Chapter Text
"They're real!"
Avid's voice echoed against the wooden walls of Oakhurst, reverberating through the ground. Nobody gets it, nobody understood why he was so certain. There was a collective sigh from the crowd, Cleo groaned and dragged their hands down their face.
"Avid, you are being ridiculous" Cleo said with an annoyance in her voice as she crossed her arms and shifted her weight to the other leg. Drift walked up to Avid, she sighed as well but softer than the others.
"Avid, we've been over this. Vampires aren't real and making others scared isn't the way to go about this." Drift's voice was softer than the others. Since the start she could sense that these fears came from a place of trauma, even more so after Avid explained what he had to do. She took a step forward; her hand placed on his shoulder with a firm but not harsh grip. "Let's go home, yeah? We've got a lot to do before your contest, right?"
Avid let out a sigh, he knew there had to be a vampire here, there wasn't a doubt in his mind. he nodded his head, knowing this was a losing battle for now. Birds flew from one tree to another, sounds of people talking and chopping wood could be heard through the air. As Avid was placing blocks for Merp Manor, as they called it, his hands trembled slightly. Avid glanced over his shoulder, calling out to Drift.
"Uh hey, I'm all out of blocks I'm going to go mine some more for us!" He said abruptly, slightly startling Drift from across the room.
"Wha- we already have wood Avid?" Drift turned and called out, but he was already out the door. Their steps were hard against the gravel, walking straight towards the forest. Through the opening he went, the pathway was shabby with scattered rocks and small shrubs. He walked like he was going to explode; he needed to get his energy out somehow. He wasn't paying attention to the sky growing darker, or the fog getting thicker, or even the pair of blue eyes watching him. Avid approached the forest, walking up to a tree. Their hand reached into his holster for his axe but there was nothing there.
"Oh, come on!" He snapped to nobody in particular, he placed their hand on the tree, huffing out a sigh. There was a rusting sound next to him, already on edge he whipped his head around and yelped as he saw that striking teal hair.
"Well hello to you too." Scott tilted his head. He stood with his arms crossed, looking at Avid with narrowed eyes and a practiced smirk. "Quite odd for the one calling everyone else suspicious is out here all alone.
Suddenly Avid was painfully aware of how dark it had gotten, and how he could barely see the walls of Oakhurst through the fog. Nobody had placed torches outside yet, the only light they has was the remnents of the sunset and even that was quickly dissipating.
"I- I was just getting wood- but I forgot my axe and- WHY are you out here?!" Avid's hand rose, pointing his index finger out at Scott accusingly. There was an owl waking up in the distance, giving it's call into the decending night. Avid's wide eyes held steady onto Scott's careful stare, neither dared to look away. Unexpectadly, Scott sighed and his pose relaxed by a fraction.
"Perhaps, we got off on the wrong foot, Avid" He said calmly, but there was an underlying venom to his words that could be easily overlooked if you weren't this close. "Vampires are a silly myth, but I don't doubt your paranoia. Who knows who can be trusted out here?" He took a small step forward, Avid absentmindedly took a step back.
"Why don't I prove to you that I'm not a threat to you? Monsters will be out any moment now, we can find a cave to get some stone and I'll make you a new axe." He smiled, turning on his heel and walking further into the forest. Avid blinked, then huffed and followed with frustration. He didn't trust this guy not one bit, it was dangerous to be out here at all and especially with Scott Goldsmith of all people. Yet he followed, about three steps behind giving Avid enough space to flee or attack if needed.
Scott's steps were calm and eerily quiet. He moved like he had all night to spare, and it was annoying. The two moved under the canopy like water through a river, stepping over rocks, walking around bushes, Avid swatted off any bug that tried to land on him. The pair reached a cave opening, it was small and unexplored, just right to get a few cobblestone blocks from.
"You're going first" Avid blurted out, quicker than his brain could process. He turned his head away pointing into the mine. "Because if you really are a vampire you're gonna try to kill me in there and nobody will find my body for days!" Avid crossed his arms, certain in his judgement. Scott just shrugged, heading inside. Avid had expected more of a fight, and something in his mind faltered, maybe Scott was human? No, he couldn't be, looking at that outfit absolutely not. Avid waited a couple moments before heading inside the cave, still keeping his distance.
The cave was dark, thankfully Scott had spotted a couple piece of coal in the entrance. He crafted a couple torches, placing one on the wall. What looked like a small cave from the outside really stretched on for a while. It was cold, damp, and the air was stagnant. It felt like even the dust particles held their breath in this place. Scott traveled further in, rounding a corner. Avid stood next to the torch, fidgeting with the hem of his sleeve.
"So- why are you here? In.. in Oakhurst?" Avid called out, his voice echoing off the cavern walls. There was a small patch of moss which caught his eye, green and soft and damp. When Scott didn't answer he felt a shiver crawl up his spine, he turned his body, taking a hesitant step gurther i to the cave. "Hey-"
Scott peeked around the corner, tilting his head. Avid almost flew back, pressing his back against the wall.
