forum "I Didn't Fall For You, You F*cking Tripped Me." // OxO // Closed

Started March 06, 2023 by @phantomflame

tune

I just finished rewatching Markiplier's playthrough of Resident Evil Village for the 500th time, and I am now inspired to do a rp based on it-

Plot: Character A is a wealthy aristocratic Eastern European vampire who has a beautiful secluded castle in the mountains and a plentiful supply of blood from the nearby village, which they terrorize every now and then. Life is good. That is, until Character B comes into town. Character B is an aggressively American himbo who is in Europe on a work trip, and a twist of fate leads to Character A and B colliding (both figuratively and literally). Character B falls madly in love with Character A. Character A feels nothing but undiluted disgust and annoyance for Character B.
A string of mysterious, perhaps even supernatural, murders are happening in Character A's village, and for once it's not because Character A did them. The only one who would be able to help solve the murders is Character B. A very reluctant Character A is forced to join forces with the infuriating mortal simp that is Character B, and together, they need to get to the bottom of this problem quickly. Not just because the fate of the world depends on them or anything, but to get the American human who can't even pronounce Character A's name right out of Character A's village so they can finally have some peace of mind again.

Setting: Modern times, but the village and just the general region that Character A lives in is a bit archaic, at least architectural and technology-wise

I'm planning on this being a comedic slow-burn romance, maybe like a one-sided love thing that develops into Character A eventually realizing that 'Oh crap I think I'm actually catching feelings for this idiot' kind of deal
I'm kinda wanting this to be MxF or MxM, but I'm cool with anything

Rules:

• andrew (Our Supreme Lord and Overseer)'s rules
• No smut; romance is perfectly ok and so are in-character innuendos, but I don't do smut
• Cursing is fine, just please don't do it excessively
• No one (or two or three) liners. I work best with detailed, long paragraphs, so if I've never roleplayed with you before then I'd like to see a writing sample, please

I'm cool with playing either A or B, and I'll post a character template once someone joins, and we can discuss the plot and things like that. If you have any questions, feel free to ask! :)

Hi hi! I really should not be trying to join any RP’s in the middle of a lecture however this seems pretty wicked (and tbh, I need to start getting back into writing) so, I’d love to join if you’ll have me :) I’m more than happy to provide a sample for you if you need - although fair warning, might be a little slow on replies because ✨uni✨ so I understand if you say no in favour of someone more active :)

Hello! If you could provide a sample, that would be great! And I completely understand about slow replies, it takes me a little while to make responses too, so it's all good!

Of course! Gimme 2 secs to get one

There’s never only one word to describe the feeling that a person has when they wake up on their birthday. An ordinary person may feel excitement, joy. An overwhelming sense of love from the people they celebrate with. Those who lay outside this norm, could express feelings of dread, sorrow and simply nothing at all. Most people would presume a prince would fall comfortably into the category that was the ordinary, however extraordinary their life may be, but for one prince, he fell into the other.

Caspian Rynian. The only living heir to the throne of Eirus and the only prince on the continent to despise his birthday more than he hated waking up at dawn, or the silence that followed after an exceptionally bad joke. Dread had consumed him all day, hiding in his room from the rest of the palace, most importantly his father, knowing that the socialising he was to do at his birthday party tonight would make up for it. It was more of a ball than a party, Cas knew. Nothing was ever small in Eirus, especially when it came to celebrating him.

Standing in front of his mirror, the delicate carving of the wood framing his body in the elegant light of the candles, Cas looked at himself and tried not to grimace at the image that he looked upon. He was dressed in a suit of navy blue satin, the colour shimming in the light and creating an image of starlight. The shimmer of the gold sash that adorned his body glistened, sparkling with specks of silver along the trim that had been woven in, patterns of stars and constellations to match. His sleeves were cuffed, showing the silver cufflinks he wore. He wore simple boots and black trousers, the boots of leather and the trousers of soft cotton. The belt around his waist was decorated with small gems to hide the thread, adding to the look of starlight Cas seemed to be portraying. Around his neck lay a simple, silver necklace with the family crest, a gift from his late mother and one he never took off. The crown atop his head was far too heavy and far too extravagant for his liking. Crystals and jewels that shone marvellously in the candlelight, reflecting into the mirror and bounding away in every direction, lighting up the gold and navy of the structure of the crown.

