed sad, and reluctant, but she felt like they had no choice. 

Literally and figuratively, Hat Kid was starting to get cold feet. Maybe she couldn't handle it like she thought she'd be able to. Maybe she should have waited to see if the Subconites would fulfill their promise. But a stubborn part of her said that she'd made it this far, she might as well go through with it. That and the familiar feeling seemed closer. 

The girl reached the gates, broken though they were, and in the distance she could just barely see a large house. It radiated sinister energy, for a reason she didn't know, but it screamed shelter for her. 

Shelter from the blizzard and ice.

So she tried to find the front door, skipping around. Eventually, she did, passing statues, but found that the door was blocked by snow and thereby inaccessible. 

She didn't notice both statues coming to life behind her…

One of them hit her, and it was a flurry of pain that jolted through her. She was almost knocked down, wincing, and she turned around. Hat Kid loudly squealed at the statues and switched to her sprint hat and hightailed it away from them, albeit limping. The alien girl managed to find a safe spot far away from the house, but she was still freezing. 

And hurt. 

She definitely couldn't handle this…

And suddenly there was a booming voice that echoed across the entire area. " WHO DARES ENTER THE GROUNDS OF MY MANOR?! "

She jolted, fell on her bottom and scooted away, scared to the bone. She watched the doors fly open, revealing the same entity on the signs. Extreme sinister energy radiated from the smoky figure. 

And what's more?

She had a time piece in her talons.

Hat Kid's heart started beating a little faster as she sat there, now scared completely stiff, her blue eyes wide. She tried to get up, but her injured leg gave out on her as the entity moved closer ever so slowly. 

This was.. probably how she'd die…

The little dweller reached the tree home soon enough and started frantically nuzzling the vampire, who was thus shocked awake. Eins stared up at the dweller, confused. "What's happening?"

It twirled and pointed outside. " Kid jumped across bridge! couldn't stop! "

Vinny gasped, and got up swiftly, only to take a knee and grasp his belly, hissing lowly. Eins whined as they rushed over, and started rubbing at his back.

"I.. I gotta get her back…" the demon resolved, breathing through his teeth, and looked at the little green dweller, and then Eins. "I..I'll be back hopefully!"

And then he rushed away, using his superhuman speed. He jumped the bridge and raced through the path that was once protected. 

========

" You are going to pay for disrupting me, " the tall and dark entity wearing a just as dark crown kept moving even closer. Hat Kid scooted all around, trying her best to avoid her, tears in her eyes. The wait was agonizing even still with how slowly the dark lady was moving. 

Very soon, the entity pounced for Hat Kid, and the latter braced herself.

But it was an attack that never came. An explosion of a fireball brought Hat Kid's attention back to current life, and the entity was sent flying back. 

As her head whipped around for the source of the fireball, she saw someone who surprised her. The vampire from earlier. Vinny.

He knelt, panting and taking shallow breaths, trying to pretend the sheer cold wasn't getting to him. But soon he crafted a temporary fire bracelet and donned it, and soon did the same for Hat Kid, scooting closer to her. 

"V..Vinny.." the girl sounded so small now, as the fire bracelet was tightened around her wrist.

"It...it's okay… I..I'm here now…" he replied, and soon let out a low hiss, clutching his belly again. He could hear her heartbeat again, and it was louder than ever. He needed it. World was spinning and going foggy…

"Vinny?" the girl cried out.

The vampire rubbed at his head and swallowed some saliva, not that it really helped. "I…"

" I WILL END YOU FOR THAT!!! " the evil Queen bellowed, and Vinny winced, his enhanced hearing making his head hurt even more. But at least he was brought back from the brink once more.

As Hat Kid tried to hide under her hat, he looked over, and saw Vanessa had summoned two ice swords and was flying right at them!

Vinny conjured a fire sword of his own and went to block the attack. He winced as soon as it connected with his sword. So many things were happening at once - Hat Kid's  heartbeat, Vanessa, the cold, his hunger - that he could barely focus. His silver eyes flickered as he shuddered, steadily melting the ice swords with his flame. 

But just when he thought he was done, an icicle shot point-blank into his abdomen. He cried out, and reached for Vanessa's head, hand on fire. Soon it made contact and the tyrant was sent flying and screaming back into the manor's entrance, leaving the time piece behind.

