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The call to adventure had always sung in your blood. From the time you were very small, and your mother read you fantastical bedtime stories, through adolescence and the bullies and depression, and even now all you wanted to do was keep moving. It had been this way for over a hundred years, but to the untrained eye you still appeared in your mid 20s. You always knew magic existed, something in your bones knew, and you began travelling the world looking for the proof you knew was out there.
Tragically, you had barely gotten one foot out the door before the event that changed your life forever came crashing into you.
Literally.
You had lived in a small city all your life, so you decided your first stop was to go see what nature had to offer. You had worked so hard to save up the money to go on a proper camping trip and when you finally got the chance to visit Yellowstone you had leapt into action faster than you could even breathe . It was the night you had decided to camp at eagle peak that changed everything. There was a meteor shower, and nothing compared to the beauty of the night without any light pollution, you could look up into the sky and feel like you were falling into the... everything out there. It was during one of these moments of quiet reflection, eyes cast to the sky, that a falling star slammed into you from behind.
You woke up a week later, rising from the churned earth, your campsite a spiderweb of fading yellow tape. Your stuff was gone, only a few scraps of tent left behind. You were sore, bloodied, and covered in dirt as you wandered off the mountain and into the nearest ranger station.
The ranger was beyond spooked to say the least. He ushered you in, checked you for wounds, got you a blanket since your clothes were in tatters… But you were fine. Blood splattered across your face, hands, and back, but you there was no sign of skin ever being broken, save for the new star shaped scar that spanned across your entire back, the flesh pale and pink like a gave injury that had been healing for months - not days. And certainly not on the back of a corpse. Well, the ranger stopped you there and clarified, they never recovered your body. The rangers had been worried after the meteor shower and how close some recorded impact sited were to your camp that they went out the following morning to check on you to find everything you owned in tatters.
“Looked like a grenade went off,” the ranger had said to you. He’d been empathetic to your plight and suspiciously calm throughout the whole ordeal. He urged you to shower, and with fresh clothes provided from a mix of lost and found items and forest ranger's uniform, he sat you down, gave you a hot drink, and explained.
Strange things happened a lot in the state parks, people missing, strange sights and noises, things no one that worked there couldn't explain, but learned to co-exist with as much peace as thought possible. This was the first time anyone had gone “missing” and walked back out before, at least to his recollection. He explained that you had been declared dead, what little was left sent back to your home. Finally, with a somber look, he gave you a wad of cash, and told you to start over.
At first, it had been devastating. You didn't have much family, and no friends to speak of, but it was a life… your life… and now it was gone.
You took the money.
And you tried to go home anyway.
You got back on the day of your funeral, too awkward to step out of the shadows, too scared to make yourself known. The Ranger had been kind. Been patient with you. But what would they say? Would your parents still want their freak child, back from the dead? What would your brother think? You thought he’d probably just scream his head off.
No.
So you broke into what used to be your apartment, took a backpack and filled it with things you couldn't bear to part with, and you decided to see the states before you went to see the rest of the world. And just like that, your grand adventure begun‒
‒At least that was what it was supposed to be. The world was never very kind to the dreamers, somehow even less so when you were technically dead. But that's how you ended up in this little hole-in-the-wall town, waitressing and doing odd jobs, saving pennies to continue heading toward the border and eventually across after a few decades of seeing everything America had to offer.
It was on the road you met Tulip and the two of you became fast friends, much to your surprise. You liked her ingenuity and fighting spirit, and you decided to offer your help in getting her boyfriend back. When Tulip decided she’d be staying at Toadvine, a brothel, you politely declined and instead found sanctuary in the church alongside a particularly sketchy Irishman, but he was kind and funny, and you didn't have to share a room with him, so it never bothered you.
Over the following weeks you got to know all three of them, they were endearing. Most days, you would brainstorm with Tulip and get into all sorts of trouble, and return as quietly as possible to the church at night. But then you started picking up shifts here and there at the local diner, and suddenly you weren't as tuned in to everything with your new social circle. Things finally came to a head when you were having an awkward dinner with the lot of them and the local sheriff came in looking for his son. You noted indignantly how his eyes lingered between all of you, you were all outsiders save Emily in his eyes. You brushed off the anger that swelled in you as your eyes met his, you’d be out of this town soon enough.