Piercing green eyes stared back at him, glancing between the crown, his outfit and his face, dark hair in perfect place and not a blemish apart from the scar above his left brow to be seen. All that was missing was a smile. Cas wouldn’t smile until he had to, and that was right outside the doors to the party.

As a birthday gift, his father had gifted him a mask to be worn tonight. Not that it would hide his identity very well considering the gigantic-sized crown and a thousand jewels that he was covered in, but stupid as it was, Cas would wear it.

This is perfect! You're in! Are you wanting this to be MxF, MxM, or something along the lines of that? Also, which character would you like to be?

MxM is what I'm most comfortable with, and I'm chill with playing either character, leaning maybe a little towards A however I really don't mind :)

Sounds good! I kind of wanted to do B, so that works out! Here's the character template:
Name -
Nicknames (if any) -
Age -
Pronouns -
Sexuality -
Appearance -
Personality -
Powers (for Character A) -
Likes -
Dislikes -
Backstory -
Other -

Slay! I'll work on my guy and post him soon :)

Awesome! I have to go for tonight, but I'll have my character out hopefully by tomorrow morning

Name -Dimitri Aleksander Novik
Nicknames (if any) - none
Age - 367
Pronouns - he/him
Sexuality - queer, doesn't use labels
Appearance - Dimitri stands around 6'4. He's got your stereotypical pale white vampire skin with no blemishes to be seen upon first meeting. His skin is soft, showing he takes a deep level of care when it comes to looking after himself. Dimitri has soft, brown hair that is neatly kept the majority of the time, with small curls framing his face. There are a few grey hairs here and there, but they're barely noticeable and few and far between. He has dark grey eyes, though in some lighting appears to be more black than grey with long lashes to accompany them. His facial features are defined by a sharp jawline and nose. Pink lips, his fangs often tend to poke out and he is prone to having little cuts and marks from where he accidentally bites down on them a little too hard. He has a lean body shape, skinny with a bit of defined muscle but not extraordinarily big or intimidating. It's more so his state that tends to freak people out rather than his size or body shape. He wears mostly button-ups in an array of colours though his favourites are navy blue, dark purple and white with leather boots and black pants. If he's out in the village this will be accompanied by a long black cape that is a deep red on the underside. The large scar along his back and chest with tattoos of constellations along his back.
Personality - Dimitri likes to be alone. He loves the solitude and peace that is granted by being by himself. He is generally a standoff-ish, short, and annoyed guy when it comes to people - mortals especially. Other vampires - those he likes, at least - he is respectful, some might even say kind in some instances - though usually he doesn't interact with them. He loves fear, seeing people scared of him gives him the power trip he likes and looks for when he visits the village. He has a deep love for old romance and literature and spends most of his days in his library reading or writing, finding new stories and delving into the essence of books. He has, like many, a past with trauma which has caused him to develop that hard, outer shell, though if anyone did dare to try and get to know him, they'd see the man who lives for romance novels, roses and other sweet things (even if he pretends to hate them)
Powers (for Character A) - Dimitri has the classic ability to transform into a bat, which makes daytime travel outside his castle a lot easier. He also has the ability to manipulate shadows - from creating creatures (many like to call them demons), to using them to hide and travel short distances. The Shadow Whisperer is what the townspeople call him due to this ability. He is able to heal faster than mortals, too.
Likes - Books - literature, poetry, and art of all forms. Classics are his darlings - the older the better. He likes flowers and pottery, peace and quiet and piano music
Dislikes - mortals. They annoy him more than anything. Having his sleep disturbed, being blamed for things that he did not do, disrespect
Backstory - Dimitri was turned when he was in his early 20s (lucky he didn't have a baby face then) by a vampire in his town many many years ago. The town was poor, and his parents were abusive as they saw him as a disappointment and a mistake, and treated him as such, so when he was turned, he saw it as an ability to escape and start a new life. Unfortunately, the vampire community around him were also not the best, and he was often treated like scum as he wasn't 'pure'. He was lucky to find his mentor, Ivan, who took him under his wing and helped him heal (a little). Ivan was unlucky enough to be killed in a battle that took place between the morals and the vamps when the humans decided they didn't want them around and to be free of the terror they caused. The castle Dimitri now lives in was Ivan's. He still hasn't fully recovered from his death as Ivan became a father to him during the time they had together. Dimitri was injured terribly in this battle which left him with a large scar along his back and chest caused by an iron rod. He left the community after that.
Other - plays the piano very well

I hope he's okay! lemme know if you want me to change anything.