Vinny looked to Hat Kid, and realized she'd gotten hurt. So he, using most of his strength, conjured a healing ring and focused it on her leg. He took shuddering breaths, clutching at the wound, world spinning. The girl's injury soon healed, and Hat Kid blinked up at the vampire. 

He merely smiled at her, tiredly, apologetically. And that's when Hat Kid fully realized that he had a golden heart. He looked to the manor, and nodded, still shuddering. "G..go lock the doors, kiddo…"

"But what about you?" Hat Kid protested.

"I… I'll be fine…" he still remained smiling, trying his hardest not to succumb to his hunger. "We don't need Vanessa g..getting out again…"

Oh right. So she ran the distance, making sure to avoid the statues, and shut the doors and locked them.

And then she sighed. This was all her fault. She dejectedly walked her way back to Vinny, and found he had passed out. So she picked up the time piece, stowed it away, and then picked the man up. Surprisingly, he was almost as light as a feather. 

And then, back to the tree home they went.

Chapter Text

The trip back to the tree home was uneventful. At least, Hat Kid thought it was, but she'd run so fast she hadn't noticed anyone. Blood seeped from Vinny's abdomen wound, staining her clothes, but she hardly cared. She just wanted to help. Especially since this was her fault in the first place. 

She entered the tree home soon enough, heading upstairs in a blur and ignoring Eins and the little dweller. They were the farthest from her mind right now. 

She lay Vinny on his bed, and bit her lip before she headed downstairs again, to the kitchen and then to the bathroom. She grabbed treatment and gauze from the medicine cabinet, and promptly returned to the vampire, only to freeze in place at the top of the stairs. 

He was awake, and sitting up, head bowed. His bangs shadowed his eyes. Hat Kid bit her lip, and came closer. "Vinny..?"

The demon eventually let loose a low hiss, exposing his frightfully large fangs again. Other than hunger, it was filled with pain, which struck Hat Kid's heart and filled it with guilt. 

"D..don't worry. I'm.. I'm here.." she stepped closer, and Vinny glanced at her before scooting away, scared silver eyes peeping out from under his hair at her now. He was afraid of losing it and hurting her. That heartbeat.. so tantalizing…it wouldn't stop thudding in his head… and the wound wouldn't stop throbbing.

Shudders gripped his shoulders, and short, shallow breaths escaped him, and his silver gaze fell briefly to Hat Kid's neck. She saw it, and immediately knew what she had to do. 

She set the medical supplies down, and hopped into bed, sitting next to the wounded, hungry vampire. "Wh..what are you…?"

"Y..you're hungry, right?" the brunette asked, pursing her lips as she shakily raised her hands to her collar. Truth be told, she was scared, out of her mind. She was offering herself to an extremely hungry vampire, and she didn't know if she'd come out of it alive. But she needed to make amends somehow. She wanted to help him feel better.

"Y..yes.. e..extremely.. b..but I.." Vinny stammered, shaking even more now that she was closer. "I can't…" he shut his eyes tightly, trying to keep control.

"Vinny… please.. you getting hurt was my fault and I want to fix it.." she pleaded.

He didn't budge, trembling. He took deep, shaky breaths as he opened his eyes and looked at her again, terrified. "A..are you..?"

"Sure? I'm positive," and with that she pulled down her collar, revealing her neck. "Just…" she took a breath, "be gentle and.. take what you need.."

Vinny jolted, eyes widening upon seeing her exposed neck. He could see her veins… 

He hissed lowly, reminded of the time he drained that dying Express Owl. This wouldn't end up like that time.. would it? he wanted to say no again, so badly. But he needed this, so badly. Licking his lips, he grasped her shoulders gently, prompting a small squeak from the alien girl. 

Vinny.. this is a kid… his rational thoughts cropped up to talk him out of it. So he just.. stared, trembling. 

Hat Kid stopped bracing herself and opened her eyes, eventually looking up into his. "It's okay…"

"I…" his lips quivered. He needed more reassurance. 

"I'll be fine as long as you're careful, okay?" the hatted girl offered, smiling. Hiding the fact that she was scared out of her mind.

