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Legundo was so tired. He had spent the last three or so days getting barely any sleep due to his almost constant work on a cure. Everything seemed to be so stressful right now. The members of the townsfolk were dwindling and people were constantly being injured. He also had died three times in the last few days, which was very disorienting. He had never believed he would come back from death, but the magic surrounding Oakhurst kept his soul tethered to the earth for the time being.
It felt eerily similar to when he got his scar. Legs couldn’t see anything due to the blood that was seeping into his eye, yet his commander just tied a dirty cloth over it and told him to get back out on the field. It had ended up getting infected, to the surprise of no one, but he still fought with it until he physically couldn’t pick himself up from the ground. It eventually healed, infection and all. That in itself was a miracle with how decrepit the area around them was.
Legundo leaned forward onto his desk. Now wasn’t the time to get lost in thoughts of… that. He closed his eyes for a moment and just counted his breaths. It helped him to ground himself in the moment. With his eyes still closed, he carefully felt around his desk, taking in the different textures of wood, metal, glass, and paper. As he opened his eyes, he noticed he had accidentally pushed one of the attempted cures close to the edge.
Legs jolted to try and grab it, but it fell with a loud crash and left the liquid seeping into the floor. Legundo groaned and picked up the large glass pieces that were there before sweeping away the smaller shards. After that, he grabbed a towel from one of his drawers and started to sop up the mixture. One of the smaller glass shards had pricked him, but it was so small that it would probably stop bleeding by just pressing a cotton ball into it.
Once his floor was thoroughly cleaned, Legs fell onto his bed. He felt too exhausted to do anything else, and sleep would do him good. The doctor decided not to bother with changing and let his eyes close. Upon entering the world of slumber, Legs’s mind conjured images of chasing birds and exploring forests. A much more juvenile dream than the doctor normally had, but he preferred it over images of his past.
—
Pearl honestly preferred the night watch over the morning shift. The night was quiet, and she got to indulge sometimes in playful banter with the vampires that attempted to sneak it. It was honestly fun to catch them over and over trying to slip past her. Pearl had keen senses, so nothing could ever get past her. Well, she thought so.
As she was watching over the wall she felt like something was behind her. Turning around, there was a cat. It had short, mottled fur that was gray and light brown. It had a scar running across its little face, reaching between its eyes. The eye that the scar started near was slightly milky. If she were to guess, Pearl would assume that it was going blind in that eye.
“Oh, hello there!” Pearl smiled. She reached her hand out to the small feline, which gladly pressed its face into her hand, purring as it rubbed against her fingers. She giggled, “You’re awfully friendly for something that probably lives in the woods. Were you someone’s pet?”
She knew the cat wouldn’t respond, but it was fun to talk anyway. The last few nights had been very uneventful, so having a little visitor was very welcome. By its looks, she would assume it was a stray, but its friendliness wasn’t something that most strays had. It was a peculiar little thing.
“I’ve got to get back to watch duty, but it was nice to meet you,” Pearl said. The cat just blinked at her before jumping down the platform she was standing on without any effort. “It must be nice to have reflexes like that,” she thought. Pearl glanced down for a moment, noticing it trot away towards the little barn they had.
–
Ren was woken up from his, admittedly fitful, sleep by the sound of distressed chickens. He immediately sprung up from his bed and grabbed his sword and shield that laid by the door. He stormed into the barn looking around for any signs of vampires that decided to gnaw on their livestock.
“Don’t ‘cha know that you’re not welcome here?” Ren asked. There was no one seemingly there, but he knew the vampires were crafty and could turn invisible at a moment's notice. As Ren scanned the room for anything off, footprints, moved lanterns, and the like, he noticed the dead body of one of the chickens had been dragged off into the corner.
He carefully stepped closer, shield at the ready. Ren swiped at the air a few times with his sword just to check nothing was there. He glanced behind himself wearily. Maybe he had scared off the vampire? Ren went to check on the other chickens, still clucking in distress. When he approached, he noticed a furry clump in the corner.
He grabbed onto it tightly. Ren’s eyes widened in surprise as the form of a cat tried to wriggle out of his hand. “Heh. Ye had me frightened, don’t ‘cha know? I thought ye were one of those nasty vampires looking for a snack.” He let the cat down gently on the ground. He assumed it came from the woods due to the scar on its face and the dirt on its fur.
“I know ye are probably hungry, so I’ll let it slide this time. Don’t be coming ‘round again biting at our chickens, ye hear me?” Ren said to the cat. He watched as it took a few chunks out of the chicken, chewing each bit of meat with its tiny, sharp teeth. The cat seemed to flinch while it chewed, almost like it didn’t like the taste. He thought that it was odd, for as far as he knew, cats were carnivores. Maybe it just wasn’t used to having such a big meal after the vampires came around and slaughtered most of the animals roaming the forest.
The cat turned to face him, meowing contentedly. Ren just smiled and raised his hand in a small wave before heading off back to his house. With all of the stress building up recently, he was glad that the midnight visitor was just a ball of fur and not a bloodthirsty monster. After Ren settled back into bed, he found himself falling into a deep sleep for the first time in a while. Maybe a small distraction was just what he needed.
–
Shelby was having a wonderful night. She had decided to spend most of her time in her bat form, just exploring places with a new point of view. It was interesting to be able to fit into little nooks and crannies that she wouldn’t have been able to explore before. Plus, she got to see what the animals that roamed the forest saw when they were roaming around. It also helped to keep her mind off of the recent… events.