Awesome! I have to go for tonight, but I'll have my character out hopefully by tomorrow morning

All good! I look forward to hearing from you tomorrow!

I love Dimitri! And I swear I wasn't lying when I said I needed to go, I just failed at doing so, so here's my boy:

Name - Jason Summers
Nicknames (if any) - Jay
Age - 24
Pronouns - He/Him
Sexuality - Gay
Appearance - Jay stands around 5'11" and has a lean, slightly muscular build. He is perceived by others as attractive, with a warm almond skin tone, short, wavy chocolate brown hair, light stubble on his chin, bright hazel eyes, and a dazzling smile that brightens up any room he walks into. His attire consists typically of casual clothing like t-shirts and jeans, but whenever it's windy or cold, he loves wearing comfy, oversized hoodies. He also has a jagged scar on the side of his head from falling down a rocky hill as a kid, but it's very faint and he normally covers it up with his hair
Personality - Jay is pretty much the human version of a golden retriever; he is incredibly kind, well-intentioned, flirtatious, bubbly, loyal, and dumb. He's not the best at picking up social cues, but he does his best and he's great at making friends and maintaining those friendships, even if it was just one interaction. He doesn't get offended easily, only because most times he doesn't even realize someone's insulting him and he takes it as a compliment. When Jay does get upset or hurt, it's like he becomes a completely different person; the sunny, joyful persona he shows to others vanishes and is replaced by an insecure, quiet man who doesn't feel good enough. It takes a really long time for him to break and get to this point, though. He is very persistent and does whatever he can to make even the grumpiest of people smile and like him. He's also a major simp, and his golden retriever-like personality intensifies when he falls for someone (it's happened a few times before, and it's a sight to behold)
Likes - Validation, iced lattes, nature, the stars, music, new things, people, photography, experiences, baking, scrapbooking, adventures, history, jokes, food, tall people, making people happy, finding joy and beauty in the simple things in life
Dislikes - Yelling, cruelty, not being able to figure out why someone is sad or upset/not being able to help them, alcohol, heights, mosquitos, being useless
Backstory - Jay grew up in a very stable, happy household in California and had an average, decent childhood. However, despite having a loving and supporting environment, he's always felt like he never truly belonged, which is why he does his best to be a bubbly, loveable, amazing friend who's always there for others so the people around him won't abandon him or think that he's boring and not good enough. Jay has always had a taste for adventure and exploring the unknown, and the more thrilling and exciting it is, the better. He's not the most perceptive of a lot of things, but he has an incredible sense of emotional intelligence that not a lot of people give him credit for. He decided to become a photographer because he didn't like how there was beauty in literally everything he saw, but everyone never paid attention to those things and took them for granted. His obsession with getting people to finally see the value in the simpler, underappreciated things in life became his profession. He took to exploring the world, meeting new people, and experiencing different cultures and cuisines along the way. Even though he has friends and a lot of connections, Jay doesn't have any close friends that he can actually talk to, which he doesn't mind, but sometimes the loneliness creeps up on him and takes over his thoughts in the middle of the night, although he does his best to not make his problems something that others have to worry about
Other - He has imposter syndrome, but he's oblivious to the very concept /term of it and has convinced himself that everyone probably feels like that every day, which is why he does his best to brighten up the day of everyone he encounters even though no one bothers to return the favor. Jay is a professional photographer, and he came to Europe on a commission to take pictures of the archaic but beautifully well-preserved town that's located in the middle of nowhere

I'm actually going to go now, but tomorrow I can post the starter if you'd like unless you have any questions about the plot or anything like that :)

Ah all good! I love Jay he’s a sweetheart and I know these two are gonna be so cute together eventually! Have a good evening - I’m gonna go suffer over homework for a while lol I can’t wait to get started!

Really sorry for not responding, I have two tests tomorrow so I probably won't be on then, but I will be a lot more active on Thursday and Friday. Again, I'm really sorry about that, I'll try to respond and get the starter up as soon as possible

Heya that’s okay! No need to apologise I totally understand :) Take your time, I’ll be around pretty much all of tomorrow and friday

I hope the tests went well!