Take what you need… be careful… he mused in his aching and swirling head, the thoughts just barely taking hold. With a nod, he positioned himself, tilted and lowered his head and opened his mouth, fangs hovering over her flesh. Hat Kid shut her eyes again, bracing herself. That was when she felt those fangs softly puncture her neck, and she let out a little gasp, raising her hands to grasp his arms. It hurt, but it'd be okay, right?

They settled into her jugular, and Vinny started to drink, holding her steady by the shoulders. It felt nice, finally feeding after more than a hundred years. The girl held back whimpers as she felt her own blood being drunk. Gotta stay strong. 

The demon continued to feed, slowly and gently, his mind becoming a little bit clearer with each pull. And Hat Kid felt a little bit weaker, eyes still shut. 

And it seemed that as soon as he started, it ended just as quickly, the vampire softly withdrawing his bloody fangs from her neck, leaving behind puncture wounds. He panted, licking his lips and fangs. 

That.. that felt so good… Vinny  sighed with relief, wiping away the blood he couldn't lick off with his sleeve. And his wound had started healing during the feeding. He may have been hungry still, but at least he didn't feel like he'd lose control any second. 

The demon removed a claw from Hat Kid's shoulder and rubbed at his head, gaining his senses back. And that's when he realized, his eyes widening. Oh Cod…

He looked down at Hat Kid. The girl seemed unresponsive, and a bit paler. Did he..?

No, no.. he.. he sniffled, and carefully examined her. There didn't seem to be a struggle. Which means she willingly gave herself up. "Oh, kiddo…"

But he wasn't done yet. Ignoring the unsightly holes in her neck the best he could, he gently gripped her wrist and checked her pulse.

She had one. It was slow, but she definitely had one. Sighing with relief, Vinny let her lay on the bed fully and got up, shaking a bit. He saw some medical supplies, not questioning how they got there, and grabbed them, applying some healing magic before he began treating those puncture marks. 

Soon, there was a big gauze on one side of her neck, with a bandaid preoccupying the other. Just a terrible reminder of what he'd done. 

With that done, he let her be, backing up slowly, and headed downstairs to cook something for her to eat. She would need it.

Chapter Text

Hat Kid stayed unconscious for quite some time, but it was enough time for Vinny to make a hearty dinner. It felt strange not shaking all the time and not feeling the world spin and go foggy, but it was a relief he would accept again. 

The demon sighed. Too bad he had to feed on her to achieve it…

He frowned, watching the large, chunky meat, baked potatoes and onions simmer together. The scent attracted both Eins and the little dweller up into the kitchen, as they had been too busy scrutinizing what had happened to investigate. 

They saw that his shirt was torn, exposing his still healing abdomen, and Eins gasped. "What happened, Boss?!"

Vinny yelped slightly, as he had still been trapped in thought and staring at the stairs to the bedroom. He glanced at Eins. "Oh.. I rescued the kid from Vanessa, right outside.." he placed a hand on the scab. He should have wrapped that up. And he must have said that a little too casually, because the little dweller started twirling frantically and Eins outright shouted.

"What?! she was outside the manor?!" 

The demon realized how bad that sounded now with a grimace. "Yeah.. but everything's okay now! she's upstairs…" he didn't want to tell them that he fed on her. His gaze fell, as he still felt guilty.

Eins noticed, while the dweller shot upstairs to check on Hat Kid, and crossed their arms. "Boss, what did you do?"

The vampire didn't answer for a while, trembling. 

"I.. I bit her.." he in the end mumbled sadly, silver eyes staring into space. The vessel didn't react much, just listened. "I.. I was hurt.. and.. I wasn't quite in my right mind.. sh..she offered herself to me.." He gulped and rubbed at his head again, attention brought to the alien's blood circulating through his veins. 

"But you didn't drain her?" Eins asked. They got a shake of the head. "You're a good person, Boss."

"Wish I could tell myself the same.." the demon replied softly, turning off the fire and preparing Hat Kid's plate. Eins forlornly watched as Vinny placed the plate on a tray and started upstairs with it, before they followed as well.

The little dweller nuzzled Hat Kid's slightly pale face, trying to wake her up. It whined when she didn't and remained unresponsive. Vinny reached the top of the stairs and settled the tray on the bed she occupied. 