Everything that happened seemed to keep everyone on edge, even Shelby herself, so this was a well-needed distraction. She decided to sit perched in a tree for a bit. From her vantage point, she could see how all of the different plants in the forest moved with the breeze. She also could see how different animals interacted with the world around them when there was no seen presence.
She was so enamored, in fact, that she did not notice the large shape sneaking up behind her. A large weight pounced onto her back. Startled, Shelby shifted back into her vampire form. When she looked up, she saw a cat on her chest. Immediately, the cat scrambled away, puffing up its fur and arching its back to try and intimidate her.
Shelby then said, “Hey, buddy. I know I scared you, but I don’t mean any harm.” She held out her hand for the cat, who, very slowly, approached her. After it got used to her scent, it still appeared weary. She knew that being a vampire didn’t bode well with animals, but she wasn’t going to hurt the poor thing! If anything, she’d love to take it home with her.
Plus, it was likely hurt or sick for being out in the woods for so long, so taking it back to the castle and getting it cleaned up would benefit the cat. The vampires had enough meat to spare, so they probably wouldn’t mind a new addition to their family. Shelby scooped up the cat with one swift motion, holding it in her arms like a baby. The cat wriggled around a bit, spooked by the sudden grab.
“Don’t worry, little guy,” Shelby smiled, “I’m gonna take you somewhere where you’ll be cared for.” With the cat secured, Shelby started making the trek back to the castle on foot. It took a while since the forest was huge, but she didn’t mind because she had a traveling buddy! The cat continued trying to wriggle away, but she kept it secure against her chest. Eventually, the cat tired out and just sat against her chest. It still made the occasional sound of discomfort, but the cat seemed to realize that Shelby wasn’t a threat.
When she finally arrived at the castle, Scott was the first to greet her. “How did your little expedition go?” he asked with a smirk.
Shelby held up the cat. “I found a friend!” she exclaimed happily. Scott’s smirk seemed to soften fondly. “Can we pleaseeeee keep him?” Her eyes sparkled with want as she made a small pout on her face.
Scott just chuckled softly. “Of course we can. Just let the others know he isn’t food.” Despite not showing it around others, Scott had a soft spot for some of the fledglings, Shelby especially. He turned around and walked back into the castle, likely going to lounge around for a bit. Shelby just smiled brightly and rushed inside after him.
Once she was sure that the doors were shut secure behind her, she let the cat down onto the ground. At first it seemed hesitant to explore, likely because it could tell how many vampires lived here, but eventually it started to wander around. Its paw pads could barely be detected on the hardwood floors. The cat jumped on to the main meeting/dining table and rubbed its head against some of the decorations on it.
-
Just then, Owen entered the room. “Who brought in a cat?” he grumbled. Shelby just smiled meekly and waved. “Of course it was you,” he said under his breath. The cat looked up at him and made a little “mrrp” sound. Owen just scoffed, but the cat padded over to him and sat down right in front of him. It looked up at him with wide, expectant eyes.
Owen was surprised to say the least. Most animals cowered from vampires, but this one seemed to want his attention. “Awwww, he likes you!” Shelby called out. Owen scowled at the cat. What kind of creature would have to be as senseless as this one to not be afraid of a vampire. He bared his fangs at it, hoping it would show some trepidation, but it just sat still.
The cat made another small meow. This one was almost hopeful, like it was hoping Owen would pet it. “No,” Owen muttered. The cat stood back up and crept closer. Owen just turned his back and left, hoping the cat would lose interest. He started walking to the ballroom, hoping for a drink from the fountain, when he heard the pitter-patter of small feet behind him. Upon turning, the cat was there, following him. Owen just sighed and continued about his daily activities.
The cat seemed to be a constant for him. It would follow him wherever he went, including the crypts. It was like this animal held no fear, which was odd. Owen finally decided to sit down in his “room,” he would never call this place home. His home was with Louis. He grabbed a book and started reading. The cat jumped up into his lap, and Owen, finally worn down, let it stay.
At least it wouldn’t ask any invasive questions or try to get him to do something. He spared a glance down at the cat every now and again. Its graying fur and scar across its face reminded Owen of the doctor in town. Owen’s expression soured at the thought. He shouldn’t be letting that idiotic human be taking up his thoughts after what he tried to do.
The cat perked up, noticing Owen’s discomfort. It pressed itself closer to him and started to let out soft purrs. Owen took a few deep breaths and focused on the present. He placed his book down on the table beside him. Then, he picked up the cat and placed it on the ground. Although vampires couldn’t sleep, they could enter a lethargic state similar to that of sleep.
Owen sat down on his bed, burying himself in his sheets. He needed to rest and be with his thoughts for a bit. Much to Owen’s delight, even though he would never admit it, the cat jumped up into the bed with him, curling up by his head. Owen closed his eyes and entered deep thought, but he was aware of how the cat’s breathing slowed as it fell asleep.
Owen only came out of his deep-thought state after feeling the weight on the bed grow. He opened his eyes to the sight of the doctor, lying peacefully asleep. Owen was startled for a moment, before deciding to close his eyes once more. And if Owen ended up wrapping his arms around the doctor and bringing him closer, well, that was only for Owen to know.