(I aced my psychology test, the geometry one I'm not so sure about, but I'll be lucky if I barely passed it lol. Anyways, sorry for the wait)

The deafening sound of the train whistle is what woke Jason Summers up. The young photographer's eyes shot open as he instinctively jolted his head away from the window he was resting on, wincing at the crick he felt in his neck. He gingerly massaged the tender area, blinking away the remnants of sleep in his eyes. Thin, faint rays of sunlight peeked through the dark, gloomy clouds in the sky and through the window, momentarily highlighting the lighter brown curls of his hair. Memories that seemed half-formed in his groggy state surfaced at the forefront of his mind, reminding him why he was on the train in the first place.

"You want me to photograph a castle? Aren't there already, like, hundreds of those things already ?" Jay had asked, when he was first commissioned to do this assignment, glancing back and forth between the two academics in front of him, looking equally intrigued and amused. He had gotten an email a couple of weeks prior from these two scholars, who had asked him if he'd be willing to help with a school project of theirs. Curious, and always willing to help, Jay had agreed to meet up with them. He had been in Australia at the time, and the ones who had reached out to him were in London, but they paid for his flight and hotel to Europe, so Jay wasn't terribly upset over the sudden change in plans.
"I mean, don't get me wrong," the photographer had continued, his American accent sounding harsh and jarring compared to the sophisticated, intelligent people before him. "Castles are awesome and all, but unless you two discovered Hogwarts, this doesn't seem like the best thing to have invested so much in."
The first scholar, who had introduced herself as Daniela Moore, had simply leaned back in her chair, looking entirely unfazed by Jay's reaction. "You raise a good point, Mr. Summers, but the castle isn't even the best part."
She then nodded to her associate, Mateo Weber, who had proceeded to slide over a file to Jay from across the table. Jay had opened it but didn't bother to read it, the jet lag that he still felt from the flight taking over his mind, so he decided to just stare at it for a couple of minutes before nodding smartly and closing it.
Daniela and Mateo had looked at Jay expectantly, but when all he did was stare back at them blankly, Mateo sighed.
"It's the village around the castle that's the most fascinating," Weber explained, his eyes shining with excitement. "This specific region has remained exactly the same since the 15th century. For some bizarre reason, both the castle and the village have managed to withstand the drastic changes in our world against all odds, and this phenomenon is what we want you to photograph; the stark contrast between the present, and the small, forgotten village trapped in the past."
"Not to mention, there's still a decent-sized population still flourishing there even to this day," Daniela had added, looking pleased with the spiel she and Webber had given. And it worked; too drawn to the temptation of an assignment that practically screamed 'medieval adventure' to say no, Jason had happily accepted the job, packed his belongings into his worn-out backpack and over-stuffed camera bag, and hopped onto the train two days later.

Jay now reached for his bags, stuffing the crumpled-up file of the village into it before getting off at the station, smiling pleasantly to everyone he came across. He stopped momentarily to buy a map of the surrounding region, and he became more awake as he saw that the town the train station was in was the only sign of civilization in this region for miles. He decided that maybe this village was so newly discovered that the maps of the area haven't been updated yet. But the sun was setting, and the inn that resided on the street adjacent to the station practically beckoned to him, the flickering of a large, warm fire illuminating even the buildings around it.
Jay hoisted his backpack and camera bag more securely onto his shoulders and made his way further into the town, the prospect of experiencing perhaps the most exciting photography commission he had ever done filling him with anticipation as his mind raced with all of the possibilities of what he would encounter once he set off for the village. Something told him that this trip would be very different than the others he had done, and Jay knew that he would be ready for whatever he found in the hidden, archaic place that lurked not too far from the cozy little town he had arrived in.

(good job dude! I sucked at geometry so I feel your pain - psych buddies tho hell yeah! and don’t apologise! I’ve been at work today so it’s chill lol)

Dimitri Novik thrived in his solitude. There was no one to bother him, bar the few woodland creatures that wondered into his grounds daily, he had thousands of books in his library to pass his time, and a plentiful blood supply from the near by village to dull his hunger.

