Moonlight Nocturne

"I'll get the boys over. Have fun explaining that one, champ." Winter smacks Nick on the shoulder.

 

"... thank you, ma'am," Elena manages softly, before returning to her own mortification.

"... does she mind that I was petting her?? Did I smell funny? Are you sure she still likes me?"

Whimper.

The pain of a twelve-year-old with a crush cannot be stopped by mere horrible injury.

 

"...she slept in your bed and kissed you the next day, I think you're pretty chill-"

 

"..." Oh god, she slept in her bed and she didn't even notice. Oh god. Oh god. Elena can never show her face again.

It takes several minutes for her to calm down from her Blue Screen of Death.

"... hey, Nick? That... the rat zombie. ... I'm pretty sure that was Nathan. He's... he was my brother's friend."

 

"...nothing we can do about it. I'm... well. I'm sorry." Nick hugs her tight. "....people die. We try to do what we can to prevent it, but. You can't...stop everything."

 

She sniffles miserably into his shoulder, hiding her face. "... but we make it... better, right?"

"Do you think this means my brother is a rat monster too?"

 

"...we try." He hugs her tighter. "...nnno. I doubt it. If he was, he'd probably have been with his buddy."

 

She's clinging, despite the way moving her arm too much makes it ooze blood. "... Okay. ... can I stay at your house tonight?"

She's feeling really scared and vulnerable right now. Even if she wanted, she probably couldn't fight that well right now. And Mom doesn't fight, Mom hates knives and fights and blood.

"... am I gonna be a werewolf since I bit you? ... I want to be big and strong like that. And rip arms off monsters like--" She gestures evocatively, miming a roar, before making a little whimper when the motion goes too far and makes her bleed some more.

 

He catches her in another hug, putting pressure on the injury to try and stop rhe bleeding. "...I... it doesn't work that way. It's. I wasn't lying about the seeing weird stuff and hunting things running in my family. My dad's like me, my sister's like me, Miri's like me..."

He bites his lip. "...it's Genetics. You either turn at some point, or you don't. Miri's on the early end. I... I'll get Nattie to talk to your mom." He hugs her close, expression nervous.

 

She clings to him, leaning, breath catching a little with pain. "Ow... So... so why do you want me around if all of you can do that?"

She's starting to cry again, more out of exhaustion than anything. She's all wrung out, and she'll be falling asleep soon if left to her own devices.

"I can't... I can't fight like that. And my knife isn't as big as your claws."

 

"Nattie started doing this stuff long before she changed. Don't underestimate yourself. There are plenty of people who can keep up with us."

 

Elena sniffles, attempting a shaky smile. "... ... okay."

Swallowing. "... you looked really cool. Sorry for stabbing you."

 

"You can say scary, it's true," he mumbles. "We'll talk about it later, okay?"

 

"....Christ, Winter wasn't kidding about this place being a fuckin' mess." A man's voice rings out, a strong cockney accent to his words. "Guess we'd better get this cleaned up."

 

"... it can be cool and scary," she mumbles back, reddening. "I won't be scared next time."

She startles at the cockney voice, twisting around fast so she can see the door, and grabbing for her knife. This is... a bad idea. She muffles a pained whine again. Waiting to heal is going to suck.

"... ... I guess I should do my homework. If we're not explaining this to Mom."

 

"Sssh, ssssh. That's just Mike. He's a friend." Nick reassures her. "And... it's okay, if you're scared. I turn into a big badass monster, Elena. It's.... preeetty normal. I mean. Most people scream, and run, a lot. You handled it really well. It's... part of what we are. We scare people. It's meant to protect us, but... well. It doesn't always help."

He hesitates. "....yyyeah. We should get that. Later. I..."

Spoiler: double wits

Roll(1d10)+0:
3,+0
Total:3

Roll(6d10)+0:
8,3,6,5,10,9,+0
Total:41

"...mother of fuck. Miiiiiike, can I borrow your car, I just realized a really important thing!"

 

She scowls fiercely. "I'm not most people. I won't be scared." Especially because she thinks it makes Nick sad that people are scared, and that's just not okay. She... she just won't be scared, next time. She knows he won't really hurt her, even if he looks ... really scary.

She gets to her feet with as much hurry as she can muster, without using her hands, and trying not to make her belly start to bleed again. "I'll come! Just let me change my shirt and get my knife!"

She doesn't want to be left alone. She really doesn't. But going out unarmed feels almost as scary, and ... well... they're so going to get pulled over if anyone sees her this covered in blood.

 

"No, no-" Nick grabs for her. "Hold on, hold on, it's okay, let me help, don't move too quick, okay?"

 

"..fine. You better bring it back in one piece, Nick."

 

She staggers into him; standing up too fast is clearly making her wooziness worse. "... Okay. I'm okay, I heal fast. I'll be okay." To be honest, she's reassuring herself as much as him.

"Um... maybe a towel too. Just in case there's more bleeding." She gives Mike a sidelong look. Somehow, she thinks he would mind if she bled all over the seat. Although given that he's cleaning up after a zombie fight... Maybe not.

"... what's wrong, Nick?"