"GEEZ don't-" He gasped, breathing heavily. "Don't do that!"
Scott gave a chuckle, fully walking out from around the corner. He walked over with his hands behind his back, his stride calculated. God this guy acted privileged. Scott stopped in front of Avid, about a step away from him.
"Why I'm here?" He said, leaning down a fraction, blue eyes focused on magenta. One pair steady, the other trembling, brimming with anxiety.
"Oh, Avid."
Something was wrong. He couldn't explain it but Avid started to feel syrupy, the air around him felt like thick, cold molasses. He couldn't move, couldn't run, couldn't fight back. He swallowed hard, his palms pressed against the frigid stone.
"I'm here for revenge, to get rid of you insolent pests who decided to put me into an 'eternal' slumber" Scott's voice came out low, nothing like the perfectly practiced and definitely condescending tone he had used before. His voice sang without singing, it was like the wind chose to carry those vibrations specifically to Avid's ears and nobody else's. Avid's breath was shallow, coming in short quick breaths. They used all their strength to turn their head away from the man who had them cornered, shutting his eyes tightly. Scott's hand, pale as the moonlight, came up to Avid's chin. This wasn't happening, no no no this couldn't have been happening.
A bow flew past the two of them, hitting the stone in the back of the cave. The pair whipped their heads around at the same time to see a skeleton already drawing up its bow for a second attack. Scott pushed off Avid, taking his sword out of its sheath. He lunged out and swung at the skeleton. Avid bliked rapidly, trying to process thos whole thing. His fight or flight instincts kicked in, frantically searching for some way out. Scott and the skeleton were blocking the opening, so there was only one other way to go. He grabbed the torch on the wall, pushed off, and sprinted deeper into the cave. Maybe he could hide, or or dig his way out! Yeah, he can dig out and warn the others in Oakhurst that Scott tried to bite him, surely that will finally get everyone to believe him. He wandered deeper and deeper into the cave, stopping at a ledge. The cave opened up into an underground ravine. They glanced around, his brain was moving a million miles per second, and he desperately looked around for some sort of exit or way across the cavern. Stalagtites hung from the ceiling, crystalline structures that in any other moment Avid would take a minute to appreciate. A hand grabbed on the back of his shirt, yanking him back with enough force to make him drop the torch. Scott wrapped one arm around Avid's body, the other covered his mouth. Avid struggled against his grip, trying to worm his way out.
"Stop it. Stop movi-" Scott spat out before losing his footing, the two of them dropping to the ground. Scott hooked his leg around Avid's, pinning them under him. The two were breathing heavily, the sound bounced off the while like some morbid choir. Scott stared into Avid's eyes, the blue had turned red, and he had very visible fangs peeking from his mouth.
"I knew it!" Avid yelled, voice cracking. His dull hair was splayed under his head, fanning and curling on the stone beneath them, his magenta eyes were not at all hiding his fear.
"You monster! You- you bloodsucking parasite!!" Avid struggled again, trying to move his arm's under Scott's grip.
"Yes yes, how original." Scott rolled his eyes, his grip on Avid's arms grew tighter with bruising force. He leaned closer to Avid's face, his breath cold above his neck. He whispered into his ear, voice low and dripping with something Avid couldn't quite place.
"You'll make such a pretty vampire, hunter." He spoke the title like a slur, derogatory. Turning what Avid was once so proud of into something he should be ashamed of. He didn't know what to say, he could yell, scream, or try to get out, but Avid was exhausted. He ran all this way to Oakhurst, ran around all day talking to people, warning them about the very thing that was happening to him now. There was no way he could win in this, so he stayed silent.
Scott raised an eyebrow, giving another soft exhale on Avid's neck. "Cat got your tongue?" He grinned. Scott tilted his head, one of his hands let go of Avid's arm, his finger dragging up and resting his palm on their chest, feeling the rapid heartbeat. He placed his lips against Avid's neck something resembling a kiss in the most condescending way. Then he bit down.
Avid's breath hitched, he could feel his heartbeat in his ears as the sharp pain startedto turn into something else. It was one of the weirdest things Avid had ever felt. It was like his veins were being replaced with warm honey, and his brain was being swirled around with a spoon. After a couple seconds his whole body relaxed, his breathing evened out, and his eyes felt heavy. His heart was still beating quick, which made it all feel weirder.
"Hn-" Avid squeeked out, his hand twitching, using the most of his strength to no avail. Scott's grip softened completely, his other hand cupping the side of Avid's head. It was almost sweet. He pulled off of his neck, hovering inches above the bite. Blood beaded and dripped down Avid's neck onto the stone, Scott glided his tongue along the wound as a small breath dragged out of his victim.
Avid woke up the next morning in his house, inside a bathtub of all places. There was a newly made axe leaning against the side of the wooden tub.