" Why she not wake up..? " the dweller asked. Eins took their place on the other bed, sitting and waiting.

"She needs rest, kid.." Vinny gulped as he also took a seat next to Eins. "She'll come to soon.." Hopefully. Hopefully she hadn't fallen into a coma instead.

Soon enough, Hat Kid woke up, slightly less pale than before, and upon seeing the food on her lap, her eyes went extremely wide. She quickly sat up and promptly felt the world spin. "Ugh…"

"Careful…" a gentle voice reached her ears, and she almost immediately knew whose it was. 

Turning her head slightly, she noticed Vinny and Eins and a little dweller on the other bed. She smiled for a moment, before she winced and raised a hand to her head. "Uhf.. I feel terrible.."

"Sorry, kiddo…" the demon apologized sincerely, gulping slightly.

"It's fine. I wanted you to," she groggily replied, before she turned her attention to the nicely prepared meal. Using the utensils as best as she could, she started to eat. And then she started eating a bit faster because it was good and she was hungry and needed to replenish the lost blood. 

She wanted you to .. why was that so hard to get into his head? he didn't know. Maybe it was just really hard to believe. 

"Thanks.." the man sighed, running a purple mottled claw through his hair. Hat Kid didn't answer, mouth full.

Eins patted Vinny's back, while the dweller nuzzled his cheek. For a moment, everything seemed okay. 

Until the girl brought up a hard question. "So.. who exactly is Vanessa?" 

The demon bit his lip, not expecting this question, and wiped off the ensuing blood. The vessel patted Vinny even more, while the dweller yelped and fled. It'd had enough reminders of Vanessa for one day. 

"Uhh.. I.." he scratched his head, trying to figure out how to put this. "She's the last Queen of Subcon.. and.. my ex-girlfriend.." he mumbled the last part, but she heard it anyway and nearly choked on and spewed out her food.

"Really?! that old hag?!" Hat Kid stared wide-eyed at Vinny. 

Eins couldn't help snickering, and took this time to excuse themself, heading downstairs. The demon too huffed out a laugh, however awkward. "Well, she wasn't always one.." 

Vinny looked uncomfortable, the thoughts and flashbacks already coming in. He took a breath and shook his head to clear them away. "And.. wasn't the best.." he looked away. "I can't believe I loved her like I did.." His gaze fell upon his shackles.

"Oh.. I'm sorry, Vinny.." the alien girl frowned with concern. 

"Don't be, I.. I should be the sorry one," he pursed his lips, running another claw through his hair. 

"Um, okay.. but you shouldn't be," Hat Kid left it at that, leaving Vinny to think as she ate more. Color gradually returned to her complexion, and she could feel her neck slowly healing. Soon, she spoke again, "I read books about your kind."

"..you have?" the demon asked, tilting his head. 

"Yep.." she again left it at that, not wanting to say what she'd found. Vinny was confused. What did she find? 

But he decided not to pry, and looked down at his torn shirt. He really should fix that. After he was sure Hat Kid wasn't looking and wouldn't look, however. 

Hat Kid was almost done with her meal when she asked, "Is your abdomen okay?" 

"Yeah, it's almost healed," the vampire smiled. "Thanks for asking.." he clutched at the hem of his shirt. "Um, I'm gonna need you to not look for a moment, okay, kid?"

He needed to be here to keep an eye on her, after all. Hat Kid just chuckled, "Alright, Vinny."

He took off his shawl, before he realized his shackles would be in the way of removing his shirt. The demon sighed as he gripped at them. Just another reminder.

He put his shawl on again, and decided to just repair his shirt while it was still on. Using magic, he placed a glowing claw on the torn cloth, and watched as it repaired itself. He shuddered, hissing softly as his hunger slightly reared its ugly head again. 

"You okay?" a voice broke through his thoughts, and he looked up at her. She was looking at him, albeit strained and awkward because of the gauze on her neck. 

"I'm fine," he was finally able to say. His hunger was the least of his worries now. And then he grinned playfully. "Didn't I tell you not to look?"

"I don't think you'd have anything to reveal under that shirt, honestly," was her giggling response.

Vincent just stared, until he shook his head with a soft chuckle. Fair. Though he wondered if Hat Kid was suffering from a sort of confusion due to blood loss.