But then Jesse went to escort the sheriff back to his car, and you and the two women watched as Cassidy sprung into action, anger etched into his own features. He grabbed a fire extinguisher and followed the preacher outside, hot on his tails. Confused, you stopped Tulip and tried to ask her what was happening, but she rushed past you only to freeze in the door frame.
Tulips hand flew to her mouth, and you guided her out of the way to see Cassidy enveloped in flames. The next few moments were a tornado of action. Jesse, after a moments' hesitation, grabbed the extinguisher and began dousing his friend in the white fog. You ran back inside and retrieved an old blanket to throw over him, and between the three of you, you managed to get his unconscious form into a car. You and Tulip got him into her uncle's house, but before much could be said, Tulip had run off to give her ex(?) an earful about how he treats his friends(?)
At this point you were beyond lost, but one of the things you were certain of was that you’d consider Cassidy a friend, and he was badly hurt. The two of you had put him on a bed, and after Tulip had left you retreated to the living room where you figured Cassidy would be passed out from his wounds for the next few hours. Surprisingly, he was up and calling for food within the hour. Tulips uncle, Walter, had some leftovers in the fridge which you reheated and attempted to bring to him only to have the door promptly slammed in your face.
“ No, ” he moaned from just beyond the door, “I need blood. ”
You scrunched your face up in confusion,
“Are you high on something right now??” you asked, it would explain why he set himself on fire out of the blue.
A dry, pained chuckle came from the other side, “not this time (lad/lass),” a pause “I’m a vampire. ” and then a moment later, quieter, “Just ask Tulip.”
You decided to follow his advice and call her up. She confirmed his story, and filled you in on all the things you missed,
“I just picked up something for him, I’ll be there in just a minute.” Tulip said on the other side of the line, “Just make sure he doesn't get any crispier, there’s a window in that room, and I’m worried he’ll try something stupid again.”
“Then why did we put him in that-” you managed to hiss out before Tulip hung up on you. You weren't sure what to feel. Pissed, sure, it always sucked to be the last one to know something, maybe tense would be a better word. This was your first vampire after all, and you weren't sure what to expect. Cassidy was shady as hell, but he was a stand-up guy, and you were confident he wouldn’t hurt you on purpose… right? You began pacing, hands on your head as the emotions warred about inside you, turbulent and fierce as a storm at sea. A jiggling doorknob caught your attention, and you turned in time to see Tulip returning with a sour expression and…
“That’s a dog.” You said incredulously.
“This is Brewski,” Tulip corrected you, “and he’s gonna fix Cass in there.”
“You can’t be serious,” you shook your head, “we’re just gonna… kill him?”
“ We’re not going to-” She gave you a sharp look motioning between the two of you, “Cassidy needs to eat something, this guy was homeless and miserable. The way I see it, we’re fixing two lives here.” Tulip shrugged nonchalantly.
You looked at Brewski helplessly, “Can't we‒ I mean‒ He hasn’t done anything wrong !”
“Lots of people die without doing anything wrong, darlin’.” Tulip reached down and stroked the dog's head, seemingly pleased she was winning the argument. This made you cave.
“Can’t we at least give him, like… a good last day or something? I mean, look at that face. Are you really gonna rescue this animal just to… do this?” You really didn't want to finish that sentence, you knew how thin walls could be and for all you knew Cass was listening, and you didn't want to hurt his feelings on top of everything else.
Tulip seemed to think on it for a moment and sighed, not so heartless after all. “Alright, but just until tonight.” You didn't mean to have such a relieved smile stretch across your face, but one did anyway, and Tulip let go of the leash containing the creature, which happily made its way over to you, tail wagging. You spent the day making Brewskis’ the best last day a dog could hope for, food right off the table, playtime with the ball, and belly scratches galore. For one whole day that dog was everything to you two; so when the sun set, and it was time to say goodbye, you found yourself a little emotional as Tulip led the dog through the doorway that held his certain doom. You shut your eyes and left before you might hear Brewskis final cries. You were sitting on the front steps when Tulip came out to join you.
“I’m sorry we had to do that,” she said after a moment.
“No, you were right. Cassidy needed that” you sighed.
A moment of silence
“Well, actually‒” Tulip began
You whipped your head to look at her, “that fixed things, right? ” You asked pointedly, “Cassidy is fine now, right?”
