cold steel coffin | open

[extirpator]

Who: Nier and you!
When: February
Where: Aefenglom + the outer city
What: Open log + catchall, closed prompts go here
Warnings: Animal death in one of the prompts under the cut


a.

[ there are folks here, weathered and worn by horrors he hadn’t witnessed — some semblance of justice had been served with the execution that had taken place days prior, but none of this had taken precedence in his mind. he was a dead man from a ghost of a world, and everything about this one had been foreign to him.

still.

it wasn’t right.

there are others, too. struggling newcomers no different from himself.

it’s why if he sees you struggling, be it from a slowness, a skittishness, injuries of any kind, he helps without question. it could be a box of dropped goods, a blatant lack of food, some form of patent anxiety. either way, he extends a hand, either to help you lift your goods or offer you a warm loaf of bread — or maybe it’s an opaque, white flower. regardless... ]

Are you alright?

b. (cw: animal death)

[ once he gets over this whole “night” thing existing in this realm, he realizes it’s optimal hunting hours for a vampire. the air is still — near perfectly still. it’s on the fringes of the city, teasing the divide between the border and the wilderness that stretches beyond the walls.

his greatsword is stained with something black; it’s almost tar-like in its appearance. but even more remarkable is the crude splatter of crimson blooming across his chest. it’s marks his face as well – and lo and behold, the half eaten cadaver of an animal dangling from the palm of his hand seems to explain just about everything.

also, he isn’t wearing a shirt?? whoops.

this is awkward.

anyways. ]

...Hey.

[ um. sorry?? ]

Comments

[lucubrates]

[ He doesn't finish his sentence and she won't pry. Truthfully, she isn't sure she's ready to hear how long he has been doing this. The thought that crosses her mind is that he can't be much older than her, and then she finds herself thinking he can't have been that old when he started.

Which is alarming to consider, but not for the reasons she thinks she should be frightened.

She pauses and prods at her eggs. ]

I would like to repay your kindness. If you've need for blood... I shall trust you not to kill me and offer it. My only condition is you permit me to take record of it, for my personal archive and any future research.

[ Did she just offer that? ... Yeah. She takes a mouthful of the eggs to look busy above all else, but it is also partly an apology. He truly did not hurt her, and he saved her life. It is the least she can do... especially to ensure he doesn't eat something diseased. ]

[extirpator]

[ well, it is certainly not what he expects to hear on this fine morning. he blinks, processing exactly what she’s said at first. and then his eyes darken, lips thinning into a line. ]

You need to think about what you’re saying. Neither of us know how my bites would affect other people. If I need to have a first, I don’t want it to be you if something does happen.

[ the notebook is shut with the flicker of his fingers, and his eyes are cast downwards. ]

You asked if it hurt. What’ll you do if it does? Or if it makes you sick?

[lucubrates]

I am not a child.

[ So THERE. ]

If it bothers you so, I shall do some research on this topic and report back. But perhaps we can set up a system— for example, taking blood through a syringe... There is more than one way to drink, surely.

[extirpator]

...

[ if she’s this insistent on it then you know what? sure, whatever. ]

Give me your hand.

[lucubrates]

[ A strange request, but she abides all the same. Zelda offers Nier her hand, raising it as if she expects him to kiss the back of it. ]

[extirpator]

[ god this girl is stupid.

his fingers winds around the base of her hand, and he guides it towards his mouth, the movement being as slow as molasses in case she wanted to stop.

and then two pearl white fangs unfurl.

you still got time to back out, sister. the way he’s lingering is a telltale sign of that. ]

[lucubrates]

[ He is going slow to measure her up, she thinks. Trying to see if she will back down, or catch a fright. The only think Zelda does is push her plate aside to ensure nothing happens to it; she is still planning to eat those pancakes.

Once they've been shifted to the side, she nods once, and curtly.

It can't be worse than getting your blood drawn, right? It's like donating plasma. ]

[extirpator]

[ well, alright then.

when he brings her hand to his mouth, he sniffs, his mannerisms more wolfish than they were elegant; there's a widening of the eyes before his teeth graze along her skin.

if she wanted to pull away, she could. he'd already extended that offer, even it had been a silent one. so his canines puncture her hand and plunge, and he draws her blood, mouth enclosed around her skin.

his ears perk. it's as sweet as he thought it would be. the warmth trickles into his mouth, and he has enough self restraint to pull away after a brief moment. there's no denying the burst of energy that surges through him, or the vague sense of elation he still feels, but... ]

Um.

[ this is embarassing. note to self: stick to animals. ]

Are you alright?

[lucubrates]

[ His fangs puncture the skin of her hand, blemishing it with his violence. It'll bruise, later, despite the surprisingly soft way he handles it. As his teeth sink into her flesh, Zelda feels a warmth blossom in her stomach that she's unfamiliar with; contentment? She has no idea. Perhaps it's relief, even, knowing that she's helping him. It makes her feel a little less useless, even if right now she might as well be an oversized blood bag. She catches herself take in a shudder breath at the cool rush of blood being pulled out of her body, not quite like adrenaline but something altogether new and different.

He finishes. Zelda pulls her back and uses her thumb to wipe away the excess that's leaked out. Saliva and blood mingle warmly. ]

...There you are.

[ Strangely, she finds herself thinking she could adjust to the feeling easily. ]

I am quite alright. I barely felt a prick, Nier. It was not so bad as you seemed to make it out to be, I believe.

[ In fact... no, why is she considering offering again? The heat that had flooded her had been so curious, and she almost wants to chase it. How odd. ]