She turned back and continued to eat, and the vampire waited silently, tugging at his shawl a bit. 

It was a while before Hat Kid spoke again. "I'm sorry."

His ears perked slightly, and he looked up at her, concern in his eyes. 

"I should have waited for you and the Subconites.. instead I went off on my own and endangered myself.. and you.."

He clutched at his now healed abdomen, sniffling. 

"I should have listened to all of you," she was crying, tears falling from her eyes. "It's all my fault.."

Vinny stared at her, pursing his lips. And sighed. "No, kiddo.. it's not really your fault.. it's Vanessa's.."

She listened, and waited.

"She's the reason our forest is so deadly," the demon sadly revealed, and Hat Kid gasped a bit. "The reason the other village is so cold and icy. She destroyed everything.."

Hat Kid took all this in, eyes wide. Listening intently, her breath caught in her throat. 

"Had you lost your time pieces before she did, I would have happily allowed you to roam. And.. neither of us should be the sorry one," the vampire finished, with a small smile.

"But I still didn't wait," Hat Kid wasn't letting that go. "So I should get partial blame for getting us hurt."

Vinny thought on her suggestion, and nodded with a so-so gesture. "Fair." He then leaned over and wiped her tears away, and she smiled. 

"You're a good person, Vinny.."

That was the same thing Eins said. Only now? he knew in his heart that they were both right. "Yeah.. thanks, kid.."

Chapter Text

After a few hours of rest, Hat Kid was ready to tackle the day again. However, she stayed in the tree home, sitting on Vinny’s ottoman and humming to herself. In her hands she cradled the time piece Vanessa once held. With this, she could perhaps.. rewind time for everyone here. But that would screw up the timeline. She sighed, and looked out the back door. 

She knew the Subconites had been and were working hard to get her time pieces back for her. Something they didn't have to do. Especially because she caused their boss to get hurt. But Vincent… 

He forgave me. And is helping me anyway. The hatted alien child smiled, though sadly. It isn't even repaying a favor. He wanted to help before. I should have let him.

Her smile faded, and she sighed again, curling up against the heat of the fuel in her hands. Bored. Guilty. She wanted to do something. She wanted to make it up to them again. But what?

Just then, a vessel popped their head in the back door hole and waved. Hat Kid waved back, forcing the smile back on her face. 

"Glad you're alright, kid! a lot of us were worried about you," they said, a smile in their tone. 

"Really?" the alien girl seemed surprised, both eyebrows quirked. 

"Yeah, some of us saw you running from the bridge, carrying Boss," they expanded, stepping inside. "And then Eins told us the scoop."

The hatted girl furrowed her brow, thinking. But Drei was the first one she saw. Which one was anyone again? they all looked alike. "Was Eins the one who gave me my umbrella?" she ended up asking.

They nodded. 

"Oh. Are you Drei?" she inquired.

"Zwei. Call me Zwei," the Subconite corrected, offering their hand. 

Hesitating only slightly, she let one of her hands fall from the time piece she held and take the Subconite's with a smile. Zwei subjected her then to a very vigorous handshake, so vigorous that it left Hat Kid vibrating when it was over. "Woah…"

"I understand it's confusing! we look alike after all!" the vessel laughed.

Huh. She never would have guessed..

Zwei let go soon enough, and tilted their head. "Would you like a nice stroll through the village?" 

As much as she wanted to say yes, she felt like she didn't belong there after what she did. She shut her eyes, wrapping her arms around the time piece again and shaking her head.

"No? why?" there was a worried tone now, especially in regards to her actions. 

"I caused your boss to get hurt," she mumbled. 

Zwei sighed, as if they'd had to tell others before. Hat Kid opened her eyes to look, raising a brow. "Listen, kid. Our boss jumped into the fray without question. While you did cause the whole thing, he stuck his neck out to save you anyway. He didn't have to. But he did, because he cares." 

Well, at least Zwei didn't try to lie and say it wasn't her fault. She appreciated that, despite how much it hurt. Hat Kid smiled. "Thanks, Zwei."

"No problem!" they chirped. 

The alien girl glanced down at her time piece. She still wanted to make it up to them. Beyond feeding their boss that one time, anyway. She sighed, taking a hand and feeling at the new bandages. 