Tulip shook her head guiltily, “He says the dog didn't cut it, he needs… well, he says he needs people blood. Like, fresh.” Her eyes finally met yours, looking just as lost as you felt.
“What are we gonna do ?” You whispered, a million other things to say racing through your head.
She didn’t know you couldn’t die, she hadn’t told you Cass was a vampire, and quite frankly you weren't sure you should tell her you were also subhuman. Right now, it sounded like she was suggesting the two of you pick someone out to let Cass eat , and the thought had your stomach turning.
“I… I don't know” She admitted, “I need some time to think about what happens next.” she breathed out “I’m going to go back to the Toadvine, feel free to stay here if you want. Walter won't give you much trouble.”
You attempted a playful smile, “That’s a lot of trust for someone you barely know~”
“You just fought for a dog's right to a good last day, you’re harmless.” she shot back, and then a second later “I’m hurt you think we hardly know each other” Tulip placed one hand over her heart and feigned hurt, a coy smile playing at her lips. You rolled your eyes and stood up, dusting yourself off, and turned to head back inside as Tulip went her own way. At first, you tried making yourself comfortable, but the house was dead silent save for Cassidy's pleading for food. It made the night long and exhausting, but by the time dawn breached you had made up your mind. Cassidy had been quiet the last couple of hours, and found yourself surprisingly concerned things might have gotten worse through the night.
You gave the door a soft couple knocks, "Cass–"
"Go away," he moaned, "I told you what needs to happen. I'm better off locked in this room."
You cracked the door open just a peek and saw him curled up in the corner, the windows' sunlight dividing the room in two between you and him currently.
"Go away!" He said again, this time more forcefully, though he seemed to hardly look at you.
"Nah, I'm good." You said, feigning nonchalance as you crossed the room, hands in your pockets. You crouched down just a few feet away from him in the safety of the sunlight divider.
Cassidy had apparently had enough of this and rushed at you, stopping just shy of the sunlight that had already burned him once already.
You didn't flinch.
" What " he snarled, "come to see the vampire?" His words held venom, but you could see him look you over at your lack of response as you began rolling up one sleeve of your shirt.
"No," you sighed, "I came to help you, and share some truths."
"I'll kill you." He said, trying to hide how his mouth was already watering.
"You won't." You shot back as you fastened your sleeve to your upper arm using a clip you'd brought with you.
"You don't understand–" he started to whine, at war with himself,
"I do understand," you finally met his eyes, impossibly sad and hungry, "I'm immortal Cassidy."
He took a breath, "...what?"
"I can't die," you shrugged "but I can still feel pain" you held up a finger as he started to get more antsy with each word "so I'm gonna let you...feed… on me, but you have to promise to try and do as little damage as possible, ok?"
His eyes never left yours, confusion and disbelief playing there, until your arm left the safety of the sunlight, and suddenly he was latched on to you, teeth sinking into your exposed flesh.
It hurt like hell, but you expected that. When the first bite stopped yielding blood fast enough, he let go and twisted your arm, suddenly earning a surprised yelp from you before he bit down again. You thought he was mumbling words against you, but it might have also just been the satisfied grunts of a starved man finally being fed. After a few minutes of this, he finally let you go, crimson dripping down his face and onto his chest.
You slowly withdrew your arm.
"Feeling better?" You asked, attempting to wipe blood off your arm and only succeeding in smearing it onto your other hand. You grimaced at the mess, but Cassidy was looking at you like a deer in headlights."How in the bloody hells are you even conscious? "
"I told you, immortal" You said with a dapper smile, holding up your bloody arm so he could see first hand the bite marks glow faintly before sealing shut, not even a scar left behind.
Cassidy looked breathless, eyes darting between you and your arm. You couldn't tell what he was thinking.
" How…? "
"Eh that's a bit of a long story," you admitted, "are you gonna be alright now?"
Cass seemed to catch himself again, not being able to meet your eyes as he said "not... exactly." he sighed dejectedly, "I need more. That got my wits back about me, but fixing all this..." he motioned to his burns, "an arm just isn't going to cut it. I just didn't want to kill you, I wasn't sure if you were being honest about me not being able to kill you."
You nodded, sighing, and Cass made a strangled noise as you took off your button up, revealing the tank top you wore underneath.
