@Everyone

[thegreatexperiment]

[Sam's put a lot of debate into this text. Like, a lot a lot. To the point of obsession, really. And there are a lot of ways she could go about doing this. But with only 140 characters and about thirty eight rewrites, she finally settles on blunt. It's her brand. Not like it ultimately matters, right? She's coming to terms with that.]

Fuck it. Hi. I'm a vampire.

Yes I drink blood.

No I don't want yours.

Yes I'm probably gonna starve to death soon.

No I don't sparkle.

Comments

[thegreatexperiment]

I mean, I guess it could qualify as involuntary manslaughter. I'm pretty sure it wasn't supposed to go down that way

[warriorborn]

[ "Manslaughter" sounds way worse than "murder" to him, but Benedict is only just realizing that perhaps asking her how she died — she died? — might be asking her to relive traumatic memories, and he's got enough of those of his own to know thinking about them is no picnic.

So instead of pressing more, he changes direction. ]

And you must drink blood. To survive.

Is it all you can eat? Or drink, rather.

[ She did say she was on the brink of starvation, and as the accidental innkeeper, he knows full well how their food stores are faring. Nobody should be at risk of starving, unless they could not, for some reason, eat real food. ]

[thegreatexperiment]

[Who is this guy? Or maybe a better question would be what? Color Sam confused.]

Pretty much

Our Overlords somehow suppressed it for awhile, but it's back now, I guess.

[warriorborn]

Well that is certainly inconvenient.

[ Benedict is also king of understatements. One of his many talents, really. ]

I can sympathize, a little. For over a year I looked entirely like anyone else. And now, for no apparent reason, I look as I once did. It can be alarming, I have discovered.

[thegreatexperiment]

Oh

Does that mean you're not human?

[Sam's already doing her I-told-you-so dance, a little.]

[warriorborn]

I am warriorborn.

[ There's still debate as to how human the warriorborn are, since technically they are mutations born from genetic experiments generations ago. With regards to the basic things, he is as human as anyone else. With regards to other things... no, he is not human. ]

[thegreatexperiment]

Sorry, no idea what that means

[warriorborn]

Oh good, we are evenly matched in our ignorance of each other.

It is somewhat difficult to explain.

[ A little mortifying. Thankfully, he has some practice now, and if she doesn't know what the warriorborn are, she doesn't have the same ingrained prejudices against them that the people of his own home world do. So that should help circumnavigate that hurdle. ]

I have eyes and teeth like a cat. I am stronger, and faster than non-warriorborn humans, and heal more quickly from even serious injuries. My metabolism is faster, I must eat more frequently, and I am apparently warmer to the touch than average. If my Kate is to be believed.

[thegreatexperiment]

[The funny thing is, Sam is utterly fascinated. Here she was, pretty much building up her confidence for the big goodbye. And now she's going into her Hardcore Science mode.

It's not the worst thing in the world.

But definitely weird.]

Sounds a little like a species from my world. Except for the cat part. That's new

[warriorborn]

[ Benedict, too, had been building himself up for rejection from everyone he cared about, and yet the exact opposite happened for him, too. His friends have stood by him, his wife has not left him, his life has not changed in any salient way. Life is strange, that way. ]

It appears to be new to most everyone, it seems.

[thegreatexperiment]

It's not actual feline DNA, is it?

[warriorborn]

I am afraid I am not much of a scientist. I was simply born this way.

[thegreatexperiment]

[But she wants to know the science. She really, really wants to!]

Oh

Well, I get that

[warriorborn]

[ There's not much he can do to help her, on that front. But on the other...

He might be able to help with that. ]

How did you find blood to drink before you came here?

[thegreatexperiment]

I didn't kill anyone. If that's what you're asking.

[Defensive? Sam? Never!]

[warriorborn]

That was not my first thought, admittedly.

I am more concerned with how you might find blood here. Something must be done to prevent your starvation.

[thegreatexperiment]

Well, I learned one thing the hard way:

Badgers are fucking impossible to catch

[warriorborn]

Capturing wildlife is not my speciality.

[ Understatement. The only wildlife Benedict had seen before arriving in this habble had been vermin and the Cats that chased them. The animals that surround them here are all strange and alien to him. ]

I'm assuming human blood is acceptable, have you found a donor to assist you?

[thegreatexperiment]

[It's a good thing this isn't Facetime, because Sam winces, letting out a slow stream of variations on the word "fuck."]

I came from a city with a population of something like 3.97 million. It was easy then.

Things are more complicated here

[warriorborn]

Is the death of the donor a requirement?

[ Perhaps the most awkward way to ask if she has to kill someone to drink from them. Way to go, Benny. ]

[thegreatexperiment]

No!

I mean, the average human body can stand to lose about three pints of blood without any dire consequences

[warriorborn]

Then it should not be too difficult to find someone here to offer you some help, no?

[thegreatexperiment]

[Oh, dude. If only you knew...]

I don't know that there's a long term solution here

Not enough people, for one thing

[warriorborn]

How often do you need to avail yourself? There are some forty people in this habble. I'm not sure how long it takes for blood to be remade inside the average body, but I heal quickly from most injuries. It stands to reason my body can handle more than the average man's.

A rota could be drawn up.

[thegreatexperiment]

[The guy is being so sweet. Everyone is. Sam just...doesn't get it.

Then again, she doesn't come from a world where selflessness is the norm. Or where kindness and consideration are a way of life.]

Not everyone is healthy enough to give blood, or at high enough of a weight. You take them out of the rotation, along with other people who wouldn't be right, and the math doesn't work well

Plus, not a lot of people would volunteer for this shit