"What's up, kid?" the Subconite tilted their head. 

"I'm fine. Just thinking," she pursed her lips, and then put away her time piece. She looked back up at them, concocting an idea. Maybe she'd figure out what to do during the tour? it was worth a shot. “Okay, I’ll come with.”

Zwei seemed to grin and held a hand out for hers. Hat Kid hesitated for a moment before she took the hand, and the Subconite led her out of the tree home and down the path to the village, talking up a storm.

She kept her head down most of the time, still deep in thought. She wondered what she could do, unwittingly ignoring the vessel; thankfully, Zwei didn’t seem to mind. Eventually, they reached the village. “We’re here!”

The village was.. as lively as usual, but Hat Kid only seemed to see how dead it was. And even though they didn’t seem to mind it, it still bothered her. She sighed. Zwei glanced at her and looked down. “Time wasn’t kind to us. But at least.. at least we..” they shook their head. “At least we have each other in this twisted timeline. That’s what matters, I think.”

“If you say so,” the alien muttered. That didn’t help but she appreciated the sentiment. 

They walked deeper into the village, Zwei continuing to show her around, and soon they reached the fire pit / park. And Vinny was there, sitting cross-legged with his claw against his cheek. But something seemed to bother him, with how his brow was furrowed and his elven ears were drooping. 

“Hey, Boss!” Zwei waved as they approached, and Hat Kid finally smiled. 

“Hi, Vinny.”

The vampire soon looked up at them, startled as his ears perked up and eyes widened. “Oh, hey, Zwei! kiddo!” he relaxed and smiled. “How are ya feeling?”

“Better to be honest,” the child replied, sitting beside him. “I’m hoping I can get to have these bandages removed soon.” They really restricted neck movement. 

“Hmm..” the demon pursed his lips, gazing at her for a moment. He was unsure how to go about checking. Zwei stood there, scratching their hood a moment, and Hat Kid felt the atmosphere become awkward. Eventually, Vinny smiled a bit and opted for a contactless way to check; he made a circle with his finger and with it he gently removed some of the bandages, checking to see if the wounds had healed.  

And they had, if only slightly. They weren’t as unsightly as before, having closed a fair amount, but they still needed to be wrapped up. He hummed again and applied more healing magic on the wounds and replaced the bandages. Hat Kid pouted. “Not ready yet?”

He shook his head, ears drooping. “Sorry, kiddo..” it was obvious he still felt bad for feeding on her. 

“It’s alright,” the girl smiled. And Vinny eventually smiled back, even though it was a little weakly. 

Zwei let this moment stew for a while before they cleared their throat and got their attention. “So.. uh.. Boss.. what’s gotten you worked up?”

“Pardon?” Vinny wasn’t quite sure what the Subconite was referring to. He rubbed his chin and raised an eyebrow. 

“We saw you thinking really hard about something before we arrived,” Hat Kid proffered. 

..was he really that easy to read? he frowned, and then sighed, shifting in his seat. “It’s not really a very huge deal,” Vinny began, “but the well..” and then he ruffled his hair.

“There’s a well?” Hat Kid’s blue eyes widened, and the man had to refrain from chuckling. A small huff of one escaped his lips instead.

“Yeah.. it.. got clogged one day,” he looked down at the ground, ears drooping again. “I uh.. I’ve been too busy to fix it..”

The alien girl suddenly had a Eureka moment. Her eyes still wide, she mentally pieced together a plan. “Oh! that.. actually does sound like a big deal.. how come?” she frowned then, tilting her head a tad bit. 

Zwei wandered away a little, partially leaving the two alone to talk. Vinny sighed again, running a hand through his hair. “Not sure how it got clogged,—figured the curse Vanessa put on this place had something to do with it though—but if you’re asking why I’ve been too busy to fix it.. well..” He placed his other claw on his belly, and she connected the dots really quickly. “That and I had to care for this forest and lead those who lost their way out of it. This forest is..” he gestured around, “huge, kiddo. There’s so much to do.. and the others can only do so much..”

His always sorrowful silver eyes seemed even sadder now. Hat Kid couldn’t just not help. Not after he helped her. But there was no way she’d let him know she was going to unclog their well. She’d only be stopped. 

Though.. maybe she’d let her wounds heal first before she set off to do that.