For nearly two centuries the vampire had resided in his old masters castle. Technically it was his now, and it had been for years, but it felt wrong, still, to call it his own, when in what was left of his heart, still called it Ivan’s. The castle itself was a masterpiece of architectural genius, from the spiralling towers, carved by hand the most delicate of details defining its time. The library that had centuries old books that hadn’t been touched as of yet, with winding staircases, chandeliers of silver and bronze that sparked if the sun ever dared shine through the large windows. The gardens filled with wild flowers and perfectly trimmed hedges, the small courtyard with the fountain that had the statue of an angel standing watch over the grounds. It had been beautiful when Dimitri had first stepped foot in the castle over a hundred and fifty years ago, and it was still just as beautiful now.

Having been alone for most of his life, the idea of people - immoral or otherwise - didn’t set well with him. It hadn’t when he was sixteen roaming the village he now fed from, and it still didn’t now. Hell, even going down to the village to feed was far too much of a hassle, but kidnapping them and keeping them locked up in the dungeons hadn’t proved effective - the screaming and wailing ruined the peace and Dimitri had killed them after two days, a record for him. Besides, at least he didn’t have to feed them or water them and keep them alive, down there they could do that themselves, meaning all he had to do was fly down in the evening and raid the local tavern from time to time and everything was perfect.

He was glad that the town hadn’t changed in over a century. Tucked away in their own corner of the world where he would remain undiscovered. He knew little of the rest of the world - the technology that the mortals processed. Occasionally, when he was board, he’d head into the next town over, a bit of a trek, but worth it for the books they had. It was his only source of information on how the world had evolved without him. He didn’t go often, in fact, the last time he did was probably 10 years ago and the information he found had made no sense to him. Dimitri figured it wouldn’t make sense to him now, either. Anyway, this little village, still set in their ways from when he was a child made sense. No one came, no one left, and it was perfect. No one to annoy him, no one to discover him, and no one to ruin his peace - and, considering their lack of technological advancement and knowledge? made his home perfect.

Jay got up bright and early the next morning, feeling well-rested and excited. The middle-aged innkeeper had been kind and more than willing to give the photographer a room and after a good night's sleep, he was ready to start asking the locals more about this mysterious village. He put on a large, comfortable cloud-blue hoodie over the grey t-shirt he was wearing, and he ran his hand through his hair in an attempt to comb it down a bit. He checked his camera equipment to make sure all of it was still there; with having to move around so suddenly for the past few weeks, he wouldn't have been surprised if he had managed to lose some things, but he was pleased to find everything was still placed securely in his bags.

When he gathered his things, he left his room and thanked the innkeeper happily for letting him stay the night.
"It's no worries!" The innkeeper said with a friendly smile, holding a stack of clean linen in her arms. "Not to pry or anything, but what's a young lad like you doing in a small middle-of-nowhere town like this?"
"I was commissioned by a couple of scholars to take pictures of an old village that's near here," Jay replied, hoping that the nice innkeeper would have some directions. "You wouldn't happen to know where it is, would you? The maps at the train station seem to be a bit outdated."
The innkeeper laughed good-naturedly, but when Jay didn't laugh back or show any indication of what he said as being a joke, her smile faltered and she gave him a funny look. "Kid, I'm not sure how much sleep you've been getting lately, but there's no other town around here except this little place. If you ask me, I say just take the money those people gave you and leave, because you're not going to find anything around here."
"I know there's not another town around here," Jay said patiently. "I'm looking for a village. Y'know, the one with a castle? Dates back roughly to the 15th century?"
The innkeeper wasn't looking so patient anymore. "Are you on those drugs that your generation seems to find cool? I just said that this is the only place in this region. There's no other civilization 'round here besides this town." She nodded her head curtly towards the door. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to work. Go waste someone else's time, kid."

She pushed past him, and Jay frowned in confusion, wondering what he said that made her so annoyed. He left the inn, awkwardly avoiding the stares of the other guests of the inn who were lounging in the diner area of the building. When he stepped outside, a cool breeze brushed against his face, ruffling his chocolate-brown hair. He shook his head, clearing his mind. Maybe the other locals know where the village is, he thought confidently, stepping out into the street and going on his way to find directions.

The other locals did not know where the village was. By the time it was noon, the sky was still gloomy, which reflected the mood Jay was starting to feel. Each and every person he asked had the same reaction in the same order; amusement, confusion, annoyance, and then frustration. As he was sitting on a wooden bench near the train station, he saw the locals of the town whispering amongst each other, throwing dirty glances in his direction.
He sighed, feeling dejected. Maybe those two scholars gave him a train ticket to the wrong location. Maybe he slept too long on the train and missed the actual stop he was supposed to go to. Or maybe the locals were right, and that there really wasn't a long-lost village near here. But then why would they send me to a place that doesn't exist?

