Chapter Text
It. Fucking. Hurt.
Everything hurt.
Fucking ritual. Fucking patrons.
She staggered through the street, breathing only to try and ground herself. To focus on something else.
So.. hungry.
She needed to feed. She needed blood.
Then. There it was. Her saving grace.
A strong, beautiful heartbeat. Music to her ears.
The vampire couldn't contain her smile. Oh gods, she needed to sink her teeth into its skin- Needed to feel its pulse beating rapidly in fear against her tongue. Fear tasted so delicious.
Her sight was hazy, blurred, practically black and white before she honed in on movement. She heard its heartbeat skip. If she could see herself now in a more lucid state, she'd be horrified to be seen like this. Battered and bloody, grinning like a madman at the prospect of fresh blood.
If she had the energy, she'd have pounced on her upcoming meal already, maybe as a flurry of bats for the extra surprise- But she was too weak for it. Lucky for her, the figure was standing still, something gnawing at her… Familiar maybe? The shape- The shape felt- Did she know it? Know them?
Does it matter?
Who cares about some fool late at night?
This was her feeding ground; humans were nothing, they were all just nothing but cattle. Cattle for her to slaughter, every beat of their heart calling to her, begging-
It said something- Sounded like she knew it- So muddled outside of its beating heart. Why's it talking to her? She kept stumbling forward, the distance closing. She could lunge. She should. They weren't moving.
Why is there hesitance? Why does she feel hesitation? She's so hungry. She needs to. Just. Fucking-
She was grabbed by the shoulders- It touched her- Also fucking hurt for crying out loud from her injuries. The pain granted a second of clarity as she blinked for a moment.
Big crimson glasses, shitty green sweater, craziest, most untamed red hair-
“Mina!”
She felt underwater, blurring lines.
Paige.
Food.
No, no- No, she can't. She can't kill Paige- She felt herself swaying, lightheaded, starving. She grabbed back onto the redhead, a timer in her head, her mad smile falling.
Humans are nothing. They're nothing but to feed off. She needs to feed, she has a human-
I don't want to hurt her.
“P…Paige…” The vampire's mouth was dry, so, so, so thirsty…. She could and couldn't see the other woman, voice in and out, torn between two worlds, two lives.
“I-I got you, Mina, I got you- Just hang in there, I-” Uuggghhhhh, her fucking heartbeat. Mina kept opening and closing her mouth, a mix between fighting for words and just. Fuck, she was so close. It would be so easy to bite, doesn't have to be her neck, any skin, her face, just bite something- She won't stop if she starts.
“Nn..nnno..no…I… I don't…wanna hurt… Pl-Please…g..go…” Has she ever said please to her before? She can't remember. The other seemed to pause. Mina couldn't read her expression, couldn't care. She could lean in, bite her, just a taste- It was taking everything in the vampire to not dig her claws into Paige, practically shaking from the effort to stay standing and trying to not tear apart the woman in front of her.
“Godsdamnit, Mina-” Her lips kept moving, but she couldn't hear her. It was like the telltale heart, the sound of her heartbeat driving the vampire mad- But her adrenaline and consciousness were wearing too thin, her grip slipping on the biblomancer as now she couldn't hear Paige's heart either anymore, as her vision grew fuzzy.
So tired… Shit, she's too tired to even eat now, struggling to open her eyes, the timer in her head having run out.
At least she didn't really feel anything as she collapsed, but she also didn't even hear Paige crying out, or feel her catching the vampire before she could fully hit the ground.