"Promise to be gentle?" You chuckled nervously. You hated the pain that came with dying, at this point it was the same anxiety you used to get when a doctor had to stick you with a needle.
"Always." Cassidy sighed, and you took that final step into his side of shadows.
Cassidy sidled up closer to you and did his best not to look at you like a puppy looks at a cheeseburger.
"You are really quite kind for doing this." He whispered as he held your shoulders
"I like you," you said matter-of-factly, placing one hand on his back in a half-hug, "and I'd do anything for my friends."
Cassidy did his best to resist the animal urges to rip and tear and devour anything he put in his mouth, and you were patient through it all. The bloodless made you light-headed, but you were healing almost as fast as he was taking, and after the initial bite it didn't bother you hardly at all. Every time he moved it sent a jolt of pain through you, but life was a series of little pains at this point.
… and you would be lying if you said you didn't enjoy it a little bit. Being an immortal, you didn't get close to many people, and it had been an age since you had anyone this close to you. It was a rare and not all unpleasant experience.
After a while you felt his bite loosen, and he detached from you, resting his forehead against your shoulder, breathing heavily.
"You still with me?" He asked, his voice shaking ever so slightly.
"Yep." You said and brought your other arm up to wrap around him, fully hugging the vampire who seemed to deflate at your words, his own arms coming to wrap around you.
"I never thought I'd meet anyone like you." He breathed against you, "most vampires are arseholes."
You gave a light laugh,
"Really? So far the only one I've met is you, and I think you're pretty fun."
You recounted the first time you met at the church, how after getting permission to stay there from Jesse you and Cass had shared a few drinks and jokes after dark, in hindsight it was probably the missing communion wine you’d heard Emily grousing about, but you weren't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. And while you didn't spend much time together up to this point, you found him pretty amicable. Cassidy gripped you tighter
"I'm not much better." He said
"I disagree." You said back.
He shoved the two of you apart suddenly so he could glare at you, "I just fucking ate you," he growled, "I'm a monster that feeds off the living, so I can keep going."
"I offered." You smiled patiently at him "and it's not like any harm was done really," you glanced down at your bloodstained clothes "well, mostly" You laughed, mostly to yourself.
You stood up and offered him a hand up, remarking that he was already starting to look like his usual self again. He took your offered hand, and his eyes never left yours as you covered the window, so he could move freely about the room again.
"So what are ye, exactly?" He asked
"To be honest, I don't have all the answers myself. I just know I can't die. I don't age, either." You sighed
"How long have you been like this?"
"A couple of decades, give or take a few years. What about you?"
"Me? I've been wandering around for the last century."
You finally turned to face him again, eyes alight, "That's awesome! I bet you've gotten to experience so much with that time."
He looked down with a shy smile, "I've been around sure, just killing time, honestly." He seemed to flinch at his choice of words, taking in your ruined tank top.
"It must be fun," you said, ignoring him, "I'm just here until I have enough cash to get me to Mexico and from there… anywhere."
"I thought you were best mates with Tulip? What about her?"
You gave a soft laugh, "I do love Tulip, but she doesn't know what I am, and I don't want to bring her any more trouble than she already has."
"What if she wants to go along with ya? Troubles and all?"
"I doubt that'll happen, she's pretty single-minded about getting Jesse on board with her revenge plan."
"...what if someone else were to express interest in coming with you to Mexico?"
"Hm?" You turned to look at him confused
"Well I was thinking, there's not many people like us out there, even less I care to be around, and it'd be really nice to have someone around that won't go dying on me." You were surprised to see Cassidy bare himself to you like that. The Cassidy you knew was foolhardy, charismatic, among other things. The man before you now looked so fragile, someone used to being hurt. He seemed to take your moment of silence to heart, "I understand if you wouldn't want someone like–"
" Nonono , Cass you're always welcome." You shrugged on your button-up you had discarded previously and grabbed his hand, "Always." You reaffirmed.
You smiled dazzlingly at him, and you could've sworn you saw the tips of his ears burn red as you added lightheartedly,
"However, we are going to have to figure out what to say to Tulip about all this, she's going to have questions…"
"Well, to be fully transparent, there may be a slight chance Jesse may be going on a road trip to find and beat up God. I think he's assuming I'm going with him… what do you think?"
"I think Mexico can wait!"