"Word around town is that you're looking for the village."
Jay jerked his head up, coming eye to eye with an ancient-looking woman, her eyes which must've been lovely and blue once upon a time but were now cloudy and glazed over. She was short, maybe 5 feet, and she was hunched over. She was wearing a black dress that stopped just above her ankles, with a black shawl draped around her shoulders and a pair of black flats to go along with the morbid, funeral-like outfit. She smiled at Jay, revealing a mouth that had an alarming lack of teeth.
"Um…yes," Jay replied before asking dumbly, "How did you know?"
"Gossip travels fast around here," the old lady said, sitting down next to Jay without any trouble, which confused the photographer a bit, given that she looked like she was blind. "And not many people ask about the village, or even believe it exists."
"So it is real?" Jay asked eagerly, determination and hope shining in his eyes once again. "Can you tell me where to find it?"
"You're not going to find the village," the old lady said vaguely, her voice soft as the wind but as ominous as the shadows of the dark woods surrounding the small town. "The village finds you." She pointed a frail, wrinkled finger toward the direction of the woods. "Get lost in the shadows, and the village will take you in. But be warned- a dark creature resides there. A creature who feasts on blood and fear and lives in the darkness."
"Feasts on blood? You mean a vampire?" Jay laughed, finding this entire situation hilariously amazing. He felt like he was interacting with an NPC who was sending him off on some epic quest. "With all due respect, ma'am, as badass as it would be to encounter Count Dracula, especially in a mysterious village with a castle that no one thinks is real, I'm afraid that won't happen. Vampires are myths, and fantasy doesn't happen in real life."
The old lady smiled at him again, although something about it seemed off; Jay didn't know what, exactly, but it sent a jolt of fear and uncertainty down his spine. "I suppose you'll be the judge of that, Mr. Summers. Go to the woods, if you want to find the answers you seek."
"I will," Jay promised, deciding to humor her. He didn't have any other leads, anyways. He grabbed his bags and got up but paused as a thought crossed his mind. "Wait, hang on, how did you know my name-?"
He turned to face the old lady but did a double-take when he saw that no one was there. He looked around, but the old lady was nowhere in sight, and when he took a look at the locals staring at him, he could imagine the conversations they would be having later: "Did you guys see that dumbass American who kept asking about a made-up village and then started talking to himself? He's an utter nut case, that's what he is."
Jay shook his head, refusing to believe that he was insane. Maybe the old lady was just really fast when no one was looking. He tightened his grip on his two bags and turned his gaze toward the woods. Even though it was noon, the trees seemed to be embraced by shadows that didn't seem very earthly. After a brief moment of hesitation, Jay took a deep breath and began to walk into the woods.

The woods were a strange place, even for those who resided in the village tended not to wander too far into its depths out of fear of losing their way. Paths led to nowhere, the trees swallowed you whole, and Dimitri lurked in the shadows. Demon they called him, Shadow Whisperer, they said, although not entirely wrong on either front. He was no demon, but he wasn't going to argue with prey. It was easy for him to navigate through the darkness, his abilities granted him better knowledge and sight than mortals, but even if he had not been granted his powers, he was one with the natural world. Neither alive nor dead, in the space that occupied the in-between, the bridge between the two, allowing him to feel and see and live as one with his surroundings.

Many years ago, when he had first wandered into the woods and had drowned in its leaves of dark green, he had been unable to see. After all, he had been mortal at the time, looking for an easy escape from reality and hoping the woods would grant him an easy, painless death. Instead, he was gifted. Dimitri hadn't seen it as a gift over a century ago, maybe even longer, it had been a curse, a cheap way out of death - a joke. It wasn't until he found Ivan, years and years later, was he able to open his eyes to the new way of living, to connect and breathe as the woods did.

The large, dense trees blocked the sun's rays as if a blanket had been shielded across the treetops. The occasional light bounced and reflected through here or there, but it wasn't enough to cause concern. What was more concerning were the creatures that lived far into the woods that seemed to lurk and track as he did, but never seemed to make an appearance. Ghosts, maybe? Dimitri hadn't learnt in all his years what it was that seemed to watch newcomers, or even him when it came to his walks, but by now, there was a strange sort of understanding, maybe even a peace, between them Dimitri wouldn't find out or look for them, and they almost seemed to look out for him. He didn't need protecting, but he would admit it was a slight comfort knowing there was something there.

The village provided enough human blood for him to live comfortably. The castle overlooked the small place from atop the hill in which it resided, a looming presence over the townsfolk, reminding them he was there, watching and waiting. But even so, it didn't stop Dimitri from wandering and looking for other sources of food. It would be a waste, really, to only feast of the men that lived bellowed, for their blood often tasted strange - sweet, too much alcohol. The natural beings had none of that, and the tangy, metallic taste he craved was dulled by the occasional rabbit. The only downside was there was no fun in the chase, in watching the fear leak and drain from its face the way humans did, how they shrunk into themselves and begged to be left alone. Dimitri loved it.

Despite photographing it pretty much every other day, Jay knew close to nothing about nature and hiking, so he was confident that he could follow the old lady's instructions about getting lost in the woods. The soil was wet and soft beneath his feet as he walked along. The gloomy clouds that had surrounded the town he was heading away from seemed to grow darker and more menacing as the forest enclosed him inside it, like a predator who had successfully lured its prey into its trap.

Jay's hand subconsciously went to the camera bag hanging by his side, wondering if it would be a good idea to take some pictures here. The scenery was certainly perfect enough for it: deep, emerald green leaves growing on the gigantic trees that looked even taller and more magnificent than the redwoods back home in California, misty fog that lazily swirled around the roots of the trees, and the forest floor, and the faint rustling of the wind weaving through the dense, lush plants that seemed to carry the whispers of words that have long since been forgotten added a nice finishing touch to the spooky forest aesthetic.

But in the end, he decided to just keep going; the lighting was horrible, and it would only look like a dark blob of shadows in the picture. The shadows that surrounded the floor of the woods seemed to flicker like a snake's tongue and grow even darker as he walked along, as if his blundering about in the otherwise quiet forest had awakened the darkness, and perhaps something more sinister that lay within it.

After what seemed like a few minutes although it could have very possibly been a few hours, Jay started to whistle a merry tune, the melodic notes sounding like nails on a chalkboard in the silence of the woods. He let his mind wander, not even thinking twice about the old lady who had vanished, or the fact that literally no one else had known about the mysterious village's existence. He hadn't even bothered to check how much the two scholars were paying him, nor did he think about how long he'd be gone from actual civilization and if he would have enough supplies to last for more than a week. But honestly, Jay didn't care; he became impulsive at the prospect of an adventure or a challenge. He was like that as a kid, and clearly, he hadn't changed, even now that he was an adult.

A sickening crunching sound happened behind Jay and his heart jumped, turning his head around but finding nothing. He froze, a cold, unsettling feeling creeping up his spine. It was as if something had snapped inside of him, and he was just now beginning to grasp the concept of what he had signed up for. With increasingly growing panic, Jay realized he didn't know where the hell he was. A tiny voice in his mind told him that was the entire point, but all rational thought fled from him as the shadows seemed to creep toward him, the trees hovering intimidatingly over him. He took an unconscious step backward, stepping on a twig and snapping it as he did so. Jay flinched at the noise, not knowing who or what caused it, or what it even was, but the suspense and fear had already gotten to his head. Without a moment's hesitation, he ran. He didn't care where he was going; all he knew was that he needed to flee from the shadows that chased after him, the immortal trees that mocked his mortal existence, and the indiscernible whispers that grew louder and louder until he could hear nothing else but the frantic beat of his heart as he ran through the labyrinth of the woods.

(I know my replies are pretty inconsistent, and I'm really sorry about that. They're probably going to continue being inconsistent because my teachers seem to take great pleasure in giving me an endless stream of homework that has no end in sight, even during my spring break so again, I'm sorry about that)

(Dont even worry about it man, I totally get that. Im not going anywhere so don't feel bad about inconsistent replies - just take care of yourself!)

Dimitri sensed the difference in the woods before he realised what it actually was. How the trees beat differently, the swayed more, whispering and thundering around them like an invisible drum that urged anyone who entered to flee - scatter before anything could find them or pray it was a quick death that they were granted by the Gods. The heartbeat of the woods echoed in the vampire's ears. He felt it in the soil, like a twisting vine wrapping around his body at the new, terrified presence. Was it human? Possibly. If he found it only then would he know. He wasn't hungry, though anyone who entered into his territory was making their way towards a timely death. No one seemed to enter the woods unless they were practically begging for something awful to happen - hoping to find a way out that would never arrive once they found themselves trapped in the maze of wood and emerald green

At first, the old vampire swept through the trees with his wings, his small form making it easy to search and scour his lands in hopes of finding whatever it was that had entered. Even though it had been centuries since he had first arrived, even he got lost on occasion. Mainly during the day when his powers were weaker and when he was more sensitive to the sun. Dimitri was lucky that the forest was cast in shadows, his shadows most of the time, but it didn't stop them from being softer, weaker, when the sun was at its peak, even if you couldn't tell from down below.

In a quick woosh of dark, twirling embers, the small bat turned once again into the tall vampire. Dimitri's eyes scanned for a moment before he closed them, letting the forest guide him, direct him towards his next meal. if it was a human, well, maybe he would be nice, just for today, help them find their way to the village before feasting on them later tonight as punishment for intruding on his quiet, peaceful forest. If it was anything else, well, he might as well kill it before it got away.

His feet were fast, like lightning striking the ground but making no noise apart from the occasional snap of a twig or rustle of leaves. Like wind, moving and twisting through the maze of his home with ease and grace unusual for a creature of such dark properties. He could hear the running from his prey, though still could not see it properly for even for him at this speed it was difficult to grasp the area. His eyes shone with thrill and excitement, and he could feel the forest - those invisible watchers - pushing him, urging him to go faster. He wasn't one to let his friends down.

The trees and the shadows blurred together as Jay ran, his eyes focused solely on the path before him. But what path? There was nothing but darkness ahead of him. It surrounded him from all sides, like a cat leisurely closing in on a mouse because it knew that its prey had nowhere else to go, with death being the only fate awaiting it. The wind howled in his ears, and he swore that it almost sounded gleeful at his fear. I must be going insane if I'm personifying air, he thought numbly before fear took over his mind once again, blocking out everything except the darkness.

Shadows. There were so many of them, twirling through the trees and racing alongside him, the tendrils of night flickering like the whispers of flames, like smoke in the midst of the relentless darkness. His lungs screamed in agony, the muscles in his legs feeling as if they were ripped to shreds, but he forced his aching to cease; pain was not a luxury he could afford to to indulge in. He didn't even know if he was being chased. He didn't know where he was heading, or how to turn back even if he wanted to. What if he never stopped running? Would his body give in to the exhaustion and collapse, allowing him to be swallowed up by the darkness? He kept going, forgetting his name, who he was, the reason why he was here; the shadows whispered to him, chanting for him to run, run, run-

Something brushed past him, breaking his tunnel vision enough to stumble, and slam ever so gracefully into the trunk of a tree.

Jason grunted, falling on his back with a loud thump. He groaned in pain, watching the shadows recede back into the depths of the forest through bleary eyes, the wind blowing softly around him as the forest once again had soft streams of sunlight filtered through the dense, vibrant leaves of the trees. He was only on the ground for a moment, leaning onto the tree that halted him for support, adrenaline still coursing through his veins enough to allow for him to recover and stare after the quickly fading figure that had run into him. Jay couldn't see much of the vanishing being, but he was able to see that it was a person- or at least, something resembling a person. He had never seen anyone move so fast. Were they caught in the same, fear-induced trance that he had just been in? Or were they just really good at running? Jay decided to believe in the latter. Maybe they were from around here too, and knew where that hidden village was.

"Hey!" Jay called out after the already gone humanoid being, his voice ringing loud and clear in the otherwise silent woods. "Sorry for running into you. Do y'know where a hidden, spooky village is? I'm looking for a castle that's supposed to be somewhere in this area. The one that's rumored to have a vampire in it?" He chuckled as he finished his sentence, knowing how absurd he sounded. Blood-sucking, pale entities who had an aversion to sunlight and garlic didn't exist. Unless the pack of goth kids that Jay always saw when he was in high school counted. He honestly wouldn't be surprised if they were. But nevertheless, vampires were only a creature that existed for cool costumes, Halloween movies, and as a love-interest for terrible teen romance novels. Not for real life.

(I'm probably jinxing myself as I type this, but after this week I should be more active since school's just about wrapping up for me, so I hopefully won't ghost you for a long time like that again)